The chair was light and backless, but the maid swung it with all her might, so Rashta could be seriously injured if she was struck.
Rashta instinctively shielded her belly, and Viscountess Verdi hastily pushed the maid from the side.
The chair grazed Rashta's forehead. Then the maid, who swung the chair with her whole body, lost her balance and fell to the floor along with the chair.
"Argh!"
Rashta covered her belly, curled up, and screamed. When the maids who witnessed this scene became terrified and made a fuss, guards outside the door rushed into the bedroom.
"Your Majesty!"
Seeing the empress in pain, the broken chair on the floor and the maid furious, they rushed to lift Rashta in alarm.
The maid who swung the chair tried to lunge at Rashta again, but the guards hurriedly restrained her and pressed her to the floor.
The maid struggled and her eyes blazed. Her anger was greater than her fear. At this point, she wanted to finish off Rashta at any cost.
However, she was no match for the rough and robust guards.
Rashta touched her forehead as she stared at the maid. She felt dizzy and her belly throbbed, but above all else, her forehead hurt a lot.
Viscountess Verdi put her handkerchief over Rashta's wound and ordered one of the guards.
"Get the palace doctor!"
When the guard rushed out, Rashta asked, "The palace doctor?" She seemed not to know that she was bleeding from her forehead.
"I think you suffered a cut on your forehead."
Rashta did not realize that her hand was stained with blood until she heard Viscountess Verdi's words.
Seeing her red hand, Rashta paled.
About fifteen minutes later, the palace doctor appeared, and another fifteen minutes later Sovieshu appeared.
"Your Majesty…"
Rashta, who was being attended to by the palace doctor, stood up as soon as Sovieshu entered and spoke on the verge of tears,
"It hurts Rashta so much…"
Rashta was relieved to see his face, but at the same time, frightened. The maid should be punished severely for attempting to assassinate a member of the imperial family, but Rashta was worried that she would talk about her father's execution.
In the Delise incident, Rashta ordered her tongue cut out as soon as it happened to prevent her from speaking.
This time, the guards suddenly entered the bedroom and blood was flowing from her forehead, so she forgot to close the maid's mouth.
"What happened?"
Seeing Rashta's forehead, Sovieshu asked in surprise,
"A maid attacked Her Majesty."
"Is the injury serious?"
"Fortunately not, but…"
As the end of the palace doctor's words trailed off, Sovieshu approached the bed and brushed the hair away from Rashta's forehead. The injury could not be seen because of the bandage.
"She has a cut on her forehead."
"Is the cut deep?"
"I'll do my best, but… I'm afraid she'll be left with a scar."
Rashta looked at the palace doctor in surprise. He hadn't mentioned this to Rashta, so she had just found out about it too.
"A scar?"
Sovieshu put his hands on the surprised Rashta's trembling shoulders.
"A scar can fade with time. It's a relief that it's just a small scar."
Rashta was about to yell at him that having a scar on her face was no relief, but Sovieshu was already asking the palace doctor another question.
"And the baby?"
"All right, but I think it's better to be careful."
Sovieshu nodded in relief and left the bedroom to enter a small room where the maid was locked in.
The maid was on her knees, with both hands tied tightly behind her back by the guards.
The maid was clever. As soon as Sovieshu entered, she quickly shouted instead of apologizing or complaining.
"Your Majesty, the Empress executed my father!"
Hearing her words, Sovieshu immediately raised his eyebrows.
"What are you talking about?"
"The Empress executed my father as punishment! I made a mistake, but it absolutely wasn't serious enough for her to kill my father, Your Majesty."
Sovieshu frowned.
"What are you talking about? No prisoner has been executed recently."
To execute a person required Sovieshu's final approval. If someone had been executed, it was impossible for Sovieshu not to know. Even more so if the execution was to be carried out by order of the Empress.
"But Her Majesty said…"
Just then Rashta appeared and hurriedly intervened,
"That maid is scared because she spread a strange rumor about Rashta, Your Majesty. Rashta didn't kill anyone. Rashta wouldn't do such a dreadful thing."
The maid's face paled at those words.
Sighing, Sovieshu signaled a guard to investigate and prepare a report on what happened.
While he wanted an accurate report on what happened, he knew roughly what was going on.
He understood the maid's indignation upon hearing of her father's supposed death, but that doesn't mean she could attack the empress with a chair, who was pregnant with the next emperor. She even cut her forehead.
This had been a crime serious enough to be punishable by death, even if it was committed by a high-status noble.
"It's a pity, but a crime is a crime. First imprison that maid."
After giving that order, Sovieshu took Rashta back to her bedroom and advised her.
"Rashta, you can't execute a person hastily unless it's related to the murder of a member of the royal family."
"Even if it's the Empress?"
"Even if it is the Empress."
"But Your Majesty, the maid started the rumor that Rashta is a strange person. She wanted to ruin the Empress's image…"
"Still, one cannot hastily execute a person."
"Although Rashta was not the Empress when Viscount Langdel—"
"He stabbed you with a knife and was caught in the act."
Rashta burst into tears and put her hands on her sore head.
"Your Majesty is too cold. All you do is scold Rashta, you don't care in the least."
Sovieshu sighed again and patted the top of Rashta's head.
"Neither that maid nor her father can be hastily executed."
"I didn't order her father executed!"
"Empty words or not, you said it. For those who consider you to have the power to carry it out, it would never sound like empty words."
"!"
"I figured as much… there's too much you don't know to handle this position."
Rashta was surprised at Sovieshu's harsh remark.
"Your Majesty?"
Sovieshu shook his head and went out to summon Viscountess Verdi and her guards. Moments later, he came back in and instructed them in front of Rashta.
"From now on, if Rashta decides to harm anyone by relying on her position as 'Empress', I must be informed before carrying out her orders. Whoever breaches this, will have to take full responsibility."
Rashta felt deeply insulted. She couldn't believe he had brought them here to say this. Now the employees of the Empress's Palace will assume that the Empress had no power!
'His Majesty put honor before love.'
Depressed, Rashta was left crying alone in her bedroom.
Did his love fade or had he always been like that? She considered it absurd for Sovieshu to scold and insult her when she was the victim.
'No. He hadn't always been like this. Evely? Probably because of that girl named Evely.'
No, Rashta was sure. After falling in love with that girl, Sovieshu had changed.
Rashta sobbed for a while, but due to the throbbing pain in her forehead she quickly recovered. The pain, in turn, allowed her to realize the reality of the situation.
271At this rate, Sovieshu will try to make Evely the third empress, snatch my child from me, and divorce me. Just like what happened with Empress Navier! I must act smart and calmly. Empress Navier had an affair while married to Sovieshu, so immediately after her divorce she left with that man, but since I have devoted myself only to Sovieshu, I am in a difficult position.
Rashta quickly rummaged through her jewelry box and pulled out a large, beautiful sapphire necklace, giving it as a reward to the maid who ratted out her colleague.
"Is this for me?"
"Yes."
"How beautiful…"
"Do what you want, you can sell it or keep it. By the way, your mother is in prison, right?"
"Huh? Yes."
"I'll use my immunity privilege to get her out of prison."
I got used to my big work load, and my aides also got used to my way of working. Because of that, the efficiency and speed of work increased naturally.
Now I was sure that I could do some other tasks at the same time. I ordered an aide to send a letter to Grand Duke Kapmen to discuss trade matters with Rwibt.
Grand Duke Kapmen sent a reply about four hours later, and after that, we corresponded three or four times a day.
A few days later, the aide asked doubtfully,
"Wouldn't it be better to meet to talk in person?"
"When necessary. Right now there's not much to say."
I casually made up an excuse while putting off meeting with Grand Duke Kapmen.
However, my aides seemed to find it even stranger as the days passed.
The contents of the letters we exchanged were getting longer and the interval between each one shorter. My aides seemed to be thinking worriedly, 'Did they fight?'
Fortunately, before their suspicions grew stronger, William and Mullaney each showed up with their own investigation reports.
I placed them on my office desk and read the reports slowly. First Mullaney's, then William's.
The two successors looked at each other sideways and waited anxiously for my response. Their expressions looked really serious and cautious.
After a moment, I asked the two as I put the report in my hands down on the desk,
"Did you do the investigation together?"
They both shook their heads, puzzled.
Chuckling, I extended William's report to Mullaney, and Mullaney's report to William.
"Would you like to read it?"
In less than three minutes, both of their faces became rigid.
It was definitely understandable. Their reports were quite similar, even in the errors.
"I don't know who copied whom, but it wasn't a good choice. I've done my own separate investigation, and there's a lot of incorrect data in these reports."
Mullaney and William looked puzzled. It was hard to tell who was pretending, and who wasn't, as both had quite convincing expressions.
"This investigation is shameful. I'm disappointed. You'd better leave, I'll take care of this."
I deliberately spoke sharply and ordered them both to leave.
That night, Heinley laughed as I told him about what happened.
"I didn't imagine that about them. How unexpected."
"You think that's funny?"
"Like I said, I didn't imagine that could happen."
With my head on his chest, I lifted a hand and stretched his cheek.
"But was the report really that bad?"
"It wasn't that bad. I was just trying to trick them."
Heinley smiled, his eyes curved as if he'd read my thoughts,
"You did it to find out who copied the report, that will be the first one to visit you."
I nodded and bit his cheek. Now that this had happened, there was only one thing I could do.
Wish it wasn't Mullaney visiting me.
"My Queen? I'm nervous of you biting my cheek with such a serious look. I feel like you were trying to rip it off me."
Three days passed, but contrary to expectations, neither Mullaney nor William came to see me. Both seemed to be clever.
So what should I do now… I was pondering carefully as I walked along, when I heard some whispering. But the content was very strange.
"A ghost. Are you sure?"
"Oh, how scary. Don't say that. I won't be able to go out at night!"
"It's real. I don't know how many people have seen it already!"
"I've heard about it too. It's said to be a male ghost with a crown on his head."
"Really? Then it's possible that it's the Late King Wharton III."
"Why would he become a ghost?"
"There is a rumor that His Majesty Heinley poisoned the Late King."
The first part was a funny story. Even in the Eastern Empire, there were occasional fusses over ghostly apparitions. But the last part seemed rather malicious.
Although I had heard of that rumor too, I couldn't believe it had been mixed up with the ghost story.
Instantly, the nobles on Christa's side came to mind. Were they the ones who spread the rumor? Christa went to Compshire, but many nobles and officials who supported her stayed here.
Since they supported Christa, they could do nothing if she suddenly lost all her strength. Is it possible they were targeting Heinley to try to turn the situation around?
But I looked like the only one who was concerned about this. When I went to see Heinley around lunchtime, he already knew about the rumor. However, he didn't seem to think it was related to Christa's alies.
On the contrary, he asked me with a twinkle in his eye.
"My Queen, are you scared of ghosts?"
"If so, I can stay by your side from sunset to sunrise."
"Don't worry. I'm not scared."
"It's a ghost, aren't you scared?"
"Not really."
"…"
"Heinley?"
"Actually, I am scared, My Queen. So… will you stay by my side from sunset to sunrise?"
"You don't think this is related to Christa's supporters?"
"Of course I think we should investigate it as well. But other than that, I'm scared, My Queen. I believe in ghosts."
In fact, as soon as the sun went down, he stayed with me in my room even while I was working or reading.
"I'm scared, can we take a bath together tonight, My Queen?"
"No."
Although it seemed a little suspicious, Heinley was acting like he was really scared of ghosts. So I decided to reveal the ghost's true identity for his sake.
In the middle of the night, I went with my guards to the place where the ghost appeared.
I didn't sleep in the shared bedroom so I wouldn't have to worry about Heinley waking up.
However, there were already other visitors at the place where the ghost supposedly appeared.
"Search carefully. There must be a device."
Heinley was the first person I saw.
"What if it really is a ghost?"
McKenna was the second person.
"There is no ghost. I don't care if one appears either."
Who was this man who looked like my husband, and said without hesitation that there was no ghost?
Heinley, the one I knew, trembled in fear of ghosts.
Should I consider this other personality of my husband as the third person?
"But Your Majesty. If the ghost of the Late King appears, what should be done?"
"Sprinkle salt."
272Rashta no longer needed the care of the palace doctor, so she visited Sovieshu and asked,
"I am very shocked by what happened, Your Majesty. May I go to the quiet countryside to recuperate and clear my mind?"
"To the countryside?"
"Yes, the palace doctor said that Rashta had to relax for the baby's well-being. But there's a lot of trouble here…. right?"
Rashta wanted to go to Rimwell. Although the chair incident was unpleasant, she had been looking for a way to go to Rimwell for some time, so she considered this her chance.
"Where do you plan to stay?"
"Moire."
Moire was a small rural territory right next to Rimwell.
"I've been there before. The fresh air and beautiful scenery still linger in my memory."
Fortunately, Sovieshu agreed immediately.
"Take many guards with you."
In fact, Sovieshu not only provided her with many guards and especially sturdy carriages, but also hastily purchased a nobility villa in Moire.
She could have stayed at the residence of a noble family, but he had decided that it would be better for Rashta to enjoy her time freely in her own residence rather than stressed with all the unnecessary formalities.
Also, Rashta had been very depressed over the past few days, after the bandage was removed, and saw the scar left on her forehead.
It was a scar that ran from her forehead to one end of her eyebrow, the scar was a little thicker and longer than the palace doctor expected.
After cutting herself bangs to hide the scar, she felt a little better, but she still needed to calm her body and mind.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Rashta was sincerely grateful and pleased. Recently Sovieshu acted aloof, so she was very glad that he had cared for her as before.
However, the day after her arrival in Moire, Rashta slipped out of the villa, immediately after leaving a maid in her place.
She went to a nearby village in a carriage she had prepared in advance to meet a man who used to admire her long ago.
It was this man who helped Rashta escape from Viscount Roteschu's hands. If he still remained loyal, then she could entrust him with the task she had in mind.
She had previously conducted an investigation that revealed a shocking fact. The man lost an eye to severe punishment by Viscount Roteschu for helping her escape, but still he did not fail to defend Rashta and never said anything about it.
'If he loves Rashta so much, then I can trust him.'
Rashta went to his house, convinced.
"Do you remember me?"
"Rashta…"
The man burst into tears when Rashta removed her hood. Even the basket in his hands fell to the floor, sobbing, unable to pick it up.
After entering the house and asking how he was doing, Rashta explained her situation with a sad expression.
"I barely managed to live like an ordinary person, but Viscount Roteschu keeps threatening Rashta."
"He's despicable scum!"
"Rivetti has behaved shamelessly in an attempt to steal Rashta's husband…"
When Rashta began to cry, unable to speak anymore, the man snorted and punched the table angrily.
While the man loved Rashta, he also had a deep resentment against Viscount Roteschu. Hearing that the Viscount and his family were picking on his beloved Rashta, the blood in his veins began to boil.
"So, you ran away again? But coming here is not a good option, Rashta."
"Pix, I came here to see you."
"Me?"
"You're the only one who can help Rashta. Please help me."
"What can I do? How can I help you?"
This man would be willing to give his life for Rashta.
Rashta put her hands on his gaunt cheeks and burst into tears. Her appearance was so pitiful that the man vowed to protect the angel before him in any way possible.
"It won't be a difficult request. I wouldn't ask you to do something like that."
"Don't worry. Ask me for anything you want."
"Trustworthy and…"
"Trustworthy and?"
"Skillful…"
"?"
"I want to hire an assassin."
The man was completely shocked.
He was a commoner and had many bad friends. Naturally, he knew a lot about the dark side of the world. Although he had never resorted to them.
But this delicate and sweet slave wanted to hire an assassin!
"Rashta, do you want to kill Viscount Roteschu? Those who are skilled enough to kill nobles are really expensive."
"Rashta will take care of that."
"…"
"I'm sorry, Pix. It might go wrong, so it's better if you don't know the details. I don't want to cause you any trouble."
In the end, the man searched different guilds for the assassin who would be useful for this job while Rashta rested at home. Of course, he never revealed Rashta's name in the process.
A few hours later, Rashta went alone to the assassin's guild that Pix indicated. Surprisingly, the assassin's guild was located on the outskirts of the territory.
Besides, the guild headquarters seemed like a quiet, secluded store, definitely not a place where horrible things were done.
"What brings you here?"
At the very polite question from the clerk at the counter, Rashta handed over a large jewel she had brought.
The clerk smiled subtly and said, "One moment, please."
After about ten minutes, the clerk reappeared and opened the door behind him.
"Please come this way."
As she entered, Rashta could see a long, narrow corridor. There were numerous rooms on both sides of the corridor, and the clerk pointed to the end of the corridor with a finger.
"Don't go into any rooms, just keep going that way."
Although she felt a pain in her stomach due to nerves, Rashta did as instructed.
At the end of the corridor was a small, completely white space, with only a desk and two chairs placed in the center of it.
As she paced back and forth, unable to sit still in a chair, a tall man, with a mask covering his face, appeared shortly after from the same direction Rashta came from.
His eyes were so cold and sharp that one could tell at a glance that he was doing nothing ordinary.
The man dragged the chair in front of Rashta nonchalantly and sat down, but even after sitting down, he just stared at Rashta in silence.
Rashta, who couldn't wait, opened her mouth with difficulty,
"You'll do anything for money?"
The assassin nodded silently. Then, Rashta asked hesitantly.
"Do you know Pix?"
When the assassin nodded again, Rashta asked more cautiously,
"If I give you money… would you kill Pix too?"
If the assassin said no, she was going to change her words, saying, 'I was just trying to see how far you were capable of going," and if he said yes, she was really going to ask him to kill Pix as a test.
She wanted to check how heartless and skillful he was.
The assassin nodded once more.
"Then kill him. Call it a test."
The assassin got up, saying, "Wait here a moment."
It had been quite a while as far as 'wait a moment' was concerned. Rashta felt like three or four hours had passed.
What the hell is he doing? Just as Rashta was getting tired of waiting, the assassin reappeared holding something wrapped inside a cloth. As he approached the horrible smell of blood intensified.
Rashta covered her nose and jumped up. What is this smell? She felt nauseous.
Unfazed, the assassin casually put down what he was holding on the table. When he released his strong grip, the cloth fell slowly, revealing a little of what was inside.
Seeing the disheveled hair and eye patch, Rashta couldn't stand it and threw up. Despite Rashta's state, the assassin ended up completely revealing the head inside.
Looking at the head on the table, Rashta vomited again.
However, she was soon glad. The assassin was heartless and skillful. If she used this man, it wouldn't be a problem to get rid of Rivetti.
Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, Rashta asked,
"Can you kill nobles too?"
273The assassin also nodded this time.
Rashta, who considered asking the assassin to kill Viscount Roteschu once and for all, soon changed her mind.
Didn't he say that in case he died he had everything ready to spread rumors about me?
"So, can you kill Rivetti? Viscount Roteschu's daughter."
The assassin accepted.
Rashta took a bunch of jewels out of her pocket and handed them to this man.
However, she changed her request at the last moment.
"No, don't kill her. Sell her as a slave to another country, is that possible?"
Rivetti considered her a filthy slave and scorned her.
'The filthy slave will now be you.'
During dinner, I looked carefully at Heinley.
Two nights ago. Although he said he believed in the existence of ghosts and was afraid of them, he led his men to the place where the ghost with a crown on his head appeared and I watched him act calmly. But instead of calling him out on the spot, I went straight to my room.
Now I remembered it again, so I thought I'd put Heinley to the test. Yesterday he hadn't stayed at the palace on another urgent matter.
"Are you still scared of ghosts?"
"Very much so, My Queen. But by your side I feel safe."
"Really?"
"Of course. My Queen, you give me courage."
Smiling softly, Heinley extended his hand across the table. When I placed my hand over his, he grabbed it, kissed the back of it and smiled even wider.
His smile was charming and his attitude was lovely. However, I narrowed my eyes at him because he was trembling.
He looked cute pretending to be weak, but it was also strange. He seemed like a huge hound dog whimpering and being excessively pitiful.
In any case, one thing was clear. Heinley was a man who showed a different image as he saw fit.
It was obvious that he had a slightly different attitude when he was with me compared to when he was with others.
The next day, Heinley reflected suspiciously on Navier's expression yesterday.
Navier's expression, which was usually cold and sometimes gentle, was really strange yesterday.
Navier seemed to want to say something… but in the end she didn't say anything special.
Heinley felt uncomfortable, so he paced back and forth across his office with his hands clasped behind his back.
But he soon put those thoughts aside. Because the spy stationed in the Eastern Empire came in person.
The spy reported on the 'phenomenon of mage decline' ongoing in the Eastern Empire.
" … there is a high risk in extracting mana from a skillful mage."
"By high risk you mean it doesn't work? Or-"
"There have been several cases where in trying to extract mana the opposite has happened, it has increased even more."
"… It's a difficult situation."
Heinley frowned and pressed his temples. One skillful mage was usually more useful than ten beginner mages. It was a great loss for the Western Empire to further increase the mana of already talented mages.
"Then it is best to extract the mana just after it manifests in a person or when it is not yet well established."
Heinley considered this a real headache and clicked his tongue. In this scenario, the war he aimed for might have to be delayed a little longer.
As Heinley pondered this, the spy continued.
"And this may not be so important, but Emperor Sovieshu has a new concubine."
"A concubine? A different concubine than that woman named Rashta?"
"Yes."
"Is that concubine a mage? If not, I'm not interested."
"She's not currently a mage, but she's an assistant to a court mage."
"A court mage?"
A court mage uses someone who is not a mage as an assistant? Heinley found this fact strange, so he waited to hear the rest of the story,
"What's more unusual is that this is a person who lost her mana while attending the magical academy. I was wondering if it was related to our plan…"
"How can he place his own concubine, who has lost her mana, as an assistant to a mage. Emperor Sovieshu is too greedy."
Heinley laughed.
He caused quite a stir when he divorced Navier and remarried not long ago, did he already have another woman as a concubine already?
But after a while, Heinley asked as if he had realized something,
'"You said she lost mana while attending the magical academy?"
"That's right."
"Her name is…"
"Her name is Evely."
Heinley immediately recognized the girl's name. She was the orphan girl that Navier visited at the magical academy to give her encouragement. An intelligent and outstanding girl.
What did Emperor Sovieshu have in mind having that girl with him…?
In any case, this was not good at all.
The mages of the Eastern Empire were brilliant and competent. If the side effects that occurred when extracting mana from mages were studied along with Evely's case, it could be discovered that the phenomenon of mage decline had been artificially amplified.
"First of all, we will stop extracting mana from the mages in the capital of the Eastern Empire. It's better to avoid trouble."
Although it might seem silly, Heinley quickly changed the order. He didn't want to ruin everything, so he made a cautious decision,
"Instead of extracting mana from the mages who already belong to the Eastern Empire's Imperial Family, it's better to make sure that the number of mages doesn't increase."
"Understood."
However, unlike usual, the spy did not leave immediately after finishing with the report.
When Heinley stared at him, wondering why, the spy opened his mouth cautiously,
"Your Majesty, if you don't mind… may I make a personal remark?"
"Go ahead."
When Heinley allowed it, the spy said in a firm voice.
"I agree that Her Majesty Navier is a good empress worthy of respect. However, I am concerned that because of Empress Navier, Your Majesty will not be able to go ahead with the plans you have been preparing for a long time."
Instead of getting angry with the spy, Heinley chose to defend himself and evade his comment.
After the spy left, Heinley asked McKenna.
"Do you think the same, McKenna?"
274McKenna thought about it for a moment before responding,
"Hmm, I'm not sorry at all. Can I be honest?"
"Of course."
"While it would be nice to go ahead with the plans, doesn't it take a lot of time and effort to stabilize the country that has truly become an empire? It might be more beneficial to stabilize the country than to push for a war."
"…"
"It's fine to strengthen the empire, and leave the glory to future generations."
Sighing, McKenna looked at Heinley and voiced his opinion as his cousin.
"It is important to fulfill the wish of a lifetime, Your Majesty. But if you become obsessed with it to the point of sacrificing your happiness, that would also be very sad."
McKenna finished in a quick voice, "I don't want Your Majesty to live in regret. I would rather you be happy."
It seemed to embarrass him to say this slowly, even though they were like brothers.
At McKenna's earnest and honest opinion, Heinley became lost in thought.
"What are you thinking about?"
Countess Jubel's question snapped me out of my thoughts.
Looking down, the embroidery I had started to do to calm down a little was ruined.
"I was thinking about the ghost's commotion."
"Didn't the Emperor say not to worry about it?"
"He said so, that's true, but…"
"It worries you?"
I nodded, set the embroidery hoop aside and rose from the armchair.
"You never know how even a little rumor can change things. It would be best to quash it before it grows. Especially if the intentions of the person who started the rumor are not good."
But how should I do it?
There were ways to attack the rumor once it was known who had started it. However, finding the person who started the rumor would not be easy.
With Viscount Langdel's help, I even hid knights at the place where the ghost supposedly appeared, but that didn't work either.
Well, if it was easy to catch, Heinley would have done it by now. Heinley seemed to be trying to catch the culprit in his own way.
However, the answer to this question came from who I least expected… it was the day I called Grand Duke Kapmen to my office to discuss, in person, the items to be traded as the meeting could not be postponed any longer.
"So, as we have discussed, the items to be traded can be essential goods on the Hwa and Wol continents, non-essential goods on the two continents, useful goods not available on both continents, exotic luxury goods, some grains and fruits, among others."
Who would be a good trader to take care of market research? If it were about your heart, I'd like to take care of it myself, but it's not like that… Damn it."
"The Emperor's help is needed in this part. I haven't been in the Western Empire for a long time either, so I don't have detailed information about the trade groups."
Although Kapmen was still under the same effects of the potion, it was much more efficient to meet in person than to have a discussion through letters.
When the meeting was over, I walked Kapman to the door to see him off. However, Kapmen repeatedly glanced at me without saying a word.
He seemed to hesitate about something.
Just as we reached the door, Kapmen brought up a truly unexpected fact.
"It is led by Marquis Ketron, and Duke Liberty turns a blind eye."
He said no more. After that, he left quickly.
But I understood at once what he meant.
The ghost's commotion is led by Christa's cousin!
"It is entirely possible that it was him."
When I told Heinley that I found this out with the help of Grand Duke Kapmen, he frowned and grumbled.
"Besides, he can use illusionary magic. He must have used that magic to cause the ghost's commotion."
"Marquis Ketron is a mage?"
I asked in surprise. Until now I didn't know that the Minister of Foreign Affairs was a mage. Wouldn't it be more appropriate for him to work in a department related to magic?
Well, come to think of it, neither Grand Duke Kapmen nor Heinley, who were exceptional mages, work in magic-related fields.
"Isn't Duke Liberty Miss Mullaney's maternal uncle?"
"Yes, My Queen."
Mullaney's adoptive brother and rival was the Duke's second son… I'll think about this later.
Now I had to put an end to the ghost's commotion.
"Heinley, may I take care of this matter?"
"My Queen? Of course you can, but… what do you plan to do?"
"I'll use the eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth method."
At my determined words, Heinley smiled broadly. He seemed to like it.
"Have you thought of a particular way?"
"I have thought about , I'll ask Viscount Langdel for some of the more agile Supranational Knights. Then I'll make sure that Marquis Ketron can't wake up for at least a week."
Heinley nodded and asked with an incredulous expression.
"Is that really 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth', My Queen?"
"Yes."
"Not really… it sounds like 'I'll work it out with fists'."
Heinley laughed, clutching his stomach as if it was really funny. But when I glared at him, he noticed my expression and quickly got himself under control.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't making fun, I was just laughing because I like My Queen's boldness."
"You don't have to apologize. I was just waiting for you to stop laughing."
"… I'm sorry, My Queen."
He really didn't have to apologize. When I frowned, Heinley looked more embarrassed.
Lest he continue to misunderstand me, I told him my plan in more detail,
"If the ghost stops appearing as soon as Marquis Ketron loses consciousness, it will become obvious who the culprit is. Then, this time, we will spread the rumor."
The rumor was 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'.
Of course, the difference was that Marquis Ketron spread a false rumor, and we will spread the truth…
Only then did Heinley understood my words, but exclaimed.
"You're not going to use your fists!"
"I said no."
Who the heck does he think I am?
When Viscount Langdel heard my request, he gladly accepted it, saying it would be easy.
Instead, he asked me to leave the specific plan in his hands. Supranational knights had a unique way of acting, different from other knights.
I agreed. The next evening, Viscount Langdel came to see me to announce the success of the plan.
"The ghost will no longer appear."
"Did you make sure Marquis Ketron was put to sleep?"
"Yes, it will take him seven to ten days to wake up."
"Thank you."
After expressing my gratitude, he immediately withdrew, saying that it had not been a difficult request.
I was concerned that Marquis Ketron's aides or Duke Liberty might use a different method to continue the ghost's commotion.
But apparently this depended solely on Marquis Ketron's magic. Since Marquis Ketron was put to sleep, the ghost did not appear again.
Neither Heinley nor I had to spread any rumors. People began to murmur on their own.
They were outraged, convinced that Marquis Ketron had done it as revenge for Christa's expulsion.
275After commissioning the assassin to turn Rivetti into a slave, Rashta immediately returned to Moire's villa.
The first few days were painful as the image of the dead man's head constantly came to her mind, but as time passed, the shock faded, and the thought of Rivetti becoming a slave made her feel very happy.
Thanks to this, she was able to spend the rest of the time happily enjoying the countryside, and only when it all became boring did she return to the imperial palace.
Viscount Roteschu visited her the day after her arrival.
'Ah, right. I also asked Viscount Roteschu to find a mercenary.'
Rashta remembered this fact she had forgotten.
As Viscount Roteschu waited in the drawing room, Rashta pondered for a moment.
She had found an assassin to kidnap Rivetti. Did I really need a mercenary from the Viscount?
She thought it would be a waste of money.
However, she quickly changed her mind, 'I need it'.
She needed many people to use as her arms and legs.
As long as I make a request in which there is no problem in having Viscount Roteschu as an accomplice, it would be fine to use this mercenary.
Her mind made up, Rashta finally left the bedroom.
As she entered the drawing room, Viscount Roteschu sat where he usually did, and beside him was a man in a hooded cloak concealing his face.
"What took you so long to come out?"
Viscount Roteschu was annoyed and pointed at the man next to him,
"This is the mercenary I found. He's very skillful. He can do whatever you want, as long as he receives the appropriate amount of money."
Rashta asked, looking him up and down,
"Can't you take off your hood?"
The same happened with the assassin. Why do they cover their faces?
However, the mercenary refused.
Because of the work they did, they never revealed their faces publicly. Many people held grudges against them.
"Then how can I recognize you?"
Rashta asked with a frown.
As for the assassin she personally hired, she knew his nickname and the location of the assassin's guild, so it was fine. Besides, he was quite slim and tall, a figure that could be recognized at a glance, even from a distance.
However, the person in front of her did not have an unusual figure, so it was impossible to recognize him with a cloak.
The mercenary showed him his index, middle, and ring finger on which he had the same ring. He seemed to want her to recognize him through them.
"Alright, but I can't hire you right away. I'd like to see how skillful you are first."
The mercenary nodded as if asking what he had to do.
Rashta held back the urge to shout, 'Kill the person next to you!'
Instead, she thought it over and said,
"Go tonight to Duke Elgy's and bring me the bracelet he wears on his wrist. However, you must not, for any reason, harm him."
After Viscount Roteschu left with the mercenary. Rashta hurried to visit Duke Elgy.
She wanted to inform him in advance and ask him to understand her.
Rashta believed that Duke Elgy would tell her, with a smile, not to worry because it wasn't really dangerous.
But when Duke Elgy heard it, he responded coolly.
"Rashta, you really take advantage of me."
His voice was full of displeasure.
"Duke Elgy?"
Rashta called him, puzzled.
"Never, absolutely never. You are the person Rashta trusts the most, that's why Rashta left this in your hands. Really."
"You leave something in the hands of the person you trust the most that puts his life at risk?"
However, Duke Elgy still looked cold. With a peculiarly bitter smile, he folded his arms and looked at the wall.
Rashta was saddened as he didn't even want to look her in the eye.
The mercenary's test was for tonight. There wasn't much time left, but it wasn't like she could cancel it now.
In the end, she took a step back and dejectedly returned to the West Palace. She thought about talking to Duke Elgy again once his anger had passed.
Duke Elgy stood by the window and stared at her back.
Before long, there was no trace of anger in his expression, but a broad smile.
When Duke Elgy had completely lost sight of Rashta, he called his squire and ordered him,
"Take care of the preparations."
Anxious, Rashta could not sleep all night. She couldn't stop thinking about whether the mercenary would bring the bracelet correctly and whether Duke Elgy would still be angry.
'It's okay. After I go tomorrow to apologize, his anger will disappear completely.'
Rashta knew it was best to wait for him to calm down a bit, so she forced herself to relax.
But at 4:00 in the morning, when the mercenary appeared with Duke Elgy's bracelet, Rashta was furious.
There was blood on the bracelet.
As he held out the bracelet the three rings on his fingers glowed red in the candlelight.
"What does this mean?!"
When Rashta shouted angrily, the mercenary casually excused himself,
"Duke Elgy was too strong and had guards, so I had no chance to take the bracelet without bloodshed."
Although Rashta was seething with anger, she at least recognized his skill. Duke Elgy looked strong even at first glance. Being able to defeat not only the Duke, but also overcome the guards, certainly the mercenary must have been very strong.
After breakfast, Rashta immediately went to the Southern Palace.
As expected, Duke Elgy was angrier than yesterday.
He had a cold expression and didn't even smile when he saw Rashta.
What was more serious was that he said he would leave the Eastern Empire.
"What do you mean you'll leave?"
"As I said. I have no reason to stay anymore, so I'll leave."
"Where will you go?"
"Home."
"Don't go!"
Rashta hastily clung to the Duke Elgy.
"If the Duke leaves, Rashta will be left alone in this cruel and merciless place. His Majesty no longer treats Rashta as he used to, and the others only notice Rashta's crown. Only the Duke treats Rashta like Rashta, if you leave…"
"I'm sorry, but I'm really disappointed about yesterday. Rashta, I felt like you were taking advantage of my friendship."
As Duke Elgy began to pack his luggage, she noticed that the area where he used to place his bracelet was bandaged.
"Please leave me alone."
Rashta was forced to return to the Western Palace. But all she could think about was that Duke Elgy would leave.
Rashta burst into tears as she looked at the bloody bracelet the mercenary had taken from Duke Elgy.
Whenever the nobles here turned their backs on her, Duke Elgy was the only one who sided with her.
Even after she became a concubine, even after she became an empress.
He was the only friend who was not prejudiced despite knowing she was not of noble origin.
That person had become angry and was about to leave. This fact was frightening and hard to take in.
Would I be able to carry on without Duke Elgy?
Rashta pressed her chest, she had to admit it.
'I think I like Duke Elgy.'
Sovieshu was the prince who rescued her when she was in the most difficult time, but he was so fickle that he easily abandoned anyone.
However, Duke Elgy had always been by her side.
Although she still loved Sovieshu, she was sure that this love would gradually disappear because of his attitude.
On the contrary, her feelings for Duke Elgy only grew.
Rashta turned and ran back to Duke Elgy.
Duke Elgy was outside carrying his luggage in a carriage.
"I have to tell you, I have to tell you something!"
"There is nothing more to talk about."
"You have to listen to me! It's an order!"
Rashta exclaimed firmly and led Duke Elgy into the room. But Duke Elgy turned to leave as soon as he entered.
Rashta stood behind him and cried out desperately with tears in her eyes…
"I like you. I love you. Please don't leave."
Rashta, who stood behind Duke Elgy, couldn't see that he was smiling.