351
"Your Majesty! I didn't push him! It is the truth!"
Inside the Moon Hall, Grand Duke Lilteang insisted on his innocence with a pale face. But it was useless.
"Duke Zemensia's accusation is true. I was there when you pushed his son."
Grand Duke Lilteang looked like he was about to cry.
"I didn't push him! I just…"
"You hit him in the shoulder. Well, it might have been bad luck for him to fall into the pond."
"Yes! I just hit him in the shoulder, I didn't expect the little boy to trip and fall into the pond!"
"But it happened. The little boy fell into the pond, so you, Grand Duke, dared to harm the son of a high-status noble of the Western Empire."
Grand Duke Lilteang protested with tears in his eyes.
"If Your Majesty hadn't told me in the first place that he was Old Duke Zemensia's grandson, I wouldn't have done it!"
Heinley raised an eyebrow,
"You say that as if I pointed out the Old Duke's grandson for you to push him."
"You said that Old Duke Zemensia even abandoned his daughter to protect his grandson! Your Majesty knows… knows… that I lose control easily!"
"No more excuses. It is embarrassing."
Grand Duke Lilteang pursed his lips, but Heinley was right.
Although Emperor Heinley's intention could be doubted after what had happened, it was definitely not strange.
As Emperor Heinley said, he did not talk about pushing the Old Duke's grandson. He only said who the little boy was and that Old Duke Zemensia was very fond of him.
After that, Heinley went to greet other people.
However, Grand Duke Lilteang did not believe that Heinley, who had attended countless high society events, had told him that without any intention.
Grand Duke Lilteang caused trouble whenever he got carried away by his emotions, a flaw that had always worried those around him. Even once, when the Western Empire was still a Kingdom, he made a mistake by speaking impulsively.
With that in mind, did Emperor Heinley really inform him about his old enemy's weakness without any intention?
Moreover, it was strange that Duke Zemensia saw exactly that brief moment of the push, and that Emperor Heinley was by his side. As far as he knew, the Zemensia Family had completely lost Emperor Heinley's support.
However, it was Grand Duke Lilteang who ended up in an unfortunate situation.
"I will make a formal complaint to Emperor Sovieshu about this matter."
Heinley was sorry that this had happened on his birthday, and ordered that the Grand Duke be locked in a room for distinguished guests.
Two Underground Knights, who waited inside the hall, approached and held the Grand Duke by both arms.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
The two knights mercilessly pulled out Grand Duke Lilteang as he resisted. It was completely different from the behavior of the knights outside, who did not touch him so as not to disgrace him in front of the others.
After Grand Duke Lilteang was dragged out the back door, McKenna, who watched quietly, clicked his tongue and stepped forward.
"I had imagined it when he mocked Empress Navier in front of Your Majesty, but he really is a person who acts more than he thinks."
"Yes. In any case, I didn't expect him to push the little boy directly into the pond. How is he?"
"He was quickly rescued by the maid, so his life is not in danger."
"Hmm… send him some medicine that's good for the common cold."
"I don't think his parents will give it to him."
"It's just a show of goodwill."
"I understand."
McKenna, who answered dutifully, reflected for a moment and asked,
"By the way, even if we make a formal complaint to the Eastern Empire about what happened, won't Emperor Sovieshu ask us to send back the Grand Duke? His Majesty might say that he would be duly punished. I know they are not close, but the Grand Duke is still one of the few members of the Imperial Family."
"In a normal situation, it would be like this."
Heinley sighed and rose from the throne.
"But now, isn't there a stir in the Eastern Empire because it is not known whether the princess has the Emperor's blood?"
"Right."
"If it turns out that the princess is not the daughter of Emperor Sovieshu, then Grand Duke Lilteang and his son are next in the line of succession. But Emperor Sovieshu is young and Duke Lilteang is much older, so it is actually his son who could become the successor."
The corners of Heinley's lips twitched.
"Won't Emperor Sovieshu want to get rid of Grand Duke Lilteang just in case?"
"Oh."
"Let Emperor Sovieshu know that what Grand Duke Lilteang did was heinous, and as he himself confessed, it was worse than expected. In order not to damage the image of the Imperial Family of the Eastern Empire, he will only be locked in a tower for about five years."
"Yes, as you command. In which tower will the Grand Duke be locked up?"
"In the Red Tower."
The 'Red Tower' was a scary place from which it was rumored that one could not leave without bloodshed. The name 'Red Tower' was due to the fact that the stairs of the tower were stained red by blood.
The inside of the tower was spotless, as it was used to lock up high status nobles, but no one wanted to go in there.
"Yes."
McKenna responded with a smile, to which Heinley added with a smile as well,
"One more thing."
"Tell me."
"Keep his mouth shut with stones."
After I waited about two hours in my room, Heinley rushed in and apologized.
"I'm sorry, My Queen. I was told late that you were expecting me."
"It's all right. I asked Sir Yunim to let you know after you finished your business."
"Still, Yunim is an inconsiderate knight."
"Heinley, I asked him."
When I spoke firmly, Heinley approached me like a tame fox and laid his head tenderly on my shoulder.
"If I had known earlier that My Queen was waiting for me, I would have put aside my business to come at once."
"That's why I did it."
Heinley gently bit my neck and then my ear. His warm breath brushing against my skin tickled, so my shoulders rose naturally.
"Stop."
"I'm just so happy to see you…"
"I'm happy too. But you're a bird, not a dog."
Heinley laughed softly, accepting my words. That's when he saw the pile of gifts behind me and asked in surprise,
"My Queen? Are they all for me?"
"I already gave you the gift you wanted."
"That was just to show off…"
Heinley seemed to remember that he deliberately wore the jewel that Sovieshu sent me in front of his secretary. Heinley quickly became depressed.
"Just kidding. This is the gift I really prepared for you."
But as soon as he heard my words, his shoulders rose again, he smiled broadly and asked, "All of them?"
"Just one."
Then, I gave him a kiss on the cheek and asked him to sit on the bed as he was about to get depressed again.
"There's something I have to tell you first, Heinley."
"Why don't we open gifts first?"
I wanted to talk about Whitemond, but… it's Heinley's birthday.
In the end, I put off the Whitemond issue. I then explained before asking him to unwrap a gift,
"These are gifts that I prepared based on the suggestions of people close to me. What each gift box contains is different, so choose one."
"Can't I keep them all?"
"That wouldn't be fun."
In fact, I would give him all the gifts. It may be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, but today only one.
Heinley sighed regretfully at my words, but soon agreed, walked over to the pile of gifts and began to think seriously.
Then he chose the box that was located at the bottom.
"I'll take this one, My Queen."
When he finished speaking, he grabbed one end of the ribbon wrapped around the box. At that instant, I rushed to stop his hand, which was about to pull the ribbon.
352
The box Heinley chose contained the sexy underwear. I had hesitated to put it among the gifts, but in the end I was swayed by desire. Since Heinley is a naughty eagle I thought he would like it too, so I partly did it for fun.
However, I had put it on the bottom as it would be less likely that he would choose it. When he chose that box, I regretted my folly.
"My Queen?"
"Heinley, choose another one."
"Huh? You told me to choose any…"
"I just realized I made a mistake. This is not a gift for you."
"What? Then who's it for?"
"It's, it's for Viscount Langdel."
Heinley had an expression that he didn't believe me in the least. It was understandable. He couldn't believe that I had put a gift for Viscount Langdel next to his birthday gifts. It was an absurd excuse.
I'm sorry, Viscount Langdel.
In any case, I hurriedly snatched the box from him, shoved it under the bed and said again,
"Choose another one."
At times like this, I was glad that my expression was impassive. It was impossible to tell that I was embarrassed.
"Are you going to take away the next gift box I choose?"
"No. I definitely won't do it again."
Heinley looked at me with dubious eyes for a moment, but chose another gift box. It was a beautiful shiny gift box wrapped in gold and silver paper… but how did he manage to choose this one too.
This was McKenna's recommended gift. Do the Heinley dance with him!
No, I don't blame Heinley. I was foolish to agree to what McKenna said even though it seemed crazy to me.
Inwardly, I reproached myself. Heinley is a funny man with a great sense of humor, so I wanted to match him. But why did I try to do it now even though I knew I wasn't good at jokes?
In fact, what I had in mind was for Heinley to first choose a 'normal' gift, then I would tell him that he could keep the others as well.
In that way, I expected Heinley to say, 'My Queen, you have a great sense of humor!' However….
"Hmm. My Queen, did I choose wrong?"
While I was deep in thought, Heinley took out of the gift box the drawing of a human form doing dance steps and asked me sadly,
"Is this the losing gift?"
I guess he asks because it's not a good drawing. It's a drawing I did roughly to represent the 'dance'.
It seems that wasn't a good idea.
"I drew it."
"Oh, My Queen! You are very creative with your drawings! In about 300 years, this drawing will be recognized as a work of art!"
"… I know I don't draw well. You can choose another gift box—"
"I don't want to."
"Give it to me anyway. I'll give you the first gift you chose."
I snatched the drawing from him, took out the box I had put under the bed and handed it to him.
"I wonder what's in here."
Heinley muttered. He seemed to be very curious about the first gift he had chosen, so he hurried to open the box.
Immediately a gasp was heard.
"My Queen. Did you want to give this to Viscount Langdel?"
Heinley seemed to get it, so he didn't stop teasing me no matter how many times I said otherwise, "Why this gift?", Viscount Langdel likes this?", "Why did you put a gift for Viscount Langdel with my gifts, My Queen?", "Besides, what did that drawing mean, My Queen?"
Only when the wine glass in my hand began to freeze did Heinley shut his mouth.
What I had in mind didn't work, so now that Heinley had chosen the two gifts I had prepared as a joke, I gave him all the others.
I also realized that this kind of prank could not be made by just anyone. When a person as rigid as me tried to make a prank, I ended up becoming the butt of it…
After we spent almost two hours opening the other gifts while laughing, I finally talked about the Whitemond issue,
"Heinley, I have something important to tell you about Whitemond."
"My Queen. That's not a pleasant subject."
"I must tell you while my memories still remain clear."
I patted the back of Heinley's hand because he kept stroking my toes as if he wanted to have a little more fun. After he sat up straight, I told him about what happened in the hall.
I told him about what the special ambassador asked me to do, the gift he gave me, and the advice I gave him.
Heinley listened to me with a serious expression. Then he asked me as soon as I finished speaking,
"How would My Queen like this to be resolved?"
"I don't want war either."
"My Queen is a pacifist?"
"It would be foolish to promote peace unconditionally. But I think it is better to avoid war as much as possible if there is no clear justification or rationale. It is not right to drag countless people to their deaths just for a small gain."
"The Western Empire is powerful, My Queen. It would not be a problem to forcibly take control of the port of Whitemond."
"After we proclaimed ourselves an Empire, Whitemond is not the only nearby country that looks at us warily, Heinley. If we attack Whitemond for immediate gain, all other countries would distrust the Western Empire and try to keep their distance. They could also join forces with the Eastern Empire in the event of a war."
Heinley nodded repeatedly as he listened to me. From his expression, he seemed to seriously ponder my point of view.
"I'm not saying this because of the gift of the two ships."
"Huh? Ships? The gift was two ships?"
"A merchant ship and a warship."
In fact, it was the first time that I received ships as a gift.
"Would you like me to show them to you?"
Since Heinley was interested, I quickly went for the envelope given to me by the special ambassador and handed the paintings of the ships to Heinley.
"What do you think?"
Heinley was taken aback for a moment.
Uh… Does it look like he wants them?
353
Arriving at the Imperial Palace, Evely debated whether to return to the Southern Palace or to inform Sovieshu that she had accomplished what he had asked her to do.
Although Evely felt she had to visit Sovieshu, she worried that there would be unnecessary rumors because he had not called her. Besides that she didn't feel comfortable talking alone with the Emperor.
Evely hesitated all the while as she unloaded her luggage, but in the end decided to inform him at once.
'Since it's a private matter, I'd better inform him on my own.'
Her decision was correct.
Sovieshu didn't call her at once because he thought she would be tired, but he was very anxious to know if Evely had delivered his gift and how Navier had reacted.
As soon as Evely entered his office, Sovieshu quickly asked,
"What happened to the gift? Did you give it to her?"
Evely couldn't even give a polite greeting, clasped her hands together and hurried to answer,
"Yes. I personally delivered it to the Empress Navier."
"What did she say?"
"Huh?"
"What did Empress Navier say when she received the gift?"
"Ah, that…"
"What about her expression? How was her voice?"
However, Evely didn't expect Sovieshu to ask about this. Evely's eyes darted from side to side in embarrassment.
Sovieshu understood the situation as soon as he noticed her discomfort and smiled bitterly,
"It's alright. The Empress Navier has always been indifferent no matter what I give her."
But unlike the bitterness in his voice, his eyes were full of longing.
Evely bowed her head more and wiggled her toes uncertainly.
"Thank you for running the errand. You can go now."
Evely was so embarrassed that Sovieshu decided not to ask any more questions.
Once Evely left, Sovieshu went to his bedroom, sat on the bed, looked at Navier's painting and said to himself,
"I wish I had given it to her earlier when she had asked me…"
His desolate voice echoed in the bedroom.
Still, he felt a little better knowing that the gift had been delivered. Sovieshu was also glad that he had been able to keep the promise even if it was late.
'Although I don't think Navier will remember the promise…'
About two hours later, when a man from the Western Empire who came with the Eastern Empire delegation handed him a letter from Navier and a letter from Heinley in the drawing room, his expression darkened.
After reading the two letters, his expression worsened even more.
'Did an envoy try to harm Evely on the orders of Viscount and Viscountess Isqua?'
It was a disgrace to the Eastern Empire for an envoy to do this.
Moreover, Evely had been sent by him on an errand. Of course, the delegation did not know that Evely went to the Western Empire to run a secret errand for Emperor Sovieshu. Still, that did not diminish the crime.
— … For what that envoy did, he could even be punished by the Western Empire. However, isn't he one of the envoys who came on behalf of the Eastern Empire? If that envoy were to be punished by the Western Empire, it could harm the reputation of Emperor Sovieshu, so I'll leave this matter in the hands of the Eastern Empire.
Unlike Navier's letter, in which she only expressed her concern for Evely, the letter sent by Heinley exuded mockery in every word.
He emphasized that the culprit was an envoy from the Eastern Empire with the sole intention of mockery.
The letter disguised as consideration was an offense. The only serious part of the letter was the endnote.
— By the way, there is no need to be lenient.
He wanted to shred this unpleasant letter. But Sovieshu clenched his teeth to suppress the urge and ordered to immediately summon Viscount and Viscountess Isqua.
Viscount and Viscountess Isqua did not know the reason why they were summoned. As soon as they entered, Sovieshu asked in a cold, deep voice,
"Rashta asked them to do it?"
"Your Majesty, what do you mean…"
"Rashta asked them to harm Evely?"
At Sovieshu's direct question, Viscount and Viscountess Isqua exclaimed in bewilderment.
"No way."
"We do not know what you are talking about, Your Majesty."
"We have not harmed that girl, nor did the Empress ask us to."
Sovieshu leaned back comfortably in the armchair and spoke in a calm, but creepy voice,
"So the Emperor of the Western Empire lied to harm a couple of unknown fallen nobles?"
Blood drained from the couple's faces.
"The Emperor of the Western Empire discovered that you ordered to cause an accident in the delegation carriage and reported it to me. I repeat, the Emperor of the Western Empire."
"Your Majesty…"
"That means that because of you, who are not from the Eastern Empire, our country was mocked by the Western Empire."
A pent-up anger seeped into Sovieshu's every word. Although the couple flinched, they refused to answer. Sovieshu rose from the armchair and laughed.
"I see that it is useless to ask you. I have no choice but to interrogate the culprit to find out."
It was then that Viscount Isqua hurriedly spoke up to stop Sovieshu, "Your Majesty!"
Sovieshu did not sit back down on the armchair, but stared at the couple coldly. His expression seemed to indicate, 'If you have something to say, say it. I'll decide later whether to believe you'.
Viscountess Isqua reluctantly confessed after reflection,
"It was us, Your Majesty. But we did not want to disgrace the Eastern Empire or hurt anyone."
Viscount Isqua continued quickly,
"That is true. We only wanted to scare Miss Evely from returning to the Imperial Palace."
This alone was serious enough, but not as serious as 'the crime of getting their hands on the Emperor's possessions and giving the Western Empire a reason to ridicule the Eastern Empire'.
Although many rumors circulated that Evely was the Emperor's concubine, until she was an official concubine, she was only a commoner. Nobles were not usually punished severely for harassing commoners.
"You lie to the end."
But Sovieshu did not believe the couple's words.
The couple came from the same country as Duke Elgy, who was a troublesome guest whose behavior was suspicious.
Now that Sovieshu and Rashta did not have a good relationship, there was no way Sovieshu would believe the couple's words.
"Forget it. I'll have to ask the culprit directly."
Sovieshu spoke coldly as he watched them carefully. Then ordered,
"Bring in the man Emperor Heinley claims is the culprit!"
After a while, an official with his hands tied behind his back was dragged there by two knights.
The couple was horrified to see how the official was treated rudely despite his position.
When the arrested official testified before Emperor Sovieshu that the couple persuaded him to destroy the carriage in order to harm Evely, the couple was startled and their eyes widened in fear,
"That's not true!"
"We only told you to scare Miss Evely, not to destroy the carriage!"
They seemed genuinely upset.
However, the official was so startled at the words of Viscount and Viscountess Isqua that he shouted in despair, forgetting that Emperor Sovieshu was in front of him.
The shouts of the three people made the quiet place become very noisy.
Sovieshu pressed down hard on his temples and spoke categorically,
"Shut up all three of you."
Sovieshu wanted to seriously question the couple and the culprit, but he couldn't investigate the matter at this time.
Once the delegation that attended Emperor Heinley's birthday party returned, Sovieshu was to have a paternity test. By then, Viscount and Viscountess Isqua were not supposed to be here, not even imprisoned.
Eventually, Sovieshu ordered after much thought.
"The official must be locked up in prison. In the case of the Viscount and Viscountess Isqua, keep them under the watch of my knights to ensure that they do not escape."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Before the paternity test, lock them in a secret room away from the gaze of the people."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Sovieshu's head began to ache, he sat on the bed and clenched his teeth.
Koshar also often caused trouble that made his head hurt, but at least he didn't dishonor the country.
Not only did Duke and Duchess Troby not cause any trouble, they didn't even expose themselves too publicly.
'How could Rashta's fake parents do this!'
354
Sovieshu paced around the drawing room unable to manage his rising anger, until he eventually rang the little bell over the table intensely and ordered a knight,
"Summon Baron Lant!"
Once Baron Lant entered, Sovieshu spoke coldly.
"How can you be so useless?!"
"What's wrong, Your Majesty?"
Bewildered, Baron Lant hastily knelt down on his knees.
Sovieshu's expression was so cold and fierce that it seemed like it would freeze the entire place. It was different from his usual impassive expression. Clearly, he was very angry.
"Your Majesty, why did you send for me…?"
"I gave you the order to take care of Rashta, did you think that you only had to make sure she was alive?"
"Your, Your Majesty."
"She hasn't learned anything, but what the hell do you do?! How can it be that you never know about the problems that arise related to Rashta?!"
Baron Lant paled and bowed his head at Sovieshu's rebuke.
Sovieshu's look became frightening. His pent-up anger exploded, but he truly considered that Baron Lant had been completely useless.
Among Sovieshu's secretaries, Baron Lant was the one who was supposed to help Rashta. However, Baron Lant was not involved in any of Rashta's problems.
In the first instance, it seemed that Baron Lant was innocent, but it also meant that Baron Lant had not taken good care of Rashta.
In contrast, Arian, a maid of Rashta's, had provided much information to him.
"It's my fault, Your Majesty."
Baron Lant apologized in a somber voice. He guessed that Rashta had caused another problem.
Although Baron Lant understood Sovieshu's anger, he felt it was somewhat unfair. When Rashta arrived at the imperial palace, she initially sought Baron Lant's advice and help.
However, as she spent more time as a concubine and grew closer to Duke Elgy, Rashta stopped seeking Baron Lant's support.
After Baron Lant was put in charge of managing her finances, she barely spoke to him.
Baron Lant sincerely wanted to help Rashta, but there was no way he could do that if she didn't confide in him.
Baron Lant did not tell Sovieshu because he knew the emperor would consider it an excuse, so he kept his mouth shut and looked at the floor.
Sovieshu let out a heavy sigh and waved his hand.
"Stand up."
Baron Lant stood up helplessly, clasped his hands and waited for the Emperor's command.
Sovieshu asked as he pressed down on his throbbing temples.
"The slave certificate. Hasn't it been found yet?"
The situation turned complicated, so he had to prepare for the worst. Now that he had dealt with Rashta's real father and her fake parents, it remained to find out if the princess was his real daughter. It would be troublesome if the slave certificate suddenly appeared.
"That…"
"Answer clearly."
"No."
Sovieshu blamed himself for hastily elevating Rashta to the position of Empress despite the potential risk, worried that the baby in her womb would not become a legitimate child.
That would have been the case if the lovely princess had been born outside of marriage…
That didn't mean he had forgotten about the slave certificate. On the contrary, he knew that Koshar had been the last person to have the certificate, so that time Sovieshu sent his guards to confine him at home with the intention that he would have no chance to hide it. Sovieshu thought that would make it easy to find.
However, neither Duke Troby nor Marquis Farang had the certificate. That too was not in any of the houses of the knights who had watched that Koshar did not escape, not even in the Imperial Palace.
So in the end, the rooms of distinguished guests in the South Palace were secretly searched.
It was risky to search the rooms of distinguished guests. Even the slightest carelessness could cause serious problems.
No distinguished guest who discovered that their room had been searched would dare to make a fuss before the Eastern Empire, but there would be no need to act like friendly countries anymore.
Sovieshu stared at Baron Lant as he wondered if he should keep a useless man as his secretary.
It was then….
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
From the other side of the door, Marquis Karl's urgent voice was heard.
"Come in."
As soon as Marquis Karl entered the drawing room, he shouted,
"Your Majesty! The slave certificate! The slave certificate!"
Sovieshu's expression turned cold.
"Did someone make it public?"
"No! The slave certificate has been found!"
Sovieshu jumped up, the coldness gone from his expression.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"It was in Duke Elgy's room."
At Marquis Karl's words, Sovieshu was startled.
Baron Lant's eyes also opened wide in surprise. He had thought that it might be found in the Southern Palace, but not in Duke Elgy's room. Even if it had come from Rashta's own room it would not have been so shocking.
"Duke Elgy used to keep his room fully guarded, so it was difficult to search it, but after the last occasion when he met with Rashta, he quickly left somewhere with the guards. Thanks to that, it was possible to search every corner of the room."
Marquis Karl spoke in a shaky voice to contain his anger.
"The certificate was completely hidden inside the carpet."
Marquis Karl did not like Rashta, but this matter was related to the reputation of the Eastern Empire.
He was very angry to discover that a distinguished guest had maliciously concealed Rashta's secret. Especially since that distinguished guest was Duke Elgy, from whom several scandals had arisen with Rashta.
"It's more scum than rumored."
At Marquis Karl's words, Baron Lant nodded reflexively.
Duke Elgy would not keep the slave certificate hidden with good intentions. If he had done it for his lover, he would have destroyed the certificate, not hidden it that way.
"In any case, I am glad to hear that the certificate has been found."
Baron Lant murmured carefully.
Sovieshu sat back in the armchair with his jaw clenched.
That's right. Apart from the fact that he was angry with Duke Elgy, it had been fortunate to find the slave certificate. Now, once it was proven that the princess had his blood, there would be no more problems.
The rumor that Rashta hid her past to rise to the position of empress would never disappear, but he planned to depose her after only a year anyway. He might even take advantage of this to do it a little earlier.
"Here you go, Your Majesty."
Marquis Karl handed Sovieshu the slave certificate.
Sovieshu confirmed the authenticity of the certificate after carefully examining it, then tore it to pieces and burned it on the spot.
"Wouldn't it have been better to keep it?"
"There are many ways to put pressure on Rashta. The fact that she has concealed her past is enough, it's not even necessary to bring up anything else. This certificate could harm the princess, so I'd rather not have it."
Slave certificates were treated very rigorously because a person's status was at stake.
So that they could not be forged, they were stamped with a seal that could not be reproduced, and there were no copies.
Now that he had burned it, no one will look down on the princess for her slave blood.
Baron Lant sighed deeply.
Sovieshu looked at the ashes that remained, and frowned as he pushed his hair back.
"There's also Duke Elgy to deal with."
"Yes, Your Majesty. It is very suspicious that he concealed the certificate. It is rare for a person who likes scandals."
Baron Lant hastened to step forward and sided with Rashta,
"Duke Elgy may have seduced the naive Rashta. Doesn't everyone know that Duke Elgy is a playboy?"
When Baron Lant pointed out Rashta's naivety, Marquis Karl's and Sovieshu's expression darkened at the same time.
Marquis Karl and Sovieshu could not agree that Rashta was naive after she invited only noblemen to tea parties, after she hid her relationship with Alan, and so on.
However, they were sure that Duke Elgy was a perverse playboy several steps above Rashta.
Duke Elgy starred in more scandals than could be counted. Rashta did not rise to that level.
"Where did Duke Elgy go?"
"I don't know. He only said he would be back soon."
"Duke Elgy must be sent back to his country as soon as he returns, that he concealed the slave certificate was very serious."
Powerful countries took such pride in their prosperity that they treated high-status distinguished guests very well, especially royalty from other countries. Regardless of the demands and personality of the guest.
In contrast, it was more difficult to serve distinguished guests the weaker the country.
Despite this, he could not allow Duke Elgy to remain at the Southern Palace.
"Duke Elgy might refuse, so you send a man to Blue Bohean to report to the King. Duke Elgy has been involved in several scandals with the Empress, so it is best that he leave the Eastern Empire so that it will not be dishonorable to both parties."
"As you command, Your Majesty."
"The paternity test will be done as soon as the delegation that attended Emperor Heinley's birthday party returns."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Send someone to the temple to set the date."
Now that the slave certificate issue was settled, all that remained was the paternity test.
As long as the princess had his blood, Sovieshu could make his lovely daughter the highest status noble in the world. The mother's blood didn't matter.
Once the two secretaries had left, Sovieshu sat for a moment with his eyes closed before he visited the baby's room.
"Glorym. My daughter."
The baby suddenly woke up as if she had heard her father's voice and looked at him with her pretty eyes. Sovieshu took the baby out of the crib and rocked her in his arms.
"You are my daughter, right? My daughter."
355
Unlike the Imperial Family of the Eastern Empire, which was as calm as if it was on the eve of a storm, the Zemensia Family, of the Western Empire, was right in the midst of one.
It all started with the argument between Duke Zemensia and the Old Duke.
"Father, Emperor Heinley immediately avenged Middelen. For your grandson, Emperor Heinley locked up Grand Duke Lilteang in a tower, willing to go face to face with the Emperor of the Eastern Empire."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Christa is already dead. She died of her own fault. If Christa had gone quietly to Compshire from the start, you, my wife, my children and I would be as well as ever."
A fire appeared in the Old Duke's eyes when his son spoke ill of his dead sister.
Duke Zemensia said what he felt even though he knew his father would not like it.
"It is a pity that she died, but what matters most are those who are alive. We need to put aside the grudges over Christa's death and board the new ship, father."
"…"
"Empress Navier is already pregnant. Finally the Imperial Family has a direct successor. Even the nobles who did not look favorably on Empress Navier now bow to her."
The Duchess, who had remained seated quietly at his side, also added,
"That's true. Everyone who approaches Empress Navier praises her. She even treats with kindness those who were not polite to her before. We too have to forget our grudges and think about the children's future."
The Old Duke listened in silence to his son and daughter-in-law, but after a while he exclaimed because he couldn't stand it any longer,
"Idiots! You're a couple of idiots!"
"Father!"
"You want to side with the Imperial Family because Heinley supposedly avenged my grandson? I don't know what I've done to deserve such a naive son like you!"
"Father, it's true! Grand Duke Lilteang has been taken to a tower. I saw it with my own eyes."
"Idiot! Idiot!"
The Old Duke clenched his teeth to suppress the desire to insult him worse.
"Although Grand Duke Lilteang is famous for his loss of self-control, he is not crazy enough to cause serious trouble in such a place."
"Grand Duke Lilteang has caused several serious incidents. He also holds a grudge against you. Besides, he didn't do it openly, there was hardly anyone around the pond where Middelen was."
If other nobles had been the witnesses, an investigation would probably have been conducted in a formal manner. But since it was the Emperor together with Duke Zemensia, the sentence in this case was immediate.
Of course, imprisoning Grand Duke Lilteang directly in a tower was a measure that could anger the Emperor of the Eastern Empire. Even if Emperor Heinley had been a witness.
Duke Zemensia believed that Emperor Heinley was willing to take such a risk to protect his people.
However, the Old Duke considered that point suspicious.
"Father, you always think he has an ulterior motive. Do you hate Emperor Heinley that much?"
"You are an idiot, an idiot. Emperor Heinley has marked us as his next target, but you want to support the person who ended your sister's life."
Unable to understand each other, father and son kept silent and turned their heads in different directions.
No matter what his son said, Old Duke Zemensia would not believe Emperor Heinley.
He was convinced that Emperor Heinley had deliberately put his grandson in danger to deal with Grand Duke Lilteang.
He didn't know how exactly Emperor Heinley had done it, but it wasn't normal for so many coincidences to happen at once.
The Old Duke clenched his fist, unable to bear his anger.
An idiot son, an idiot daughter-in-law, and selfish grandchildren. This was the family he had.
He was really angry that Emperor Heinley was playing with his mind and that of his family.
Sovieshu believed that everything was settled, and that it only remained to wait for the paternity test. The temple set the date for the test, so the nobles in the Eastern Empire looked forward to the arrival of that day.
Regardless of the test result, calm would not return to the Eastern Empire in the near future.
The test result will only determine the future of the princess, it will not erase Empress Rashta's past.
A commoner who claimed to be the Empress's real father disappeared after he boasted on several occasions about how much money he had obtained, but the nobles didn't think much of it.
After all, this was a man who appeared one day out of nowhere to take money from his supposed daughter. It was not unusual for him to disappear again in search of more money, so it was easy to determine that the Viscount and Viscountess Isqua who stayed behind while that man disappeared were the Empress's real parents.
However, two other unexpected scandals occurred amidst the silence. One in the Eastern Palace and one in the Western Palace.
It was Alan who caused the scandal at the Western Palace.
Alan sent letters to Rashta that Ahn had disappeared, but Rashta ignored him all the time, so he went to see her personally and made a fuss.
"How dare you make a fuss in the Imperial Palace? Take him to prison this instant!"
Rashta was so angry that she ordered the guards sent by Sovieshu to imprison Alan.
Later, Rashta wanted to take Alan out because it was not convenient for her that he was here, but the guards did not allow it because Sovieshu ordered to hold Alan in preparation for the paternity test.
"I was going to capture it anyway. Fortunately he came on his own."
Sovieshu spoke coldly and forbade any visits to Alan. However, soon there was also a scandal in the Eastern Palace. It was quiet on the outside, but it shook Sovieshu's heart.
Count Pirnu, who had attended Heinley's birthday party, returned before the rest of the delegation to report.
"Your Majesty. Emperor Heinley wore your precious 'Fairy Tear' as a necklace at his birthday party."
"What the hell are you saying? Are you sure about what you saw?"
"Yes, I checked it several times. It was definitely the 'fairy tear'."
"That bloody…"
"Navier must have given it to him. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense."
Sovieshu really wanted to smash him. He didn't like Heinley in the least.
He thought that Navier might return the gift, but never that she would give her current husband the gift sent by her ex-husband.
"Navier…"
Sovieshu was so surprised that he whispered his ex-wife's name in vain. He couldn't believe this from the honorable Navier.
However, the unpleasant news didn't end there.
"Umm… Your Majesty…"
Count Pirnu reported in a careful voice as he watched Sovieshu's somber expression.
"Grand Duke Lilteang caused another problem."
"Another problem? What nonsense has he said this time?"
"No. This time it's more serious."
Count Pirnu's face darkened,
"He pushed Old Duke Zemensia's grandson into a pond."
Sovieshu frowned.
"What?!"
Count Pirnu recounted the details of the incident as objectively as possible. He tried not to mix his personal opinion.
Sovieshu's expression became rigid as he listened to the account. He rested his elbows on the armrests and rubbed his chin.
Count Pirnu's account seemed a little strange to him. He knew that Grand Duke Lilteang resented Old Duke Zemensia and that he used to lose his temper easily. Even in the Western Kingdom he had been shamed several times for his impulsive behavior.
Although he had deliberately tripped people he didn't like to make them fall to the floor, he never pushed a child into a pond in the middle of a party…
"How is the child?"
"He was rescued right away without a scratch. From what I could find out before I went back, he didn't even catch a cold."
Sovieshu's suspicions grew.
Grand Duke Lilteang's folly was worse than usual. The child against whom he vented his grudge was not injured. Besides, was it Emperor Heinley who witnessed the scene…?
"Emperor Heinley locked up Grand Duke Lilteang in a tower. He said he will keep the Grand Duke locked up in his country for five years. The delegation will bring the respective letter from Emperor Heinley."
If the situation were normal, Sovieshu would have brought back Grand Duke Lilteang for the pride of the Eastern Empire, no matter what he had done.
But after much thought, Sovieshu this time decided to accept Emperor Heinley's sentence.
He had many doubts, but it suited him to do it.
In case the princess was not his daughter, it would be much better if Grand Duke Lilteang was not in the Eastern Empire.
"What do you intend to do, Your Majesty?"
"It is a shame for the Eastern Empire that he has committed such a crime in another country. It is not a bad idea to take this opportunity to put an end to his explosive personality. So we will not intervene."
"Yes."
Count Pirnu also agreed because he did not like Grand Duke Lilteang.
Sovieshu pondered over something with a serious expression after he made that decision. He then wrote a letter and handed it to Count Pirnu.
"Send it to Emperor Heinley."