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If an opponent acts with arrogance, one would choose to fight until the opponent's morale collapsed, and let them suffer severe punishment. In contrast, if an opponent acts in a pitiful manner, it lessened the desire to fight. This kind of opponent can make anyone confronting them feel uncomfortable, even when the punishment is deserved.
It was especially the case for Sovieshu, who had picked up Rashta injured, cared for her, and showered her with affection.
In the end, Sovieshu coldly ordered,
"Get out."
"Yes."
Rashta replied helplessly, her voice barely audible. Then she turned to leave.
"Rashta."
Sovieshu called out to her before she opened the door.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Rashta turned around without the slightest hope, like a withered flower.
"The trial of Viscount Roteschu and the Isqua couple will be held today. You may attend if you want."
Sovieshu didn't even look at Rashta's face as he spoke. She didn't understand why he asked her to attend the trials, but after some thought she replied that she would attend. Sovieshu nodded and told her that one of his secretaries would accompany her. Rashta hoped it would be Baron Lant.
However, the secretary that Sovieshu later sent to Rashta was Count Pirnu, not Baron Lant.
Count Pirnu and Rashta didn't usually interact, even during her best days, so they were uncomfortable with each other. Instead, Baron Lant cared so much about her that he suggested she run away.
For that reason, Rashta thought that Sovieshu had deliberately assigned Count Pirnu, with whom she didn't get along.
Sovieshu's intentions were known only to Sovieshu himself, but Rashta was right that she was not to Count Pirnu's liking, who always had a bad feeling about Rashta.
He had never liked her, starting specifically from the time he inquired about a gift that Rashta had received from Sovieshu. He discovered that she had given it to Viscount Roteschu, who sold it.
"Your Majesty is free to attend the High Court officially or unofficially. You can do it in the way that is most favorable for you."
"What does Count Pirnu advise me?"
"I advise Your Majesty to attend the trial unofficially."
"Why?"
"Both trials are related to Your Majesty. The situation could become complicated if the Empress is present."
Rashta found it difficult to trust Count Pirnu, but his words convinced her, so she put on a simple dress, a light purple cloak over it, tied her hair up and hid her face with the hood of the cloak.
The High Court was connected to the Imperial Palace through a small door, but people usually entered and exited through the front door.
Thanks to this door connecting both buildings, Count Pirnu and Rashta were able to easily enter the Court without leaving the Imperial Palace.
Rashta stood among the audience hidden under her hood. Count Pirnu and a guard stood on either side of her as a precaution.
In the large hall, the whispers of the spectators could be heard. They were mainly talking about the upcoming trials, but at times they were also talking about Rashta.
Since the remarks were negative, Rashta lowered her hood even further and asked,
"Which trial is first?"
"The trial of Viscount Roteschu will be first, then the trial of the Isqua couple."
The first trial only started after a 40 minute wait.
"Roteschu Rimwell."
When the High Court Judge, who sat in the highest seat, looked down and called out a name, a familiar face appeared.
It was Viscount Roteschu. His arms were being held by two knights. As soon as he appeared, the audience fell silent for a moment.
Rashta looked around. Although the hall was silent, everyone in the audience had a fierce expression.
Due to the rich history of the Imperial Family of the Eastern Empire, it had always been a source of pride. Although there were times when an emperor did not win the hearts of the people, and other times when the people took the initiative to criticize the Imperial Family, generally, the people of the Eastern Empire loved the Imperial Family.
Emperor Sovieshu was one of the most beloved Emperors. He had been involved in several scandals since he took Rashta as a concubine, but he never abandoned his duties.
For the people, what was important was Sovieshu as an Emperor, not as a person. Even if he were a playboy, the people would not dislike him so long as he looked after the interests of the country.
Viscount Roteschu had tried to make his granddaughter a member of the beloved Family Imperial. Nobody present directed a warm look at Viscount Roteschu.
The Judge of the High Court felt the same way. When Viscount Roteschu stopped at the defendant's place, the Judge started to recite the charges with an expression as cold as that of the audience present.
"Roteschu Rimwell. You deceived the Emperor, the people and the country to make the daughter of your son, Alan Rimwell, a princess. When Rashta Isqua, your son's wife, became the Emperor's concubine, she became pregnant by your son and you concealed it so that your granddaughter would be consecrated as a princess. Also, you took advantage of the secrecy of this relationship for profit, and blackmailed Empress Rashta to periodically receive money and valuables. Is this true?"
"… Yes, it is true."
When Viscount Roteschu recognized his crime, the people present began to curse loudly.
Rashta held her breath. Among all the charges, it was only true that Viscount Roteschu had blackmailed her to receive money and valuables. However, Viscount Roteschu acknowledged all the charges, including the lies.
'What the hell is wrong with him? Why did he acknowledge those lies so casually?'
The Judge of the High Court raised his hand to calm the audience and asked Viscount Roteschu another question.
"Who else is involved in this crime? If you tell the truth, your punishment could be reduced, but if you lie, your punishment will be greater."
"My son, Alan Rimwell, and my daughter-in-law, Rashta Isqua."
Viscount Roteschu closed his eyes as the audience spat out curses with violence.
Count Pirnu saw Rashta at his side bite her lips tightly.
"Do you acknowledge all the charges?"
The High Court Judge asked another question, to which Viscount Roteschu calmly replied,
"…Yes. I planned it with my son and daughter-in-law because I wanted my descendants to belong to the Imperial Family."
From the moment Alan fell in love with Rashta, Viscount Roteschu did not want to accept Rashta as his daughter-in-law, so he opposed it with all kinds of actions and mistreated Rashta. However, he himself called Rashta his 'daughter-in-law' now. It was really ironic.
The Judge spoke again with an expressionless face.
"Bring in Alan Rimwell."
This time Alan appeared, escorted by knights.
The outraged voices from the audience grew louder, and they began to throw eggs, fruits and so on.
"Bloody bastard!"
"How dare you covet the Imperial Family?!"
"You deserve to be hanged!"
"Hang them both right now!"
"Where does the Empress hide? She has to be sentenced with them!"
Hearing the shouts all around her, Rashta's face turned pale.
She had expected Viscount Roteschu to blame others for his crimes to protect himself. She had not expected that Viscount Roteschu would accept the charges and try to drag everyone down with him.
Viscount Roteschu held his son with one hand and Rashta with the other, and dragged all of three of them to their deaths.
Rashta's legs trembled with fear.
There was no more fearsome person than one willing to die in order to drag others down. One could find ways to attack those who try to defend themselves, but there was no way to deal with someone who launched a suicide attack. This was the case with Viscount Roteschu.
Beneath the baggy cloak, a couple of tears fell to the floor.
'His Majesty wanted me to come here to see this? Since I'm cornered, does he expect me to just accept my fate without doing anything?'
382
Rashta stood there stunned, unable to shake off her astonishment.
She didn't move after she shed a couple of tears, so that even Count Pirnu, who didn't like Rashta, was worried that she would collapse.
By the time Rashta came to her senses, the Isqua couple had already been taken to the defendants' site to testify.
Finally, Rashta sighed, a little relieved.
Viscount and Viscountess Isqua had always been loyal, so she felt reassured that their testimony would be favorable for her. Besides, the Isqua couple's trial was not related to Glorym, but to Evely. Rashta felt more relaxed than before.
She was sorry that the Isqua couple, who cared for her so much, found themselves in this situation, but she had heard that nobles are not punished severely for this kind of case if they are sentenced.
The audience didn't seem to care much about this case compared to the trial of Viscount Roteschu and Alan. Some people even left the courtroom as if the show was over.
"Marsha Isqua. Gillimt Isqua. Do you still hold the same position on Miss Evely's case?"
Rashta heard a person nearby muttering with irritation, "They'll never acknowledge their crime." She also saw the spectators surrounding the person nodding.
"We plead guilty."
However, what the Isqua couple said was surprising, causing a small stir in the courtroom. The High Court Judge raised his hand to signal to the audience to be quiet. Once everyone calmed down, the Judge asked,
"So, do you acknowledge that you planned to kill Miss Evely on her way to the Western Empire?"
Rashta's eyes widened. 'Why would they acknowledge it?'
She wondered, but didn't worry too much. This case only involved the Isqua couple. Rashta didn't even know if they had really planned to kill Evely. Perhaps irrefutable evidence had been found that proved they had actually planned to kill her.
"Yes, we acknowledge it."
"Did you do this for your daughter, Empress Rashta?"
"That's right. Miss Evely is a talented mage, so she became a court mage's assistant and stayed at the Southern Palace. Empress Rashta always worried that Miss Evely caused the change in Emperor Sovieshu's attitude towards Empress Rashta. It is for that reason that… we planned such a horrible crime."
The stir grew louder. The High Court Judge asked another question in disgust.
"So, you attempted to kill Miss Evely despite the fact that she was not the Emperor's concubine?"
"… Yes."
"That's correct."
"Is Empress Rashta involved?"
The couple's statement may have changed due to new evidence or because they were tired of the ongoing trial, but everyone believed that they would never acknowledge whether Empress Rashta was involved in this crime.
Since the couple had always shown deep love for their daughter, even the High Court Judge thought that the couple would protect Empress Rashta again.
"Yes."
But what Viscount Isqua said shocked everyone.
Rashta's eyes widened. For a moment, she thought she had misunderstood.
'What… what did he mean?'
"You mean the crime was on Empress Rashta's order?"
"Yes."
When Viscountess Isqua also acknowledged that Rashta was involved the stir in the courtroom became thunderous.
"Why did you suddenly change your statement?"
The Judge asked skeptically with a frown. He found their behavior suspicious.
If the Isqua couple had changed their statement to a false one due to someone else's threats, it needed to be clarified.
Rashta's involvement in the crime committed by Viscount Roteschu and Alan had already been confirmed. The Judge could not add a false crime against her just because he detested her.
However, Viscount Isqua's next statement was much more shocking than the previous one.
"We have endured all kinds of insults for someone who is not even our real daughter. Empress Rashta, who bears the most responsibility for this crime, just watched in silence as the whole burden fell on us. We can't take it anymore."
Murmurs suddenly multiplied. The courtroom was thrown into chaos as if a dam had broken.
"Who isn't their real daughter?"
"Do they mean Empress Rashta?"
"Is Empress Rashta not the couple's real daughter?"
Rashta took two steps back, she couldn't even breathe. 'What's going on? Why did they do that? Why do they say that now?'
The High Court Judge was too shocked to speak. Only when his assistant whispered to him, "Your Honor," he was able to ask aloud,
"Are you saying that Empress Rashta is not your real daughter?"
If this were true, it would be another scandal. It couldn't even compare to Evely's case.
"That's right."
The couple confirmed it in unison.
The audience looked at each other in astonishment. The shock was so great that the courtroom fell completely silent as if a bucket of water had fallen.
The High Court Judge took it in and continued,
"But you claimed that Empress Rashta was your daughter since before she ascended the throne. Empress Rashta also claimed from the beginning that you were her real parents."
Viscount Isqua replied coldly with an expressionless face.
"We needed money to find our real daughters and Empress Rashta needed noble parents to ascend to the throne. It is not uncommon for a person to seek fake noble parents to clear their identity."
One person in the audience couldn't help but ask,
"So who are Empress Rashta's real parents? Is it the commoner who recently claimed to be her real father?
Viscountess Isqua also replied coldly,
"We don't know. What we can be sure of is that her parents are not nobility."
The High Court Judge reflected on the facts. He took out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. If this was true… it was a serious problem.
The question was whether Emperor Sovieshu knew about it, or whether it was his own plan.
However, the High Court Judge was in a bind because he couldn't ask about it here. If it was Emperor Sovieshu's initiative, he couldn't let the Isqua couple reveal the truth in front of everyone.
Many commoners were among the spectators, as well as several journalists. If the Isqua couple implicated Emperor Sovieshu, the Imperial Family would be ridiculed.
If the Imperial Family was ridiculed, the High Court Judge who allowed this to happen would be in trouble.
However, the audience didn't care if the revelations affected the Judge.
While the Judge was thinking of various solutions, a person in the audience asked aloud,
"Did you conspire to deceive Emperor Sovieshu, or was it Emperor Sovieshu's initiative?"
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The High Court Judge feared that the couple would involve the Emperor, to try to mitigate their crime, no matter whether it was true or false. He was horrified as he quickly calculated his responsibility for what was about to happen.
But the audience, protected by anonymity, had nothing to fear. The Emperor would not punish all those who came to watch.
"Emperor Sovieshu does not know."
However, the Isqua couple's reply defied expectations.
"Rashta promised us that if she became the Empress, she would help us find our daughters and bestow all kinds of riches on us."
"We conspired with Rashta to deceive Emperor Sovieshu."
"We don't have to lie about this."
"If necessary, we can do a paternity test with Rashta."
Rashta wanted to scream, 'No, His Majesty Sovieshu knew I was a slave.'
Sovieshu didn't know about the Isqua couple's background, but he did know that Rashta's real parents were not nobility.
Besides, it was Duke Elgy who brought the Isquas.
'Why is this matter being discussed?'
Rashta felt sunken and aggrieved. She wanted to stop the false accusations and clarify the matter for everyone. However, she couldn't do it because she had come in secret. She stared at the broken eggs and crushed fruits scattered on the floor. Rashta shuddered as she imagined what would happen if she stepped forward now to refute the couple's statements.
The High Court Judge, who had remained silent for a while, left the courtroom and entered a small meeting room with other important officials to decide the sentence.
Considerable time passed, but the Judge still didn't come out. The audience remained in place. Not a single person left.
Before Rashta realized it, not only the Isqua couple, but also Viscount Roteschu and Alan were at the defendants' site. She noticed the Isqua couple and Viscount Roteschu exchanging strange glances. The couple glared at Viscount Roteschu with hatred.
Others might think the exchange was insignificant, but not Rashta…
'Viscount Roteschu told them about Evely.'
Rashta understood the situation at once. Otherwise, there was no reason for the Isqua couple to suddenly change their position, nor for them to look at Viscount Roteschu like that.
When the High Court Judge finally appeared, the loud talkers fell silent, as if they had reached an unspoken agreement. The Judge returned to his seat, raised his gavel and rapped his desk several times with a solemn expression. He recited the charges of Viscount Roteschu, Alan and the Isqua couple, one by one. He then added a few personal words and issued the sentence firmly.
"Roteschu Rimwell. Death penalty."
"Alan Rimwell. Death penalty."
"Gillimt Isqua. Death penalty."
"Marsha Isqua. Death penalty."
The Eastern Empire wanted me to testify as an affected party in the promissory note case.
I could also testify in other cases, but the Eastern Empire was most interested in my detailed testimony about the promissory notes.
Heinley asked me to think it over. That night we went to sleep in each other's arms without saying anything.
The next day, Heinley left for work and I was still hesitant about whether I should attend. So I decided to tell my ladies-in-waiting. The first to react was Countess Jubel, who spoke firmly.
"Of course you have to go! You must go and tell everything! About the times she called Your Majesty 'sister' because you had the 'same husband', the time she tried to follow Your Majesty to the special banquet attended only by highly distinguished guests, the scandal she caused at the dinner held before the special banquet and how she imitated your behavior as Empress, the lie she told that Lord Koshar pushed her, the time she wore the same dress as Your Majesty and claimed that Your Majesty had copied her, the letter she sent to a noble of the Western Empire in which she stated that Your Majesty was infertile… Whew! Whew! Just talking about it makes me lose my cool."
Beside her, Laura added with clenched fists,
"Your Majesty must also say that Rashta lied when she mentioned that Your Majesty sent her all kinds of gifts to welcome her as a concubine! That she pretended to be Emperor Heinley's letter friend, back when His Majesty was a Prince! Ah, also that when Your Majesty danced with Emperor Sovieshu at the New Year's ball, she deliberately burst into tears to interrupt the dance!"
Rose and Mastas, who didn't know all that I had been through in the Eastern Empire, repeatedly gasped and stared open-mouthed with surprise.
"Your Majesty endured all that?"
"Your Majesty was attacked one-sidedly?"
"It wasn't one-sided."
Despite my correction, Rose and Mastas looked at me with sad eyes.
However, I was serious. Although I overlooked much of what Rashta did to me, to maintain my dignity as Empress, I did at least retaliate for some offenses. And Evely retaliated on my behalf for the times when Rashta called me her 'sister'.
"Your Majesty, are you going?"
Laura clasped her hands and looked at me. Her expression told me that she hoped I would attend and testify.
I hesitated for a moment before answering honestly,
"I'm thinking about it."
All of Rashta's actions that Countess Jubel and Laura recalled had hurt me at the time. It even made me angry to think about it now.
But it wouldn't do any good to say things like this at the trial… besides, Sovieshu was the one who sent gifts to Rashta on my behalf and took her to the dinner ahead of the special banquet.
As angry as I was about what she did to me, I could not attend the High Court, where serious crimes were dealt with, to address personal matters such as, 'Empress Rashta used to call me sister and copied my dress.'
I also couldn't disprove the accusation that my brother pushed Rashta, and that he hired fake parents for her. The latter had been planned by Sovieshu. He would ensure that there was no evidence.
As for the false accusation that Koshar pushed Rashta… I could not step forward because my brother attempted to make Rashta lose her child with abortive drugs.
An official complaint had already been filed with the Eastern Empire regarding the letter Rashta sent to Duke Liberty about my supposed infertility. I didn't want to deal with the High Court about a matter for which I should receive a formal, public apology.
"I have also been asked to attend."
Huh? As I pondered, a man's voice interrupted my thoughts. It was Viscount Langdel. He didn't usually intervene when I was talking to my ladies-in-waiting.
"By the Eastern Empire?"
"Yes. It seems the Eastern Empire wants me to testify about the report I wrote. Your Majesty Navier handed the report over to Emperor Sovieshu in exchange for my release."
Oh, that will finally be revealed.
"The slander suffered by Lady Nian can be erased."
"Yes, so I will definitely go. I will go to clear Nian's name and to see that woman's downfall with my own eyes."
Viscount Langdel spoke sternly. A fiery emotion flashed in his eyes. As if he was happy to put an end to a terrible resentment.
"If Your Majesty goes, I can escort you, as we would both go to the same place. There must be a deep-seated hatred in Your Majesty's heart. Going to the Eastern Empire to witness her downfall will make you feel better."
"Part of me wants to see what will happen to Rashta. She pushed me to leave my country, after all. The other part of me doesn't want to see how weak she has become."
When I confessed what I felt, Mastas asked me in bewilderment,
"So, will Your Majesty forgive that woman?"
"I won't forgive her. I just don't want to see her break down, because I might feel bad for hating her. As much as I hate someone, it would affect me to see that person in a pitiful state."
Yes. Sometimes I think of Rashta and get angry, I think, 'what a crazy woman'. The same happens when I think of Sovieshu. 'What an evil man'.
After I see Rashta fall, will I be able to hate her with all my heart? And if I still hate her, wouldn't I feel bad?
Heinley asked me to make my own decision. After much thought, I decided to attend, so I went to tell Heinley,
"Do you want to testify, Queen? About all the damage she did to you?"
"No, I'll just go to watch."
"Just to watch?"
Heinley asked with concern,
"You may hear a lot of unpleasant remarks about that woman."
"I know."
"Wouldn't it be better not to hear anything about that woman? Besides, you may be uncomfortable in the long carriage ride…"
"Although the situation is serious, Rashta is popular among the commoners, so there will not be many unpleasant remarks, even if many people are disappointed. I think being deposed will be her only punishment."
Heinley thought about it for a moment and agreed,
"Then let's go together, My Queen. Only then will I feel calm."
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Heinley and I agreed to travel to the Eastern Empire together, and we began the preparations.
My parents also wanted to come because they had been away from home for a long time. They decided not to attend the trial, but instead planned to go to their estate.
My parents could also testify against Rashta in the High Court, as she had hired an assassin to end their lives. A serious crime. However, it was difficult to make this public in the High Court as a secret informant of Heinley's discovered Rashta's plot.
Heinley told my parents that he could make their secret informant a witness if they wished, but my parents shook hands with him lovingly.
"Don't worry. Once Rashta is deposed, she won't be able to harm us."
"The fake princess case alone is enough for her to be deposed, it would be in vain to mention this case. It doesn't benefit us at all."
"It would not be good to reveal that there are informants from the Western Empire hidden in the Eastern Empire. So it's best to let it go, Your Majesty."
Despite this, my parents seemed really happy that Heinley was so considerate. So was I…
Soon after, we set off for the Eastern Empire. On the way, Heinley rode his horse up to the carriage I occupied with my ladies-in-waiting, and asked through the window.
"My Queen. How many points do you think I have now with your parents?"
I would have preferred that he didn't ask me this in the presence of other people.
"Why don't you ask them yourself?"
"Right, I can't trust you."
"You can't trust me?"
"Ever since My Queen slapped my rear without my consent, I've lost trust."
"Heinley, your voice."
"I know you like my voice."
I meant to tell him to lower his voice. But before I could speak again, Heinley whispered sweetly,
"I love you."
He's a… fox! No, he's a mix between a fox dog and a fox bird. Yes, he's a fox bird dog. Is the latter too offensive?
Heinley couldn't read my offensive thoughts, so he smiled naively when our gazes met. He slipped his head through the small window of the carriage to give me a kiss. Then he straightened his posture on the horse and pretended not to have done anything.
He was as cute as he was naughty, so I reached out with my hand to pinch his thigh. Heinley laughed and grabbed my hand.
"My Queen, do you remember this path?"
"How could I not remember it?"
"That time, we rode on horseback to reach the Western Empire. Sometimes I think about it. I'll never forget it."
I won't forget it either…
However, if I agreed with him, Heinley might ask if it was because he had hugged me tightly as we rode together on horseback. Of course it was memorable, but I deliberately changed the focus of the conversation.
"In my case, what I will remember forever is how I had to escape in the secret space inside a carriage seat, crouched uncomfortably."
That was true.
Heinley said with a chuckle, "Of course I'll remember that for the rest of my life, too."
Then he laughed louder.
After I looked out the window for a while, I closed it and turned my attention inside the carriage.
If I left the window open, Heinley would only focus on me instead of the road ahead.
Heinley's words made me vividly remember that day. Our escape was hard and I feared we would be caught, but I was full of hope.
Heinley wrapped his arms around me lovingly and we moved together in one direction, our bodies pressed against each other.
Although I didn't want to experience something like that again, Heinley had definitely been the light in my dark past. Now I could look back on the hard times I went through with a smile.
"My Queen. My Queen. I just had an excellent idea!"
Unable to resist, Heinley knocked on the carriage window again.
As soon as I opened the window, Heinley matched his horse's pace with that of the carriage and spoke with enthusiasm.
"My Queen, how about we ride a horse together when our baby has grown a little?"
"It sounds like fun."
"Our child will ride on a foal and McKenna will take care of it, while the two of us ride horses together across the prairie. Don't you think you'd enjoy it?"
"Yes."
But will McKenna enjoy it too?
McKenna, who was riding beside Heinley, didn't look happy at all. When McKenna's eyes fell on me, I pulled my head back in and closed the window. About five seconds later, I heard McKenna complain to Heinley.
A smile naturally appeared on my face. How could this be so much fun?
Laura, who was sitting across from me, murmured,
"I have never been interested in men, Your Majesty. But when I see you with His Majesty Heinley, I feel like I'd like to get married too."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"So, Miss Laura intends to get engaged soon?"
Another lady in waiting chimed in and I looked at Laura. Her family didn't want her to enter a political marriage too soon. Even Laura herself was not interested in romantic relationships.
But if Laura wished, there were many young nobles from respectable families ready to marry her. When the subject of engagement came up, Laura pondered seriously for a moment and then shook her head.
"No, that's not it."
"Didn't you say a moment ago that you would like to get married?"
"It would be fine if he were a man like His Majesty Heinley, but if by bad luck I get a man like Countess Jubel's husband or His Majesty Sovieshu— Ouch! Why did you pinch me, Countess?"
385
Since Evely lived in the Southern Palace, she was able to learn of the Isqua couple's scandalous trial within hours..
She learned that the Isquas, who had done so much to protect Empress Rashta, revealed on their own that Rashta was not their real daughter.
Evely clicked her tongue as soon as the court mage told her what happened.
"They have such similar personalities that I can't believe they are a fake family. It's quite curious. Are they really not her parents? Could it be a plan among those three?"
The court mage also clicked his tongue,
"I don't believe it, how can you be such a pessimistic girl?"
"Master, that's because you didn't live through what I did. If you saw the world from my eyes, you would realize that it is a twisted place."
"What about me? Do I also look like a twisted person in your eyes?"
"I'll be honest with you the day you retire and leave me your position as court mage."
When the court mage's eyes narrowed, Evely fell silent and hurried out of the laboratory with a flask. As she left, the court mage pointed at her and muttered, "You'll be in trouble tomorrow."
Evely was amused by the threat, and she walked away with a smile.
Although he often scolded her, the court mage had been the person who cared for her the most lately. He didn't look after her like a father would, but like a close family friend. She sometimes felt him like a relative.
It was enough to make Evely happy.
Empress Navier had been her benefactor and she still considered her as such, but there was an inevitable distance due to her position as Empress.
In contrast, the court mage was not a benefactor, but someone close to her. Although neither were her relatives, both were very important to Evely.
Right now, her mood was truly excellent because Empress Rashta and the Isqua couple, whom she hated so much, were going down.
She descended the stairs and walked to her room, only to find a formally dressed woman in front of the door.
She had never seen this woman before, so she asked cautiously.
"Who are you?"
The woman didn't answer, instead she adjusted her glasses and asked,
"Are you Miss Evely? The court mage's assistant?"
"… Yes, that's me."
Evely glanced warily at the closed door.
'Could she have stolen something from me while I was in the laboratory?'
The woman didn't look like a thief, but she still raised suspicions.
The woman noticed that Evely was on guard, but spoke calmly anyway,
"I am the administrator of Miss Evely's parents' estate."
"What? My… my parents?"
Evely asked, puzzled as she stepped back.
"You're a con artist, right?"
'After I spent my whole life as an orphan, now a woman suddenly appears who claims to be the administrator of my parents' estate. She is clearly lying.'
The woman showed her the access pass to the imperial palace and her state-accredited estate administrator's license.
Evely glanced at it, but she had no way of knowing if it was fake or real because she wasn't familiar with that field.
Still, she pretended to recognize it and asked with wide eyes,
"Why are you here?"
The woman explained,
"Miss Evely, your parents have been looking for you all this time. Fortunately, you have now been found."
"But why would an estate administrator come… instead of my parents? Do my parents want me to take over their debts? It still seems like a con to me."
"It's not debts, it's their wealth."
"Their wealth?"
Evely frowned. If the estate administrator had come to say she should assume their debts, it would certainly be a con, but this was a little less suspicious.
"Why would my parents leave me their wealth?"
"They have died."
"… Have… died… both of them?"
"That's right. In their will they asked to find their daughter and leave her their wealth."
Evely was stunned by the unexpected news. An estate administrator suddenly told her about her parents, the wealth they had left her, and that they had died…
"It's a huge sum. If you don't believe me, you can take someone else with you for the inheritance paperwork."
"Are you really talking about my parents?"
Evely asked as a few tears fell down her cheeks. The parents she never had. The parents she hated all her life because she thought they had abandoned her. The parents she didn't think she needed.
'My parents died while searching for me, and even after their death they asked for the search to continue in their will.'
Evely felt an emptiness and sadness in a corner of her heart.
She couldn't even think about the inheritance. Her eyes filled with tears.
The woman looked at Evely with a complicated expression and nodded silently.
Evely asked as she wiped away her tears.
"What are my parents' names? When did they die? Are they from the Eastern Empire? What about my relatives? Were they buried at death? Can I visit their graves?"
Although she never felt the need to know about her parents, these questions arose spontaneously.
But the woman shook her head and didn't answer a single question.
"Forgive me, Miss Evely. Your parents asked me not to reveal their names."
"Why…?"
"They were not good people. They were so ashamed that they instructed me not to reveal their names to Miss Evely."
Evely blinked in disbelief and exclaimed tearfully,
"It's absurd! I don't care if they were bad people! You told me that my parents never stopped looking for me, but you can't even tell me their names!"
Tears came out of her eyes again. When she came to her senses, the flask she clutched tightly in her hand was already tilted, and the liquid inside was falling to the floor.
"It's written in the will."
"Nonsense!"
"… Although they were not good people, they always loved Miss Evely. They never gave up hope of finding you."
Evely shook her head as her eyes burned.
'It couldn't be. What kind of parents say they love their daughter, leave her their wealth, but don't reveal their names?'
"They're not dead, right? They only left me a part of their wealth because they fear I'll become a nuisance. Am I the illegitimate child of some noble?
The estate administrator answered with a bitter smile,
"No, you're not."
In fact, though it was true that they left her their wealth and that they never stopped looking for her, everything was a lie.
Evely's parents were still alive. They were the protagonists of the trial that caused a stir across the country.
However, they did not want their names to be associated with Evely's name. They wanted their daughter to receive all their wealth, rather than become the descendant of a family full of dishonor.
"They also left you these last words."
Evely accepted the paper and read it with a lump in her throat.
— We love you, we will love you forever. We would never abandon you, so if you thought that, we ask you to forget it. We couldn't protect you while we were alive, but we promise to protect you from beyond.
Evely looked up as she silently shed tears. The estate administrator extended a handkerchief to her with a sad smile.