Chapter 28
Bathilda leaned back against her chair.
“I have neither the inclination nor reason to be active on either side. That’s all there is to it.”
After a long silence, Baeksan asked.
“Why… is that?”
Bathilda laughed softly. Ambition spread through her red eyes.
“I’ll tell you once I’m seated on the imperial throne.”
* * *
When dismissing Minervina, she had a servant escort her out.
The unusually thin beauty pressed her robe down tightly and hurriedly left the palace.
Bathilda watched from the window.
“To think the Sage of Rethor would appear now…”
She murmured.
Bathilda was dissatisfied with the current political situation. The strong imperial authority of the ‘Era of Joy’ had long since disappeared.
Bathilda rested her shoulder against the window. Minervina Rethor was no longer visible.
“…I need power. Sir Dominic. And larger forces too.”
“Yes.”
“So having the Sage of Rethor, who has appeared after 100 years, support me would be of great help.”
“Indeed.”
Sophs Rethor, the sage who appeared 100 years ago as if dropping from the sky.
The one who was said to have understood all truths, yet wasn’t a magician.
‘If Minervina Rethor is Sophs’s descendant…’
The corner of Bathilda’s mouth turned up.
“I must make her my ally.”
* * *
Baeksan headed to the dining hall with Lira and Agnes during lunch.
It was an unmissable time for Baeksan.
Since catching Magdala, she had become quite close with the two and could now ask things she couldn’t before.
“Why isn’t Princess Bathilda the Crown Princess?”
Lira, who was about to take a bite of her seafood sandwich, paused.
Agnes, who was twirling pasta with her fork, also stopped.
The two exchanged peculiar glances.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just that Mine always asks such strange things. After all, it’s something no one from Orquenina would be ignorant of.”
Baeksan hesitated.
“…Is it that strange?”
“A little? But you could say you’re from Lutie.”
Lira answered while taking a big bite of her sandwich.
‘Even though they know I’m from Orquenina.’
It seemed they knew she had secrets but chose to overlook them, even offering such advice.
Agnes added:
“Yes. Then it would be fine not to know why Princess Bathilda isn’t Crown Princess, or why Grand Duke Zahig is in his current situation.”
“Is that a famous story?”
“Yes.”
Then she should claim memory loss to nobles and those who know ‘Minervina Rethor.’
“So what’s the reason?”
“Remember when we told you about the current Emperor’s ascension?”
Baeksan nodded.
The capable second son, Lars.
The eldest, Anton, who envied him.
Lars’s mysterious death that followed, and Anton who finally became Emperor.
“It’s simple. Princess Bathilda is the second child.”
Baeksan’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer.
“There’s an older brother?”
“Yes. Crown Prince Felix is above her.”
“But his reputation isn’t great. They say he’s incompetent and violent.”
Lira added while chewing her sandwich.
A bitter laugh escaped Baeksan’s lips.
“The Emperor projected himself onto his first son, huh.”
“Probably.”
“More importantly, Mine, eat something first before thinking. What can you do with nothing but bones?”
“Right. And salad again?”
Ignoring Lira and Agnes’s words, Baeksan’s expression grew serious.
‘So that’s why the quest to approach Bathilda appeared.’
Quests only appear regarding destruction. And when she first dropped into «Another Saga», a quest related to Bathilda appeared.
Perhaps Bathilda was thinking:
‘I’ll take the imperial crown, even if I have to fight and defeat my incompetent brother or the Emperor.’
She didn’t seem like someone who would passively hand over the throne.
War was a foregone conclusion.
‘So this is the route where the world ends through war.’
That was something she really wanted to avoid.
‘Then there’s only one answer.’
She needed someone the system couldn’t manipulate, someone who would never go in the wrong direction.
A deep sigh escaped.
‘And I was so determined not to get involved.’
Furrowing her brow, Baeksan opened the quest window.
[Quest accepted.]
[Quest accepted.]
It was all or nothing now.
* * *
The Zahig mansion was further in the suburbs than expected. She had no choice but to take an unfamiliar hired carriage.
‘What if they turn me away after coming all this way?’
Baeksan approached the main gate with some anxiety.
Fortunately, the gatekeeper’s expression was friendly.
“What brings you here?”
“I’m Minervina Rethor…”
What should she add?
Collaborator? Key witness?
While pondering what to add in that brief moment, surprisingly, the gatekeeper immediately nodded.
“Welcome to the mansion. Please wait a moment while I report to the superiors.”
“Oh? Yes…”
Had Exarch mentioned her beforehand?
Baeksan followed the butler who came out into the mansion.
The mansion gave a clean impression, using mostly achromatic colors.
Had it been five minutes since she sat in the reception room, absently holding warm hibiscus tea?
“Mine. You finally came.”
Exarch opened the door and entered.
Even though he was only wearing simple black casual clothes…
‘Wow. Dazzling.’
She almost forgot to greet him.
Barely collecting herself, she grabbed her skirt.
“Your Grace, I…”
Then a hand extended before her eyes.
Looking up in confusion, she saw Exarch flash a clear, innocent smile.
“…?”
Not understanding but taking his hand anyway, as if to shake it.
“Ha.”
Exarch burst out laughing, then turned her hand over and made a gesture of kissing the back of it.
“Thank you for coming.”
“…”
To do such a thing so naturally…
Baeksan quickly withdrew her hand, flustered and embarrassed.
Exarch’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but he soon smiled again. A dimple deeply creased his cheek.
“I thought you’d never come. What brings you here?”
“Ah. Your Grace’s…”
“Exa.”
“…Your…”
“If you don’t call me Exa, I’m leaving.”
“…”
Baeksan sighed.
‘I prefer casual speech too, so I’ll just be careful in front of others.’
Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Baeksan dropped the pretense of politeness and returned to her nonchalant expression.
“Then you call me Mine too. More importantly, Exa, I came because I have something to ask.”
“What a coincidence, I do too.”
Exarch sat across from her and crossed his legs. Then showed his dimple again.
A calm and clear smile. One that makes you lower your guard.
‘He’s part of the imperial family… I’ll be arrested if I let my guard down…’
Reciting warnings in her mind, Baeksan said:
“If you answer my question, I’ll answer yours too.”
“That easily?”
“It won’t be easy.”
“What’s the question?”
A moment’s deep breath.
“Can you help me see the Emperor without him knowing?”
Exarch took a subtle breath and spoke calmly, as if not even curious about the question’s intent.
“That’s difficult. I can only see His Majesty alone without weapons, and only when he summons me.”
She thought as much. The Emperor seemed to have a sensitive temperament.
‘Guess I’ll have to go with the second-best option.’
Baeksan asked next.
“Then can you frame Bathilda for attempting to harm the Emperor?”
Surprisingly, Exarch didn’t remove his smile even at this question.
“Why would you need to do such a thing?”
“I can’t say why, but I’ll definitely clear her name…”
“Even so, it leaves a stain, Mine. In social circles, or rather, since it’s Bathilda, in political circles? Such stains are very fatal among politicians.”
“…Bathilda didn’t seem to care about such things.”
“Even so, she’s from the imperial family, and before that, my cousin’s sister.”
Valid point.
Baeksan fell into thought for a moment.
‘Should I find his weakness and threaten him?’
Her eyes drifted toward Exarch.
[Ridim Exarch Perato Schröder]
Mentioning his early loss of parents could cause extremely slight emotional disturbance, but it probably wouldn’t last long…
…Even knowing it, it wasn’t a weakness she could use. She’d be lucky not to feel self-loathing.
