Chapter 29
Finally, Baeksan ran her fingers through her hair. After licking her dry lips several times, she looked up.
In times like these, directness was best.
“Exa. I can diagnose the Emperor’s illness.”
Truthfully, since the Emperor was a bastard, Baeksan didn’t really want to treat him.
But she didn’t want to sit idle and let Bathilda start a war either.
Only then did Exarch’s smile fade as his eyes widened slightly.
“Can you cure His Majesty’s illness?”
“No, I can ‘diagnose’ it. He’s bedridden with an unknown illness, right?”
“But you weren’t a physician… Though with abilities like yours, I suppose anything’s possible.”
Exarch muttered to himself without finishing his sentence.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m not that omnipotent. Still, it should be possible, so let me see the Emperor.”
“First, we need to address something – it’s Emperor ‘Your Majesty.'”
Exarch said, seeming troubled.
[Ridim Exarch Perato Schröder]
Is worried you might get arrested somewhere for disloyal speech habits.
“…Right. I can diagnose His Majesty’s illness. I’m trying to fulfill my duty as a subject, so help me.”
However, Exarch caught her off guard with a simple question, blinking his smoothly-lined eyes.
“But Mine, I still don’t understand why framing Bathilda is necessary in this process.”
Wow. As expected, it won’t work. She’d hoped to slip it by casually.
A deep sigh escaped Baeksan’s lips.
‘One way or another, Exarch and I will probably continue working together.’
Her eyes glanced at Exarch. The white-haired man was watching her with clear eyes.
‘…Maybe it would be easier to persuade him if I revealed things voluntarily at this point.’
Baeksan took a deep breath before speaking.
“Exa. You have something to ask me, right?”
“Will you answer?”
“Ask.”
After exchanging glances briefly, Exarch asked.
“Are you really the ‘Sage of Rethor’?”
“Yes.”
As expected, Exarch wasn’t surprised.
He just quietly rolled the name on his lips: Minervina Rethor.
Baeksan immediately spoke coldly.
“Let me tell you, don’t think about taking me to the imperial family. My awakening happened after the contract with the imperial family ended.”
Exarch actually chuckled and spoke with heart-warming gentleness.
“I understand.”
“…”
“But you revealing your identity at this timing means that, as the ‘Sage,’ you have a reason for needing to frame Bathilda?”
Baeksan subtly averted her gaze.
“Yes. I don’t like it, but there’s no choice.”
“But if it’s something like that, wouldn’t it be better to tell Bathilda rather than me…”
“No, if Bathilda knew, it probably wouldn’t count as ‘framing’… I want to minimize any potential risks.”
The system was capable. If Bathilda knew whether it was framing or not, the quest might not register as complete.
Baeksan finished speaking, and Exarch remained silent for a while.
Perhaps to organize his thoughts, he had a servant bring more hot water and even refilled Baeksan’s empty cup with hibiscus tea.
“Bathilda…”
Then he slowly opened his mouth.
“I could slander her. Though I’d rather not if possible.”
“…! You’ll do it?”
“I know your abilities, and this seems to be for Bathilda’s benefit, right?”
“Of course!”
In reality, it was to save the world.
“Then there’s something I’d like you to understand first, Mine.”
“Anything!”
“If you, as the Sage, haven’t chosen this method for Bathilda’s sake, Mine, I’ll have to hunt you down and kill you.”
“…”
Here’s a man casually threatening to kill you with a bright expression like he’s saying good morning.
Looking at his pitch-black eyes where pupil and iris were indistinguishable, Baeksan realized anew.
‘That’s why they say he’s not to be trifled with…’
Along with this thought, her head moved up and down.
“Fine by me. Just keep my identity hidden from the imperial family. I want to live quietly.”
“Good.”
Only then did Exarch smile brightly.
“Then, though it’s not my specialty, shall we slander my cousin sister at the Sage’s persuasion?”
Hey.
* * *
‘It will take about a week.’
That’s what Exarch had said.
Exactly one week later during lunch, Lira spoke excitedly.
“Mine, Agnes! Did you hear the rumor?”
“What rumor?”
“About Her Highness the Princess!”
Baeksan’s ears perked up.
“You know about the mad Grimaldi physician in the Meteor District?”
She didn’t.
Instead, Agnes answered.
“What about them?”
“Someone said…”
Lira looked around before speaking.
“Princess Bathilda has been frequently visiting that mad Grimaldi physician’s house!”
“What?”
Agnes frowned. Her face said, what nonsense is this?
Baeksan watched the conversation while eating her salad.
“That’s absurd. Princess Bathilda would never do such a thing.”
“But everyone’s talking about it now? Wondering if the Princess did something to His Majesty…”
“Lira. Don’t say such dangerous things. You’ll only put yourself at risk.”
“Tch. It’s not like you two are going around saying ‘Lira Magnus said such things!'”
“But… it’s too implausible. The Princess would never cross such a line.”
Apparently Agnes was on the opposition side. Or maybe she just wasn’t one to be swayed by gossip.
Baeksan asked Lira.
“What do you think, Lira?”
“Me?”
Lira blinked and rolled her eyes around.
“Well… I find it hard to believe too. But everyone knows the Princess is ambitious… She even openly asked why she wasn’t Crown Princess.”
“Maybe someone just cast a curse?”
“No way! This isn’t Lutie or Sorek.”
The conversation quickly moved to other topics, but Baeksan satisfyingly stabbed her salad with her fork.
‘I wonder if this will get a reaction soon?’
* * *
“Princess Bathilda. His Majesty summons you.”
“Ha.”
Sitting at her desk handling documents, Bathilda unconsciously snorted.
“Must be because of those recent rumors.”
She dismissed the Emperor’s attendant and muttered with a frown.
Recently, an unpleasant rumor had begun circulating in Ulm.
A rumor that she had enlisted a mad Grimaldi physician’s help to curse the Emperor.
“Ridiculous. If I had such intentions, I would have long ago…”
“Your Highness.”
“Hah…”
Bathilda shook her head, stood up, and put on her coat.
“Let’s go, Sir Dominic.”
“Yes.”
Bathilda crossed several palace buildings to reach the Emperor’s palace.
The Emperor had been ill for a long time.
Though this was the first time he had collapsed with an unknown illness, he always complained about pain somewhere.
Perhaps because of this, despite the dazzlingly magnificent imperial palace, the atmosphere was gloomy.
Moreover, even while ill, the Emperor never stopped pursuing his pleasures – wine, meat, tobacco, and beautiful women.
Leaving state affairs to sycophants like Marquis Zucarini, why…
Bathilda had never understood him since childhood. Especially when he named Felix Crown Prince…
“Your Majesty. Princess Bathilda Rohik Schröder is here.”
The bedroom herald broke Bathilda’s reverie.
“L-let her in.”
A mosquito-like voice was heard, and the door opened.
Bathilda approached the bed expressionlessly. The head maid pulled back the veil.
“Ba-Ba-Bathilda…”
Only then did her father reveal himself.
Sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, an emaciated body with only greedy eyes – a middle-aged man.
Red spots covered his body, and vomit stained his mouth.
Bathilda knelt.
“I bow before Orquenina’s Sublime Moon.”
“Wh-what… have you been doing lately?”
The Emperor spoke in a voice mixed with metallic sounds.
“Recently, I’ve been focusing on maintaining public order.”
“Pu-public order?”
“Yes. As Ulm’s public safety has been deteriorating…”
The Emperor’s face contorted.
Bathilda knew this expression. It was the face he made when remembering his brother Lars.
“Di-disappointing. To think you’re focusing on such… such games…”
