Chapter 117
* * *
“Phew.”
The imperial physician exhaled in relief as he closed the door to his quarters.
The quiet, still atmosphere seemed to calm his trembling heart.
“That… ended well, right?”
His voice quivered slightly, revealing how tense he had been.
After checking two, three more times that the door was properly closed, the imperial physician flopped face-down onto the bed.
Earlier that morning, when he had gone to check on Silver Lily’s condition, he’d received a thunderbolt of a pronouncement from the Emperor.
[You couldn’t even determine the cause of Silver Lily’s condition. Once the situation stabilizes, you will be severely punished for this failure.]
In that moment, the imperial physician felt his world crumbling.
The Emperor himself had promised punishment.
It wouldn’t end with simply relinquishing his position as imperial physician and leaving the palace.
He might even have to forfeit his life.
In the midst of his despair, a ray of hope shone down on the imperial physician.
It was Silver Lily, smiling with a pale face beside the Emperor.
[Your Majesty, the fault lies with whoever used a poison that even the imperial physician couldn’t identify. Please don’t be too harsh on him.]
[But it is the imperial physician’s duty to be responsible for the health of the imperial family.]
[…If you insist, perhaps we could give the imperial physician a chance?]
After saying this, Silver Lily pulled up her bloodless lips and smiled brightly.
Her appearance was so benevolent that she looked like the very embodiment of the Empire’s mother.
[Sob! Lady Silver Lily…! To this unworthy one… I am deeply honored!]
The imperial physician collapsed to the floor and found himself tearing up. Who would dare to offer advice or contradictions to the Emperor?
Only Silver Lily, whom the Emperor adored. And clinging to Silver Lily was the imperial physician’s only path to survival.
Still prostrate, his shoulders trembling, the imperial physician cautiously raised his head. Silver Lily was looking down at him with a benevolent smile.
[The task is to catch the culprit who dared try to poison a member of the imperial family. If you follow my instructions exactly in this matter, His Majesty will forgive you. Isn’t that right, Your Majesty?]
Taking the Emperor’s hand and smiling sweetly, Silver Lily’s smile was more dazzling than the morning sunlight streaming in.
In the end, the Emperor averted his gaze from Silver Lily and reluctantly nodded.
[Very well. If you do as Silver Lily says, I will overlook this matter.]
[Thank you! I-I am deeply, deeply honored! Your Majesty, Lady Silver Lily!]
The imperial physician kept uttering words of gratitude amid his tears.
Looking at him with compassionate eyes, Silver Lily soon explained what the imperial physician needed to do.
[Your task is simple. I will hold a tea party this afternoon, and a certain noblewoman will fall ill and collapse.]
[What? No, a tea party? Lady Silver Lily! In your current condition, that’s too much! You need rest…]
[It must be done. I will not accept any objections on this point.]
Her expression and voice were resolute.
The imperial physician couldn’t continue and lowered his head.
[…I understand.]
[Good. Anyway, I will summon you then. When you arrive, you are to examine the collapsed noblewoman.]
[Is that… all?]
The imperial physician’s face was filled with questions.
How would merely examining another noblewoman help identify the culprit?
Seeing the imperial physician’s confusion, Silver Lily wore a peculiar smile.
[Yes, that’s all. However, your diagnosis is already determined.]
After hearing in detail what he should say and how he should act, the imperial physician trembled.
Silver Lily seemed not just to be speculating about future events, but almost certain of them.
And now, having returned after completing all his assigned tasks, the imperial physician felt a chill run down his spine.
“To think that everything unfolded exactly as Lady Silver Lily predicted…”
He closed his eyes, uttering words mixed with deflation and admiration.
Perhaps because he hadn’t slept properly, having been summoned here and there since dawn, drowsiness washed over him the moment his tension eased.
The imperial physician drifted into a deep sleep, thoroughly enjoying the peace of mind and leisure that had come his way after so long.
‘From now on… I’m unconditionally on Lady Silver Lily’s side, unconditionally.’
* * *
“Lady Grandel, you’re not actually ill, are you?”
“Of course not, Lady Silver Lily! I’m perfectly fine.”
Lady Grandel said this with a bright smile. Her ruby-colored eyes sparkled prettily as they curved into crescents.
I returned her smile gently, taking her hand.
“That’s a relief. You looked so ill that I worried you might have actually become sick in the meantime.”
When I spoke with exaggeration, Lady Grandel burst into laughter, then immediately stifled it, mindful of those outside.
“I never knew Lady Silver Lily could be so amusing.”
She seemed to have a rather unique sense of humor.
Honestly, I couldn’t quite understand what was so funny about our conversation just now… but people’s tastes vary.
“Anyway, thank you for your hard work. Thanks to your acting, we were able to expose the culprit.”
“Not at all. I barely did anything. I just pretended to be a little sick! I’m the one who should be deeply grateful, Lady Silver Lily.”
Lady Grandel lowered her head to me, her expression suddenly composed.
Her short green hair flowed along her shoulder line.
She had hidden her short hair by pinning it up and adorning it with numerous decorations.
It seemed her hairstyle had become disheveled when the maids moved her to the lounge, so being alone, she had decided to let her hair down for comfort.
Sensing my gaze, Lady Grandel awkwardly smiled as she smoothed her short hair.
“Ha-ha… I’m glad my hair can grow back. I’ll grow it out beautifully this time.”
Noble women considered short-cropped hair shameful. Perhaps for this reason, the noblewoman’s cheeks were slightly flushed.
“No, my lady. It’s the nobles who look down on short hair who are wrong. Though I understand having to conform to avoid standing out… Don’t think your pretty short hair is strange.”
I too had my hair cut countless times while working as a maid.
When I wasn’t skilled at maid work, I had it forcibly cut for not doing my job properly, and later I cut it myself for convenience.
The nobility considered short hair a symbol of poverty and ignorance.
Yet the reason Lady Grandel had to cut her hair was due to a life so impoverished it was hard to believe she was a noble.
Having incurred a massive debt to the Melliot marquis family and unable to bear the growing interest, the Grandel family lost everything to the marquis.
Thus, the noblewoman, whose livelihood was threatened, eventually resorted to cutting and selling her hair.
Fortunately, with the Melliot family’s downfall, there was no more extortion, but the creditor changed to the imperial family.
When planning this affair, I first sought out someone “clean” and “lacking.”
Someone unrelated to the incident ten years ago, someone upright but economically disadvantaged and in need of help.
The Grandel family fulfilled these requirements.
Fortunately, the Grandel family had a noblewoman suitable to attend the tea party, and I had contacted her in advance.
“Thank you so much. Truly.”
Lady Grandel was genuinely grateful to me.
In reality, I had essentially exploited her poverty.
On the condition of forgiving all the money owed to the imperial family—though it was actually owed to Marquis Melliot—I asked her to act according to my instructions.
But receiving such expressions of gratitude repeatedly made me somewhat embarrassed, so I hastily changed the subject.
“Ahem, anyway, you did wonderfully. By the way, aren’t you hungry? You didn’t get to eat properly at the tea party, and quite some time has passed. It’s mealtime now.”
“Oh, I’m fine—”
At that moment, a loud grumbling sound echoed through the room.
The noblewoman bowed her head deeply, her cheeks turning bright red.
“They say just thinking about food can make that happen. I’m hungry and need to eat something, so I’ll have them prepare something for you too.”
“Th-thank you…”
I smiled faintly as I looked at the crown of Lady Grandel’s head as she seemed like she wanted to die of embarrassment.
Today’s tasks were now complete. Next would be…
‘Rahu should be arriving soon.’
All that remained was to wait for all the evidence to gather that would destroy Duke Balkyrino.
* * *
“Don’t touch my body!”
A sharp voice echoed from inside the Second Annex located in a corner of the imperial palace.
“Princess, we’re just trying to help you bathe…”
“Hmph! Do you think I don’t know what you’re planning? I can’t trust any of you. Tell them to bring my own maid from the Duke’s residence!”
Nella, shouting in anger, had long since abandoned the elegance she usually emphasized.
The maids who had come to attend to her clicked their tongues at the sight.
“That’s impossible, Princess. You know we can’t allow private maids to enter the imperial palace.”
“Then just let me out!”
“That’s…! Princess, you’re currently under confinement. Sending us to attend to you is already a great consideration from Lady Silver Lily…”
“Ugh…! Why on earth should I be imprisoned!”
Even in captivity, Nella was as willful as ever. Seeing her behavior and words, the maids stopped trying to persuade her and quietly withdrew.
“We will take our leave. Please call us whenever you need us.”
“What? What about the bath?”
“You were the one who told us not to touch you, Princess. So please, bathe comfortably and freely on your own.”
Watching the maids leave, Nella gave them an incredulous look. But since she had been the one to refuse, she couldn’t bring herself to stop them. She trembled with rage before collapsing onto the bed.
“Aaaaargh! This is so frustrating!”
Nella’s scream of rage enveloped the annex.
While she was still fuming, it happened.
With a rattle of hinges, the window that had been shaking slightly opened, and cold air rushed in, brushing against her skin.
“What is this all of a sud—”
Nella, who had raised her head in irritation, blinked without finishing her sentence.
A dark figure was looking down at her from behind the open window.
“Wh-what! W-who are—”
Nella’s words were cut short once again.
In an instant, the man with strangely gleaming red eyes covered Nella’s mouth.
