Chapter 124
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
A mysterious man who had been waiting outside the courtroom cautiously entered, following Deril.
Several nobles showed their displeasure at his common appearance and clothing.
Nella too, pretending to wipe her tears, pursed her lips.
“Who is that person?”
“Is he a commoner?”
“Why would His Majesty bring a commoner into the sacred courtroom…”
“Is he an important witness?”
Over the murmuring nobles, Hadel’s voice rang out.
“When Silver Lily collapsed, the palace physicians had no remedy. So I sought out physicians known for their skill.”
The man who entered with Deril approached Hadel.
Hadel continued:
“During this search, I met a physician who had treated someone with symptoms similar to Silver Lily’s. This man is that patient’s guardian.”
After saying this, Hadel looked at the man. Though trembling, the man stepped forward and began to speak.
“I-I am… Pedrick.”
His voice was shaky. After introducing himself, Pedrick swallowed hard.
“My lover has the same symptoms as Lady Silver Lily and still hasn’t regained consciousness. The physician said it might be due to an unknown poison…”
Pedrick glanced at Nella, who was prostrate on the floor.
Nella wore a questioning face. Her expression showed she completely failed to understand why this man called Pedrick had come here to say these things.
The other nobles felt the same. They seemed displeased that a commoner was standing here at all.
“My lover’s name is Rie. She was… a personal maid to Lady Balkyrino here.”
At Pedrick’s continued statement, Nella’s expression visibly distorted.
Pedrick went on:
“A maid who was friends with Rie told me. That day, Rie suddenly collapsed after drinking Earl Grey tea that the Lady had offered her.”
Finally understanding Pedrick’s words, the nobles’ eyes widened.
The haughty Lady Balkyrino, full of noble superiority, drinking tea with a maid?
It was absolutely impossible.
But afterward, the person who drank the tea collapsed. Showing the same symptoms as me.
The nobles weren’t stupid enough to miss what this implied.
They looked at Nella with openly disgusted expressions.
“N-no, no! You! How dare a worthless commoner like you tell such lies here, of all places!”
Nella, who had been prostrate on the floor, suddenly rose up and screamed at the top of her lungs.
Her eyebrows, which had been pitifully drooping, shot up, transforming her expression into something vicious.
“Lady, calm yourself.”
“Your Majesty! I am wronged! Isn’t this person clearly insulting the nobility?”
“Insulting nobility… We’ll find out through investigation. Search the Balkyrino ducal residence thoroughly and secure all evidence. Also, find and arrest the missing Duke Balkyrino immediately.”
At Hadel’s cold command, Nella’s face began to turn red.
“That, that can’t…! No, no! Your Majesty! This cannot be! This is slander!”
“Shut your mouth. I’m utterly sick of your claims of innocence. I don’t want to hear any more.”
“Ah… ah…”
That’s when it happened.
Nella, unable to control her emotions, trembled violently.
She wasn’t normally a character who lost her ability to judge situations to this extent—was she really that angry?
Or was there another reason?
While the nobles and even I were taken aback by Nella’s excessive behavior—
Nella’s purple eyes expanded strangely, then her entire body turned red and began to convulse abnormally violently.
“Ah, uh, uh, uh, t-this, c-can’t be…”
Staggering as if about to collapse, Nella hung her head low.
In that moment, one person came to mind.
Lady Schunet, who had suddenly died after being imprisoned. This resembled her strange behavior.
But my thoughts couldn’t continue.
“AAAAARGH! SILVER LILY!”
Because Nella suddenly jerked her head up and lunged at me with a terrifying scream.
“…!”
In the blink of an eye, a sharp dagger appeared right in front of my face.
“Asha!”
With a terrible slashing sound, my vision turned red.
* * *
“Are you certain they’ll withdraw once we complete the operation as promised?”
Evan raised an eyebrow at Duke Balkyrino’s voice, filled with distrust.
“You don’t believe me?”
“But…”
Throughout history, there had never been a case where a country’s internal problems were solved by involving another nation.
The Duke let his words trail off as he studied Evan’s expression. Firmly pressed lips and gleaming red eyes. A gaze full of confidence.
“…Very well. I’ll trust Your Highness.”
It was actually a lie. The Duke didn’t trust Evan. He was merely following his words out of necessity.
Evan had said he would give him the throne after the operation was complete, but who knows. As long as Evan was a person with desires, he wouldn’t willingly relinquish power once it was in his grasp.
So once they achieved their common goal, anyway…
“Duke, don’t waste time on useless thoughts. We still have work to do, don’t we?”
“…Of course, Your Highness.”
“Good, that’s the right attitude. But your expression looks terrible. Worried about your daughter?”
The Duke’s face hardened at Evan’s words that struck at the core.
His gaze involuntarily turned westward, where the imperial palace stood.
“She is my child. Can you really save Nella, Your Highness?”
Evan curled his lips into a grin at the Duke’s purple eyes filled with concern.
Of course he could save her. If only Nella could control her emotions and not lash out again.
She kept failing to control her emotions and causing trouble, so he had taken simple measures.
If she were to lash out again… depending on the severity, she might lose consciousness, or her life could even be in danger.
But if no side effects occurred, she would most likely just lose consciousness.
‘I’d prefer if side effects did occur and she killed someone nearby.’
While inwardly thinking something that would horrify the Duke, Evan responded nonchalantly.
“Of course. Do you think Silver Lily would have brought the Lady to trial without a winning strategy? You were pushed this far because you underestimated that seemingly fragile woman, Duke.”
Everything he said was true.
Nella’s chance to become empress was already lost.
If she had become empress, it would have been easier to deal with the emperor, but now that this was impossible, the Duke had to follow Evan’s words to fulfill his plan.
“Duke, surely you’re not still underestimating Silver Lily?”
“Urgh… no. She’s an opponent to be wary of.”
The Duke swallowed hard. He regretted thinking of her as just a commoner, an ignorant girl.
It was bitter to admit, but he had to acknowledge that Silver Lily was a step above his daughter, Nella.
She would certainly manage to prove Nella’s guilt and secure a death sentence.
The Duke intellectually recognized Silver Lily’s abilities, but his wounded pride prevented him from thinking more deeply about it.
The more he thought about it, the more infuriated he became.
“It’s fortunate that the Duke made a decision without doing anything foolish. Even with Jesentia, you couldn’t save her alone. There would be limitations.”
If Nella were sentenced to death for attempted imperial assassination, there was only one way to save her.
‘Only by overthrowing the country… and killing the emperor who charged Nella with the crime.’
That’s why the Duke had played his final card, the one he had been saving as a last resort.
“I understand. Since we’ve decided to join hands, I’d like to properly greet them.”
Someone the Duke had only heard about through Evan but never met in person.
“Hmm. Yes, follow me.”
Evan ascended to the topmost floor of the hideout. The higher they went, the more acrid the smoke became, making it difficult to breathe.
“Why is there so much smoke…”
“She quite enjoys it, you see.”
Saying that, Evan lifted his finger and mimicked smoking.
Outside the door they finally reached stood exceptionally beautiful women in strange attire.
“Lord Evan.”
“Is she inside?”
“The King is resting.”
“I have someone who wishes to pay respects. Could you announce us?”
Evan’s tone was exceedingly gentle. The women nodded expressionlessly and raised their hands to knock on the door.
But before their hands touched the door, a low-toned, clear voice flowed from inside.
“Let them in.”
The woman’s voice seemed like a whisper in the ear, yet also like a quiet murmur from far away.
The Duke swallowed hard.
As the door opened, the Duke’s brow automatically furrowed. The thick smoke made it difficult to see ahead.
“You’ll age quickly that way, Princess Hae.”
Evan, seemingly accustomed, waved his hand to disperse the smoke and stepped inside.
The Duke slowly followed him.
Long legs draped over the edge of a bed, and beneath them sat a woman surrounded by several attendants.
The woman, almost lying down with her body stretched out, held a long pipe in one hand.
With fiery red hair flowing long, she curled her lips into a smile as she received Evan’s greeting.
“It’s the joy of my life. Or would you rather provide me with pleasure instead?”
“You jest amusingly.”
At Evan’s response, the woman languidly laughed and exhaled smoke.
The Duke couldn’t take his eyes off this captivating woman with her enigmatic smile.
‘So this woman is… the King of the Eastern Empire. The rumors that she was so beautiful one couldn’t look away weren’t just empty talk.’
The woman’s white eyes slid toward the Duke. Her gaze seemed to peer into the depths of his soul.
After looking at the Duke for a moment, she pulled up her red lips and said:
“Yes, you must be the collaborator Evan mentioned.”
