Chapter 84

Edelis couldn’t afford to stop now, so she was trying to make plans with Lord Frache. But Lord Frache looked at her with pained eyes.

“Your Majesty, are you all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“…You must be struggling a lot.”

Meeting his gaze, Edelis almost burst into tears again as memories of her grief resurfaced—grief she had been suppressing with anger at the saint and determination to bring Lehan back to himself.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine. For now, let’s focus on what to do next.”

Edelis wiped away the tears that threatened to fall with both hands. Trying to look as if nothing were wrong only made Lord Frache pity her more.

“Do you have any idea how His Majesty might be restored?”

“No. We’ll just try everything we can. If something works, all the better.”

“Hmm. Normally, in the Imperial Knights’ investigations…”

Edelis’s eyes lit up. Rather than fumbling blindly, hearing the opinion of an expert would be far more helpful.

‘That’s right—Lord Frache might look like he’s blinded by the saintess, but he was once the Captain of the Imperial Knights.’

“When investigating, we look for what has changed before and after the incident. Of course, as you said, we also think about who benefits from the event…”

Frache’s voice gradually lowered to a mutter, as though he lacked confidence—likely because the one who benefited most was the saintess herself.

“In my view, the incident is that Lehan changed.”

“Agreed.”

“And the biggest change surrounding that is that the saint, who had been confined in the palace, escaped and ended up right by His Majesty’s side.”

“…Yes, that seems to be the most significant change.”

“Then it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume the cause lies with the saintess, would it?”

Edelis deliberately looked straight at him, not wanting him to evade the answer he already knew.

“And aside from Lehan, the only one who’s changed is the saintess.”

“…That does seem so.”

“So logically speaking, isn’t it most likely she did something after escaping?”

“You mean she couldn’t have done it before leaving confinement?”

“Not when she was cut off from all contact. It wouldn’t have been easy.”

“….”

“And if she could have done it without escaping, wouldn’t she have done it as soon as she was imprisoned?”

Less than half a day had passed since her escape—barely twelve hours. What could cause such drastic change in a person in such a short time?

“…If we assume, as Your Majesty says, that the saintess is the culprit, then yes.”

“If not the saintess, is there anyone else who could be a prime suspect?”

“….”

“My lord.”

“Yes.”

“I know what you’re feeling. But something has happened to His Majesty—so as Captain of the Imperial Knights, you cannot exclude the saintess from suspicion.”

“…I will proceed under the premise that the cause lies with her.”

“Good.”

His expression was darker now than when the saintess had first been imprisoned. Still, for a man who once refused to suspect her at all, this was progress.

‘The saintess has changed, and so has Lehan… I may have to face her directly.’

The most likely culprit was the saintess, so she could not be avoided.

“I should meet with the saintess.”

“She’s likely with His Majesty. Will you be all right?”

“Better to see them together than stay ignorant.”

“…Very well.”

Recalling what he had said about the saintess when she returned, Edelis spoke up.

“Lord Frache, I’ll need your help.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“You said the saintess suddenly claimed she was tired when you spoke of me being attacked?”

“That’s correct.”

“I don’t know if it was because I mentioned the past or because it was about me, but when you meet His Majesty, could you try talking about the past?”

“Yes, I understand.”

But what else should she do? The saintess and her associates in the temple were beyond her reach. Which left…

“Berman Pasis.”

“Pardon?”

“Berman Pasis still exists.”

She had no intention of moving him before, since he was clearly the saintess’ man. But leaving him as he was wasn’t an option either.

“He’s still alive?”

“For some reason, Lehan hasn’t killed him yet. But that’s all—he’s only kept him alive.”

Yes, Berman Pasis, who had been searching for the saintess—and now the saintess had returned.

“What do you intend to do with him?”

“Release him.”

“What? But wasn’t he the one who tried to kill you, Your Majesty?”

“Yes. And we suspected the saintess was behind him.”

“Then if you release him, the client might hire him again to kill you! That’s too dangerous.”

“If we leave him, he’ll die anyway.”

The Emperor in the book had never confined Berman in a secret dungeon. This time, he was there only because Edelis had been kidnapped and nearly murdered. The Emperor would likely forget he existed, leaving him to die under torture. That could not be allowed. They needed him alive to trace the saintess.

“Better that he dies than that Your Majesty be placed at risk.”

“I’m willing to be at risk again, if it means finding the one behind all this.”

“…So you only want him kept alive, for now?”

“Yes. Just that much.”

“Then moving him to the common prison…no, that won’t do.”

Frache knew very well that those who attacked Edelis had ties to Berman. He also knew they had been poisoned before interrogation. Sighing deeply, he spoke: “What if we keep him in the Frache estate’s dungeon?”

“Good. Keep him alive. If he reveals his master, even better.”

He nodded.

Just then, the door burst open with a loud crash. Both Edelis and Frache turned, startled. There stood Lehan, visibly displeased.

“Lehan!”

Calling his name instinctively, she flinched under his sharp gaze and hastily corrected herself.

“…Your Majesty. What brings you here?”

“Am I not allowed to come without reason?”

“No, it’s just—before, you always came without reason. I thought now it might be different.”

“Did you always talk back like this? I don’t recall.”

The Empress she’d read of in the book never answered back—she only cowered, and met a tragic end. Edelis had decided she would act differently, no matter what.

“Perhaps Your Majesty is simply confused right now.”

“Ahem!”

Lehan coughed loudly, glancing awkwardly toward Frache.

“I told him because he’s already noticed.”

“And why’s that?”

“You wouldn’t agree to dine with me so I could explain properly, remember?”

“True.”

“And Lord Frache will act for the good of the crown, so it’s no harm.”

“How naïve.”

‘Who’s the naïve one here? I’m the one worrying about the grim future, not you!’

“All nobles are meant to serve the crown. But not all do. Still, Johannes won’t harm me.”

“Yes. I know that much, too.”

Edelis retorted hotly, but Lehan brushed it off and changed the subject.

“Why is Johannes here?”

“Because you suddenly changed, and he came to me worried.”

“If something happens to me, why would he go to you?”

“Because until yesterday, that was the natural thing.”

“Not anymore.”

He added words he didn’t need to, only to unsettle her more.

“So Johannes, you may leave now.”

“I remain, by Your Majesty’s prior order, to guard the Empress.”

“I said she doesn’t need guarding.”

“I do.”

Edelis’s firm words made Lehan snap his head toward her. He clearly wanted to separate her from Frache, but she couldn’t yield—for her safety and to bring him back.

“What danger is there inside the imperial palace?”

“You never know what might happen.”

“How indulgent.”

“Then why did you come here, Your Majesty?”

“Me? I…”

Both Edelis and Frache fixed their gaze on him. Lehan fell silent, then, perhaps feeling pressured, turned to Frache.

“I came to summon Johannes.”

“Couldn’t you have done so through a chamberlain?”

“I could. But why not come myself?”

“Then shall we speak here?”

“No. I’ll take Johannes with me.”

At his signal, Frache bowed to Edelis.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Farewell, Lord Frache. Don’t forget what we discussed.”

“What discussion?” Lehan asked.

“Nothing Your Majesty need concern yourself with.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.”

Frache strode to the door and opened it. Lehan glanced between him and Edelis, then left. Frache followed behind.

“What did you want of me, Your Majesty?”

“I thought I should check in. No special reason.”

“…Pardon?”

“I had a bad feeling. Nothing’s wrong, so that’s good.”

Lehan patted his shoulder lightly, then walked off.

“Assign someone else to guard the Empress.”

“…Yes.”

Watching Lehan leave so lightly, Frache felt an odd sense of déjà vu.

‘Just like before, when he would come barging in to interrupt the Empress’s conversations—Keirhan.’