Chapter 99

“W-what? His Majesty is summoning me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Mary answered calmly. It was a stark contrast to how she had paced circles around the room, panicking over what to do when the invitation from the Empress arrived. Having been entangled in so many incidents by now, she had become quite composed.

 

‘Everyone… has developed nerves of steel.’

 

“My Lady, to be honest, I’m not quite sure. In terms of support from the commoners and the nobility, isn’t Prince Bastien superior?”

 

“Mary, the affairs of the nobility are never that simple. If Prince Bastien even takes the throne, the Empress’s power would become far too immense. Most of the Emperor’s faction nobles gathered specifically because they cannot afford to ignore that power. And among the commoners, there are many who harbor resentment toward Bastien.”

 

“Why is that? Looking at Prince Bastien alone, there doesn’t seem to be any problem.”

 

“It’s because of the Empress and the nobles who support him. In high society, rumors about who killed whom float around easily, but the Empress takes it to an extreme. Furthermore, to maintain the strength of the nobles she’s allied with, she acts solely in their interests. Commoners who are politically savvy know that giving the Empress too much power is dangerous. You might think they are separate entities, but in politics, you can’t ignore the nature of those connections.”

 

I carefully read the letter Mary handed me. It was a short message stating he wished to commend my merits, but I could see the meticulous calculation hidden within those few words. I tapped my forehead. The final remark made things even more complicated.

 

‘He says he “wants me to accept it this time”…’

 

I crossed my arms, weighing whether or not to go. If it were a pure reward, I would have run there instantly. But this smelled like a hidden agenda. Moreover, Fedeshar’s previous comments weighed on my mind.

 

“A real storm is coming.”

 

“But it’s not even summer?”

 

“It’s an expression, Mary. I should let Evan know.”

 

I wrote a letter to him, following his request to keep him informed of everything without hiding a thing. However, he sent back a lengthy reply full of concerns, explaining that he couldn’t be by my side that day because there was somewhere he absolutely had to go, and urged me to be careful.

 

“I didn’t even ask him to escort me…”

 

He had mentioned recently that he would be busy with work, so I had expected as much.

 

As soon as I received Evan’s reply, I visited the imperial palace alone.

 

It was my first time having an audience with His Majesty by myself. Yet, my heart was still. Is this the heart of someone who has had their life threatened multiple times? I, too, have developed nerves of steel.

 

Upon entering the audience chamber, I found Fedeshar unexpectedly standing beside the Emperor. When our eyes met, Fedeshar smiled.

 

‘He’s smiling?’

 

“Lady Clies, it has been a long time. I have heard of your exploits.”

 

“Oh, no, Your Majesty. Helping citizens in danger is only natural.”

 

“Spoken like a true noble lady. What you have done is highly regarded even within the palace walls. Food security is a vital issue everywhere.”

 

“I am humbled, Your Majesty.”

 

So far, it was all pleasantries, but I didn’t know when he would get to the point. Seeing Fedeshar’s meaningful smile made me even more wary.

 

“I hear you have reached out to territories suffering from the same hardships as Count Delta?”

 

“It was merely a fair trade with them. It is not something deserving of praise.”

 

“The drought is a national crisis. Furthermore, there is no guarantee it will end this year, and the affected areas may increase. In that sense, what you have done is monumental. Therefore, I intend to grant you a reward. What is it you desire?”

 

His insistence on giving me something made me feel I should refuse even more.

 

“No, I—”

 

“Come to think of it, have I not failed to repay you for saving Fedeshar as well? If one performs a worthy deed, they must be properly compensated. Do not make me out to be a narrow-minded Emperor.”

 

The Emperor was firm. Fedeshar added his weight to the argument.

 

“He is right. Please, accept it.”

 

I fell into thought for a moment.

 

‘A fitting compensation…?’

 

I hadn’t expected him to let me choose the reward myself, so I was stuck. Then, Fedeshar spoke up.

 

“How about… a Right of Pardon?”

 

“…A Right of Pardon?”

 

The Emperor looked at Fedeshar with startled eyes.

 

“His Majesty also has the Right of Pardon in mind.”

 

Fedeshar phrased it as if it were an option already on the table. However, even a quick glance at the Emperor showed he looked like he was hearing about the Right of Pardon for the first time in his life…

 

A Right of Pardon was a “free pass” that allowed one to be forgiven for any crime, just once. Given the Emperor’s reaction, the atmosphere didn’t seem like he was ready to grant something that powerful.

 

“A Right of Pardon is far too much for me. However, if it could be something else…”

 

“Oh? Is there something you want? Speak!”

 

Look at that. His face brightened up completely the moment I turned down the pardon.

 

“I would like to be able to have a quiet conversation with Your Majesty, just once, at a time of my choosing.”

 

“…Are you talking about a time for tea?”

 

It was such an unexpected request that both the Emperor and Fedeshar looked surprised. I continued with a bright smile.

 

“You could call it a tea time. As I said, I simply couldn’t pass by those who needed help. I don’t need a grand reward for that. So, a simple conversation with Your Majesty is enough.”

 

It was a perfect reward—one that didn’t offend the Emperor, didn’t draw the ire of other nobles, and was appropriately modest.

 

“…”

 

The Emperor seemed a bit suspicious, but he readily accepted, thinking it was much better than a Right of Pardon. I also received a formal letter of appreciation he had prepared. Perhaps still feeling a bit uneasy, he asked if this was truly enough, and I replied that it was more than sufficient.

 

‘Besides, there’s a great significance hidden in my words.’

 

I packaged it as a “tea time,” but in the end, it meant the Emperor would be forced to listen to me until the very end, just once. I don’t know how it will be used in the future, but I believe it was the right choice.

 

“You are quite remarkable, My Lady.”

 

“In what way?”

 

“Requesting a tea time instead of a Right of Pardon. You didn’t upset His Majesty, you won’t be envied by the surrounding nobles, and furthermore, you can relay words to His Majesty to your advantage when necessary.”

 

“The idea only came to me because Your Highness brought up the Right of Pardon. Did you mention it for my sake?”

 

Fedeshar had previously proposed that we poison the Empress, a proposal I had refused. However, I didn’t know what he was thinking now. Since that conversation ended so abruptly… I thought perhaps he mentioned the pardon with his own future crimes in mind.

 

“I heard about Count Peralt. He was a pawn destined to be discarded anyway. I suppose they squeezed every last drop of use out of him before tossing him aside.”

 

Fedeshar whispered to me secretly. His nuance suggested it was the Empress’s doing.

 

“Evan believes it wasn’t her doing.”

 

“Oh my… is that so? But one can never know for sure. I hope you make a good decision, My Lady.”

 

Suddenly, Fedeshar’s smile vanished completely. Just like that day.

 

“Because one’s life… can be threatened at any time. I thought this incident would make that clear to you, but it seems you disagree. I will wait just one more time.”

 

No, even if you wait, I’m not accepting your proposal!

 

“Let us speak again at leisure next time.”

 

Interpreting my expression in whatever way he pleased, Fedeshar left after throwing out those one-sided words.

 

 

***

 

 

“Are you sure this is the right place?”

 

“Good grief! Do you not trust us? This involves the Young Lady, so we investigated thoroughly.”

 

Silver hair fluttered under the warm sunlight. Following behind him was Ben, who was pushing aside the vines blocking their view.

 

“Trust a mage to hide in a place like this…”

 

Ben grumbled about the target being tucked away in such a remote spot. Evan had ordered Ben to keep a watch on the Empress. According to Ben’s investigation, Hedeis’ erratic behavior was not related to the Empress. Rather, the person involved was…

 

Evan gazed quietly at the blue sky.

 

“Bastien, you’ve finally crossed the line.”

 

If Ben’s investigation was correct, the Empress had given no such order. That meant it was Bastien’s solo action.

 

“He kept saying how much he wanted to escape the Empress’s shadow. This whole place is sickening.”

 

This was exactly why Lepina kept the nobility at arm’s length.

 

He knew Bastien had used Hedeis to try and kill him. The remaining puzzle was the mage who had acted incomprehensibly.

 

Once Hedeis was subjected to a series of interrogations and threats, he readily confessed to everything. He said the mage knew in advance who would visit him and what proposal they would make.

 

And through the recording sphere Hedeis provided, they were able to pinpoint the mage’s location.

 

“I must find out exactly who ‘that person’ is.”

 

Hedeis had been used as bait by both sides.

 

“Used so pitiably.”

 

Evan clicked his tongue. In exchange for the information, he had allowed Hedeis to keep his title of nobility.

 

However, since he had to pay for his crimes, his wife, the Countess Peralt, divorced him and the name was lost; he was now attached to a humble Baron’s name.

 

The man who used to fume at being looked down upon would now be subjected to blatant contempt that couldn’t even be compared to before.

 

“About that mage. I’ve finished a basic background check, and he seems perfectly ordinary. He’s a commoner-born mage who supports his disabled mother alone.”

 

“And?”

 

“No… I mean, just saying. Why would a man like that join hands with Count Peralt—no, Hedeis—to target you and the Young Lady?”

 

No matter who the opponent was, the mastermind hiding behind them had to be dragged out.

 

“That’s what we’re going to find out. There’s a high chance the mage is unrelated to Bastien as well. It’s likely another faction entirely.”

 

Ben cut through the drooping vines one by one with his dagger, clearing the path. The area, covered in naturally grown vines, showed no trace of anyone having passed through, let alone living there.

 

“…Huh? That’s strange…”

 

As Ben stepped forward, what appeared before him was a cliff. Evan stepped past Ben, who was scratching his head, and moved to the front.