Chapter 348

Chapter 348. Gift (1)

Just what I thought. What I didn’t understand is why someone would order that.

“Who ordered it? For what reason? To ruin the gifts sent by Emperor Sovieshu? Or what else…”

Maybe it’s Rashta’s order. I don’t think she had a reason, but most of the hostility Rashta had shown toward me lacked precisely that.

However, what McKenna revealed was unexpected,

“It was ordered by the Viscount and Viscountess Isqua.”

“Really?”

I remembered the couple who used to act like good people. Although we never had a proper conversation, I remembered them clearly because they were indirectly related to my brother’s banishment.

“Yes. The culprit confessed that he received a huge sum of money to cause an ‘accident’.”

“Why did they give that order…?”

Do they hold a grudge against me? Or is it against Sovieshu? It was my understanding that Rashta and Sovieshu currently did not have a good relationship. Since they had taken Rashta as their daughter, were they angry with Sovieshu?

“It was because of Miss Evely.”

McKenna’s words were again unexpected.

“Evely?”

Why Evely?

***

“It was Viscount and Viscountess Isqua who ordered the carriage ‘accident’. They intended to harm you.”

Evely muttered sullenly in response to my words,

“They must have done it because of what they misunderstood. The Viscount and Viscountess Isqua think…. think… I am.”

But unlike me, Evely wasn’t surprised that the couple tried to hurt her. Maybe they didn’t get along.

However, there were so many gaps in Evely’s words that it was hard to understand. What did Viscount and Viscountess Isqua think of Evely?

“Hmm…”

“Evely?”

“Don’t misunderstand me, Your Majesty. Absolutely not, absolutely not.”

What was she talking about?

Evely clasped her hands together, looked carefully into my eyes and shyly confessed.

“The couple thinks that I am Emperor Sovieshu’s second concubine. That’s why they hate me so much.”

“His concubine?”

“Never, Your Majesty!”

As if afraid that I might misunderstand, Evely jumped to her feet and waved her hands hurriedly,

“I became an assistant to the court mage, and I live in the Southern Palace. His Majesty Sovieshu has given me many comforts, hence the misunderstanding.”

Sovieshu was taking care of Evely? That was a surprise.

But now that I think about it, it made sense for Evely to run this errand for Sovieshu if he was taking care of her. It would be really strange if he called Evely from the magical academy to run an errand.

Money aside, perhaps it was because of that misunderstanding that the person responsible for loosening the carriage wheel agreed to the couple’s request.

“You don’t feel uncomfortable living there?”

“No. The court mage and the seniors are all good people. I don’t have to see His Majesty Sovieshu, so I don’t feel uncomfortable.”

Despite that, her complexion was still dark.

“Only Viscount and Viscountess Isqua messed with you?”

“… Rashta also thinks that I am His Majesty Sovieshu’s concubine, but I deliberately did not try to clear up the misunderstanding. I wanted to make her angry.”

Evely blushed and lowered her head. She looked so cute that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Did you manage to make that woman angry?”

Evely looked at me with wide eyes at my question. Then she smiled and nodded quickly.

“You did well. Thank you.”

As soon as I thanked her, Evely blushed even more and turned a little.

“By the way, Evely. Are you sure to stay there?”

“Huh?”

“Viscount and Viscountess Isqua still mess with you. They were even able to cause an accident in the delegation’s carriage to hurt you… and it could be worse later on.”

“Yes. That’s likely.”

I felt that Rashta might be behind this, but I chose not to mention it for now.

Instead, I carefully suggested to Evely.

“Why don’t you stay in the Western Empire?”

I had little hope that Evely would agree to stay in the Western Empire. Now that she has recovered her mana, she must want to learn many things. It would be hard for her to leave the position as the court mage’s assistant. She would rather return to the magical academy than stay in the Western Empire.

As I expected, Evely weakly refused.

“If I stay here now, I will just be an ordinary girl who has received Your Majesty’s grace. I will be of no use to the Empress. I will only receive Your Majesty’s help as in the past… But if I learn a lot from the court mage, I will become a useful person for the Empress. At that time, I will definitely stay by Your Majesty’s side.”

I nodded with a smile of understanding. However, perhaps because Evely felt bad about rejecting my suggestion, she clenched her fist and added after a moment’s thought,

“If Your Majesty needs me, I will come immediately even if I am in the middle of another matter. You don’t have to worry about me either, I’ll be fine. Viscount and Viscountess Isqua acted that way because I am far away. In fact, they only spoke ill of me when I was at the South Palace. Sometimes behind my back and sometimes to my face.”

***

Although the banquet was over by the time Evely arrived, the delegation left after a few days.

Unlike when they arrived, they departed back in two carriages. In one carriage was carried separately the criminal who loosened the wheel of the carriage by order of the Viscount and Viscountess Isqua.

The criminal will probably be punished for trying to ruin the gifts sent by the Emperor Sovieshu once he returns to the Eastern Empire.

He could have been punished in the Western Empire, but that would mean that the punishment would have been less severe because it could cause conflicts between countries.

I also wrote a separate letter to Sovieshu, in which I informed him that Viscount and Viscountess Isqua used to mess with Evely.

I don’t know if he will believe me. If the regret he showed in front of me wasn’t a lie, then he will pay attention to it.

After the departure of the last guests, the Western Empire entered fully into the preparations for Heinley’s birthday.

***