Chapter 96

Kaiden thought Evelina had a lot of emotional ups and downs these days. It was obvious that he was worried about sending the Marquis of Logias to the Kingdom of Tenesi, a far northland.

Perhaps because he felt sorry for not being able to give her stability as a husband, Evelina’s appearance seemed to be more visible than usual.

“Give me a hug.”

It was Evelina who always begged him to hug her at night. Rather, she asked him to hug her when he was not enough to hang on.

He felt strange to see her strange expression on the bed. 

He felt a certain uneasiness and an unknown impatience, unlike his heart pounding every time he saw her.

He felt uneasy because she felt as if she would leave his side in winter.

“Your Majesty.”

For a moment he looked ahead, out of his mind.

This was an audience room. He was in the middle of a meeting with the ministers.

Most emperors worked in the oval office, but Kaiden also liked to work in the audience room. This was because his men, who were once friends and comrades, now ministers, liked this place.

As much as Kaiden cared about them, they trusted him and followed him as a lord. Therefore, they wanted the emperor to sit where they could show Kaiden’s dignity, and where they could look up to him more than anyone else.

“I was asking about the treatment of Princess Elsius and Dowager Empress Isabella.”

“Do as you are told.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Duke Ruskun of Weimar stood nearest. However, he opened his mouth after agonizing over something because there was doubt.

“Your Majesty, I am very grateful….”

“The Duke of Ruskun. You can speak comfortably if it’s you. Who is picky about what the meritorious person says?”

“Even if I’m a public servant, you’re as high as the sky.”

Kaiden raised only one corner of his mouth as if laughing at the remark. Not long ago, he was the one who threw tantrums at him.

“Dowager Empress Isabella is very clear about the situation. But Princess Elsius is a little strange.”

“What’s wrong with you?”

Whether Kaiden’s words contained anger or were just asking, the ministers were listening nervously.

“It’s too strange to be the work of Princess Elsius. As if someone had manipulated it to make it into the work of Princess Elsius.”

“Details.”

The Duke of Ruskun listened to Kaiden and gestured to the aide behind him. Then the aide bowed his head to the ground and handed over the documents. The Duke of Ruskun confirmed it and soon handed it to the Emperor politely.

Kaiden accepted it and was looking sour.

“The secret letter with Marquis Logias is strange.”

“Yes, it is. The Princess Elsius… She did catch a white wolf and tell Her Majesty the Queen…”

“Call her Empress. Because soon she will be elevated to the position of empress.”

At Kaiden’s notice, the ministers bowed their heads.

“And she’s a ‘daughter,’ not an empress.”

“…Yes.”

Looking at Kaiden ordering the Duke of Ruskun, the ministers really seemed to understand what he thought of Queen Evelina.

“Tell me if there is anyone who still dreams of vain revenge. The reward won’t make you feel sad.”

When Kaiden spoke with his legs crossed, the foreign minister nearby said.

“Your Majesty, the little man is just admiring Your Majesty. Thank you for allowing me to serve you in the future.”

At the words of the foreign minister, everyone thought he was cunning, but did not refute it.

“It seems that Princess Elsius was really trying to give ‘my daughter’ white wolf fur.”

“Is it circumstance or proof?”

“Both. There were statements from the surviving servants after that.”

“What did you ask for in return for your statement?”

“They were only asking for their lives.”

Kaiden was looking at the documents handed over by the Duke of Ruskun.

“You managed to get the testimony of the Crown Prince of Tenesi.”

“He is a close friend of Her Highness the Princess Elsius.”

Kaiden thought the Crown Prince of Tenesi could not have testified for just that reason. However, if it was true, and Princess Elsius was truly innocent, she would have taken sides because there was nothing to lose.

Most of all, it would be in his interest if Princess Elsius knew about this and survived.

“My grandmother will be confined to Lesis Island as scheduled.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Lesis Island was a harsh place where all seasons had only winter. There were spring, summer, and autumn in it, but it snowed in all seasons, and even in summer, it was famous for its severe cold that it freezes immediately.

“Elsius is…”

He agonized. If Elsius was truly innocent.

Then in the future, he wondered what he should do if Evelina blamed herself because this happened because of her.

Evelina was a person who didn’t carelessly take the lives of her servants. And she saved the birds. She could feel guilty if Princess Elsius died because of her.

So he was thinking. It didn’t matter what happened anyway. It’s just that if Evelina was uncomfortable and reluctant to Elsius, it was necessary to keep her away with a proper excuse.

If that opportunity, his grandmother blew it, and Elsius missed it while trying to seize it.

“Put Elsius in an underground prison. Hold her for a while.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

And so the meeting went on.

Kaiden couldn’t wait to finish this boring meeting and go to Evelina’s side, who can’t get out of the bedroom because she’s been sleeping a lot lately.

~~~~

“Your Highness?”

“Don’t call me, I’m lazy.”

The Imperial Palace and the Empress Palace overlap in patronage. If you followed the road of the Imperial Palace, you would find the Emperor’s Palace and the Empress’ Palace overlap.

“What are you doing?”

Kaiden pulled out the sword, ignoring David Charlene, the chief aide of the Empress’ Palace and his immediate subordinate, who came to report and spoke to him. Then he cut off the peony and looked indifferently.

“Are you going to make a bouquet or a flower crown?”

“A flower crown.”

“If you’re going to make it a flower crown, you should make it a rose, not a peony. The peony is bad for a flower crown, Your Majesty.”

At David’s words, he turned towards the rose bush, recalling Evelina’s favorite flowers were peonies and roses. David, who picked up the peony he had roughly thrown, handed it to his aide in the back.

“I am in charge of Your Majesty’s work, no, Her Majesty’s work.”

“Yes. I would have told you to post the final report separately.”

“Yes, that’s what I’m doing. However, there is a doubt.”

Kaiden plucked a rose stalk and did not answer. His callus fingers and palms picked out an arm of the rose, casually receiving the rose thorn.

He soon grabbed the stem and pulled it all out to remove all the thorns. Very meticulously, just in case Evelina gets stabbed by a thorn.

“A doctor named Hans Revive is in a state of emergency these days… He sees the Empress often.”

David Shalane corrected when he said Queen and said, Empress. Kaiden’s intention to make Evelina Empress was already famous among ministers, so he had to watch his language.

“Is the medicine effective? Lina still hasn’t recovered all her memories.”

“In addition to the medication given to Dr. Revive, the medication Your Majesty prescribed through the palace doctor is well delivered. However, the Empress… She, Her Majesty already has so much poison in her body.”

At the words, Kaiden unknowingly crumpled the rose with his fist. The crumpled rose in his hand broke into pieces and the petals flowed down to the floor. He threw the broken rose roughly and pulled out another stem to make a corolla.

“When the detox is over, she will remember everything at once.”

“Then she’ll be shocked.”

“She won’t. Don’t worry. She said she already seemed to remember quite a bit.”

When Kaiden heard it, he nodded.

“Oh, and it’s important.”

“Do it.”

With an indifferent touch, Kaiden soon completed the wreath. Then I stood nervous and looked at David Charlene staring at me.

“Do it, look at it.”

Then David, who smiled as if moved by the emperor’s words, said.

“Her Majesty the Queen is said to be pregnant.”

David didn’t realize that he was so thrilled that he made a mistake in calling Evelina.

“What?”

“I record every day of Her Majesty’s menstrual cycle. There was not an inch of error each time. But this time, they say there is no movement in that cycle.”

“…what?”

“And Dr. Revive said, he also checked for implantation blood.”

At that moment, Kaiden had to try not to crumple the flower crown in his hand.

“Are you sure?”

“I am not sure yet. However… He said it would be possible to check it within two days.”

Kaiden turned around and headed for the Imperial Palace bedroom. He didn’t even remember how he got to the bedroom.

When he arrived at the bedroom and opened the door, he saw.

“Lina!”

Evelina was sitting on the floor. But her feet were covered in blood as if they had been stabbed by something.

“I fell by mistake.”

Seeing the broken vase next to her and the peonies were strewn beside her, he felt his heart cool and jumped wildly.

“You’re hurt, Lina.”

“I’m fine. I’m just a little surprised.”

She was looking curiously at Kaiden’s eyes getting wet quickly. Soon he hugged her, sat her on the bed, and pulled the rope.

“When can I see a fortune-teller?”

“They already said she was inside the palace. You’ll probably see her soon.”

Kaiden told Evelina that and checked the soles of her feet. She was hurt a lot because she was stabbed in the glass. Her ankle must have been sore from the hunting competition.

“I can’t wait to see her.”

He stared blankly at her faint smile. It was also for a while that he was enjoying the brilliance.

– Knock knock!

“Your Majesty! It’s trouble! The Marquis of Logias is missing!”

There was a commotion in the urgent voice from outside and what was said.