Chapter 15

“The crime of murdering the imperial family is a summary execution. You know that, Baron Tevelon.”

“!”

Hermish began to beg with a tired face like a blank sheet.

“Your Majesty, please take pity on me and forgive me. Crown Prince Rixus killed my pregnant wife! Foolishly, I could not bear the sorrow and did what I did…”

It was something that could be misunderstood by others. Wasn’t there the nuance that Rixus strangled the pregnant woman to death?

‘Are you going around like that because you think I don’t know?’

Even if the truth was later revealed, he could cleverly twist the facts in line with saying that it was a misunderstanding, am I mistaken?

“If you stand on my side, I’ll give you what Your Majesty wants!”

“……What I want?”

“After marriage. If you help me avenge my wife… I will become Your Majesty’s man so that you can seize control of the Aktoum Empire!”

“…….”

“Isn’t Your Majesty marrying Aktoum for the sake of possession?”

When I stared down at him at the blatant question, he shook his head and continued.

“Even though I have left Aktoum, I still have close ties with officials in key positions.”

Conviction shone on Hermish’s cruel, bare face. It was clear that he interpreted it in his favor when I hid his attempt to poison Rixus earlier. He seemed to have decided that he and I would be able to ride the same boat.

There was no other very, very crazy bastard.

“Without His Highness the Crown Prince, the Empire of Aktoum would be at the feet of Your Majesty the Queen. I will help!”

I slowly raised the corners of my lips, and hope gleamed on Hermish’s face.

He smiled after me.

“Baron Tevelon.”

“Yes! Your Majesty!”

I lowered my upper body slowly, and with my index finger I grabbed his chin and tapped his forehead.

“Stop the bullshit. It’s disgusting to hear more.”

In an instant, the smile escaped Hermish’s face. He started sweating profusely with a pale face.

I warned him coldly.

“He is not a prince who would die to a trivial and lowly human like you.”

Rixus had been my lifelong nemesis.

But at the same time, he was a strong and good man who devoted his whole life to save his people.

I didn’t even have the slightest bit of heart to make him die a dog’s death.

Even if there was a bad situation where I were to face Rixus as an enemy again, I wanted to end him with my own hands.

Did I feel bad for Rixus because of my long fights with him? Or was it because of my compassion and sympathy for Rixus, who had never enjoyed a happy life?

I didn’t know exactly, but I had a special feeling for Rixus in my heart.

Hermish, who understood the situation late, was terrified and clenched both hands together as if praying.

“Your Majesty… I must have gone crazy! I have committed a mortal sin!”

“Then die.”

I raised my hand without mercy. At the same time, a wave of white ice raged wildly from my fingertips.

White, sharp ice crystals surrounded him in an instant and forced him to rise.

“Ah, haak!”

Hermish clenched his chin in the cold air and chill. He stepped backwards until he reached the window sill, and his upper body was pushed outward, with nowhere else to go.

I sighed as I gently pushed his forehead with my index finger.

“If you touch the Crown Prince one more time…”

“Ugh!”

“Then it won’t end with just a leg.”

Stumbling, he lost his balance and fell out the window.

Soon there was an incredibly blunt plosive, and a desperate scream of “Ahhhh! My leg!” was heard.

‘This must be enough of a warning.’

If Hermish was a human being with any intelligence, he would leave Aktoum immediately.

I hoped so.

I clicked my tongue and turned around.

…Of course, there were some people who foolishly brought their own ruin.

* * *

The day of the high priesthood’s visit was approaching.

It was the day that the marriage between Rixus and I would be approved in front of all the nobles.

Which was also an important day when the destiny of Spinel and Aktoum were decided.

The maids and I were doing our best for that day.

“Your Majesty, I recommend a dress like this for the high priest’s visit!”

Seryl, who likes flashy things, for some reason, shook an elegant dress with a modest feeling.

The white dress was adorned with diamonds, but it was as subtle as the stars of the Milky Way, so it did not stand out too much.

“That’s right, it’s better to keep the jewels as a point to draw attention to the face and keep the dress neat.”

“I wish I had an elegant and dignified figure…”

While Laura and Maribel said their compliments, I was flipping through the state management documents. The maids would take care of my appearance, so I decided to pay attention to something else.

State-to-state integration was not an easy task.

In order for it to be mutually beneficial, each country had to be well aware of its strengths and weaknesses, as well as what could be supplemented. Additionally, it was necessary to pay attention so as to not proceed with conditions of excessive loss to one side.

When I was in the middle of paying attention to the operational documents…

Tak, tak.

With a knock on the door, Seryl brought a note and a small box.

“The Crown Prince must have sent another letter and a gift!”

…Again? What was it this time?

The well-sealed letter was carefully finished with a wax seal.

I carefully opened it and read the contents. The finely scribbled handwriting was read in his languid voice.

A concise and straightforward date request.

As I slowly opened the gift package, I found a pair of earrings studded with blue-violet jewels.

The jewels shone mysteriously, as if it contained the clear dawn light.

“Oh my gosh, it’s so pretty!”

“It seems to be the same jewel as the necklace he gave last time.”

“The Crown Prince must have really fallen in love with Your Majesty… It’s so cool, a date request and a gift.”

While Seryl, Laura and Maribel were excitedly chattering, I looked at the earrings in the palm of my hand. As I stood next to the window, the sparkling shape dazzled in the light.

The craftsmanship was really delicate, but the beauty of the original jewel itself was great.

‘The jewels really resemble the eyes of Rixus.’

Why did he choose this jewel?

I had been curious since the last time, but I didn’t intentionally ask him. Because I didn’t want to appear interested in his gift.

I clearly stated that there was a need for a line between the two of us… 

‘Somehow, Rixus has no intention of maintaining the line.’

We are not even lovers…

He probably doesn’t like me either.

There must be only one reason for giving me such a gift.

‘It’s understandable because he’s a man with high self-esteem.’

Besides, I knew that there were many young ladies in Aktoum who had their hearts broken by him because of his handsome appearance.

He couldn’t be used to being rejected.

I shook my head, concluding that the reason for giving the gift was his pride.

However, I had no choice but to stick to the same position.

I put the earrings back in, covered the box and handed it to Seryl.

“Give it back to Rixus. And tell him clearly. That I won’t accept gifts in the future.”

There was disappointment in Seryl’s big eyes.

The three maids all seemed to want to say something, but in the end they nodded their heads, thinking that they could not break my stubbornness.

“Okay, Your Majesty.”

* * *

There was no reason for refusing to go for a walk together just because I didn’t receive the gift. So as Rixus said, we ate dinner and went out into the garden leisurely.

However, we encountered an uninvited guest in the garden.

“Oh my, Your Majesty and Your Highness are here?”

Madam Deborah greeted me with a bright smile as if she had no hostility at all. 

As expected, she was a woman who was good at acting as she had a lot of experience in society. Seeing her reminded me of the blatant scenes between her and Marquis Kalen, so it was hard to look at her directly, but she didn’t notice it.

“What are you doing in the garden of the Crown Prince’s Palace?”

“I came all the way here after taking a walk in the spacious Imperial Palace’s garden. How could it be such a coincidence!”

‘Could it be a coincidence?’

Perhaps she had come all the way here to check my behavior before the day of the high priesthood’s visit.

Unsurprisingly, I could feel the butterfly’s sharp eyes sweeping over me.

Instead of Deborah, I looked at the people she had brought.

All the maids, including the escorts, were giving me unfavorable looks. Like their owner, they felt tense around me.

‘Then what about my maids?’

When I glanced back, I noted that Seryl, Laura, and Maribel had their eyes wide open.

‘…Combined, the three are at about level 2 combat power.’

If this was the Iron Legion, these ones were like chicks who opened their eyes wide thinking that they would win if they put strength on their eyes.

‘There is no solution.’

The only way for these chicks on my side to attack was to peck with their beaks.

Seeing the nervous maids, I immediately wanted to free them from this situation, so I turned around.

“Then go for a walk.”

At the moment when I turned around to avoid a fight. A sharp voice flew from behind like an arrow and pierced me.

“Your Majesty! Have you ever heard of Princess Himari of the Western Continent?”

I hear about her every time. It’s because she was a woman who was getting injured with hot potatoes these days.(TL/N: ‘hot potatoes’ as in ‘insults’ and ‘gossip’.)

It was revealed that she, who grew up thinking she was a princess, was actually a swapped baby from slavery, and it became a big topic of discussion.

Of course, she should have been deposed, but Princess Himari maintained her position and never came down.

She even tried to kill the real princess.

“Even if it’s not their place, greedy people aren’t good at ‘throwing away’.”

Deborah smiled as she spoke in a gentle voice, embracing the new kind of poison.

“If she had shown the virtue of giving up power on her own, she would have been a role model.”

“…….”

“It’s gotten really ugly.”

As I listened, it was clear that the person Deborah was describing as ‘greedy even when it was not their place’ was me.

I looked back with a cold, frozen face.

Deborah looked at me and smiled like she didn’t know anything.

“Your Majesty, such a person… Should I grab the hair and pull it down?”