CH 109

“What are you talking about?”

“A report from the coachman. The sinners being transported to Aphoris have disappeared!”

The Emperor reprimanded me sharply.

“I’ve already sent a letter to Aphoris, and if we don’t find them, it will be a direct disgrace to the Empire!”

So what was I supposed to do?

Technically, this wasn’t my responsibility.

I kept a status window open the entire time, fearing that something was wrong with Count Molzigat’s men.

My control over them was still intact.

‘I communicated with Count Molzigat earlier.’

This was not my fault, but rather the Imperials’.

It was not I who transported the prisoner, but the Imperial knights.

“The Duchess of Palesdon will have to keep her word and take responsibility for this at once!”

Still, the Emperor shifted all the blame to me.

“Honestly, as far as this goes, the Duchess of Palesdon is not at fault, is she?”

“Yes. It wasn’t enough that she defeated the demons, she also kept an eye on them. What more is the Duchess of Palesdon supposed to do here?”

“Besides, the Duchess of Palesdon has been in the palace the entire time by order of His Majesty, so how can she be expected to manage those who have left for Aphoris?”

At how irresponsible that attitude was, the nobles began to whisper in low voices.

“By the way, don’t you think something’s a little off, or is it just me?”

“What do you mean, what’s strange?”

“I mean His Majesty the Emperor, he’s so different from his usual self, I feel the same way I did the last time I saw Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

“Wait a minute, you’re comparing the Emperor to an unbeliever. I will pretend didn’t hear that.”

Then someone crossed the line.

It happened to be at a time when the dinner hall was as quiet as a mouse, so many people heard it.

“What did he just say!”

“Y, Your Majesty, I didn’t mean that, I meant…….”

“Not worth listening to! Viscountess Latrope, you have disgraced the royal family, and you will pay for it with your head!”

Apparently, the Emperor had heard.

The air chilled with his tirade.

“I beg your pardon. My wife had a fever yesterday, so she must have slurred her words during a brief spell of high fever. Please……!”

“Hush! Speaking of which, the sinners have disappeared in the woods near the Latrope estate; did the viscount set this up?”

“Your Majesty, how could it be?”

The Emperor’s eyes narrowed as he suspected Viscount Latrope.

‘It could not be the loyal Viscount Latrope.’

‘Yes. It’s very strange, because he’s never been one to push people around like that.’

‘What on earth is going on here?’

The nobles exchanged glances.

“Listen, I want Viscount Latrope and his wife taken…… at once!”

“Your Majesty.”

All eyes were on me as I rose from my seat.

The Emperor also turned his head to stare at me.

He wasn’t really angry with Viscountess Latrope.

He was only angry because he wanted me to hear it.

He meant that he would slit my throat if I didn’t handle this, just as he would do to a Viscountess Latrope who had misspoken.

“There’s something I’m not sure about, and I’d like to ask you about it.”

“Permission granted.”

The Emperor tilted his head, his face haughty.

“Your Majesty said that the sinners who were being transported to Aphoris have disappeared. Has someone kidnapped them?”

“No.”

The Emperor denied my question.

“Then you are saying that the sinners escaped after defeating the imperial knights?”

“Yes. Your Ladyship assured me yesterday that the danger to the sinners had been removed, but they caused a disturbance, and you will be held accountable!”

The Emperor declared proudly.

“This is unjust, uhp……!”

At that moment, Catalina, who was about to storm out, was hastily interrupted.

“Lady Catalina. It’s okay, I’ll take care of it.”

“Uhp uhp……!”

I whispered urgently to her.

“Thank you for always worrying about me, but don’t worry, I won’t be a disgrace to Lady Catalina anymore.”

“…….”

As if my meaning had gotten through, Catalina stopped struggling.

I slowly removed my hand from over Catalina’s mouth.

“I’m sorry for being rude, but thank you for standing up for me, and I mean it.”

Catalina’s red eyes sparkled.

After watching her stagger back to her seat as if her legs had given out, I turned back to the Emperor.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“At last you’re talking sense.”

“But that’s when it’s been established that the sinners have caused the disturbance.”

“What do you mean?”

I continued, looking around at the nobles sitting around us.

“It’s true that the sinners turned into demons and attacked the palace, but they’re back to being normal people now, free of their evil aura. Therefore it’s hard to believe that they managed to knock out a knight and get away with it.”

“So what is it that the Duchess of Palesdon wants to talk about?”

“I believe there is a culprit in this affair, and I will find him.”

“And now the Duchess dares to say that my opinion is wrong?”

Between our locked gazes, I smirked at the Emperor.

‘You picked the fight, didn’t you?’

The Emperor’s face flushed red as he realized the meaning of my smile.

Before he could vent his anger, I intervened.

“How dare I? I am only trying to do my duty as a loyal servant of His Majesty.”

“If ……things go wrong this time, you will take full responsibility.”

The emperor was blaming me again.

Obviously, this was an unfair directive.

But I had been waiting for this moment, so I squared my shoulders and spoke up.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Of course. But if you find out who did it, promise me that you will punish him severely for bringing the guilty party into disrepute.”

“Promise?”

“Yes. Aren’t there all the powerful men of the empire in this room? Let them be your witnesses.”

The emperor sucked in a breath.

‘Then he won’t be able to refuse.’

He had no defense now.

The Emperor glanced around hastily, but for the moment there were no sympathizers.

‘You should have been more careful.’

The Viscounts of Latrope were a family known for their loyalty to the Empire from generation to generation.

‘After all, the Latropes were known for their loyalty.’

It was true that the viscountess had made a mistake, but it was also true that the emperor’s behavior was strange enough to make even the most loyal question it.

“I understand.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

In the end, the Emperor could not refuse my offer.

“Then let’s get to the bottom of this, shall we? Please allow me to leave the palace.”

“I can’t allow it.”

“What?”

“Didn’t I tell you that I would maintain a state of emergency until I found the culprit? Those words still stand. If the Duchess of Palesdon wishes to find out the circumstances of the disappearance of the condemned, I will let you do so within the Imperial Palace.”

The Emperor’s tone was absurdly insistent.

“Why, are you not confident? Then the Duchess of Palesdon will have to take full responsibility, just as you said!”

Responsibility, responsibility.

The Emperor repeated the word responsibility as if he were a parrot.

‘This is going to make my ears bleed.’

But this was all within the bounds of expectation.

‘On the contrary, I’m glad I’m here.’

I walked to the entrance of the banquet hall.

“Where are you going, are you trying to escape?”

The emperor’s voice stung my back.

‘No one would run away so slowly in this situation. I’m not a fool.’

But the emperor didn’t seem to think so.

“Attention! I want the Duchess of Palesdon to be taken…… immediately!”

“Now come in.”

I said.

The Emperor didn’t get to finish his sentence, for at the same moment I signaled, the doors to the banquet hall opened.

And in a flood of light, those who entered came toward me.

“Whoosh! The Duchess of Palesdon— I thought we were dead!”

“If it weren’t for the Duchess of Palesdon tipping us off, we would indeed be dead!”

“Yes. Go away.”

I nudged Count Molzigat, who was about to hug me, away.

“What’s going on? Why are they showing up at the palace now if they’ve disappeared?”

“Then they must have fled, for no one who has fled would show up at the palace of their own accord!”

“They almost died, did someone attack them?”

The nobles who had been watching the situation with excitement cleared their throats.

Then.

“Count Molzigat. Bring them in now.”

“Yes! As you said, I have brought the men who attacked us, tied up in chains. You bastards, walk straight!”

Count Molzigat grunted and dragged the chained men over.

“Huck. They’re……!”

“Aren’t they imperial knights?”

“Why are they tied up?”

The nobles’ jaws dropped when they saw the captives.

“Your Majesty, I have the real culprits!”

I smiled brightly at the stiffened emperor.

“The Duchess of Palesdon, how did this happen?”

“I don’t know how, but this is how it happened.”

I knocked once more on the door of the banquet hall.

“May I present to you today’s special guests!”

At my cue, they stepped inside.

They were hooded and holding candles in their hands.

“Seriously, they’re……!”

The emperor could not have been more astonished.

As I watched, I smiled in satisfaction.

Here’s how it happened…….