Chapter 3: What exactly is the Empress doing?
― I was worried because of the strange things you said last time. But it seems I didn’t need to be.
After finishing dinner and returning to the Empress’ Palace, Jerome’s words kept ringing in my ears.
“What on earth was that about?”
Strange things? Didn’t need to be?
My mind was a mess.
Jerome’s behavior in the dining room had been utterly contradictory.
One moment, he was glaring at me with a terrifying expression, full of suspicion.
Then, when the others left, his demeanor changed so drastically it was chilling.
“He’s truly an enigma.”
He was nothing like the Jerome I’d seen in the original story.
Back then, he was always cold toward Helena.
I couldn’t make sense of his thoughts at all.
Ugh, forget it! Thinking about it any longer will just give me a headache.
I’ll bring it up properly when the opportunity arises later.
As I was wrapping up my thoughts about Jerome’s strange behavior, I heard loud shouting from outside the window.
“Hand over that young maid at once!”
“There’s no point in lying—we already know everything!”
The noise grew louder by the second.
The commotion was so boisterous that I furrowed my brow.
Now what?
Curious, I pulled the bell cord.
Countess Chloe entered.
“It’s noisy outside. What’s going on?”
“Someone from the Imperial Consort’s Palace has arrived.”
“The Imperial Consort’s Palace?”
The Imperial Consort’s Palace was where the heroine resided.
“What could someone from the Imperial Consort’s Palace want, making such a ruckus?”
At my words, Countess Chloe hesitated before responding with an awkward expression.
“Well, they claim they’ve discovered the person who tore up the Imperial Consort’s dresses and have come to take them.”
“…I see.”
Now that I thought about it, I did hear them shouting about “that young maid.”
The situation didn’t seem simple.
“I suppose I’ll have to go out and see.”
I stood up.
***
At the gates of the Empress’ Palace.
A middle-aged maid was gripping a young maid’s wrist tightly.
Flanking her were two royal guards, adding to the intimidation.
Because of this, the maids of the Empress’ Palace couldn’t muster the courage to intervene.
“How dare you lay your hands on the Imperial Consort’s belongings! This will not be overlooked!”
The middle-aged maid scolded the young maid harshly.
As expected, the young maid was Marie.
Marie, with her wrist held like a criminal, was trembling so hard she couldn’t even respond.
So, the inevitable had finally happened.
I sighed internally and stepped forward.
“Stop.”
The middle-aged maid, who had been berating Marie, flinched at my voice.
“Your Majesty, the Empress.”
She quickly bowed her head in greeting.
“You’re someone I’ve never seen before. Who are you to cause such a scene here?”
“Apologies, Your Majesty. I am Jasmine of the Perington Viscountcy, head maid of the Imperial Consort’s Palace.”
I nodded briefly and asked,
“What brings the head maid of the Imperial Consort’s Palace here?”
“I apologize for the commotion. We’re in the process of apprehending the culprit behind a wicked act, which has caused some disturbance.”
“A wicked act, you say?”
“Someone has shredded all of the Imperial Consort’s dresses. In the process of identifying the perpetrator, this ruckus ensued. I beg your understanding.”
“I’ve heard about the ruined dresses. But…”
I directed my gaze toward Marie.
“Are you telling me this child is the culprit?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Several maids from the Imperial Consort’s Palace saw her.”
At Jasmine’s words, Marie flinched.
“Marie.”
At my call, Marie lifted her head.
Her pale face was streaked with tears.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” Marie said, her voice trembling as she sobbed.
Then she lowered her head again.
I sighed internally.
The original Helena would have denied any involvement and distanced herself completely.
She might even have slapped Marie, accusing her of causing misunderstandings with the emperor.
But I wasn’t the original Helena.
No, I might be Helena now, but I wasn’t a heartless villainess who would discard someone for the sake of appearances.
Moreover, Marie was clearly a maid of the Empress’ Palace.
Even if Jasmine was the head maid of the Imperial Consort’s Palace, she had no right to act so high-handedly.
She must feel emboldened because the emperor favors the Imperial Consort.
No doubt she thought herself above us, using the Imperial Consort as an excuse.
I couldn’t let that stand.
Putting on the air of arrogance that seemed inherent to Helena, I spoke.
“Do you have proof?”
“Pardon?”
“Surely you didn’t cause such a fuss based solely on eyewitness accounts? You must have solid evidence.”
“Well… The truth will come out during questioning.”
Jasmine stammered, visibly flustered.
She clearly hadn’t expected me to respond this way.
I shook my head.
“I don’t know why the witnesses claim to have seen Lady Marie, but it seems you’ve got the wrong person.”
“But many maids saw her…”
“It was me.”
I cut her off mid-sentence.
“As I expected… Wait, what?”
Jasmine’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“I-I’m sorry, Your Majesty! I didn’t mean to imply—”
“Oh dear. The head maid of the Imperial Consort’s Palace seems hard of hearing.”
“…”
Jasmine’s face flushed bright red.
With a cold voice, I repeated myself.
“I said it was me.”
“B-but the witnesses described a small maid…”
“They must have been mistaken.”
I furrowed my brow slightly.
“I tore up the Imperial Consort’s dresses. I happened to see them, and jealousy got the better of me. I couldn’t control myself.”
I deliberately explained in detail, making it clear I wouldn’t tolerate further arguments.
“Now, if you’ve understood, stop taking out your anger on the wrong person. If you insist on punishing the real culprit, you’re welcome to take me instead.”
“That’s…”
“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to take me away?”
Jasmine of the Perington Viscountcy looked flustered and at a loss for words.
One of the royal guards next to her quickly stepped in to de-escalate the situation.
“Apologies, Your Majesty the Empress. We will investigate this matter further and report back.”
With that, they apologized for causing a disturbance and departed.
I felt a wave of relief wash over me.
At least it seems like this has passed for now.
Honestly, I was nervous inside.
Unlike the villainess Helena, I was just an ordinary citizen.
But would they really imprison the Empress over something like this?
No, they couldn’t, not with the imperial family’s dignity at stake.
This must have been the loophole that allowed the original Helena to commit her wrongdoings so blatantly.
Of course, her eventual downfall was a direct result of her actions.
Still, this much should be fine for now.
“Your Majesty…”
A trembling voice interrupted my thoughts.
It was Marie.
“Your Majesty… because of me… because of me…”
She was shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.
“You must have been scared. It’s okay now—it’s all over.”
I gently wiped her tears with my sleeve.
It felt wrong that she had to suffer under someone as notorious as her employer.
My heart ached for her.
“Y-Your Majesty! Your clothes will get dirty!”
“It’s fine. They’re just clothes; it’s okay if they get a little dirty.”
“But still… because of me… hic.”
She couldn’t hold back her tears anymore and sobbed harder.
I softly patted her on the back.
“Sniff… what if His Majesty the Emperor misunderstands you because of me?”
“Ah, you were worried about that. Don’t worry—I’ll be fine.”
I smiled gently and added,
“As I said before, I don’t want His Majesty’s attention anymore.”
Of course, this incident would only deepen the misunderstandings between me, the Emperor, and the Imperial Consort.
But at least I had stopped Marie from being dragged away.
“With everything I’ve done before, would one or two more incidents really make a difference?”
“But still…”
“It’s fine. Besides, I think I need to make it clear once and for all that I have no interest in His Majesty.”
That way, nothing like this would happen again.
“Could you bring me all the records related to His Majesty?”
“The reports, Your Majesty?” asked Countess Chloe.
“Yes. Bring me all the records we’ve kept—leave nothing behind.”
Moments later, the maids returned, one by one, carrying stacks of reports.
The pile was so enormous that it towered over a person’s height.
I threw them all into the fireplace.
The maids’ eyes widened in shock.
I watched the flames consume the papers without a care.
Hmm, as expected. The more fuel, the stronger the fire.
After gazing at the roaring flames for a moment, I turned to the maids.
“As you can see, I no longer have any interest in His Majesty.”
The maids looked at me with trembling eyes.
“So whatever you’ve done in the past, from now on, stay out of anything related to His Majesty.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“We understand, Your Majesty.”
The maids bowed their heads in response.
Although today had been quite a commotion, surely everyone now understood my sincerity.
I mean, I even burned all the reports!
Goodbye forever to playing the villainess!
Unfortunately, my sigh of relief didn’t last long.
***
The Next Day.
When I said I wanted to eat in my room, the staff immediately bustled about to prepare the meal.
“We’ve prepared this with great care for Your Majesty.”
A chef arrived with a variety of dishes.
The spread was mouthwatering, with appetizers, entrees, and desserts beautifully laid out.
I was thoroughly enjoying the meal when something caught my eye.
“What is this?”
I pointed to a small bottle on the final plate.
It looked like some kind of digestive aid.
The tiny glass bottle, about the size of my palm, contained a green liquid.
“Well… that…”
The chef glanced around nervously before lowering his voice.
“It’s something we obtained through the black market.”
“The black market?”
“Yes. It cost a hefty sum, but it’s said to be highly effective, even in small doses.”
“Effective, you say?”
I wondered if it was something for skincare or weight loss.
“If you mix just a single drop of this into His Majesty’s food, you’ll undoubtedly achieve whatever you desire.”
“Excuse me… what?”
For a moment, I thought I’d misheard.
His Majesty?
So they wanted me to add this to the male lead’s food?
The chef’s earlier mention of its “effectiveness” suddenly felt ominous.
“Hehe, the rest will take care of itself,” the chef added with a knowing look.
What… what was this?
I was so shocked I couldn’t close my mouth.
Could it be that Helena didn’t only recruit people from the Empress’ Palace?
_
After hearing Countess Chloe’s explanation, the situation became clear.
“The maids weren’t the only ones helping?”
“That’s correct, Your Majesty.”
What on earth had Helena been thinking?
She didn’t just manipulate the maids; she even recruited other talents?
The situation was far more complicated than I’d anticipated.
This wasn’t something that could be resolved just by reigning in the maids of the Empress’ Palace.
It seemed I couldn’t waste any more time.
“Countess Chloe, please summon everyone involved in this matter.”
***
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Palace.
“The Empress is acting strange?”
Jerome turned away from the window to look at his chief secretary, Marquis Niklad.
Receiving his calm gaze, Marquis Niklad replied with a stiff expression.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“She must be plotting something again.”
Jerome murmured lightly and turned back to the window.
Warm spring sunlight streamed through the half-open window.
Under the dazzling light, his fine platinum-blonde hair shimmered.
“So, what exactly is the Empress up to this time?”
Without shifting his gaze from the window, Jerome asked.
Marquis Niklad maintained his composed posture as he read the report he’d brought.
“This morning, Her Majesty summoned all the personal maids of the Empress’ Palace and gave them grave instructions.”
“A common occurrence.”
“Later, during her meal, she called in the chefs and gave them peculiar orders.”
“Also common.”
Jerome nodded lightly.
“Perhaps the food didn’t suit her.”
“Afterward, she summoned the designer responsible for her wardrobe, along with her maids, and issued unusual directives.”
“Maybe she disliked her clothes.”
“She then called for diplomats, clerks, treasury officials, and their subordinates. Later, she summoned painters, guards, and even prison wardens.”
“…”
Jerome’s composed brow furrowed slightly.
“What exactly is the Empress doing?”
—
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