Chapter 33. It Begins Now
The next day.
Rumors spread incredibly fast.
Everyone within the Imperial Palace learned about the poisoning of the Imperial Consort.
They also knew that I had been accused as the culprit and that the Empress’ Palace was under lockdown.
The poisoning of the Imperial Consort was an event that had occurred in the original novel.
However.
‘It’s happening way too soon.’
This event was originally supposed to take place in the middle to late parts of the novel.
It was when Helena’s atrocities had reached their peak.
This incident drove Jerome’s fury to its limit, leading to Helena’s trial.
Helena didn’t even deny her crimes. She was dethroned.
And in the end, it led to her execution.
“How is the situation?”
At my question, Countess Chloe responded.
“…It seems to be unfolding in a dire direction.”
Her expression was grim.
“The problem is that all circumstantial evidence is pointing toward this place. Even the nobles who are favorable to Your Majesty the Empress are remaining silent.”
Nobles who were favorable to me.
Most likely, those in the anti-Emperor faction, including Duke Hastings von Schwaben.
Even they couldn’t raise their voices in this matter.
The poisoning case was clearly on a different level compared to pouring wine over the Imperial Consort’s head or tearing a dress.
‘Well, even if they took my side, I wouldn’t be particularly pleased.’
After learning what kind of person Duke Hastings von Schwaben was, even the faintest expectation had vanished.
“How can this be? Her Majesty the Empress didn’t do it.”
Marie shouted in frustration.
“There’s no evidence, so how can they recklessly frame Her Majesty as the culprit?!”
That’s exactly what I was thinking.
I wanted to nod in agreement.
‘But evidence…’
If things followed the original plot, a decisive testimony would soon appear.
A confession from the culprit.
Roisen would accuse the Empress of being behind it.
In the original, it was simply mentioned as the testimony of a mere maid.
But now, I realized that the maid was Roisen.
‘Leonard needs to do well.’
Right now, Leonard was the only one who could prevent this grim turn of events.
If he managed to find Roisen, even the slimmest hope would arise.
Of course, I had no intention of just sitting here and waiting for him to return…
After organizing my thoughts for a moment, I lifted my head.
“Countess Chloe.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Is there a way to leave the Empress’ Palace?”
Countess Chloe’s eyes gleamed.
“There are knights who are loyal to Your Majesty.”
“Good.”
I took a deep breath.
I had tried to stay quiet all this time…
But now, there was no choice.
Rather than waiting around blankly for a beheading ending, I might as well go all in.
“Then, let’s give it a try.”
***
After leaving the Imperial Palace, Leonard headed toward the Hilbert Marquessate.
“It has been a while since you returned.”
The elderly butler, Alfredo, greeted him warmly.
“I’ll be leaving again soon.”
“Young Master Isaac has returned.”
“Isaac?”
Leonard, who was in the middle of changing into more comfortable clothes, hesitated for a moment.
But his hesitation did not last long.
“Now is not the right time. Keep my visit a secret from my younger brother.”
“He has been eagerly awaiting your return…”
Alfredo looked disappointed.
“He will surely be upset.”
“I have urgent business, so I have no choice. Please explain it well to him.”
After changing, Leonard immediately headed to the stables.
And he reappeared with a jet-black stallion.
A horse significantly larger and more magnificent than the others.
Alfredo was visibly surprised.
Leonard rarely took that horse unless it was something serious.
It was already shocking enough that he had returned unannounced.
‘To take Jackson with him…’
Though he had said he had urgent business, it must have been something extremely important.
Leonard rode his cherished horse and departed the estate.
The destination was about an hour away.
He arrived in a remote area, far from the city.
A secluded back alley.
He entered a tavern called Eat and Die.
Even though the sun had yet to set, the tavern was crowded.
“This damned Empire!”
A middle-aged man with a scruffy beard shouted drunkenly.
Street musicians played gentle melodies.
Dancers in red outfits swayed their bodies to the rhythm.
Leonard passed through the lively scene and slipped through a back door.
A narrow alley barely wide enough for one person.
At the end of the passage, a deep tunnel-like secret corridor appeared, leading to a crimson door.
“Welcome, Master.”
A young man with an eyepatch greeted him respectfully.
Leonard simply gave a nod and took a seat at the head of the table.
Soon, a few more people entered and sat on either side of him.
The man who had guided him here.
A middle-aged bartender with a blank expression.
The scruffy drunkard who had been shouting earlier.
The dancer who had been swaying to the music.
At a glance, they looked like ordinary people.
But they were anything but ordinary.
Leonard looked around at them and spoke.
“Has everyone been well?”
“Yes.”
“We have been awaiting your return.”
“It’s good to see you in good health again, Master.”
“We thought you had forgotten about us, too busy playing knight.”
Leonard nodded, listening to their greetings and complaints.
“I’ve been busy. But I’m glad to see you all doing well.”
Years ago.
Leonard had once wandered the streets with only a few coins in his pocket.
His family operated a merchant guild, so he had thought it necessary to learn business himself.
Though his parents had hired excellent tutors at great expense, Leonard had wanted to see and experience the real world.
And within a few years.
He had built enough wealth to establish several prominent shops in the central district.
It became a legendary story in high society.
Everyone, young and old, had heard of his remarkable success.
That was the extent of what people knew.
But the truth was, his real accomplishments during that time were far greater than a few shops in the central district.
Compared to the people gathered here, those shops were mere side projects.
“How is the task I assigned?”
At Leonard’s question, the drunkard responded.
“We’ve deployed people to investigate. However…”
Despite appearing drunk, his voice carried no trace of inebriation.
“However?”
“There are knights stationed at every place the maid was last seen, making it difficult to approach.”
Leonard nodded.
“That means they haven’t found the suspect yet. That’s actually good news.”
Leonard leaned forward, his expression serious.
“From this moment on, we focus all efforts on finding the missing maid.”
At his unusually serious demeanor, his subordinates straightened their backs.
“Understood.”
“Leave it to us, Master.”
***
“Oh dear, oh dear, I’m dying!”
A sudden cry of distress echoed through the Empress’ Palace, breaking the heavy silence.
“What’s going on?”
The knights, who had been keeping a strict watch over the palace, rushed over.
I explained with a grave expression.
“She’s been feeling unwell since this morning… It seems like she’s having a terrible case of stomach trouble.”
“Stomach trouble?”
The knights hesitated.
A patient needed treatment.
However, the Emperor had issued a strict order regarding the Empress’ Palace.
Countess Chloe, who had suddenly become a patient, clutched her stomach and groaned.
“Oh dear, oh dear. I think I’m going to die. Call… Call for a priest immediately…”
Her performance was incredibly convincing, and the knights began to panic.
“Understood. We will summon a physician or a priest at once.”
Marie shouted at them.
“Hey, can’t you see how pale she looks right now?”
Pale complexion?
Disguised as a maid, I looked at Countess Chloe.
Her acting did make her look slightly unwell, but…
‘…She’s not pale at all?’
Rather, her complexion was so good that she could be complimented for it.
It seemed the knights were thinking the same thing.
“She doesn’t look that pale, though?”
“That’s because you don’t know what she usually looks like. Her face was always so rosy, it made you want to pinch her cheeks! But now she looks deathly pale!”
“I-Is that so?”
“She’s definitely suffering from a severe illness. If something happens to her while waiting for the priest, are you prepared to take responsibility?”
“T-Then, what do you suggest we do?”
“You have to go to the priest directly. That way, we can cut the waiting time in half.”
“T-That’s…”
The knights hesitated.
It would be troublesome if someone died or sustained a serious injury.
After a brief moment of deliberation, one knight turned his back.
“Understood. Please climb onto my back.”
Marie slapped his back with a loud smack.
“Do you even know what condition she’s in? How dare you try to touch her carelessly?”
“W-What? What’s wrong with her condition?”
The flustered knight asked.
“Well…”
Marie’s eyes darted around, searching for an excuse before she suddenly blurted out the most unexpected answer.
“She’s… pregnant.”
“Pregnant?”
“A child?”
It wasn’t just the knights who were shocked.
Even I, disguised as a maid, and Countess Chloe, who was playing the patient, were stunned.
‘Pregnant?’
She already had three children.
Another pregnancy?
Her eldest child was almost an adult!
How many years apart would they be?
Various thoughts flashed through my mind.
But the words had already been spoken.
Countess Chloe shot Marie a sharp glare before gritting her teeth and clutching her stomach again.
“Ugh, my stomach… It must be the baby…”
The knights were flustered.
No matter how strict the Emperor’s orders were, they could not ignore the urgency of a pregnant woman in distress.
“V-Very well. A brief outing should be acceptable.”
“Then, the three of us will go.”
“Three?”
“We need to support her from both sides.”
“Then we will send two knights to accompany you.”
“Do as you wish.”
Marie supported Countess Chloe on one side.
I took the other.
Two knights followed behind us.
When we arrived at the Imperial Hospital, the physician was visibly alarmed.
“What is the matter?”
“We have a critical patient. Is the priest not here?”
“He had urgent business and left a while ago. But where is the pain?”
Marie answered.
“Stomach trouble…”
“Stomach trouble?”
The knights spoke in unison.
“Wait a minute, didn’t you say earlier it was because of the baby?”
“A baby?”
The physician looked bewildered.
“Stomach trouble? A baby?”
…I saw it.
For a fleeting moment, Countess Chloe’s eyes wavered.
She must have been having a whirlwind of thoughts in her mind.
Fortunately, the others didn’t seem to notice.
Countess Chloe hurriedly cried out.
“Anyway! I feel like I’m going to die!”
“A-Alright. Let me examine you slowly.”
“Oh dear, I’m dying.”
“This is bad. The pain seems too severe for an examination. The knights will need to hold her steady.”
“But we can’t just lay hands on a lady’s body…”
“This is an emergency! A matter of life and death! You there, hold her arms! And you, hold her legs!”
“Aaargh!”
The knights hesitated but obeyed, grabbing Countess Chloe’s limbs.
She thrashed around in pain, hitting each knight at least two or three times.
And in that chaos, I quietly slipped away.
“Phew, I got out safely.”
Of course, Countess Chloe wasn’t actually sick.
It was a desperate measure to get me out of the Empress’ Palace.
At first, I had tried using connections, but the knights guarding the palace were too numerous.
This was the only option left.
Fortunately, the knights were gullible enough to fall for it.
‘Sorry, Countess Chloe.’
I silently applauded her for her dedicated performance.
If I were a judge,
I would have given her the Best Actress Award of the Year.
Soon, the Imperial Palace would be in an uproar over this miraculous pregnancy that disappeared like a mirage.
“Your Majesty the Empress.”
At that moment, a whisper came from behind me.
It was Marie.
She must have escaped during the commotion as well.
“I’ll pray for your success.”
I nodded.
“You be careful too, Marie.”
“Leave it to me. No matter what, I’ll make sure this letter reaches him.”
Marie pulled out the letter from her bosom.
The letter I had written before leaving the Empress’ Palace.
“Don’t overdo it.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
She bowed deeply.
Then, she disappeared into one of the many winding paths.
I turned my head and gazed out the window.
The sun was setting.
I pulled my hood over my head.
“It begins now.”
Whoever was behind this…
I wouldn’t go down without a fight.
—
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