Chapter 36
｡･:*:･ﾟ★ Translated by Sid ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
However, there was not a change in Lyas’ expression.
So, the knights wondered if they had misheard.
But unlike usual, the corners of his lips were faintly lifted.
‘What, what’s this?’
‘Lord Lyas is smiling…?’
The imperial knights gaped at him as if they had seen a ghost.
However, Lyas casually checked his pocket watch, indifferent to their shock.
He had to leave now to make it to dinner without being late.
“Let’s make an opportunity next time.”
Leaving those words, Lyas disappeared like the wind.
The Peregrine’s knights followed after Lyas, leaving behind the shocked imperial knights, as if they were familiar with it.
***
Meanwhile, in the palace garden.
Well-dressed ladies with elegant hairstyles were enjoying tea time in the garden.
“The flowers are so beautiful today as well.”
“They say there’s never a moment when flowers aren’t in bloom in the palace garden.”
“It must be thanks to the sincere care of Her Majesty.”
As they spoke, the ladies glanced to one side as if checking someone’s reaction.
Their eyes were on Hela, the Emperor’s mother and Empress Dowager.
They were worried that Young Duke Peregrine’s blunt words might have offended Hela.
“Even the same flowers can have different values depending on how they are cared for.”
“Ah…”
“So you always have to do your best.”
However, Hela responded with a gentle smile as if nothing had happened.
“Indeed, as expected of Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”
Relieved, the noblewomen sighed in admiration and smiled with their mouths covered. Contrary to their concerns, tea time concluded safely.
After the ladies left, Hela returned to her palace.
The moment the door closed and she was alone, she spoke in a gentle voice to her maid.
“Summon Jenna.”
Some time later, a maid entered the room.
“Tell me in detail what’s going on.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The maid, as instructed, relayed everything she had seen and heard.
Up until then, there had been no visible change in Hela’s expression.
“…”
But the moment the words ended.
Clang!
A shattering sound was heard.
The cup in the Empress Dowager’s hand turned into pieces and scattered on the floor. The maid shrank in surprise.
“Y-Your Majesty…”
“Will you leave me?”
Unlike the wreckage, Hela spoke in a gracious tone: still without a hint of agitation.
The maid, who had been stammering, quickly left the room.
Hela, who had been maintaining a gentle demeanor, closed the door and was finally completely alone…
“Curses!”
Hela’s face distorted along with her raised voice.
Yet, her anger didn’t subside. Hela took deep breaths, biting her lips.
‘That damn Lyas Peregrine…!’
Hela’s eyes were bloodshot.
Lyas resembled Chadan, the current Duke of Peregrine, in his younger days.
So whenever Lyas showed this cold response, memories of her younger years when she was rejected in love came flooding back.
Though not from the same heroic lineage, Hela was also from a prestigious family that produced outstanding scholars.
Moreover, her beauty surpassed that of her peers, and she had never missed the attention of men.
Except for one person – Chadan Peregrine.
Having fallen for him at first sight, she had bravely confessed her love to him.
But…
“I have someone I love.”
With those cold words, he rejected her sincere love.
So, fueled by vengeful spirit, she rose to the position of empress and worked tirelessly to bring him down.
[TN: Lol, so extra.]
This plan had been perfect. Inviting Daphne Peregrine to her party and deliberately framing her for poisoning was all part of it.
Attaching Flora to her side, making her monitor Peregrine’s every move, it was all aimed at tarnishing the Peregrine’s reputation.
‘But why a reinvestigation?!’
Hela clenched her fists. Her hands, wrinkled with anger, trembled with fury.
Flora was deeply loyal to the temple and herself. Even with all kinds of torture, she would not have openec her mouth.
‘So, he demanded a reinvestigation to catch my tail…!’
Flora, this stupid thing that made everything go wrong.
‘When did he start to notice? Flora should have handled the situation perfectly…’
In the midst of grinding her teeth, a sudden realization struck Hela.
When news arrived that the poisoned Daphne had regained consciousness, Flora said this.
“Something is strange, Your Majesty. Daphne seems to have changed a bit!”
“Changed? What do you mean?”
“Well, um…”
“Even if foolish and pitiful Daphne has changed, how much could it really be?”
“But…”
“Sister.”
[TN: Like a church nun ‘sister’.]
With the sudden change in address, Flora closed her mouth.
Looking at her fearful face, Hela spoke gently.
“Sister, there’s nothing more pathetic than blaming one’s own shortcomings on others.”
“…”
“So, keep an eye on her. That girl will be an important asset later on. Haven’t we invested a lot so far?”
“…Understood, Your Majesty.”
Flora nodded slowly, biting her lips.
Seeing her frightened expression, Hela was sure that Flora was making excuses.
So she dismissed Flora’s words without listening properly. After all, Daphne couldn’t be that different no matter how she changed.
‘But if what Flora said was true?’
…The plan she had designed for a long time went awry.
Hela’s face that was burning with anger quickly subsided.
‘Did the plan go wrong?’
When and how?
Hela’s mind became tangled in confusion, but there was no way to confirm it right now.
Since Lyas Peregrine started glancing in her direction.
‘Now is the time to lay low.’
To do that, she needed to prevent the reinvestigation first.
However, Flora was being confined by the Peregrines. If she stopped the reinvestigation, it would be like admitting her guilt.
‘I might get caught if I unnecessarily expose myself.’
After making the decision, Hela secretly summoned a subordinate.
“Bring someone. A fallen noble who inherited a title but got caught up in gambling, with nothing but debts to his name. Make up a story, something like a lover’s quarrel.”
Her decision was excellent.
A while later, the person brought in by the subordinate was someone willing to sacrifice their future for money.
Even if it meant being framed for murder by poisoning.
However, it seemed that even going this far wouldn’t guarantee complete freedom.
The Emperor’s gaze had been strangely different for the past few days.
If it weren’t because she imitated a mother who “lost her husband at a young age” since he was young, she would have been caught immediately.
‘It must not happen.’
She couldn’t let go of her eternal desire, planned for a very long time.
‘Then….’
Behind her distorted face, her eyes stained with long-standing greed flashed darkly.
***
A few days later. Wayne District, Central Square.
As usual, the shadowy alley, where only those in the know would tread, was filled with a silent calm.
While the specific activities of the people inside were unknown, one thing was certain….
“Whoa….”
Only the tense breath of someone echoed very loudly.
The owner of that sigh was Gael, Luciel’s subordinate.
There was a reason he was nervous.
‘Today is the day Lady Peregrine is visiting.’
In fact, Daphne had never caused trouble like other guests.
Contrary to rumors, she conducted her business and quietly left. From the perspective of a merchant, Daphne could be considered a very good customer.
‘But….’
Gael subtly rolled his eyes.
Luciel, leaning back in his chair, was flipping through the newspaper with an inexplicably pleased smile.
‘He’s been in a good mood since meeting Lady Peregrine.’
Gael recalled the sight of Daphne he had seen back then.
Even when everyone was staring at his lord in awe, she casually offered candy, causing Luciel to be surprised.
Thinking about Luciel’s bewildered face at that time, he couldn’t help but feel a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
When Gael sneakily raised the corners of his mouth…
Luciel spoke in a soft voice, keeping his gaze fixed on the newspaper.
“Gael, did something good happen all of a sudden?”
“Ah.”
Gael quickly raised his hand to cover his mouth.
He hadn’t even let out a chuckle, so how did he notice?
Gael stammered while looking around.
“Oh, there was some good news in the newspaper today? W-Well, I guess I laughed without realizing it.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Then, unexpectedly, Luciel laughed.
“But Gael, I bought this newspaper. When did you see it?”
“W-Well… that’s….”
Gael quickly turned his head at the sharp refute.
“U-Uh, I’m also subscribed to the morning newspaper. Haha….”
“Oh, I see.”
Luciel smiled lightly and turned the page.
Gael didn’t subscribe to a newspaper. Even if he happened to see it, this wasn’t a morning newspaper.
But Luciel didn’t point out Gael’s words.
It was amusing to see the muscular man glancing around nervously, and…
Luciel slid his gaze down.
The front page of the newspaper featured a special report on the reinvestigation of the poisoning incident at the Empress’s party.
When an incident occurred in the imperial palace, an investigation was conducted very thoroughly. As a result, reinvestigations were extremely rare.
This meant that either new clues to the real culprit had emerged, or…
‘Perhaps the incident was manipulated from the beginning.’
