In a situation where he could easily die, Reinhardt quickly racked his brain.
Could it be that she realized something? But how? He hadn’t left any evidence.
As he pondered various possibilities, Reinhardt finally managed to open his mouth, which had been stuck shut.
“Your Highness, why are you… doing this all of a sudden?”
Cornelia lowered the gun and smiled.
“Ah, I just wanted to play a little prank. Did it surprise you?”
Reinhardt barely held back an expletive.
‘This damn woman…!’
He felt like raising his hand to teach her a lesson. But for now, he needed to appease Cornelia. So he forced a smile.
“You’re still such a jokester.”
Cornelia shrugged and put away her gun.
“It’s your fault. I was so bored alone in this empty office that I couldn’t help but act like a troublemaker.”
Reinhardt let out a dry laugh at the sight of Cornelia, who mentioned her infamous nickname “Royal Troublemaker” that he had practically coined.
But that didn’t last long.
“Don’t just stand there; sit down.”
With her invitation to sit, Reinhardt gritted his teeth.
‘This arrogant woman, acting as if she’s the master here.’
Yet, despite her haughty demeanor, it was Cornelia who held all the power at that moment. Becoming the emperor and being her man depended on her almost entirely. So Reinhardt obediently followed her words.
“Yes.”
As he sat down, Cornelia spoke.
“Do you remember what I said earlier?”
“Yes, you mentioned that you want an ideal ruler who loves and cherishes this empire.”
Cornelia nodded at his response.
“Right, you remember well. That’s why I plan to support a native citizen who has dedicated themselves to the empire as the emperor. And there’s only one person who meets that condition.”
Reinhardt’s eyes sparkled as he listened to Cornelia. After all, there was only one heir to the throne who fit those criteria.
‘The other heirs have no notable achievements, but I’m different. I’ve dealt with traitors and excelled in wars. That means…’
While Reinhardt swallowed his dry saliva, Cornelia continued,
“So, I think it would be good if we could join forces and gather our opinions.”
Reinhardt’s heart pounded. It was practically confirmation that he would be the next emperor. He composed his expression and asked Cornelia,
“What do you mean by joining forces…?”
“I’d like you to persuade the nobles you’re close with before the state council meeting begins. That way, His Majesty will look favorably upon the next emperor I recommend.”
At that, Reinhardt couldn’t hide his joy and smiled brightly.
‘Hehe, to think you’d do something so cute, you must have feelings for me too!’
It was already drawn. The perfect picture of him comforting Cornelia, who lost her child in a fire and became a widow, and her opening her heart to make him the emperor. Eventually, he fixed his expression and bowed his head.
“Yes, as you wish, Your Highness… I will do it.”
“Thank you for accepting my proposal.”
Seeing Cornelia’s enchanting smile, Reinhardt wore a dazed expression. He hoped she would sit a little longer, but without a moment’s hesitation, Cornelia stood up.
“Well then, since our conversation is over, I should be going.”
‘Should I hold her back?’
For just a moment, he thought that, but Reinhardt clenched his fist and exercised patience. He had gained a lot today. Anything excessive was never good.
‘Moreover, I need to show Cornelia the despair I’ve prepared.’
Reinhardt nodded and smiled.
“Yes, understood. Then let me escort you to your place…”
“No need.”
Watching her dismiss his offer outright, Reinhardt couldn’t help but smile.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter. Soon, that arrogant demeanor will be broken.’
He imagined Cornelia collapsing in front of the burning hotel and smiled to himself.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
As I walked away from Reinhardt, I clenched my fist tightly.
‘If I had my way, I would shoot him in the head.’
It was frustrating, but I wasn’t prepared enough to handle the aftermath yet.
‘Still, I’m lucky I found out the truth.’
As I left the mansion, Marquis Philippe and the Imperial knights greeted me.
“Your Highness, please get in.”
Once I boarded the carriage, Marquis Philippe followed me in. As the carriage began to move, I asked him,
“What happened to the order I gave?”
Marquis Philippe took out a candle and showed it to me.
“Yes, as you instructed, it was there.”
I frowned as I looked at it.
‘It really looks just like the one in my father’s office.’
But it could just be a similar appearance.
“You did as I asked?”
“Yes, I entrusted the analysis of the components to the One Flower Workshop, so the results will come out soon.”
“Thank you.”
“All of this is by His Majesty’s command.”
Honestly, it felt strange. Just a few hours ago, I thought I would never have to deal with the emperor again, yet he was looking after me.
‘Well, at least he’s cooperating.’
Then Marquis Philippe asked,
“So, was it worth going to the Archduke’s office?”
I recalled what I had just discovered and nodded, my expression hardening.
“Yes, thanks to that, I was able to learn an important fact.”
The seal on Reinhardt’s desk was the same one I had seen before my regression, belonging to the leader of the rebellion. However, at this point, when the rebellion had not yet occurred, unfortunately, that seal could not serve as evidence that he had committed treason.
And that was the reason I couldn’t put a bullet in his head.
‘I had my suspicions, but now it’s confirmed. He is the mastermind.’
Reinhardt Adolf Tarrant was one of the few people who treated me relatively kindly. He sometimes looked at me with a cocky gaze, but he was decent enough that I wondered if I was imagining things.
This was because he did not shy away from risking himself for the empire and showed no greed for power.
‘That’s probably why the Emperor trusted him so much.’
The reason I felt suspicious of Reinhardt was when I recalled the actions of the royals before my regression.
‘Many of them died miserably.’
Among the royal family, the most likely candidate for the next emperor, Duke Hauzen, was attacked by the rebels and torn apart to death.
The youngest of my aunt’s sons, Loren, was shot and killed during a diplomatic visit to the empire, and his head was displayed in the square.
And Reinhardt was surrounded by rioters even before them and then simply disappeared. While the consensus was that he had died, it seemed strange in hindsight.
Amidst the deaths of the majority of the royals, the fact that Reinhardt’s body was the only one missing was odd.
Knowing he is the mastermind, I couldn’t allow him to become the Emperor. The candle from Reinhardt’s mansion would serve as evidence that he attempted to assassinate my father. I intended to use that to corner him.
Finally, I said to Marquis Philippe,
“Though I cannot disclose the exact reason yet, I felt uneasy around Reinhardt in his mansion and decided I wouldn’t support him.”
Marquis Philippe looked surprised and then asked seriously,
“Then, who does Her Highness the Princess intend to make emperor?”
In response to his question, I named the person who currently seemed most suitable for the throne.
“Duke Hauzen.”
He was my father’s cousin and the son of the late Crown Prince Whisen, who died young from illness. If his father, Crown Prince Whisen, had been alive, he would likely be the emperor by now. Thus, he was currently the royal family member my father despised and wanted to keep in check the most. But…
‘Duke Hauzen, despite everything, truly cared for the empire.’
Even when Fritz was ruining the empire, he used his own funds to aid the poor.
When resentment towards the royal family surged, he personally went out to appease the people, promising to persuade the Emperor himself. Many in the capital trusted and respected Duke Hauzen, allowing him to complete his speech safely.
However, he was ambushed and killed by rebels on his way back.
‘That must have been Reinhardt’s doing.’
I gritted my teeth without realizing it.
Clatter!
Suddenly, the carriage jolted to a halt.
“What’s going on…?”
Marquis Philippe opened the carriage door and stepped outside, quickly displaying a look of shock.
“T-That’s…”
It wasn’t just his reaction that made me feel that the situation was not normal. The reason was that a commotion was coming from outside the carriage.
“Fire!”
“Because of the explosion…”
Hearing scattered words, I stepped outside and nearly collapsed.
‘The hotel… is on fire?’
And at that moment, Marquis Philippe caught me.
“Your Highness! Are you all righ—”
I tried to shake off his hand and run.
But he held me back.
“Let go!”
“Your Highness, please calm down!”
How could I calm down?
The place where my child, more precious than my own life, was burning.
“Let go! My child is in there!”
I struggled to break free, but the Marquis held me back.
I felt a sense of powerlessness and despair.
‘No, I can’t lose you again, Demian…’
“Mom!”
I couldn’t have misheard it.
I quickly turned my head at the sound of my child’s voice. Seeing Demian in Janet’s arms made all the strength leave my body.
‘Thank God.’
Janet approached and handed Demian to me. As I felt the warmth of my child, I couldn’t help but burst into tears.
“My baby, thank you for being alive.”
I stroked his soft cheek for a moment before turning to Janet, who stood with a dark expression.
“Janet.”
“What happened?”