Don't Be Obsessed With An Extra

As Robiche rose from his seat, Michael came in, as if he had waited.

“Your Majesty.”

As Robiche bowed his head, Michael shook his hand and gestured for him to leave.

Robiche left the barracks quietly with his head down.

Then Jestina bowed before Michael.

Michael passed her and sat down in a chair.

“Jestina, it seems you are destined to meet me only this way.”

“What…”

Jestina saw Michael.

“You’re going to pretend you don’t know until the end?”

Jestina knelt down.

“Your Majesty, the girl is being unfair. Please take a closer look.”

“Yes, it must be unfair. But what to do? I don’t think it’s unfair.”

“Your Majesty, I’m really sorry.”

Jestina showed tears.

“Even if you cry, your sin will not disappear.”

“Why are you being so harsh only to me?”

“Harsh?”

Jestina wiped her tears and looked at Michael.

“Yes, I said it was harsh. What do I have less of than Priscilla? I can give you more than Priscilla.”

“In return, you will be asked to give up your position as Empress.”

“Is there a woman there who fits better than me? I have the highest status and the highest financial ability. Am I not the right woman for you?”

“The best status and the best wealth. It’s a good condition.”

Jestina smiled.

But Michael’s next words erased the smile from her face.

“As you said, it is a condition suitable for the Empress, but two things are lacking.”

“What is it.”

“Personality and beauty. Both of which are not better than Priscilla.”

Jestina strained her hand to crush the dress.

Michael went on.

“I already know a lot of what you have done, and I know what your character is like just by looking at it.”

“That’s…”

“Besides, your beauty is not the best. So you can’t be Empress.”

Michael’s words were like driving in a wedge.

But Jestina did not back down.

“I tried to please Your Majesty. I had to compete in the process, I had to win. Are you blaming me now?”

“Blaming? Why would I do that?”

“If not, then what?”

“I’m saying you can stop now.”

“What does it mean?”

“Because you and the Bugatti Kingdom will have to pay the price.”

“It sounds like you’re going to cut my throat.”

“There’s nothing I can’t do.”

Michael drew a sword and put it to Jestina’s neck.

Even though he touched it slightly, it was damaged and bleeding.

Nevertheless, Jestina did not budge.

“Do you know how I’ve endured here all this time? I endured it with a feeling of vomiting blood. I thought that Your Majesty would look at me someday. But why Priscilla? Why not me?”

“Because you have no charm. Your personality is also poor.”

“It is Your Majesty who has made my character like this.”

Michael pulled out his sword.

“The sin of putting Priscilla in danger deserves death here, but as you said, I will let you see what you have done.”

Jestina clenched her teeth.

“When you return to the Imperial Palace, you will be stuck in the Concubine Palace and calmly wait for your deposition.”

“Did you say deposition?”

“Yes, deposal.”

Eventually, Jestina exploded.

“Seven years. I came here at seventeen, and for seven years I only looked at Your Majesty. I dedicated my youth to this place! You’re too much! We’ll see how long Your Majesty will care only for Priscilla.”

Michael smirked at Jestina’s words of spite.

“Do as you please. That won’t give you my heart. There will also be no mercy.”

Jestina clenched her teeth.

Michael glanced at her and left the barrack. And he said to Robiche.

“Let’s get this over with.”

“…Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Although he lost his younger brother, Robiche thought he was lucky to be able to save his family.

The hunting festival ended without anyone knowing what went on behind the scenes.

The nobles wanted to do more, but the Emperor did not seem to be in the mood for the hunting festival.

Priscilla returned to the palace with the Emperor.

She was only out for three days, but it was so comfortable and nice to be back.

Perhaps they heard the news, Rien and Lili greeted Priscilla with worried faces.

“Lady Priscilla, are you all right?”

“I heard the news. I heard that something big happened.”

“Don’t say that. No wonder you didn’t want to go from the beginning. As expected, you came here after struggling.”

She was hunting with a mad Emperor and was kidnapped.

Fortunately, he saved her from the crisis, but the pain was a struggle.

“You’d better not go along with the hunting expedition again.”

She came toothless*. The Emperor won’t be able to ask her to go with him again after this incident.

[*TN: An idiom used to describe someone who arrived at a place without proper preparation or essential tools.]

“A ban has been issued to Lady Jestina.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I heard she was behind this?”

“How did you know that?”

“The rumor has already spread. I think everyone in the palace knows?”

“Lady Jestina is too mean. How can she do that?”

Lili blushed in anger.

Priscilla was grateful that Lili was angry on her behalf.

“You worried a lot.”

“Of course, how worried I was.”

Rien asked with a worried look.

“Are you hurt?”

“None. Except for bruises on the wrists and ankles.”

“This is a good bruise.”

Lili brought the medicine box, as if she had prepared it in advance.

“I’ve prepared a lot just in case.”

The box contained various medicines such as ointments, hemostatic drugs, and painkillers to be applied to bruises.

“Thank you for thinking ahead, Lili.”

“Come here. Let’s put this on the bruises.”

Priscilla sat in a chair at the torch of Lili.

Then Lili took out the medicine and applied it evenly to her wrists and ankles.

“I prepared a tea that is good for mental and physical stability.”

Rien brought the tea.

“Drink and you’ll feel at ease.”

“Thank you, I’ll drink well.”

Priscilla took a sip of the tea given by Rien. The bitter taste lingered all over her mouth.

“Oh, this is a bit bitter?”

“Tea that is good for the body is bitter. Drink it all.”

“I’ll drink it because of your sincerity.”

Priscilla chuckled and gulped down her tea.

The bitter taste naturally made her frown, but she didn’t express it because she thought of Rien’s sincerity.

~~~~

Crash!

The inside of Rosemary Palace turned disastrous as if it had been hit by a storm.

This was because Jestina threw everything she saw.

The reason was that she didn’t like it.

“Get rid of everything!”

Jestina went into her bedroom, tussling at her ladies-in-waiting.

“Throw away all the furniture here, change all the sheets and blankets!”

The ladies-in-waiting moved in a hurry.

Then Marilyn, the head lady-in-waiting, approached quietly.

“Lady Jestina, it’s Marilyn.”

“I’m not in the mood to talk, get out.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t. I brought a message from His Majesty.”

The corners of Jestina’s eyes rose sharply.

“You brought His Majesty’s message?”

“Yes.”

Jestina rolled up the corners of her mouth and folded her arms.

“Tell me, let’s hear what it is.”

“Your Majesty has said that Lady Jestina must stop everything she has done in the palace.”

“Stop everything I’ve done?”

“Yes, you must give me the seal you have.”

“Are you going to tie my hands and feet?”

Until now, Jestina had been in charge of budgets and various events for the Concubine Palace.

To do so, she needed a seal that only an imperial mistress could use, but he couldn’t give the Empress’ seal, so the Emperor made a temporary seal and gave it to Jestina.

“Is he doing this to me with the temporary seal he gave me?”

It was really annoying.

Jestina glared at Ran.

“Ran, give it to her now.”

“Yes, Lady Jestina.”

Ran brought a box with the seal from her study and handed it to Marilyn.

Marilyn, who received and confirmed the box, bowed to Jestina.

“Well, I’ll get going now.”

When Marilyn turned her back, Jestina cursed her.

“Let’s see how long you’ll be so arrogant, we’ll see if the imperial family will do well without me!”

~~~~

Michael, who received the seal back from Jestina, immediately broke it.

Then the chamberlain looked at Michael with a worried face.

“What are you going to do? In the meantime, Lady Jestina has been in charge of the Concubine Palace’s housekeeping, but how can you take it away?”

“You can’t entrust a sinner with the housekeeping of the Concubine Palace.”

“Then who is in charge of the housekeeping?”

“There is a chancellor.”

Alfred sighed.

“Will the chancellor stand still?”

“It can’t be helped.”

It must be nice not to notice what’s in front of your eyes.

“By the way, what are you going to do with Lady Jestina?”

“I’m thinking. And another thing. I’m thinking of making Priscilla the Queen.”

“What?”

The chamberlain looked at Michael with a startled face.

“Are you serious?”

“If I’m not sincere?”

“Wow, Queen is a position where she could become Empress later. She should think carefully.”

To say that Michael, who had no intention of giving power to a woman, was making Priscilla his Queen.

“Didn’t you say you had no intention of giving power to a woman?”

“Even now, that idea remains the same.”

“But why?”

“Because Priscilla is different.”

“She’s different?”

“Because she has nothing. She is better than a woman who has a lot.”

“You’re talking about Lady Jestina.”

“The reason why Jestina was captured was because of the wealth and friendly relations of the Bugatti Kingdom. Thanks to this, the commerce of the empire developed significantly.”

“So, why is she leaving now?”

“It’s time to get something bigger from the Bugatti Kingdom.”

“If you mean something bigger…”

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