[Dear Jestina.
I heard the news. That the Emperor chose the Princess of the Duchy of Oren, not you, as his Queen.
I understand how you feel about being there.
However, you can’t move now, if you do something wrong, you and our kingdom could be in danger.
So be careful.
I’ll take the opportunity to help you when the time comes.
We should refrain from contacting each other for the time being.
Then. Take care.]
Jestina, who read the letter, crumpled the letter.
“Stay still?”
Frustrated with her anger, Jestina tore her correspondence to shreds.
“Argh! It’s annoying! Why are there only things that annoy me so much!”
“Calm down, Lady Jestina.”
“Do I look like I’m going to calm down now? My one and only brother told me to watch that bitch become Queen!”
Jestina vented her anger at Ran.
“If it were you, could you calm down? Tell me, can you do that?”
“Well, I think I’d have a hard time, too.”
“Right? But how are you just watching?”
Jestina looked at Ran with blazing eyes.
Ran saw madness in Jestina’s eyes.
“Ran, how much money can I spend right now?”
“Ha. There should be about a thousand gold.”
“Bring everything you can afford.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Bring it if I tell you to!”
“Yes, yes.”
In response to Jestina’s irritation, Ran brought numerous things that could be sold.
What Ran brought were jewels of expensive ornaments.
“Is this enough?”
Jestina’s eyes shone as she looked at the jewels and ornaments in the box.
“That’s enough. Take Lord Lutein to the cellar right now.”
Ran looked at Jestina with a bitter face.
“Why Lord Lutein at night…”
“Call him if I tell you to.”
“Yes.”
Ran had to leave the palace to find Lutein.
He was a knight of the Imperial Guard and was one of the nobles who had been bribed by Jestina.
Ran saw the madness that Jestina had shown and guessed that something was going to happen.
And she knew well that if it went wrong, she wouldn’t be safe either.
She sighed automatically.
Ran found Lutein and took him to an underground cellar in the palace.
The cellar was a secret space used by Jestina when she secretly met with the nobles of the Empire.
It was no exaggeration to say that most of what Jestina did was done here in the basement.
Lutein, who saw Jestina, greeted her with a bitter face.
“There are many eyes to see. It would be difficult if you asked for a meeting like this.”
“Is there anyone in the Imperial Palace who is in more trouble than me?”
Lutein coughed in vain.
He guessed how Jestina would feel, as another princess would become Queen.
“What do you want me to do?”
“I need you to help me.”
“What can I do for you?”
“Introduce me to an organization that Lord Lutein uses often.”
Lutein’s eyes widened.
“If it’s an organization I use…”
Jestina’s eyes flashed.
“I’m talking about the organization that does anything if you give them money.”
Lutein waved his hand.
“What the hell are you going to do?”
“I’m going to get rid of Priscilla.”
Lutein wondered if he had heard something wrong.
“I didn’t hear anything wrong, did I?”
“I said I would get rid of Priscilla.”
Lutein’s mouth opened.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Are you saying I’m crazy right now?”
“It’s not like that, but it’s because it’s too dangerous. If things go wrong, Lady Jestina won’t be safe either.”
“If I wasn’t prepared for that much, I wouldn’t have called the lord. The lord just needs to introduce me to the organization.”
Lutein sighed.
“Do you have to do it?”
“Are you afraid that sparks might fly at you?”
“Honestly, yes.”
Jestina smiled bitterly.
“You seem to have forgotten how much I have helped you all this time.”
Lutein shut up.
“I guess you’re not afraid of me? I can report you to the executive branch right now.”
“That’s…”
“I wonder if the lord will be able to proceed with the Imperial knights, when it is known that an Imperial knights of the Empire has been bribed by the princess of another country.”
Lutein bit his lips.
“…Okay, I forgot for a moment. The fact that the handle of the sword is held by Jestina.”
“That’s enough that you know it now. Now, shall we continue?”
Lutein opened his lips as if he could not help it.
“They have to meet secretly outside.”
“So what?”
“I’ll play the middle man. If you give me the request, I will forward it to them and let you know the amount requested.”
“Great.”
Jestina looked at Ran.
Ran nodded her head and brought her a pen and paper.
Jestina wrote down her request and handed it over to Lutein.
“You’ll have to make sure it’s delivered.”
“All right.”
“And this belongs to Lord Lutein.”
Lutein received it without hesitation.
“Thank you, Lady Jestina.”
“You can go now. I’ll wait for good news.”
Lutein rose from his seat with a nod.
He sighed deeply as he left Rosemary Palace.
In the meantime, he had received a lot of money from Jestina, so he couldn’t refuse her request.
After work, Lutein headed to the abandoned house outside the capital.
When he entered the abandoned house and whistled, someone appeared in the dark.
He was a man who covered his whole body with black clothing, but his eyes were unusual.
“What is your request?”
Lutein took out the paper he had received from Jestina from his arms and handed it to him.
The man, who read the contents on the paper, nodded and spread out his two fingers.
“Two thousand gold.”
“It’s quite expensive.”
“Think of the specificity of the place.”
Indeed, the Imperial Palace is dangerous.
It wasn’t easy to get out if caught, and the skills of the Emperor and the knights under him were no joke. You could die in no time.
“What’s your guarantee of success?”
“Seventy percent.”
“It’s a little low.”
“Are you going to do it?”
“I’ll give it to them for now.”
“Okay.”
The man who answered so disappeared from there.
Lutein, who left the abandoned house, visited Jestina again the next afternoon.
“They offered 2,000 gold.”
Jestina narrowed her brows.
“That’s quite a lot.”
“It must mean that the risk is too great for that side. Why don’t you think about it again?”
“There’s nowhere to retreat now. Behind me is already a cliff.”
She did not win the heart of the Emperor, and she lost some power. It was a dead end.
They had no choice but to move forward.
Jestina looked at Ran.
“Ran, bring it.”
“Yes, Lady Jestina.”
Ran brought a heavy box.
“Is this enough?”
Lutein opened his eyes wide at the jewel in the box.
“T, that’s enough.”
“This is the lord’s job.”
When Jestina handed him a bag of gold coins, Lutein gulped down dry saliva.
“Thank you for always taking care of me like this.”
“That’s how much I believe in the lord.”
Lutein took the bag of gold coins.
“You may go now. The sooner you work, the better.”
“Don’t worry.”
Lutein left the basement and went back to the abandoned house to deliver the jewelry box.
“Get things moving.”
“Received. The date of removal is the Queen’s installation ceremony.”
“Is it possible?”
“Huhu, don’t worry. I’ll crush her in front of many people.”
“I’ll believe you.”
Lutein, who parted with him, immediately informed Jestina of the news, and Jestina was very happy.
The way they spoke seemed pleasing to her.
~~~~
While Jestina was working, Priscilla was just as busy.
This was because she had to go on a diet and match the dress and jewelry she would wear at the ceremony.
The standard of beauty in this era was the ant waist, so Priscilla had to give up eating and live on salad until the day of her coronation.
That was because of Rien.
Not even a single loose end was left.
In order to do so, she would recommend Priscilla to diet, saying that it must be perfect without missing anything.
“At this rate, I’m going to collapse first.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to take care of everything so that it won’t happen. So, please trust me and take it all in.”
Priscilla pinched her nose as she watched the bowl of medicine Rien held out.
“Ugh, what the hell did you make to make it smell so bad?”
“Medicine that is good for the body is bitter in the mouth. Go ahead and eat.”
“Okay, come here.”
Priscilla squeezed her nose, closed her eyes tightly, and gulped down her medicine.
“Good job. Here’s the candy.”
Rien put candy in her mouth when she held out a bowl of herbal medicine.
“You give me the illness and the cure.”
“Hehe.”
“Are you laughing?”
“I’m sorry.”
“That’s enough. I’ll go for a walk.”
“Don’t stay too long.”
“All right.”
Priscilla went to see Eren.
Eren came first and was waiting.
“It won’t be easy to meet here now either.”
“Is that so?”
“If you become Queen, there will be more eyes watching.”
“Well, what about Heidi?”
“We’ll have to look elsewhere.”
Priscilla looked at Heidi with pitiful eyes.
“I can’t see you from now on, that’s not okay…”
Priscilla smiled.
“Can I raise Heidi?”
“Yes, sister?”
Eren waved his hand, saying it was ridiculous.
“My brother won’t stay still. He will kill you as soon as he sees you.”
“I have an idea, so leave it to me.”
Eren looked at Priscilla with a mysterious look.
“I see, but don’t expect too much. I know brother very well.”
“I’m not expecting anything. Just trying it out by taking a chance.”
There’s a famous saying, “If it doesn’t work, make it happen.”
Thank you for lovely update, was missing this 😍