The trembling handkerchief of the Empress gently wiped the blood of the monster from Melsia’s cheek.
“Ahhh!”
Watching this, Baroness Cortiz, gripped with envy, clenched her handkerchief tightly and fainted backward.
“Ah.”
Baron Cortiz quickly caught his wife as she fell.
Meanwhile, the Empress, whose handkerchief was now completely soaked with monster blood, collected herself and spoke.
“I was quite worried about Emblem and Gray working together. In truth, while Emblem is thankfully safe, Gray… seeing how even the most experienced knights have suffered such injuries, it does not seem like a natural phenomenon.”
“…Not all the knights in the treatment facility would have joined the group yet. However, it seems the Empress already knows about the situation over there.”
Melsia’s cold gaze landed on the Empress. A glance that would make any timid person tremble. Yet the Empress met it without flinching.
“I merely guessed. After all, to be the Empress of this empire, one must possess a bit of insight.”
“………”
Melsia knew the Empress was lying.
The Empress was involved in this matter. The moment of doubt transformed into certainty.
The timing of the suppression operation’s suspension, followed by her sudden appearance, and her attempts to entangle Arthur in this mission all pointed to this conclusion.
“Arthur, this mother is fearful. It seems there are conspiracies lurking that we are unaware of.”
Despite being much shorter than the tall Second Prince Arthur, the Empress leaned into his embrace, trembling. Her fragile and pitiful appearance was heart-wrenching to behold.
No knight could resist comforting such a forlorn Empress.
As she leaned against Arthur, she dropped a handkerchief stained with the blood of monster before Melsia.
“Human selfishness and ambition often summon wicked intentions…”
The Empress’s words implied that Emblem, in its pursuit of victory in this competition, might have resorted to dishonorable tactics.
Having failed to attack the Crown Prince, the Empress now shifted her sharp words towards Emblem. Just as Melsia was about to retort, something caught her eye.
From a distance, she noticed the Gray Knights approaching, just as she had seen at the infirmary. They were murmuring angrily among themselves.
“Curse that Emblem… It’s all Emblem’s fault…”
“I swear I’ll have my revenge on Emblem…!”
As if possessed, they kept muttering ‘Emblem’ with fiery gazes.
The Empress’s lips curled into a knowing, smug smile.
“Oh dear, I hoped it was just an unfounded concern. Could there have been conflicts with the Emblem knights?”
At her question, the approaching Gray Knights hastily knelt before her. Despite their injuries and bleeding wounds, they did not neglect their etiquette toward the Empress.
“We greet Her Majesty, the Empress.”
“My goodness, to be injured like this… How painful it must have been.”
Feigning concern, the Empress approached the wounded Gray Knight and gently tended to his wounds.
The Gray Knight, now the recipient of such an honor, blushed furiously.
“Not at all, Your Majesty! It doesn’t hurt at all!”
“There’s no need to lie in my presence. As the Empress of this empire, it is my duty to embrace everyone.”
With her sweet voice, gentle smile, and tender touch, the Empress charmed the Gray Knight and then asked:
“So, what exactly was the conflict with Emblem about?”
“It’s about… Cherrya Emblem!”
At the name uttered by the Gray Knight, delight gleamed in the Empress’s eyes, while Melsia’s face reflected shock.
“Argh! I told you to stay still!”
“Put me down! I’ll walk on my own!”
“You ran away three times already after I let you go! Stop lying through your teeth!”
“Ugh, seriously! Why would I lie after coming all the way here?”
Serica Emblem was trudging toward them, carrying a Gray apprentice knight on her shoulder.
“That! That wretched person is the reason!!!”
The Gray Knight, who had been kneeling before the Empress, pointed at her and frothed in fury at the sight.
His wild gestures cast aside all the dignity typically associated with a Gray Knight.
The Empress furrowed her brows and subtly distanced herself.
“Ah, um, no, Commander!!!”
From afar, Cherrya spotted Melsia and waved enthusiastically. The Gray apprentice knight slung over her back swayed weakly along with her movements.
“Ughhh.”
Amid Cherrya’s booming voice, the sound of the Gray apprentice knight sobbing in shame could faintly be heard.
“Commander, you were absolutely right! Those Gray bastards are completely insane!!!”
At Cherrya’s outcry, the gazes of the Gray Knights resting nearby turned simultaneously toward Melsia.
Startled, Melsia waved her hands in denial, saying,
“I… I never said anything like that…”
But before her explanation could reach their ears, Cherrya continued speaking.
“These bastards must think their pride can feed them, clothe them, and keep them alive! This lunatic almost died today!!”
Having quickly joined the main group, Cherrya finally set down the Gray apprentice knight she had been carrying.
“Ohhhh, seniors!”
Now free, the Gray apprentice knight crawled on all fours and collapsed into the arms of his seniors.
Words were unnecessary. The senior Gray Knights silently patted the shoulders of the sobbing apprentice, knowing full well the humiliation he had endured at the hands of the Emblem knights—because they had suffered the same disgrace.
“What is this commotion about, Dame Cherrya Emblem?”
The Empress trembled slightly at Cherrya’s failure to acknowledge her presence. Nevertheless, she forced a soft smile and asked,
“What exactly did you do to that Gray knight?”
“Huh? Your Majesty the Empress?”
Cherrya seemed only then to realize the Empress was present. She jumped up in shock.
“Oh dear, my apologies! I didn’t see you there. Truly, I didn’t notice.”
“………!”
Cherrya hastily knelt on one knee to offer her respects, but the Empress’s face twisted grotesquely, as if she had seen a monster.
Cherrya’s restless gaze darted around uneasily before she belatedly noticed the Second Prince standing behind the Empress. She exclaimed loudly again.
“Oh! His Highness the Second Prince is here too? Still as quiet as ever. No wonder I didn’t notice.”
Her muttered comment about how someone could lack presence so entirely was loud enough to be clearly heard by the nearby Empress, Melsia, and the Gray Knights.
“You, you…!”
The Empress clenched her trembling hands tightly, holding back her fury. She couldn’t afford to lose her composure here.
Cherrya Emblem’s reputation for her blunt, straightforward nature was well-known. Engaging with her could only lead to the frustration of hearing remarks devoid of malice but still irritatingly candid.
“Ha. Fine, Dame Cherrya Emblem. Could you kindly explain what happened to me?”
Gathering every ounce of patience she had, the Empress asked in the gentlest tone she could muster.
Cherrya tilted her head as if puzzled and replied,
“Why should I report this to Your Majesty the Empress? Is the Empress now the commander-in-chief? I wasn’t informed of such a change.”
Her bewildered tone and lack of understanding finally pushed the Empress to her limit, and she snapped in frustration.
“…Like mother, like daughter, utterly outrageous!”
