Chapter 51
It seemed that Nailah had decided to endure and keep acting.
She appeared to be determined to protect her image at all costs.
For me, there was no choice but to resort to a violent method.
“I wonder if she can withstand this.”
I created small droplets of water, making sure no one could see.
Then, I gently covered her mouth and nose with the water.
I made sure she couldn’t breathe.
“She’ll only last about a minute holding her breath. Something will happen within that time.”
In the end, the method I chose was effective.
People watching from behind began to notice Nailah’s changes.
“Hmm?”
“I think Lady Nailah’s finger just moved?”
“Oh, it moved again just now.”
I didn’t let my guard down at this small success and focused my mind.
I couldn’t afford to accidentally let the water go deep into her lungs and drown her.
“Controlling the force delicately is tougher than I thought… Still, it seems like Nailah’s nearing her limit.”
It was clear she was struggling from lack of oxygen.
My own forehead was beginning to sweat.
Finally, Nailah jerked her body upright.
“Puhak!! Hah, hah…! S-stop it! I’m awake, so stop!”
Her face was flushed red from holding her breath.
The pale, tragic expression from earlier was nowhere to be seen.
As Nailah suddenly sprang up, everyone watching was stunned.
“What just happened?”
“Wasn’t she unconscious?”
“Lady Nailah, why…?”
Nailah’s situation had become quite awkward.
She looked up at the Emperor with puppy-like eyes, but… it was useless.
He seemed shocked by her strange behavior.
“Nailah? What’s going on here? I really thought you had collapsed, and I was worried. Could it be… were you playing a prank in front of those who were concerned for you?”
“Th-that’s…”
“You shouldn’t explain it here. Follow me. I’m confused. I want to hear why you did this in detail.”
Originally, the Emperor had planned to lecture me.
But now it seemed that Nailah had become the subject of his lecture.
Having pretended to faint after injuring herself in the carriage and trying to blame it on me…
She was in far more need of counseling than I was.
Thanks to that, I was left standing awkwardly, even though I was the one summoned to the palace.
The Emperor, however, gave me an order.
“Clodia, go wait in my study.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Would it be okay if I didn’t follow them?
…I wondered for a moment.
It was because I had no idea what lies Nailah might tell the Emperor while alone with him.
But I decided not to worry about it.
I would have a chance to speak with the Emperor too.
I could ask him later if Nailah had said anything strange.
“Please follow me.”
Following the royal attendant, I made my way to the study.
After waiting there for a while, stifling a yawn, the Emperor finally returned.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Did you wait long?”
“No, Your Majesty. What happened to Nailah?”
“She’s been sent back. And the scar on her arm appears to have been caused by self-inflicted harm, as the royal healer confirmed. As for the fainting… It seems she did that to avoid the truth coming to light.”
The Emperor’s expression was one of distaste as he spoke.
It seemed that the incident had revealed something about Nailah that he hadn’t known before.
“Well, anyway, I plan to inform the Duke about this.”
“I see…”
Until now, I had tried to keep Nailah’s true nature hidden from my father.
I feared that if my father expelled her in anger, the public would criticize him.
But now, that risk seemed to have decreased a little.
“In the end, this turned out well. The Emperor now knows that Nailah has a lot of issues.”
I wished that she would continue revealing her true self to everyone like today.
That would make it easier to expel her later.
“…”
As I thought about Nailah, my expression grew a little tense.
The Emperor seemed to misunderstand and thought it was because of him.
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you right away when you first said it.”
“No, I can understand why you didn’t believe me. It’s true that my past actions made it hard to trust me.”
Of course, the poor actions were those of the original Claudia, not me.
Still, I decided to act as though I was reflecting.
“I’ll try not to act rudely again like I used to.”
“Hmm… It seems you’ve grown a lot during our time apart.”
Taking this chance, I lowered my head deeply to him.
“And… I formally apologize. I’m sorry for going to look for the spirits against your orders.”
“Hm…”
“There’s no excuse, it’s all my fault. I was too eager to gain your approval, Your Majesty.”
I waited silently, still not raising my head, for his response.
After a long pause, he spoke.
“You certainly committed a serious offense. Even though I warned you, you still brought that dangerous power here.”
Hearing his harsh words, I lowered my head even further.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Is the spirit still with you?”
“No, the water spirit is asleep inside my ring, and the fire spirit has disappeared somewhere.”
“I see. The next thing I’m about to say, I hope no one else overhears.”
It seemed like he was about to scold me severely.
I swallowed my nervousness and waited for him to approach.
However, when he finally came near, he didn’t say anything.
He simply sighed deeply.
“Ha…”
It wasn’t a sigh filled with anger.
Rather, it seemed to be full of concern and regret.
Confused, I cautiously raised my head.
“Your Majesty…?”
“I was originally planning to scold you fiercely for getting too close to the spirits again… But it’s hard for me to do that now. Seeing your downcast expression reminds me of the Duke from the past.”
“My father?”
“Yes. I’m sure you can’t imagine it now, but before you were born, your father was a passionate knight who would have leapt into flames for the Empire.”
For a moment, the Emperor’s eyes gleamed with a nostalgic light.
It was as though he was reminiscing about the days when he fought alongside his loyal knight on the battlefield.
“He would rush into battles where defeat was inevitable, not caring for his own life.”
“Ah…”
“Then, miraculously, he would bring victory. That’s why he lost one of his eyes.”
The Emperor gazed at me with a distant look in his eyes.
“Now, you look so much like the Duke did when he was young. Especially those sparkling eyes… How could I get angry with you?”
“Thank you.”
A bittersweet smile appeared on the Emperor’s lips.
I bowed deeply to him.
Then I left the study.
“Phew…”
I sighed deeply, my steps feeling as though they were weighed down by shackles.
“I need to go see Neitan. I haven’t seen him in a while…”
I bit my lips until I felt a sharp pain.
“Right now, I need his comfort.”
I had never encountered a wall this large before in my plans.
And it wasn’t just anyone. The Emperor himself was commanding me to stop.
At such a heavy moment, I needed someone to lean on.
I reached the hallway in front of my bedroom, but suddenly I was faced with an unexpected situation.
“Your Highness does not wish to meet anyone right now. Please wait for about a week until you have His Highness’s permission.”
“What?”
Hearing this from Neitan’s servant, I couldn’t help but feel confused.
We weren’t just husband and wife by name—we had shared everything.
And now, my husband was suddenly saying he would be alone for a week.
It was only natural that I was surprised.
“He says he won’t meet anyone…? What could he possibly be doing alone for a whole week?”
I was angry that he had shut himself away without saying anything.
At the same time, worry overwhelmed me.
“Is something wrong? Is he sick? Is it a fever or something?”
“…It’s not a fever. But… it’s…”
The servant was being frustratingly vague.
Still, I waited, trying to endure my anxiety.
In the end, it was all for nothing.
“I’m sorry. There are things I cannot explain.”
“…?”
“You should wait until Your Highness leaves his room after a week. It would be better to ask him directly. Please understand.”
I wanted to barge in and see Neitan right away.
But if I did that, he might hate me…
