Episode 32

At first, she wouldn’t care much whether this news reached the ears of the three beasts or not.

Perhaps she even hoped for it.

Right now, it seems like the beasts are protecting me, so she probably thought of getting rid of them first. But Bonita’s goal from the beginning has always been me.

By sowing discord between me and the beasts, making them turn their backs on me, she could eliminate me without having to deal with the dangerous beasts directly.

Watching her ambitious crimson eyes darting around busily, I stood up from my seat.

“I believe we’ve said all there is to say.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I will be preparing in anticipation of our next meeting.”

Bonita bowed quite politely, and I left the parlor without acknowledging her.

As I walked into the corridor, I turned to look at Anna, who was following me silently.

There must be a reason Aiden brought her to me.

That reason is likely related to Aiden being the ‘leader of the White Shadow, who knows everything.’

Is she a rat that carries tales, or a bluebird with a white shadow?

I spoke to Anna, who was calmly meeting my gaze.

“Anna.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Thank you for the swimsuit.”

“Excuse me?”

Anna looked at me with wide eyes, and I turned around, smiling at her.

Though I still hold the title of Empress in name only, I decided to fight for myself and Lothania.

And today, I gained two new cards in my hand.

I don’t yet know what these cards will become, but now is the time to increase the number of cards in my hand.

* * *

Bonita and Henry left for the summer palace, and our preparations for returning to the main palace were nearing completion.

As we were making the final checks, Vitren, who had been absent the whole time, came to see me.

“Vitren, I thought you were going to leave without saying goodbye.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. I was receiving reports from my subordinates at the border.”

“Is something the matter?”

“It seems that Byerson and Dyron are about to go to war.”

Byerson and Dyron are small kingdoms to the south of Belpator. Among them, Dyron shares a border with my homeland, Dirmil.

When I lived as a princess of Dirmil, I knew nothing about international affairs, but I did know that the Kingdom of Dyron had long maintained peace.

I had also heard they were on good terms with Byerson.

“Has there been a dispute between the two kingdoms?”

“There hasn’t been any major incident, but it appears Enser is backing Byerson.”

“Why would the Enser Empire do that?”

“We haven’t figured that out yet, but it seems Byerson, with Enser’s support, is about to declare war on Dyron.”

A war between Byerson and Dyron wouldn’t normally concern Belpator, but the involvement of the Enser Empire changes things.

Since the war between the two kingdoms might have unforeseen consequences, Belpator might have to get involved.

“If it can be prevented, it should be. You will have a lot of work to do.”

“I will ensure that Your Majesty has no cause for concern.”

Vitren spoke with a stern expression, bowing his head, almost as if he were angry.

When I first saw him, he had this same expression.

I suddenly wondered if all his smiles until now had been completely fabricated.

His efforts to gain my favor were commendable, but if it was all a lie, it was disheartening.

I couldn’t exactly tell him to keep lying to me, so I sighed to myself. Vitren looked up.

With resolute blue eyes, he gazed at me silently for a moment before speaking.

“I lied, Your Majesty. It was indeed I who leaked information about you in the back alleys of Lingrove last night.”

Aiden had been busy trying to gather evidence since yesterday, but Vitren unexpectedly confessed.

“Are you also the one who sent the assassins?”

“No. I swear that was not me, Your Majesty.”

There was a desperate flicker in Vitren’s blue eyes.

I looked into his unwavering eyes and nodded.

“Very well. I will believe you. But why did you do such a thing?”

“I wanted to create an opportunity to get closer to you. It was a foolish idea.”

“It was indeed a foolish idea, Vitren.”

When I agreed sternly, Vitren lowered his head. I could see the veins bulging on his clenched fists.

“I will accept any punishment you deem fit.”

So, that was why he seemed so solemn; he had come prepared to face punishment.

Punishment…

The situation had become complicated due to the involvement of the assassins, but Vitren’s initial intention was likely just a foolish summer night’s prank, as he said.

However, being the Empress of Belpator, I could, in theory, accuse him of treason if I chose to make an issue of it.

I couldn’t just let it slide, but it was also tricky to impose a severe punishment on someone who needed to go to the border.

I decided it was better to make Vitren owe me a favor for this incident than to punish him without any gain.

“I will decide on your punishment after the southern border issue is resolved.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Vitren answered stiffly and raised his head, though his gaze was fixed on my feet.

He had his hair slicked back, revealing his forehead, just like before, and his expressionless face was the same, but his eyes were different.

The cold, icy blue eyes seemed to be saying a lot to the floor, so I asked,

“Do you have more to say?”

“Why do you trust me? It could have been a trick, and I might be the one who sent the assassins.”

“Because your eyes are not lying.”

“That’s a dangerous thing to say. How can you tell just by looking into my eyes?”

“But haven’t you already been caught twice? Once last night and once during the day.”

Vitren looked at me with a defeated expression and then laughed bitterly.

“It seems that imitating someone else won’t earn Your Majesty’s trust.”

“Whose imitation was it?”

“I tried to mimic someone who was loved by all, but it didn’t work on you. I was too ambitious for a stand-in.”

Someone who was loved by all.

The past tense person who appeared again—was he referring to his deceased brother?

Since the predecessor died and he awakened as the eagle, what did he mean by ‘stand-in’?

As I tilted my head, Vitren bowed his head again with a bitter expression.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I will certainly fulfill the eagle’s duties.”

“That’s only natural, Vitren. You are the eagle.”

“I am…”

Vitren trailed off with a strange expression.

I didn’t know what happened between him and his deceased brother. I didn’t particularly want to know either.

What mattered to me was not his false confession of love or his attempt to send thugs.

What mattered was that he was the eagle who would protect Belpator, Lothania, and me in this precarious situation, where war was brewing beyond the empire’s borders and the southern continent’s hegemons might intervene.

“I don’t understand this talk of imitations and stand-ins. The only eagle I know is you, Vitren Kidmillan. You are the one who guards Belpator’s outer wall.”

So, cheer up and go ensure that the war doesn’t cross the border.

Vitren’s expression grew even stranger at my words, which were both encouragement and command.

His Adam’s apple bobbed violently as he looked at me with an expression that was difficult to read, as if caught between resentment and gratitude.

I had no way of knowing what he swallowed down, and Vitren asked me in a slightly trembling voice,

“Do I still have a chance?”

“What kind of chance?”

“A chance to be chosen by Your Majesty.”

“I promise. I won’t choose anyone before you return.”

Even after he returned, I wouldn’t choose anyone. I had no intention of choosing anyone until Lothania awakened.

Vitren seemed to read my mind and chuckled softly.

“So, it’s not that you have no intention of choosing anyone?”

“There’s no one who has captured my heart yet, but hearts can change.”

I responded to his words with a smile.

It was the most truthful thing I could tell the beasts.

And I added a final note regarding the most regrettable part of this morning.

“Again, you look much better with your bangs down.”

Vitren looked at me with his deep ocean-blue eyes as if he were about to fall into them, then broke into a wide smile, revealing dimples on his left cheek.

“Your Majesty, no one will dare to covet Belpator under your reign.”

The supreme commander of the Belpator Empire’s army left for the southern border with that trustworthy declaration.