Episode 66

* * *

After arriving at the Zernia Ducal estate, the butler opened the door of the carriage where Lian was seated and bowed his head.

Lian, who was sitting grumpily adorned like a flower, grumbled as he got out of the carriage.

He had prepared since dawn, hoping to surprise Sione, but regretted that he had to return without even seeing her face.

Following Lian as he entered the ducal estate, the butler quietly said.

“I will proceed with the plan.”

Lian didn’t respond, and the butler disappeared without waiting for one.

The next person to approach Lian was a subordinate who had served him for a long time.

Walking behind Lian, the subordinate whispered in a small voice, “A message has arrived from the southern region. It’s as you expected.”

Lian stopped in his tracks.

Today, he was dressed in a red suit adorned with lace, wearing a jeweled crown more exquisite than any flower, making him dazzlingly beautiful.

However, his pale face, which looked down at the bowed subordinate, showed no expression.

The subordinate dared not breathe, enduring Lian’s gaze.

Lian slowly turned his head to look out the window.

Outside the window, at the edge of the garden, a shadow was staring directly at the grand tree where a white rat had hidden. Lian asked his subordinate.

“The dog?”

“He is gathering shadows.”

So, they were preparing for the hunt.

Lian chuckled.

The laughter grew louder, and soon Lian was holding his stomach, laughing so hard that it seemed he might collapse.

Hearing the loud laughter from the entrance, Melbrid, who had just woken up, approached him.

“Brother, where have you been?”

“Mel, did you sleep well?”

“Yes, Brother. Has something good happened?”

It was rare to see his brother laugh so heartily, so Melbrid couldn’t help but smile as he asked.

Without answering, Lian took off the jeweled crown he was wearing and placed it on his brother’s head.

A beautiful boy and a flower.

It suited him so perfectly that even Lian was surprised.

“Let’s consider this as repayment for everything.”

“Repayment?”

Melbrid held the crown on his head and asked, but Lian simply smiled and gave no further explanation.

Leaving his bewildered brother behind, Lian went up to his room.

There was no trace of the smile left on his face.

For the past few days, Eric, the deputy leader of the White Shadows, had been missing.

Where had he gone?

He had always been a close companion of the dog. Where could he have been sent?

On a whim, Lian had sent a bird to the south.

At dawn, an eagle had quietly left the camp and headed toward Brincia.

* * *

It had already been three days since Lian’s proposal arrived.

Despite the gossip surrounding the Empress’s remarriage, the process was progressing steadily, and Lian had remained quiet after sending an enormous dowry.

Today, after finishing government meetings, I quietly returned to the Zernia Ducal estate.

As I was reviewing documents in my office, Tito came in with a stern face and asked.

“What do you plan to do about the Zernia Duke’s residence after the marriage?”

“Huh?”

“If you choose one of the palaces, we will begin preparations.”

Tito didn’t even look at me as he spoke.

Though he said nothing, it was clear he was still worried about my decision to marry Lian.

He had been concerned ever since the three beasts had first proposed to me.

Because he didn’t know all the details of my dealings with the beasts, his concerns were likely even greater.

I wanted to explain everything to him, but until we knew who Lian’s puppet was, I couldn’t say a word.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Tito left the office without ever meeting my eyes.

Watching him leave, I felt uneasy, and the moment the door closed, I asked Aiden, “Has Vitrain not arrived yet?”

“He will be here by tomorrow morning.”

“Tomorrow…”

Only one more day, but my heart was anxious.

Even when I had to act as regent after the Emperor died, it hadn’t been as stressful as this. These days felt like torture.

Everyone looked at me with half concern and half disappointment, their gazes full of doubt. It would almost be a relief if they would just tell me outright that this was a mistake.

“It will be over soon, Your Majesty,” Aiden said, comforting me as I sighed.

Once Vitrain arrived, with his abilities, he would uncover the hidden puppet, and we would raid the Zernia Ducal estate.

According to the books I had read, as long as we avoided looking into the serpent’s eyes, we could escape the snake’s curse.

If Aiden was correct, Lian was the strongest in Belpator, and Vitrain was the second.

As long as I avoided those snake-like eyes, capturing Lian shouldn’t be too difficult.

Moreover, the White Shadows and the capital’s guards were still intact.

On the other hand, the Zernia Ducal knights had all been reassigned to the Imperial Guard and were currently stationed in the Kingdom of Dyron.

The problem was what came next.

Last autumn, Lian had used the power of the serpent to place a curse on Bonita.

Consumed by her desire to become the master of the Oath, Bonita had killed the Emperor and tried to eliminate Lothania as well.

She even attempted to kill me when I tried to protect Lothania.

And Lian had once again used the serpent’s power to kill Bonita.

He had done so suddenly and violently, ensuring that no one could discover that Bonita had been cursed by the serpent to kill the Emperor.

The key issue was how to prove this enormous hypothesis, a mixture of conjecture and Lian’s confession.

The Emperor was dead, Bonita was dead, and there was no evidence.

We couldn’t prove anything.

Furthermore, all these assumptions were based on information that had come from Lian.

The one thing I knew for sure was that Lian was a liar.

So, I had thought long and hard.

The only person who knew the truth was Lian.

The only way to extract the truth from him was through the power of the Oath.

Four more years.

Within that time, Lothania would awaken.

When that child becomes the master of the snake, I will be able to hear what I need to from him.

It will be a harsh truth for the child, but I believed it was only right that he, having lost both his father and aunt, be the one to decide what punishment to give.

Therefore, I decided to capture Lian Zernia and imprison him in a place where he could never use the power of the snake on anyone.

Now, just one more day—only one more day.

Clasping my hands together tightly in nervous anticipation, I gave Aiden a final instruction.

“Make sure that Melbrid isn’t too shocked. He’s still just a child.”

Once he learns everything, he will be as shocked as Lothania, but I was particularly concerned about him having to witness his older brother being captured right in front of him.

Aiden nodded but then hesitated as if something had come to mind.

“If Your Majesty holds the snake responsible for the crime of assassinating the Emperor…”

If it is concluded that Lian had incited Bonita to assassinate the Emperor, Melbrid, his younger brother, would also not be able to avoid punishment.

This was what concerned me the most.

Knowing how much Lothania adored Melbrid only made me more resentful of Lian.

I swallowed a sigh and replied, “That is also something Lottie will have to decide.”

Aiden nodded with the same troubled expression, and just then, there was a knock at the door.

One of the Royal Guards entered with a slight bow and reported, “There’s been a fire at the construction site of the Imperial Guard quarters.”

“What’s the situation?”

“They’re currently containing it, but since it’s near the palace, I was sent to inform Her Majesty the Empress.”

“What were the Imperial Guard doing, letting the fire spread so close to the palace?”

“It hasn’t spread yet, but…”

Aiden frowned, and the guard quickly bent lower in apology.

It wasn’t likely the dry autumn wind was the guard’s fault, so I decided to spare him from further scolding.

“Go check it out, Aiden. I’ll finish reviewing this.”

I lowered my gaze to the documents summarizing the agenda from today’s council meeting.

Aiden gave the guard another sharp look but bowed to me.

“I’ll return shortly.”

“Make sure no lives are lost.”

“Yes.”

After Aiden and the guard left, I turned my gaze to the window.

It was a bright autumn day, with dry yet clear winds blowing.

* * *

At the same time that the mysterious fire erupted at the Imperial Guard construction site, Melbrid and Lothania were sitting across from each other in the Crown Princess’s parlor.

Today was one of the rare mornings when Lothania only had one lesson, so Melbrid had arrived early at the palace to wait for her.

Lothania, crunching into a beautifully sliced apple, asked.

“So, you don’t find anything suspicious?”

“No, Your Highness. Lately, he does nothing but sleep all day. He barely made it to the council meeting this morning.”

“Has the Duke of Zernia always been that lazy?”

Lothania added, “My mother is always so diligent,” causing Melbrid’s eyes to roll as he tried to recall a defense for his brother.

But all he could remember from the past few days was how much his brother had been sleeping, to the point it was worrisome.

Yesterday, Lian hadn’t even left his bedroom until the sun was high in the sky.

Now that he thought about it, his brother had started sleeping late sometime last autumn.

Before that, Melbrid had actually been concerned about how little his brother slept, as he hardly seemed to rest at all.

Melbrid, with one cheek puffed up with apple, tilted his head in puzzlement.