Chapter 30
Jizel spoke hastily, adding, “Except for the Emperor.”
“They will only respect you outwardly.”
“What?”
“Even if I give you power, it won’t be the power you’ve earned.”
Johan pushed a document in front of him.
It was a covert military deployment plan near the border of the Kartar Kingdom.
Drafted by Johan’s command, to be completed with Johan’s signature.
“Do not expect them to truly respect you.”
Johan signed the document.
“I don’t expect that.”
And Jizel also just signed an unspoken contract.
Johann maintained silence for a moment before speaking.
“Tell Ern that he should attend the palace report tomorrow morning. From there, find the gem called ‘Sun’s Eye.'”
“The gem… what?”
Jisel asked, unable to comprehend the inexplicable command.
“Your role is to ruin the party properly tomorrow morning.”
“Ruining the party?”
Jisel was puzzled by the roles assigned to him, all involving ‘ruining’ something.
“How do I ruin-”
“Wear that gem and stand still at the party, pretending not to know anything.”
Just wearing that gem would be enough to ruin the party.
Jisel began to understand slowly. It felt uncomfortable that all the roles assigned to him seemed to involve ‘ruining’ something.
Without further explanation, Johann turned his attention completely back to the documents. It meant, “You can leave on your own.”
Jisel understood that much.
It was the next day when Jisel learned the meaning of the gem, contemplating Ern’s testimony at the Emperor’s court.
After listening to Ern’s explanation, Jisel’s face also turned contemplative.
“And here was another person who became the subject of contemplation.’’
Upon arriving at the party, Anel met eyes with the ‘Sun’s Eye,’ the wife of Count Cartar.
The wife of Count Cartar, Lady Sodel, glared at Jezelle with a cold face.
It wasn’t just Jezelle.
Lady Sodel greeted Anel with a disappointed expression.
“Nice to meet the Moon of Stein.”
Lady Sodel greeted with perfect courtesy.
Anel welcomed her with a smile, calming his mind.
“I am delighted to meet you, Lady Sodel.”
He had to be on high alert.
Lady Sodel was, in a sense, the key to all of this.
Although he deliberately didn’t mention it to Ern or Johan, from the beginning, Anel’s goal was not Count Cartar.
‘’In her judgment, the person with the right to speak about Cartar was not the Count but—”
“Here, sit in front of me, and let’s enjoy the tea together.”
It was because the likelihood of being the Viscountess’ successor was high.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Though the Viscountess Sodel showed a hint of displeasure, she did not reject Anel’s words.
She just glared at Gizelle once again.
Gizelle flinched under the sharp gaze, but soon tried to find her assigned seat.
However, something was off.
No matter how hard she looked, her name was nowhere to be found.
Flora sat next to Anel, and across from the Viscountess Sodel, but Gizelle’s name was not written anywhere.
“Even though she’s the Empress, I thought at least it would be close to Anel…!”
Gizelle blushed.
The seat she finally found was the farthest from Anel and the Viscountess Sodel.
“Oh my, Empress Mama.”
“I suspected, but it really was Empress Mama’s seat. I am so delighted to sit so close.”
“Rest comfortably!”
The lower-ranking noblewomen sitting at the end greeted her.
Externally polite, their tone carried a mocking undertone.
Well, what can you expect from a former servant sitting in the honored seats.
No matter how much she is favored by the Emperor, a servant is still a servant.
Especially considering the political power play among the Emperor’s consorts, even that favor might not go very far.
Even during the time of Duke Johannes Magnun, there was a scandal when someone endured three months in the position of his lover, implying an imminent marriage.
The noblewomen openly nodded in agreement with the prevailing scorn. It was a complete disaster.
“….”
“And Anel silently sighed as she observed the entire scene.’’
Originally, Jezelle’s seat wasn’t at the far end. It was Flora’s adjacent seat.
However, the moment Anel confirmed Jezelle’s necklace, she immediately signaled to Verdi and swapped seats.
There was no need to provoke anger by placing Jezelle in front of Lady Sodell.
“Thank you for your warm hospitality, Your Highness.”
At that moment, Lady Sodell spoke to Anel.
“No, It’s only natural. The lady is an esteemed guest of House Stein.”
Anel tried to smile as welcomingly as possible. Perhaps because she hadn’t genuinely smiled in a while, the corners of her mouth stiffened and didn’t move properly.
However, years of education skillfully lifted the corners of her mouth.
“I heard that you will be briefly visiting your family to celebrate the birth of Prince Felipe II.”
Anel brought up the main topic.
“Yes, that’s correct ! My husband has much to attend to, so I plan to stay for about a month.”
Lady Hudak looked surprised, her eyes widening as if in disbelief.
It was a fact known only to the closest associates. Where could the information have leaked from?
Anel smiled as if to reassure her.
“Don’t worry, I spoke because your family is known to the royal court.”
Lady Sodel, the wife of Viscount Hudak, nodded as if finally understanding. Her mother was the daughter of King Kartar, making her a distant royal relative, if not directly in the royal lineage.
Anel had set his sights on precisely that.
“Anel is still blessed.”
In his youth, Anel frequently visited the royal palace. He saw the Queen Mother, Samyu’s mother, more often than his own stepfather, the Duke.
“Anel’s family is in Stein, so he will see his relatives more often than me.”
Queen Mother Hardean treated Anel like a daughter, and Anel relied on her like a mother.
“After coming to Stein, I have never met my family even once, Anel.”
“Why?”
“Because His Majesty dislikes the Kartaar.”
Sunhwang never forgave Kartaar until his death. Because he had lost the only woman he had ever loved, Lady Magnem, all because of Kartaar.
He lived a forced peaceful life for the sake of the country, but deep down, he never forgave Kartaar. And he vented his anger on Hardin.
“I heard that the niece of my sister, that is, Samu’s cousin, came here for me. She came all the way here to be a companion for me. But… I can’t meet her even once.”
“Why does His Imperial Majesty not allow you to meet the family of Her Majesty the Empress?”
Hardin smiled sadly.
“Because Kartaar made His Imperial Majesty lose his family, Anel.”
Anel remembered the conversation with Hardin very clearly. The reason she targeted the Marchioness for real was because of that conversation. Unlike the nobles who were just aristocrats, his wife had connections to the royal family. Moreover, she was planning to visit the Kartaar Kingdom soon.
It meant that she had one of the rare opportunities to directly approach the king of Kartaar.
Anel knew that to save Samu, she had to capture the king.
Fortunately, Samu and Sodel’s wife were cousins.
Samyu’s mother was the youngest daughter of King Sun, and the wife of the Marquis was the eldest daughter of King Sun.
They had to appeal to emotions somehow.
“Well, I see. I truly appreciate your careful consideration.”
Although the words were polite, their true feelings were different.
It was almost like saying, “Why are you prying into my affairs like this?” Anel could understand the sense of caution.
Currently, Cartar and Stain were not on good terms.
“In that sense, there is something I would like to request, Would you be willing to listen?”
At the mention of a request, the expressions in the eyes of the two women changed.
