I don’t know when it was, but Kasallin had once said something like that.

That a queen was like an eternal outsider in a precarious position, always at risk of being expelled from the royal family.

Like performing a circus act on top of a dangerously stacked pile of books to avoid falling.

When I first heard those words, I scoffed and dismissed them, but now I seemed to understand a little what they meant.

“Aster, do you know where he is right now?”

When the person she most needed to meet was nowhere to be seen, Rose asked the guards anxiously.

The guards couldn’t hide their uncomfortable expressions for a moment, then shook their heads saying they didn’t know.

In their eyes, she could no longer find the respectful look of loyalty they used to show as before.

It was because Rose had given an absurd explanation at the meeting held to settle the incident after Kasallin left for Renell.

“I was afraid to confess that I had mistepped and nearly endangered the child in my womb. While I hesitated, my close associates began to definitively pin the blame on my sister and drive her into a corner. I was in shock from the fall and my judgment was clouded, so I couldn’t help but mistakenly think that my sister had pushed me.”

“Then what about giving money to the soldier?”

“Th-that’s a misunderstanding. I only told him not to mention to His Highness Shallen that I had come to the tower. Of course it was wrong behavior, and I’m reflecting on it, but I truly had no other intentions.”

After saying this, Rose made a fine-sounding attempt to smooth things over, saying she deeply regretted this incident and would spare no effort as queen to avoid such mistakes in the future.

Of course, several royal officials knew that her explanation made no sense.

Being mentally unsound was a typical shabby excuse that such types of people commonly put forward.

Most importantly, some soldiers knew well that it would be difficult to accidentally misstep and fall from the railings of that tower.

So it was natural that they could no longer look upon Rose with favorable eyes.

Not just the nobles, but even the ordinary servants felt the same way.

They began to pity Kasallin and wondered sadly why an innocent person had to leave for a foreign country.

‘How shameless.’

Rose thought.

When they were all treating her sister like a witch, throwing stones and pouring out one-sided anger saying she should be burned alive, when was that, and now they act like this?

It really wasn’t even funny.

“Are you all lacking awareness, or are you pretending to lack awareness?”

“Pardon?”

“When the queen is looking for someone, isn’t it proper etiquette to quickly scatter and bring that person before my eyes?”

Rose scolded them while picturing Kasallin in her mind.

If it had been her sister, she imagined that in such a situation, she would never bow down but would hold her head high with dignity, and she imitated that exactly.

After all, weren’t these people of lowly status who couldn’t even dare make a sound in front of her?

At times like this, she had to strictly discipline them to clearly show who was above and below, so they wouldn’t dare make such uncomfortable expressions in front of her.

“Who are you looking for?”

Just then, the voice of the man Rose had been waiting for came from the other end of the corridor.

With both hands casually tucked in his pockets, he was approaching with such light steps that anyone watching would feel their irritation flare up.

“Aster, you!”

“Judging by your expression, it seems you were looking for me. What’s the matter?”

“What’s the matter, you ask? Are you really asking because you don’t know?”

“It seems you’ve managed to sweet-talk His Highness Shallen well and overcome the immediate dangerous crisis. You’re truly remarkable in many ways.”

“You cursed bastard!”

Rose screamed and raised her hand high toward his face.

However, Rose’s wrist was caught by him all too easily.

“Even so, how can a noble queen use such rough language and resort to violence? If you keep acting like this, I’m scared.”

“You said you would offer your heart to me. You swore several times that you would obey unconditionally until the day you die, that you would respect and serve only me. So how can you treat me like this?”

“Do you know why Kasallin quietly left for the Renell Empire without seeking revenge against Your Majesty?”

Aster continued with a rarely serious expression.

“It was to give you one last chance. A final opportunity to repent on your own. But I’m different. Unlike Kasallin, I’m rotten to the core by nature and don’t keep faith or loyalty. A chance? I won’t be giving you anything like that.”

“What are you? What exactly do you want from me?”

Because she had trusted him too much, she had shown him far too many of her weaknesses.

If Aster made up his mind to be malicious, her life would be completely ruined.

She had to somehow get back the lifeline that was in his hands.

“Aster. Please.”

For that, now was a time when she had no choice but to become humble.

Firmly resolving to someday regain power and, when she was in control again, definitely throw this man into the gutter, Rose grabbed his sleeve with all her strength.

“I’m begging you like this. Please don’t reveal to His Majesty Shallen about Nelson’s existence, about the fact that I’m not of noble bloodline!”

“If you’re going to say it that desperately, shall we make a deal?”

“A deal?”

“Yes.”

Aster continued while ruthlessly plucking a lush rose from the overgrown shrubs.

“Originally, in the adult world, when you desperately ask for something, you can’t just settle it with words alone.”

“I wondered where that foul smell was coming from, and here’s a stray dog wandering around my palace. Drive it out immediately.”

This was the first thing Aster heard from Shallen through the door when he came to have a private audience with him.

Perhaps it was natural for Shallen to react that way.

In his eyes, Aster would be someone who had known all along that Rose was staging a self-directed drama but remained silent, and who had just watched and done nothing while the falsely accused Kasallin rotted in prison.

Moreover, hadn’t he been quiet all along, then turned everything upside down and even led the charge in revealing the queen’s crimes in front of everyone?

So he would be confused and displeased, not knowing what kind of thoughts this guy had.

Standing in front of the firmly closed door that showed no intention of opening, Aster smiled as if troubled.

“I came because I have something urgent to tell you about Kasallin, but if you’re truly busy, I’ll come back another time.”

Aster politely bowed his head toward the door.

Before he could even raise his head again, the door that had seemed like it would remain closed forever opened wide as if nothing had happened.

Aster put strength into the corners of his mouth that were unconsciously rising.

Anyway, Kasallin is such a sinful woman.

She makes accomplished men who lack nothing in the world become fools in an instant and cling to her blindly.

‘…Though I’m not one to talk.’

Aster straightened his disheveled shirt and sleeves and entered the inner reception room.

Shallen Riche was incomparably more gaunt and haggard than when he had last seen him.

He had clearly been skipping meals and drinking only wine for some time after Kasallin left.

As evidence, wine bottles were scattered carelessly around the messy room.

“I am deeply honored that you have granted an audience to this humble subject despite your busy schedule.”

“Why didn’t you tell me first?”

He asked abruptly without even acknowledging the greeting.

“You mean the fact that Her Majesty the Queen staged a self-directed drama?”

“Yes. You deceived me, the king. You knew everything but pretended not to know, keeping your mouth shut and just rolling your eyes around to see how the situation would unfold. Then you struck me in the back of the head on the day of execution. I don’t even know what punishment I should give you.”

Aster waited quietly until Shallen offered him a seat, but when no such words came, he decided to remain standing.

He spoke in a calm tone.

“Let’s suppose that I had run to Your Majesty and told you everything truthfully. Would Your Majesty really have believed the words of a mere servant? I surely would have had some part of me cut off for the crime of insulting royalty.”

“What?”

“And didn’t Kasallin clearly state from the beginning? That she hadn’t laid a hand on the queen. Even when that beloved Kasallin spoke those words, you scoffed and dismissed them, so what about my words?”

Shallen looked at Aster with an incredulous expression as he spoke his mind clearly without being intimidated at all in front of the king.

Under normal circumstances, he would have driven him out regardless of whether he was the queen’s servant or not, but strangely he didn’t want to do that.

Was it because that arrogant and confident expression, showing no fear, somehow reminded him of Kasallin?

“The first reason I kept my mouth shut until I gathered witnesses and persuaded them to testify was because I wanted to preserve my precious life. And the second was to protect Your Majesty the King from Kasallin.”

“To protect me? What kind of nonsense is that?”

“Suppose, though it wouldn’t have happened, but just suppose Your Majesty had believed my words and the queen’s self-directed drama had been revealed. Then Your Majesty would have protected and defended Kasallin, and Kasallin might have taken advantage of that gap to devise other schemes.”

“……”

“She’s a woman who dominated high society at a young age and briefly almost became queen. What couldn’t she do? The reason I couldn’t tell you in advance and had no choice but to step forward on the day of execution was because she threatened me, using the emperor as leverage, asking if I knew of witnesses who could prove her innocence. She’s a frightening woman who manipulates the kingdom to her liking. I believe it’s better for the Kan Kingdom to give her the result she wants and have her cleanly turn her back on us and leave for the Renell Empire.”

Shallen seemed a bit surprised by Aster’s words that Kasallin had harbored schemes and threatened him.

Soon, perhaps thinking it was something she could do, he let out a light chuckle and examined Aster’s face carefully once more.

He called for a servant to bring tea and offered the sofa across from him to Aster, who was still standing.

Aster sat down with a faint smile.

“You’re incredibly impertinent… but at least I’ll admit that what you’re saying isn’t entirely wrong.”

“I am honored that you listen to this subject’s humble counsel.”

“Kasallin wasn’t such a woman from the beginning either. I still remember vividly. Her appearance when I first met her at the debutante ball. Her eyes shone with pure light and her lips had a lovely smile tinged with pink. But from some point on, I could no longer find such things in her.”

“Once she tasted power, she was consumed by greed. Falling head over heels for just one promise to make her empress, betraying both her homeland and family. Even if they really did get married, I don’t think it would last long.”

Shallen nodded.

“That’s certainly true. Emperor Parnes isn’t a good man who would devote himself to one person. Rather the opposite.”

“Compared to him, I heard that Your Majesty the King forgave and embraced Her Majesty the Queen. How can you be so merciful? I truly respect you.”

“Rather than forgiveness, I’m taking responsibility. She carries the child who will one day succeed me and lead this country, so I’m simply placing hope in our child.”

One thing became curious.

If even that child couldn’t be obtained, what kind of expression would you make?

Would you collapse in shock, or would you deny reality saying it must all be a dream and try to jump?

Whatever reaction you showed, it was certain that it would be quite a pleasant and interesting situation.

‘Should I withdraw for today?’

When anything goes too far, it brings about reverse effects.

I had succeeded sufficiently in imprinting my existence on him, so I could gradually gain his trust from now on.

“Oh my. I’ve taken up too much of your precious time. I should withdraw now.”

When Aster set down his cleanly emptied teacup and stood up, Shallen spoke.

“I’ll be watching you for the time being. This doesn’t mean I’m forgiving you, so you’ll need to be careful with your behavior from now on.”

“I am deeply grateful for your generous understanding.”

“Enough with the unsuitable humility. Rather, I need to entrust you with one simple task.”

Aster settled back into his chair.

“Please command me to do anything.”

“Keep a close watch on Rose.”

“When you say watch…”

“I don’t embrace a dog that has bitten my arm once ever again. But she carries the seed that will enrich my house, so I can’t just let her loose either. Do you understand? With your level of perception, I trust you understand what I mean.”

So even though he was dull, foolish, and stupid, a king was still a king.

Aster nodded saying he understood well.

Probably Shallen Riche would regret this very moment for a long time to come.

Willard Aster.

Because his very existence would be the first signal that brings about the downfall of the Kan Kingdom.