“Ah… What did you say?”

The voice was incredibly languid.

At first listen, the voice was youthful, but its smooth and relaxed tone made it difficult to guess the age.

“The Duke has backed out?”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“I see. All because of a little bird droppage.”

The youth called ‘Your Holiness’ furrowed his nose.

His appearance was as smooth as his voice. The face was mesmerizing enough to unknowingly enchant anyone who looked at him.

“So what will we do now? Without going through the Duke, there’s no way to find out the Empress’s secret.”

Those who respectfully held their hands in front of the youth were highranking priests.

It was a strange sight.

There was nowhere as hierarchical as the priesthood. After more than a decade of struggling since childhood, one could become a priest. About twenty years of further toiling would make one a highranking priest.

There were thirteen seats for highranking priests. That meant no one could become one unless one of the thirteen died.

Therefore, most highranking priests were gnarled old men who had spent their lifetimes in the temple, and they generally looked down upon their subordinates.

However, in front of the youth, the highranking priests seemed to feel inferior.

“Ah… I have a general idea of what the secret is. But this is a temple, and you guys are priests, right? You can’t just go ripping off women’s underwear. What if you’re misunderstood as perverts?”

“Uh… underwear… you say?”

The youth smoothly smiled as he watched the highranking priests become flustered.

“Yeah. We’ll know once we take it off. Surely, there must be a way.”

The highranking priests exchanged troubled glances and bowed.

“If it’s such a matter, then we—”

“Yeah, I get it. I didn’t expect much from you guys anyway. But tell me one thing. How do we undress a member of the royal family?”

“Well… they do change their clothes daily.”

“Tsk. I’m not talking about changing. I mean, taking them off when necessary.”

“Um… well… that is… ”

After a long deliberation, they thought of a way.

There were often occasions to undress when making new clothes.

Moreover, there were rumors that the royal tailor was busy every day tailoring new clothes for the Empress.

“Alright, that should do.”

The youth’s eyes sparkled briefly.

Normally, his bright green eyes would reveal a glint of gold at such times.

However, the room where the youth was located was very dark, and the highranking priests, who feared him, failed to notice the brief change.

“Bring the royal tailor. Make it quick, and make sure the palace doesn’t know.”

The highranking priests made a troubled face.

“We will do our best, but it might be difficult. Unless the tailor voluntarily cooperates, and besides, the Emperor seems to be watching us closely.”

“I see. Fine, I’ll handle it myself. Everyone, leave.”

“Your Holiness, what do you mean by ‘I’ll handle it’?”

The youth’s oily smile vanished and his expression changed instantly.

“Do you really have to ask?”

“No, no, I won’t.”

When his smile disappeared, the youth no longer appeared relaxed or languid. He looked sharp as an icecold monster.

“Leave. And call my children.”

“Understood.”

The highranking priests backtracked out of the youth’s room.

Soon after, individuals dressed in white armor appeared before the youth.

“Did you call, Father?”

“Yes.”

Clad entirely in white, with crimson crosses only on their left chests, they looked more like fanatics than knights.

“Capture the royal tailor. Take a family member hostage to ensure cooperation. One hostage is enough. Kill the others in front of them for persuasion.”

“Your orders are received.”

The knights bent their knees.

“Father of those who know the truth, Holy Malik.”

(This is a time separator.)

“Your Majesty has now passed away.”

Yvette cautiously opened her mouth.
Externally, Rasilia was currently suffering from a severe cold. The Emperor, who had agreed to use the adjacent room for two months, had semiforcibly returned to the Imperial Palace.

It seemed he instinctively realized it wasn’t the time to brazenly propose a meeting.

However, disregarding the fact that he had left, the Emperor visited the Empress’s chambers about six times a day.

The pretext was visiting the sick.

And each time, he was consistently rejected.

As a result, the palace was rife with eyewitness accounts that the Emperor couldn’t bear to not see her Majesty.

Ivette was one of those people.

Based on his appearance alone, the Emperor seemed like he would behead anyone who dared to utter the word ‘rejection,’ but when he actually heard the Empress had turned down his visit, he quietly turned away with slumped shoulders.

It was even more pitiable that his eyes drooped, but his face remained largely impassive.

“Um… your cough has lessened a lot, your Majesty the Empress.”

Ivette mustered the courage to speak.

“So, um… it seems alright for his Majesty the Emperor to visit you now…”

“Not yet.”

Rasilia deliberately cut her off.