“Let’s talk properly.”

Dragging it on had come to an end. There was no more time to spare for her. I didn’t even want to listen.

“If you want me to hear your story, leave out unnecessary words. Anyway, it’s an undeniable fact that you provoked my husband. For whatever reason, you did that.”

“That… I just followed orders.”

“That’s all just your testimony. There’s no evidence, no witnesses, right?”

“…Yes.”

“So, at least take advantage of this time when I’m controlling my anger and try to convince me well.”

She, who had been hesitant, seemed to have given up and nodded her head.

“I was coerced.”

“Coerced? By whom?”

“They were assassins. No, they called themselves slave traders. They said I was a slave trader. I went out to buy street food that the princess wanted to eat, leaving my post, and I encountered them. Looking back now, it was strange. There was no reason for slave traders to appear in the middle of the street, and at that time, I… was scared. Because I was young. ‘She looks like a very valuable child, let’s catch her and sell her.’ I didn’t feel anything strange from those who said such obvious things.”

I’ve heard that when a person is in an extreme situation, nobody notices the obvious oddity.

So, while understanding that, not everything about her made sense.

“So?”

“At that time… I told them that someone even more valuable than me was over there… I revealed the position of the princess. It’s an excuse now, but… still, since there were other people around the princess, I thought it would be okay. There was a nanny, and there were knights, so I thought nothing bad would happen.”

“…”

“But there was no one. When I looked from a distance, the princess who was alone was kidnapped like that… like that, eventually…”

“What happened after that?”

If it had ended here, she wouldn’t have hidden and lived like this.

There must be a reason she couldn’t say, that was certain.

“After that… someone started to threaten me. I did it to survive…”

“Was it Emperor Rahel?”

She seemed surprised that I mentioned him without denying it. But hiding it didn’t mean it stayed hidden.

“There’s no need to deny it. He might have been the one who created that situation.”

She, who had been hesitating, seemed to ponder for a while before finally speaking.

“After the princess went missing, as if they had been waiting for that moment, the nanny and the knights appeared again. Even though the princess was missing, they showed no big reaction. Instead, they forcibly dragged me into the palace and stood before Empress Mama.”

“So?”

“All of this was planned. And you, as a confidante, failed to protect the princess and even went so far as to sell her. Take full responsibility for this matter, or follow what I say. That’s what she said.”
“It’s your fault for not feeling anything strange about that.”

As if stung, she momentarily closed her mouth. The princess was young, but the matron wasn’t. She was much older than the princess. No matter how flustered she was, she had made such foolish thoughts and choices.

It was frustrating to the point where curses were about to come out.

“I…”

“So, didn’t you have any doubts about the princess’s disappearance?”

“I had doubts, but… Empress Mama said she would protect me. She said the princess wouldn’t know that I sold her, or that the existence of the princess wouldn’t exist in the world. So, she told me not to worry and to follow my own will… I had no choice…”

“So, you followed those words? Deciding to live on your own without considering the princess’s safety?”

“I’m sorry. At that time… I had no choice. My parents were the same. Her Majesty ordered me to follow, saying the princess wouldn’t even know about me selling her, or that the princess’s existence would disappear from the world. So, without any other options, everyone cooperated, hiding the princess… What could I have done?”

“In the end, it’s just self-justification.”

She looked like a five-year-old. Everything I did was inevitable, and I was just a victim. They used me. It was truly disgusting.

“In the past, maybe you could say that. But after Empress Mama stepped down and Lianadro became the emperor, you could have spoken up anytime, right?”

“…”

“With the old woman in the back room worrying, you still caused pain to Lian. Don’t you think you’re shameless? In the end, both the you of that time and the you now are too shameless. I had to bring it up to this extent because you wouldn’t have said anything unless I did, right?”

It was at that moment.

The matron, who had been watching for any signs, suddenly collapsed flat on the floor.

“Save me…”

“The investigation by the temple has started, so the Emperor cut you off, right? Now, they will solely blame you for the princess’s disappearance.”

“That… that’s…”

“I won’t do anything to save you. I’ll just tell Lian about this matter.”

“I… I have the princess… I’m… I have her. There were some problems, but she’s safe. Before Empress Mama rejected me… no, even before that, I changed my residence.”