“Ha.”

The Empress had been greatly disappointed in her son all this time.

He had absorbed those extraordinary magic stones, gaining vast magical power, yet had accomplished nothing.

It felt like having the world’s most powerful weapon without a handle.

However, that was not the case now.

The woman before her eyes was clearly Lilith Nirnberg.

Though it was said the youngest princess had already been found in the Nirnberg ducal family, that must not have been the real one.

The Empress was a person with good intuition.

She knew that Reniel’s outstanding appearance was because she was a magic purification ability user.

It was natural for magic purification ability users to possess exceptional beauty as a defense mechanism against threats.

There were even rumors that if you killed magic purification ability users, their purification abilities would be transferred.

To counter such offensive ability users, their appearances must have developed to easily enchant opponents.

As evidence, the Empress had never seen anyone more beautiful than Reniel before her eyes.

Adding to that, seeing Thanasis’s reaction, there could be no clearer proof than this.

Thanasis, who had been no better than a scoundrel, was focused and attentive to Reniel’s words.

Moreover, he tried to consider her words, even while frowning.

And even the way he excessively protected her in front of himself.

‘Are you perhaps impotent?’

‘You might as well think I’m homosexual.’

The Empress had thought her son might be impotent.

She had assumed he burned the women sent to him at night for fear of revealing such an incompetent trait.

But now.

“Tell me more.”

Seeing Reniel before her eyes, this was clearly the best spear and shield Thanasis had brought.

The Empress was satisfied that her son, who had only disappointed her until now, seemed to be finally producing results.

Moreover, Reniel appeared to be protecting Thanasis as well. That meant they must have shared quite a bit of affection.

“I apologize.”

“No. Tell me more. Thanks to you, I feel like I’m coming to my senses a bit.”

Reniel couldn’t understand why the Empress was suddenly going back and forth.

Still, seeing the Empress’s eyes rolling around, it seemed she was calculating something, so Reniel just remained still.

“Mother, please don’t concern yourself. I just brought someone from my palace.”

“Don’t concern myself? Do you know how much trouble I had because you left the palace on your own?”

That was half truth, half lie.

Recently, the Empress had been thinking that Thanasis, who only had enormous magical power but couldn’t control his abilities, was becoming increasingly unnecessary.

She had only pretended to search, wondering if Princess Jeiren had finally eliminated him this time.

For the Empress, it would have been better if Thanasis was found murdered, using that as an excuse to appear pitiful to the Emperor and install Jeiren as the Crown Princess.

However, that was something she wouldn’t necessarily do while the Crown Prince was seated as her son.

The Emperor was indifferent to his children. He only indulged in women.

However, recently he had begun to favor the Empress again and show interest in the Second Prince. And that was something to be very wary of.

“Do you think I’ll believe that?”

“What do you think was the reason your knights could search for you like that?”

In reality, Terrison had only been ordered by the Empress to pretend to search. The difference was that Terrison had sincerely searched.

“Because their necks would fly if they couldn’t find me, I suppose.”

“You’re interpreting it crookedly again.”

“I wonder who failed to give me proper home education.”

“Oh my.”

The Empress found even Thanasis’s obvious contempt for her amusing.

After all, Thanasis was like a kitten that would crumble and crave affection with just a little warmth shown.

“Why are you acting like this? Do you still think I only cherish Jeiren?”

“Mother, you don’t cherish anyone. The only thing you hold dear is yourself. Your children are just tools to make you look good and support your power.”

Thanasis had been thinking about this constantly during his time in the secret room.

He had been kidnapped, yet no one was looking for him.

Terrison was really unexpected, but.

‘You know what? Even though you’ve been kidnapped, the imperial palace remains the same.’

‘Shut up.’

‘From the beginning, children in the imperial family are like that. They’re just tools of power, not something to cherish or love, no such tender emotions.’

‘Didn’t you hear me say shut up?’

‘Even the Emperor doesn’t love the Empress, and the Empress is the same. How would children born between such people be any different? It’s your fate to die unloved by anyone.’

Thanasis had thought that Ianathas’s words were all correct every time he dug into his heart and trampled on his wounds.

In fact, Thanasis’s thoughts were not far from the truth.

Thanasis had seen and heard things, and the countless experiences he had while growing up couldn’t be denied.

‘How boring. Even if I kill you, the Empress won’t be that sad.’

Even Felix, who had kidnapped him.

Perhaps even the long period of neglect after being kidnapped was because of that.

Thanasis didn’t want to accept that he wasn’t such a precious existence to his mother, but now he was accepting it desperately.

“Your words are harsh.”

“Why? Do I look different in value now that I’ve brought Reni?”

Thanasis knew the reason his mother was suddenly pretending to worry about him was because he had brought her.

It was no different from proving his usefulness.

“How could that be? What’s a mere bedchamber maid?”

However, the Empress smiled leisurely and crossed her legs the other way.

But she found it quite amusing that Thanasis had read her intentions.

She thought Thanasis, thirsting for her love, had brought the real Lilith Nirnberg before her like this.

Not only had he brought Lilith Nirnberg to prove himself while denying it, but he had even gone to the trouble of brainwashing her to the point of defending him.

“You, what’s your status?”

The Empress had noticed that something was off about Lilith Nirnberg’s state.

She seemed to act as if she had no idea she was the Nirnberg princess.

“Are you a commoner?”

When the Empress asked that while looking at Reniel, Reniel didn’t know how to answer and looked at Thanasis.

“That’s something you’ll have to create for her from now on, Mother. I think a Count’s daughter would be good.”

“Which Count’s daughter would serve as a mere bedchamber maid? Perhaps as a head maid.”

“Then we can start her as a head maid.”

“Then rumors will spread in the imperial palace. That a woman with water-colored hair has entered the palace and bewitched you. Your political opponents would be so pleased.”

The Empress and Thanasis might not have loved each other, but they were in the same boat.

At least until Thanasis became Emperor.

“The daughter of Viscount Siaste would be perfect.”

“That’s actually a junior viscount.”

“Keep her as a bedchamber maid first. I’ll make her head maid when the time is right.”

The Empress said only that and then rose from her seat.

Then, looking at Reniel’s face again, something interesting occurred to her.

“If you happen to conceive a child, I might even give you the position of Crown Princess consort.”

Saying that, she smiled while stroking Reniel’s chin with the feather at the end of her folded fan.

“What?”

“If you give birth to a son, there’s nothing I can’t give, including the position of Crown Princess consort.”

The Empress said that and then turned her head, hoping that Reniel would be consumed by desire.

And as soon as she left this room, she decided to investigate her in detail.

“Let’s go.”

“How rude.”

At Thanasis’s words, the Empress left as if she had been planning to leave anyway.

Her heartless steps moved forward briskly without even looking back.

As the Empress was leaving, the maid Sharon, whom she met at the door, bowed her head while holding a tray with tea.

“Give that to those children.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

With that, the Empress completely left, and soon the maid set down teacups in front of them.

Looking at the steaming teacups, Reniel turned her gaze to observe Thanasis.

Soon the maid left. With a click sound, the room was enveloped in silence. Unable to bear it, Reniel spoke first.

“I’ll only believe what I’ve seen and heard.”

“…What do you mean?”

“The Your Highness I’ve seen and heard keeps promises well. And you even forgave me generously for betraying you once.”

She said that, trying to comfort Thanasis, who somehow looked like the strength had left his shoulders.

“So?”

“From now on, whenever Your Highness clashes with someone like this, I’m on your side.”

Thanasis sighed when she stared at him intently.

“Aren’t you afraid of me? Don’t you know what a bedchamber maid is? You’ve been scammed in your job.”

Thanasis said that as if testing her.

However, Reniel, remembering the original content, thought he wouldn’t desire her, a woman.

And judging from what the apprentice maids were gossiping about and the conversation with the Empress, he had never been with a woman.

That meant he wouldn’t demand such behavior from her, a woman, either.

“You must have needed a bedchamber maid. Otherwise, it would be difficult to keep me by your side, right?”

Thanasis was momentarily speechless at her positive response. Then, as if coming to his senses, he sighed and said,

“If you become a bedchamber maid and leave, you won’t be able to get married. Still okay?”

“Marriage… I was giving up on that a bit anyway. But I can still date, can’t I?”

Reniel knew that not all bedchamber maids were unable to marry.

She even knew that he was saying that just to intimidate her.

“Who dares to date a maid from my palace?”

Thanasis immediately got angry at her words.

“What about you, Your Highness? Won’t you date? You’ll get married later too.”

“I won’t.”

He said that and immediately returned to the main point.

“Wear this.”

He handed her a choker.

“What is this?”

Reniel didn’t know yet, but it was something that would threaten her life if she moved more than a certain distance away from Thanasis.