From early morning, the head maidservant and head manservant of the imperial palace visited simultaneously.

Had there ever been such a thing since morning? Ilarid struggled to hide her bewildered expression and greeted them.

“Good morning. What brings you here?”

“His Majesty the Emperor asked us to deliver this.”

One of the servants behind them held out a box that looked luxurious at a glance. Ilarid’s eyes narrowed. Without even opening it, she could guess what was inside.

‘How unusual.’

Alice quickly approached and received the box. Though receiving a gift should be the end of it, the head manservant and head maidservant did not leave the office.

“…Did you receive orders to watch the Empress open this box and confirm its contents?”

“…”

Silence was surely affirmation. The corner of Ilarid’s mouth twitched faintly.

The word “gift” should be pleasant to hear anytime, but she was not at all eager. She opened the box placed on the table without much enthusiasm.

Of course, even after opening it, no dramatic situation of overwhelming emotion occurred. Lynette and Alice had to swallow their gasps at the contents inside.

Inside the box was a white dress with subtle decorations carefully placed.

Had powdered snowflakes been sprinkled on it? A mysterious rainbow sheen sparkled painfully bright. Judging by the absence of lace or ribbons, it seemed the Empress’s tastes had been somewhat considered.

Objectively, it was a very beautiful dress, but she did not want to touch it.

The transparent intention, whiter than white, was all too obvious. Ilarid barely managed to hold back the laughter rising up.

‘It means to wear this to the ball, I suppose.’

Cledius will likely wear the same white formal attire. White was the noblest color. The most difficult hue to handle, as even a fingernail-sized stain would immediately show, and if washed improperly, it could turn yellow.

Until last year, he had not given the Empress’s palace so much as a single piece of cloth, let alone formal attire.

Considering the increasing frequency of wars, Ilarid had voluntarily cut the budget, and Cledius had ostentatiously sent all the fabrics entering the imperial palace to Selina.

Thanks to that, there were already over dozens of dresses piled up in the Empress Consort’s palace.

And now he sends a dress as a “gift”. Of course, it was impossible to view it favorably.

‘I want to refuse.’

It was sincere. A white dress, of all things. She did not want to wrap her body in that white light sent by Cledius. It seemed to contain the meaning of forcibly wrapping herself in joy and standing beside him.

Unless she soaked this white dress in black dye for a day or so, she had no desire to stand shining the same light as that person.

‘It’s good I called Gabriel in advance to place an order.’

If she sent it back as is, it was clear those who brought the “gift” would suffer hardship. They must have come hearing the Emperor’s order to make sure she received it no matter what.

“…I will personally convey my thanks to His Majesty the Emperor. You may withdraw now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“And if His Majesty asks what expression I had…”

Ilarid closed the box with a sound. It was because she could not stand the noisy decorations attached to the white dress.

“Please report exactly this appearance, just as you see now.”

An empty face devoid of any emotion. It was like a firm declaration that such a gift could not move her heart, let alone touch her. The head maidservant and head manservant barely concealed their tension as they bowed.

**

The Pegeian delegation arrived at the imperial palace.

As the merchant groups that entered the empire along with the delegation were also quite substantial in scale, Triden was bustling with crowds after a long while.

The interior of the palace also maintained a subtle busyness, though not overtly noticeable.

The previously quiet banquet hall was filled with various decorations and foods from the afternoon, with more people than usual coming and going.

Ilarid personally managed and supervised the personnel. Though the Empress did not need to work herself, she chose to be at the forefront, directing things.

What other Empress would do such a thing? Even if you searched through the entire history of the empire, there would be extremely few.

“You could leave it to the maids and other noble ladies to rest…”

“She’s being cautious.”

As Alice sighed with worry, Mariela, the Duchess of Örgen who was nearby, spoke up.

“Who are you referring to?”

“His Majesty the Emperor, and all the noble factions supporting him. Even noble ladies are no exception.”

It had been quite a long time since she had observed the Empress. Hadn’t she caught the Duchess’s eye since the time she was the Crown Princess?

It could be due to her own nature of not allowing even a hint of disorder in front of others, but there must be another reason.

“She extremely dislikes giving them any flaws to pick at. Weaknesses tend to start from the tiniest specks, after all.”

The atmosphere of the imperial palace makes people tense. They stiffen once from the gazes pouring in from all directions, and harden again from the words those gazes pour out. It may have been somewhat less when under the protection of Melpiram, but the situation is different now.

‘If they were to uncover even a bit of what Your Majesty is planning, it would be a great disaster, so she’s on edge with all her nerves.’

And it’s not just about work. There are people involved too. Add in the families and clans attached to them…

Mariela let out a faint sigh. Such a life might be bearable for a day or two, but the Empress had been living like this for years already.

“But her expression has brightened a lot these days. It must be thanks to all of you.”

“We are still far from adequate.”

Lynette and the maids bowed simultaneously at the lady’s words.

After the death of the Empress Dowager, when Ilarid became the mistress of the Empress’s palace, the Duchess of Örgen briefly served as acting head maidservant. Though it was only for a few months, she was reassured seeing Ilarid and Lynette.

The longer people are together, the more they move with silent trust. The two of them were together with a faith beyond the friendship built by naive children. Seeing that sight, Mariela stepped down from her acting position.

Mariela didn’t particularly like stories of growing through pain. She also knew that it was useless to encourage those who lacked even the strength to stand up after being trampled on.

But the tragedy that befell the Empress and the head maidservant rather made the two of them inseparable. Moreover, wasn’t it drawing in even more people?

The Empress’s palace, which had been so empty it seemed ghosts might appear, was now filled with the warmth emanating from people.

From the maids doing menial tasks to the head maidservant, everyone had become the foundation of the Empress’s palace that would not easily be shaken.

Thank goodness, I thought I wouldn’t be able to face the Countess of Melpiram. Mariela smiled faintly and began to help with the remaining work.

At that moment, the head manservant of the Emperor’s palace approached with quick steps. Ilarid read the troubled look on his face.

“…Has some problem arisen?”

“The door to the reception room simply will not open.”

It seems the private audience is taking longer than expected. That much is fine. Waiting and enduring are just part of everyday life, aren’t they? Rather, it was a good opportunity to inspect the banquet hall one more time.

When actually facing a big task, it felt like her stiffened body was loosening up. Ilarid sighed softly and signaled the head manservant to withdraw.

Barring any unexpected events, the formal attire and the separately ordered clothes will arrive by tomorrow morning.

The banquet, and the ball that will follow in a few days, should proceed smoothly. So may everything pass without incident.

**

The newly dispatched Eastern Continent envoy was a small commotion from his first appearance.

From the moment he stepped out of the carriage, the surrounding air immediately stirred. Suspicion spread among the people, wondering if Pegeia had sent a woman as an envoy this time.

The man with long, light brown hair approached the Emperor of Astrid with gentle steps. His cloudy reddish-brown eyes came closer from a point to a clear circle.

The metal ornaments draped over his long, beautiful hair sparkled incessantly in the light. The golden chains and geometric decorations collided with each other, making sounds like clear raindrops falling on a window.

He was a man to whom the modifier “beautiful” truly fit well. It would be a shame to simply lump him together with the word “pretty”.

The new envoy gracefully trampled on the doubts that had dominated the people as he entered.

While everyone stared blankly at the man as if bewitched, only Cledius gazed at him directly.

‘So he has finally arrived.’

Cledius’s expression wavered strangely.

An equal relationship, not even a vassal state. Pegeia treated the empire as an “allied nation”.

Always receiving only formal greetings and submission, Cledius found this position quite uncomfortable. Had it not been an official occasion, he might have cracked his finger joints out of habit.

After exchanging formal greetings, regards, and official letters, the Emperor requested a private audience with the Eastern Continent envoy.

It was time to unleash the accusations hidden within the questions.

From the poison Ilarid suffered to the forces that bribed the assassination group, everything.

The only warmth on the table in the reception room was the tea inside the teacups. Though decorative flowers were placed and not a speck of dust could be seen, the desolate atmosphere could not be hidden.

Only the Eastern Continent envoy, the being called ‘Lindein Lachmann’, shone uniquely. His cloudy eyes, which had been cast downward, slowly rose towards Cledius.

The current leader of Pegeia was said to be from a tribe called ‘Jahar’. He would be connected by blood to the merchant group that arrived in the capital a few days ago. Cledius gave a glance to the mysterious man sitting across from him.

He did not believe in sorcerers. He had always considered ‘sorcery’ to be a trick to deceive people.

‘Did mind-reading sorcerers exist as well?’

Though he had never heard of such a thing.

He wanted to finish the conversation before the tea cooled. Lindein seemed to have the same thought, as he straightened his slightly relaxed posture.

“…Does the ambassador know of radeike and hongkyung?”

Lindein’s ears rang loudly. It wasn’t just because of the metal ornaments draped over his silken hair. Lindein slightly bowed his head and quietly continued speaking.

“I do know of them. In Pegeia, they are mainly used as medicinal plants. The root of radeike for fever reduction, and the flower of hongkyung for headaches, boils, and stomachaches…”

“When consumed in appropriate amounts, that is.”

Their eyes met again. Lindein kept silent, waiting for Cledius’s response.

“If you boil and concentrate the flower of hongkyung beyond a certain amount, it causes paralysis. The root of radeike also damages internal organs if the quantity is not controlled.”

“…I am ashamed of my limited knowledge before Your Majesty the Emperor.”

“The Empress was poisoned with that poison.”

Ah, so this was the cause of this noise. A slight crack appeared on Lindein’s face, which had been calm until now.

Cledius read the fissure that appeared on the new ambassador’s expression and immediately dug into the gap.

“It is a poison not commonly used in the Western Continent. To obtain that one drop of boiled hongkyung flower, hundreds of flowers are needed.”

However, as the main production area was the Eastern Continent, it was not difficult to produce in Pegeia. It was just a matter of time and money.

The Emperor of the Astrid Empire is now suspecting the Eastern Continent.

Though Lindein knew nothing of it, given the fiery temperament of the current leader, the possibility was not rock bottom.

“How is Her Majesty the Empress’s condition?”

“As she was originally weak, it took quite some time to recover.”

“How can I fathom Your Majesty’s concerns? As an allied nation, we will do our utmost to cooperate.”

Lindein promised active cooperation in finding the culprit and the mastermind. There was no need to unnecessarily make the empire uncomfortable. If they were not careful, not only the northern part of the Western Continent but also the plan to swallow the entire empire would be in vain.

While he was filling his mind with thoughts, Cledius felt a bitter sensation at the back of his throat. Was it the taste of iron? Perhaps it was because the person sitting across from him resembled the gleam of a rusted sword, he thought in that instant.

“…Oh my.”

Feeling strange, he brushed the tip of his nose with his finger and found a red stain.

He frowned sharply and roughly searched the inner pocket of his formal jacket. To show such an unsightly appearance during a private audience of all times. The white handkerchief was soon dotted with drops of blood.

“Your Majesty.”

“I’ve shown an unseemly appearance in my first meeting with the ambassador.”

However, Lindein did not seem to mind Cledius’s nosebleed. Rather, he appeared tense, his nerves sharply on edge.

“Have you ever heard the sound of time that should not exist?”

A crumbling sound of shattering in an instant.

The sound of the second hand that he thought he had forgotten once again pierced Cledius’s ears.