He pushed aside the curtain fluttering in the wind and rushed towards Ilarid.

“Ilarid.”

The light body was suddenly lifted. Lebel urgently called her name. He was barely able to relax upon seeing her slightly furrowed brow and regular breathing.

The voice he wanted to hear came from between her slightly parted lips. Though her eyes were closed and he couldn’t see them, the solid presence felt right beside him made his tension gradually melt away.

“It’s okay, I’m just tired… I want to sleep a little.”

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

“…You can go back today.”

How could I go back after seeing you like this? Lebel silently picked her up and gently laid her on the bed. He had just returned after investigating the case of the missing children.

‘I’ll have to report next time. I’ll also have to hear about what happened today later.’

Perhaps it was about the pendant he saw on the night of the ball. Whether resolved or unresolved. But regardless of the outcome, what Ilarid needed now was sufficient rest.

He kissed Ilarid’s forehead and gently patted her. Hoping that his lover could spend this night peacefully.

**

Cecilia, who had just finished her morning training, arrived at the Empress’s Palace. Ilarid had not yet started her morning duties, and it was a suitable time for a brief conversation.

“Father has safely arrived in Rosen, I hear.”

It was a telegram that Jin himself had brought from dawn. Was this the power of the Ikastel family? Cecilia only felt relieved after confirming the safety of all members of the Lanford trading company.

“I heard a few days ago that he was released. I’m really glad.”

“It’s thanks to Her Majesty the Empress for taking care of it.”

Cecilia gave a grateful bow.

Feeling awkward that they somehow knew even though she had barely managed to ask for some favors for them indirectly, worried that it might cause problems if the Empress intervened directly, Ilarid scratched her cheek slightly and pretended to be distracted.

“Now the tax collection rights for Rosen will be a hot topic.”

Lynette handed over a well-ironed, crisp morning newspaper from beside her. The anonymously published editorial contained a story about which noble family would take charge of Rosen’s tax collection, along with criticism of their serious tyranny.

Due to frequent wars since the time of the previous emperor, there was always a shortage of military funds. The nobles took advantage of this gap.

In exchange for lending money to the imperial family, they received the right to collect taxes from certain regions for several years.

The problem was that there were always those who tried to embezzle public funds.

The emperor doesn’t care how much those with tax collection rights collect from the region.

How many would honestly collect the set taxes and bring them to the imperial family? They were probably desperate to suck the marrow out of the local people to collect several times the taxes.

In short, if they exploited properly, it could be a golden opportunity for the nobles to make a profit.

Cledius would try to sell tax collection rights to the nobles to secure the imperial budget and military funds. If it’s Rosen, it would probably be worth whatever they ask, so everyone would try to obtain the contract rights.

Especially since Rosen was like a midpoint connecting all the trading companies in the Western Continent. And the huge port could be utilized as both a commercial district and a military strategic point.

“Since it’s Rosen, the nobles will be drooling over it.”

Alice clicked her tongue lightly, glancing at the newspaper article from beside Ilarid.

What’s the use of saving on the budget in the Empress’s Palace? There are so many places where it leaks out. They’re even trying to swallow up the northern part of the Western Continent.

Rosen’s tax collection rights. Ilarid folded the newspaper quietly, recalling it again. Not only the taxes that would end up in the nobles’ pockets, but also the people who would suffer because of it were a problem.

She briefly considered buying the tax collection contract rights with her eyes tightly shut. But the budget was woefully insufficient. How many years’ worth of the Empress’s Palace budget would she have to pour in? At times like this, the fact that she had no money felt newly disheartening.

When Ilarid turned to the next page while reading the newspaper, an unexpected article caught her eye.

“…Her Majesty the Empress has become the leader of fashion trends in the capital.”

Lynette approached from behind and slipped in a comment. Ilarid glanced at her briefly, but she didn’t seem to be in a bad mood.

It was an article about the dress Ilarid had worn on the day of the ball. It was a special feature taking up an entire page.

The Empress wearing a black dress, completely opposite to the bright atmosphere of the ball. While speculating on the reason for wearing a different color from the Emperor, it even touched on reflections about corsets.

“Gabriel will be busy.”

It was natural since the Empress had openly worn ‘Rucella’ clothes without a corset. They said women wearing almost identical outfits to what Ilarid had worn were already walking around the salons. It was a good phenomenon.

Lynette didn’t miss this good opportunity. She approached Ilarid’s side and spoke in a subdued voice.

“We should get a set when we receive our salary. Would it be alright to wear clothes without a corset?”

“You’re asking the obvious.”

Alice and Lynette silently rejoiced. How suffocating had it been all this time? The two were ready to rush to Rucella as soon as they received their salary.

“Head maid, since it’s come to this, should we get pants made like Cecilia?”

“That would be the day the imperial palace turns upside down.”

Lynette had to barely restrain the highly excited Alice. Still, someday, wouldn’t there come a day when they could walk around the imperial palace in neat but comfortable attire?

**

Today, Ilarid did not lie in bed.

When Lebel had just entered the Empress’s bedroom, she was wearing a thin outer garment over her nightwear. The image of her suddenly collapsing the day before briefly overlapped, but now her complexion looked good.

He paid his respects in front of Ilarid. And as soon as he raised his body, their lips naturally met. As he gradually, greedily delved in, Ilarid stepped back a little, seemingly embarrassed. A light reproach followed after a brief laugh.

“Now you don’t even ask for permission.”

“I’m sorry.”

Somehow contrary to his words, he leaned his body more and more towards where Ilarid was sitting. Soon, a hot whisper was heard from the lips touching her ear.

“…But I must finish what I couldn’t do for Her Majesty the Empress yesterday.”

Her body naturally curled up. But it was not an unpleasant tension. The fact that the words felt a bit hot, she thought must be due to her mood.

“What couldn’t you do?”

When she included some strictness, only then did Lebel move his body away a little. He smiled slightly and knelt down in front of Ilarid again, lowering his body.

“I’m reporting about the Gloria Foundation.”

As soon as the words ended, Ilarid straightened her posture. And at Lebel’s subsequent report, her expression suddenly hardened.

“Children from the foundation’s orphanages are disappearing.”

“Missing…?”

“Currently, the last place where the children were seen in the capital is a warehouse on the outskirts. When I looked into the ownership, it turned out to be a place contracted under an alias.”

“You mean they didn’t disappear in the process of being adopted… What are the circumstances of most of the children?”

“The majority are under 13 years old and most are war orphans. There are also children left due to their guardians’ circumstances, but they are few in number.”

A heavy sigh escaped from Ilarid’s lips. Why is it that when hearing about such things, positive thoughts don’t come to mind?

She could just ignore it by thinking, ‘They must have just lost track of records while being adopted to some good place.’ However, the subsequent negative assumptions made Ilarid move.

Ilarid grasped Lebel’s hand placed on her lap, trying to suppress her anxiety.

“One worst-case scenario just came to my mind. What if the children… were sold somewhere?”

The slave market. Lebel had the same thought. His gaze fell miserably downward. Perhaps the children had been sold to foreign countries or crossed over to the Eastern Continent. Ilarid’s hand gripping his tightened.

“I’ll have to request an audience at the Emperor’s Palace tomorrow. So that we can audit the Gloria Foundation…”

As soon as the words ‘Emperor’s Palace’ came out, Lebel’s expression became subtle. Somehow, he seemed displeased just by Ilarid mentioning it.

“It’s a formal procedure.”

“The investigation will also be conducted formally.”

They will dispatch auditors for show, end the superficial investigation, and then sweep it under the rug. Perhaps Cledius knew everything but turned a blind eye pretending not to know. Wasn’t he the Emperor sitting in the highest place overlooking the world?

“…He cannot satisfy Your Majesty.”

The Emperor was the Empress’s adversary. Cledius would let go of Ilarid’s hand at the final moment. One who is eager to fulfill their own desires is unlikely to think of and care for others.

“I can offer everything Her Majesty the Empress desires.”

Lebel brought the hand Ilarid was holding to his forehead. It was a pledge he had been making since the moment he threw himself to save the young lady of the past.

So hold my hand, and may you think of me at every moment.

His words were like a pitiful request. It was a plea to never, ever hold that man’s hand no matter what happened.

The scar that had formed that day touched Ilarid’s fingers. The sensation of the diagonal line slightly more protruding than other parts felt strange. She slowly moved her finger along the line.

“…I know.”

The slender fingers brushed the eyebrow bone and eyelashes, then came down along the facial line to the tip of the chin. It was like a stroke painting a picture, so Lebel had to gently close his eyes.

“And I believe.”

The area around his heart fluttered softly. It was a word that constricted his chest just as much. Between the slowly opening eyelids, his gray-blue eyes were visible. The eyes that had seemed only dark and deep were now filled with clear water.

‘Why does he look anxious…’

Even a slight nervousness was reflected in his eyes. Probably because it was a crucial matter involving the whereabouts of the children. Ilarid stroked Lebel’s cheek and brought up the main point again.

“We’ll have to demand cooperation from the Gloria Foundation.”

Volunteer work at care facilities was always done in the name of the Empress. The Gloria Foundation was a suitable excuse as it was also sponsored by the imperial family.

“It would be more certain to raid unexpectedly. As soon as they hear news of Her Majesty the Empress visiting, they will surely create a plausible appearance.”

“No, this time I’m going for a deception strategy.”

Ilarid looked at Lebel with a soft smile. The charity event where all of ‘May’ gathers, the tax collection rights for Rosen, and the Gloria Foundation – the possibility of solving everything at once opened up before Ilarid.

**

Even at the moment when a secret meeting was taking place in the Empress’s Palace, the clock inside the palace kept ticking without stopping.

The time when maids had to move most swiftly was right at midnight. It was also the time most dreaded by the maids doing menial work in the palace.

Although the Empress’s Palace was a bit more relaxed due to Ilarid’s extraordinary consideration, most could only start their main work late at night from the afternoon, on the grounds that they would disturb the high-ranking people.

Several maids moved to a corner carrying piles of laundry.

There was someone who had postponed the laundry time to late at night, saying that seeing dirty laundry from daytime would make them feel bad all day long.

It was that person from the Empress’s Palace whom everyone knew without mentioning specifically. Thanks to that, the maids had to do midnight laundry that wasn’t even in their fate.

“Oh my, my fate… Our bones will all rot away doing this kind of work for a lifetime.”

“Be quiet. You’ll get scolded again.”

One of the maids who had been grumbling while walking for a while suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Huh?”

“What is it?”

“Just now, I think I saw someone pass by over there…”

The maid’s eyes were directed towards the part of the palace that had been empty for a long time. It was a place where cobwebs would quickly grow and weeds would flourish even if cleaned, as there were no people – a place where ghosts seemed likely to jump out at any moment.

“You must be tired. Seeing things.”

“I’m telling you it’s real! Look, that white flickering thing over there.”

The two saw the same form. In the old palace, between the ivy vines, there was something faintly wavering. It was a clearly visible figure, but not a person.

The laundry the maids were holding clattered to the ground. Soon after, a sharp scream echoed throughout the imperial palace.

“Kyaaak!”

It was the beginning of the ghost commotion that would throw the imperial palace into fear for a while.