Once I made up my mind, I couldn’t bear not putting it into action. As soon as the next day came, Siana asked the queen if she could spare some time. Unlike her, the queen was a very busy person, so Siana thought she might be refused, but fortunately, the reply came back immediately.

The queen called her to the reception room. Not wanting to commit the rudeness of taking up too much time from a busy person, Siana went to her as soon as the reply came back.

The queen was still sitting on the white fur sofa that occupied the center of the reception room. It was a luxury item that most households wouldn’t even dream of affording, but it suited the white and fair woman perfectly, as if it were made for her.

Sitting in front of her, Siana carefully opened her mouth.

“I want to meet my father.”

The queen raised an eyebrow. Realizing only then that her words could be taken strangely, Siana hurriedly explained. Ah, it’s not that I want to meet him because I like my father… The queen waved her hand before her words could go on.

“I understand. You want to visit Nebel Castle?”

“Yes, yes.”

“At any other time I wouldn’t mind, but right now the timing isn’t good, so I’d like to dissuade you.”

Ophelia looked at the woman who wanted to go to the house she had just come to ask not to be sent away like that.

Apart from Siana’s animosity towards her father, it was best not to go to Nebel Castle carelessly. Gilrod was a man who could devise ways to manipulate his daughter regardless of what feelings she harbored towards him.

But she couldn’t just blindly oppose it either. Ophelia tilted her head slightly and asked.

“Would you like to try convincing me?”

“I, I, well, that is…”

Siana couldn’t finish her sentence and lowered her eyes. She knew it could look sufficiently suspicious, but she couldn’t help it. How could she tell the queen that she was going to try to stop her father from touching her money in various ways because she didn’t like it!

Moreover, the method she had planned was definitely illegal. Of course, they say there’s no crime until it’s discovered, but…

Racking her brain, Siana recalled something her father had once told her. She answered.

“I, I, I want to see my marriage prospect once…”

That was probably one of the things she was least curious about in the world, but she had no other choice. Siana hurriedly added.

“I’ll just look at his face and come back. It won’t be long.”

The queen just silently looked at her. Siana thought she might refuse her words. No, she was sure she would refuse. After all, it wasn’t a particularly logical or beneficial proposal for the queen. The king’s financial advisor who checked her learning had said that to gain people’s consent, one must satisfy at least one of the two.

Finally, the queen opened her mouth.

“Will one night be enough?”

“Pardon?”

Siana opened her round eyes wide at the unbelievable words. Unlike her, whose expressions were changing by the second, the queen continued speaking in a still calm voice.

“No more than that. Not because I don’t trust you, but because we don’t know what Gilrod Nebel might do.”

Of course, Ophelia had also met Gilrod without heeding Idren’s advice. But that was because she needed to understand what kind of person he was. She had to repay Gilrod for what he had done to Starlet. It was something she had to do regardless of Idren or his close associates’ relationship with Gilrod.

Cutting off Gilrod’s neck in the same way wouldn’t bring the dead back to life. But at least wouldn’t Starlet’s subordinates, whom he considered family, want Gilrod’s head?

Finishing her thoughts, Ophelia said.

“I’ll assign Hazel to you.”

Since the conversation with Hazel in the garden last time – honestly, it wasn’t something she had planned – Ophelia had been viewing that knight separately from Chesa. Having had similar experiences herself, she could understand how Hazel viewed her family.

“If you don’t return by the next day, I’ll assume your father is detaining you and send troops. The royal family and the Nebels aren’t on terms to cover each other’s faults, so there won’t be any mercy.”

“Ah, I understand.”

After briefly looking at the woman who nodded as if deeply bowing her head, Ophelia waved her hand.

“You may go now. I’ll send someone soon.”

After leaving the room as the queen instructed, Siana stood in the corridor for a moment to catch her breath. It felt like her body, which had been tense from lying, was finally relaxing a little.

The relief was short-lived as guilt welled up for deceiving the person who had first extended a helping hand. Siana tried hard to rationalize her actions. It’s not like I did it with bad intentions. And when father is gone, Her Majesty the Queen will be pleased too.

Thinking about the good results compared to the process made her feel lighter. Siana, having shed her psychological burden, finally took a step. It was a relatively light gait.

As promised, after sending Siana to Hazel, Salode came to visit. The man said he could wait, knowing that she had been busy with schedules since morning, but Ophelia immediately ushered him into the reception room. Postponing an unpleasant meeting would only leave psychological burden.

Salode briefly greeted her according to etiquette and then went straight to the point.

“I’ve confirmed through which route Gilrod Nebel brought in Rocheden. He brought him in using Ond’s ships just before His Majesty left the capital. It’s a clear violation of the law since it happened after the expiration of the Brinwell Peace Treaty, including port docking rights. We’re in the process of securing evidence, so you’ll be able to punish him soon.”

“What charges would apply?”

“Normally it would be smuggling and illegal entry, but considering that Rocheden has Rognac royal blood mixed in, and the current state of war with severed diplomatic relations between Brinwell and Aglante, we can add treason. In cases of treason, death sentences are often handed down, so he’s unlikely to easily admit guilt.”

And after a moment of silence, the man added.

“So if you punish him now, there will be strong resistance. How about taking action when His Majesty returns and the capital’s troops are reinforced?”

“Then how will we stop Siana’s marriage? To mobilize troops from the south, we need a majority vote in the parliament, but if Siana marries, won’t her seat belong to the Nebel family?”

Salode had clearly anticipated that she would ask such a question. The answer came without even a moment’s hesitation, proving it.

“We are in contact with the elder families who have declared neutrality. I think one way is to proceed with Miss Lerk’s marriage first and then nullify it after His Majesty returns.”

It was a reasonable suggestion, but she couldn’t agree blindly. She knew how much Siana didn’t want to get married.

Just because her own marriage had no say from her, Ophelia didn’t want to make others go through the same thing. Even if it was the fate that most women experienced, her thoughts didn’t change.

It also felt unpleasant that Gilrod had mentioned Idren while talking about marriage.

Even if she were to follow Salode’s words, she needed to ask Siana’s opinion first. Ophelia replied.

“I’ll have to discuss this with Siana.”

And she waited for Salode’s words to continue. He was clearly standing there without leaving, so he must have more to say.

As the man hesitated longer than expected, Ophelia thought about what topic he might have brought up. Leden? She recalled her ruined homeland, about which reports had been coming in every other day lately.

Or he might be trying to bring up nullifying the marriage since her homeland had fallen. Considering Salode’s loyalty to the royal family, such words could come out.

But that was an issue that couldn’t be discussed until Idren returned. Moreover, she currently held the position of Governor of Galicia.

In the case of the Galician governorship, it wasn’t property inherited by the queen but property that Idren had arbitrarily transferred to her, so it would remain hers even if the marriage was nullified.

It was then that Salode opened his mouth.

“I heard you haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

Ophelia frowned at the unexpected words.

“I didn’t intend for it to reach your ears.”

“The castle is narrower than you might think.”

“What’s your intention in telling me this?”

Her words didn’t come out kindly as she had no good feelings towards the other party. Salode’s face also hardened slightly at the sharp response.

“His Majesty had someone prepared.”

“What do you mean?”

“A doctor from the Egelbamot Imperial Palace.”

The only person in the Egelbamot Imperial Palace who lives with a doctor is the empress with mental issues. She wasn’t stupid enough not to understand what it meant to bring such a doctor. Ophelia’s lips tightened.

On the day she raised her hand against Mahanas, Idren had clearly said she was normal. It was he who repeatedly reassured her when she said she wasn’t.

But behind her back… After thinking that far, Ophelia realized she was judging the situation too pessimistically. Idren was practically the only person who showed her kindness without expecting anything in return. He must have prepared someone solely for her sake.

Ophelia blinked, leaning back. She seemed to have become sensitive due to many recent irritations.

“If you’re not feeling well, I’ll call a doctor.”

“No, it’s fine.”

It wasn’t that serious, and there was nothing a doctor could do. There was no one anywhere who could bring the dead back to life. Any attempt would only prove that there was no way to undo the horrifying mistake she had made.

In the conversation they had in the garden a few days ago, which was half a mistake, Hazel had said that nothing was her fault.

But Starlet’s death was indeed her fault. While Haslen might only be guilty of grasping what was thrust at him, as he was a man she wouldn’t have known if not for Mahanas, she had reached out to Starlet first.

As proof, the Starlet from her previous life had lived until she died.

If only she could turn back time once more. Such a thought crossed her mind for a moment.

The first time she attempted suicide, time had gone back three years. A month later, she took her life again, and that time she woke up the day before she had first gone back. It was the day Idren, who had fallen into the past like her, came to the Leden palace.

So if time were to go back once more, she might be able to save Starlet.

And soon Ophelia realized how unrealistic her thoughts were.

Just because time had gone back twice didn’t guarantee it would happen a third time. If she were alone, she might have tried, but now there was Idren.

Idren wouldn’t be able to bear her taking her own life again. Ophelia still didn’t know what had happened to him after she died. It was because Idren didn’t answer when she asked a few times.

She only knew that the period probably wasn’t very pleasant.

Knowing that, she couldn’t make an attempt that would clearly hurt him, so the weight of Starlet’s death remained unchanged. Like Haslen’s, it was just a burden she had to bear for the rest of her life.

Ophelia said to the man waiting for her answer.

“I’ll decide later whether to meet the doctor you mentioned. It doesn’t seem necessary yet.”

And she slowly looked over the man who was the spitting image of his mother. Salode remained still, knowing there was no goodwill in her gaze.

Looking at him intently, Ophelia said.

“When Starlet died, there’s something I didn’t tell you. Starlet said Chesa’s army was chasing him.”

“It was Gilrod Nebel who brought in the captured pirate.”

“That’s why it was more questionable. Why did Gilrod use a deception that would obviously be exposed?”

The man was silent for a moment before answering her question.

“Getting caught must have been the goal.”

Ophelia raised an eyebrow at the conversation tactic of throwing out an interesting topic first. Salode continued speaking.

“Right now, Your Majesty the Queen considers Gilrod’s actions unreasonable. That’s why you’ve been concerned about it for so long. Because it’s not rational, you think there must be some hidden motive.”

“…”

“Moreover, I failed to weed out the spies in Galicia in advance at that time. It was due to my incompetence, but it was a good environment for suspicions to build up. With just that, Gilrod achieved his goal. He always wanted to drive a wedge between Chesa and the royal family.”

And the man straightened the papers he was holding to his chest. He said.

“If I say more, I’m afraid the conversation will become indiscreet.”

That meant he would only say this much. Ignoring his intention, Ophelia said.

“I also know that Chesa didn’t cooperate with Gilrod.”

“…”

“Let me ask just one thing.”

“Please speak.”

Ophelia tilted her head slightly at the black eyes staring at her. A mischievous desire to completely ruin that polite expression welled up inside her. She twisted her lips.

“If you had the chance, would you have also captured Starlet and dragged him before me like Gilrod did?”