“I heard that you are curious about who sent the sword to Lexion Mansion.”

The Emperor’s voice, checking her intention, had an imposing presence that could make anyone flinch.

However, instead of freezing, Edit responded calmly. Even hearing such a question was part of what she intended.

“As you say, Your Majesty. My husband wishes to express gratitude to the sender of the gift. He seems to be quite pleased with the sword.”

With praise for the gift, she glanced at the Emperor.

“He seems slightly pleased.”

The stern face of the Emperor seemed to loosen a bit, but soon it twisted in pain.

Coughing, he covered his mouth with a handkerchief. Before she could be surprised, the Emperor quickly wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

Following a few steps behind, the Emperor’s secretary, calming his startled heart, spoke.

“Your Majesty, please take the sediment. I will call the court physician.”

“Enough. It’s just a minor issue. Causing a commotion over this.”

The Emperor handed the handkerchief he had wiped his mouth with to the secretary as if nothing had happened.

‘Something with imperial blood should be incinerated in the clinic, as it was mentioned in the book.’

Will the handkerchief with so much blood really burn? Edit sincerely worried about the Emperor’s condition.

Taking her place, the Emperor broke the silence.

“You showed a pathetic sight to the lady.”

“No, Your Majesty. It’s just that…”

“On the day of Lexion Viscount’s capital return celebration, it was indeed Jim who sent the gift of the sword.”

Edit, who couldn’t bring up the story worrying about the Emperor’s health, hesitated for a while.

“You may need some rest. If you let me know when you have a comfortable time, I’ll come back then, Your Majesty.”

“Jim’s illness won’t get better just by resting all day. Don’t worry. Occasionally basking in the sun and having a chat while walking would be much more helpful for health.”

The Emperor, naturally leading her, began to stroll.

It didn’t seem likely that she had accepted the role of a lady-in-waiting to find out who sent the gift.

Meanwhile, Edit walked along, also pondering.

‘I can’t ask if it was sent because he’s Balthazar’s father.’

The Emperor had killed all his brothers. They were those who underestimated and conspired against him during the time when he was the weakest. The reason Patricia’s son, Claude, survived was simple. Claude didn’t have the blood of other princes but rather the bloodline of the former emperor.

‘You can say I spared him because he’s not a nephew but a late-born half-brother.’
The problem was that it couldn’t be confirmed who Balthazar’s biological father was.

According to the rumors heard in the clinic, Leia frequently met with the Crown Prince and the princes, making the probability that one of them could be Balthazar’s father quite high.

In such a situation, if she were to ask the Emperor directly if Balthazar is his son and get a negative answer… Balthazar could be in danger. Considering Agnas 14th, who killed all relatives of the Crown Prince and the princes, it seemed unlikely that he would spare Balthazar.

‘If you even think that Balthazar might seek revenge for his father, it’s going to be a headache.’

So, for now, she had to throw indirect questions to the Emperor to understand his intentions.

“I didn’t know Your Majesty had sent it. I should have investigated and expressed my gratitude earlier.”

“If Jim sent the gift on his own, don’t be disappointed. If you wanted to receive thanks, you should have revealed who sent the gift.”

“In truth, at first, I couldn’t figure out who sent the gift. I speculated in various ways. Perhaps it could be a gift left in the forge for the son returning to the capital, entrusted by Lady Lexion.”

Edit let slip her words, observing the change in the Emperor’s expression.

However, the Emperor showed significant agitation at the mention of ‘Lady Lexion.’ There was certainly no contempt or aversion.

‘If Lady Leia had been a lover seeking revenge, she would never have had such a wistful expression.’

Edit did not miss the fleeting gentle light that appeared on the usually stern face of Agnas 14th.

“Are you talking about Leia Lexion?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

No one in the capital knew who Balthazar’s biological father was. No one knew the exact relationship between Leia and Edit, or where Edit and Balthazar first met.

Therefore, Edit planned to use Leia’s name as if she didn’t know.

‘I’m sorry, Lady Leia.’

She apologized silently and continued her words.

“My husband doesn’t talk much about his childhood. Perhaps, did you have any friendship with his mother-in-law?”

Her intuition screamed. There must have been something between the Emperor and Lady Leia.

However, the Emperor’s response deviated from her expectations.

“Well, Lady Leia thought of Jim as a playmate for a night, so there wasn’t no friendship.”

“…?”

For a moment, it seemed like Edit’s thoughts had come to a halt. The words that came out of the Emperor’s stern mouth were too shocking.

‘And as a playmate for a night.’

What that meant, she knew.