Anyway, it was funny to wrangle with a defeated opponent, so instead of scratching her more, Latil arrogantly asked,

“So, why did you want to see me?”

Hearing that question, the previously fierce Anakcha showed a weak side. She hesitated and could not easily answer. But still, as she waited quietly for the answer, she asked in a trembling voice,

“My son… where is my son now?”

Huh? She still doesn’t know? Latil raised an eyebrow.

Of course, Anakcha wasn’t at the place where the execution was ordered. Initially, Thelra was also imprisoned, and subsequently executed. Given the timing, Anakcha would have been taken away and imprisoned without knowing what happened to her son.

But more than a month has passed, and she thought someone like a jailer would have informed her. When she glanced at the royal guard who was taking care of her, the knight bowed his head deeply.

Latil looked at Anakcha again. She was looking up at Latil with a terrified face.

“Hmm…”

Latil hesitated for a moment. What should she say? In fact, since Anakcha has to spend the rest of her life here, it doesn’t matter if she lies to give her hope.

If Latil tells her that Thelra is alive, she will be able to live believing that one day her son will kill Latil and come to rescue her.

‘Should I ease her mind? Should I not?’

“Your son is dead.”

However, Latil chose the path that tormented her.

“I ordered him to be executed.”

When she casually said this with a smile, Anakcha’s face changed as if it had suddenly fallen into ice water. She stared at Latil, her eyes wide open in disbelief. Her blue lips trembled, and her face gradually turned pale.

“But, but… that can’t be! Thelra is your brother!”

“Your son.”

“!”

“He tried to kill me.”

“But……”

“He tried to take what was mine.”

“This……”

“He made my mother cry.”

“You wicked thing!”

After the shock, came the anger. Anakcha screamed out like a ripped harem, clutching the bars of her cell.

“My brother would have recognized you, if Thelra had become the emperor, he wouldn’t have killed you!”

“Do you think Thelra, who aimed for the emperor’s throne by even involving foreign forces, would have left me, a thorn in his side, all his life?”

“Thelra is not coldblooded like you!”

“Oh, well, I’m not coldblooded to our mother.”

As soon as the words ended, spitting, Anakcha spat. Her saliva splashed on Latil’s face. Everyone around flinched at the same time.

“Ah…”

When Latil extended her hand, Seonut handed her a handkerchief. Latil wiped the saliva on her face and muttered,

“You’re really testing my patience.”

Seonut threateningly drew his sword, and in the blink of an eye, he thrust it between the bars and placed it under Anakcha’s neck.

“You traitor! You’re Her Majesty’s knight, how could you contribute to killing Her Majesty’s most beloved son? You’re a traitor! You’re a concubine!”

Anakcha also shouted at Seonut, but Seonut remained expressionless. Seeing this, Latil lazily laughed and whispered as if revealing an important secret,

“That’s enough, Knight Seonut. If you’re going to kill her, don’t use a sword.”

At Latil’s gesture, Seonut immediately sheathed his sword. Anakcha retreated out of sword reach, but she couldn’t avoid the eerie words that Latil left behind.

“Well, if that was all you wanted to ask, I’ll be on my way.”

“This coldblooded and malicious…”

“Yes, I did something wrong. So, I don’t care if you starve to death on your hunger strike. So, don’t do anything unnecessary from now on.”

Latil, waving her hand, turned around as she was.

“It seems like you’ve won for now?”

When neither threats nor pleas worked, the quiet Anakcha shouted again as Latil was about to leave the prison.

Latil, with one foot in the hallway, turned her head to look at Anakcha in the harem. She was gripping the bars tightly, glaring at Latil with eyes so terrifying they could appear in a nightmare.

“But no, Latrasil. This evil, coldblooded demon, you will be betrayed by the one you hold most dear! You should be wary of the person you trust the most.”

Then, she started laughing hysterically as if she had lost her mind. The shock of her son being executed seemed greater than she thought.

“I’m not cursing you. I’m not crazy either. What I say is all true. Later, when that day comes, you will remember my words!”

Having received the saliva of a person she disliked on her face, and listening to the curses she spouted with glaring eyes, Latil wasn’t afraid, but it spoiled her appetite, so she gave up on dinner and returned to her bedroom.

Sonnaught, concerned, followed her into the bedroom and asked with worried eyes, “Are you okay?”

Latil answered honestly.

“She did speak quite ominously. I am a bit uncomfortable.”

“She meant to make you feel bad. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“Of course, it could just be a simple curse…”

Latil took off her sword from her waist and laid it on the bed, frowning.

“The thief who stole the letter and the assassin have not been caught yet. I am a bit worried.”

If it weren’t for these two things, she could have teased back while listening to the curses. But these two things were hanging over her head, making her feel uneasy.

At Latil’s words, Sonnaught also muttered with a serious face.

“I think I need to check all the account books brought from Melose, even if I have to stay up for a few nights.”

“Shall we do it together?”

“Working late with you is a joy to me.”

“But?”

“If I make you work late, the chief servant might want to strangle me.”

The chief servant was such a man, so Latil burst out laughing.

“That’s right.”

But despite laughing, she still didn’t feel well. The frightening look in Anakcha’s eyes, as she gripped the bars and glared, lingered unpleasantly in her mind.

“Sonnaught, please increase the surveillance on Anakcha. Make sure multiple people with verified identities are watching her at the same time.”

“Yes.”

Latil, who had issued the second order, remained lost in thought for a while.

“And tomorrow, I think I need to go out in disguise.”

“Disguise?”

“We’re not close, but we know what kind of person Guesta is. But we don’t know anything about the merchant Tasir or the mercenary king Carlein.”

“Could it be…”

Sonnaught’s face hardened.

“Are you thinking of meeting the prospective harem members? Personally?”

“Whether I meet them directly or observe them from afar, I think it’s better to see them before they enter the harem.”

They were the men who would become Latil’s men in the future. They might even share a bed with Latil.

No matter how strong her guards were, there was a distance they couldn’t approach as knights. But the members of the harem could easily cross that boundary and be alone with her.

“I want to check them out before they become mine. After seeing Anakcha, I think it’s better to judge beforehand. Who they are, whether they should be allowed into the harem, whether they’ll help or harm…”

While Latil was untying her hair, she remembered that Sonnaught was still there and gave an awkward smile.

“Ah, right, Sir Sonnaught.”

“Shall I untie it for you?”

“No, rather, the handkerchief. What about it? Anakcha spat on it.”

“!”

“Should I… return it?”