“Rachel?”

Of course, that was impossible.

But the characteristics of the space and his blurry vision clouded Casius’ reason.

The shadowy figure, hard to see clearly in the light, definitely resembled Rachel.

Gazing at her back, Casius moved as if entranced.

Slowly, the light receded and the woman gradually revealed herself.

The face of the woman who turned her head at her name was there.

The moment the blue-hued hair entered his sight, Casius’ brow twisted unpleasantly.

The woman before his eyes was not Rachel, but Empress Vivian.

A brief silence stretched over the space. At its end, what filled the space was an icy cold voice.

“Why is the Empress here?”

“Your, Your Majesty.”

The Empress’ voice and pupils trembled as if startled.

As if she had not even guessed that he would come.

“I asked why the Empress is here.”

It was incomprehensible.

‘How did she know this place, and how did she enter?’

That someone other than Rachel or himself, but the Empress, had entered the space that the imperial mage had painstakingly designed at his command.

‘Is there a problem with the space?’

The question lingered only for a moment, replaced by a grating feeling.

In fact, there was a faint sense of guilt in Casius coming here today.

Because of the contempt that came from his own disgusting appearance, smiling even though he couldn’t find Rachel, and from seeing himself thinking of the Empress.

The moment he discovered the Empress again in this place he had come to in such a way.

An indescribably knotted emotion strongly tangled within him.

Entering Rachel and his space without permission? How dare she.

Anger swirled within him.

He could no longer tell if it was directed at himself or at the Empress.

But one thing was certain.

Someone who should never have entered had come in, fading and defiling the meaning of the space.

The face that had been avoiding his gaze without meeting his eyes slowly lifted and met his gaze.

A voice that seemed to have found composure in a moment brushed past his ears.

“There was a strange door, so I entered for a moment out of curiosity.”

“This space was not created to satisfy the Empress’ mere curiosity.”

“……”

“Leave at once.”

The Empress, who bit her lip as if feeling wronged, passed by him.

Watching her, Casius ordered Tikan.

“Repair it so that anyone cannot enter.”

The Empress’ steps paused for a moment, but soon she disappeared as if fleeing.

Only then did Tikan bow his head.

“Yes, I understand.”

What does the Empress like about this kind of person?– Shaking his head.

*

At that moment, Eblina could not hide her anger in the assistant’s office.

On the day of the tournament, the Emperor clearly expressed his intention to exclude her from the official event.

‘Could it be because I didn’t properly convey the Empress’ entrance on the coronation day? What on earth did that woman do that night…? How long does the Emperor intend to neglect me in such a humiliating way?’

Eblina’s nails were terribly bitten, as much as her deepening worries.

It was even more so after hearing the situation from her father a little while ago.

Already in social circles, words mocking her were overflowing.

“I thought she would receive abundant favor after being appointed as an assistant, but it doesn’t seem to be the case?”

“An assistant who can’t even attend the cabinet meeting, isn’t it a disgrace!”

“His Majesty’s heart is clearly already inclined towards Her Majesty the Empress.”

The treatment of the nobles towards Winterdel also changed in an instant.

They said the number of responses from the nobles invited to the banquet held in Winterdel this time had significantly decreased.

On top of that, the neutral faction nobles had already started to show signs of turning their backs.

At that moment, Eblina’s dedicated attendant quickly entered.

“I brought the head court lady Marianne, what should I do?”

“Let her in.”

Soon Marianne, who entered, looked around once and took a seat in front of Eblina.

“You said you have something to say to me.”

The two scanned each other with probing gazes.

Marianne frowned, recalling the experience of seeing Eblina in front of the Empress’ Palace before.

The image of her treating the Empress rudely was still vivid in her mind.

She could roughly guess the reason for calling her today.

Eblina also recalled Marianne blocking the Empress’ path at their previous encounter.

She was an impertinent and unpleasant woman, as much as back then, no, even more so.

Eblina’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Marianne.

“It seems the Empress does not properly teach etiquette to her court ladies?”

“I don’t mind being insulted, but I cannot tolerate disgracing Her Majesty the Empress.”

What will you do if you don’t tolerate it? Eblina smiled at the corner of her mouth as if she had found an interesting prey.

The lip curled up on only one side was full of a mocking air towards the other person.

“I feel like testing how far that loyalty goes when I see people babbling about their pathetic loyalty.”

“……”

“Shall we see how far that loyalty of yours goes?”

At Eblina’s ominous words, Marianne straightened her body.

The opponent was Eblina Winterdel.

Marianne was not unaware that she had called her with the sole intention of doing something to her lord.

Of course, Marianne had no intention of ever yielding to such a thing.

However.

“Your younger sibling is very ill, I heard?”

Marianne’s hand trembled.

“Did you investigate my background?”

Eblina said leisurely, lifting her teacup.

“It’s not impossible. Is it a big deal for me to dig into your background?”

“If it becomes known that you are threatening me using my sibling, you will no longer be able to keep your position as an assistant!”

Eblina inwardly laughed at Marianne, who bared her claws like a feisty cat.

Although it started as an unpleasant encounter, if she could win over this type to her side, they would not easily betray her.

“Don’t bare your claws like that. I’m not threatening, but proposing a deal.”

“What do you mean?”

At Eblina’s nod, the attendant brought a box and placed it on the table.

Eblina pushed it towards Marianne and opened the lid with a click.

Inside was a gold case.

“I heard the medicine for your sibling is quite expensive.”

As if taking back what she gave, Eblina closed the case with a click after a brief moment.

Marianne could not take her eyes off the closed box.

In fact, the cost of her sibling’s medicine was too high for Marianne to handle.

It was because the main ingredient of the medicine, dragon claws, was rare.

Her sibling, as if knowing her sister’s hardship, said to give up whenever the time came, but…

If she had intended to do so from the beginning, there would have been no need to steal her master’s jewels and wander around incurring debts.

Even now, it was the same.

She received an advance for the next month but could only get a few pills of the medicine.

Having already borrowed from the court ladies wherever she could, there was no way to get more money.

At this rate, she might have to send off her sibling before long.

But she did not want to beg Eblina and prolong her sibling’s life.

At that moment, Eblina showed her eyes bewitchingly.

“If you become my person, I will take responsibility and save your sibling.”

“……”

“Using the position of the assistant and the information power of Winterdel, would obtaining the cure for that measly illness be a problem?”

There was nothing theoretically wrong with Eblina’s words.

She held the position of the Emperor’s assistant. If she mobilized the information power using that position and authority, she would be able to easily obtain information that Marianne could not have.

In other words, it meant that she could obtain the life-saving medicine that would not just prolong but save her sibling’s life.

“Do you have a mind to negotiate now?”

Marianne’s eyes shone differently from a little while ago.

*

After Vivian disappeared, Casius looked around the hideout.

It was to check what Vivian had touched.

His eyes surveying the surroundings were gloomy yet meticulous.

If Vivian had come all the way here and rummaged through Rachel’s belongings, it seemed he would not easily forgive that much.

Fortunately, in his sweeping gaze, everything remained in its place without a single disturbance.

However, there was a curious point.

The space, which should have accumulated dust after not being visited for many days, was strangely spotless.

Come to think of it, when he entered here, the Empress was motionlessly staring into the void without a single movement.

Seeing her startle at the sight of him, she had not moved after sensing his presence either.

Casius sat in the same spot as the Empress and looked at the wall with the same gaze as her.

There, a portrait of him and Rachel was drawn.

A long time ago, it was something they had drawn together and hung up.

If someone else saw it, they might laugh, calling it a terrible drawing skill.

In fact, Tikan, who saw this, could not hold back and burst into laughter.

But to Casius, this painting was precious.

Was there even a single thing among the memories with Rachel that was not?

However… that was only for him, and there was no way the Empress had come to see the painting.

The Empress probably didn’t even know what this painting was.

The image of her claiming with a wronged expression that she had entered because there was a strange door suddenly flashed through his mind.

‘Is what the Empress said really true?’

Of course, it was not strange since the Empress was a mage.

If she had been wielding mana, she would have felt a strange flow.

It was curious that she would purposely pass by this place, though.

After that, Casius was unable to leave the hideout for quite a long time.

He came to his senses when the north wind seeping through the window struck his face.

Only after regaining his reason did he leave the hideout and head towards the Emperor’s Palace.

Tikan, who had returned at some point, quickly followed behind him.

“A report has been submitted regarding the orphanage issue you mentioned before.”

“Orphanage issue?”

“I mean the issue of the Empress’ birth.”