Casius’s face as he left the Empress’s palace was like that of a beast about to embark on a hunt.

With each step, the Empress’s last request echoed in his mind.

“Spend next weekend with me alone at the 35th Palace of Wolfdor.”

Did she forget that she had caused a commotion on the night of the coronation ceremony?

Let’s just say that was because Duke Diarob had gone crazy.

That day, even after putting on such a performance, was it still not enough for her?

If the Empress was suffering from the Ilachino disease, it was obvious what kind of things she would be doing and where.

In the midst of all this, she was still sitting there pretending to like him.

She was an absurd woman beyond belief.

If her entire purpose was to destroy Snowfel, she could have just played her role as an ally properly.

Her true intentions were impossible to know for sure.

Come to think of it, apart from trying to strike at his family, she might have had ambitions to hold the crown prince in her arms.

A crown prince in this situation, was that woman really crazy?

Casius, with a sneer on his lips, slowly made his way to the Emperor’s palace.

As he passed by the Secretariat building, the brightly blooming purple flowers caught his eye.

The scent of the flowers brushing against his nose deepened his already complicated thoughts.

The image of her back as she planted flowers in front of the Secretariat building overlapped in his mind.

Come to think of it, the Empress’s plans were laid out as steps for Rosemary.

In the bigger picture, they were laid out as the most effective way to maximize the empire’s gains, but in reality, all of those things would empower Rosemary.

There was not a single one among them that benefited the Empress herself.

Not only that. What about the rosemary she planted in front of the Secretariat building?

Those determined violet eyes that said she needed him, not just an ally, covered everything else.

Tikan had said it before.

That the Empress seemed to love him. Sincerely.

The damn headache seemed to throb again with his muddled thoughts.

Wasn’t the reason the Empress had been moving all this time for revenge, not for him?

Just a moment ago, the Empress’s words washed over him like a tidal wave once more.

That she was trying to destroy Snowfel for his sake.

She had said something like that before too. Her consistency was outstanding.

‘As if I would believe such words.’

But.

The problem was that it seemed to be true.

‘What is that woman thinking? Does she really love me or something?’

In fact, it didn’t matter either way.

It would be ridiculous to dwell on such things in a relationship of mutual exploitation.

If those words about liking him were true, he had thought it would be unpleasant, but now that he thought about it, it was rather fortunate.

If that was the case, he could use the Empress more easily.

He could twist that damn emotion in his hand and do as he pleased.

But for some reason, his heart felt like a precarious wooden block placed on top of a Jenga tower.

It was no different from a sandcastle that seemed like it would crumble at the slightest touch.

The fluttering breeze shook his precarious heart dangerously.

That feeling was so damn aggravating.

If receiving someone’s sincerity was this disgusting, he never wanted to receive it in his life.

It was an unpleasant, extremely awkward, and aversive feeling.

It was perfect when she was just a crazy young lady with the blood of an enemy flowing through her.

Casius clenched his fist tightly.

*

Tikan gazed at his lord with a worried expression as he turned ashen gray.

Ever since leaving the Empress’s palace, he seemed to be lost in thought somewhere.

Like before, ever since some time, he had been like this every time he left the Empress’s palace.

“Are you alright?”

His lord, who would have normally asked what there was to not be alright about, was unusually silent today.

“About the Empress’s plan.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Isn’t it too perfect?”

“What do you mean?”

“No. It’s nothing.”

Tikan, who had been blankly staring at the back of his lord who had uttered incomprehensible words, took a defensive stance.

It was because he had heard a presence from the opposite side.

The moment the two of them turned at the same time.

Accompanied by hurried footsteps, the one who approached was the owner of this Secretariat building, Siron Rosemary.

“Greetings to Your Majesty.”

Casius smiled at him as he politely bowed.

The hardened expression from just a moment ago had long since disappeared.

Although he found himself repulsive, Casius’s desire was to at least maintain a proper outward appearance and not reveal any feelings to Siron Gyeong.

His face stiffened when he noticed Siron’s fidgety demeanor.

“Is something the matter?”

“Well……”

“Please speak. Don’t be hesitant.”

Siron’s mouth, which had been hesitating, opened for only a brief moment.

“I need the seal to communicate with the Kingdom of Leonharti……”

At the unexpected words, Casius and Tikan’s faces met each other.

Tikan, who always commuted with his father, also had no idea of Siron Gyeong’s intentions.

Soon, Casius turned his head straight and his gaze was directed back at Siron.

If it had been like usual, Siron Gyeong would have already stated the reason, so the fact that he still hadn’t spoken meant it was difficult to say.

“I will stamp the seal for you, so please finish what you need to do.”

Siron bowed deeply.

“I am honored, Your Majesty.”

Casius had Siron stand up and remained in place until he entered the Secretariat building.

Only after Siron Gyeong disappeared inside, apologizing profusely, did Casius finally move his steps towards the Emperor’s palace.

“Tikan, has anything happened in the territory recently?”

“No. There was nothing like that……”

Tikan tilted his head and observed Casius’s expression.

“If there is anything I can do, you should tell me without hiding anything.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Casius fell into thought as he looked at the Secretariat building with the lights still on.

Siron Gyeong’s anxious eyes…… gave him the feeling that it was definitely related to Rachel.

‘Could it be…… that he found Rachel.’

His heart sank low.

It had been 7 years since she disappeared, so it might sound crazy to some people.

But to Casius, this was a desperate issue.

A ray of hope brightly illuminated his heart.

Casius knew that Siron Gyeong was also desperately searching for his daughter more than anyone else.

‘Could Rachel possibly be in Leonharti?’

Siron Gyeong would definitely conduct the search for Rachel in secret out of consideration for him.

He had never even asked for Casius’s help since Rachel went missing, to that extent.

Casius, with a hardened face, soon gave an order.

“Find out what Siron Gyeong is doing and tell me if there is anything we can support. I will provide full support.”

“You don’t need to pay that much attention, Your Majesty.”

“I’m doing this because I want to.”

The side profile of Casius as he said those words seemed as if he was crying.

Tikan had no choice but to lower his head.

*

The following days were quite hellish.

“What about Siron Gyeong?”

“My father has not shown any particular movements.”

For the past few days, Casius had not been eating properly.

As if he had heard news that his elder sister was alive.

Even after hearing such reports hundreds of times before and being disappointed to find out it wasn’t true, nothing had changed.

Was this what it meant to carry the dead in one’s heart for a lifetime?

Tikan deliberately started his untimely report.

Among them, there was definitely news about Her Majesty the Empress.

“The rumors surrounding Her Majesty the Empress are becoming even more ominous.”

Casius, who had been walking towards the Empress’s palace for lunch with a usual face, abruptly stopped.

In the past few days, news of the Empress’s Ilachino disease had secretly spread among the people.

“The Winterdel family is indeed diligent.”

Suddenly, Casius became curious.

Was the Empress even paying attention to these rumors?

At yesterday’s lunch, she seemed to not care about such rumors at all.

‘What is the Empress thinking?’

Already, the imperial faction nobles, led by local lords, were submitting petitions.

This is a disgrace to the empire.

Your Majesty, please heed our humble opinions.]

It went without saying that at the center of their clamor were Duke Bashvir and Advisor Evelina.

On the opposite side, the petitions were also not to be taken lightly.

The main content was that the ruffians who started these malicious rumors should be caught.

For the past few days, the Empress had acted calmly as if she was unaware of these facts.

Was she putting on an act even though she knew?

“What do you plan to do? At this rate, Her Majesty the Empress will……”

Casius fell into thought as he watched Tikan unable to finish his sentence.

If it was true that the Empress was suffering from the Ilachino disease, there was a high possibility that she would be dethroned.

Not only that, her future would also be miserably ruined.

If he intended to use the Empress, it would be right to put an end to the rumors.

However, Casius decided not to do so.

If it was an issue of this magnitude, it would be possible to greatly collapse Snowfel’s power with the crime of deceiving the imperial family.

Of course, everything was based on the assumption that the Empress had the Ilachino disease.

Honestly, he was truly curious whether the Empress’s illness was really true or not.

*

The day of the great meeting arrived in an instant.

Displaying a sharp confrontation, the two factions lined up on either side of the carpet.

The imperial faction nobles noisily talked about this issue.

“The Ilachino disease? Isn’t that saying that Her Majesty the Empress has had sexual relations!”

“Isn’t this an unprecedented major problem?”

As Duke Diarob entered, a chilling atmosphere formed in the chamber.

His subordinates cried out, refuting their opinions.

“Are you insulting Her Majesty the Empress with such absurd rumors right now!”

“How can you believe such vicious rumors, oh my!”

The commotion died down when the gatekeeper’s resounding shout was heard.

“His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress are entering!”

The door opened, and there, the Emperor and the Empress, the protagonists of today, entered with an exceptionally striking appearance.

With each step they took on the carpet, the imperial etiquette was uprightly imbued in their dignity.

The Emperor, as always, kept a slight distance from the Empress, but the distance between them had narrowed compared to before.

That small difference in distance held quite a significant meaning to the nobles.

However.

Behind them, unlike before, Advisor Evelina was also present.