The thought that Tikan might die made my heart tremble.

‘Somehow I need to overturn the situation and prove Tikan’s innocence…’

While I was holding the enhancement stone trying to organize my thoughts, Marianne entered with a presence.

After first discovering me in this state, she now reacted quite naturally to me holding the enhancement stone.

Noticing my troubled face, Marianne placed a pack on my face.

She seems to think I’ve developed a strange habit of holding stones to calm my mind and body, as if I’m suffering from anger illness like before.

She gently applied more fragrant oil to my hair while reporting on Casius’s movements.

“His Majesty went to the investigator, then stopped by the scribe’s building before returning.”

Marianne kept reporting on his movements, as if she thought he was the cause of my poor complexion these past few days.

In fact, if it had been a few days ago, her guess would have been correct.

I was troubled by Casius’s threatening words to bring the magic mirror.

But now, Tikan’s situation was such a serious matter that it naturally took precedence.

Anyway, her misunderstanding was very helpful from my position, so I quietly sipped my tea and listened attentively to her words.

“His Majesty seems to be very busy with Lord Tikan’s matter. His face was extremely dark.”

For the past 7 days, Casius had been moving busily around the palace with an ashen face, she said.

All his movements and actions were full of efforts to try to save Tikan.

The problem is that still nothing has been revealed.

In reality, this issue is difficult to uncover since there are no witnesses.

Lady Ravioli’s testimony will become law and determine Tikan’s sentence.

‘If I were Earl Whistleton, what would I have received?’

Since I had never directly faced Earl Whistleton, all I knew about the earl was what I had seen in passing.

As I closed my eyes, the Earl Whistleton I had glimpsed in the past went by.

The Earl Whistleton I knew was someone who habitually participated in central events.

He wasn’t particularly noticeable for his prestige or appearance, but there was one scene that stood out in my memory.

Despite being the leader of the Southern Territory, he would cover himself in fashionable items from the capital when attending events in the capital.

From the unique bow tie to the suit with the Wolfdor pattern that was trendy in the capital at the time, to the shoe-like footwear.

From head to toe, the earl would match the capital’s fashionable items at every event.

Excessively so.

The nobles joked about it, saying the people of the Southern Territory must be more sensitive to trends than themselves.

The earl’s attachment to the capital was particularly strong.

‘If that wasn’t simple admiration, but stemmed from an inferiority complex…’

“What about the ledgers?”

Marianne stopped brushing and immediately brought something from behind.

“Here they are.”

Several ledgers recording Earl Whistleton’s transaction history were placed on the table.

As I ran my finger down them, what I expected caught my eye.

Just a month ago.

Whistleton’s eldest son, Liantin, received one of the capital’s major official positions as Minister of Protocol and was also awarded a country house befitting the position.

The answer came simply.

Earl Whistleton, who had always envied everything about the capital, did this in exchange for his son receiving a major imperial position from Diarob.

The magic mirror issue, driving Tikan to the brink of death, it was all Diarob.

It was utterly disgusting.

However, their scheme was more meticulous than expected.

The circumstances of Whistleton’s son receiving an official position alone wouldn’t be enough to claim Tikan was framed.

Moreover, who would believe it when most people don’t even know about the exchange between Earl Whistleton and Duke Diarob?

My anger boiled at Diarob’s meticulousness in deliberately bringing in that far-off earl from the Southern Territory.

As I tightly gripped the enhancement stone with a fist consumed by anger, I heard Marianne’s voice.

“But you know.”

I turned my head as Marianne continued.

“How did you know these ledgers would be at the Rose Guild?”

Marianne’s gaze was fixed on the ledgers laid out on the table.

Ah…

The Rose Guild was a place I frequently used when I worked as an aide as Rachel.

‘Their leader, who doesn’t move well even for money, lost a bet with me and made a pact.’

Of course, now that I’m not Rachel, there was a somewhat tricky process.

But convincing him this life was easier than in my previous life.

There was only one way to persuade the guild leader.

It was the fact that he was a chess maniac.

In my previous life, I tried desperately to beat him, and in this life, beating him was a piece of cake.

The guild leader, without fail this time too, brought me what I wanted.

Thus, there is quite a history entangled in the relationship between the guild leader and me, but it’s not something I can speak of.

“Money can make guilds do anything, you know.”

Marianne nodded as if agreeing when I said this with a smile, and then stepped back.

As I closed my eyes again, that day’s events vividly flowed through my mind.

The stiffened Casius, Tikan who seemed angry and excited… and the blank note.

Judging by Tikan’s bewildered expression, there must have been writing on that note.

In a flash, something flickered through my mind.

“Marianne.”

“Yes?”

“Did you say that kid Tikan’s, I mean, Lord Tikan’s note is with His Majesty now?”

“Yes, that’s what I heard. Would you like me to find out more details?”

“No, that’s fine.”

I immediately got up from my seat.

My hurried steps soon stopped in front of the Emperor’s palace.

*

D − 3

It’s already been 7 days.

Casius now suspected that everyone who stood by his side was cursed.

Rachel became like that, and Tikan as well…

In reality, perhaps all problems stemmed from himself.

‘If Rachel were seeing this scene, what would she have said?’

It was only laughable.

Casius stared blankly at the empty note with empty eyes.

“It still hasn’t been restored?”

If things continue like this, Tikan will fall to become trash who tried to do something to the young lady as per the nobles’ petition, and won’t be able to avoid death.

“That… I’m sorry.”

“Is there any possibility of restoration?”

“The magic power of the one who used the closed magic circle seems extraordinary. It’s beyond my ability to handle…”

Rodgo couldn’t continue speaking and only bowed his head.

Casius lifted his tired eyes to stare into space.

Rodgo was chosen as the most outstanding among the top magicians said to be in the empire.

‘If even Rodgo can’t do it, then who on earth could?’

Seeing that they even used magic to do this, it’s clear someone deliberately tried to eliminate Tikan.

Yet we can’t even uncover that.

Of course, even if we can’t uncover it, we can’t just sit back and do nothing.

He wrote something down with a quill pen, then called the captain of the knights and handed it to him.

“Send this there. Without anyone knowing.”

The knight captain tilted his head slightly at the instruction to do it secretly, but soon bowed his head in acknowledgment.

Watching the retreating figure of the knight captain, Casius rubbed his face dry.

This was the best he could do, but it wouldn’t be enough to fully save Tikan.

He blankly stared at the empty note again.

‘Why can’t we restore this mere note?’

If only this note could be properly restored, things would clearly be different.

Tikan would be able to completely clear his dishonor and wouldn’t have to go through with an unwanted marriage, and he would be able to remain by his side as he is now.

As Casius pressed his temples, the voice of the head chamberlain rang out.

“The Empress has arrived.”

Right now, even without the Empress, his head felt like it was about to burst.

He had no desire whatsoever to add the Empress to this. Of course, even if there were no such matters, Casius had no intention of seeing Vivian.

Until she brings the magic mirror, what reason is there to see the Empress?

“Send her away.”

The head chamberlain, who had taken Tikan’s place, showed a troubled expression.

“Well, that…”

“What is it?”

At the cold voice devoid of emotion due to fatigue, the head chamberlain immediately reported.

“The Empress said she has something to say about Lord Tikan.”

Now is she trying to get attention even with that?

Casius, who had let out a laugh of disbelief, was about to dismiss the Empress but then changed his mind.

“Let her in.”

At this point, he was curious to hear what grand thing she would say.

Of course, whatever comes out of the Empress’s mouth, his answer was already decided.

Vivian, sitting across from him, had a solemn face as if she was about to say something resolute.

Seeing that appearance, Casius couldn’t hide his mocking laughter even more.

Appearing at such a time to spout more nonsense.

Now he was suspicious if it had become the Empress’s hobby to hear harsh words or enjoy pain.

“You said you have something to say?”

And you dared to say you have something to report about Tikan’s matter?

Casius stared at Vivian with a visibly hardened face.

The Empress’s unwavering figure filled his gaze completely.

It was common for people to feel crushed when looked at with such an expression.

Until now, everyone except the Empress had been afraid to even look at him properly when he had such a face.

But for some reason, the Empress was looking at him again with that kind of gaze.

Her gaze, overflowing with confidence to the point of seeming provocative, evoked both curiosity and displeasure at the same time.

The curiosity stemmed from the simple question of what nonsense she would spout, and the displeasure was because that appearance kept reminding him of someone.

The one who shouldn’t be recalled, Rachel.