“So. The conclusion is that you couldn’t bring the magic mirror.”

A voice filled with anger echoed ominously through the space.

Casius continued speaking fiercely, looking straight into the eyes.

“I understand the Empress’s intentions well. It seems your love for me only goes that far.”

I had seen such eyes of Casius long ago.

When seizing what he wanted from the prince of an enemy country, when annihilating monsters that harmed the imperial people.

When he asked the Emperor to go to the battlefield to marry me…

Casius always had such aggressive eyes.

If I hadn’t seen Casius like this in my previous life, I might have retreated from the intense aura.

However, as I had anticipated this, it wasn’t difficult to maintain a calm face.

“I apologize. The location of the magic mirror was too secretive, and there were several layers of magic circles, so it was unavoidable.”

The reason for making excuses and covering it up like this was simple.

When the enhancement stone touched it, the light emitted by the magic mirror was red.

The meaning it indicated was simple.

‘Rachel is dead.’

It was a completely different result from what was expected.

I expected the answer to be that she was alive since my soul is clearly alive like this.

The magic mirror clearly judged life and death based on the state of the physical body.

Anyway, now that the result came out like this, I quickly calculated that it would be foolish for me to move directly.

In this situation where it shows I’m dead, there’s no need to secretly take away the magic mirror while arousing suspicion from Diarob.

Casius looked at me fiercely as if telling me to continue.

Others might have averted their eyes, but I faced that look straight on.

Perhaps because of that, Casius’s eyes looking at me trembled slightly.

“But if you give me one more chance, I will definitely bring the magic mirror.”

“If you’re thinking of making excuses, stop it. I’m already facing the Empress with my best effort right now.”

“I will persuade Duke Diarob to take action. I’ll have the Duke deliver the magic mirror to Your Majesty directly.”

The silent Casius looked at me with eyes that were impossible to read what he was thinking.

His distinctive blue eyes wavered while holding my gaze.

“In the meantime, Your Majesty, please just prepare Lady Rachel’s belongings. If you do that…”

For an instant, a sneer deeply settled on Casius’s lips.

As I couldn’t continue speaking at the sight of that breathtaking figure, he muttered in a low voice.

“The Empress seems to think I’m a fool who believes everything she says.”

The flat voice was full of murderous intent.

Casius issued an order to leave with a dry expression, as if he didn’t want to hear anymore.

“You may leave now. I don’t think I have anything more to hear from the Empress.”

“Your Majesty, just one more…”

Casius, who had lowered his gaze, slammed the book shut irritably.

“Can’t the Empress hear me telling her to leave?”

The momentum was so intimidating that it seemed he wouldn’t listen to anything else.

There’s probably nothing good in pushing further here.

Anyway, Casius will eventually have no choice but to take my hand.

Because I’m the only one who can take it out from the Snowfel ducal family.

“I understand.”

That’s how carelessly I thought.

*

After Vivian disappeared outside, Casius drank alcohol again.

As the burning taste brushed his esophagus, his mind became even clearer.

She said she would persuade Diarob.

The day he met that man was as vivid as yesterday’s scene.

One thing was certain.

Diarob will never hand over the magic mirror.

No, from the beginning, Casius couldn’t believe the assumption that the Empress would properly persuade him.

The Empress had squandered several opportunities to bring the magic mirror.

She made various excuses, but Casius simply dismissed them all as pretexts.

Well, it would be stranger to bring it knowing what the magic mirror is trying to do.

Or… she confirmed that Rachel is alive.

The Empress declared with her own mouth that she would step down if she were alive.

Yes. It was nonsense to expect the Empress to hand over the magic mirror in the first place.

If Rachel is alive, the Empress will surely try to kill her.

Now Casius felt pathetic about himself.

He should have found Rachel himself before finding her in Snowfel.

Casius’s insides were boiling like fire.

But soon he hardened himself cold as ice and ordered in a low voice.

“Tikan. Gather the central army.”

“What? Why suddenly the central army…”

“We will attack Snowfel.”

“…!”

*

After returning to the Empress’s palace, I immediately sent a letter to Diarob.

‘Now I just need to bring my real belongings.’

Since I couldn’t give him the enhancement stone, I needed something new.

Finding something new wasn’t that difficult.

After glaring at the love guide for a while, Marianne came in.

But why is her expression like that?

Her face with an unusual expression was glistening with moisture.

My heart sank at the clear tear marks.

Hadn’t Marianne gone out saying Iblina called her when I was heading to the Emperor’s palace?

An ominous feeling crept up.

“What happened?”

“Well, that…”

After hesitating for a long time, Marianne finally continued speaking.

“Iblina has started to suspect me.”

“Suspect?”

“She says the family doctor of the Winterdell family visited her brother. She seems to be suspicious of me since then.”

Marianne’s face was pale as she trailed off.

But soon she hardened her face resolutely.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure no harm comes to Your Majesty the Empress somehow.”

I could guess what Marianne was thinking.

Since saving her brother’s life, she didn’t mind even dying for my work.

In fact, even working as a double agent under Iblina was like that.

“You don’t need to do that. Do you think I can’t handle that level of matter properly?”

“No. That’s not it, but…”

As I curled up the corners of my mouth, Marianne looked at me as if enchanted.

“Iblina’s suspicion will soon disappear if you bring her one new piece of information.”

“New information…”

“There is a magical tool called a magic mirror in Snowfel. It can determine a person’s life or death.”

“…”

“Diarob will soon hand over that magic mirror to His Majesty.”

“What? But if that’s delivered to His Majesty, His Majesty will try to determine Rachel’s life or death.”

“That’s why he’ll deliver it even more.”

“Then…”

Marianne’s eyes lit up as if she understood my intentions.

Seeing that, I smiled leisurely.

“Go to Iblina and leak this information.”

If Marianne proves her usefulness, Iblina will never be able to abandon her.

She will think there is no more loyal subject to report about me from my side than Marianne.

Not knowing it’s poison, she will drink that poisoned cup as it is.

Iblina’s opportunity will become a crisis, and my crisis will become an opportunity.

*

After reporting, Marianne swallowed her saliva and looked at Iblina.

Recently, there was madness in Iblina’s eyes when she asked if she was a traitor.

The sight of her giggling and grabbing her chin was so vivid it could appear in dreams.

Iblina curled up the corners of her mouth after hearing the report.

With inscrutable eyes, she grabbed Marianne with one hand, stared at her intently, and then let go.

“Is this absolutely true?”

“Yes, it is. Why would I report something untrue to my lord? My brother’s life is preserved thanks to you.”

Iblina looked into Marianne’s devout eyes and fell into thought.

After hearing from the doctor that Marianne’s brother was fine, she felt uneasy and was about to discard this wench…

The wench clearly didn’t know that her brother had escaped his terminal illness.

Otherwise, would Snowfel’s dog be trembling and showing loyalty like this in front of her?

Iblina noticeably curled up the corners of her mouth.

“This time you’ve brought some useful information.”

Only then did Iblina release Marianne’s chin that she had been holding.

Marianne lowered her head, exhaled the breath she had been holding, and then raised her head again to observe Iblina.

Iblina was silent for a moment, lost in thought.

Then her voice, muttering in a low tone, was full of laughter.

“The day our Empress will fall is not far off.”

Iblina’s calculation was simple.

His Majesty’s search for the object called the magic mirror must be all to find Rachel.

They said His Majesty had been embracing that ghost for quite a long time even after that woman died.

On the other hand, if Duke Diarob is handing over the magic mirror to His Majesty, it must mean Rachel is dead.

From Duke Diarob’s standpoint, Rachel has to be dead for the Empress and Emperor to consummate their marriage.

But what if the magic mirror in the Emperor’s hands shows that Rachel is alive?

Will the Emperor leave the Empress in that position even then?

Removing the Empress from that position was the priority.

If this is used well, she could turn the cards in her favor.

The corners of Iblina’s mouth curled up pleasantly.

“You may go now.”

Marianne bowed her head deeply, and as she turned around, she kept Iblina’s expression in her eyes until the end.