Lelia unexpectedly visited the Empress’s Palace. Given the need to accommodate Ustia’s mood, it was not proper to visit so suddenly, but it was an unavoidable choice.

After guarding the reception room for a while as instructed by the Lady-in-Waiting, a sound echoed through the silent space, signaling the opening of the door.

“Yeongae.”

Turning her head, Lelia saw Ustia walking in with a puzzled expression. Lelia quickly stood up.

“Your Majesty, I apologize for coming without notice.”

Lelia apologized before offering a greeting. Ustia, who had approached her, gestured lightly, as if dismissing the formality.

“It’s alright, you can stop apologizing and sit down, Lelie.”

Fortunately, Ustia’s mood didn’t seem significantly bad. Only then did Lelia sit down with relief.

“I heard from Terot that you have something important to say. What’s the matter, Yeongae?”

Ustia, without wasting any time, turned to Lelia and asked. Lelia couldn’t speak up right away because she couldn’t estimate how her words would be perceived by Ustia.

Meanwhile, Terot, understanding what Ustia wanted through his gaze, placed the prepared tea in front of both of them. The tea, rising from the teacup, filled the air with its warm aroma.

Lelia watched the rising steam like a contemplative haze. Then, looking at Ustia tilting the teacup to her lips, Lelia hesitated before finally parting her lips.

“Your Majesty, there’s one thing I’d like to ask… if it’s permissible.”

Her voice was overly cautious. Ustia, who became more curious as a result, tilted her head slightly before nodding both up and down.

“Of course. Go ahead and tell me, Yeongae.”

“Your Majesty, do you happen to know… about the name Caliph?”

“Caliph?”

Ustia repeated the mentioned name, raising her eyebrows slightly. Judging by her unfamiliar reaction and the way she repeated the name, it was clear she didn’t know the person.

“Well, I’ve never heard that name before. But why are you suddenly asking about it? Who is that person?”

“… I don’t know much about him either.”

“Someone you don’t know?”

“Yes. But Prince Consort seemed to know him… that’s why I asked, Your Majesty.”

Following Lelia’s words, Ustia furrowed her brows. Just mentioning Ibelia made it clear that it wasn’t a trivial matter to be dismissed lightly.

“I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about. You should explain in detail what happened to you, Yeongae.”

Ustia set down the teacup in her hand and, with serious eyes, stared at Lelia. As Lelia recounted the events of last night and today in detail, her eyes became filled with uneasy emotions. Yet, she continued to describe everything to Ustia.
Having listened to the entire story, Ustia seemed ready to provide an answer quickly. However, contrary to expectations, she hesitated to speak for quite some time.

Not only that, but an unfamiliar confusion began to manifest in her deepening eyes.

“… So, if I summarize what Yeongae said, last night Ibelia used the nickname ‘Cal’ when looking at Ruirian, and today she mentioned the name ‘Caliph,’ which seems to be related to the nickname ‘Cal.'”

“…….”

“Did I understand the content correctly?”

Ustia, once again, checked the details. Her complexion was turning pale.

While nodding her head, Lelia couldn’t shake off the feeling that something had gone wrong.

Whether her intuition was correct or not, Ustia’s complexion continued to pale.

“I’m sorry, but it would be better for you to leave now, Yeongae.”

“What? Your Majesty, but…”

Although Lelia hurried to speak out of confusion, she had to soon shut her mouth. Ustia, with a firm gesture, extended her hand in front of Lelia, as if signaling her to stop.

“I suddenly have a headache. It seems I need to rest. Terot.”

Ustia, with a complexion that turned even paler, stood up decisively. Then, asking Terot to escort her, she quickly left the reception room.

Alone again, Lelia, though realizing Terot had approached for a farewell, couldn’t easily stand up.

Something was definitely strange. It was evident that something unsettling was hidden behind the name Caliph.