“The puppies were doing well because they were so cute.”

“I see. Sucrel told me everything you said. If you have any excuses to make here, go ahead.”

I deliberately spoke to Gabriel in a stern tone.

Then those light green eyes trembled with fear.

He tried hard not to stammer, but it seemed difficult as Gabriel couldn’t give any answer.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry……”

“I’m asking for the reason. Why did you say that?”

“But I, I didn’t. I’m sorry for ma-making you wo-worry about someone like me. But I really… didn’t do it.”

“You didn’t? You didn’t say that someone as lowly as Sucrel could never be my consort?”

When I asked again, Gabriel quickly nodded. At that, I was dumbfounded.

‘Gabriel, look at this?’

I said, ‘If you have any excuses for what you said, let’s hear them.’ I didn’t mention a word about what that ‘statement’ was.

But what did Gabriel say?

Sorry. And he didn’t do it?

What didn’t he do?

If he really hadn’t said anything, he should have said ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘What am I supposed to do with this……’

It was a situation that was half interesting and half annoying.

Sucrel blamed Gabriel, and Gabriel claimed his innocence.

The one who was actually harmed here was Gabriel, so Sucrel was the culprit.

But… isn’t that statement Sucrel claimed to have heard too malicious?

‘This timid fellow, could he actually have a split personality?’

There were occasionally humans who used their tongues as weapons.

A vile nature that casually spouts words that hurt others and takes pleasure in seeing them affected.

Such people typically couldn’t even open their mouths to the strong, only being arrogant in front of the weak, so they weren’t really to my taste.

“Ple-please believe me… I really didn’t do it, Your Majesty.”

Thud.

Gabriel knelt before me and pitifully cried. But perhaps because of his too ordinary appearance, it wasn’t tears that particularly moved my heart.

Moreover, no matter how I looked at it, they seemed like crocodile tears.

“I’ll believe you this time.”

“Re-really?”

Gabriel suddenly lifted his head and rolled his eyes.

“Yes. I’ll have Sucrel reflect on his actions, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

I said that for now, hiding my indifference.

Gabriel kept bowing his head as he left, and a moment later.

When there was no one around, I asked Earl Chopin who had been standing behind me all along.

“How high were the stairs Gabriel supposedly rolled down? Is it really possible to fall without getting hurt if pushed?”

“If I may be so bold, no matter the height, it would be difficult to respond in that moment unless one is trained in falling techniques.”

“Right? But why wasn’t Gabriel hurt at all……”

I chuckled as I tapped the table.

The first reason I’m certain there are assassins mixed in among my consorts is that assassination threats have completely stopped since returning from the cruise.

Strangely, no night visitors come anymore.

I couldn’t help but think it was because they were already placed inside the Empress’s Palace.

The second reason was that their backgrounds were excessively vague.

One is the third son of a noble family, one is a wandering commoner, and one is a commoner expelled from his territory.

Aren’t the other two highly suspicious, except for Terion?

I accepted them knowing this in order to strike at the head rather than the tail.

The head of an organization that would send assassins disguised and infiltrated on my cruise, assassins good-looking or capable enough to catch Faivel’s eye.

I want to know who that is.

‘Moreover, their goal isn’t just assassination. They surely aim to leak information from the Empress’s Palace as well.’

What the Empress eats, wears, who she meets, the time she spends in her bedroom, her walking times.

All of that was information.

The reason high-quality information that only those residing in the Empress’s Palace could obtain was important was simple.

‘If I liked and often ate fish dishes, my enemies could bribe the chef in charge of fish dishes. Or they could bribe a maid to put poison in the bowl containing fish.’

However, all those close to me among the people in the Empress’s Palace currently were loyal.

None of them had any reason to betray me.

It was useless even if their families were taken hostage, because I had military authority.

There was a belief among the employees of the Empress’s Palace that if anything bad happened to them through any route, the Astaroth Knights would step in.

‘So they probably tried to bribe someone from the Empress’s Palace at first but failed.’

I gently raised the corners of my mouth.

“Then I suppose it’s time to show some vulnerability.”

Sucrel, who came to me every day to flatter me.

Gabriel, the victim of this incident who hadn’t shown his face since entering the palace. And Terion, who was said to always be cooped up in the library.

Among them, the least suspicious is Terion.

According to Faivel’s investigation, there really was a third son named ‘Terion’ in the Auclair family.

However, since Terion was the most intelligent among these three, I didn’t completely trust him.

How could I know if they hadn’t bribed Terion with promises of elevating his family?

‘A position like Foreign Minister would be enough to do that.’

Or it could unexpectedly be one of Enrique’s aides… or perhaps someone from the temple?

There were so many people who wanted me dead that they would have to take numbers and wait in line.

“Let’s see. When and where should I be alone for them to come try to kill me.”

“Please don’t say such outrageous things so cheerfully, Your Majesty.”

“It’s a joke, Earl Chopin.”

I started pondering while humming a tune.

First, I need to be far from the knights, and it shouldn’t be a path frequently used by servants or maids. It has to be a place with few people so they can rush in to try and cut my throat.

‘A garden would be perfect. Not the Empress’s Palace garden that’s impenetrably safe thanks to Mereum, but a garden in another palace would be good.’

For example… the main palace where the Emperor resides?

“Ah, before that I should attend the regular state council meeting. I wonder what reactions there will be if I bring all my consorts.”

“They will be quite shocked.”

“Right? It will be amusing to watch. That day, observe the consorts’ behavior closely. But don’t interfere.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Of course, Faivel could have chosen people who weren’t suspicious at all as consorts.

But he didn’t, probably because of the demonic proverb that ‘great risk brings great reward.’

Bringing in safe people would lead to nothing happening, but bringing in dangerous ones… Look. Isn’t this how accidents occur?

These big and small accidents will accumulate to become the stairs that will lead my enemies to the guillotine.

‘The next state council meeting is… conveniently tomorrow.’

It was enough time to beautifully adorn my consorts.

The next day, the ministers who came to the state council meeting were all so shocked they couldn’t close their mouths.

The Empress, dressed in a splendid golden gown, was followed by three consorts.

The man with lilac-colored hair flaunted an alluring beauty, wearing dazzling white formal attire adorned with jewels all over.

“Isn’t what that fellow is wearing the new fall collection from ‘Cullen & Keryx’?”

“Huh. I didn’t know there was someone who could truly pull off their clothes……”

Not all nobles called in tailors to have clothes made. It was too costly and time-consuming, so only high-ranking nobles could do that.

Nobles who were of high enough status to attend state council meetings but not wealthy enough as they lived off government salaries often wore ready-made clothes.

Thus, there were about ten famous clothing shops for male nobles in the capital, among which Cullen & Keryx was the one that sold the most flamboyant and eye-catching clothes.

To be frank… unless one’s looks could outshine the clothes, it resulted in a very ridiculous appearance, so it wasn’t that popular.

But the lilac-haired man pulled off Cullen & Keryx’s clothes perfectly.

His eyes beneath eyelashes so long it was hard to believe he was male were like lilacs, and his every movement was so graceful he was truly like a flower.

The clothes with shimmering white fabric embroidered with silver thread and adorned with brooches and jewels suited him so well that the nobles couldn’t utter any insults.

“With looks like that, he’s certainly fit to be a consort.”

“Ahem. I heard that one is a noble……”

Next, the ministers turned their gazes to the blue-haired man.

His demeanor as he quietly kept his eyes lowered showed much better refinement than the other two.

Of course, with narrow shoulders and an overall slender body, he looked excessively bookish, but judging just by his face, he was quite handsome.

With skin so white and clean without a single blemish, and slightly upturned eyes at the corners, he had a certain feline charm.

“I heard he’s the third son of a viscount family.”

“At that level, becoming a consort would be more of an honor, I suppose.”

“Indeed. It would be the family’s glory to receive the Empress’s grace.”

“That said, that one looks quite unremarkable, doesn’t he?”

The last was a brown-haired man following far behind the Empress, fidgeting.