The murderer of Charles, lost contact with Orland, and Helsion’s proposal, among other recent troubles, filled my head. However, having Askan by my side made it possible for me to continue smiling.

Askan playfully pinched my cheek and turned his eyes in a teasing manner.

“Don’t flatter me. Even if you say nice things, I can’t stand having many men around you.”

However, it seemed that he interpreted my sincerity in a completely different way.
I couldn’t help but raise my voice without realizing it.

“I didn’t mean it that way!”

At the entrance of the Empress’s Palace, Yuelra, who had come to the mansion as a messenger yesterday, was standing. She glanced at Askan standing next to me and politely bowed, saying,

“You must be the Chief of the Guards. I was aware that today is the day when the Empress, Brelof Young Lady, and I are supposed to meet alone.”

“I have no intention of causing any trouble. I came here to ensure the safety of Brelof Young Lady under the Emperor’s orders.”

Helsion’s order to protect me became a pretext for various things. Yuelra nodded as if understanding. However, when her gaze shadowed and was not clearly visible, I noticed a faint frown.

So, Askan and I entered the Empress’s Palace. After receiving Yuelra’s guidance for a while, we finally arrived at our destination.

“Inside, the Empress is waiting for you. Chief of the Guards, you can wait in the reception room right next to…”

“It’s okay. We’ll wait here.”

Askan stood with crossed arms. Although he didn’t make any special movements, he looked firm, almost like a statue.

It was unknown how long it would take for Seruna to start the conversation. I looked up at Askan with a worried gaze and asked,

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes. I may not be used to waiting for you, but it’s probably one of the things I can do best.”

I chuckled and nodded. It was also a skill to make me feel loved every moment.

Being with him made me feel relaxed no matter where we were.

“Then wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

Yuelra, who was listening to our conversation, sent a suspicious look, but when I took the first step forward, she quickly regained her composure.

Opening the door quickly, Yuelra announced loudly,

“Empress, Brelof Young Lady has arrived.”

Clack, clack, I confidently walked into the room, the epitome of splendor.

The interior decorations were overly luxurious. Everywhere was adorned with gold, and valuable items with sparkling gems were everywhere.

It felt like a room set up to showcase wealth to others.

Sitting behind the luxurious tea table, Seruna’s figure was visible.

Seruna, even when she entered the room, greeted me with a bright smile.

“Thank you for coming all the way here.”

Even when I saw her at the party, Seruna looked delicate and innocent enough to fly away with the wind. There was no visible malice, even when looking closely and washing one’s eyes.

Bending my knees slightly, I greeted Empress Seruna with courtesy.

“I greet the Empress of the Kalua Empire.”

“We’ve met before, no need for such formality. Come over here and have a seat.”
Seruna gestured gracefully towards the opposite seat. I nodded and took a seat on the chair she indicated.

Shortly after, palace maids entered with an elegant tea set. I could tell from the rising steam that the tea had just been brewed.

Seruna poured tea into my cup first and said, “It’s tea received as a gift from another kingdom. It’s known to be rare, so I specially prepared it.”

“Thank you, Empress Seruna.”

I smiled innocently, as if I knew nothing. However, my inner thoughts were different. I had already noticed something strange at the palace party.

That day, I purposely avoided eating anything, suspecting that something might have been added to the food. People kept approaching me, recommending various dishes.

Given the already cautious state, witnessing such behavior only confirmed my suspicions. There was undoubtedly something wrong with the food.

“Perhaps something has been added to this tea as well.”

I had anticipated such a situation since the palace party. The palace maids who had brought the tea set a while ago subtly lit incense before leaving the room.

A faint fragrance pricked my nose. The smell wasn’t bad, but it reminded me of what Askan had told me before.

─ In fact, I got the idea for this perfume from the Emperor. After forming an alliance with the Manoco family, the Emperor first received an unidentified incense from them.

During the party, Ruphel tried to use perfume to hypnotize me. In that case, he could attempt the same using incense.

Although it might have been a dangerous situation before, now, thanks to the perfume Askan gave me, I had developed immunity to hypnosis.

I chuckled.

Today, Seruna’s intentions were obvious.

Seruna looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked, “Why are you laughing?”

“It’s amusing.”

“Amusing? Please let me know what’s so amusing when you drink the tea. I’m curious if it will suit the taste of a Young Lady.”

“Sure.”

As I picked up the tea cup, Seruna’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Suppressing a laugh, I dropped the cup to the floor.

Crash!

The tea cup shattered into pieces in an instant. It was clear to anyone that it had been intentionally dropped. I didn’t bother pretending it was an accident since I had no intention of playing along.

Seemingly surprised by the unexpected turn of events, Seruna spoke with a slightly shocked expression, “What is this… What are you doing?”

“Oh my, my hand slipped.”

I exaggeratedly covered my mouth, pretending to be embarrassed. In response, Seruna’s face stiffened even more.

“Brelof Young Lady!”
“Since you have no ears, speak quietly; I can still understand.”

“As the Empress of the Kalua Empire, are you in your right mind to act so arrogantly towards me?”

“I’d really like to ask Empress, how long do you plan to send assassins after me?”

Even with my straightforward question, Seruna showed no emotional fluctuation. She looked at me with angry eyes and muttered,

“What evidence do you have to dare speak like this in front of me? I have never sent assassins after Brelof Young Lady….”

“Oh, there are people waiting outside, so I don’t plan to have a lengthy conversation. I came here today because I have something to say.”

From the start, I didn’t expect to have an honest conversation with Seruna. She would never admit her guilt, and as a noble from another empire, it was impossible for me to uncover the truth here.

I came here to give her a final warning.

“Listen well, Empress. I also have my limits. I got entangled in an unexpected proposal, but I don’t have any personal grudge. If you stop here, I’ll let it go.”

Seruna stared at me without giving any response. I couldn’t read her emotions, but she didn’t offer any obvious excuses as she did a while ago.

It seemed like she was curious about what I was going to say.

Regardless of what she was thinking, I continued with what I wanted to say,

“Currently, the Manoco family holds power as the Emperor’s outsider, but that doesn’t mean there are no enemies within the Kalua Empire.”

As the influence of the Manoco family grew, so did the number of those hostile towards them.

Although they were currently suppressed by the Manoco family’s power, if I were to support them with magical engineering weapons, the situation could change.

“If you send assassins after me again after today, I plan to circulate the magical engineering weapons I’ve created to the opposition factions against you.”

In other words, all the weapons I created would be aimed at Seruna and the Manoco family.

Seruna, who had maintained her composure, widened her pupils.

It was a natural reaction. It was a tough response that no one, be it the empire, the royal family, or the nobility, could ignore.

Smiling at the seemingly shocked Seruna, I continued,

“I’m not talking about a one-time deal. I will lend weapons to your enemies until the day you, Empress, die.”

She had underestimated me for too long.

Now it was time to show the power I possessed.