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~Chapter 25~
I Can’t Just Watch Anymore
“Isn’t this a good thing, Your Majesty the Grand Empress? It turns out she really was a nobody!”
The head maid, who had been humiliated by Regina, tried to flatter the Grand Empress. He didn’t tell Chloe exactly what happened to him in the empress’s palace.
If anyone found out he’d been made a fool in front of the enemy, his reputation would be ruined. As a close servant of the Grand Empress, he wanted to keep everything he enjoyed, so he kept quiet about the truth.
Because of that, Chloe missed her chance to understand Regina properly.
“I need to look more into the Madeline baron family. Are there any distant relatives or anyone I could use against her?”
“I’ll go check, Your Majesty,” the head maid said, pretending loyalty.
After he left, Chloe was alone, deep in thought.
‘No matter how I think about it, something’s strange…’
Regina didn’t seem like someone who would give up this easily.
But even after thinking, Chloe found no answer. Since she controlled the imperial budget, she believed a girl from a poor baron family would have no way out.
“It must just be that she’s slow to act. Soon she’ll come begging me for help.”
Chloe calmed her worries, convinced Regina would soon come to her in desperation.
A Few Days Later
Evidence came out that the Grand Empress’s maids had been stealing money and buying cheap goods for the palace.
Regina finally drew her sword.
The maids, summoned by Regina, had no idea what was happening and were excited.
In the Grand Empress’s palace, if you worked hard, you’d sometimes get a reward, so they thought Regina would do the same.
“It must be that, right?”
“Of course! She hasn’t given us anything yet.”
They thought today was the day they’d get their reward and entered the sitting room with excited faces.
“Her Majesty the Empress is here!”
At the call of the emperor’s chief attendant, Regina entered.
This time, she was wearing a formal dress and moved with elegance.
As she sat gracefully on the sofa, the Grand Empress’s maids were speechless.
“It seems neither the head maid nor the maids from the Grand Empress’s palace know proper manners.”
Regina spoke quietly, but clearly. Only then did the maids realize they had failed to greet her properly and bowed deeply.
“We greet the moon of the empire.”
They felt strange—Regina had never asked for greetings before, even when they were working in the palace. Usually, when the empress passed by, everyone would stop and bow, but these maids had gotten used to ignoring her.
At first, they’d just watched for reactions, but over time, they had stopped bowing altogether. Now, even when summoned, it didn’t occur to them to greet her.
“I’ve been watching you all this time, thinking you were at least trying to serve me.”
The maids’ faces lit up—they thought she was about to reward them. But the mood changed in an instant.
“But I can’t just watch anymore.”
“What do you mean…?”
Viola was the first to sense something was wrong. The other maids started exchanging worried glances.
Regina pointed at the curtain by the window.
“These curtains are supposed to be fit for the imperial palace, but the pattern is cheap and there’s no shine. It’s just colorful on the outside, but anyone can see it’s poor quality.”
The maids froze. They had assumed Regina wouldn’t know the difference because she was from a country family.
Regina calmly pointed out the tricks with the sofa, the table, the carpet, and more. The more she spoke, the paler the responsible maids became.
“Putting this kind of trash in the imperial sitting room is disloyal. And it’s not just here—the hallways and banquet hall are even worse!”
Just then, Viola stepped forward with a bold look.
“That’s impossible! Every item in the empress’s palace was sent by the Grand Empress herself. For over ten years, she has managed the palace perfectly. She would be heartbroken to hear such things!”
Her tone was half-threatening, and the other maids held their breath. But Regina only smiled.
“Maybe Your Majesty the Empress doesn’t know what luxury really is…”
Suddenly, Viola’s mouth snapped shut. Regina had cast a silent spell.
“I’m not finished talking yet.”
Regina blew on her fingernails and continued,
“Of course, the Grand Empress wouldn’t send cheap goods on purpose. So someone else must have tampered with the palace items. And I think the culprits are the very ones who decorated the empress’s palace—you.”
Her cold blue eyes showed no emotion.
“So, I’ve already investigated.”
The maids felt a chill down their spines.
“Chief attendant.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The chief attendant, who had been standing quietly behind Regina, opened a file.
“Here are the details of the Grand Empress’s maids’ embezzlement: They bought food from cheaper places and kept the extra money, switched out the furniture for lower quality items, and more…”
Regina listened quietly as their crimes were listed one by one. Only the maids were in panic.
They could only stare in confusion as Regina watched them with a blank face.
Until now, Regina had seemed easy to handle. Even when the maids crossed the line, she hadn’t said anything.
The maids had thought she didn’t punish them because she didn’t know any better.
But now, they realized—too late—that it was the calm before the storm.
Sensing trouble, the maids finally dropped to their knees.
“Your Majesty the Empress! This must be some mistake!”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty!”
“We didn’t know! We only put out what was given to us!”
Regina silenced them again with magic.
The chief attendant finished reading the list of crimes without interruption.
Regina asked in a low voice,
“What is the punishment for stealing from the imperial palace budget?”
“If it’s a small amount, their pay is seized. If it’s a large amount, they must work in prison until they pay it back.”
“Are any of them innocent?”
“Not a single one.”
At the chief attendant’s words, the maids struggled to speak, but Regina’s magic kept them silent.
“Call the knights to deal with them.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Soon, the knights came and dragged all the Grand Empress’s maids away. Even as they were pulled out, they tried to shout excuses, but Regina’s magic wouldn’t allow it.
When the room was finally quiet, Regina smiled brightly.
“Now, shall I redecorate this palace?”
With all of Chloe’s people gone, only the maids and attendants Conrad had assigned to Regina were left.
“Everyone, please leave the palace for now.”
At her order, even the emperor’s chief attendant and the maids hurried out. They knew from experience not to hesitate when Regina spoke with that cold tone.
“What is Her Majesty going to do?”
“Who knows?”
They worried, since Chloe held the purse strings and wouldn’t give any money. Regina would have to handle it all on her own.
Alone in the empress’s palace, Regina paused for a moment.
‘If I use magic to redecorate, will I have enough reason to take control of the palace finances from Chloe?’
