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CHAPTER 56
Duty of the Fourth Surveillance Officer.
Emin Le Caliberg.
— said,
“Lili noona, have you finally gone crazy…?”
…Perhaps I looked that way to him, which is probably why he said it.
Leaning deeply into the sofa, I met Emin’s gaze as he looked at me with utter incomprehension—and smiled softly.
“Do I look like a crazy person to you?”
“Very much.”
“Oh no, what a shame. I’m perfectly sane.”
“This isn’t the time for jokes.”
Emin, unusually serious, glared at me. But he was still just a puppy—far from intimidating.
Maybe he realized that, because he started ruffling his own hair in frustration.
“Why are you so obsessed with meeting criminals lately? Like with Taksid back then—and now, even after your nanny turned out to be a felon, you want to go meet them? And you even said—”
‘Help them escape, Emin.’
—That!
“Why should I? They tried to kill you!”
“Don’t you know an enemy of yesterday can be today’s ally? Especially when we share a goal.”
“What? Is your dream to die young? Is that why you’re releasing people who want you dead?”
Emin snapped, setting down his teacup and shaking his head.
“You know that’s not what I meant. They were being blackmailed by the Empress. Especially Iolde, my nanny, who works as the head maid in my mother Ayla’s palace. The baron didn’t have a choice either—it was his family on the line.”
“Even so, that doesn’t excuse their crime of attempting regicide. Anyway, I can’t help you. As long as they haven’t paid for their crimes, I won’t lift a finger.”
Emin crossed his arms and turned his head away, clearly determined to put his foot down for once.
So I looked at him with a hurt expression.
“Really…?”
“Yes.”
“Even when I’m asking like this…? Me, your noona…?”
“…Yes.”
“I thought if it were you, you’d help… I must really look strange to you. I understand….”
“….”
“It must seem ridiculous. Just recently I was lying in bed poisoned, and now I’m talking about saving them out of sympathy.”
“I—I didn’t think of it that way.”
“But that’s how it must look….”
When I made a pained face, Emin flinched. He always stuttered when flustered.
And now, he was stuttering.
‘There’s my opening!’
Clutching my skirt tightly, I welled up with tears.
“Emin… Can’t you help your noona just this once? I’m just… upset. You know how much you and Nanny meant to me growing up…”
“…I know. You and I were each other’s pillars.”
“Right. So at least for Nanny, who probably didn’t know anything about what was going on… This was likely all the baron’s doing. That’s why I want their punishment to be stripping them of all noble privileges.”
“…And you want me to help them escape.”
“That’s right.”
“….”
“Still no…?”
With hands clasped and a teary face, I looked up at him. Eventually, Emin clutched his head and shouted.
“Fine! I’ll help! Just please stop making that face. I never know what to do when you cry like that.”
“Thank you, Emin. You’re the best. I love you, my amazing little brother.”
Emin blushed furiously and quickly covered his face.
“Then promise to be my partner next time.”
“Partner?”
I blinked, and his already red face deepened as he fiddled with his fingers.
“Before you started going to the Magic Tower, I was always your partner at banquets or your escort… But lately, Father and Dmitri keep stealing my role…”
“Aha.”
Now that he mentioned it, I hadn’t gone to a banquet with Emin or even spent time with him properly in ages.
Busy as I was, he must’ve felt lonely again.
‘Maybe I only came to him when I needed something.’
That thought made me feel guilty. I smiled and moved beside him, gently patting his head.
“If everything works out, let’s go to the garden again like old times. We’ll have tea and hang out.”
“Really? But you’re so busy these days. Will you have time to see me?”
“I’ll postpone things if I have to.”
Or get them done in a flash.
‘I was so focused on my work, I almost forgot to take care of my people.’
I continued to stroke his head, and eventually, Emin opened his arms and hugged me tightly, finally letting go of his sulking.
“You can’t ever abandon me, okay?”
“Of course not.”
How could I ever leave you?
Before I regressed, after you were gone… I struggled with a loneliness so deep it nearly destroyed me.
‘That’s why I have to help the Riverdleys escape quickly.’
Otherwise, as the Empress planned, they’d end up executed.
That was the one outcome I couldn’t allow. Losing another precious person would be unbearable.
I smiled confidently, already excited about what was to come.
And the following night, the Riverdleys escaped.
Leaving behind a note and the deed to their land as an apology.
Rumors quickly spread that the whole thing had been a scheme between me and the Riverdleys.
* * *
Letters flooded in from noble households.
Five from young ladies I had befriended at the last banquet, including Lady Emily Griscilla, and more trickling in from those eager to win my favor—like Marchioness Beisa Yolin.
Ilia frowned and said,
“Just when things seemed to be going well, the whole imperial capital is in chaos. They’re saying the First Princess staged a poisoning with Baron Riverdley. His Majesty is searching the royal forest, and it’s madness….”
“It’s just baseless gossip. Why else would the baron sever his ties and wealth to help me? It only shows that he’s truly remorseful and begging for mercy.”
“Still… Some are spreading rumors that the baron wanted to defect to another country and made a deal with you.”
That was likely spread by the Empress and the Yevgeni faction.
‘But only their side seems to believe it. The neutral and pro-me factions don’t seem convinced.’
Anyone with a brain would know that even if he defected, a noble who committed treason wouldn’t get to live in luxury again. Anyone with business sense would understand that.
Baron Riverdley was sharp and already well-off. No one truly believed the rumors the Empress and her allies were peddling.
I laughed as I admired the land deed signed by Cesare Riverdley.
‘The amount I can pull from this estate fund…’
It would take a month for full ownership to transfer, but the Empress would no doubt try something during that lull.
‘If I can catch her then, all the better. But that meticulous woman won’t leave evidence easily.’
But what if I became the Emperor’s favorite?
“How’s Yevgeni?”
Just then, Mullin returned from spying and reported,
“She finally woke up after two weeks. The Second Princess’s palace is in full celebration and—”
“And?”
“Also mourning.”
“Oh dear.”
Ilia snorted a mean laugh.
How unfortunate.
‘She must’ve heard I developed the cure.’
Reading my expression, Mullin chuckled brightly and nodded.
“It seems Princess Yevgeni went into a rage. I stopped by briefly and saw maids rushing around in panic.”
“She must’ve overheard it then.”
“Yes, and since waking up, she refuses to take the medicine—even though we had to drip it into her mouth while she was unconscious.”
So stubborn, even while sick. Her haughty sister, whom she used to look down on, had created the cure for magic insensitivity—it must’ve been a huge blow to her pride.
‘I thought she’d wake in two days, but thanks to that, I bought some time.’
Stabbing a ripe peach with my fork, I bit in and said,
“I went through hell making that cure, and she won’t even take it….”
What a fool.
‘All she’s doing is cementing her rotten personality in everyone’s mind.’
“And she won’t last long anyway.”
That drug—
Once taken, even slight withdrawal would trigger symptoms.
It contained a rare compound from Nocturne that caused severe withdrawal, especially in long-time sufferers of magic insensitivity.
The pain was ten times worse than usual, accompanied by high fever and cognitive disorientation.
And I, of course, knew how to treat it.
‘So keep struggling.’
Until the Emperor gets tired, until Prince Dmitri gives up on you, until even the Empress casts you aside.
When that time comes, I’ll come “rescue” you, Yevgeni.
I set my teacup down and looked at my maids.
“Want to make a bet with me?”
“A bet?”
“What brought this on?”
“Because it’s fun. The thrill of waiting for the outcome is delicious.”
Mullin tilted her head and asked,
“What’s the bet?”
“What’s it about?”
It was—
“How many days it’ll take for Yevgeni to come crawling to me.”
I’d bet both my wrists she comes within three days.
* * *
“Nooo—!”
“Please, Your Highness!”
“Somebody, stop the Second Princess!”
No, no, no!
“I won’t take it! It’s medicine from Lirien unnie! Why should I? Why do I have to?!”
The maids were drenched in sweat as they pleaded with the raging Yevgeni.
“Please, Princess Yevgeni! The medicine has passed all clinical trials. The patients with mana insensitivity are all recovering! Lady Sorcier even published the results…!”
“I said no!”
While asleep, she had overheard whispers:
‘If it weren’t for Princess Lirien, what would’ve happened to Her Highness Yevgeni…?’
‘She might’ve never woken up. Princess Lirien really is our savior. We nearly lost our mistress.’
‘She’s amazing, isn’t she?’
The First Princess—
The fool who once hid away in the palace now strutted around like a chick hatched from an egg.
Grinding her teeth, eyes bloodshot, Yevgeni kicked and flailed.
“No! I’ll never accept help from Lirien! Never! Call Father! I won’t take her medicine! Now! Or I’ll die right here!”
Her tantrum forced the maids to give up and slowly shuffle out of her room.
One brushed her soaked bangs back and muttered,
“Damn it. If I’d known, I would’ve applied for the First Princess’s palace…”
“What’s wrong with her? I thought she got along with Princess Lirien?”
“How would I know? She seemed sweet, but now she’s just a spoiled brat.”
Though still young, Yevgeni’s behavior made even loyal imperial subjects frown.
“Princess Lirien, on the other hand, always maintains her dignity.”
“I see her in a new light. Remember when His Majesty hurt his hand saving her?”
“Shh! You can’t say that. Royal injuries are top secret.”
“It’s just us here.”
They continued, praising Lirien even as they walked the halls to report to the Emperor.
“I heard Ilia could take a vacation because of Princess Lirien.”
“What? We can’t even rest with a cold, but she got time off?”
“Yeah. Even though she had to come back due to the palace unrest, that’s still something. It’s all thanks to the First Princess’s kindness. She’d never stage some fake poisoning.”
“There were a lot of suspicious things too.”
“Right. Anyway, she’d never do something like that.”
Just then, Lanya passed by and scowled.
“You want to get arrested for insulting royalty?”
“What’s with your tone?”
Lanya glared and said coldly,
“Think about that girl who used to be beside me. She died for running her mouth.”
“….”
“Don’t think you’re immune.”
She turned and left, leaving the maid red in the face.
Clutching a new blanket for Yevgeni, Lanya bit the inside of her cheek.
‘Sure, she was helped—but how dare they compare them.’
Princess Lirien and Princess Yevgeni were on completely different levels.
Being the daughter of a duke gave Yevgeni the upper hand over Lirien, daughter of a mere countess.
‘These fools must’ve forgotten that Princess Lirien kept the Emperor from hearing about Yevgeni’s condition for weeks.’
That girl wasn’t a saint.
If anything, she was a devil—not the symbol of virtue.
Two pale veins bulged on Lanya’s hand.
