🔊 TTS Settings
~Chapter 54~
Don’t fall asleep. Wait.
She had only cast a simple recovery spell. It couldn’t fully heal serious wounds, but minor injuries or common illnesses would vanish almost instantly.
The noblewomen who received the gifts were never told they were magical artifacts.
“Hm.”
Conrad’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if something bothered him, but Regina quickly changed the subject.
“Don’t you think it’s about time the Grand Empress handed over financial authority?”
“Oh, that.”
Unfortunately, Chloe didn’t seem inclined to give it up anytime soon.
Conrad let out a short laugh.
“She’s been spreading rumors that you passed the test by using magic.”
“What nonsense.”
Regina snorted, clearly offended at the idea that she looked stupid enough to rely on such an obvious trick.
“Of course, I know that isn’t true.”
“If a lot of noblewomen had gone to the Grand Empress’s tea party, that rumor would’ve spread like wildfire.”
“It would have.”
But only nobles firmly aligned with the Grand Empress had attended Chloe’s tea party.
The fact that families who had waited neutrally for the balance of power to tip had moved toward the Empress’s palace was hugely significant.
“She’s really scraping the bottom of the barrel.”
“Those tactics used to work.”
As Conrad spoke, he rubbed Regina’s earlobe with his finger.
Her shoulders flinched slightly, but he didn’t stop.
“We need solid proof that the Grand Empress has been embezzling funds.”
His hand slid to the back of her neck, thumb pressing more firmly against her ear. Feeling the pressure, Regina tilted her head up.
As if he’d been waiting for it, Conrad leaned in and brushed his lips against hers.
“I could step in myself.”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
Regina rejected him without hesitation, then reached for him, looping her arms around his neck and pulling him close.
“This is something I need to handle—as Empress.”
“If you put it that way, I won’t interfere.”
A faint current of magic passed between their touching lips. What started as playful contact quickly heated up.
Their breathing tangled, awareness narrowing until they forgot they were still in the reception room. The sound of shared breaths, the warmth of their bodies—everything centered on each other.
“Mmm…”
Regina’s soft moan slipped between their lips, stirring Conrad. Before he could move, her hand was already undoing his cravat.
The moment her slender fingers brushed his thick neck, Conrad’s jaw tightened.
Her magic shouldn’t be lacking… then why?
Seeing Regina take the initiative—when she usually didn’t—sent a heavy rush of desire through him.
Just as he reached for her, ready to pull her closer—
The reception room doors flew open.
“Your Majesty! Urgent news!”
“Haa…”
Conrad let out an irritated breath. Only then did Limutan notice the languid atmosphere filling the room. He hesitated—but didn’t retreat.
“It’s truly urgent, Your Majesty.”
Limutan had no desire to interrupt time spent together, but this couldn’t wait.
“Don’t fall asleep. Wait.”
Already standing and adjusting his clothes, Conrad brushed Regina’s hair back, teasing the rim of her ear.
Swallowing the urge to bite her flushed cheek, he turned sharply and strode out.
His gaze was cold as it landed on Limutan, and the two disappeared from the room, leaving Regina alone.
As the tension drained from her body, Regina remembered her own actions and lightly smacked her burning cheeks.
Normally, she would have been curious about the urgent report—but she was too busy calming her face to think straight.
Without a word, Conrad returned to the Emperor’s office and listened to Limutan’s report.
“Knights from the Permang Empire have been confirmed crossing the barrier.”
He had already received word that the figures appearing at the border were not Fredericks knights.
“They’ve also been seen returning to the Permang Empire.”
“Has the barrier been breached?”
“It doesn’t seem so. We’re still monitoring, but it’s clear it can’t be crossed by ordinary means.”
“Then the Permang mages must be involved.”
“They may have built something into the barrier from the beginning.”
That meant Fredericks would need new plans.
As if monsters weren’t enough—now Permang knights too.
“Who’s stationed at the barrier right now?”
“Princess Stella is on watch.”
“Does she know about this?”
“Not yet.”
Conrad’s blue eyes darkened.
“I’ll need to go there myself.”
“Pardon?”
“First, I’ll finish securing financial authority. After that, prepare for immediate deployment.”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty.”
After giving his orders, Limutan left the office.
“I never expected to return to the barrier like this.”
His quiet murmur echoed through the room.
Conrad didn’t leave his office until the chief attendant arrived to announce that dinner was ready.
Two days later, Regina formally demanded that Chloe hand over all documents related to the imperial budget.
She didn’t send a private letter. Instead, she dispatched the Chief Steward of the Palace Administration—making it impossible for Chloe to ignore.
“Her Majesty says she trusts that you will honor your promise.”
“Hah!”
Chloe’s anger flared. She had been delaying the transfer of financial authority for as long as possible.
Just a little more time and the ledgers would be clean…
She had rushed to erase signs of embezzlement, but it wasn’t enough. Chloe snapped coldly at the steward.
“The Empress is certainly impatient. When did I ever say I wouldn’t hand it over? I’ll transfer it properly, in due course.”
“With respect, Your Highness, financial authority should have been transferred the moment Her Majesty received the Empress’s crown.”
The steward calmly sided with Regina, saying she had already waited long enough.
Realizing palace opinion had shifted against her, Chloe bit down hard on her lip.
“…By when does she want it?”
“She has requested all documents immediately.”
Though polite, the steward did not back down. As the one responsible for managing the imperial budget, his stance was firm.
You’ve taken more than enough already.
Chloe had never been generous to those who weren’t her people.
She had tampered with officials’ wages more times than he could count, and he despised her for it—especially for cutting the knights’ pay.
Though he now worked inside the palace handling documents, he had once gone on subjugation missions alongside those knights.
He understood their hardships better than anyone. That was why Conrad had placed him in this role.
His name was Humerno Sarvoy—head of the Sarvoy marquisate and Conrad’s former swordsmanship instructor.
“Chief Attendant!”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
At Chloe’s sharp call, the mustached attendant hurried over.
“Go and bring every financial document.”
“There are quite a lot. It will take time to gather them all.”
The attendant tried to stall, but it didn’t work on Humerno.
“Then I will wait and take everything at once.”
Bowing politely, he dropped heavily into a nearby chair.
The clear message—that he would wait no matter how long it took—made Chloe grind her teeth.
“…Bring everything. Now.”
At her low command, the attendant finally moved.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
