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Chapter 42
As I followed the maids, I occasionally flew up to windowsills and pretended to groom my feathers—acting like a normal bird.
“Honestly, not many of us even know how to read or write. Maybe just Milon, Prin, Susan, Crissy, Daisy, and Harriet…”
Not many? That’s quite a list!
Then one of them, who had been sniffling the whole time, suddenly burst in.
“Oh right, Prin! She’s on vacation, so she’s not even in the palace. She’s going to be so shocked when she hears about Milon… sniff.”
“Quiet. Milon’s a traitor who tried to assassinate someone at the Emperor’s party. We’re lucky we weren’t all arrested with her.”
“But Prin was so close to Milon. Maybe she knows something—like why Milon did that?”
“Get a grip. You’ll get yourself caught too if you keep talking like that. Just keep your mouth shut.”
“The lockdown’s over now. She’ll probably be back tomorrow, right?”
That’s when I ended the magic connection.
The bird would’ve gone back to being normal and flown off.
When I opened my eyes, Calix was right in front of me, watching closely. The knights who had been in the room earlier were now gone.
“How was it?”
At his question, I told him everything I had just overheard.
“Prin?”
He frowned—he didn’t recognize the name.
“Yeah. They said she was close to Milon. She’s supposed to return tomorrow, so I’ll try talking to her.”
I wanted to find out if Milon really seemed like someone who’d do such a thing—or if she’d been acting strange lately, or looked like she was being threatened.
“From what I saw, the maids don’t really believe Milon did it either. But since the note appeared and she died, they’re all just keeping quiet.”
Calix seemed deep in thought, not even looking at me as he finally spoke.
“You said you’re sure the Emperor isn’t the culprit, right?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded. He furrowed his brows.
“Then… do you think even the Emperor doesn’t know who did it?”
“Hmm…”
I thought for a moment, then suggested another theory.
“Maybe the Emperor does know who the real culprit is—but to hide it, he framed an innocent maid.”
“You think he’s protecting someone? Why would he do that?”
“Maybe the real culprit is someone really close to him?”
“That’s… possible. But I doubt it.”
He made a good point. If the person was expendable, the Emperor wouldn’t bother protecting them.
I started wondering—was the Emperor glad I survived? Or annoyed?
Was he upset that someone dared to mess with something he considered his? If he didn’t know who it was, then he and I were on the same starting line.
“Is there any chance the note is real and Milon really was the culprit?”
“That she tried to kill you out of jealousy?”
I nodded. Calix gave a crooked smile.
“Jealous enough to kill because she wanted to stand by my side? Would someone that dumb really last long as a palace maid?”
“Well, she could’ve just snapped…”
“And I’m supposed to believe someone tried to kill you because of me?”
“No, of course not.”
Was Calix feeling guilty, worried the reason in the note might be true? That thought bothered me. I didn’t want him blaming himself.
‘For Calix’s sake, I have to find the real culprit—fast.’
I nodded to myself and mumbled something I hadn’t said out loud until now:
“Milon was murdered.”
Saying it out loud made it feel real.
Did she even know why she had to die?
Even though I never met her, I felt a rush of anger. Just like my parents, she was falsely accused and killed for someone else’s gain.
“So who was it? Who had the guts and power to poison someone in the palace and kill a maid?”
They had to be skilled, knowledgeable, and bold.
“First of all, they had to know the palace well. They also knew which maids could write.”
Calix nodded.
“And they had to be experienced enough to pull off a trick like that during a palace party.”
For a second, the idea of a professional assassin crossed my mind. But if that were true, the Emperor would’ve known.
Still, it was oddly reassuring to think that even the Emperor didn’t know who the real culprit was.
‘It’s frustrating to think someone else is targeting me too…’
That meant there were now three “teams” in the palace:
-
The Emperor—who wants me dead.
-
Calix and me.
-
A mystery person—who also wants me dead.
Why am I being targeted so specifically?
‘Is there something we don’t know?’
The Emperor’s reason for wanting me dead was the dragon. If someone else was trying to kill me, it was probably for the same reason.
Why else go through all this trouble just to secretly eliminate the daughter of a disgraced noble?
“Maybe… they know about the dragon.”
Then, a faint possibility hit me like lightning.
Someone bold enough to try something at the imperial banquet. Someone skilled and capable. Someone who might know about the dragon.
‘Could it be… that person?’
Just then, someone knocked on our door. The sound pulled me from my thoughts.
“Who is it?”
“A message from His Majesty.”
The voice responded, thinking my startled voice was directed at them.
“The Emperor? What for?”
“His Majesty wishes to speak with Miss Rena.”
This time it was Calix who asked. He bit his lip at the answer.
“Let them in.”
I felt nervous—what if it was someone else? But when the door opened, it really was one of the Emperor’s attendants. Calix’s reaction confirmed it.
The attendant bowed to me.
“His Majesty would like to apologize for the incident at the party and speak with you directly.”
“As you can see, she’s still unwell. Meeting the Emperor is too much right now.”
“His Majesty understands and won’t take up much of her time.”
“Then I don’t understand why he insists on meeting my mage personally.”
“As I said, His Majesty wishes to apologize for the unfortunate incident…”
“And what if I say an apology isn’t necessary?”
At that, I quickly shouted—
“No! I’ll go! I’ll go!”
Both Calix and the attendant turned to look at me in surprise.
‘Don’t make this worse!’
Before Calix could argue, I stepped forward.
“You said His Majesty wants to see me, right? Can I go now?”
“Ah, yes—of course. Right this way.”
“Wait. I’ll go with her—”
“His Majesty specifically requested Miss Rena alone.”
The attendant firmly cut Calix off.
Our eyes met. His gaze trembled with worry.
‘It’s okay. I’ll be fine.’
I mouthed the words and followed the attendant.
As I walked through the palace, I noticed something strange—it was too quiet. I didn’t see anyone around.
I clenched my hands together to stop them from shaking and took a deep breath.
‘It’s fine. I was going to meet the Emperor eventually.’
And this was the perfect chance to learn more about him—whether he knew the truth or was being deceived like us.
If nothing else, I was sure of one thing:
‘The Emperor doesn’t want me dead. Not right now.’
If I die, he loses the person who could bring him the dragon.
‘Which means… the advantage is still mine.’
Before I knew it, we were deep inside the palace. We passed long hallways and multiple buildings until finally, the attendant knocked on a huge door.
“Your Majesty, I’ve brought Miss Rena as requested.”
A calm voice answered from within:
“Let her in.”
It was a voice I’d never forget.
The Emperor’s sitting room was incredibly luxurious—every detail shouted power and wealth. The thick carpet muffled my footsteps, and golden patterns were embroidered everywhere. The Emperor’s velvet-covered chair sparkled. Even the ceiling had an enormous painting by a famous artist.
And right in the center of it all, sitting confidently on a couch, the Emperor greeted me.
“Welcome, Miss Rena. Are you feeling better?”
Just sitting there, she radiated authority. It finally hit me—I was standing in the Emperor’s domain.
I bit my tongue to focus and bowed deeply.
“I greet Your Majesty, the Sun of the Empire. Thanks to your concern, I’m feeling much better now. Thank you for your care.”
“It was only natural. Something like that happening at my party—have you heard? The culprit was caught.”
“…Yes. I heard she left a note and took her life.”
“Yes. Such a foolish letter. To think she’d be jealous of the Duke’s mage and do something so reckless.”
Tsk. The Emperor clicked her tongue.
‘Does she know who the real culprit is—or not?’
It was impossible to tell from her expression.
“Please, have a seat. I shouldn’t be making a sick person stand.”
“Thank you.”
I carefully sat down across from her.
