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CHAPTER 05
It looked like a fairly convincing vow. It was the same fake oath Elufe Inferna, the villainess, had made to Roellin at the very beginning of the game when I first started playing.
Back then, I believed that any vow made like this had to be true.
‘Thanks to that, I learned exactly what deception really means.’
At any rate, the Emperor nodded surprisingly respectfully.
I wondered if this was the cheat code of invoking the Empire’s guardian deity.
In the original novel, the Inferna family was described as nonbelievers. So, in the game—which was based on the novel—Elufe, the villainess, often name-dropped the guardian deity hypocritically.
I didn’t know that the game and the novel shared the same worldbuilding, so I had been naïve enough to fall for Elufe’s act and suffered a crushing defeat early on.
Now, like I had back then, many others around me seemed to be falling for my words.
Since the Imperial Family mistakenly believed Elufe believed in the guardian deity, it made sense.
However, the Marquis of Slunt still glared at me warily, looking ready to pounce the moment I showed even the slightest weakness.
“To invoke your family’s honor and the guardian deity… Now I do want to hear what you have to say.”
The Emperor’s expression, on the other hand, softened slightly. Just mentioning the guardian deity seemed to please him.
Honestly, at this rate, he’d believe me if I claimed the deity was standing right next to him.
“Then, I shall speak the truth before the sun of the Empire. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I got lost in the palace today.”
The Emperor valued humility. That was why self-absorbed Rekanon feared him so much.
I focused entirely on lowering myself in a way that would win the Emperor’s favor.
“That is a lie. Count Inferna has brought the young lady into the palace numerous times.”
As expected, the Marquis of Slunt interrupted and challenged my words.
I found it petty that he was trying so hard to overpower someone younger than his own daughter, but I couldn’t argue. After all, he was the Emperor’s right hand—and I was the daughter of Count Inferna, the head of the noble faction and a thorn in the Emperor’s side.
“I remember it as well.”
“So Lady Inferna’s claim that she got lost in the palace is clearly not credible, Your Majesty.”
I wasn’t surprised by this. In the game, too, the Marquis frequently opposed Elufe on behalf of the Imperial Family.
‘Rigid branches snap, but soft water is silently absorbed.’
I recalled the line Roellin once said to Elufe in the game.
Right now, it was better to appear as water, not a branch, before the Emperor. That meant using a different tactic.
Slowly, I knelt to the floor beneath the Emperor’s gaze.
Rekanon, who had just been groveling minutes ago, turned pale.
“What are you doing?!”
His voice trembled, but I ignored him and faced the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, it may be hard to believe, but everything I’ve said is true. Because of my foolishness in getting lost, His Highness helped me. I apologize for having relied on him.”
Whether this approach worked or not, the Emperor gave an awkward cough and looked at me with some discomfort.
“Ahem. Is that all you have to say?”
“Your Majesty!”
“We were walking down the corridor together, and then suddenly, we heard the cry of a baby coming from the end of the hallway.”
I spoke firmly, cutting off the Marquis of Slunt just as he was about to interrupt again.
“His Highness rushed toward this room, so I followed him without hesitation. I had no idea this was a restricted area.”
“But it is restricted, Your Majesty. There’s no need to hear more from her.”
“There were no guards posted outside this bedroom. So to someone unfamiliar with the palace, like myself, it was impossible to assume it was Her Highness the Princess’s room. But even if I had known it was restricted, my actions would’ve been the same.”
At that, the Emperor’s shoulders flinched slightly.
“If anything had happened to the princess, as a loyal subject, I would’ve entered the restricted area without hesitation.”
“So you still deny any wrongdoing, Lady Inferna. Your Majesty!”
“It’s true that I didn’t seek Your Majesty’s permission beforehand. But I had no ulterior motive.”
I clasped my hands together in a prayer gesture toward the guardian deity to emphasize my sincerity. The Marquis, however, frowned deeply.
“Your Majesty, this matter must be punished harshly.”
“The Marquis speaks as if I committed a great crime.”
I asked, pretending to tear up. The Marquis faltered, his fingertips trembling. The Emperor, amused, crossed his arms and looked at me with interest.
“You entered a restricted area, defying your Emperor. And you don’t think that’s a grave offense?”
“If I had heard the princess crying and ignored her, that would’ve been a grave sin. But I saved Her Highness, who was alone and in danger. Isn’t entering the restricted zone a comparatively minor offense?”
The Emperor laughed heartily at my firm response.
“Hahaha! Now that I hear it, you make a good point. Ignoring a crying royal child is indeed a betrayal.”
The tension in the room shifted slightly.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“So, what exactly did you do for the crying princess?”
In the game’s etiquette mission, it was said that true manners begin with confidence.
This was a time to lift my head proudly and smile.
I straightened my back and gave a calm, warm smile.
“Listening closely, the cry resembled the kind babies make when they’re hungry. So I fed her some formula.”
The nursemaid, startled by my natural response, hesitated before looking utterly appalled.
She didn’t seem to believe me—likely because a baby’s cry doesn’t change based on meaning.
‘But this is my dream, so everything I say should make sense, right?’
Sensing the timing, Rekanon dropped to his knees beside me.
“I—I saw it with my own eyes. S-So it’s all true, Father.”
“Then, there must be another witness besides the Prince. Royals should always be guarded. Isn’t that right?”
The Emperor turned toward the guards who were supposed to be protecting the princess. They all dropped to their knees, heads bowed.
“We are guilty of failing in our duties. Please punish us.”
Since they had failed in their jobs, there was no one to back our story. Rekanon turned even paler.
“I—I slipped away secretly. They are not at fault.”
Kind-hearted Rekanon tried to shield the guards, while the Marquis curled his lips in a sly smile before bowing to the Emperor.
“It’s unthinkable that His Highness would move about unguarded. Your Majesty!”
“Hmm. So no one can prove the story?”
As the Emperor showed signs of doubt, the Marquis pointed directly at me.
“Surely this is just His Highness’s generosity, trying to protect Lady Inferna.”
“N-No, Father!”
“It is clear Lady Inferna lied to Your Majesty. This must be punished as an example!”
I swallowed a sigh. The situation was stifling enough just breathing—now it felt like swallowing dry sweet potatoes in a dream.
‘If I wake up like this, I’ll be fuming all day. Whatever—it’s a dream, so I’ve got nothing to lose!’
“So, all I need is a witness?”
“Hmm. Essentially, yes.”
Though the Emperor’s amused tone was slightly intimidating, I didn’t let it show.
“There’s already someone here, Your Majesty. No need to bring anyone else.”
“Hah? Who would dare join in your lie and testify falsely?”
The Marquis sneered, and silence fell.
“Over there.”
I pointed past the Imperial Guards—at the dark-haired boy who had been staring at me the entire time.
Everyone was confused, and Rekanon went pale. His expression said I’d just touched someone I shouldn’t have.
“……”
The dark-haired boy furrowed his brows and quickly turned away, clearly displeased by being singled out. The Emperor followed my gesture with curiosity.
“Ahem. Is what the young lady says true?”
The boy’s face flushed, and he nodded slightly, looking flustered.
Rekanon blinked at me in shock.
“Elufe, how did you know he saw you?”
He whispered in my ear, but I just shrugged.
‘Of course I didn’t know.’
This was my dream—so things like this were possible. I didn’t need to explain it to Rekanon.
I had simply felt someone watching me earlier, and that gaze had felt similar. So I guessed.
“Amazing. You even brought a witness.”
The Emperor seemed to trust the boy a lot. That must be why he relaxed and reached quietly toward baby Roellin in the nanny’s arms.
“That’s enough. Prince, Lady Inferna—you may rise. Marquis, you are far too suspicious.”
At the Emperor’s command, Rekanon stood and hesitated for a moment before offering me his hand.
Naturally, I accepted it and rose. After making me kneel, this was the least he could do.
Standing tall, I bowed respectfully to the Emperor.
“Thank you for believing me, Your Majesty.”
“The truth always matters.”
Just then, the nanny carefully passed baby Roellin to the Emperor, and her eyelids began to twitch.
Held in the Emperor’s arts, Roellin opened her eyes as if possessed.
