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Chapter – 34
Siegfried’s Secret (2)
“Is it because he tried to harm you?”
Josephine softened her voice as she tried to calm Harriet.
“That is not the only reason.”
Harriet rose, clasped her hands together, and met Josephine’s gaze.
“Prince Siegfried is, in the end, a royal of Norden. We do not know when he might reveal his true colors to Your Majesty.”
She was still openly wary of Siegfried.
Her attitude has changed since then.
Josephine clearly remembered a conversation she had once shared with Harriet.
“It is Your Majesty’s decision, so my own wishes are irrelevant. Any resentment I bear toward him is my personal matter, and I have no reason to resent Your Majesty for it.”
Josephine cleared her throat.
“You were willing to face death to save Siegfried for my sake—so why say such things now?”
“He hides too much from Your Majesty.”
“Hides what, exactly?”
Harriet visibly wavered for a brief moment.
“My apologies. My abilities were insufficient to uncover that much.”
“I see.”
Josephine nodded.
At first glance, Harriet seemed utterly loyal.
But Josephine, who had long known her better than most, could not help but realize the truth.
Harriet, you’re hiding something from me.
Siegfried and Josephine had already, once before, secretly shared their respective goals and true identities.
Harriet had not.
Josephine still knew neither Harriet’s detailed background nor the decisive reason she had first approached her.
Which meant that, for now, the person hiding something—and thus the person most difficult to keep close—was Harriet.
You found out something you were never supposed to learn about Siegfried.
That thought deeply unsettled Josephine.
“Harriet, I am not protecting Siegfried because I wish to side with an enemy nation and betray this empire.”
Then she began to reveal thoughts she had never once spoken aloud to anyone.
“I know he is dangerous. I only wanted to prevent both countries from using Prince Siegfried as a pretext to start another war.”
“A pretext… Your Majesty?”
“If war breaks out, we will once again lose so much. Starting with the families of this nation’s people, and all the goods, property, and lands they have built with their own hands.”
When Josephine spoke of the people, the rigid expression in Harriet’s eyes twisted ever so slightly.
Seeing this, Josephine added with emphasis,
“The imperial family would be no exception. During our war with the United Kingdom of Norden, we constantly fought while holding the other nation’s royals and nobles as hostages.”
Josephine herself did not clearly know what had originally ignited this drawn-out war.
According to the history books written from the perspective of the Van Chalois Empire, it had begun as nothing more than a territorial dispute over national interests.
But as both sides abused hostages and prisoners, the conflict escalated—eventually turning into mutual hatred that persisted to this day.
“Before Siegfried, His Late Majesty’s younger brother, Duke Elrod, was captured by Norden at the Balter Peninsula and held hostage. In the end, he died there from unknown causes.”
That was why Henrius had flown into such a rage when he mentioned the former emperor.
In any case, arguing over who started it first was utterly meaningless now.
Josephine had made her decision the day she saw Siegfried being beaten half to death by Henrius.
She would not hate him simply for being from Norden.
He was not guilty.
“I don’t think anyone should continue to be made a scapegoat for things like this. Siegfried included.”
“Is that truly all?”
This time, Josephine hesitated at Harriet’s question.
The tone sounded as though she were interrogating her—asking whether there might be another reason she protected Siegfried.
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
Josephine steadied herself and asked back.
“…No.”
In the end, Harriet lowered her head.
“However, this incident has too many suspicious elements. I believe it would be wise to investigate him in secret.”
“That’s true.”
Josephine nodded.
So this is what you wanted, Harriet.
She wanted Josephine herself to realize that Siegfried was a dangerous man.
Something had clearly happened between Siegfried and Harriet.
“As you say, this matter does require a proper investigation.”
That aside, Josephine herself wanted the same.
The fact that Siegfried had been threatened and attacked while imprisoned was a serious problem.
That was precisely why I had him sent to the underground prison in full view of everyone—to prevent such things.
Who had done this was obvious.
It had to be Elizabeth.
At present, Elizabeth was the one who feared most the truth Siegfried held.
More than anything, what troubled Josephine most was that Siegfried had risen unharmed after consuming Alraune and had defeated the intruders.
As if he had never been sick to begin with.
Does he truly have another secret he must hide from me?
Or perhaps circumstances he could not help.
Looking back, despite being so deeply entangled with Siegfried, Josephine realized she knew almost nothing about him personally.
Even her knowledge of his curse came entirely from what Siegfried himself had told her.
“Harriet, there is something I need you to look into for me.”
Harriet immediately understood and hurried forward, bowing low.
“From now on, what I ask of you will put not only your life at risk—but mine as well.”
At the mention of both their lives, Harriet’s clasped hands tightened reflexively.
“Investigate Vidar’s curse. Even if you must scour the black market for forbidden grimoires—search them all.”
Harriet looked distinctly taken aback.
“Why… why is that necessary?”
Though she had long assisted Josephine from the shadows, Harriet did not yet know that Siegfried was cursed.
Curses were a form of black magic, and in the Empire they were clearly classified as heresy.
Not only using a curse, but even being suspected of approaching black magic could result in being dragged before a religious tribunal.
“I know what you’re thinking.”
Josephine gently reassured her, reading the turmoil in Harriet’s mind.
“But I promise you—I will never use a curse to harm anyone.”
In Josephine’s bright coral-colored eyes shone a firm, unyielding conviction.
“I must save someone from a curse. That is why I need more information about it.”
Harriet could not doubt the benevolence in Josephine’s eyes.
If it were Josephine—she was certain—she would never become such an evil person.
But still…
Precisely because of that, something felt even more unsettling.
A curse. Someone who must be saved. And a suspicious man who seemed deeply connected to that curse.
Following that chain of ominous thoughts, one name inevitably surfaced again.
Siegfried.
That name would not leave Harriet’s mind.
Is Siegfried… cursed?
Harriet felt deeply uncomfortable.
Josephine’s desire to learn about the curse sounded to her like a desire to learn more about Siegfried himself.
Why do you care so much about that prince?
That a mere prince of an enemy nation should receive more attention and trust from the empress than she, a citizen of this country, did—
In many ways, it grated on her.
“Can you do this for me?”
At Josephine’s question, Harriet could not answer as easily as she usually did.
She is testing me.
Harriet realized it immediately.
Josephine had sensed something about her.
That was why she was deliberately assigning her such a dangerous task—to watch.
To see just how much risk Harriet was willing to take for her sake.
Knock, knock.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door to the inner chamber.
“Your Majesty the Empress. A servant has arrived bearing the Emperor’s command.”
Josephine paused her conversation with Harriet and ordered that the messenger from the imperial palace be let in.
“Your Majesty. By order of His Majesty the Emperor: he intends to spend the night at the Empress’s palace today. You are to make the necessary preparations in time.”
