.jpg)
“He was someone who shouldn't have been in that position. Your Majesty.”
Charles's gaze rested on the Imperial Palace as he finished speaking.
“⋯⋯!”
Iana was startled and instinctively looked around. Fortunately, no one was nearby.
Charles's attitude toward the Emperor had changed.
'If Your Highness concludes that the Emperor's true nature is cruel⋯⋯.'
Rebellion.
The word flashed through her mind.
Iana was terrified by the ominous thought. She quickly grabbed his hand and started running.
“What's wrong?”
Charles asked, chasing after her, surprised by her sudden action.
Iana didn't answer and kept running.
Soon, they reached her room.
The two opened the door and stepped inside.
“Iana.”
Charles called out, and she struggled to catch her breath as she spoke.
“P-Please, say things like that here. Not even in Your Highness's room. Someone might, might be listening.”
“Why? Are you afraid I'll be accused of treason?”
Charles said it jokingly.
“Yes, so⋯⋯ Be, be careful. Okay?”
“⋯⋯.”
Despite Iana's urging, Charles only smiled and didn't answer.
Then, Charles carefully released the hand Iana was holding.
“⋯⋯!”
Iana looked down at her empty hand.
He sat on the sofa and changed the subject.
“Anyway. Was there anything unusual with Lady Riel?”
She didn't sit on the sofa but stood in front of him.
“Your Highness, may I be a little impolite for a moment?”
“Any impoliteness from you is welcome.”
Charles replied with a playful smile.
Iana cupped his face with both hands and met his eyes.
“Promise me.”
“What?”
“Promise me you won't say or do anything that could be misunderstood by others.”
She said misunderstood, but Iana was afraid he would be involved in a rebellion.
“There will be times when I am not by your side.”
As Charles said, there might be times when he wasn't by her side.
That's when it happened.
Chu!
Charles leaned in slightly and gave her a short kiss on the lips.
“⋯⋯!”
Iana was speechless at the sudden kiss.
Charles seemed amused by her reaction and smiled brightly.
She frowned and grabbed Charles's cheeks harder, urging him.
“Don't just smile, answer me. Okay?”
“⋯⋯Alright.”
Charles answered lightly, as if throwing the words away.
“Don't answer so insincerely.”
“I'll do as you say, so let go of my face.”
Just as the two were bickering.
Knock knock.
There was a knock on the door. But no one said who it was.
Iana turned her gaze to the door and asked.
“Who is it?”
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door again without answering.
“I'll go see.”
As Charles tried to get up, Iana stopped him.
“No. This is my room, so I'll go.”
She approached, grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door.
Creak-.
As the door slowly opened, Carrion stood before her.
Iana frowned deeply.
“Count Dietrian, what brings you here?”
“Iana, we haven't finished our conversation yet. We should finish what we were talking about.”
“What are you doing?”
Iana tried to stop him, but Carrion forcefully pushed the door open and entered.
“⋯⋯!”
Carrion paused when he saw Charles sitting on the sofa.
Charles opened his mouth with a displeased expression.
“Count Dietrian is still lacking in manners.”
“Your Highness, you were, you were here?”
“If I wasn't? Would it be okay to barge in like this?”
Charles and Carrion's eyes clashed intensely.
Iana glanced around and pulled Carrion away.
“Count Dietrian, if you have something to say, say it later.”
“Then how about we go out for a bit to have an important conversation?”
As Carrion bowed to Charles after speaking, Charles coldly threw out a word.
“I don't think I gave you permission to leave, did I?”
“⋯⋯.”
Carrion glared at Charles with a face full of suppressed anger.
“If you don't want to go through the same ordeal as you did in Ervin, talk here. In front of me.”
At Charles's words, Carrion had no choice but to sit on the opposite sofa.
Charles picked up a magic book from the table and said.
“Speak. I'll be reading a book.”
Iana glanced around and sat next to Charles.
“Iana, weren't you expelled from the Rechelles family?”
As Carrion asked the question, Charles butted in while turning the page.
“Iana Archmage. Use the proper title.”
“Iana Archmage, weren't you expelled from the Rechelles family?”
Carrion used honorifics with a face full of suppressed anger.
“Your family background is important to enter The Nine. So I told my brother.”
At Iana's words, Carrion leaned back on the sofa with an arrogant expression.
“Then you should try to get on my good side, shouldn't you?”
“⋯⋯.”
“Because I'm going to create the selection policy for The Nine based on my suggestion.”
Thud-.
Charles slammed the magic book he was reading shut.
“Count Dietrian⋯⋯.”
Iana grabbed Charles's hand and gestured as if telling him not to step forward.
Carrion looked at the two with a displeased expression.
“Should Count Dietrian try to get on my good side?”
“What?”
Carrion scoffed.
Iana threw out a decisive word with a sharp gaze.
“Because I'm the only one who can stop your expulsion, Carrion.”
“What, expulsion? What nonsense are you talking about?”
Carrion frowned deeply.
Iana continued calmly.
“Riel will say she's pregnant with His Majesty's child when she's cornered.”
“Pregnant?”
Carrion's face hardened as if he had realized something.
“The moment Riel is pregnant, rumors will follow. The scandal that the child is not the Emperor's but your child, Carrion. Then what will happen to you?”
“What?”
“Riel will chase you away or get rid of you. To shake off the scandal attached to the child.”
“⋯⋯!”
Carrion was speechless at the unexpected story.
Charles seemed to think she was doing well and started reading the magic book again.
Iana asked with a cold face.
“Count Dietrian, so choose.”
“⋯⋯.”
“Which side you should stand on, me or Riel.”
Iana was planning to use Carrion.
As a double agent to extract information about Riel and Duke Havel.
✦ ✦ ✦
At that moment, Riel, who had returned from the hunting grounds, was lost in thought inside the bath.
Three maids were helping her bathe.
Riel recalled what Iana had said at the hunting grounds.
“Do you think I don't know what tricks you're playing with Duke Havel behind my back?”
'How does Iana know?'
It was difficult to guess that Duke Havel would make her, who came from a family of traitors, the Empress.
But Iana's eyes were full of conviction.
As if she knew all about her and Duke Havel's plans.
“You shouldn't ask if she planted a spy, but who she planted as a spy.”
'Did Iana really plant a spy?'
Riel inadvertently turned her head, and the tip of a maid's hand brushed against Riel's face.
A slight red mark appeared on her face.
“I-I'm sorry. Lady Riel.”
The maid knelt on the floor and begged for forgiveness.
Riel slowly caressed her stinging cheek.
“No, well done.”
“Yes?”
The maid looked at Riel with a terrified face, not knowing what she meant.
“I needed someone to vent my anger on anyway⋯⋯.”
“⋯⋯?"
Slap!
Riel got up from the bath and mercilessly slapped the maid's cheek hard. She knocked the maid down, then repeatedly picked her up and slapped her again.
When the anger that had been weighing on her heart was somewhat relieved, Riel stopped hitting her.
The other maids put a bathrobe on Riel with frightened faces.
“Go and call my exclusive therapist.”
“Yes? Yes, madam.”
The other maids supported the fallen maid and went out of the room.
Riel was lost in thought again.
'There's definitely a spy Iana planted.'
Only a few people knew about the plan for Duke Havel to make her the Empress.
Riel went through the people involved in this one by one.
Suspecting everyone made everyone suspicious.
Knock knock.
A moment later, there was a knock on the door, and the therapist's voice was heard.
“Madam, may I come in?”
At that moment, a thought flashed through Riel's mind.
The therapist was more deeply involved in this matter than anyone else.
Riel looked at the door with suspicious eyes and thought.
'Let's check the therapist first. Whether they are a spy or not⋯⋯.'
.jpg)