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"Lady Riel is pregnant?"
Iana wore a surprised expression at the unexpected news.
'It seems Riel is cornered and trying to break through this situation by lying...'
Even so, she didn't understand.
If Riel claimed to be pregnant at the point when the shadow merchant was arrested, it would inevitably arouse His Majesty the Emperor's suspicion.
As Iana was thinking, Charles gave an order to the knight without any particular agitation.
"Tell His Majesty the Emperor that I will prepare to return to the Imperial Palace now."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The escort knight nodded briefly and ran towards the building.
As the knight moved away, Charles opened his mouth in a low voice.
"I think Lady Riel is lying, what do you think?"
"I think so too. If the shadow merchant confesses about Seulanka, Riel will inevitably be pointed out as the culprit in the Empress's case."
Iana answered, keeping her eyes on the running escort knight.
Charles continued in a thoughtful voice.
"Lady Riel is betting on a small possibility."
"She's buying time. Still, no one will be able to touch her easily for now. So, what should we do now?"
Iana frowned with a tense expression.
Then, instead of answering, Charles pressed Iana's forehead with his finger.
"Stop frowning."
"Your Highness, this is not the time to joke around!"
She jumped up and down, lowering her voice. But Charles was just relaxed.
"You've changed a lot, but there's one thing that hasn't changed."
"What is it?"
"The attitude of being nervous when you're nervous, and impatient when you're impatient. Good strategies come from thinking deeply with composure."
"I know that... but it's not easy for me."
"Have some composure. Like me."
Charles smiled and crossed his arms.
"I'm embarrassed that you're bragging in this situation."
Iana also playfully pouted her lips.
Before she knew it, the tension had disappeared from her face.
The two stood side by side, lost in thought in the same way.
Whish-.
A fresh breeze with the scent of grass swept past them.
The clear azure sky and the lush green trees.
Even Charles, standing like a solid tree under the intense sunlight.
It all came into Iana's eyes in turn.
That moment felt somehow unreal to her.
Like a painting with a touch of nostalgia.
Then Charles said abruptly, staring straight ahead.
"I told you to think. Are you just going to keep staring at me like that?"
"Huh? Oh, no."
Iana was flustered and quickly turned her gaze away. She kept thinking, but a good idea didn't come to mind easily.
After a while, Charles turned and gently grabbed Iana's shoulder and said quietly.
"Let's turn the Emperor's attention away with this."
"Yes?"
Iana tilted her head, not knowing what he meant.
Charles's eyes turned sharp.
"The truth about Lady Riel's pregnancy. Focus the public's attention on that issue."
"You mean to make it a public issue so that it becomes a big controversy?"
"That's right. While the Emperor and the world's attention is focused there, I will move the monks and soldiers."
At his words, a strange light flashed in Iana's eyes.
'Riel, you thought that if you said you were carrying the Emperor's child, no one would be able to touch you easily?'
After thinking for a moment, she opened her mouth with sharp eyes.
"To make the controversy bigger, we need to push Riel harder."
"......"
"As a false pregnancy to escape the situation."
✦ ✦ ✦
At that moment, Riel was sitting in the director's office of the orphanage with His Majesty the Emperor and Duke Havel.
His Majesty the Emperor tapped the armrest with his hand as if lost in deep thought.
Riel exchanged glances with Duke Havel, who was sitting across from her with a nervous face.
Creak-.
Then, the door opened slightly and an elderly secretary reported.
"I have ordered people to be sent to the Imperial Palace to have the healers stand by."
"......"
His Majesty the Emperor did not answer.
"And Her Majesty the Empress said that she would follow after finishing all the events."
After a long silence, His Majesty the Emperor slowly opened his mouth.
"I want to talk to Riel alone."
"Then I will go out and wait."
At the Emperor's words, Duke Havel greeted him and went out the door with the secretary.
As only Riel and the Emperor were left, the Emperor got up from his seat and headed to the window.
The Emperor looked out the window for a while before calling her.
"Riel."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Riel."
"Speak, Your Majesty."
Riel answered calmly.
The Emperor, standing with his back to her, slowly turned around.
"The mistresses who have passed through me so far. Do you know how they tried to hold me back when they felt I was getting tired of them?"
"Did they say they were pregnant?"
Riel asked directly.
The Emperor smiled as he examined Riel's expression.
"Yes, so I can't just be happy when my mistress says she's pregnant."
Riel stared at the Emperor silently and thought.
'Now, my relationship with the Emperor has to change.'
Because she needed to gain the upper hand in the relationship in order to move the Emperor as she wanted.
To do that, another play was needed.
Riel said with a twisted smile.
"You don't have to be happy, Your Majesty."
"......"
"Because I'm not pregnant with Your Majesty's child anyway."
"What?"
The Emperor's eyes turned sharply.
Riel poured out the words she had been thinking without blinking an eye.
"I don't know if it's Count Dietrian's child, or another man's child. There are so many men who have passed through me."
"How dare you say such a thing to me!"
Riel got up from her seat and walked slowly towards the Emperor.
"Isn't this the answer you wanted, Your Majesty? That all sorts of messy rumors in the world will stick to my child like this."
"Shut your mouth."
The Emperor ordered coldly, but Riel pushed harder with bloodshot eyes.
"Holding you back? I don't even want you, Your Majesty, if you're a man who can't even protect me and my child."
"......"
"Just as you can choose many women, I can just make another man."
Riel knew very well.
That she had to not be caught in a man's hands in order to control his heart.
Especially for high-ranking men who can have everything they want, the desire for a woman they can't have was strong.
And that desire blurred a man's judgment.
"Shut up!"
The angry Emperor threw a small flowerpot by the window against the wall.
Crash!
The shattered flowerpot lay scattered on the floor. But Riel showed no agitation.
"I will leave the Imperial Palace immediately after confirming my pregnancy with you, Your Majesty."
As she turned to leave, the Emperor roughly grabbed Riel's wrist.
"Who said you could?"
Riel and the Emperor's eyes met intensely.
Knock knock.
Then the secretary said carefully from beyond the door.
"Your Majesty, the procession to return to the Imperial Palace is waiting now."
"Wait!"
The Emperor shouted sharply. Then he twisted his neck until it cracked and smiled coldly.
"Leave the Imperial Palace? Do you think a mistress of such low status as you has a choice?"
Riel slowly raised her hand and stroked the Emperor's face.
The slow touch passed over the bridge of his nose and caressed the Emperor's plump lips.
The Emperor seemed to be watching quietly to see what Riel was up to.
Riel asked in a languid voice.
"Do you still believe that you chose me, Your Majesty?"
"What?"
The Emperor frowned.
Riel stared straight at the Emperor with unwavering eyes and said.
"I chose you. Among the men who wanted me."
Just as the Emperor was about to get angry, Riel kissed the Emperor's lips passionately.
To stimulate the secret desires that he had wanted from countless mistresses but had not been satisfied.
A deep passion settled in the Emperor's eyes, which had been trying to push her away.
Riel thought as she looked at that.
'The Emperor won't be able to abandon me easily.'
✦ ✦ ✦
A little later, Riel walked out to the entrance of the orphanage building, holding the Emperor's hand.
It was full of nobles and orphanage people who had come to see them off.
It was then.
Iana came with a bouquet of wildflowers and handed it to Riel.
"Lady Riel, I heard the news. Congratulations."
People buzzed at the sight of the former wife congratulating the current mistress on her pregnancy.
Riel pretended to receive the bouquet and whispered lowly.
"What are you up to?"
Iana also said in a small voice as she passed by.
"I'm congratulating you. On your false pregnancy..."
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