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"I'm just congratulating you. On your fake pregnancy..."
Iana took a step back, smiling.
It was a kind of warning not to resort to tricks with lies.
But Riel responded with a smile, not backing down.
"I'm even happier to receive pregnancy congratulations from Iana Archmage, of all people."
"..."
"Of course, I'll have to get an accurate confirmation at the Imperial Palace, though."
An invisible spark ignited between Iana and Riel.
The Emperor watched the two with sharp eyes.
The Empress, who had been standing behind, stepped forward and said.
"Your Majesty, please get in the carriage. We can't keep Lady Riel standing for too long, can we?"
At the Empress's words, the Emperor urged Riel.
"Riel, let's get in the carriage."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
It was the moment Riel took the Emperor's hand and passed by Iana.
Iana asked the Empress with a resolute tone.
"Your Imperial Majesty, shall we transport the assailant we caught to the Imperial Palace with the Imperial Guards now?"
"Assailant?"
The Emperor stopped in his tracks and asked, and Riel answered as if it were nothing.
"It's the person I mentioned earlier. The one who threw eggs at me, calling me The Villainess of Rubena."
"Kill him. For Imperial Insult Crime."
The Emperor ordered in a dry voice.
"...!"
The people gathered couldn't close their mouths, their eyes wide with surprise.
They didn't seem to have realized that the Emperor's affection for Riel was this deep.
At the Emperor's command, one corner of Riel's mouth subtly lifted.
At that moment, Charles, standing behind the Emperor, gave Iana a small wink.
Iana didn't miss the moment and spoke the words she had prepared.
"As the Archmage of the Imperial Palace, I will follow Your Majesty's command."
"..."
"But only after revealing the person behind it."
"The person behind it?"
The Emperor frowned deeply.
At the mention of a mastermind, the people around them buzzed loudly.
The smile slowly disappeared from Riel's lips.
Iana looked at such Riel and said with her eyes.
'Riel, things will get much bigger than you think.'
The Empress's attempted poisoning. Fake pregnancy. A mastermind trying to harm the Emperor's mistress.
Scandalous rumors grew like a snowball.
"Your Majesty, I will tell you the details when we return to the Imperial Palace."
After speaking, the Empress's gaze turned to the children from the orphanage standing on one side.
The Emperor, with a thoughtful face, slowly scanned those gathered in front of the orphanage.
The orphanage children looking up with clear faces and the whispering people.
Past the Empress and Charles, his gaze rested on Iana and Riel.
The Emperor looked back and forth between the two, then gave a firm order.
"Transport that assailant to the Imperial Palace immediately."
"..."
"I will investigate that assailant myself."
✦ ✦ ✦
The orphanage event ended near sunset.
Charles, unsure of what schemes Riel and Duke Havel might be plotting, returned to the Imperial Palace with the Emperor's procession.
Iana boarded the Imperial carriage with the Empress.
"Departure."
Shortly after, the Imperial Guard knight at the head of the procession shouted loudly.
"Your Imperial Majesty, please come again!"
As the carriage carrying the Empress slowly moved, the orphanage children waved their hands enthusiastically.
"Yes, let's see each other again soon."
The Empress waved back with a benevolent smile.
Iana recalled the conversation she had with the Empress just before leaving the orphanage.
"It seems Lady Riel is claiming a fake pregnancy to get through this situation."
"I see."
The Empress didn't say much to Iana's words.
Iana stared silently at the Empress waving her hand, and thought.
'If the coup succeeds, what will happen to Her Imperial Majesty?'
Iana and Charles were protecting the Empress, but they couldn't tell her about the coup yet.
The Emperor's abdication was also the Empress's abdication.
Iana was worrying about that when the Empress spoke in a calm voice.
"I will step forward in this matter."
"Yes? Your Majesty, what do you mean?"
As the carriage was just passing through the orphanage gate and picking up speed, the Empress lowered her hand and turned her gaze to Iana.
"I'm talking about revealing Lady Riel's fake pregnancy."
"What if Your Majesty is attacked if you step forward?"
Iana's face was full of worry. But the Empress was firm.
"Can the Empress keep hiding behind forever? It's enough for Iana Archmage to be my shield once."
"Even so."
"If things go wrong and my position is taken away by Lady Riel as the prophecy says..."
The Empress paused for a moment, then continued.
"Even if it's taken away by Lady Riel, I will do what I must do as the Empress now."
The Empress's face after speaking was more than determined, it was resolute.
"Your Majesty..."
Iana looked at the Empress, not knowing what to say.
The Empress muttered softly, looking out the carriage window.
"The sunset is so beautiful."
Iana also turned her head and looked up at the sky. Before she knew it, the world was dyed red with the light of the sunset.
The Empress's procession sped towards the Imperial Palace.
✦ ✦ ✦
At that time, Riel was lying in the Emperor's bedroom.
The healer in charge of Riel at the detached palace pretended to check her condition.
The Emperor was sitting next to the bed, and Duke Havel and the ministers who had come with them from the orphanage were standing in front of the door.
And one heterogeneous person mixed among them.
Grand Duke Ervin caught her eye.
The conversation she had with Iana at the orphanage flashed across his face.
"I'm just congratulating you. On your fake pregnancy..."
'Iana will try to frame me for lying. Linking me to the demon who threw eggs at me.'
Just as Riel was lost in thought.
She felt the healer's hand trembling as she checked her condition.
The healer kept glancing at Duke Havel without realizing it.
She seemed to be afraid of being reprimanded by Duke Havel if she made a mistake.
Riel saw the Emperor watching the healer's actions.
Riel subtly covered the healer's hand as if to hide it and asked.
"Healer, how is it? Was I mistaken?"
"Th, that is..."
The healer couldn't continue speaking with a trembling voice.
"Speak."
The Emperor urged her to answer.
The eyes of everyone in the room turned to the healer.
"When I checked the discolored spot after putting Tinus tea leaves in the urine for about 3 hours, and the mild morning sickness, and the condition of her complexion, she is indeed pregnant."
"Is that so?"
"Your Majesty, congratulations."
The healer bowed deeply.
The ministers behind them also offered their congratulations.
But the Emperor had no expression on his face and said nothing.
As the Emperor's lukewarm reaction caused people's voices to gradually disappear, silence flowed in the room.
Duke Havel carefully spoke.
"Your Majesty, shouldn't we have another healer confirm it one more time?"
'Duke Havel is deliberately doing that to avoid the Emperor's suspicion.'
Riel thought.
Duke Havel had made most of the Imperial Palace healers on his side through his illegitimate son.
However, it wasn't like he had made all the healers his people, but it wasn't like there was no way at all.
Manipulation.
He could just order the healers on Duke Havel's side to manipulate the examination of putting Tinus tea leaves in the urine.
Riel, who had been lying down, sat up in bed and ordered in a sharp voice.
"Healer, go and bring another healer quickly."
After speaking, Riel's gaze turned to the Emperor. With eyes filled with injustice, resentment, and sorrow.
"..."
The Emperor still had no reaction.
"What are you doing? Go and bring another healer quickly."
Riel urged the healer even more strongly as if to show off.
"Yes? Yes, Lady Riel."
It was the moment the healer bowed and was about to leave.
"I brought a healer here."
When they turned around to the sound, the Empress was walking in with Iana and a healer with graying hair.
The ministers gathered in front of the door stepped aside and greeted them.
"We greet Your Imperial Majesty."
At that moment, Riel and Iana's eyes met.
"Empress, you've come?"
The Emperor said.
The Empress looked at the healer who came with her and spoke politely.
"I think it would be good to check one more time here, just like you did with the Emperor's mistresses."
"..."
"For Lady Riel, who might be plagued by unnecessary rumors."
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