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"We can say there are signs of a rebellion in the North. Use His Majesty the Emperor's fear of rebellion."
"......!"
At Iana's words, Charles's eyes sharpened.
When Charles didn't respond, Iana lowered her head, whispered into his ear.
"Bringing up rebellion might be a bit much, right? It's like raising awareness about it."
"No, it would be more advantageous for us if the Imperial Army were drawn away from the capital."
"Then, was I helpful?"
Iana asked with an innocent face.
Chu!
Charles gave Iana a quick kiss on the lips.
"I hope you remember that you are always a great help to me."
At his words, Iana smiled brightly with a proud face.
Today was a long day for her.
She had a sharp confrontation with Riel, and the time spent uncovering Riel's false pregnancy was filled with tension.
She was anxious about what unpredictable things might happen tomorrow.
At the end of such a day, there was Charles.
A day ending with him was always filled with stability and peace.
Iana, knowing the answer, mustered her courage and asked again.
"Are you really okay?"
"About what?"
"The baby..."
Iana quietly looked down at him, as if waiting for an answer.
But Charles stared at Iana without a word for a while.
"Iana, I hope you remember this too."
"......?"
"That I love you very much."
Iana had thought about it before.
That there is a purity to the word "love."
Not a familiar sweet nothing exchanged between lovers, but a high-purity confession filled only with loving feelings.
Iana felt like this was such a moment.
Iana lowered her head, gently kissed his lips, and whispered.
"I love you."
✦ ✦ ✦
The next day in the afternoon, carriages carrying the Imperial elders lined up and entered the Imperial Palace.
Iana stood by the window, watching the scene, recalling the words of the Empress Palace maid who had visited her early in the morning.
"Her Majesty the Empress said to reveal the shadow merchant's matter as well."
Charles, reading her thoughts, approached and said quietly.
"I have the same thought as Her Majesty the Empress. The impact will be greater if we tie the two matters together at once."
"The risk will be greater as well."
Iana's face darkened.
"Duke Havel, who sees Her Majesty the Empress as a thorn in his side, will launch an all-out offensive to not miss this opportunity."
Charles was lost in thought for a moment, then spoke with sharp eyes.
"Let's do this."
"How?"
"Protect the shadow merchant, as they might harm him."
"And then?"
As Iana asked, Charles said with a meaningful look.
"And when the person who will help us arrives, come in together then."
✦ ✦ ✦
About an hour later.
Inside the conference hall, where the Imperial elders, ministers, and healers were all gathered, a heated debate was taking place.
Riel and the Empress sat facing each other with the throne in the middle.
It was like a courtroom scene.
Riel made eye contact with Duke Havel, who was sitting among the ministers. Then, she recalled the words she had heard from the healer in the morning.
"They said they will frame it as Her Majesty the Empress's slander from now on."
One of the ministers sitting close to Duke Havel said loudly.
"Until now, pregnancy confirmation through Tinus tea leaves has had no problems in the Imperial Palace. But why are the test results different only this time, depending on the healer?"
This time, a minister sitting closer to the Empress strongly questioned.
"There are often situations where the Tinus tea leaves are altered, causing the test results to be incorrect. That's why we confirm it several times."
"But isn't it strange? Why do only the healers associated with Her Majesty the Empress's exclusive healer say that she is not pregnant?"
"What does that mean? Are you saying they fabricated it?"
Riel raised one corner of her mouth at the sight of the debate being waged by the two factions.
Only then could she read Duke Havel's intentions.
'He's trying to highlight that those who say she's not pregnant are related to the Empress's exclusive healer.'
On the other hand, the healers who claimed she was pregnant were all connected to Duke Havel or had been manipulated by him.
But the Empress's side could not know this fact.
Duke Havel had created a structure.
With the healers associated with the Empress and the rest of the healers.
Then it would highlight the appearance that the Empress was involved.
As expected. The Imperial elders and ministers looked at the Empress's exclusive healer with suspicion.
It was then.
"Your Majesty."
Charles, who had been sitting quietly on one side, raised his hand.
"Speak."
At the Emperor's command, Charles rose from his seat.
"With my limited medical knowledge, I know that I can contaminate Tinus tea leaves to discolor them, but I don't know that the discolored state can be reversed."
"No! If you add the leaves of a purification plant called Rota, you can clear the discolored Tinus tea leaves."
Riel's exclusive healer, Duke Havel's illegitimate child, retorted as if he had been waiting.
Watching the scene, a faint smile spread across Duke Havel's lips.
But Riel's thoughts were different.
'What is this uneasy feeling?'
Charles, as she knew him, was meticulous.
A political human who gave meaning to every word and action and was careful.
The fact that he brought up words that could be refuted at once made her think that there was another intention.
Charles continued with a triumphant smile.
"His Majesty the Emperor, who has more knowledge of plants than anyone else, knows well. The purification plant called Rota is a rare Medicinal herb that grows only in some areas of the southernmost part of Rubena."
"So?"
The Emperor asked with sharp eyes.
"It is such an expensive plant that not just anyone can buy it. So, how about investigating whether there are any people among those who bought this Medicinal herb who are related to the Imperial Palace healers?"
"......!"
At that moment, Riel's exclusive healer's face hardened.
But Charles did not stop there.
"There is someone waiting who can explain the Medicinal herb Rota in more detail."
After speaking, Charles looked towards the door of the conference hall.
Everyone's eyes turned to the same place.
'Who is it?'
Riel's pupils shook greatly at the unexpected situation.
The Emperor thought for a moment and gave an order.
"Let them in."
Creak-.
At the Emperor's command, the doors of the conference hall slowly opened to both sides.
Riel looked at the open door with a nervous face.
Iana entered first, and behind her was the figure of a familiar man.
He was the shadow merchant who had thrown eggs at her at the orphanage, Demon.
'Why is that guy here now...'
Riel's pupils shook greatly as if shocked.
Riel was planning to deal with the shadow merchant somehow because of the Seulanka that came out of the Empress's food.
But she thought that was something to deal with after the pregnancy issue was resolved.
The two incidents had no connection, and she thought that if she seized the victory with this incident and completely captured the Emperor's heart, the problem would be solved naturally.
Riel quickly retraced her thoughts.
'Demon is from Brante, the southernmost part of the Empire. Are they trying to tie it together with this?'
Brante was where Riel had been a quarry slave, and where the sculptor's assistant Raul, whom she had killed, and the shadow merchant Demon lived.
"Who is this person?"
At the Emperor's question, Iana answered.
"This is the assailant who threw eggs at Lady Riel at the orphanage."
"What?"
The Emperor frowned.
"He is a shadow merchant from Brante, the southernmost part of the Empire, and he knows more about Rota than anyone else, so I brought him here."
At Iana's words, the ministers sitting on Duke Havel's side strongly protested.
"How can we believe the words of an assailant who harbors hostility towards Lady Riel?"
"That's right. He will only say things that are unfavorable to Lady Riel."
Amidst the ministers' sharp criticisms, the shadow merchant spoke with difficulty.
"Rota is used as a Medicinal herb, but it is also used as a material for making high-quality paints."
Even with the shadow merchant's explanation, the ministers on Duke Havel's side raised their voices. As if trying to block his remarks themselves.
The Empress rose from her seat and said loudly.
"There is someone who can prove this person's testimony."
It was at that moment.
Carrion, who had been sitting quietly at the end of the conference hall door, slowly rose from his seat.
"......!"
Riel, Duke Havel, and the ministers on their side could not speak with surprised faces.
Riel glared at Carrion as if to kill him with betrayal, and then made eye contact with Iana.
'Iana, is this your doing too?'
As Riel looked at her with a resentful face, Iana gave a small sneer.
Carrion went up to the platform, knelt down on one knee in front of the Emperor.
"Carrion Dietrian, head of the investigation team, greets His Majesty the Emperor."
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