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A week had passed.
Riel stood by the window of the detached palace, lost in thought.
The controversy surrounding her pregnancy had spread throughout the Imperial Palace, and indeed, the entire Empire.
The Emperor's mistress claimed she was pregnant, while the Empress insisted it was a false pregnancy.
The sensational rumors were a great source of amusement for the Imperial citizens, who were already anxious about the news of the war in the North.
Unlike the Emperor, the commoners were sympathetic to the unpretentious and benevolent Empress, but the nobles, influenced by Duke Havel, defended Lady Riel.
The problem was His Majesty the Emperor.
Since the dispute in the conference hall, the Emperor had not sought out Riel.
She could guess the reason why.
"Is it only Her Majesty the Empress who can be the target of a poisoning attempt?"
Iana's words in the conference hall seemed to have triggered the Emperor's fear.
'The Emperor suspects me. That I am capable of such a thing.'
There was no conclusive evidence that Riel had poisoned the Empress's food.
Everything was circumstantial.
But the Emperor seemed to be keeping her at a distance because of the off chance.
Because she was from the Estina family, who had attempted to poison the Crown Prince.
Just then.
A presence was felt outside the door, along with the voice of a guard.
"Lady Riel, His Majesty the Emperor has arrived."
'The Emperor?'
The Emperor's sudden visit was strange, but even stranger was that the Emperor, who would normally barge in without ceremony, did not.
Riel had an ominous feeling about the Emperor's changed behavior.
Creak-.
The door opened, and the Emperor entered.
"Have you come, Your Majesty?"
Riel approached the Emperor and greeted him politely.
"Yes, how are you feeling?"
The Emperor sat on the sofa and asked after her health with an indifferent expression.
"To be honest, I haven't been feeling well these past few days because I've been so worried."
Riel stood before him and replied.
"Is that so?"
The Emperor stared at her for a long time, as if checking her condition, before saying casually.
"Sit down."
"⋯⋯."
Riel did not sit, but continued to gaze at the Emperor.
"I said sit down. You said you weren't feeling well, didn't you?"
As the Emperor spoke soothingly, Riel scrutinized his expression and sat on the sofa opposite him.
"Riel."
After a long silence, the Emperor called her name in a meaningful voice.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Go to the Imperial villa in the South. Until things calm down here."
"What are you saying?"
Riel's voice turned sharp.
"Don't let people talk about you unnecessarily, just stay at the villa for a while."
"⋯⋯."
"It will be better for you and the child."
Riel looked at the Emperor, who was speaking with a gentle expression, and thought.
'The Emperor is trying to distance himself from me.'
He was reluctant to abandon her right away, but he was wary of keeping her by his side because of the risk of poisoning, so he was trying to keep her away.
If she was distanced from his body, she would be distanced from his heart, and in the end, she would be abandoned.
At that moment, Iana's words flashed through Riel's mind.
"Pregnancy is not a weapon. Not to a man who has fallen out of love with a woman."
Riel felt a surge of anger, but she suppressed it so that her emotions would not show.
"Why don't you answer?"
At the Emperor's urging, Riel replied obediently.
"If that is Your Majesty's wish, I will obey."
The Emperor rose from his seat and said.
"Then you must have things to sort out, so leave in three days."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
When Riel answered so readily, the Emperor stared at her with a questioning look.
Riel lowered her gaze and did not meet the Emperor's eyes.
The Emperor stared at Riel for a while before leaving the room without a word.
Thud!
Her door was firmly closed.
Riel slowly raised her head.
The submissive expression from a moment ago had disappeared, and her face was now filled with anger and contempt.
As she searched for a way to retaliate against the Emperor, a good idea suddenly came to her.
'Let's turn this situation into an opportunity. A real chance to get pregnant.'
✦ ✦ ✦
Meanwhile, Iana and Charles were standing on the ramparts in front of the Imperial Palace gate.
Dark storm clouds were gathering in the sky, threatening to pour rain at any moment.
A thousand elite troops of the Imperial Army were gathered in front of the gate.
Flutter!
The golden Imperial Army flags fluttered in a row.
Iana noticed familiar knights of The First Order of Knights among the Imperial Army.
The words Charles had said last night came to her mind.
"I told the Emperor that I would send some of the knights of The First Order of Knights, who are well aware of the situation in the North, as reinforcements."
Charles had planted the knights of The First Order of Knights as senior knights so that the troops sent to the North would not only focus on rooting out the rebel forces.
'Once they leave, Your Highness will begin preparations for the rebellion in earnest, won't they?'
Iana's heart was heavy.
It was something that had to be done considering the Emperor's tyranny, but she was also afraid because it was something that required taking great risks.
Charles approached and pressed his hand to Iana's furrowed brow.
"I told you not to frown."
"Yes? Yes."
Iana closed her mouth, afraid that she would say something negative.
Then Charles looked around, leaned in, and whispered softly to Iana.
"His Majesty the Emperor has told Lady Riel to go to the southern villa."
"Really?"
Iana asked, trying to hide her surprised expression as much as possible.
Charles nodded slightly.
"I will escort them to the outer walls of the capital, so please keep a close eye on Lady Riel's movements."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Iana replied.
Boo-oong. Boo-oong.
Just then, the sound of a horn announcing the Emperor's arrival echoed over the ramparts.
The Emperor came up to the ramparts, guided by his secretaries.
Charles glanced at Iana and approached the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, have you arrived?"
The Emperor smiled contentedly as he looked at the soldiers gathered in front of the Imperial Palace.
"Your Majesty, please say a few words to the departing soldiers."
A secretary standing next to him suggested.
The Emperor put on a solemn expression and shouted loudly.
"My soldiers! If insolent people are discovered, behead them on the spot."
"Yes!"
The soldiers' thunderous response echoed loudly.
Drip.
As soon as the Emperor finished speaking, large raindrops began to fall from the sky.
The Emperor hurriedly moved away with his secretaries.
"Then I'll be off."
Charles smiled faintly, as if telling her not to worry, even though he was soaked in the rain.
For some reason, his smile looked poignant to Iana.
But she also smiled faintly, as if she was about to convey negative emotions, and said.
"Please be careful on your way, Your Highness."
✦ ✦ ✦
Swaa-aak-.
After about an hour, the rain and wind blew even harder.
As the troops gathered in front of the gate disappeared from view, Iana came down from the ramparts with an umbrella.
At that moment, a carriage was approaching the gate from the Imperial Palace, cutting through the rain.
Soon after, the carriage slowed down and stopped in front of Iana.
Riel was inside.
Click-.
Riel opened the car window and moved her finger arrogantly, as if telling her to come closer.
"I'm pregnant, so I can't get wet in the rain, so please understand."
Iana approached the carriage without a word.
Inside were several pieces of luggage.
"Are you going on a long trip somewhere on a rainy day? You're pregnant."
When Iana asked with a questioning look, Riel opened her mouth in a polite tone.
"Iana Archmage, would you please tell His Majesty the Emperor something for me?"
"Go ahead."
"Tell him that I am leaving the Imperial Palace."
"Are you running away? Are you afraid that the truth will be revealed?"
Iana sneered.
Riel frowned for a moment, but soon relaxed her expression and whispered.
"Iana, you don't know this, do you? Men, you see, are the kind of people who will gladly accept a child that is not their own if you make them anxious."
"Is that so?"
"Just like your aloof husband was so desperate for me that he couldn't tell right from wrong."
Just as Riel was about to wipe the car window with a sneer, Iana grabbed the car window and said.
"Riel, shall we make a bet then?"
"⋯⋯."
"Whether His Majesty the Emperor will be anxious and look for you after you leave, or whether he will look for you for punishment."
"Okay. But be careful, because the day I return to the Imperial Palace, I will definitely cut off your breath."
"I'll look forward to it."
The two women's eyes met sharply.
Clatter-.
When Riel pulled the string connected to the coachman, the carriage slowly moved.
Iana watched the carriage speeding through the rain and thought.
'Riel, enjoy yourself outside the Imperial Palace as much as you want, even if it's only for a short time. Because this will be your last struggle.'
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