Chapter 5: The Truth Revealed (7)

“Your Majesty, an urgent matter requires your attention.”

“Enter.”

A voice called hurriedly from beyond the office doors. Upon his command, the captain of the royal guard entered in haste.

The captain had just returned yesterday from Larie’s old village—on a mission he had requested special permission for.

And now, it seemed he brought news in place of the absent commander.

“Movements from Baron Tromperie’s side are growing suspicious.”

“Explain in detail.”

At the mention of Tromperie, Terian’s eyes flashed sharply.

Those who continued with their foolish schemes were always under surveillance. Still, he found it unusual that among them, the deputy commander had rushed over with such urgency.

“It seems they are trying to establish connections within the Empress’s palace.”

At those words, Terian’s face turned icy.

“It’s already been confirmed that a few knights and one maid have been recruited. We’ve planted two others pretending to have been recruited. How shall we proceed?”

Grinding his teeth audibly, Terian chewed over his fury.

“Drag the maid here immediately. As for the knights recruited by the bastard, keep them away from the Empress’s palace for now without raising suspicion. The moment we give the signal—execute them on the spot.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Tromperie was no longer what it used to be. Those fools likely had no idea how far Terian’s watchful gaze reached.

Always making futile attempts.

Yet Tromperie had always been both Terian’s hatred and his weakness.

“…Make sure Her Majesty the Empress doesn’t find out. Keep your mouths shut.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As the deputy commander withdrew, Terian wiped his dry face.

It was fortunate they discovered the maid’s recruitment early. If word reached Larie that Baron Tromperie wanted to meet her, it would be troublesome.

She would surely believe it to be a sign of reconciliation from her beloved father. And now that she was confined to the palace, how desperately she must miss her family.

If she begged to see them with those eyes—could he truly refuse her?

“Sigh…”

Even with his eyes closed, those green irises followed him.

Terian decided it was better not to see her—for now.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Will you not eat just a bit more?”

It had been nearly a week since she had been entirely confined to the Empress’s palace.

“Because I have no appetite… Thank you, Charelle.”

As expected, she couldn’t bring herself to eat again today. Feeling sorry for Charelle, who continued to urge her with concern, Larie gently signaled for the dishes to be taken away.

“…Very well, I will remove them.”

Larie stared endlessly at the forest beyond the window. Outside, Rui was leisurely walking near the lake with the Marchioness of Incarze, gradually heading toward the forest. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky.

It was Charelle and the nursemaid’s idea to calm Rui, who kept begging to go out. Fortunately, it was only Larie who was confined; the knights surrounding the Empress’s palace didn’t stop Rui.

Though she spent most of her day with Rui, whenever she was alone like this, her mind would inevitably cloud over.

Where did it all go wrong?

‘His Majesty has ordered that if Her Majesty seeks him out, she is not to be stopped.’

Even though Terian supposedly left such a message, he hadn’t come to see her since that day. The days when he used to visit three times a day now felt like a fleeting dream.

He must have thought she had tried to flee when she walked into the forest consumed by pain. She had considered running, yes, but things had grown more serious.

Later, Charelle had come to her in tears and confessed about the newspaper. That Larie had read those articles—and then to be confined to the palace because of it?

What did it all mean?

“Shall I bring dessert?”

“I’m fine.”

“…If there’s anything you need, please call right away.”

Larie nodded without much meaning. She avoided Charelle’s eyes as the maid withdrew with a somber expression.

It had become increasingly difficult to meet her gaze.

She still had a path open to seek out Terian herself. And yet, Larie couldn’t bring herself to walk toward him. Seeing the soldiers posted around the Empress’s palace filled her only with overwhelming helplessness.

Still, she tried to summon strength however she could. She couldn’t afford to give up completely—not with Rui to think about.

Terian… no, surely Terian wouldn’t go that far.

He wouldn’t lie just to deceive someone as insignificant as her.

Larie repeated the thought like a mantra, forcing herself to believe it.

If even that sliver of hope disappeared, then truly—this place would be the edge of the cliff.

“Lady Chamberlain!”

A sudden voice rang out, followed by the hurried sound of footsteps.

Larie instinctively listened closely, even though the Chamberlain had just stepped out and shut the door.

“What is it? Why are you making such a commotion?”

“What happened to Sara? Did you ask His Majesty?”

Sara was the name of a maid who had gone missing two days ago.

She’d recently been volunteering more and more to help look after Rui—then she’d suddenly vanished.

“That is none of your concern.”

“But Lady Chamberlain, my distant cousin works in the inner palace, and they said yesterday that Baron Tromperie came and caused a scene trying to request an audience with the Empress. Could Sara have anything to do with—”

Baron Tromperie?

“Silence!”

The words pulled Larie’s mind sharply back to the present.

Her father? In the imperial palace?

“Come with me. How dare you speak so carelessly.”

The Chamberlain rushed to hush the young maid and led her away, but Larie’s heart had already fallen to the floor.

She thought it might stop altogether—

But it started to beat again, harder and harder, as though something had snapped inside it.

She had believed her family had abandoned her. Or, at the very least, that they hadn’t been able to find her.

But if her return to the palace had exposed her location—

If her father had realized she still had value—

“Ah.”

If her brother came to the palace again, just like the day they framed Terian—

“No.”

She had hesitated all this time.

And now, her family was once again about to shove her forward.

Whether what lay ahead was a cliff or a forest—

they didn’t care.

Like someone who had been one drop of water short from overflowing, Larie staggered to her feet.

Faced with the crisis that loomed before her, her instincts led her to two people.

She had to hold Rui in her arms—right now.

And she had to meet Terian.

The torrent of her thoughts converged into a single stream.

Swept into a whirlpool of panic, Larie burst out of her chamber.

“Rui, Rui…!”

It took only moments to reach the lower floor of the Empress’s palace.

Larie, who had always carried herself as if she were scarcely there, suddenly appeared—startling the guards posted at the entrance.

“Your Majesty?”

Without even registering their presence, Larie instinctively moved toward the sacred grounds.

That was where Rui had gone.

“You may not pass, Your Majesty.”

“We’re terribly sorry, Your Majesty!”

The startled knights scrambled to block her path.

Unable to lay a hand on her due to the Emperor’s strict orders, they did the only thing they could—form a barrier with their bodies.

Larie reached between them with trembling hands.

“Rui…!”

Already returning to the Empress’s palace, the nanny spotted the commotion and quickened her pace in alarm.

Upon seeing Larie among the guards, she rushed over, startled.

“Your Majesty? Are you all right?”

“Gyaah! Mama!”

The moment Rui returned, Larie snatched him into her arms in a panic.

He had grown heavier, but she would have held him even if her arms broke.

Only then did she begin to collect herself, taking cautious steps away from the guards.

“Your Majesty?”

“…Hh…”

She could feel every pair of eyes on her.

She knew she must look terribly strange, yet her breathing grew shallow.

Once the thought of her family surfaced, it clawed at her like an old, festering wound.

All her life, they had placed her at the edge of a cliff.

She had thought she’d finally escaped—finally been forgotten.

But it was all a meaningless hope.

Just the thought that her father might come here was enough to snap the last fragile branch that had been holding Larie together.

The heavy burdens she’d barely managed to push aside came crashing down all at once.

Caught in their path with no defenses, Larie could only tremble at the sensation of her soul fracturing.

But she couldn’t break.

Not yet.

Not with Rui in her arms.

Though her body quaked with fear, Larie managed to part her lips.

“His Majesty… I need to see His Majesty.”

“What in the world… Your Majesty, are you all right?”

It was then that Charelle, who had been upstairs, rushed down in alarm.

Seeing Larie standing tense among the guards, she stepped forward as if to shield her from everything.

Tears threatened to spill again, but Larie bit down on her lip.

“I—I must see His Majesty. Right now.”

She had to see Terian.

Right now.

She repeated it like a broken machine—what she’d told herself she must do.

But now, standing on the edge of execution, her mind began to unravel again.

See him… and then what?

With a tangle of thoughts choking her breath, Larie panted, dizzy and frantic.

Even in this brief hesitation, it felt as though her father might burst in at any moment.

Just like all those times he came to find her at the Grand Duke’s estate.

She had never once been able to stop him.

“I will escort you.”

Thankfully, the knights did not attempt to stop her.

Rather, they closed in around her like a protective wall, parting the way themselves to lead her toward the Imperial Palace.

But Larie, lost in a daze of thoughts, didn’t even notice.

It was a different kind of helplessness than what she felt when facing the guards who’d locked her in here.

This time, it suffocated her.

Still—she walked.

Because this time, the despair her family brought would not end with just her.

“Gyaah woo?”

Clutching Rui tighter in her arms, Larie ran—toward the only hope she had left.

‘Still, can I dare… call him my hope?’

“Her Majesty the Empress has arrived.”

When Larie came to her senses, she realized she was in an unfamiliar wing of the palace—likely one of the Emperor’s offices.

And with every step closer, she finally understood the name of the feeling that had bound her for days.

She was afraid.

Afraid that his mouth would open and tell her the truth—that he had, indeed, deceived her.

If the last hope she clung to shattered, there would be nothing left.

But even knowing that, Larie had no choice but to walk.

Even now, even like this, he was the only one she could turn to.

Just like the day she’d run out into the rain.

The knights led her down a corridor, but before they reached the end, a door flew open with a bang.

It seemed to be one of the Emperor’s working chambers.

And there stood Terian himself, evidently startled by her sudden arrival.

“What brings you here?”

Facing him made her jaw tremble uncontrollably.

She felt dizzy, like her body could collapse from the tension alone.

Still, Larie took a cautious step forward and carefully forced the words out.

“M-My… my family… I heard they’re… looking for me.”

“……”

But something was wrong.

The surprise in his eyes turned icy in an instant.

A chill she knew all too well spread from his gaze.

“……Return to your quarters.”

With just that one phrase, Terian shattered her courage.

He turned his back to her and began to close the door himself—as if he truly had no intention of hearing another word.

The sunlight that had spilled through the office window into the corridor slowly faded.

“Your Majesty… Your Majesty…!”

He didn’t look back.

Not once.