Marquis Miko seemed about to briefly kiss Louise’s hand, but then began the escort with an exaggerated gesture.

Even in the corridor far from the banquet hall filled with brilliant lights, imperial knights were standing.

Despite everyone watching this scene, Marquis Miko showed no hesitation.

“If rumors spread that I kissed the empress’s hand, I’ll face the emperor’s wrath. I might even leave this world, leaving behind my lovely daughters, haha.”

“…That’s quite amusing.”

It rather felt like he was deliberately letting the imperial knights here overhear their conversation….

Louise continued this puzzling conversation with Marquis Miko, following his cues, as she entered the Miko family’s reception room located just below.

The interior of the reception room was comfortable as befitted a space temporarily lent to high-ranking nobles, but it lacked much furniture, making it feel somewhat empty.

As soon as they entered the reception room, Margaret took the shawl Louise was wearing.

The reception room was already warmed, making it a bit too hot to wear a shawl.

How coincidental that the room was warmed, as if it waiting for someone’s arrival.

Seated on the large sofa at the far end, Louise looked at Marquis Miko and Margaret sitting opposite her.

A year ago, during a brief meeting with her brother, he had tipped her off about nobles who supported the former emperor. And among them, Marquis Miko was important and distinctly memorable, which was why she wanted to meet him.

But… what if he no longer supported the former emperor and now supported Rondimio after a year had passed?

Despite all her worries and the luck that brought her to meet Marquis Miko today, Louise’s concerns were endless.

Even if all this were discovered, she was confident Rondimio would still love her, but that was barely reassuring.

As punishment for her betrayal, he might imprison her deep within the palace where no one could see the empress… no. Rondimio would likely still treat her kindly.

Instead of imprisoning her, Rondimio might harm himself more severely than before.

If he previously cut his skin with a dagger, next time he might stab himself deeply with a longsword.

Though she claimed not to love Rondimio anymore, that was the last thing she wanted.

“You can start speaking slowly. His Majesty the Emperor will arrive later than you expect.”

As if he had heard her thoughts rolling outside her head, Marquis Miko gave Louise a kindly smile.

Whatever he had planned, he even mentioned the unexpected information that Rondimio would arrive later than anticipated.

“How… does the Marquis know that? That His Majesty will arrive late.”

Tap tap. Louise’s fingertips lightly drummed on the large table.

Upon entering the Miko family’s reception room, she had already confirmed that there was no one else inside and no imperial knights in front of the reception room.

Even if Rondimio had placed secret guards, there was no large furniture to hide behind or windows to peek through in the reception room, so she could feel at ease.

After all, her voice and Marquis Miko’s were now very, very quiet.

“If you ask how I know… Duke Havent, who took His Majesty away, is in close association with me.”

“Close… association?”

“If I tell you that we are nobles who together support the former emperor, will Your Majesty the Empress make up your mind?”

“Ah……”

Marquis Miko revealed all his cards.

Louise suppressed a scream with her hand and jumped to her feet.

She was so moved that her heart was racing wildly, feeling like it might burst.

Ah, Marquis Miko is indeed the former emperor’s man. Then he can help me. Once she was certain, everything else became very easy.

“I… don’t love His Majesty the Emperor. Help me leave his side.”

“Of course, Your Majesty the Empress.”

It was Margaret who calmed the overwhelmed Louise.

If she raised her voice any louder here, she might attract the attention of imperial knights patrolling the corridor.

For another reason… she should calm down because it wasn’t good for the child in her womb.

Louise sat back down on the sofa, smoothing the disheveled folds of her dress.

She had thought that if Marquis Miko and Margaret were truly nobles who supported the former emperor, they would dislike the child in her womb even more, but it was unexpected.

The nobles who were still filling the banquet hall occasionally cast contemptuous glances at the empress carrying the emperor’s child.

Moreover, some even spoke their thoughts aloud when away from Rondimio’s gaze, so she had thought these two wouldn’t be much different.

Louise couldn’t face them with confidence because she had no intention of getting rid of the child in her womb.

While her heart would tighten as if she had committed a great sin, it was to survive.

At the same time, she acted foolishly as if she knew nothing to avoid letting Rondimio discover her changed feelings.

The grown lovely princess was no longer someone who could shift her responsibilities with words like pure and innocent.

She couldn’t do that anymore, and Louise herself knew it best.

She knew it so well that she was silently accepting what she couldn’t fix while pretending not to know.

“I’m sorry. For staying quietly by His Majesty’s side for so long without saying anything.”

In truth, the cause of everything was that Louise herself had loved Rondimio for a long time, but she couldn’t bring herself to say that fact.

Now she definitely… didn’t love Rondimio.

But it was true that she had loved Rondimio for a long time, and she didn’t want to deny that.

She was clearly still not in her right mind, but when it came to Rondimio, things kept getting out of her control, and she couldn’t help it.

“I believe Your Majesty the Empress had your circumstances. I’m so glad that you’ve given Margaret a signal even now.”

Marquis Miko once again showed a kindly smile, but he didn’t seem inclined to decline Louise’s apology.

The same was true for Margaret beside him.

This was the first time she had acted independently without the former emperor and Rondimio, so her heart was still pounding.

These two people had revealed their position first.

It felt like receiving salvation that would never come again just by them saying that everything that had happened until now was okay, but the conversation from now on was more important.

“Help me leave His Majesty’s side…. I’ll do whatever you want from me.”

“Are you saying you can do anything?”

“……”

Knowing the weight behind the words “I’ll do anything,” Louise remained silent for a long time.

What the high-ranking nobles wanted was probably Rondimio’s dethronement.

If someone who became emperor through rebellion was dethroned, the end would only be death.

Louise, who would support the new emperor along with the high-ranking nobles, would not only save her life but also continue to enjoy the same wealth and glory as now.

By thoroughly deceiving Rondimio whom she had loved.

“But let me give birth to the child in my womb. The child… is innocent. I’ll raise it quietly by myself.”

After contemplating, Louise added the condition about the child in her womb. She wanted to preserve her last love for Rondimio.

She would die suffering from guilt about him while looking at a child who resembled him every day.

That was the best atonement Louise could offer to Rondimio.

“……”

“I promise that my child will never ascend to the throne. I’ll do everything you want……”

“If you want to give birth to the current emperor’s child that badly… I’ll support you to the best of my ability. However, it will be more difficult for Your Majesty the Empress.”

“I’ll endure it all. I’ll make sure the child’s existence doesn’t interfere with your plans.”

“If Your Majesty the Empress shares our intentions, then of course.”

Marquis Miko seemed to hesitate a little, but ultimately agreed. He even added concern for Louise.

Could it be that the high-ranking nobles also knew that she had truly loved Rondimio?

No, they couldn’t know that fact.

What woman would love a man who was like an enemy, who killed her parents and imprisoned and abused her other family members in the underground prison?

“I… really don’t love His Majesty.”

That such a woman had existed until just a few weeks ago, and still existed right in front of them, was a secret she hoped no one would discover.

Now she was confident she wouldn’t love him anymore, so it would be fine. It had to be fine.

“You can trust me completely.”

Louise smiled at Marquis Miko as if to reassure him.

After leaving Marquis Miko’s reception room, Louise wandered outside the banquet hall for a long time.

The help that Marquis Miko and Margaret had requested from Louise was to smuggle her two brothers out of the underground prison and away from the imperial palace.

She had expected this, having agreed to protect the child in her womb on the condition that she would do everything they wanted.

It was something only Louise could do.

Even if Louise hadn’t helped them, some nobles who were dissatisfied with the current emperor Rondimio would have plotted rebellion like this.

After all, Rondimio was a tyrant who had seized Araceli through rebellion just to marry Louise, who was merely a princess, and he was an incompetent emperor.

“I believe brother Berus’s lover gave birth to a child……”

Berus, who had been the legitimate crown prince of Araceli, had a hidden lover unknown even to the former emperor and empress.

A woman who was content with bearing the child of the man she loved without being able to marry due to their difference in status.