“Would you like to see it?”

Banther brought over a box that had been set aside. The newly acquired evidence was stored inside. Mail paused for a moment as she took the box.

“Why is there so much dirt… Was it buried?”

“Something like that.”

Banther recalled how it was found. Just a while ago, the Emperor had gone straight to his chambers, saying he wanted to check something. The suddenness of it was puzzling, but then he began turning the room upside down. Banther was understandably shocked.

There was no time to stop him or ask what he was doing because the evidence had already been discovered. It was when he broke the third bonsai by the window. Something foreign rolled out — it clearly wasn’t fertilizer.

Banther was surprised, while the Emperor reacted as if he had expected it. Whether a maid had been bribed or Iseline had been used, the pot must have been smuggled in. The Emperor regularly kept bonsai in his chambers, so it wouldn’t have been difficult.

When asked how he knew to look there, the Emperor’s answer was simple: he’d encountered a similar situation before. Since he didn’t offer a more detailed explanation, Banther was left to fill in the blanks himself.

After hearing the full explanation, Mail blinked.

“That’s surprising.”

“I agree.”

“But anyway, this…”

There were two pieces of evidence in the box. One was poison, just as they had suspected. Banther elaborated on the other.

“The marquis likely gave up because of this. We haven’t verified it yet, though.”

“I can guess.”

She had suspected he hadn’t acted alone. Just then, the Emperor took a step forward. The marquis, his head hanging in despair, flinched at the sudden presence. The Emperor stopped close to him and looked down.

“Marquis.”

“…”

“I’ve been wondering about this even before the evidence was found. Were he really aiming for the throne?”

“What do you mean?”

Banther reacted to that. In a situation where the evidence was clear, the Emperor’s question seemed out of place. Mail also looked away from the box, curious.

“I mean, the marquis doesn’t seem like someone who’d have such ambition.”

“If this is about a false accusation—”

“No, that’s not it.”

The Emperor shook his head and added,

“I wonder if bringing me down was the goal itself, not a means to an end.”

Had the marquis not trembled at that moment, Banther would have dismissed the idea outright. But the marquis’s reaction was unmistakable, as if he were affirming it. Banther let out a disbelieving laugh.

“What is this… Was this treason out of a personal grudge?”

“It seems I unknowingly earned someone’s resentment.”

The Emperor spoke as though it were someone else’s problem. His tone was casual, but the content was serious. Banther struggled to understand. It would be easier to believe the marquis had dreamed of overthrowing the state since childhood. Targeting the person rather than the power was hard to fathom, given the weight of the title Emperor.

“Marquis, is it true? Was the throne not what you wanted?”

“…”

There was no answer, but neither was there denial. Who said silence equals consent? Banther gave a hollow laugh.

“Then what exactly… No, never mind. There’s no point in hearing a criminal’s sob story. I’m not interested.”

“That’s cold, Banther.”

“Then I’ll step aside so Your Majesty can listen.”

“Honestly, I’m not that interested either.”

The emperor shrugged. One might wonder why he brought up the topic at all, but what he wanted to confirm was simple: that his judgment of people hadn’t gone astray. Having confirmed that, he was satisfied.

The marquis’s face, now pushed out of interest, seemed more desolate than it had moments ago, perhaps just a trick of perception.

“I have no further business with the marquis. And you?”

The emperor took a step back. Strictly speaking, he was the one who should have the strongest grievance against the marquis, yet his demeanor was the most indifferent. The reason, if one had to find one, was familiarity.

For whatever reason, many had aimed at the emperor’s life over the years. He no longer let such people unsettle him individually.

He had caught the culprit. That was enough. For the one who would soon face the executioner’s block, the emperor spared no more attention. He turned to look at Mail. When she felt his gaze, her eyes widened before she glanced down at the box in her hands.

“I do. I need to catch the accomplice.”

“Sir Banther will handle the interrogation. For me, Mail, what matters more now is the time I’ll spend with you, rather than an accomplice who’s bound to be caught.”

He took the box from Mail and replaced it with his own hand in hers. For a moment, Mail almost forgot where they were.

“Um, Your Majesty.”

“Call me Van.”

“I’m curious why you’re acting like this all of a sudden.”

“It’s not sudden. I’ve been waiting. You worked hard to catch this criminal. So, I waited patiently until you saw the culprit and confirmed the evidence yourself. Now that it’s over, I’d like you to focus on me instead of the culprit or the evidence.”

“…Your Majesty.”

“Van, I said.”

“Excuse me, but may I interrupt for a moment?”

Banther, who had been quietly observing the exchange, raised his hand. For some reason, it felt like he needed permission to speak. The emperor dismissively refused.

“No.”

“Then I’ll speak without permission. About the accomplice.”

Banther seized the right to speak that wasn’t granted and opened his mouth.

“While you were away, the marquis confessed everything.”

“Efficient, aren’t you?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Who is it?”

Mail asked, more proactive than the emperor. Ignoring the emperor’s disapproving glare, Banther answered.

“Duke Vaildion.”

“Vaildion?”

The name was unfamiliar to Mail. But not to the emperor. His expression hardened immediately, as if his previous indifference had never been. His hand fell away from Mail’s.

“…Are you certain?”

“We concluded he had no reason to lie.”

The shift in the air indirectly signaled the importance of the name. Just who was he? As if to resolve Mail’s curiosity, Banther continued.

“As you know, the first consort, Lady Elise Vaildion, was his direct relative. Before she married into the empire, it’s assumed they were particularly close within the family. It’s also likely that he became a duke thanks to her influence.”

“Why did he join forces with the marquis?”

“We don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

Her previously calm voice dropped sharply. Banther lowered his head.

“My apologies. We considered several angles and connections but couldn’t find a convincing motive.”

“Who approached whom first?”

“According to the marquis, it was Duke Vaildion.”

“Did he make any demands?”

“No. He only offered his assistance without making any requests.”

The emperor’s gaze shifted back to the marquis. Banther spoke again.

“If you wish, I can conduct further interrogation.”

Meaning t*rture. The emperor considered it briefly but then shook his head. He couldn’t see any reason for the marquis to hold back information.

“Duke Vaildion, then.”

The emperor furrowed his brow. The name itself was one thing, but the unclear motive was troubling. Even considering grudges, any debt to be settled should have come from his side. Not the other way around.

It left a bitter taste. While the evidence was enough to summon the duke as a criminal, something about the obscure motive gnawed at him. No matter how he thought about it, the duke had no reason to conspire with the marquis. What was his goal?

“Your Majesty.”

Mail’s voice called him out of his thoughts. He unconsciously responded, the train of his reflections halting.

“What…”

“Let me see if I’ve understood this correctly.”

Mail summarized what she had heard.

“The accomplice who conspired with the marquis to target Your Majesty is Duke Vaildion of the Kingdom of Essis. He is the blood relative of the deceased first consort and was close to her in life. He approached the marquis first, offering help, but his motives remain unclear. Is that correct?”

“…Yes.”

Banther, standing beside them, praised her summary with admiration. Instead of acknowledging the compliment, Mail voiced the thought that had been lingering in her mind.

“This is just speculation. Pure speculation, but…”

As soon as she heard they were close, a thought suddenly struck her. She had no evidence, so she was cautious, but she felt the need to say it anyway. A moment later, Banther’s eyes widened.

“That is…”

“It’s definitely worth verifying.”

The emperor’s expression also shifted. There was no reason to delay. He immediately turned to Banther and commanded:

“From now on, track down the contact. Use the guild to make the marquisate takeover disappear, and don’t spare any personnel needed for the search—mobilize everyone available.”

“Understood.”

“It might not be true.”

Startled by how quickly things were moving, Mail grabbed the emperor’s arm. He looked at her, studied her face quietly, then pulled her into an embrace. Holding her close, he whispered.

“It might not be. We’re just confirming. Even if it’s not true, it doesn’t matter.”

“I’m afraid of getting our hopes up for nothing…”

She was worried that offering hope and then snatching it away would be too cruel. The emperor, sensing her concern, smiled softly.

Apparently, Mail didn’t realize just how much she meant to him. In every way, she was his anchor. No matter the outcome, he felt he would be fine because of her presence.

“So what if I’m disappointed?”

“The wounds… might reopen.”

“They won’t.”

Rohayden pulled back just enough to meet her gaze. In his green eyes, a flicker of worry shone. If he told her that was endearing, would she scold him?

“They won’t reopen.”

“….”

“Nothing can break me now.”

“….”

“Unless you leave me.”

Their eyes stayed locked. Mail heard the quickening thump of her heart. Her rational mind scolded her to remember the setting, but even that voice faded when Banther dragged the marquis out of the room.

The warmth of his hand holding hers returned. A small breeze, from the opening and closing of the door, briefly stirred the edge of the curtain. Mail blinked slowly, then lifted herself onto her toes.

Banther earned himself some paid leave.

***