Chapter 13 – Part 3

‘Foolish. Why did you drink the wine?’

According to rumors, the previous Empress had lost the Emperor’s favor because she avoided the wine he offered.

Mary thought.

The previous Empress may have lost favor, but she was the only one among the Emperor’s many wives who bore a child.

The previous Empress had protected her child until the end, and perhaps, in doing so, she had a more peaceful death.

Seeing the Empress, who had never shed a tear before, now crying so bitterly, Mary felt conflicted.

Still, inwardly, she blamed the Empress for foolishly agreeing with the Emperor and drinking the wine.

Because of her folly, the child was lost. Could any consolation even be appropriate?

However, Mary knew she had to display proper decorum.

Mary clasped the Empress’s hands and began to act.

“Your Majesty, now is the time to steel yourself. You must think about how to maintain the Emperor’s favor.”

“It was the first child that came to me. I caressed my belly every day and told it I loved it. But the child won’t come back.”

“What can we do? You are the mother of this empire. It would be best to pull yourself together and prepare for what comes next.”

Mary pretended to deeply empathize with the Empress’s emotions while quickly thinking of ways to protect her.

The only solution that came to mind was to claim that the Empress had been poisoned at the banquet.

But that would be a risky move.

Mary had to shift the blame for the miscarriage away from both the Empress and herself.

The most recent person with a potential grudge against the royal family immediately came to mind.

Anne Vanessa. Her lover was arrested for conspiracy, so she likely harbored a grudge against the royal family.

If they fabricated a story that Anne Vanessa had poisoned the Empress’s tea to cause infertility and miscarriage, it might work.

Moreover, the Emperor already seemed to disdain Anne Vanessa, making her the perfect scapegoat.

“His Majesty seems to dislike Anne Vanessa. He seemed to enjoy her discomfort.”

The Empress silently listened to Mary’s words. Thinking the Empress was deeply shocked, Mary continued, observing her expression.

“What if we claim that Anne Vanessa poisoned your tea with something to cause miscarriage and infertility? His Majesty already dislikes her, so he wouldn’t question you. The only poison we currently have is the seipa brought by Connor Johannes.”

“…No.”

“What? Then, is there another way?”

The Empress grabbed Mary’s arm, her eyes flashing.

“I can’t be the only one to miscarry. I can’t be the only one to lose a child!”

Mary, not understanding what the Empress meant, could only listen to her mutterings.

“Anne, she should also drink the same poison. Mary, what do you think? Isn’t it a great idea?”

Mary felt a suffocating sense of fear.

“Your Majesty, that’s too much!”

“Why?”

“…You don’t need to go that far. His Majesty already suspects Connor Johannes of many crimes. If this gets discovered…”

‘Seipa’ was colorless and odorless and extremely difficult to obtain.

Its ingredients, capable of causing hallucinations, miscarriage, and infertility, only grew on the northern hills of the Vails Kingdom.

It was also difficult to store, so possessing it implied recent travel to an enemy nation.

“Where is the poison? I’ll do it myself!”

* * *

Anne was walking along the edge of the garden, inspecting the surroundings, when an unexpected figure approached her.

She was a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, her shy smile adding to her charm.

Anne realized she had been staring and quickly lowered her head, thinking her beauty was the reason she attracted so much attention.

“…Nice to meet you.”

“You’re Anne Vanessa, right?”

“Yes.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yvonne Davis, Evan’s younger sister.”

Anne was shocked. Evan had a younger sister?

Now that she looked closely, Yvonne had the same striking blonde hair, blue eyes, and sharp nose as Evan.

Anne had never seen her at the mansion, nor had she heard of Evan having a sister, leaving her bewildered as she extended her hand for a handshake, breaking etiquette.

Realizing her mistake, Anne awkwardly pulled her hand back, but Yvonne grabbed it and asked,

“I heard you’re involved with my brother. Is it true?”

Contrary to her shy appearance, Yvonne asked directly, looking expectantly for an answer.

But Anne found the question difficult to answer.

‘I just like the Duke and follow him around…’

That sounded too much like a stalker.

‘We’re not in any relationship! Except for a kiss…’

That made it seem like a brief fling.

‘I have no intention of vying for the position of Duchess. Once everything is over, I’ll disappear, so don’t worry!’

This might make it seem like she was aiming for the Duchess position.

Unable to decide what to say, Anne subtly avoided Yvonne’s gaze.

“Ah, it’s true. Your expression says it all.”

“…No, it’s just… he’s a good superior. I have no other intentions toward him.”

Yvonne, with a puzzled expression, chicly brushed her blonde hair back and said,

“Actually, I’ve already heard from Mila. How does my brother seem to you? I’m a bit worried since the family’s situation is precarious.”

“He’s slightly injured, but he’ll be fine.”

Anne added the word “slightly” to reassure Yvonne. However, Yvonne burst into laughter.

“Ah, that injury. Mila told me.”

“What?”

“She said the two of you were so engrossed in treating it that she felt embarrassed.”

Anne’s face turned as red as a beet.

“That’s a misunderstanding!”

“It’s fine. It can happen between adults. I understand. But my brother is a bit unexpected, isn’t he? Unable to control his impulses at his age.”

Anne found it hard to keep up with Yvonne’s sharp words despite her innocent appearance.

Unlike Anne, who looked troubled, Yvonne remained expressionless, occasionally showing a playful smile.

“So, what part of my brother do you find appealing?”

“He’s incredibly kind. He’s a very warm person.”

Yvonne, puzzled by Anne’s words, lightly placed her hand on Anne’s shoulder.

“Are you sure you didn’t eat something strange? Warm? Kind?”

“He improved the soldiers’ meals and secured medical supplies for the field hospital. He’s kind to everyone.”

“Really?”

Yvonne thought Anne must be seeing things through rose-colored glasses, shaking her head.

This seemed severe. No, terminal.

“Ah, so you have very low standards. I get it. It was probably tough during the war, so you weren’t in your right mind.”

Anne murmured, “But it’s true…” and looked at Yvonne.

“Oh, and let’s stick together for a while. I heard this is your first time in society. I’d like to introduce you to some nice friends.”

Anne liked the sound of that but remembered her mission to find the Crown Prince at the party and shook her head.

“Sorry, I have something I need to do right now.”

“Something to do? What’s that?”

“Come closer.”

Yvonne leaned in as Anne whispered,

“Now, tell me.”

“I have a mission to clear the Duke’s name. I’ll take your offer another time.”

Yvonne thought Anne was adorable and nodded.

“Oh, Lady Davis, would you like this?”

Anne handed over her favorite strawberry candy. Yvonne smiled brightly and asked,

“Ah, is this the famous strawberry candy?”

Yvonne began to understand why her brother was captivated by this woman. Every little thing she did was endearing.

Yvonne thought that compared to Evan, this young lady was too good for him and wondered what Evan had done in a past life to deserve such luck.

‘You hit the jackpot, brother.’

“The banquet is long. After your mission, have tea with me, okay?”

“Yes, I’ll do that.”

At that moment, the music in the banquet hall changed to a grand classical piece, and the servants lined up in a row, bustling about.

This signaled the arrival of the main guests of the evening.

The surrounding nobles clapped their hands, awaiting the entrance of the two people.

“The Emperor and Empress are here!”

The Emperor, practically supporting the Empress as they slowly walked with his hand on her belly, appeared to inspire awe among some nobles who clasped their hands in admiration.

“Congratulations!”

“A new sun for the Empire!”

Amid the continuous congratulations, the Empress bit her lip.

Then, Javier gently touched Laviela’s lips with his free hand and said,

“Don’t be so nervous, Empress.”

“Does it show that much? It’s just that this is the occasion to announce our baby’s arrival to everyone…”

Javier chuckled heartily and placed his hand on Laviela’s belly.

“Empress, the baby inside doesn’t seem worried at all, so why are you the only one trembling?”

The Empress paused at his words.

‘There’s no baby. How fortunate you are.’

Trying to suppress a strange laugh, Laviela lowered her head as if embarrassed and said,

“Your Majesty, people are watching. It’s embarrassing.”

“So what?”

Inside, the Empress cursed him.

‘What hypocrisy!’

She wanted to blame him for causing the miscarriage.

But she couldn’t ignore the consequences of doing so, so Laviela smiled as if she were the happiest person in the world.

“Let me announce to all, the Empress is carrying the next Crown Prince.”