Chapter 15 – Part 2

“Come in, Herren.”

“……”

Yvonne rested her chin on her hand and stared at the motionless door.

‘It’s not Herren.’

She tucked her loose hair behind her ear and slowly got up from her seat.

When she opened the door, she saw a man drenched in sweat.

“Who are you?”

“…I’m Caden, the palace physician.”

Upon hearing this, Yvonne immediately stood up, ready to chase him away. She couldn’t predict what schemes the Empress might be up to again.

“W-wait a moment. Please, let me see the Duke.”

The palace physician, sweating profusely, pleaded with Yvonne.

It made sense, as he had been trying to meet Evan but hadn’t succeeded once. The Duke was either in the secluded palace where the Crown Prince was confined or by Anne Vanessa’s side whenever he had a chance.

Anne Vanessa was a person of great interest to the Empress’s faction, making it difficult to approach her carelessly. The Duke seemed to know this and never left her side.

One had to wonder when he even found time to use the restroom.

If he couldn’t catch Yvonne Davis now, he would have no choice but to rely on the untrustworthy Empress.

“…What’s your scheme?”

“There’s no scheme. I just thought I’d share some information I know in exchange for preserving my life. Honestly, it would be more beneficial to Duke Davis.”

The palace physician took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat from his face.

He really just wanted to live, but he hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to meet the Duke.

‘Maybe the lady might be better.’

Yvonne still suspected the palace physician, but she let him into the room. He looked quite pitiful, constantly glancing around the corridor.

Once inside, the palace physician knelt on the floor and began to cry.

“Please save me.”

His trembling, begging figure didn’t seem to be acting. However, Yvonne let him sweat a bit more to make him more desperate.

Yvonne smirked and asked,

“How?”

“When the time comes, if I pack my things and come out, please just let me hide in the Duke’s residence….”

Yvonne sighed at this request.

“Why should I trust you?”

“……”

“Caden, you’ve been in the Empress’s palace from the start. It’s obvious you’re one of her people. Why should I listen to your request? It could be that the Empress told you to lie to me.”

“No, that’s not it!”

At that moment.

Knock, knock.

The palace physician tensed his shoulders in fear.

Returning maid, Herren, was surprised by the unexpected scene but spoke to Yvonne from the corner of the room.

“It’s probably better not to discuss this now, right?”

“Yes. Herren, why don’t you come and sit?”

Since the palace physician kept glancing nervously at the maid, Herren, without saying anything, Yvonne asked impatiently,

“Then speak. How can I know if your proposal is worth it if you don’t explain?”

Yvonne moved to the terrace tea table where she had been sitting earlier, sipping tea and watching Caden’s reaction.

“If you can’t talk, leave.”

The palace physician, growing increasingly anxious, eventually placed his hands on the floor and began to cry, tears streaming down his face.

“The Empress is not at risk of miscarriage right now!”

“……”

Yvonne just smirked, showing no reaction, which made the palace physician even more desperate.

“The Empress isn’t pregnant at all. I misdiagnosed her symptoms, but they were all due to a condition called pseudocyesis….”

“What?”

“Huh?”

Herren, surprised, couldn’t help but question this. Even as a low-ranking noble, she had heard about the widely known incident.

‘Pseudocyesis?’

Yvonne burst into laughter at the mention of such an unheard-of condition.

Taking this laughter as a cue, the palace physician began to reveal everything he knew. How the Empress had come to believe she was pregnant.

He backed up his conclusions with records from ancient texts about pseudocyesis, providing professional evidence to support his claims.

Who could have revealed that Rabiella’s pregnancy was a phantom one?

Yvonne looked up at the brightly shining sun and thought.

‘It seems that the gods are favoring my brother.’

“Therefore, please save me,” the palace physician pleaded desperately.

“…But why do you need saving? What did you do wrong?” Yvonne asked.

“I lied to the Empress,” he confessed.

“About the misdiagnosis?”

“No, the Empress believes she miscarried before the poisoning incident. I lied to her, saying it was a miscarriage.”

That confirmed the culprit behind the poisoning incident without needing his admission.

“Hah, she’s insane! She knew and still—”

The palace physician nodded emphatically, silently screaming inside, ‘Yes, the Empress and even the Emperor are mad! I’m afraid for my life. So please, save me.’

However, Herren, sitting next to Yvonne, found something odd and gently touched Yvonne’s hand, tilting her head in confusion.

“Why?” Yvonne asked.

“My lady, doesn’t it seem strange? According to the physician, the poison was also found in the cup that Lady Anne Vanessa drank from, except for the shattered cup of the Empress. Other nobles’ cups had it randomly.”

“So, the culprit wasn’t trying to frame Anne?”

“Yes.”

Herren’s point made sense.

However, Yvonne thought differently.

Recalling the Empress’s past actions, she wasn’t someone capable of such cunning strategies.

“So, my lady, could you please speak to the Duke… or perhaps to Prince Vails…”

“Can you testify to all of this?”

“Pardon?”

“You didn’t come here without intending to testify, did you?”

“Of course!”

The palace physician was slightly taken aback.

He had thought it would suffice if Duke Davis just knew that the Empress wasn’t carrying the next Crown Prince.

He added, “I plan to tell His Majesty that the Empress isn’t pregnant.”

Yvonne pressed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

“That’s all?”

“Then…”

“Listen. You will tell everything from start to finish with your own mouth. As for the timing… I’ll discuss it with my brother. Anyway, if you do that, I promise to at least write you a recommendation to the capital hospital. But if you betray us…”

The palace physician gulped. Yvonne got up from her seat and approached him slowly.

Looking him straight in the eyes, she tightened her grip around his neck.

“You will die immediately. No one can say anything if I decide to kill you.”

“My lady…”

“Then I will tell the Empress you were incompetent and misdiagnosed. Your achievements will be erased, and your corpse will be left for the beasts.”

Gulp.

The sound of swallowing was particularly loud.

Yvonne smiled, but her eyes were cold and sharp.

“You have three hours. Prepare your report on how to prove the Empress’s crimes. If you need the names of capital hospital physicians, let me know. I’ll assign our people. Now, answer me. Which side do you think you can handle?”

The palace physician turned pale.

Initially, he had thought Yvonne seemed more gentle and kind than Duke Davis and believed he could manipulate her. He was wrong.

All he could do now was bow his head and repeat the same words over and over.

“I will prove it, no matter what.”

“Good? Then I’ll see you in three hours. Don’t be late, or there’ll be no mercy.”

“Yes, absolutely!”

Thinking that the medical records would be essential, the palace physician hurried out of Yvonne’s room.

Stretching, Yvonne said, “I feel sorry for my brother having a good time, but I need to find him now.”

Herren, impatient, grabbed Yvonne’s arm.

“I know where he is. Let’s go quickly.”

Yvonne smiled and nodded.

Seeing Yvonne’s unhurried demeanor, Herren thought to herself.

‘Does she know? She looks just as intimidating as the Duke in moments like this.’

Yvonne seemed solely focused on how to bring down the Empress.

Crack.

The sound of joints popping echoed satisfyingly.

Stretching with her hands clasped together, Yvonne’s posture exuded an unusual intensity.

“Lady Yvonne?”

“……”

Yvonne, deep in thought, replayed what the palace physician had said, piecing together the most crucial point. She had long suspected that the deaths of the Emperor’s offspring before birth were due to the Empress’s schemes. There had been numerous stillborn princes, so the problem wasn’t with the Emperor. The fact that there were no children between the Emperor and Empress could only mean one thing.

‘The Empress must have a problem.’

“Herren, I think today is going to be very enjoyable. Ah, and in the days to come as well.”

“Pardon?”

“I need to see my brother now. Do you know where he is?”

“Yes!”