Chapter 7

‘Was this what Your Highness wanted to show me?’

Maron’s lowered gaze settled on Jack, who was crouched on the floor.

Since when?

Since when had the discipline of the guard become so lax?

No, in truth, he already knew.

It had been one month since the Emperor changed.

In that short span of time, the order within the Imperial Palace had already crumbled this badly.

As he stood in silence, Evelyn’s voice reached his ears once more.

“Captain of the Guard.”

“I will report it immediately.”

“Thank you.”

“Your Highness, please! Please…!”

Looking down at Jack, who had grabbed hold of his trouser leg, Maron swung his hand in an instant.

The edge of his hand struck the back of Jack’s neck, and the body that had been crouching with difficulty went limp.

After glancing once at him sprawled across the floor, Maron looked at the soldier who was still pressed against the wall, trembling like an aspen leaf.

“Watch carefully.”

“If Her Majesty asks for me—”

Just as he was about to move, Evelyn’s voice was heard.

“Stop by my palace and bring me a set of outdoor clothes. I cannot meet her dressed in nightclothes.”

“…Understood.”

A short while later, when Maron came to see her again, he was carrying a neatly folded dress in his hands.

***

Entering the audience chamber, Evelyn looked toward the throne.

It was decorated more lavishly and magnificently than it had been under her father Philip, and even more so than under her younger brother Edward.

‘And it will only get worse from here.’

Three years later, when the national treasury is completely ruined, every wall of the audience chamber will be covered in gold leaf.

At the time, living her second life, Evelyn had not even been able to think of stopping her.

Having already experienced dying less than two years after offering counsel in her first life, fear had taken hold of her entire being.

Slowly, Evelyn walked forward and stopped before the steps.

“Evelyn Bournemouth …”

“Formalities are unnecessary.”

“I greet Your Majesty.”

“Very well.”

Evelyn lowered her head deeply.

Just as it had been under Robert, she could easily guess what expression Mary was wearing.

‘She’ll be resting her chin on her hand, looking bored.’

As though all of this were tedious and wearisome.

When she straightened her back a moment later, Evelyn confirmed that her prediction had been exactly right.

Mary’s cold green eyes swept over her.

“Evelyn.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Two pairs of green eyes met in the air.

Evelyn forced the muscles of her face not to twist.

“As Count Edenbarker said, the color of your eyes really is exactly the same as mine.”

“It seems we both take after our father.”

“…Yes.”

It was because she had been reminded of a conversation she had shared with Mary in her first life.

“A guard insulted a member of the imperial family?”

“Yes.”

The green eyes that had been fixed in place turned to the side.

There, Jack was kneeling, his hands and feet bound, with a gag stuffed into his mouth as well.

“That man?”

“Mmph! Mmph-mmph!”

The man with the faded brown hair hurriedly shook his head, but Mary’s expression did not change in the slightest.

Her eyes slowly closed and opened again, as though looking at a tiresome assignment.

Only a thick haze lingered within them.

“What should be done with him?”

Her long fingers moved up and down, tapping lightly against the armrest.

Watching her appear to deliberate over the man’s punishment, Evelyn laughed inwardly.

A man who had insulted a member of the imperial family deserved the harshest punishment.

The very fact that Mary appeared to be considering the sentence of an obvious criminal was proof that she did not regard Evelyn as a member of the imperial family.

That was why, in the previous two lives, Evelyn had let such behavior pass.

It was true that her status as a prisoner confined in the Imperial Palace Tower made her a criminal.

No, beyond that, she simply had not wanted someone to die over something like this.

‘But now…’

Her mind was more at ease than before.

More precisely, it was empty and numb.

There was no choice if she wanted to leave the Imperial Palace Tower.

To seize the throne, she first had to escape that place and build her own power base.

Besides, insulting a member of the imperial family was a crime punishable by death.

A soldier who treated even such a grave offense lightly would inevitably cause trouble elsewhere.

Indeed, in her second life, after Jack had been reassigned to the main gate guard post, he was executed for secretly taking bribes and allowing illegal entry.

‘He’s going to die anyway.’

There was no need to feel guilty.

Still, it was also true that she did not want to see blood spilled before her eyes.

So this was not guilt or anything of the sort. It was simply a compromise for the sake of her own peace of mind.

“Your Majesty, may I offer a suggestion?”

“I permit it.”

“There is a provision in Imperial Law stating that those who insult a member of the imperial family shall be sentenced to hanging.”

“Hm.”

“However.”

Evelyn’s gaze turned toward the man trembling like an aspen leaf.

“As I am residing in the Imperial Palace Tower, I am half a criminal myself, so it would be difficult to say that he insulted a member of the imperial family in the full sense.”

“…”

“Hm.”

“Therefore, how would it be if you issued an order banishing him from the Imperial Capital?”

Mary’s lowered eyes rested on her.

A brief silence followed.

Then a low voice came from her dry face, revealing nothing of what she was thinking.

“Very well.”

“Thank you for hearing my inadequate opinion.”

“Captain of the Guard.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Expel the criminal from the capital immediately. Ah, and cut out that babbling tongue of his.”

“…Yes.”

Though his reply came a beat late, Maron accepted the Emperor’s order.

Jack screamed as he was dragged away, but Mary did not even blink.

Before long, aside from the attendants, only Mary and Evelyn remained in the audience chamber.

The heart lodged deep within her ribs pounded violently.

She tried to remain indifferent, but every time Evelyn witnessed Mary’s cruelty, she felt suffocated.

The image of Mary smiling with delight as she burned her alive rose vividly in her mind.

“Evelyn.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“There is no need to pity him. He was going to die anyway. Thanks to you, he at least kept that much.”

Fortunately or unfortunately, Mary interpreted her agitation in a different way.

To keep her true thoughts from being discovered, Evelyn lowered her body even further.

“Evelyn.”

Once again, the absolute ruler called for her.

Her thoughts, which had drifted elsewhere, snapped back at once.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I heard you refused Count Edenbarker’s visit. Does he make you uncomfortable?”

In her first life, this was when she had honestly spoken her mind.

“I find it burdensome. How could I possibly grow close to Your Majesty’s man?”

At the time, she had concluded that the unusually close relationship between the two of them was a romantic one.

Because of that, she had drawn a firm line with Robert and never allowed him close, ultimately remaining trapped in the Imperial Palace Tower until the day she died.

‘Mary intends to kill me anyway.’

‘But before that, she intends to enjoy herself.’

To enjoy the spectacle of Evelyn, like Mary’s mother before her, being betrayed by love and crying out in despair.

To Mary, another person’s suffering was merely a reward she took for carrying out her revenge.

‘And Robert is the lead actor in that performance.’

At least until Mary had enjoyed herself enough, she would keep Evelyn alive.

Therefore, if she wanted to leave the Tower, it was advantageous to appear favorable toward Robert for the time being.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. I was merely troubled by the thought of one of Your Majesty’s close aides setting foot in a place where even the guards conduct themselves with such laxity.”

“Hm.”

“I only fear that someone belonging to Your Majesty might encounter an unfortunate situation while coming and going from the Tower for the sake of a prisoner.”

Mary’s whims came without warning.

In the past, Evelyn had been unable to keep up with decisions that changed from moment to moment.

Now, however, things were different.

Because she knew what Mary based her decisions on.

“I only wish for the Count to cease making the journey.”

“There is no need for that. Your residence will soon be decided.”

Mary slowly closed and opened her indifferent eyes.

“So have your private meetings with the Count there.”

“…I am grateful for Your Majesty’s grace.”

Silence settled over the audience chamber.

The Emperor did not order her dismissal, and the princess did not request permission to withdraw, so only the people around them grew stiff with tension in the uncomfortable quiet.

After staring at Evelyn for a long while, Mary finally parted her lips.

“You may go.”

“Yes.”

After offering a mechanical farewell, Evelyn turned and left.

Mary’s gaze remained fixed on her half-sister until the very end.

Her face was as dry and expressionless as usual, but the flames that rose within her green eyes were as fierce as a raging fire.

***

Every Monday was the day nobles gathered at the Imperial Palace to discuss affairs of state.

Those who belonged to the deliberative body called the Council existed to oversee the many parts of the Empire that the Emperor could not personally attend to and to offer their insights on such matters.

Inside the meeting chamber, it was as though someone had drawn a line down the middle.

Separated by a red carpet, the nobles were divided into the First Empress faction and the Second Empress faction.

Without even looking at the opposite side, they conversed only among themselves.

A short while later, the moment Mary entered, they all rose from their seats and bowed.

“Begin.”

As soon as she sat down, the Emperor’s authoritative voice rang out.

Soon after, Viscount Cornwell raised his voice.

“Your Majesty, the traitors and heretics must be apprehended immediately!”

The Emperor’s languid gaze turned toward him.

“There have been far too many suspicious movements, especially around the capital!”

“Heretics and traitors…”

“Yes! Were not rebels apprehended in the territory of Baron Sands as well? A large-scale purge must be carried out!”

The relaxed look in Mary’s eyes twisted as thinly as a sheet of paper.

Expressions of bewilderment appeared on the faces of the nobles belonging to the Second Empress faction.

“Yes, we cannot leave them unchecked.”

A gaze carrying a languid killing intent swept over each of the nobles belonging to the Second Empress faction.

Faced with that chilling look, the nobles lowered their heads.

“It seems we need an investigation team to look into this immediately.”

The First Empress faction looked across the room with relative ease.

In contrast, the Second Empress faction grew restless, cautiously watching one another.

To them, this felt like a test of sorts.

Sensitive matters such as rebellion or heresy were usually investigated directly by the Imperial Family or the Temple.

If something went wrong, they could be forced to bear all responsibility, and in the worst case, even be framed for it.

Yet they could not simply withdraw and avoid involvement.

Doing so might cause their loyalty to the Emperor to be questioned.

Without realizing it, their desperate gazes converged on a single person.

Aiden, Duke Gloucester—

the most powerful noble among the Second Empress faction.