After returning from the meeting, Carlos raised his eyebrows at Jeff’s report.

“The queen was injured?”

“Yes. She cut her arm when some items fell while she was getting things from the warehouse. Fortunately, the wound isn’t too deep.”

Carlos’s brow furrowed at hearing she was hurt in the warehouse.

“What kind of volunteer work requires the queen, especially a pregnant woman, to be getting things from a warehouse? Shouldn’t others be doing that?”

“I also found that questionable, but Her Majesty said…”

Jeff trailed off, intimidated by Carlos’s sharp tone.

“Tch.”

Carlos clicked his tongue with a frown. He couldn’t understand why she kept getting injured while the guards were present.

Why did she keep going to do pointless volunteer work when she should be resting both body and mind during this time? His irritation was rising.

The reason for Ines’s sudden behavior was surely because of the child. She probably wanted to improve people’s perception of her even a little.

But he didn’t think she needed to continue to the point of getting injured.

He considered speaking to Ines directly about this, but then changed his mind.

Seeing Carlos’s angry expression, Jeff cautiously asked.

“Should I tell her to stop volunteering for a while?”

After thinking for a moment, Carlos shook his head.

“Never mind. She’ll figure it out herself.”

Just as Carlos started walking again, Herman approached him as soon as he reached his office.

He had apparently been waiting for Carlos.

“What is it?”

“We’ve received word that Joseph’s location has been found!”

“What?”

Carlos asked eagerly.

“Where is Joseph now?”

“He’s in Alfarano, the border region between Brillant and Vernar.”

“Alfarano?”

It was just a small commercial city that survived off travelers crossing the border. He had thought Joseph would be hiding in a more prosperous city, but to think he was in such a place.

“More importantly, it’s at Vernar’s border. Good conditions for stealing gold.”

“Yes. It seems the culprit who stole the gold…”

“Must be Joseph.”

The moment Carlos heard Joseph was at Vernar’s border, he instinctively knew. That Joseph must have taken the gold.

Sending the anonymous letter to the temple showed he was always keeping tabs on Tezever. Which meant he had acted knowing the offerings would be sent to Vernar.

“What’s the fastest route from here to Alfarano?”

“Obviously, entering Brillant by sea and then going to Alfarano would be fastest. But that means risking passage through Brillant’s capital. Otherwise, there’s the land route through Vernar… but that takes about a week longer than the first option.”

Seated at his desk, Carlos tapped his fingers on it. It was one of his habits when deep in thought.

Having fled in haste, Joseph probably didn’t have anything that could be called a proper military force. At most, he might have several dozen elite soldiers who had helped his escape.

Without Brillant’s help, it would have been impossible for him to return to Tezever in the first place. The fact that Joseph was in a border region rather than the capital in this situation could mean that Brillant’s king had no intention of supporting Joseph’s rebellion.

If they had intended to help from the start, they would have prioritized Joseph’s safety and kept him in the safest place – the palace.

“This might be easier than expected.”

Recently, Brillant had built ports to actively engage in maritime trade. Starting a war in this situation would be a major miscalculation on their part.

Lost in thought for a moment, Carlos looked up.

“We’ll go to Alfarano through Vernar. Disguise them as mercenaries or bandits rather than Tezever forces, and take Joseph’s head. We must avoid creating any elements that could lead to conflict.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Select the most elite knights right now. I’m going personally.”

“Yes, I’ll prepare the list and report… What? Your Majesty is going personally?”

Herman blinked his eyes as if asking if he was serious. This was something that could be quickly finished by just sending a few knights.

However, Carlos nodded as if it was obvious and stood up from his seat.

“You just prepare a plausible excuse for my absence. Something like going on a royal inspection tour would work. Joseph mustn’t know that I’ve left Tezever.”

He walked to the window and gazed outside.

‘I’ll kill Joseph with my own hands.’

Once he cut off the source of the rumors, everything would be over.

* * *

Ines gently stroked her bandaged arm as she rested in the carriage.

Though a week had already passed, her arm still throbbed.

She stared at the sky that was turning orange.

Today was the day she was going to Marquis Descartes’s mansion. What could be the reason for meeting the marquis?

Surely she wouldn’t have to prove her ability in front of him again? Or perhaps…

Ines squeezed her eyes shut as if struck by a terrible thought.

She suddenly remembered having to treat the guests her father had brought.

They were mostly people who needed surgical treatment. For better or worse, it was impossible to transfer internal illnesses from others to her own body. Instead, she could temporarily transfer others’ pain to her body.

Ines quietly crumpled her skirt with her fingers. The nightmare of writhing in pain in the past flashed through her mind. She had thought she would never experience that pain again, since everyone who had witnessed her ability had died in the rebellion.

Ines started biting her nails. It was a habit that emerged when she was anxious or uneasy.

‘Was there someone sick in the marquis’s family?’

If her memory was correct, there were no ill people among the marquis and his wife or children. Or should she consider his extended family as well? If there was someone sick, then I…

She shook her head as if trying to shake off the ominous thoughts.

‘It won’t be that bad.’

Before, she had been just a powerless young girl under her father’s authority. But she was different now.

Though her prestige had fallen, she was still the queen. As long as Carlos, her husband and king, was by her side, they couldn’t make unreasonable demands.

Just as Ines was trying to reassure herself, the carriage stopped at the marquis’s mansion.

Margaret, who got out of the carriage first, led the motionless Ines.

“You must get out now, Your Majesty.”

Margaret’s face, smiling sweetly, looked like that of a demon.

* * *

In the marquis’s room stood three people: Marquis Descartes, Baron Delmonsi, and one unidentified man.

She carefully entered the room while maintaining her guard. Descartes greeted Ines with a welcoming face and proper etiquette.

“It is an honor that you would visit such a humble place, Your Majesty.”

“It’s been a while, Marquis Descartes.”

Ines’s eyebrow twitched as she watched Descartes kiss her hand.

She quickly withdrew her hand from him and asked.

“Let’s cut to the chase. What do you want from me?”

“You seem to have inherited your father’s impatience.”

Descartes laughed heartily and continued.

“I would like you to share a bit of your ability with me. If you grant me that ability…”

Descartes lowered his gaze to look at Ines’s belly.

“I will support and protect your future child.”

Ines instinctively covered her belly with her hands.

“Won’t Your Majesty’s child need someone to support them, now that your family is gone? You seem to be working hard at volunteering to gain the people’s support, but such efforts are meaningless from the start. Even when you were branded with all sorts of stigma as a duke’s daughter, your marriage to King Joseph was possible because of House Claudia’s power, wasn’t it?”

“…”

“So if you would share just a little of that ability with me, I will become a source of strength for you and your child.”

Ines quietly bit her lip at his words. Descartes’s words made perfect sense. But did she even have a choice in accepting this proposal in the first place?

Seeing Ines pondering, Descartes continued.

“Ah, of course. Your Majesty has no choice. After all, your birth mother’s life is in my hands, so you have no choice but to follow my words.”

As expected.

Should she be grateful that she didn’t have to share her ability indiscriminately? If the marquis supported her future child, it would certainly be helpful.

After organizing her thoughts for a moment, Ines looked up.

“So what do I need to do?”

“Ah.”

At her question, Descartes silently gestured, and a man entered as the door opened.

The man in shabby clothes had a splint on his arm.

“First, I need to verify Your Majesty’s ability with my own eyes.”