Chapter 33

“Is there anything wrong in the capital?”

“No, there is nothing to worry about.”

Vellian replied, handing over the report from the capital.

Everything in the capital was going well.

After a brief silence, Kaizen asked.

“How about that?”

At Kaizen’s meaningful question, Vellian lowered his voice a little.

He didn’t even have to ask who he was referring to.

“The Duke of Reston secretly sent money to the West.”

Duke Reston in the capital was still walking into the trap.

Seeing that he even sent money, it was obvious that he was preparing for a rebellion.

The problem was that his allied partner was a spy on the Kaizen side.

Thanks to this, all of the Duke’s actions were being reported to this side.

Vellian looked at Kaizen with a slightly complicated gaze.

He can finally get rid of the Duke of Reston just when he first told this thing.

At that time, Kaizen was also trying to buy time so that the Duke could walk into the trap while taking time to go along.

The Duke will do more work if Kaizen stays away for a long time.

But now the situation is a little… it became complicated.

‘His Majesty is being drawn to Lady Astelle now.’

In the capital, the Duke of Reston prepares for treason and walks into a trap, and the Emperor was taken away by Astelle, the daughter of the Duke of Reston.

Even Vellian was confused about what to do.

‘What will happen to Lady Astelle if the Duke of Reston is executed as a traitor?’

The Emperor did not show mercy to the traitor family.

The northern family that caused the rebellion was executed along with the women and children.

If the rebellion is still not done, only men were executed and women were sent to a convent.

‘But for Lady Astelle…’

The Emperor had his affection for Astelle.

Even if the Duke of Reston dies, Astelle will be able to spend a comfortable day in the eastern countryside.

But when she becomes the daughter of a traitor, it’ll be hard for her to get into the capital’s socialite.

‘It would be impossible to stay with the Emperor’s side. It is not allowed to take the daughter of a traitor to the imperial palace.’

Then it becomes completely impossible for Astelle to become empress again.

Vellian thought about it for a moment and looked at the Emperor with a complicated gaze.

Kaizen, who was sitting still, ordered in a calm voice.

“Send the commander of the Lanberg Knight to the North.”

“Pardon?”

“Send some of the knights to maintain the security of the north.”

Vellian realized what Kaizen was thinking.

The Lanberg Knights were the capital’s most useful force.

If some of the knights and the knight commander get out of the capital, the Duke will think of this as an opportunity.

‘You’re trying to get the Duke to take a chance and speed up the rebellion.’

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

And Vellian also grasped the meaning behind Kaizen’s words.

“I’ll just pretend to go and stay nearby.”

Kaizen did not answer.

Vellian delivered other news to arouse the atmosphere.

“Sir Laudrick, who manages the castle, has prepared a banquet and a ball.”

“A banquet?”

“Since Your Majesty has come, it seems that he is planning a celebration and a ball.”

Unlike Maern Castle, which was so far away in the forest, this is a bustling city, so there are aristocrats and some nobles who live in the surroundings as well.

Since the emperor has visited, he has prepared a welcome event in his own way.

The nobles living in local cities rarely had a chance to meet the emperor unless it was this time.

But Kaizen firmly refused.

“I don’t need useless events.”

There is no need for such a thing.

He didn’t come out because he was out to play.

Kaizen stopped handing over the documents in a small way.

“I guess the ball will be okay.”

“Pardon?”

Vellian asked in embarrassment.

‘Why did you change your answer? Aren’t you the person who hates this kind of thing?’

“Yes, I understand. Then, only the ball will proceed as planned, and the banquet and other welcome events will be canceled…”

Kaizen thought of Astelle with his gaze fixed on a document full of intricate letters.

He hasn’t had a good conversation with Astelle since the day he found herbs together in the forest.

Upon arriving here, Astelle went to the outbuilding with Theor.

When he thinks about it, Astelle liked the ball.

When he was the prince, Astelle, as the prince’s fiancee, hosted a ball at the imperial palace.

Even in her own mansion, the ball was often held by her on behalf of the deceased duchess.

He remembers Astelle, who wore a fancy dress and laughed happily among the noisy nobles.

The memory of the bright and mindless ballroom vaguely appeared and then disappeared.

Even Astelle in it didn’t look as clear as a hazy afterimage.

‘……’

It was difficult to bring back the memories he had forgotten for a long time.

Kaizen has often regretted why he can’t remember those moments properly these days.

He wished that Astelle’s happy smile had been more clearly inscribed in his memory.

He was more upset because he thought he would never see such a figure again.

“Your Majesty.”

The voice of the attendant disturbed Kaizen’s thoughts.

“Lady Florin has been asking to see Your Majesty.”

“Florin is here?”

Kaizen, locked in thoughts, frowned.

“Why?”

As he lifted his head, Vellian was staring at him blankly.

His eyes were wondering why he really didn’t know why she came.

“That… probably because of Lady Marianne.”

“Oh, it was.”

Marianne, discovered trying to harm Astelle, was still trapped in Maern Castle.

Kaizen had forgotten about Marianne since leaving there.

“Her mother, the Marchioness, has also come with her. Now the Marchioness is resting in the restroom because he is not feeling well.”

Vellian said that, and he thought it was a great option to leave the Marchioness in the restroom.

The Marchioness was similar in character to Marianne.

She had no discernment and had short thoughts.

When she comes before the emperor, she will not be helpful, but she will only interfere.

“Tell her to come in.”

Kaizen replied as if he was annoying.

After a while, a small lady in an open pink dress stepped inside the office.

Florin was a girl with dark hair, purple round eyes, and milky cheeks.

She had just reached adulthood.

She is only one or two years apart from Marianne, but it was a completely different personality from her older sister.

“Greeting Your Majesty the Emperor, the Lord of the Empire.”

Florin wore a dress embroidered with a purple peony in a mixture of light pink and white, and she naturally loosened and drooped her dark, wavy black hair.

She looked like a cute porcelain doll.

She wasn’t formally engaged, but most nobles were guessing that Florin would be Kaizen’s new empress.

Her father, the Marquis of Croychen, has gained the emperor’s trust in lieu of state affairs. And the great aristocracy has almost all fallen, so there were no deserving ladies to become an empress.

Florin raised her head calmly.

“Please forgive the rudeness of my sudden visit, Your Majesty. I am here to apologize to Your Majesty on behalf of my father.”

“What did your father say?”

Florin hesitated for a moment at Kaizen’s cold question, then she hurriedly lowered her head again.

“My father apologized for not properly educating his daughter, and he said that he wished Your Majesty to punish his daughter severely.”

“Ha.”

It meant that he would abandon his daughter.

Kaizen outright laughed at her.

Unlike Croychen, the Duke of Reston and other large nobles lost their power and were newly added to the ranks.

The Duke of Croychen had been trusted because he was loyal and competent, but on this side, he was no different from the Duke of Reston.

“Your Majesty.”

Florin suddenly knelt on the floor.

“My father said so, but I want to ask forgiveness on behalf of my sister.”

As Florin cried, she put her hands on the floor and bow down her head.

The tears flowed down her white cheeks.

“My sister is still young and immature, so she must have made that mistake. She is unforgivable but I dare to ask you to generously show mercy.”

Like a doll, her cute face was stained with tears.

She looked sad, but Kaizen wasn’t very impressed.

She was just annoying.

“Just because she is young doesn’t mean that she can plot against others.”

“Your Majesty…”

“I’ll think about Marianne’s matter later, so stop your actions.”

Vellian glanced at the attendant.

Florin stood up and went outside, supported by the attendant.

“I’ll finish it in the evening, so keep it organized.”

After a while, Kaizen put the papers down and he stood up.

* * *

While Hannah looked after Theor, Astelle went to a room and unpacked her luggage.

The room given to Astelle was in the center of the annex.

When she opened the door with a beautiful wooden pattern, bright light poured in.

After a while, the spacious room revealed its appearance.

The magnificent reception room where light comes in through a large arched window appeared first.

Next to it was a restroom and a bedroom.

It was a gorgeous and dazzling room.