Chapter 38

"Please tell me... Why were you able to conclude that I was a traitor?"

With a small tremble, Krona spoke.

"Well? Perhaps it's a woman's intuition?"

Of course, there was a reason, but I had no intention of revealing my hand so easily.

My suspicions about Krona deepened on the day of the birthday celebration when the Chef Gilan and others did not know about the tea-flavored chiffon cake. The tea-flavored cake was created after Chef Gilan's visit to the annex. During the preparation, the kitchen was kept closed to prevent any information from leaking out. However, the chefs were also given a certain amount of free time.

I had strictly ordered that no one should talk about the tea-flavored cake, but if a chef was a traitor, they would have ignored my orders and the information would have reached Chef Gilan. Yet, on that day, Chef Gilan and the others were clearly surprised to learn about the tea-flavored cake for the first time. At that point, the possibility of an insider being a chef was almost eliminated. The tea-flavored chiffon cake had served multiple purposes and was a valuable asset.

With this, I narrowed down the list of suspects and decided to set a trap. On the day of the birthday celebration, I lied to Deaz, telling him that I had evidence of the forgery stored in my room. Today, I left some fake sealed documents in the back of my writing desk and asked Krona to check my room.

It was a trap to see if Krona would move to seize the evidence. As a result, she took the bait perfectly. A few men who I recognized were waiting to retrieve the documents from Krona. They were the same people who stood by Deaz at the annex of Lady Natalie.

Deaz is under house arrest for the forgery, but he must have given his subordinates instructions to act if there was an opportunity to destroy the evidence. He probably thought that if I presented more evidence of the forgery, the punishment would be more severe, so he used Krona to retrieve it. The shock of being exposed as a traitor seemed to have left Krona in a daze, which I observed carefully—until—

"Krona, watch out!!"

"Wh-what?!"

One of the men threw something at Krona. A glass bottle and liquid glinted in the moonlight. A foul smell rose from the drenched Krona.

"What...?!"

"Go, Griffin! Tear that beast-like maid to pieces!!"

One of the men loosened a part of the rope tied around the Griffin's neck. The rope itself did not come off the Griffin, but the loosening allowed it to move more freely. The Griffin took flight, heading straight for Krona, who was covered in the liquid.

"Krona, this way!!"

I shouted and fled into the forest with Krona. The Griffin made a sharp turn and returned, but it did not seem to be giving up. It was circling in the sky, searching for gaps in the trees. If we moved to a thinner part of the forest, it would attack immediately.

"Ha! Perfect! Kill that annoying queen along with her!!"

The men shouted excitedly. Exposed in the moonlight and shouting loudly, the Griffin did not attack them.

"This smell is the cause..."

The smell from Krona was probably meat juice or blood. The Griffin, likely hungry, would not be able to resist attacking when it smelled its favorite food.

"Did you plan to kill me after taking the evidence...?"

Krona turned pale and whispered. As a beastkin, Krona had higher physical abilities than humans. If she were not in a daze, she would not be at a disadvantage even against a soldier.

With Deaz under house arrest, moving a soldier would be seen as an act of rebellion. Soldiers were not an option. However, Krona, who was involved in the forgery, needed to be eliminated to keep her from talking. That's why Krona was called to this place with the Griffin.

"Milady Letizia, please escape quickly!! If you stay with me, you'll be caught in the crossfire!!"

I ordered Lucian to stop Krona from rushing out as a decoy.

"Milady Letizia?! What are you doing?!"

"Just wait. I'm almost ready to use magic on the Griffin."

"Don't lie!! Hitting a flying creature with magic—"

"I can do it."

In fact, a flying target was more convenient. There was no risk of accidentally hitting the wrong target, which made it easier. I focused, gathered my magic power, and began to chant—

"Kyaah?!"

A bolt of lightning shot from the ground to the sky, striking the Griffin and exploding. Thanks to my brother's loving Spartan education, I have confidence in my magic's precision.

The magic I used on Smia last time was a water blade, and my aim was off because it was my first time. This time, it was spot on. The Griffin fell to the ground, unconscious but unharmed, just as I intended. I didn't want to kill it, as it was only following orders while hungry.

...However, adjusting the power took time, and I caused Krona to worry, which I regret.

The men, seeing the Griffin incapacitated, tried to flee, but—

"I won't let you escape."

With my chant, ice walls rose around the men. As a precaution, I also created ice walls around the unconscious Griffin. Unlike the objects created with 'Refinement,' these ice walls would not last long, but they were useful as temporary restraints.

"Yes, the forest is a good place. You can use magic without worrying about collateral damage, don't you think?"

"...I don't think there's anyone else in the world who would think like you, Milady Letizia..."

Krona, who seemed somewhat taken aback, knelt at my feet and bowed her head.

"Milady Letizia, I am truly sorry for being involved in the forgery. I will accept any punishment, but... but..."

"Your sister?"

Krona nodded.

"I know I don't have the right to ask, but I beg you, please, do not let my sins affect my sister... I want her to be safe..."

"I can't promise anything, but... I'll keep an eye on your sister who will be left alone."

Tears fell from Krona's bowed face. The pressure of hiding her betrayal and the fear of the Griffin had finally been lifted, and her tears flowed freely.

I understand that Krona had her reasons. I know that she tried to protect me from the Griffin, showing genuine concern for me. I don't want to believe that the happy expression she showed when she first tasted the chiffon cake was all a lie.

However, the fact remains that she betrayed me, her master, and was involved in the forgery of the gift for His Majesty. I cannot declare her innocent, as it would undermine my authority as queen and be unjust. I will request a reduction in her sentence, but she will still have to spend some time in prison.

Krona's sister will be left alone after losing her parents and with her sister being a criminal, along with the debt. The path that the girl, who has nothing to rely on, will take is clear. She herself is innocent, having been caught up in the situation. To honor Krona's desire to protect her sister, I decided to help her walk a brighter path.