Chapter 54

With a sharp, pointed face, when Renox arrived, Dean sent even Lorraine out of the room.

"Why did you call me?"

In response to Renox's question, Dean took a deep breath and exhaled before speaking.

"Find an opportunity to kill the Empress."

"What?!"

"Shut up. Lower your voice."

"…Kill the Empress?"

"Yes."

"It's not an easy task."

"I know. But at the very least, that woman must die before my baby is born. She must be gone by the time my baby is born."

Dean looked at Renox's expressionless face and continued calmly.

"Once the baby is born, the Emperor will surely give my baby to the Empress. There's no doubt about it."

"…."

"If you're thinking of asking the Duke of Despoina for help, never mention that you want to kill the Empress to prevent me from losing my baby to her. The Duke won't be swayed by that. He won't suffer any loss."

"Then what?"

"Instead, it would be better to sow discord between the Empress and the Duke of Despoina, making her presence unbearable."

Of all people, Renox. Though he was stupid and spineless, making him untrustworthy, he was the only one Dean could ask to kill the Empress. Dean took a deep breath and pleaded with her brother.

"Listen, brother. Don't casually suggest killing the Empress to the Duke of Despoina. He was the one who advocated for making Princess Gotrof the Empress, wanting a puppet Empress. But by now, the Duke must have realized that the Empress is not an easy person to handle. He must be finding her troublesome."

"Is that so?"

"So, brother, watch for the right moment to kill the Empress, and subtly persuade the Duke of Despoina to want her dead."

"But… does she really have to die? Can't we frame her for a crime… or something?"

"Depose her?"

"Yes. Wouldn't that be better?"

Dean sighed softly.

"Will the Empress willingly be deposed? What about Gotrof? Will she stand by and watch her country's princess be humiliated? Even if she's a discarded card, she won't sit idly by if the Empress is deposed."

Unless the Emperor takes the lead, deposing the Empress is out of the question. It would be much easier to secretly kill her.

"Alright, I understand."

"Who knows when the right moment will come. Recruit an assassin capable of carrying out the murder in advance, and prepare the poison."

Renox nodded solemnly.

"Understood."

"And one more thing."

"?"

"Another blonde maid has entered the Imperial Palace."

"…Again with this?"

"Take care of it."

"…."

"Just in case, it seems she keeps sneaking in. We need to set an example."

"…."

"Since you're going to take care of the Empress, can't you handle a mere maid? Consider it practice. It will make me feel better."

Dean gripped Renox's hand firmly and whispered in a determined tone.

"It seems my baby will be a boy. This baby will be the next Emperor. I will be the Emperor's mother, and you will be the Emperor's uncle. We will stand at the top. Understand?"

Renox's eyes sparkled.

"Understood."

* * * The next day, the Duke of Despoina came to see Adel in person. With a shameless and pained expression, he asked Adel,

"Your Majesty, how troubled are you?"

'How shameless.'

Though she thought this internally, the Empress also feigned a bitter expression.

"Thank you for your concern."

'Her expression, her voice… it's all an act.'

The Duke of Despoina also looked at the Empress with a suspicious gaze. Their eyes were so sharp and piercing that they both averted their gazes the moment they met. They both adjusted their expressions in silence for a moment.

Adel spoke first.

"I'm fine, so don't worry too much."

After Adel returned from the Mage Corps, the Duke of Despoina had been deeply troubled. Should he officially recognize the Empress as a mage and allow her to attend the Council of Ministers? Official recognition is easy to give. In a situation where everyone knows the Empress destroyed the tower alone, it would be strange not to recognize her. However, the problem is allowing her to attend the Council of Ministers.

'No! Absolutely not!'

Though he pretends otherwise, the more he observes her, the more he realizes she is not an ordinary person. If he lets her into the Council of Ministers and she starts making trouble, it will be difficult to handle.

'I can't let her handle the tower removal either.'

If the Empress gains any merit, the Baldr brothers will surely demand that she be allowed to attend the Council of Ministers. While the Duke was intensely contemplating, Adel also read his expression with a sharp gaze. It seemed the Duke had been weighing the Poiteau siblings and her, and had made up his mind after Dean's pregnancy. Secretly helping with the ivory palace lease was likely part of this plan. Adel pretended not to know and took the initiative.

"When is the next Council of Ministers? Oh, I need to be officially recognized first, right? When and where should I go? I'm ready to go right now."

The Duke pretended to be delighted and said he would recognize her without an exam, emphasizing that he was making a special effort for the Empress's convenience. Adel rubbed her forehead at his act.

'Just say you can't attend the Council of Ministers. I'll pretend to faint to shut you up.'

Just as the Duke was about to start the main topic, there was a hurried knock on the door. Both their gazes turned to the door. The door opened cautiously, and Lady Gix and an armed knight entered one after the other.

"What is it?"

Sensing something was amiss, Adel and the Duke's expressions turned serious. The knight approached with a stern face and said,

"There's news that a tower has descended in the Viscount Bueta's territory."

"Viscount Bueta's territory?"

The Duke asked urgently, and the knight nodded.

"Yes, that's correct."

As soon as the words were spoken, the Duke jumped up from his seat.

"Oh, Your Majesty! I must go there myself! Excuse me."

Adel's eyes narrowed. While he had ignored the Baron Calvin's territory, he was rushing to the Viscount Bueta's territory. What was the criterion? The Duke, grabbing his coat, asked the knight sternly.

"Have you contacted the Mage Corps and the Knights? We must hurry!"

"However, before that, I must convey the Emperor's order to the Empress."

The Duke, wide-eyed and irritated, asked,

"What? What order?"

Just as the knight was about to speak, the Empress took the initiative.

"The order to go to battle, I presume?"

"What? To battle?!!"

The Duke, startled, shouted, and the knight, equally surprised, nodded hastily.

"Yes, that's correct."

The Duke threw his coat aside and waved his hands violently.

"No! Our Empress to such a living hell?! It's impossible!"

"No, I'm fine."

"It's impossible, no way!!! Absolutely not…."

"I'm fine, I said."

"…."

"Why, would it be inconvenient if I go?"

"…It's not that, but I'm worried about the Empress. It's a hellish place. Please…."

"Don't worry."

"…."

The Empress and the Duke glared at each other, but eventually, the Duke, seething with anger, turned around.

'Is your head on your shoulders just to wear a crown, Karl Ulrich?! You can't even put a leash on a wild beast, and now you're opening our door!!'

As the Duke left the reception room in a rage, Adel also stood up and quickly headed to her room. With the prey in sight, it was time to strike.

* * * The army, receiving the order to march, quickly gathered. To remove the super-large tower, estimated to be at least a Level 2 and up to a Level 1, the Royal Knights 1st and 2nd Divisions, the Striker 1st Division, and the Keeper 1st Division were all mobilized. It was as if all the elite forces had been dispatched. This was in stark contrast to the Duke's outright rejection of Baron Calvin's request to bring even one Keeper.

While the knights and mages were busy preparing for the march, they kept glancing around.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

The Duke of Despoina, dressed in a robe, was facing off with the Empress. The Duke was trying to persuade her not to go to battle, using every excuse.

"Finding separate accommodations will be difficult during the journey! Have you ever slept outdoors?"

"Of course. See, the luggage I've packed?"

Adel pointed behind her indifferently.

"There won't be time to cook, so you'll have to eat dried rations all the way! Have you ever eaten dried rations? They're so hard that…."

"My teeth are healthy, and I can eat hard things well."

"Don't even think about a carriage!"

"I prefer riding. I was born and raised in Gotrof, wasn't I?"

"…."

As the Empress, with an innocent face, countered each of his arguments, the Duke of Despoina was left speechless.

"Thank you for worrying so much about me. I don't know what to do with myself."

At the Empress's words, the Duke's face turned red as if he had swallowed lava. As Adel and Lionel's gazes met, pretending not to notice the Duke's piercing stare, they exchanged a look.