Chapter 87

In the sudden declaration, Elizabeta and Theseus froze, staring blankly at Lionel. Soon, Theseus, regaining his composure, furrowed his brow and strongly rebuked him.

“Lionel, what are you saying?!!”

Even Elizabeta shook her head, as if to say it was absurd, but Lionel's expression remained unchanged. He looked directly at Theseus and said again,

“I will take her to the Duke's residence.”

“Are you in your right mind?!!! How do you plan to deal with the consequences?!!”

Theseus pressed him with an agitated voice, but Lionel did not back down.

“She has lost her position as Empress, but she is not a prisoner; she is staying in the Empress Palace as a distinguished guest, is she not? Moreover, we need her help to carry out our plans, so it would be better for her to stay at the Duke's residence rather than the Empress Palace.”

“Even so, she is a deposed empress! If you take her to the Duke of Herbert's residence, what will become of you?!!!”

In response to his brother's question, Lionel answered with all his sincerity.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“……What?”

While Theseus was still dazed, Elizabeta, who had been watching the brothers, interjected.

“Then, I will take her to the Grand Duke’s residence.”

At her words, Lionel turned his head to look at Elizabeta. She looked into his eyes and earnestly persuaded him.

“Just as Duke Baldur said, if you take the Princess to the Duke's residence, all sorts of scandals will follow, and the Duke's family will become the target of the Emperor. Therefore, it would be better to take her to the Grand Duke’s residence.”

“I would rather be the target myself.”

“……What?”

“The rumors about the tower have already started to spread. Everyone's attention will naturally turn to Grand and Baldur. To carry out our plans smoothly, it would be better to divert that attention to Herbert.”

It was not just reckless bravado. Like moving an army after foreseeing several moves ahead, Lionel had meticulously planned everything.

“Soon, the rumors will reach Duke Despoina’s ears. He is the kind of person who would dismiss the chatter of commoners, but with the involvement of the nobility, he cannot ignore it. He will surely try to keep an eye on Grand and Baldur. If we can keep the Emperor’s attention on Herbert, Duke Despoina and the Emperor will never be able to join forces.”

It was a cold and calculated judgment that left even Theseus and Elizabeta speechless. Lionel looked at Elizabeta and said,

“Do the words you spoke to me that day still reside in your heart, Your Highness?”

‘……A man who has pushed the empire into hell and denies it should not sit on the throne.’

At his question, Elizabeta slowly nodded.

“Of course.”

As her answer fell, Lionel took out a document from his coat and placed it in front of the two. As Theseus and Elizabeta read it with stern expressions, their eyes widened in surprise. The document contained a plan to overturn the empire, and Lionel had already begun the first step: 'rumors' and 'public opinion.' Lionel firmly told Theseus and Elizabeta,

“A minor wound can be healed with medicine, but a wound that has rotted must be cut out first. As you both have felt, the current state of the empire is beyond recovery with just medicine.”

They did not argue.

“Honor and dignity are meaningless to me.”

“…….”

“Brother, please form public opinion and propose the matter as soon as I take her to the Duke's residence. The Emperor and Duke Despoina will split at that moment.”

Faced with Lionel’s flawless and resolute plan, Theseus could not offer any rebuttal. Perhaps his brother had always intended to inherit the Duke of Herbert’s title with this resolve. Lionel was moving forward like a bull, head down. What lay at the end of this path? In fact, what Theseus truly feared was not the loss of honor, but the possibility that his brother was rushing towards an unfathomable abyss.

Meanwhile, Duke Despoina, who had been elated at finally getting rid of the troublesome Empress, frowned at the unexpected rumors. Initially, he casually waved his hand to silence his attendants, but when another attendant reported the severity of the situation, the Duke sprang to his feet.

“What? Who the hell is spreading such nonsense? Where is this rumor spreading now?”

“Around the slums and commoner residential areas……”

“Then it’s fine.”

Duke Despoina nervously ran his hand through his hair and lay back on the bed. After a sleepless night, he was exhausted and wanted to rest for a moment.

“Reporting such trivial matters!! They are always like that. They boil up and then cool down. What can a bunch of lowly and powerless people do, no matter how much they talk?”

Just as he was muttering and closing his eyes, someone knocked on the door again, and the Duke, in a fit of rage, sprang up.

“Who is it now!!!”

However, the story brought by the third attendant was something even Duke Despoina could not ignore.

“The nobles are also becoming restless, you say?”

“Yes. Most importantly, the rumor that the Emperor and Your Highness wish for the entire empire to fall under the influence of the tower is spreading widely among the nobles.”

“What? Who, who is spreading such absurd rumors?!”

“The rumor has already spread to the point where finding its origin is impossible.”

Cold sweat trickled down Duke Despoina’s back. While rumors among the commoners could be ignored, if the news reached the nobles, who could propose matters, it was a serious issue. Moreover, the long-prepared grand plan had been leaked! It was a secret even the Emperor did not know! Reactively, he asked, but it was obvious who was behind it.

“Baldur, Grand. Those bastards who deserve to be killed……”

Duke Despoina, with a highly agitated expression, issued an order.

“I will go to the palace immediately, bring me my clothes!!”

At that moment, the letter Lionel sent arrived at Adel. Adel, lost in thought, quickly opened the letter. The letter began with a light greeting, but the following words were far from light.

[I will take you to the Duke of Herbert’s residence.]

Reading this sentence, Adel involuntarily held her breath. The idea seemed absurd, but she continued to read the letter. Lionel, with a neat handwriting similar to his, clearly explained why she should be taken to the Duke of Herbert’s residence, as if he knew she would never go to the Duke's residence otherwise. Adel asked Gix, who was tidying up items,

“Find out what rumors are circulating in the capital.”

While Gix went out to comply, Adel carefully reread Lionel’s letter from the beginning. [Do you know the camel, the lion, and the baby?] A camel, burdened with a heavy load and walking in the desert, needs the spirit of a lion to fight against the unjust reality. And a brave lion needs the spirit of a baby to create a new world. [To those of us who did not even know why we had to bear the disaster of the tower, Princess, you awakened the spirit of the lion. Now, we are taking one step further to create a new world. Please come to the Duke's residence for us and for me.] Excluding any personal emotions, the logical letter, which emphasized the greater good of the people of Echmont, deeply moved Adel. Just then, Gix returned. There was no need to ask; even the servants and maids were already gossiping about the rumors. After receiving the information from Gix, Adel nodded and checked the bottom of the letter. [I will come to take you.] Adel put Lionel’s letter into the fireplace. It was filled with dangerous content that could be harmful if leaked. After confirming that the letter had turned to ashes, Adel turned to Gix and said,

“I will leave the palace today.”

Gix, with a determined face, replied as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“Yes. I will prepare.”

And the news soon reached the Emperor’s ears.

“What?!!”

The Emperor, striking the table with both fists and asking fiercely, was met with a trembling voice from the attendant, who bowed even deeper.

“Princess Gotrope is preparing to leave the palace.”

His heart plummeted, and his mind went blank. Karl muttered in a daze.

“What do I do……”

The overwhelming sense of crisis made it hard to breathe. He tried to deny it, thinking it might be a dream, but the harsh reality remained unchanged.

“The Empress’s belongings are being moved out of the Empress Palace.”

“The deposed empress, where is she going?”

“……”

“The deposed empress!!! She wants to leave the palace?!! Who is letting her back into her home!!!”

The Emperor, rising from his seat with a voice tinged with madness, was watched with a dark gaze by the attendant.

‘He’s not normal.’

After deposing her with his own hands, what kind of obsession is this now? The attendant shook his head inwardly. At that moment, the door to the office was roughly opened, and Duke Despoina entered. He had witnessed a horde of nobles storming towards the palace with a terrifying momentum and rushed to the imperial palace.

“Your Majesty!!”

Having gotten rid of the troublesome Empress, he could not just stand by and do nothing. The Duke raised his voice, but the Emperor, without even a glance, moved with angry steps.

“Your Majesty!!”

Finally, Duke Despoina blocked the Emperor’s path and shouted again. The Emperor, with a fierce glare, growled.

“Move, Duke.”

“Where are you going now!!”

“The deposed empress is leaving the palace on her own.”

“With what authority will you stop her? She is not a prisoner but a distinguished guest, and she can leave whenever she wants.”

‘I should have killed her when I had the chance!’

Duke Despoina, suppressing his inner complaint, pressured Karl.

“This is not the time to worry about the deposed empress’s whereabouts! Pull yourself together and sit down! There are rumors spreading among the nobles……”

“Handle it yourself.”

The Emperor cut off the Duke’s words and roughly shook off the hand that was holding his arm.

“Have I ever acted with your permission? Do as you please.”

He then walked past the Duke and left the office, showing no intention of listening to him. Duke Despoina, watching the Emperor’s disappearing figure with a bewildered face, felt a volcanic rage rising within him.

What can be done with that damn son!! With the nobles’ discontent already at a boiling point, what is he planning to do about a deposed woman!!!