“According to the diary, the maid brought a simple bread and tea to replace the meal around 10 o’clock.”
“Bring that maid...”
“I’ve already placed her outside the door.”
The spread knife, which should have been placed next to the bread, was stuck right on the blueprint. For a dull knife to be stuck in the wooden desk, someone had to intentionally strike it hard.
Carson closed his eyes tightly as he felt his blood drying, and then opened them. The scene of someone swinging a knife to attack Ines unfolded before his eyes. Carson lifted the teacup Ines had been drinking from and sniffed it. His hands were shaking, and he had to catch his breath several times.
Soon, the maid, who had been the last to see Ines, entered the office. As soon as she entered, she fell flat on the floor.
“Your Majesty.”
“Tell me what happened with the Empress last night.”
“Oh, the servant came last night and said I had to attend to Her Majesty the Empress.”
“...”
“I, I came to Her Majesty the Empress’s office with what I had prepared in advance. That’s all, that’s all.”
Carson slowly approached the maid. He knelt down on one knee in front of the prostrate maid. He grabbed her chin with his large hand and her trembling eyes turned to him.
The maid lowered her eyes, unable to look straight at the Emperor’s sharp golden eyes.
“What was the Empress doing then?”
“She was standing in front of the window.”
The maid’s face turned pale as if she had been strangled.
“And?”
“She told me to put something on the table when I brought her food...”
The maid continued, barely catching her breath.
“She asked about a maid named Emma, but I didn’t know anything about her, so I couldn’t tell her anything.”
“And after that?”
“I waited for the Empress to sit down at the table, but she stood there for a long time without saying anything, so I left the room. It’s true. That’s all I did last night.”
“The servant?”
“Yes?”
“What was the name of the servant who gave you the order?”
The maid’s pupils shook without mercy.
“That, that... He was definitely wearing the servant’s clothes.”
“He was?”
“It was the first time, it was the first time I’d ever seen him. Yes, it was the first time I’d ever seen him.”
It was impossible to hold someone accountable for following the orders of someone she had never seen before.
All the palace maids in the Empress’s palace had been replaced. It was natural that there were many people she had never met before.
Furthermore, this was the imperial palace of the Keynes Empire, where no one could enter without permission. There was no maid who could disobey the orders of someone wearing the servant’s clothes in the Empress’s palace.
Carson took a deep breath due to suffocation, but couldn’t exhale properly.
“What’s his appearance like?”
The maid’s eyes fluttered at the question.
“Oh, black hair, yes, that’s right. Black hair like night, a little tall... Was it blue eyes? Maybe blue eyes. I don’t remember anything else.”
Emma’s sudden fever, the death of the knight on guard, and the appearance of a strange attendant.
Ines was kidnapped.
Carson laughed in vain at the unbelievable fact. He felt his judgment clouding. What on earth should he do? It was a sense of despair similar to the first time he had felt it in his life.
The fear of losing Ines, or perhaps already having lost her, confused his mind.
“Yes, that’s right.”
At that moment, Noah approached Ines’ desk. It was to examine the ingredients of the tea that Ines had left behind.
“Huh?”
Noah bit his lips tightly at the sound that came out without him knowing. Naturally, as Carson’s gaze followed, Noah straightened his body that had been bent over the desk and stood up straight.
“What’s going on?”
“That’s...”
Noah had never told Carson anything he wasn’t sure about. However, in this urgent situation, he had no time to hesitate.
“It’s a bit too much to say that the place where this knife is stuck is a coincidence...”
Unable to form a conclusion, Noah trailed off uncharacteristically.
“Speak clearly.”
At Carson’s urging, Noah took a deep breath.
“I was the one who brought these plans to Her Majesty the Empress yesterday. She asked if all the land for the school had been purchased, and I told her that I had purchased all but one.”
“But?”
“The only land that was not purchased... is where this sword is stuck.”
Carson stood up from his knees before the maid. He walked to Ines’ desk, limping. He pulled out his sword and unfolded the blueprint.
“What do we have here?”
“I’ll have to check to see for sure, but I think there’s a building that used to be a casino.”
“A casino?”
“Oh!”
This time, Casey made a sound as if she had remembered something. Carson turned around at the sound.
“What’s wrong?”
“Yesterday, the Empress met with Sir Noah, and then immediately with Sir Marcus.”
“Why are you telling me that now?”
When the Emperor couldn’t hold it in anymore, Casey shrugged and leaned forward.
“Go on.”
Carson barely managed to suppress his anger at that sight. Casey was so nervous that she had a hard time figuring out what to say first. But she soon collected herself and moistened her dry lips with her tongue.
“The name of the landowner that Sir Noah just mentioned is probably..."
“Blake.”
Noah helped Casey answer the name.
“That’s right. Martin Blake. I’m not sure if it’s the same person, but that name is the same as the name of the Empress’s attendant who died three years ago.”
“That... how did you know?”
The Emperor’s head tilted to one side.
“Sir Marcus Knights, in fact, was secretly helping Her Majesty the Empress to investigate the embezzlement case that occurred recently.”
“But?”
“According to Sir Marcus, the palace has been receiving Yamanta wine under the name of Martin Blake for some time now.”
Carson and Noah made eye contact at the same time.
“Send someone to that casino site right away.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Noah ran out of the office to deliver the order.
“Continue explaining.”
At Carson’s order, Casey took a deep breath and began explaining again.
“The place that supplied the wine had supplied the palace with the same name three years ago, so they supplied the wine without any suspicion when the order came in again recently. But that wine is in this palace right now...”
“It probably isn’t there.”
Casey flinched at the words that came out as if chewing.
“It must be bubbling in someone’s stomach.”
Ha, Carson shook his head as if it was ridiculous. When Noah returned to his office after delivering the order, Carson shouted at him again.
“Go find Marcus Knights.”
“I’ve already sent someone.”
“Send the knights to the Duke of Manisut right now.”
“Yes?”
Noah’s mouth fell open at the unexpected order. Sending the imperial knights to the Duke’s house was a declaration that he would regard him as an enemy. It might mean that a second unexpected civil war could break out.
“May I ask why you came to that conclusion now?”
“All of the Empress’s palace attendants came from the Duke of Manisut.”
“You can’t do something like that. You have to have a reason to send the knights. It’s no different from openly declaring that Duke Manisut has committed treason. Don’t you know better than anyone how important the cause is to the imperial family?”
Noah stepped forward to stop the Emperor more urgently than ever. Even the imperial family could not attack without a declaration of war. It was a breach of contract in a feudal society. Even if the nobles united to form an army over him, there was nothing to say. If Manisut won even by a single chance, Carson would lose more than the throne.
“Noah Timothy.”
However, when Carson called his full name, Noah immediately bowed his head.
“Give me the order.”
“Your opinion is not important right now. If you don’t bring Ines before my eyes right now, no one will leave this palace alive today.”
However, this time, Noah did not back down.
“Your Majesty, you must remain calm, especially at times like this. I know why Your Majesty gave such an order. However, if Manisut really did this, you must not act rashly. Ensuring Her Majesty’s safety is the priority.”
At those words, Carson clutched his head and collapsed onto the sofa.
It was a fact that he had forgotten for a moment because his judgment was clouded. Ines was in their hands. If he moved rashly, she might be in danger.
“How dare... how dare...”
Those standing by the Emperor’s despair could not even breathe properly.
At that moment, a knight entered.
“Marcus Knights is not in the palace.”
Carson jumped up from his seat at the unbelievable report.
“What do you mean?”
“Marcus Knights is said to have left the palace immediately after meeting Her Majesty the Empress yesterday.”
“Where did he go?”
“He didn’t tell anyone.”
If he had left the palace immediately after the audience, it was likely to be to fulfill Ines’s order.
“Go to the Harleybin area and search.”
“Understood.”
Carson got up from his seat and left the Empress’s office. He couldn’t just sit there and wait for news.
If the mastermind behind this was a valet named Martin Blake, then the Empress and Manisut were definitely involved.
He had predicted that the Duke would do something, but he had never thought he would take such a mean and crude approach.
Carson laughed at his own complacency.
Manisut had been a high-ranking noble since birth. He had never stepped down from power and had been at the top for decades. This was the first time, he could say with certainty, that he had been pushed to the limit. How could a tree shaken from its roots still have any pride or belief as a noble?
Why couldn’t he have guessed that Manisut would act differently than before?
Carson hurried his steps, reproaching himself. Those following him hurried their steps to match his pace.
Right now, no one could leave the Empress’s Palace without the Emperor’s permission. It was as if war clouds were gathering, and all the palaces held their breath and couldn’t even make a small sound of footsteps.
“Bring that maid...”
“I’ve already placed her outside the door.”
The spread knife, which should have been placed next to the bread, was stuck right on the blueprint. For a dull knife to be stuck in the wooden desk, someone had to intentionally strike it hard.
Carson closed his eyes tightly as he felt his blood drying, and then opened them. The scene of someone swinging a knife to attack Ines unfolded before his eyes. Carson lifted the teacup Ines had been drinking from and sniffed it. His hands were shaking, and he had to catch his breath several times.
Soon, the maid, who had been the last to see Ines, entered the office. As soon as she entered, she fell flat on the floor.
“Your Majesty.”
“Tell me what happened with the Empress last night.”
“Oh, the servant came last night and said I had to attend to Her Majesty the Empress.”
“...”
“I, I came to Her Majesty the Empress’s office with what I had prepared in advance. That’s all, that’s all.”
Carson slowly approached the maid. He knelt down on one knee in front of the prostrate maid. He grabbed her chin with his large hand and her trembling eyes turned to him.
The maid lowered her eyes, unable to look straight at the Emperor’s sharp golden eyes.
“What was the Empress doing then?”
“She was standing in front of the window.”
The maid’s face turned pale as if she had been strangled.
“And?”
“She told me to put something on the table when I brought her food...”
The maid continued, barely catching her breath.
“She asked about a maid named Emma, but I didn’t know anything about her, so I couldn’t tell her anything.”
“And after that?”
“I waited for the Empress to sit down at the table, but she stood there for a long time without saying anything, so I left the room. It’s true. That’s all I did last night.”
“The servant?”
“Yes?”
“What was the name of the servant who gave you the order?”
The maid’s pupils shook without mercy.
“That, that... He was definitely wearing the servant’s clothes.”
“He was?”
“It was the first time, it was the first time I’d ever seen him. Yes, it was the first time I’d ever seen him.”
It was impossible to hold someone accountable for following the orders of someone she had never seen before.
All the palace maids in the Empress’s palace had been replaced. It was natural that there were many people she had never met before.
Furthermore, this was the imperial palace of the Keynes Empire, where no one could enter without permission. There was no maid who could disobey the orders of someone wearing the servant’s clothes in the Empress’s palace.
Carson took a deep breath due to suffocation, but couldn’t exhale properly.
“What’s his appearance like?”
The maid’s eyes fluttered at the question.
“Oh, black hair, yes, that’s right. Black hair like night, a little tall... Was it blue eyes? Maybe blue eyes. I don’t remember anything else.”
Emma’s sudden fever, the death of the knight on guard, and the appearance of a strange attendant.
Ines was kidnapped.
Carson laughed in vain at the unbelievable fact. He felt his judgment clouding. What on earth should he do? It was a sense of despair similar to the first time he had felt it in his life.
The fear of losing Ines, or perhaps already having lost her, confused his mind.
“Yes, that’s right.”
At that moment, Noah approached Ines’ desk. It was to examine the ingredients of the tea that Ines had left behind.
“Huh?”
Noah bit his lips tightly at the sound that came out without him knowing. Naturally, as Carson’s gaze followed, Noah straightened his body that had been bent over the desk and stood up straight.
“What’s going on?”
“That’s...”
Noah had never told Carson anything he wasn’t sure about. However, in this urgent situation, he had no time to hesitate.
“It’s a bit too much to say that the place where this knife is stuck is a coincidence...”
Unable to form a conclusion, Noah trailed off uncharacteristically.
“Speak clearly.”
At Carson’s urging, Noah took a deep breath.
“I was the one who brought these plans to Her Majesty the Empress yesterday. She asked if all the land for the school had been purchased, and I told her that I had purchased all but one.”
“But?”
“The only land that was not purchased... is where this sword is stuck.”
Carson stood up from his knees before the maid. He walked to Ines’ desk, limping. He pulled out his sword and unfolded the blueprint.
“What do we have here?”
“I’ll have to check to see for sure, but I think there’s a building that used to be a casino.”
“A casino?”
“Oh!”
This time, Casey made a sound as if she had remembered something. Carson turned around at the sound.
“What’s wrong?”
“Yesterday, the Empress met with Sir Noah, and then immediately with Sir Marcus.”
“Why are you telling me that now?”
When the Emperor couldn’t hold it in anymore, Casey shrugged and leaned forward.
“Go on.”
Carson barely managed to suppress his anger at that sight. Casey was so nervous that she had a hard time figuring out what to say first. But she soon collected herself and moistened her dry lips with her tongue.
“The name of the landowner that Sir Noah just mentioned is probably..."
“Blake.”
Noah helped Casey answer the name.
“That’s right. Martin Blake. I’m not sure if it’s the same person, but that name is the same as the name of the Empress’s attendant who died three years ago.”
“That... how did you know?”
The Emperor’s head tilted to one side.
“Sir Marcus Knights, in fact, was secretly helping Her Majesty the Empress to investigate the embezzlement case that occurred recently.”
“But?”
“According to Sir Marcus, the palace has been receiving Yamanta wine under the name of Martin Blake for some time now.”
Carson and Noah made eye contact at the same time.
“Send someone to that casino site right away.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Noah ran out of the office to deliver the order.
“Continue explaining.”
At Carson’s order, Casey took a deep breath and began explaining again.
“The place that supplied the wine had supplied the palace with the same name three years ago, so they supplied the wine without any suspicion when the order came in again recently. But that wine is in this palace right now...”
“It probably isn’t there.”
Casey flinched at the words that came out as if chewing.
“It must be bubbling in someone’s stomach.”
Ha, Carson shook his head as if it was ridiculous. When Noah returned to his office after delivering the order, Carson shouted at him again.
“Go find Marcus Knights.”
“I’ve already sent someone.”
“Send the knights to the Duke of Manisut right now.”
“Yes?”
Noah’s mouth fell open at the unexpected order. Sending the imperial knights to the Duke’s house was a declaration that he would regard him as an enemy. It might mean that a second unexpected civil war could break out.
“May I ask why you came to that conclusion now?”
“All of the Empress’s palace attendants came from the Duke of Manisut.”
“You can’t do something like that. You have to have a reason to send the knights. It’s no different from openly declaring that Duke Manisut has committed treason. Don’t you know better than anyone how important the cause is to the imperial family?”
Noah stepped forward to stop the Emperor more urgently than ever. Even the imperial family could not attack without a declaration of war. It was a breach of contract in a feudal society. Even if the nobles united to form an army over him, there was nothing to say. If Manisut won even by a single chance, Carson would lose more than the throne.
“Noah Timothy.”
However, when Carson called his full name, Noah immediately bowed his head.
“Give me the order.”
“Your opinion is not important right now. If you don’t bring Ines before my eyes right now, no one will leave this palace alive today.”
However, this time, Noah did not back down.
“Your Majesty, you must remain calm, especially at times like this. I know why Your Majesty gave such an order. However, if Manisut really did this, you must not act rashly. Ensuring Her Majesty’s safety is the priority.”
At those words, Carson clutched his head and collapsed onto the sofa.
It was a fact that he had forgotten for a moment because his judgment was clouded. Ines was in their hands. If he moved rashly, she might be in danger.
“How dare... how dare...”
Those standing by the Emperor’s despair could not even breathe properly.
At that moment, a knight entered.
“Marcus Knights is not in the palace.”
Carson jumped up from his seat at the unbelievable report.
“What do you mean?”
“Marcus Knights is said to have left the palace immediately after meeting Her Majesty the Empress yesterday.”
“Where did he go?”
“He didn’t tell anyone.”
If he had left the palace immediately after the audience, it was likely to be to fulfill Ines’s order.
“Go to the Harleybin area and search.”
“Understood.”
Carson got up from his seat and left the Empress’s office. He couldn’t just sit there and wait for news.
If the mastermind behind this was a valet named Martin Blake, then the Empress and Manisut were definitely involved.
He had predicted that the Duke would do something, but he had never thought he would take such a mean and crude approach.
Carson laughed at his own complacency.
Manisut had been a high-ranking noble since birth. He had never stepped down from power and had been at the top for decades. This was the first time, he could say with certainty, that he had been pushed to the limit. How could a tree shaken from its roots still have any pride or belief as a noble?
Why couldn’t he have guessed that Manisut would act differently than before?
Carson hurried his steps, reproaching himself. Those following him hurried their steps to match his pace.
Right now, no one could leave the Empress’s Palace without the Emperor’s permission. It was as if war clouds were gathering, and all the palaces held their breath and couldn’t even make a small sound of footsteps.
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