It was unfamiliar. Everything he handed her.
She thought that since it was something unfamiliar to her, such as kindness and sacrifice, she felt uneasy as if she had been burdened with something.
That's why his affectionate voice and warmth linger on her fingertips.
Medea's face became confused, like a child who didn't know where to go.
"...Your Highness? Are you alright?"
"It's nothing. Sir, please continue to tell me news about the First Prince."
Medea shook her head at Neril's question.
"Yes, Your Highness."
The expression that had been blank for a moment had returned to calm composure.
"There is chaos inside and out, but the source of the spark is quiet."
It meant Raju.
"Yes. They are not leaving the mansion. This raid was conducted by Valdina and the Holy Land, so we will be able to track them down soon."
Medea nodded.
"Now is the time for us to fight back. We must reap what we have sown."
***
Joaquin's mansion.
"No! Not twice!"
As Kensington reported, Raju was shocked to learn that his plan had failed. A 10-star general from Katzen, died while attempting to kidnap the Princess of Valdina.
Prince Cesare admitted that he had killed him and Duke Castullo was also recalled to the Empire.
"How on earth did things turn out like this!"
Why did the First Prince save Medea?
Moreover, the Grand Duke of Castullo appeared, saying he had rescued Medea, and was taken to Katzen with the chief chamberlain.
Raju felt like he was going crazy. He roughly released the crowbar that was choking him as if he was suffocating. He was suffocating.
"Robbie, what should I do? What should I do..."
"Please...!"
He shouted loudly.
Catherine opened her eyes wide. It was the first time Raju had yelled at her.
Raju, who saw his lover's expression late, tried to suppress his anger and spoke in an affectionate voice.
"Don't panic. Yes? Catherine. Don't panic. Take your time and look at the situation. If you panic..."
Even that sounded like he was trying to coax her, so it had no effect.
"Fuck. what I wanted to say was... Yes. Cath. I'll talk to you later."
"Robert..."
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to appease you."
Raju left the room, leaving Catherine behind. He simply could not bring himself to come to his senses.
"Master, we are in trouble. Agema is detaining the Katzen delegation. They say even the central trading post has been taken over by the Emperor."
As Raju came out, roughly closing the door, his subordinates rushed to deliver urgent news.
Raju's face turned pale.
Is the Emperor of Valdina really crazy?
"Oh my God, oh my God..."
If anyone found out about what he did, he was sure he would die. Whether it was Valdina or Katzen.
He bit his lip nervously.
If the Emperor sends a delegation to investigate the matter, it will soon be revealed that he approached Jared.
And what if the existence of the warlock behind this is also revealed?
Raju shivered. He had seen them perform the ritual over Jason's shoulder.
Being burned alive was a good death. And it couldn't end with just that.
Maybe even his beloved lover and his precious daughter whom he would not mind putting in his eyes...
'What excuse can you make? You barely managed to gain the Emperor's trust, so how can you avoid suspicion?'
In the hallway, the tension hung low, unable to bear the weight.
Due to the suspicion of the current Emperor. Perdiccas II, Raju was never used as a servant of the previous Emperor.
If he finds out that he approached Jared, who was chosen by the former emperor, first...
Shit-!
As anxiety spread. It went beyond impatience to anger.
The cause was not only Raju's own problems.
"It's a Monga leaf. If you wear it for a long time, you will lose patience, get angry easily, and eventually explode easily."
"Neril, send this to Umberto. Tell him to feed it to Raju."
It was a gift that Medea gave back to Raju in return for the clear malice he had shown to Peleus.
Raju himself had not expected it at all.
"No. There is a way. Damn it, there is a solution, a breakthrough, somewhere..."
The reason and discernment he boasted of had long since been poisoned and tainted by drugs.
The anger that was rising from his chest kept making him swallow his food.
Then, finally, bang!
"Master...!"
"Ugh...!"
With the tension and pressure flowing through his entire body, he finally exploded with the emotions he had been holding back and swung his fist hard at the wall.
Red blood slowly flowed out from his clenched fist, accompanied by a bone-jarring pain.
A slight tremor spread through his red, swollen knuckles.
"My Lord, Master...?"
The men stared at him with shocked eyes, frozen for a moment as they saw the marks on the sunken wall.
***
Catherine, too, was in a panic.
Medea. Is that girl immortal? How does she always manage to slip away like a loach?
What would have been a mere slump for Medea had grown out of control. It had gone beyond what she could handle.
"I need to see Samon, my son. Where is he?"
She was terrified and instinctively looked for Samon. Her son has always been a brilliant mind, so he will surely come up with a solution.
Catherine, who was heading to Samon's bedroom, encountered Marieu coming out of the bedroom.
"Hello, Ma'am.'
"Yeah. What about Samon?"
Catherine was about to ignore Marieu's greeting and pass by when her sleeve was grabbed.
"Madam. I think you shouldn't go in right now. He's in a really bad mood."
She said that one of his servants was beaten and carried out this morning because of the inflammation in his leg.
"He's throwing a tantrum again?"
I don't think it will work.
Catherine sighed with disappointment as it seemed as if her son's help was out of the question.
But soon, without hesitation, she headed towards the next solution that was given to her.
"Then, did you see him?"
"If it's him..."
"Joaquin. My husband."
Marieu blinked. Her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings.
"Oh, I thought he was in the bedroom earlier. He hasn't been out much lately."
"Oh really? Thanks. Then take good care of Samon."
After saying something vague, Catherine turned around.
After seeing Catherine off, Marie-u closed the door.
"What's the matter?"
The sound of the door creaking woke Samon.
"It's nothing. Go back to sleep now."
She tapped Samon's chest.
"It's already evening? Damn, I'm so sleepy."
"It's because you're a little tired. Nothing happened, so don't worry and go to sleep."
She answered affectionately and took Samon's hand.
"I will always be by your side, darling."
Samon fell asleep again. Marieu looked out the window, listening to his breathing.
"Hahaha. This is so funny."
The playful laughter that escaped her without her knowing disappeared into the darkness.
***
Catherine, who was about to head to her husband's bedroom, soon encountered Raju, who had come to find her.
"Robert?"
"I'm sorry about earlier, Cath."
Raju's voice as if it had never been sharp, became affectionate again.
But his face was still as it was, the veins on his temples were bulging, and cold sweat was running down his forehead.
Catherine saw a bloodstain on the back of his hand, but she didn't ask any more questions due to the guilt and sadness that was welling up in her.
"No, I understand. You must be very flustered, too."
Catherine patted Raju on the shoulder as if comforting him. On the one hand, she felt regretful, but on the other, she realized how much he had cared for her in place of her son and husband.
"Let me talk to my husband. He might come up with another solution."
"...Yes."
'I wonder if that's true.'
Raju was skeptical but agreed that Joaquin would somehow stabilize his beloved lover.
Joaquin Claudio is a nobody and has no plan in this crisis.
But, it was clear that it was a usable pattern anyway.
'If things don't go as planned, I have to pass on Samon's sins to Joaquin. He's Samon's father, so he'll understand if it's for the sake of his son.'
Without knowing what Raju was thinking, Catherine entered the room where Joaquin was staying with Raju.
Joaquin's living room had a neat and refined atmosphere.
There were antique portraits on the walls, ornate carpets on the floor, and stylish curtains flowing across the windows.
But somehow it felt crude, like a desperate attempt to reminisce about the past when he was the regent who ruled the country.
"Ma'am? What brings you here?"
The old maid, who had been nodding off on the sofa, was startled when she saw Catherine.
The moment she entered the bedroom, Catherine felt something uneasy.
"Where is he?"
"Huh? Well, I guess."
"If you don't know, who will? Isn't it in the room?"
"Well, well!"
Catherine was suddenly stopped by the maid as she headed to the bedroom.
"I, I don't know, Ma'am. I saw him in the study earlier..."
The maid couldn't make eye contact and was sweating profusely, so she had no talent for lying.
At that moment, something caught Catherine's eye. She picked up something shiny on the table.
It was a tiny pearl earring.
It was too simple for Catherine, and her daughter Birna didn't like pearls in the first place.
At that moment, a ray of premonition flashed through her mind like a candle being lit.
Catherine turned around before the maid could finish speaking.
"Get out of the way."
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