“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, and Your Majesty the Queen. However, we have received an unexpected benefit.”
At Bowles's words, Arkan and Erdene’s ears perked up at the same time. That’s right. Erdene thought.
If you acted alone, and even did something dangerous like secretly crossing the border, you should have something in your hand.
“Tell me.”
As Arkan ordered, Bowles and Rusmov’s eyes met in midair. They told each other everything that had happened at the smugglers’ residence.
Occasionally, they would meticulously supplement each other’s mistakes...
Whenever there was a sloppy part, Erdene’s blue eyes would glint suspiciously, so it was impossible to leave out even a single thing.
“A peacock pattern...?”
Arkan muttered suspiciously as he listened to the story.
Rusmov nodded several times—almost breaking his neck—and unconsciously gripped the edge of the table.
“I saw it. I saw the wings spread out on both sides, and the peacock tail fanned out behind.”
Erdene looked at Arkan.
“Do you know of any noble houses of Kensilom that use the peacock symbol, Your Majesty? At least not one of them. It doesn’t seem to be a house that produces military officers.”
She had dealt with Kensilom’s soldiers many times, but she didn’t remember seeing peacocks among the knights who went out to war with the family’s banner.
Arkan, who was about to answer, took a moment to ponder, his expression grave. He was careful because it wasn’t something he could just say randomly, as it occurred to him. The peacock was one of the most common family symbols.
The symbol that a family symbolizes usually changes depending on its disposition, but the peacock...
“I don’t know all the officials of Kensilom, but from what I remember, there was an official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who wore a ring with a peacock design. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I think. What was his last name...?”
Bowles said.
“The smugglers’ leader called him ‘Count,’ Your Majesty.”
The moment he heard that a man’s face appeared in Arkan’s mind.
The man who always showed up with King Grax at meetings.
The Count rolled his eyes here and there like a weasel waiting for the right time to invade a chicken coop...
Arkan snapped his fingers with a snap.
“Trivi. Count Trivi. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kensilom. He wore a ring with a peacock design.”
Erdene said.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs... He’s a bigger name than I thought.”
Arkan nodded.
“That’s why I’m not sure either. If he were the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kensilom, he would not have any trouble making a living without getting involved in such dirty work.”
Rusmov shook his head.
“Even if he were buried in a pile of gold and dying, he would not miss the opportunity to take a coin out of someone else’s pocket. I can tell you for sure that he was blinded by greed, rich or not.”
“Of course, it could be.”
Arkan answered.
The problem is that there is no way to know whether the one controlling the smugglers is really Count Trivi...
Couldn’t it be another noble of Kensilom? Arkan did not remember exactly what the design of the ring Count Trivi wore was.
In fact, it was a miracle that he remembered that it was a peacock.
“Do you remember what he looked like?”
Rusmov and Bowles nodded at Erdene’s question. She tapped the table with her fingertips, tap, tap, tap... and finally turned to Arkan.
“Summon the court painter, Your Majesty.”
“The painter?”
“They remember his face, so let’s have the painter draw it exactly. Your Majesty knows his face, so if the person you met was indeed Kensilom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, wouldn’t you be able to recognize him? Besides, there’s someone here who can ‘exactly’ confirm that it’s him.”
Rusmov blinked, bewildered.
“Someone who can confirm... Your Majesty, what do you mean...?”
Arkan’s expression brightened slightly. She was right...
It wouldn’t be the same, but if he could capture the impression, there was someone who could tell him exactly who it was. Prince Damon.
“Plat, bring in the court painter who is best at drawing portraits. It would be better if he had a vivid imagination.”
The officials who frequented Hirschsten's Golden Castle were all bewildered by the news that Tenek had suddenly begun building a villa for Roelica.
At first, they thought that Tenek was finally preparing the groundwork to oust Roelica from the Empress position.
Considering that the two had never been close or affectionate since their marriage, and especially considering that Tenek had not even thought of visiting Roelica even though she was pregnant with the grandson, anyone could easily think that way. Then, when the father of one of Tenek's mistresses, who was quite fond of him, tried to push his daughter to be the next Empress, he was beheaded on the spot, and that mistress was also kicked out of the Golden Castle without even a single dress, people began to panic.
The funny thing is that even Roelica's father, Atelgadis, was at a loss as to what was going on.
Tenek visited Roelica's residence frequently, and when he heard from the palace doctor that Roelica's health was declining, he went crazy. The palace doctor was turned upside down by the brutal attitude that if there was even the slightest abnormality in the Empress’s body, they would all be beheaded and hung on a flagpole, and the doctors were busy running around for Roelica’s health.
“The doctor's palace we were chasing. Not the one who disappeared, but the other guy who was left in the letter of resignation. My nephew said that his birthday is in four days. He said he invited all the palace doctors in the letter of resignation.”
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At Bowles's words, Arkan and Erdene’s ears perked up at the same time. That’s right. Erdene thought.
If you acted alone, and even did something dangerous like secretly crossing the border, you should have something in your hand.
“Tell me.”
As Arkan ordered, Bowles and Rusmov’s eyes met in midair. They told each other everything that had happened at the smugglers’ residence.
Occasionally, they would meticulously supplement each other’s mistakes...
Whenever there was a sloppy part, Erdene’s blue eyes would glint suspiciously, so it was impossible to leave out even a single thing.
“A peacock pattern...?”
Arkan muttered suspiciously as he listened to the story.
Rusmov nodded several times—almost breaking his neck—and unconsciously gripped the edge of the table.
“I saw it. I saw the wings spread out on both sides, and the peacock tail fanned out behind.”
Erdene looked at Arkan.
“Do you know of any noble houses of Kensilom that use the peacock symbol, Your Majesty? At least not one of them. It doesn’t seem to be a house that produces military officers.”
She had dealt with Kensilom’s soldiers many times, but she didn’t remember seeing peacocks among the knights who went out to war with the family’s banner.
Arkan, who was about to answer, took a moment to ponder, his expression grave. He was careful because it wasn’t something he could just say randomly, as it occurred to him. The peacock was one of the most common family symbols.
The symbol that a family symbolizes usually changes depending on its disposition, but the peacock...
“I don’t know all the officials of Kensilom, but from what I remember, there was an official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who wore a ring with a peacock design. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I think. What was his last name...?”
Bowles said.
“The smugglers’ leader called him ‘Count,’ Your Majesty.”
The moment he heard that a man’s face appeared in Arkan’s mind.
The man who always showed up with King Grax at meetings.
The Count rolled his eyes here and there like a weasel waiting for the right time to invade a chicken coop...
Arkan snapped his fingers with a snap.
“Trivi. Count Trivi. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kensilom. He wore a ring with a peacock design.”
Erdene said.
“The Minister of Foreign Affairs... He’s a bigger name than I thought.”
Arkan nodded.
“That’s why I’m not sure either. If he were the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kensilom, he would not have any trouble making a living without getting involved in such dirty work.”
Rusmov shook his head.
“Even if he were buried in a pile of gold and dying, he would not miss the opportunity to take a coin out of someone else’s pocket. I can tell you for sure that he was blinded by greed, rich or not.”
“Of course, it could be.”
Arkan answered.
The problem is that there is no way to know whether the one controlling the smugglers is really Count Trivi...
Couldn’t it be another noble of Kensilom? Arkan did not remember exactly what the design of the ring Count Trivi wore was.
In fact, it was a miracle that he remembered that it was a peacock.
“Do you remember what he looked like?”
Rusmov and Bowles nodded at Erdene’s question. She tapped the table with her fingertips, tap, tap, tap... and finally turned to Arkan.
“Summon the court painter, Your Majesty.”
“The painter?”
“They remember his face, so let’s have the painter draw it exactly. Your Majesty knows his face, so if the person you met was indeed Kensilom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, wouldn’t you be able to recognize him? Besides, there’s someone here who can ‘exactly’ confirm that it’s him.”
Rusmov blinked, bewildered.
“Someone who can confirm... Your Majesty, what do you mean...?”
Arkan’s expression brightened slightly. She was right...
It wouldn’t be the same, but if he could capture the impression, there was someone who could tell him exactly who it was. Prince Damon.
“Plat, bring in the court painter who is best at drawing portraits. It would be better if he had a vivid imagination.”
***
The officials who frequented Hirschsten's Golden Castle were all bewildered by the news that Tenek had suddenly begun building a villa for Roelica.
At first, they thought that Tenek was finally preparing the groundwork to oust Roelica from the Empress position.
Considering that the two had never been close or affectionate since their marriage, and especially considering that Tenek had not even thought of visiting Roelica even though she was pregnant with the grandson, anyone could easily think that way. Then, when the father of one of Tenek's mistresses, who was quite fond of him, tried to push his daughter to be the next Empress, he was beheaded on the spot, and that mistress was also kicked out of the Golden Castle without even a single dress, people began to panic.
The funny thing is that even Roelica's father, Atelgadis, was at a loss as to what was going on.
Tenek visited Roelica's residence frequently, and when he heard from the palace doctor that Roelica's health was declining, he went crazy. The palace doctor was turned upside down by the brutal attitude that if there was even the slightest abnormality in the Empress’s body, they would all be beheaded and hung on a flagpole, and the doctors were busy running around for Roelica’s health.
“I don’t understand."
Thelma muttered with her lips pursed. Merton stared silently ahead, holding the handle of his sword with both hands. Thelma turned her head and spoke again.
“Isn’t that right, Merton? Why is he suddenly acting like a stray dog that didn’t receive the favor of the Empress?”
The person he was talking about was, of course, Emperor Tenek. Merton furrowed his brow slightly as if to warn him to be careful with his words. However, he had the same kind of doubt as Thelma.
Recently, Tenek had been showing favoritism toward Roelica. He didn’t even pay attention to the mistresses he had called in and changed in bed every day, as if to vent his anger or to show off. He poured a huge amount of money into building a small villa, and he would call in officials from time to time to ask if the villa was being built properly, and he would threaten to not let it be if anything was lacking.
'His Majesty indeed had a crush on Her Majesty the Empress when he was a Prince, but...'
Merton thought deeply. At that moment, Thelma furrowed her brows and lowered her voice.
"This is just my opinion, but is it possible that the Empress harbors other feelings?"
"Other feelings?"
Thelma shrugged her shoulders with a frown.
"And you wouldn't know. Didn't Sir Merton say that? Her Majesty the Empress's only concern is the safety of the grandson. In that case, it would be better to rely on Tenek rather than trusting us, who have not even exchanged a single word and have now lost all ties. Common sense tells you so. Even now, you see. The Emperor has come to the palace several times, and now he’s completely gone crazy, and he’s been carrying gold to that villa or something.”
Silence continued. Thelma, who was impatient, whispered to Merton, who was keeping his mouth shut, as if frustrated.
“What if things go wrong for us?”
“Nonsense. The Empress...”
She’s not that kind of person. Merton, who was about to say that, pursed his lips. In fact, Thelma was right. Roelica didn’t know much about Thelma, Merton, or Aiman, but they didn’t know Roelica well either. Until just a short while ago, they had only thought of her as a pitiful Princess, a pitiful woman whose life had been ruined by Tenek and her father’s greed.
It was an open secret that Tenek was deeply in love with Roelica. It was Roelica, not Tenek, who was pushing her away with all her might. If Roelica had decided to rely on Tenek, she could literally seize absolute power.
'If that happens... No, but that can't be...'
Merton recalled Roelica's determined eyes looking at him. They were the eyes of someone who had fallen in despair several times and gotten up covered in blood. Eyes boiling with will, anger, and fighting spirit.
'That person, really.'
His head was pounding as his thoughts, coupled with Thelma's noisy worries, continued to linger. Merton groaned and pressed his temples.
"Chief Aiman is coming."
Thelma said. Merton looked up and smiled faintly at Aiman's tangled hair approaching him.
"Merton, Thelma. I have something to talk to you about. Is this okay?"
Aiman said in a low voice. Thelma said, spreading her arms out into the empty hallway.
“You came at a time when not a single rat would pass by. I haven’t seen you often lately, and I was worried you might have collapsed somewhere.”
“Damn, you must be having a lot of trouble.”
Merton asked.
“The Emperor’s knights might be here soon, so tell me what you want to do, Aiman.”
Aiman nodded and said.
“The doctor's palace we were chasing. Not the one who disappeared, but the other guy who was left in the letter of resignation. My nephew said that his birthday is in four days. He said he invited all the palace doctors in the letter of resignation.”
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