IWAEBS - Chapter 80 < Where does it hurt? >



He grabbed my hand, so I had no choice but to put the knife down again. Linel's gaze remained fixed on Emperor Adrian. So it seemed that he didn't intentionally grab my hand to stop me from throwing the knife. I let out a sigh of relief and listened to the conversation between him and Emperor Adrian.

“If we continue the match here, it may be seen as an act of intimidation to the women of other empires, rather than a demonstration of the martial arts skills of the Tebello Empresses.”

As soon as Linel finished speaking, Prince Calvain of the Parsha Empire stepped in to mediate.

“Emperor Adrian, let’s stop the martial arts duel and have the Empresses dance instead! I saw them dancing after the duel.”

“Yes, come to think of it, it might be a good idea to liven things up with swordsmanship instead.”

Emperor Adrian also took a step back, as if he did not want to clash with Linel. In the meantime, Empress Elan, who had left the banquet hall with the dead Empress Selina, came back in after receiving treatment on the right side of her face from the palace doctor. I stared at Empress Elan’s trouser pocket. It was gone... The knife she had in her trouser pocket was nowhere to be seen. Did she throw the knife away somewhere when she left the banquet hall to treat her wound?

“Then, since there was an accident, we will start the sword dance later.”

The guests agreed with Linel’s opinion. The solemn atmosphere lasted only a moment. The guests quickly laughed and chatted as if nothing had happened and poured their drinks. At the end of the dinner, Emperor Adrian asked for his permission again and instructed the three empresses to perform a sword dance. They quickly picked up their swords one by one and stood in a triangle in the center of the training ground with skilled movements. When one of the Empresses nodded somewhere, the band from the Tebello Empire began to play. 

The guests held their breath again at the tense music and focused on the Empresses. The beginning of the sword dance was mostly composed of restrained movements like knights, but as the music got faster, the Empresses’ slender waists and hips, visible through the see-through clothing, began to move noisily. The eyes of the guests from each country, especially the men, were busy following the Empresses’ dazzling waist movements. 

What pitiful authors. I clicked my tongue and looked at him to laugh along with Linel at this pitiful sight.

"...Your Majesty?"

My man's mouth was half open, and his blue eyes were swept back and forth as if they were being swept by the waves. He didn't even hear me calling him.

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah, yeah? What did you say?”

He asked back, startled.

“It’s a sword dance, it looks like she’s trying to kill men with her waist and butt.”

I gestured toward the center of the banquet hall with my chin.

“No. Why?”

He responded by questioning me instead.

“Because His Majesty seems to be looking at them in rapture.”

“No way. I was wondering why they were dancing so dangerously. Ahem, why are they carrying a sword?”

I laughed because he seemed to be forcing his discontented expression. When I didn’t say anything else, his gaze slowly returned to the Empresses, who were dancing the sword dance. Then, one of the Empresses flexibly bent her waist backwards and shook her entire body at the same time, causing him to gasp and meet my eyes.

“Dancing is really dangerous.”

Linel shook his head and whispered for no reason.

“Yes. The gestures... are really, really wild.”

I answered calmly without taking my eyes off the sword dance. Then, as if he had been waiting, he spat out the words.

“Isn’t that more obscene than you shaking your heels?”

“...Phew.”

I laughed out loud at his ridiculous flattery. Even as a woman, I found the sword dance attractive. The Empresses of the Tebello Empire were stealing everyone’s breath at the banquet hall. The expression on the face of those Empresses’ man, Emperor Adrian, was incredibly indifferent. Ironically, Emperor Adrian’s gaze was always focused on me. Whenever he had a chance, he would glance at me and smile slightly when our eyes met. 

Silverfish, stop staring! If you want to get my attention, you should dance sword dance like the empresses. I was getting annoyed by Emperor Adrian’s persistent gaze. After a while, the Empresses’ sweet and fierce sword dance ended, and the tables where dinner had been held were all cleared away.

The party began in earnest with a brisk waltz. Most of the guests looked happy, but I was too tired. My mind had already wandered to the bedroom. At the beginning of the party, Linel and I went around greeting the guests from each country and clinking champagne glasses, but at some point, we each separated and greeted the guests. I chatted with Empress Katria of the Delroy Empire. During the conversation, Katria's bodyguard and lover, Clark, asked her to dance, so I gave up my seat. As I looked around to go back to Linel, Elan, the Empress of Emperor Adrian, approached me.

“I was watching for an opportunity.”

“A chance to talk to me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I would like to greet you separately. Thank you for your help.”

Empress Elan had a much younger face when seen up close. Despite her young face, her speech was as restrained as that of a knight.

“I didn’t help you. I just wanted to stop your martial arts because I was concerned about the Empress’s injuries.”

“Still... The palace said that the blade cut deeper than expected. It seems that the scar is inevitable.”

Empress Elan said with a bitter expression, placing her hand on the gauze patch attached to the right side of her face.

“There must be a way. Try to find a magic potion that is good for healing wounds.”

If she wanted, I was willing to introduce her to Big the wizard.

“I appreciate your words, but the scars the Empresses received in martial arts duels cannot be removed.”

“...Why?”

I asked, frowning.

“Because it is a wound of glory.”

“By any chance... is it necessary to do so by order of His Majesty Emperor Adrian?”

“It’s closer to a law than an order.”

Empress Elan smiled faintly. Her smile made it impossible to discern her true feelings.

“Anyway, thank you so much for your help.”

“Let me be clear. If I had known you were going to kill Empress Selina, I would never have gotten involved.”

“But if Your Majesty the Empress had not interfered with Empress Selina, I would have had her twin swords stuck in my eyes.”

Empress Elan spoke with confidence.

“Why would you go that far...”

As I muttered with a small sigh, Empress Elan's eyes became serious.

“That is Empress Selina’s specialty in martial arts competitions.”

“But was it really necessary to kill her?”

“Yes, there was no need to kill her.”

Empress Elan nodded, one corner of her mouth raised.

“Then why...”

“The Empress who was like a sister to me was killed by her own hands in the palace of Woni not long ago. She had two swords stuck in her eyes. It wasn’t even a martial arts showdown.”

"Ah...!"

When I heard that, Empress Elan’s face overlapped with Bonis’s face. My eyes unconsciously followed Prince Tesla, who was somewhere in the banquet hall. To my disgust, the Prince was already watching me from a distance. At that moment, Princess Resilia approached Prince Tesla. The Princess began to whisper something to her brother. I took my eyes off the two siblings and looked back at Empress Elan.

“Anyway, if it weren’t for Your Majesty the Empress, I would have died. This favor... I will definitely repay it.”

“No, that won’t happen.”

“Such a thing may happen in the future, Your Majesty the Empress.”

She spoke as if she were prophesying.

“What do you mean, Empress Elan?”

“Please just call me Elan. I know Your Majesty the Empress is skilled in martial arts, but I am telling you to always be careful.”

I had the feeling that Empress Elan was keeping something from me, but I had no specific question to ask.

“Oh, Prince Shattonil over there seems to wish to speak with Your Majesty the Empress, so I must now step aside.”

Empress Elan glanced at Prince Tesla and said, almost wanting to say that there was absolutely no need for that.

“Okay. Maybe we can talk again next time?”

“Of course. Oh, by the way, I will keep Your Majesty the Empress’s knife as a souvenir.”

Empress Elan said with a smile. I watched her walking towards Emperor Adrian.

“Is it my turn now?”

Prince Tesla, holding a glass of wine, was already approaching me.

“Your Majesty, please speak up. Unless you know how to use soundproofing magic.”

“Ah. That’s right. Hahaha.”

Prince Tesla looked around and laughed heartily. To anyone who saw it, it would seem that Prince Tesla and I were on pretty good terms. The Prince's excessive laughter must have reached Linel because he looked this way while talking to the Emperor and Empress of the Ekiya Empire. When I smiled and raised my hand slightly, he raised his hand in return and turned his head again.

“It seems like you’re starting to fall for the Emperor?”

Prince Tesla suddenly asked me, who was staring at Linel's back with squinted eyes.

“Do you see it? I will take it as a compliment for my excellent acting. Even though you gave me a small amount of magic potion, you still feel uneasy about me, Your Highness?”

For the sake of Linel's possible safety, I had to lie and pretend that I had no feelings for him at all.

“Well, isn’t there such a thing as human intuition?”

Prince Tesla responded sarcastically.

“Why, are you worried that I might confess the truth to His Majesty?”

Prince Tesla's face, which had been smiling at my provocative question, distorted ugly.

“If I tell him the truth, will His Majesty forgive the woman who deceived him? The Emperor of the Lapion Empire who is on guard even in his sleep when it comes to betrayal?”

“Even if he's not forgiven, I can’t help it. It wasn’t my intention from the beginning, was it?”

For a moment, I glared at Prince Tesla, seemingly resentful and angry.

“If you have such thoughts, you’d better reconsider. Do you know how much trouble our kingdom of Shattonil will be in if the truth about you being the acting Empress is revealed?”

It's not the Kingdom of Shattonil that's in trouble, but you who planned all this in the first place. The chances of Linel turning the Kingdom of Shattonil against me for my troubles were slim. Unless he was against me and Prince Tesla.

“Until there is any movement from our side, Your Highness, please keep your mouth shut and wait quietly.”

Prince Tesla clenched his teeth and suppressed his anger. I flinched at the look on the Prince’s face. It was the first time I realized that the eyes of someone crazy about power could be so scary.

“Movement? Are you talking about the... scandal manipulation that I mentioned before?”

“Thank goodness you still remember.”

“Your Majesty will not believe you.”

“Are you sure?”

Prince Tesla laughed at me and snickered.

“By the way, Your Majesty the Empress. Before the banquet ends, I would like to meet you outside for a moment.”

“What's the matter?"

“Because I have a precious gift prepared for you.”

“It’s okay. I’ll just accept your heart.”

I didn't even want to accept anything from Prince Tesla.

“Are you telling me to just throw away the gift? If you refuse, I can just throw it away, but Your Majesty, you’ll regret it later, won’t you?”

Prince Tesla said, gently grabbing my arm as I turned around.

“What kind of great gift is this that you are asking for this?”

I asked nervously, pulling away the prince's hand.

“I have prepared a pair of pink diamond earrings, a specialty of the Kingdom of Shattonil.”

Pink diamond? For a moment, the pink diamond ring on Bonis' little finger came to mind, and my heart sank.

“It is more beautiful than the pink diamond ring I gave you before.”

Prince Tesla chuckled.

“!”

It didn't seem like he was just talking about jewels. Surely he wasn't going to harm Bonis again?

“Bonis is doing well, right...?”

I asked, clutching my dress tightly with both hands. It took all my patience not to raise my voice. I had followed Grand Duke Martins’s advice not to bring up Bonis first, but seeing Prince Tesla’s sinister expression, I couldn’t just ignore it.

“If you are curious, let’s meet in 30 minutes at the back of the shrine building on the way from the main palace to the annex palace.”

“What did you say?”

“If you don’t come out...”

Prince Tesla whispered in my ear, pretending to clink his wine glass against mine.

“This time, you will receive as a gift Bonis’s ears wearing pink diamond earrings.”

Devilish human. I opened my eyes wide and warned Prince Tesla.

“What have you already done to Bonis? This time...!”

“You will understand when you see me. Your Majesty, Ha.”

Prince Tesla bowed politely to me and then disappeared into the crowd of distinguished guests.

“Master, or rather, Your Majesty the Empress? Are you alright?”

I turned around in surprise when someone grabbed the hem of my dress from behind.

“Rosie?”

She stood there with a worried expression. I stared at Rosie's face for a moment. She was not a concubine who would tugged at the Empress's dress so carelessly, so I couldn't understand what she had just done. But now was not the time to think about such things. What excuse should I give to Linel? I had to think of a way to temporarily leave the main palace.

“What’s wrong?”

I looked at Rosie again, who was tugging at the hem of my dress, and an excuse came to mind.

“Excuse me, Rosie. I have a favor to ask... Could you listen for a moment?”

I whispered to Rosie for help.

“So... you need to leave the main palace, and you want help?”

Rosie got straight to the point and asked again.

"Yes."

The reason I asked for Rosie's help was simple. The West Palace, where the concubines' quarters were, was because I had to leave the main palace and go through the temple building. When I saw Rosie's face, I remembered the route. Wait, why did I tell Linel that I was going to Rosie's quarters? I had to think of an excuse. However, my mind went dark because I was worried about Bonis.

“Just kill them, Moiya...”

Rosie muttered quietly to herself and scratched her neck.

“What did you say, Rosie?”

Did I hear wrong? I asked her again, feeling as if she had caught my attention for a moment.

“You didn’t say anything?”

Rosie shook her head from side to side. Yeah, I must have misheard. I really felt like I was half out of my mind. Now I can hear all the nonsense.

“I will help you, Your Majesty the Empress!”

“Thank you. But what would be a good excuse to leave the main palace?”

I didn't tell Rosie that I had to go to the temple to meet Prince Tesla. Fortunately, Rosie didn't ask why I was going there and didn't seem particularly curious. She just insisted that she would go with me.

“Tell His Majesty I'm sick and that I've invited Her Majesty to my quarters because I have something important to tell her about my health.”

“Hmm. Is that okay?”

“If His Majesty's ears weren’t blocked, you would probably allow it.”

“...Huh? Huh, huh...”

Rosie's tone of voice was also quite different from her usual cautious tone. Where does it hurt the most? 

I put my hand on Rosie's forehead and checked if she had a fever.


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