Episode 72. I Need to Get Her Out of the Palace
He glared at her, trying to figure out what that feeling was. However, nothing was resolved, so he started asking her questions.
However, Lorisha Loire unexpectedly answered obediently. Locard realized that she was under the influence of drugs and in a different state than usual, so he stopped asking.
Now, he might be able to draw out her true feelings, the true desires that she was suppressing due to her sense of guilt over being an illegitimate child. Such a sinister desire raised its head.
However, that desire also touched Kydel's pride. He could not tolerate taking advantage of a woman's vulnerable state.
While Lorisha spoke with unprecedented sincerity, he continued to fight with his inner self with a subtle smile.
It was an unexpected gain to learn about her life goals through the small talk they had in the process.
Lorisba Loire. What an incredible woman.
He heard from the palace servant how she endured the Empress’s beatings. He had never seen a woman who attacked her opponents so indiscriminately.
He had learned how to fight with all his might only after going to war, but she seemed to have been doing it since birth.
But she didn’t even realize it herself.
She had more things she wanted to reject than she wanted to inherit from her parents, and she tried to get what she wanted without relying on anyone. She didn’t spend time thinking about what price she would have to pay in the process.
Maybe it was the danger of that blindness, the charm of her vitality, that made him keep his eyes on her.
Locard realized that he had understood more about Lorisha today.
And Locard, being smart, knew that this knowledge would only continue to hold him back. Hadn’t he dared to deceive the Empress today?
“Not yet. I don’t know.”
Locard muttered bitterly, and Grayon’s eyes widened. Locard said he didn’t know, because it was clearly a dire problem, even if he didn’t know what it was.
Locard noticed his master’s face darkening and raised his head to smile brightly.
“Yes. She won today. But in reality, it was one-on-one. It was just a tie.”
Grayon also knew that he was the real winner of the first competition.
But he also wanted a superficial victory. A visible result that would prove his superiority to the people of the empire and the nobles.
But if this continued, both Princes would only look inferior.
He said nervously.
“I should have thrown her into the open sea.”
When Locard’s eyes became sensitive to those words, Grayon stared at him and said.
“If she were involved, you would have backed down. If it weren’t for her, who would have hit you in the back of the head?”
“What happened today was an impulsive act by Her Highness Milliora. It’s not her fault.”
“It’s her fault! It’s the servant’s fault when his master goes crazy.”
Instead of refuting, Locard muttered as if he were looking at a distant mountain.
“I know you regret not having kicked her out of Zebron.”
“Ha!”
Grayon slapped the armrest of his chair and glared at Locard. Locard’s smirk was unlucky, but he couldn’t deny it.
Every time Locard took her side, Grayon felt hurt because it seemed like he was pointing out his narrow-mindedness and prejudice.
In fact, Grayon wanted to kidnap Lorisha and sneak her out of the palace right now.
He wanted to leave her in the mountains and use her when he became the Crown Prince.
But such thoughts were delusions. Even if she was a valuable person, she was an illegitimate child.
Locard misunderstood, but in fact, being an illegitimate child was not the only problem.
Her shoulders felt light. Without a family to protect and take responsibility for, she would only covet her own life’s worth and be lazy about her loyalty.
That’s why he would never trust her. He couldn’t afford to lose even a little for a human he couldn’t trust to die by his side.
So, Lorisha could not be more than a thorn in Grayon’s side.
Locard spoke to his lord as if he were comforting him.
“Even if you lost the profit from utilizing the iron ore, His Highness Orl gained nothing either. And His Highness Orl lost his composure today. He will become impatient and make a mistake soon.”
“...”
Grayon studied Locard’s face as if he was going to pierce through it, and Locard smiled a gentle smile that even calmed the man.
“When His Majesty the Emperor finishes the iron ore negotiations, he will present the third contest question. The first question required the use of the mind, the second required the use of knowledge, so the next one will most likely require physical strength.”
Grayon's eyes flashed open.
"In that case, I have the advantage."
"Yes. No one has the advantage over Your Highness in the next problem. We should actively utilize that."
Grayon smiled in relief.
"Locard. Lorisha."
When he realized that Grayon had called her by her name for the first time, Locard felt a slight chill.
"I have to get her out of the palace before the third competition begins. I would like to kill her, but that would make you go wild again. Think of the most natural way possible."
Locard looked at his master's face with gentle eyes.
He knew that he shouldn't argue with Grayon now. Anyone who provoked Tagar's anxiety would pay a price.
The price for provoking Orl's feelings was settled today, but Grayon still had something left to do.
"..."
Locard quietly stepped away from him.
Grayon became even more sensitive as he left. It wasn't because of Locard.
The discomfort that came from not being sure if he really wanted to kill Lorisha Loire.
That clever Locard knew that too, so he didn’t answer.
What bothered Grayon more than anything was not Lorisha, but having to admit that Locard was right from the beginning.
While Locard looked straight into Lorisha’s clear eyes, he couldn’t help but wonder why he couldn’t.
Whether that was proof of his lack of qualifications as an Emperor, such doubts were unbearable.
Grayon looked out the window, feeling uncomfortable with the feeling of those who should have served him, from the lowest to the most noble, manipulating him.
He muttered quietly.
“Get out of my sight, Loire. Until I decide what to do with you.”
When he got up from his bed, a servant came in and delivered a letter. It was a letter from the Count who had planted it in the First Prince’s Palace.
The letter said that Orl had sent a gift to Kalin Ankart.
He laughed in vain. It was funny how his brother was quick to take what was his, and how the women who suddenly appeared were upsetting him.
He thought,
'Kalin Ankart, what should I do with her, who is like a poisoned apple?'
The next day. My legs swelled up as much as the pillars of the palace. If it weren't for the painkillers and treatments that Director Royman had prepared for me, I really wouldn't have known what to do. Of course, he didn't say anything about reducing the amount of painkillers.
And there was another situation where I didn't know what to do.
Sir Rond didn't leave my room all day.
He would open the window, put a chair in front of it, and then suddenly jump up and do push-ups. It seemed like he exercised at regular intervals.
At first, I thought he had come to visit me because of the affection we had felt, but I was certain that he wouldn't leave my room tomorrow or the day after.
Was he protecting me or watching me?
'I'm going crazy because it's burdensome.'
When I looked at him with resentful eyes, he would turn around and look at me with the sharp sense of a knight. Then I could only laugh awkwardly.
He said later,
“Don’t be so mean, Miss Loire. It’s the Princess’s order.”
“Huh?”
My face turned pale. Why would the Princess send her own knight to me...?
“Oh, is someone trying to kill me?”
Sir Rond’s face distorted grotesquely. It was as if he had heard all sorts of strange things.
“Why would they do that?”
“Ah. Yes.”
That’s right. What would be worth doing to this lowly bastard? And in the palace, at that.
“I guess Her Highness feels sorry for her maid.”
“Ah... Yes.”
I sighed deeply and fell back onto the bed, and Sir Rond began to do push-ups again.
It was quite an active apology that Her Highness Miliora had sent Sir Rond because she felt sorry for me. Sir Rond was locked in the room with me without any crime.
I thought it would be good if Her Highness the Princess learned from this incident and acted more cautiously in the future.
However, now the Princes would consider me as their enemy, not Her Highness Milliora. Thinking about it made me feel uneasy.
In that situation, there was nothing Her Highness could do to solve the problem by being cautious.
Sir Rond asked while doing push-ups.
“Have you been back?”
“No. She sent a doctor.”
“I see.”
His response sounded unpleasant.
It was natural to send a doctor, so Lord Rond thought that Her Highness the Princess had not taken any action.
So I spoke to him awkwardly.
“How are you? You still exercise a lot, I see.”
“If she were involved, you would have backed down. If it weren’t for her, who would have hit you in the back of the head?”
“What happened today was an impulsive act by Her Highness Milliora. It’s not her fault.”
“It’s her fault! It’s the servant’s fault when his master goes crazy.”
Instead of refuting, Locard muttered as if he were looking at a distant mountain.
“I know you regret not having kicked her out of Zebron.”
“Ha!”
Grayon slapped the armrest of his chair and glared at Locard. Locard’s smirk was unlucky, but he couldn’t deny it.
Every time Locard took her side, Grayon felt hurt because it seemed like he was pointing out his narrow-mindedness and prejudice.
In fact, Grayon wanted to kidnap Lorisha and sneak her out of the palace right now.
He wanted to leave her in the mountains and use her when he became the Crown Prince.
But such thoughts were delusions. Even if she was a valuable person, she was an illegitimate child.
Locard misunderstood, but in fact, being an illegitimate child was not the only problem.
Her shoulders felt light. Without a family to protect and take responsibility for, she would only covet her own life’s worth and be lazy about her loyalty.
That’s why he would never trust her. He couldn’t afford to lose even a little for a human he couldn’t trust to die by his side.
So, Lorisha could not be more than a thorn in Grayon’s side.
Locard spoke to his lord as if he were comforting him.
“Even if you lost the profit from utilizing the iron ore, His Highness Orl gained nothing either. And His Highness Orl lost his composure today. He will become impatient and make a mistake soon.”
“...”
Grayon studied Locard’s face as if he was going to pierce through it, and Locard smiled a gentle smile that even calmed the man.
“When His Majesty the Emperor finishes the iron ore negotiations, he will present the third contest question. The first question required the use of the mind, the second required the use of knowledge, so the next one will most likely require physical strength.”
Grayon's eyes flashed open.
"In that case, I have the advantage."
"Yes. No one has the advantage over Your Highness in the next problem. We should actively utilize that."
Grayon smiled in relief.
"Locard. Lorisha."
When he realized that Grayon had called her by her name for the first time, Locard felt a slight chill.
"I have to get her out of the palace before the third competition begins. I would like to kill her, but that would make you go wild again. Think of the most natural way possible."
Locard looked at his master's face with gentle eyes.
He knew that he shouldn't argue with Grayon now. Anyone who provoked Tagar's anxiety would pay a price.
The price for provoking Orl's feelings was settled today, but Grayon still had something left to do.
"..."
Locard quietly stepped away from him.
Grayon became even more sensitive as he left. It wasn't because of Locard.
The discomfort that came from not being sure if he really wanted to kill Lorisha Loire.
That clever Locard knew that too, so he didn’t answer.
What bothered Grayon more than anything was not Lorisha, but having to admit that Locard was right from the beginning.
While Locard looked straight into Lorisha’s clear eyes, he couldn’t help but wonder why he couldn’t.
Whether that was proof of his lack of qualifications as an Emperor, such doubts were unbearable.
Grayon looked out the window, feeling uncomfortable with the feeling of those who should have served him, from the lowest to the most noble, manipulating him.
He muttered quietly.
“Get out of my sight, Loire. Until I decide what to do with you.”
When he got up from his bed, a servant came in and delivered a letter. It was a letter from the Count who had planted it in the First Prince’s Palace.
The letter said that Orl had sent a gift to Kalin Ankart.
He laughed in vain. It was funny how his brother was quick to take what was his, and how the women who suddenly appeared were upsetting him.
He thought,
'Kalin Ankart, what should I do with her, who is like a poisoned apple?'
***
The next day. My legs swelled up as much as the pillars of the palace. If it weren't for the painkillers and treatments that Director Royman had prepared for me, I really wouldn't have known what to do. Of course, he didn't say anything about reducing the amount of painkillers.
And there was another situation where I didn't know what to do.
Sir Rond didn't leave my room all day.
He would open the window, put a chair in front of it, and then suddenly jump up and do push-ups. It seemed like he exercised at regular intervals.
At first, I thought he had come to visit me because of the affection we had felt, but I was certain that he wouldn't leave my room tomorrow or the day after.
Was he protecting me or watching me?
'I'm going crazy because it's burdensome.'
When I looked at him with resentful eyes, he would turn around and look at me with the sharp sense of a knight. Then I could only laugh awkwardly.
He said later,
“Don’t be so mean, Miss Loire. It’s the Princess’s order.”
“Huh?”
My face turned pale. Why would the Princess send her own knight to me...?
“Oh, is someone trying to kill me?”
Sir Rond’s face distorted grotesquely. It was as if he had heard all sorts of strange things.
“Why would they do that?”
“Ah. Yes.”
That’s right. What would be worth doing to this lowly bastard? And in the palace, at that.
“I guess Her Highness feels sorry for her maid.”
“Ah... Yes.”
I sighed deeply and fell back onto the bed, and Sir Rond began to do push-ups again.
It was quite an active apology that Her Highness Miliora had sent Sir Rond because she felt sorry for me. Sir Rond was locked in the room with me without any crime.
I thought it would be good if Her Highness the Princess learned from this incident and acted more cautiously in the future.
However, now the Princes would consider me as their enemy, not Her Highness Milliora. Thinking about it made me feel uneasy.
In that situation, there was nothing Her Highness could do to solve the problem by being cautious.
Sir Rond asked while doing push-ups.
“Have you been back?”
“No. She sent a doctor.”
“I see.”
His response sounded unpleasant.
It was natural to send a doctor, so Lord Rond thought that Her Highness the Princess had not taken any action.
So I spoke to him awkwardly.
“How are you? You still exercise a lot, I see.”
“This is an exercise to prevent me from becoming lazy. If I recover like this, I might be able to return to the Knights next year. Thanks to Miss Loire.”
“That’s good to hear. I’m so glad.”
It was truly good news, but there was no loud applause. It was hard to imagine the Princess’s palace without Lord Rond.
Then Aria knocked on the door.
“Maid. We have a guest from the main family.”
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