This commoner, named Bridget, was the maid of honor who served her when she first entered the palace.
She is now one of the thick-boned courtiers in the Katzen Imperial Palace, second only to the imperial maids.
Even though she was old enough to leave the Imperial palace, she was still one of the loyal servants who stood by the demanding and sensitive Western Empress.
"..."
Instead of answering, Bridget quietly placed the velvet box on the table.
They were the 'gifts' sent by the Western Empress to save the new high priest.
Western Empress snorted and patted the palm-sized velvet box.
There was no trace of touching the polished surface.
"Well, now that you're in a country like Katzen, you can't be so sexual, right? A priest should not be greedy..."
"No, Your Majesty. That's not.."
Bridget swallowed for a moment and added.
"The new high priest refused to accept us and all the other people who came to visit, and we were not even allowed to meet him."
"..."
"Except for the First Prince and his wife. After investigating further, it seemed that he was in frequent contact with the subordinates of the First Princess."
"1st Princess?"
Is that sissy again?
In the end, the Empress lost her composure and frowned sharply.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Judging from the attitude of the Holy State recently. It seems that the cathedral is also trying to draw a line with our Third Prince."
"...What the hell are you doing? Is it not enough to oust the head of the Diocese of Katzen?"
Western Empress held the tablecloth as if to suppress her anger. The crumpled marks on the fabric were ugly.
"Norman, if only he had somehow remained in the parish of Katzen..."
How much money and effort she spent over the years to appease the old and arrogant high priest.
Just as she was about to bear fruit, Norman was brutally ousted by the First Prince Cesare.
Just because he made a "mistake" on the day of the coronation, the First Princess.
"I couldn't take a single speck of dust and was thrown away on a donkey."
Norman was also a manpower brought by the Western Empress herself.
"Cesare, that's clearly his intention. He put filth on my face on purpose."
One of the key pillars was cut off in an instant without Western Empress being able to handle it.
"You can't let it go on like this. Holy See can't be on Juan's side, but they shouldn't go to him."
It was then.
"Your Majesty!"
A maid hurriedly entered the reception room of the Western Empress.
"What's going on with you like a bad dog?"
"That's it. at the tea party of the Eastern Empress..."
Eventually, when the maid told her about what had happened in the East Palace a while ago, the Western Empress clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Ha, you can't help but be dragged around. I say you're a fool, so you do really stupid things."
"Eastern Empress couldn't help it. When the 1st Princess slapped Princess Strauss, she even gave the Emperor's immunity to her."
Bridget nodded in agreement.
The circumstances of the tea party, in which everyone would have been swayed by one Princess, were depicted without having to ask.
Western Empress's brow furrowed deeply.
'Immunity... The sissy must have been trying to fly up.'
At this point, giving the First Prince another weapon was not an advantage for the Third Prince.
"I need to beat that as soon as possible."
We have to break it and isolate it.
"I don't know why the Holy See was so obsessed with that sissy from the last wedding..."
He also needs to be cut out. So that no one would think of extending his hand to the 1st Prince easily.
"I can't do it. I have no choice but to do it."
"Your Majesty yourself?"
"No one wants to touch her, so how can you do it?"
"But what if the First Prince retaliates again..."
Bridget's shoulders shook.
One of the slender arrows that the Empress threw lightly at the sissy cut off the high priest Norman, the head of the Diocese of Katzen.
If she failed this time, who would bear the price? She couldn't hide her anxiety, thinking of the courtiers of the Third Prince.
"Shut your mouth. Are you going to act like a dog that kicks its tail before you fight?"
Instead of assimilating to the fear of loyalty, she snorted.
"Since he is so fond of his wife, I won't aim directly at her this time. Isn't there a knight of Valdina next to her?"
"Do you mean Agemas?"
The Western Empress stood up.
She went to the wall of the inner room, which is located deep in the West Palace, in front of the long glass tube. Inside, polished weapons were lined up.
All of them were prepared for his son, the Third Prince.
She swept the glass with her long index finger and walked slowly.
Then, at some point, she stopped.
"This is good."
The maid stopped when she saw the owner opening the glass tube and picking up a sword. The sharp blade had a faint glow.
It was a famous sword made by a dwarf craftsman of Alpensia.
Ten years ago, the Empress had secretly stolen what was supposed to be paid as a tribute for her son.
"He came to the enemy country and roamed around proudly. I have heard that he is at the top of the swordsmanship duel of the saints."
However, if the reason the knight sparred hard was actually to explore Katzen's power. It would be a different story.
"If His Majesty knows, he won't let you go. How can he let go of a spy who wants to steal Katzen's secret and sell it to his country?"
"Spy?"
"Yes. Spy."
"...Alas, the 1st Princess will be in trouble. If she had to choose between her husband and her subordinate,"
Bridget, who had a puzzled expression, nodded as if she understood the Western Empress.
Her master wanted to take advantage of the Emperor's inferiority complex toward Valdina to drive the First Princess's knight to be a spy.
"If you remove the servant of the First Princess, the relationship between the husband and wife will become estranged, and the First Prince will be alone again. If you do well, you can catch two rabbits."
"That's right. The Valdina Imperial Family and their Agemas are all very close to each other, like family."
The corners of Western Empress's mouth rose mercilessly
When faced with the neck of her loyal servant, could she be as calm as she is now?
***
After a while, the capital.
Inside the alley where darkness fell, a bar frequented by high-ranking nobles and knights of the imperial family was lit up.
Perhaps because of this, the furniture was polished and did not lose its clean and simple atmosphere.
"Host, here's another barrel of alcohol!"
"Yes! Here we go!"
It was well past midnight, but the bar was still bustling.
After today's sparring, everyone was eating and drinking happily, and the excitement was at its fullest.
"Brother, how did you really get your feet so fast? Just let me know."
The gray-haired man asked Menil, his eyes twinkling. In front of him, there were already several large glasses of wine that had been emptied.
"That was not easy for you. If you build up a little more strength in your lower body, you'll get faster."
Menil said softly.
"You seem to be conscious of your right shoulder while sparring, but I think you've been injured, right? Rather, practice firing the Auror at that point. If you can't overcome your weaknesses, it's better to make up for them."
"Kyaaa, you're amazing. Tweezers, when I first awakened, I was not good at using the Auror and cut my shoulder."
The gray-haired knight was thrilled.
I've never met someone like you. You told me so generously, because I was born lowly, and I learned to pick up an auror over my shoulder....
The knight looked touched.
The way the Auror works is the same as that of the Awakening Knights, so it was rare for them to tell you this unless they had a relationship as deep as a priest.
"It's great to have the same skills as you and to keep learning. Normally, that's enough to settle down."
Menil's face was full of a sincere crush.
The Agemas were open to those who wanted to continue to learn and master more. Especially if you are trying to overcome the difficulties of the environment and birth.
"Don't worry. If you work diligently, there will come a time when your eyes will be opened!"
Even now, when he was drunk, the fact that the knight was a Katzen man didn't really matter.
"Ugh, brother. Please accept this, think it's an ugly guy's tuition fee."
The knight held out a dagger wrapped in a black cloth. It was about the length of a heavy sword.
"I used to secretly beat a high-ranking nobleman and get a prize instead, but this is the only precious thing in my hands."
"Huh? That's it. I didn't ask for anything..."
"No, please accept it. Please think of it as a token of your becoming my teacher."
He staggered and calmly slipped his sword through Menil's armpit.
"No, I don't. I already have a sword, and you can just use it."
"No, I can't. You were the first teacher in my life to teach me without compensation... If you can do it, I'll finish the auror and ask you to spar again, so please take care of it until then."
The knight gulped down the last of his drink. Perhaps because of the drunkenness or the situation, his face and eyes were red.
"Wow, brother. It looks like it's going to be ugly, so I'll go first."
"I understand, then..."
"Sir Menil, look at him! Am I right? Put your feet in this position!"
Around that time, the knights at the other table grabbed Menil's arm. It was a bonus to add another glass of cold liquor
"Huh? Wait, wait, child, this guy... Go with care!"
Menil had no choice but to tie the sword given to him by the knight to his waistband and leave. Meanwhile, he waved to the departing knight.
"Uh-huh, I'm drunk... Why is alcohol so strong...."
Soon, the owner's worried voice echoed over Menil that had fallen on the table.
"Oh my gosh, are you okay? Oh my God. I told you not to drink too much..."
But he didn't know. Menil's eyes were staring at the floor clearly.
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