Episode 75. Revealing the Emperor's Secret
"Huh, what about Diana?"
"The Princess lost consciousness and collapsed, and is resting in her bedroom."
The Emperor raised an eyebrow at the doctor's words.
"You must have administered the antidote, right? She must have been poisoned along with the Grand Duke."
"Fortunately, the Princess is safe thanks to the goblet that dissolves the poison."
The Emperor's expression hardened at the doctor's words.
"I heard they switched the Princess's goblet with one made from a narwhal tusk?"
He had no doubt that Diana, like the Grand Duke, had been poisoned.
Duke Flice had reported the switch. He had clearly said he had recovered a goblet made from a unicorn's horn.
"... Ha!"
The Emperor's complex mind began to piece together like a puzzle.
The Grand Duke, who was immune to poison, collapsed helplessly, but it was puzzling...
"This vixen! He knew all about our plan!"
His blood pressure soared.
It was difficult to explain everything else.
Only then did the Emperor realize that their plan had leaked out and reached the Grand Duke's ears.
"Damn it!!"
"Your Majesty?"
The doctor stared at the Emperor, his face brimming with rage on the verge of explosion. "Ah!" A gnashing of teeth could be heard between his clenched lips.
"It's nothing. I'm just so sad to see my precious niece lying helpless like this."
"Yes. I'm so glad the Princess is okay."
"...Yes, I'm so grateful."
A product's value shouldn't diminish. You'll be able to fulfill your purpose, Diana.
The Emperor's gaze was utterly cold as he thought of Diana.
To the Emperor, Diana was nothing more than a means to solidify his position, nothing more, nothing less.
He had intended to use her to have the Grand Duke executed. He framed him for poisoning the Princess.
Furthermore, he planned to marry her for political gain after eliminating the Grand Duke.
The old Emperor of a foreign country had promised to send Diana as his third wife.
Of course, he had no regard for Diana's wishes.
He had promised to provide his with a 70% discount on iron ore for ten years in exchange for taking her as his wife.
"Just in case, have the Princess take the antidote, too."
"Yes, I understand."
The Emperor left the room, accompanied by his knights and councilors.
He needed to meet with Duke Flice immediately.
To hold him accountable for this plan. And to clear up the pretext he had given the Grand Duke.
As he stepped out, the Emperor encountered Rose standing anxiously at the door.
He recognized her immediately.
"The daughter of Countess Serviat."
Rose, who resembled Countess Serviat so strikingly, was impossible to recognize.
"Rose de Serviat..."
The mastermind who ruined the last affair.
She was, as expected, involved this time as well.
The Emperor looked at Rose with a disapproving gaze.
'One foolish woman has made things very complicated.'
That day, the Grand Duke should have been framed as the Marquis of Blade's murderer.
If he had, things wouldn't have become so complicated.
'... I'll kill you along with the Grand Duke of Artaeum.'
"Huh, what about Diana?"
"The Princess lost consciousness and collapsed, and is resting in her bedroom."
The Emperor raised an eyebrow at the doctor's words.
"You must have administered the antidote, right? She must have been poisoned along with the Grand Duke."
"Fortunately, the Princess is safe thanks to the goblet that dissolves the poison."
The Emperor's expression hardened at the doctor's words.
"I heard they switched the Princess's goblet with one made from a narwhal tusk?"
He had no doubt that Diana, like the Grand Duke, had been poisoned.
Duke Flice had reported the switch. He had clearly said he had recovered a goblet made from a unicorn's horn.
"... Ha!"
The Emperor's complex mind began to piece together like a puzzle.
The Grand Duke, who was immune to poison, collapsed helplessly, but it was puzzling...
"This vixen! He knew all about our plan!"
His blood pressure soared.
It was difficult to explain everything else.
Only then did the Emperor realize that their plan had leaked out and reached the Grand Duke's ears.
"Damn it!!"
"Your Majesty?"
The Princess is safe, yet instead of saying ‘Thank God,’ he says 'Damn it.'
"It's nothing. I'm just so sad to see my precious niece lying helpless like this."
"Yes. I'm so glad the Princess is okay."
"...Yes, I'm so grateful."
A product's value shouldn't diminish. You'll be able to fulfill your purpose, Diana.
The Emperor's gaze was utterly cold as he thought of Diana.
To the Emperor, Diana was nothing more than a means to solidify his position, nothing more, nothing less.
He had intended to use her to have the Grand Duke executed. He framed him for poisoning the Princess.
Furthermore, he planned to marry her for political gain after eliminating the Grand Duke.
The old Emperor of a foreign country had promised to send Diana as his third wife.
Of course, he had no regard for Diana's wishes.
He had promised to provide his with a 70% discount on iron ore for ten years in exchange for taking her as his wife.
"Just in case, have the Princess take the antidote, too."
"Yes, I understand."
The Emperor left the room, accompanied by his knights and councilors.
He needed to meet with Duke Flice immediately.
To hold him accountable for this plan. And to clear up the pretext he had given the Grand Duke.
As he stepped out, the Emperor encountered Rose standing anxiously at the door.
He recognized her immediately.
"The daughter of Countess Serviat."
Rose, who resembled Countess Serviat so strikingly, was impossible to recognize.
"Rose de Serviat..."
The mastermind who ruined the last affair.
She was, as expected, involved this time as well.
The Emperor looked at Rose with a disapproving gaze.
'One foolish woman has made things very complicated.'
That day, the Grand Duke should have been framed as the Marquis of Blade's murderer.
If he had, things wouldn't have become so complicated.
'... I'll kill you along with the Grand Duke of Artaeum.'
After chasing after Count Wence for so long, today she came holding the hand of his nephew, the Grand Duke.
And what's more, she didn't hesitate to confess her love in front of numerous nobles.
"Who is this? Isn't this the daughter of Count Serviat?"
The Emperor stopped in his tracks and turned to Rose with a smirk.
"Greetings to His Majesty Emperor Pestona, the master of the empire. The Grand Duke... Is he awake?"
Rose bowed to the Emperor despite her haggard face.
Even though she knew full well that the Emperor intended to kill the Grand Duke, Rose's question was desperate.
That much, she was curious about the Grand Duke's life or death.
"Grand Duke... Is he okay?"
Rose asked desperately, holding her trembling hands.
The Emperor didn't answer Rose's words and instead asked,
"But... This is strange."
The Emperor's dry voice rang out harshly. His voice was filled with hostility.
"Both the Grand Duke and the Princess have collapsed, but you, who drank wine with them, look perfectly fine."
"...!"
In an instant, her mind flashed. Rose's eyes, which had been half-conscious and trying to confirm the Grand Duke's life or death, returned to focus.
The Emperor's eyebrows furrowed at Rose's gaze.
'Surely... You're not trying to blame me for this because you couldn't blame the Grand Duke, are you?'
Why was her uneasy premonition always right?
"You were the closest to them, weren't you?"
As Rose had predicted, the Emperor spat his suspicions at her.
For a moment, the air around them froze. The Emperor's knights glared, ready to rush to capture Rose at any moment. The council members and servants glanced at Rose.
'Surely, you're not all suspicious of me, are you?'
Dozens of eyes scanned Rose's body. Cold sweat formed on Rose's forehead.
At that moment, the door on either side of the Grand Duke's room opened.
'Is it the Grand Duke?'
Rose looked at the door with eyes filled with anticipation, but it wasn't the Grand Duke who emerged.
Knights emerged carrying something covered in pure white cloth.
The knights bowed their heads to the Emperor.
“Clear.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At the Emperor’s command, the knights crossed in front of Rose and exited the corridor.
“Ugh, the smell of blood!”
The thick scent of blood stung Rose’s nostrils.
Rose covered her nose with one hand and frowned. For some reason, her stomach churned, threatening to vomit at any moment.
Red drops of blood fell here, and there down the long corridor the knights had passed.
Rose’s lips went dry.
She felt as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.
Her heart pounded like a bat.
Rose quickly turned her head. Looking straight ahead, she was frozen by the Emperor’s gaze.
His eyes were blue, like the Grand Duke's, but colder and sharper.
“Why did you ask if he was okay?”
“I, too, was poisoned and am on my way back after drinking the antidote.”
Rose spoke to the Emperor in a trembling voice.
Fortunately, she hadn’t finished drinking the wine, so she avoided the poison. Moreover, vomiting played a role.
Rose believed that not swallowing all the wine and vomiting had saved her life.
She hadn't realized that the Grand Duke had already fed her a detoxifying food.
Before arriving at the palace, the Grand Duke had treated Rose to a dessert made with two walnuts, dried figs, and rue leaves.
It was a pre-meal antidote that would induce vomiting if poisoned.
It would have been better if he had shared this information in advance, but the Grand Duke didn't.
If Rose had known everything, she might have acted awkwardly and been accused of the crime by the Emperor.
Just like now.
The Emperor seemed intent on making the innocent Rose a scapegoat.
If possible, before the Grand Duke woke up.
Killing the daughter of a fallen family was a simple matter.
Moreover, if he could frame Rose and apply the guilt-by-association system, he could even eliminate Count Serviat and his wife, whom he had failed to kill in the past.
The Emperor's eyes flashed with a malevolent glint. The moment the Emperor was about to order Rose to be arrested, Rose spoke first, saying,
“But... December seems like a great time to enjoy flowers.”
And what's more, she didn't hesitate to confess her love in front of numerous nobles.
"Who is this? Isn't this the daughter of Count Serviat?"
The Emperor stopped in his tracks and turned to Rose with a smirk.
"Greetings to His Majesty Emperor Pestona, the master of the empire. The Grand Duke... Is he awake?"
Rose bowed to the Emperor despite her haggard face.
Even though she knew full well that the Emperor intended to kill the Grand Duke, Rose's question was desperate.
That much, she was curious about the Grand Duke's life or death.
"Grand Duke... Is he okay?"
Rose asked desperately, holding her trembling hands.
The Emperor didn't answer Rose's words and instead asked,
"But... This is strange."
The Emperor's dry voice rang out harshly. His voice was filled with hostility.
"Both the Grand Duke and the Princess have collapsed, but you, who drank wine with them, look perfectly fine."
"...!"
In an instant, her mind flashed. Rose's eyes, which had been half-conscious and trying to confirm the Grand Duke's life or death, returned to focus.
The Emperor's eyebrows furrowed at Rose's gaze.
'Surely... You're not trying to blame me for this because you couldn't blame the Grand Duke, are you?'
Why was her uneasy premonition always right?
"You were the closest to them, weren't you?"
As Rose had predicted, the Emperor spat his suspicions at her.
For a moment, the air around them froze. The Emperor's knights glared, ready to rush to capture Rose at any moment. The council members and servants glanced at Rose.
'Surely, you're not all suspicious of me, are you?'
Dozens of eyes scanned Rose's body. Cold sweat formed on Rose's forehead.
At that moment, the door on either side of the Grand Duke's room opened.
'Is it the Grand Duke?'
Rose looked at the door with eyes filled with anticipation, but it wasn't the Grand Duke who emerged.
Knights emerged carrying something covered in pure white cloth.
The knights bowed their heads to the Emperor.
“Clear.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At the Emperor’s command, the knights crossed in front of Rose and exited the corridor.
“Ugh, the smell of blood!”
The thick scent of blood stung Rose’s nostrils.
Rose covered her nose with one hand and frowned. For some reason, her stomach churned, threatening to vomit at any moment.
Red drops of blood fell here, and there down the long corridor the knights had passed.
Rose’s lips went dry.
She felt as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.
Her heart pounded like a bat.
Rose quickly turned her head. Looking straight ahead, she was frozen by the Emperor’s gaze.
His eyes were blue, like the Grand Duke's, but colder and sharper.
“Why did you ask if he was okay?”
“I, too, was poisoned and am on my way back after drinking the antidote.”
Rose spoke to the Emperor in a trembling voice.
Fortunately, she hadn’t finished drinking the wine, so she avoided the poison. Moreover, vomiting played a role.
Rose believed that not swallowing all the wine and vomiting had saved her life.
She hadn't realized that the Grand Duke had already fed her a detoxifying food.
Before arriving at the palace, the Grand Duke had treated Rose to a dessert made with two walnuts, dried figs, and rue leaves.
It was a pre-meal antidote that would induce vomiting if poisoned.
It would have been better if he had shared this information in advance, but the Grand Duke didn't.
If Rose had known everything, she might have acted awkwardly and been accused of the crime by the Emperor.
Just like now.
The Emperor seemed intent on making the innocent Rose a scapegoat.
If possible, before the Grand Duke woke up.
Killing the daughter of a fallen family was a simple matter.
Moreover, if he could frame Rose and apply the guilt-by-association system, he could even eliminate Count Serviat and his wife, whom he had failed to kill in the past.
The Emperor's eyes flashed with a malevolent glint. The moment the Emperor was about to order Rose to be arrested, Rose spoke first, saying,
“But... December seems like a great time to enjoy flowers.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Was she trying to change the subject by blurting out the point? Or was she just a tactless, foolish woman? The Emperor frowned at Rose’s sudden words.
“Even in the cold winter, the Chicagor estate is warm, so it’s perfect for viewing flowers. It’s so beautiful, I’ve always wanted to see it.”
The faces of the knights and servants hardened at Rose’s words. They each muttered, observing Rose’s actions.
“Are you an idiot? Wanting to see the flowers blooming in the Chicagor estate?”
“You’re famous for being stupid.”
“Even if you’re stupid, you still want to enjoy flowers in a place filled with vicious criminals where no one lives. Tsk tsk.”
Chicagor. It was a massive estate where vicious criminals sentenced to life imprisonment were imprisoned. This desolate, uninhabited place was a prison directly managed by the Empire. So, Rose couldn't help but look strange in their eyes.
"Cyclamen flowers. That flower is so wonderful, isn't it? It's called 'the light of Chicagor'."
At Rose's words that continued, the palace people couldn't help but giggle. But one person couldn't laugh. The Emperor's expression hardened terribly.
'...How do you know that?'
'The light of Chicagor' was slang used among the most violent criminals. They would rather undergo vivisection than be forced to work in Chicagor' for the rest of their lives. Those who survived the vivisection could regain their freedom and go outside. That's why they called it 'the light of Chicago.'
Not knowing that no prisoner had escaped Chicagor alive...
Not knowing that no prisoner had escaped Chicagor alive...
The Emperor was quite taken aback by Rose's unexpected words.
It was a secret experiment.
A dirty secret shared only by the Emperor, Duke Flice, and Count Wence.
It all began under his leadership.
It was understandable that Rose would mention such a thing.
If the Emperor's inhumane actions were revealed, his firmly established throne would be in jeopardy.
“You want to go flower viewing on the land where prisoners are imprisoned? You are out of your mind! Do you dare to insult me? What on earth do you know about Chicagor to say such things?!”
It was a secret experiment.
A dirty secret shared only by the Emperor, Duke Flice, and Count Wence.
It all began under his leadership.
It was understandable that Rose would mention such a thing.
If the Emperor's inhumane actions were revealed, his firmly established throne would be in jeopardy.
“You want to go flower viewing on the land where prisoners are imprisoned? You are out of your mind! Do you dare to insult me? What on earth do you know about Chicagor to say such things?!”
The thunderous outburst startled not only the servants but even the knights nearby.
“Why are you so angry?”
“Is that something to be so angry about?”
“You must hate that fool. She could become the Grand Duchess. She would be devastated if she lacked such common sense.”
"The imperial bloodline is intertwined with the Serviat family, of all people."
Rose's remark would have been laughable to others.
His ignorance and ineptitude would have been laughable.
However, the Emperor overreacted unnecessarily.
In an instant, his cheeks and neck flushed red. The Emperor's attitude, as if Rose's words were irritating, made the air around him freeze.
He lost his reason and looked around, agitated. Everyone was looking at him, the Emperor.
It seemed as if they were whispering about him.
He was behind the poisoning attempt.
'Your Majesty is the culprit.'
'Your Majesty killed everyone.'
'The empire is clearly in ruins.'
'You killed your wife and brother, so why can't you kill your daughter and nephew?'
The incessant hallucinations that had been emanating from the murders of the former Emperor and his wife began to resurface.
"You! What did you just say?"
The Emperor pointed a finger at one of his servants, and the servant flinched.
“Yes? Uh, you mean me?”
“Yes! I mean you! I heard everything you said!”
The servant had simply been talking about how stupid Rose was. He trembled under the Emperor’s aura and bowed his head.
“I, I apologize. I dared to make a nobleman a laughing stock. Lady Serviat, I have committed a mortal sin. Please spare me!”
He knelt, admitting the accusations he had made against Rose.
The Emperor finally came to his senses. And then he realized. He had been overreacting.
Serun had also confessed to Rose about the biological experiments being conducted in the Chicagor territory.
'I never thought I would use what I heard from Serun like this.'
She was glad to have him on her side.
On the other hand, the Emperor, feeling that Rose had stopped him, bit his lower lip and swallowed.
He clenched his fist and glared fiercely at Rose.
The Emperor's smile was so frightening that it made Rose shiver, but she didn't avert her gaze.
Without taking his eyes off Rose, the Emperor commanded the knights,
"Immediately imprison him. I will not forgive anyone who insults the nobility! Make him pay dearly for his ignorance and his predicament."
Rose gulped as the servant was dragged away.
The Emperor's words, "Crawling without predicament," were clearly directed at Rose.
"S-save me! I have committed a mortal sin!"
The servant's voice faded further and further as he was dragged away by the knights.
Until now, criticism of the Serviat family had been tacitly tolerated.
The Emperor delighted in criticizing the Serviat family more than anyone else, and sometimes he would even reward those who did so with various justifications.
How could he suddenly imprison his servant?
Had the Emperor's attitude changed because Rose was destined to become the Grand Duchess?
His body froze. His rapid breathing became irregular and wheezing.
Rose, who had been merely following the man's tail, found it strangely difficult to ignore the gaze.
"Bring Duke Flice and Cedric immediately."
The Emperor, unable to conceal the rage in his voice, commanded quietly to the knight beside him.
“Why are you so angry?”
“Is that something to be so angry about?”
“You must hate that fool. She could become the Grand Duchess. She would be devastated if she lacked such common sense.”
"The imperial bloodline is intertwined with the Serviat family, of all people."
Rose's remark would have been laughable to others.
His ignorance and ineptitude would have been laughable.
However, the Emperor overreacted unnecessarily.
In an instant, his cheeks and neck flushed red. The Emperor's attitude, as if Rose's words were irritating, made the air around him freeze.
He lost his reason and looked around, agitated. Everyone was looking at him, the Emperor.
It seemed as if they were whispering about him.
He was behind the poisoning attempt.
'Your Majesty is the culprit.'
'Your Majesty killed everyone.'
'The empire is clearly in ruins.'
'You killed your wife and brother, so why can't you kill your daughter and nephew?'
The incessant hallucinations that had been emanating from the murders of the former Emperor and his wife began to resurface.
"You! What did you just say?"
The Emperor pointed a finger at one of his servants, and the servant flinched.
“Yes? Uh, you mean me?”
“Yes! I mean you! I heard everything you said!”
The servant had simply been talking about how stupid Rose was. He trembled under the Emperor’s aura and bowed his head.
“I, I apologize. I dared to make a nobleman a laughing stock. Lady Serviat, I have committed a mortal sin. Please spare me!”
He knelt, admitting the accusations he had made against Rose.
The Emperor finally came to his senses. And then he realized. He had been overreacting.
Serun had also confessed to Rose about the biological experiments being conducted in the Chicagor territory.
'I never thought I would use what I heard from Serun like this.'
She was glad to have him on her side.
On the other hand, the Emperor, feeling that Rose had stopped him, bit his lower lip and swallowed.
He clenched his fist and glared fiercely at Rose.
The Emperor's smile was so frightening that it made Rose shiver, but she didn't avert her gaze.
Without taking his eyes off Rose, the Emperor commanded the knights,
"Immediately imprison him. I will not forgive anyone who insults the nobility! Make him pay dearly for his ignorance and his predicament."
Rose gulped as the servant was dragged away.
The Emperor's words, "Crawling without predicament," were clearly directed at Rose.
"S-save me! I have committed a mortal sin!"
The servant's voice faded further and further as he was dragged away by the knights.
Until now, criticism of the Serviat family had been tacitly tolerated.
The Emperor delighted in criticizing the Serviat family more than anyone else, and sometimes he would even reward those who did so with various justifications.
How could he suddenly imprison his servant?
Had the Emperor's attitude changed because Rose was destined to become the Grand Duchess?
The Emperor, his voice thick with fury, ordered the prisoner to be locked up before turning and fleeing the scene.
Rose, who had been merely following the man's tail, found it strangely difficult to ignore the gaze.
"Bring Duke Flice and Cedric immediately."
The Emperor, unable to conceal the rage in his voice, commanded quietly to the knight beside him.
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