(181) The best defense is offense (2)
Just moments ago, he had hated Victoria terribly, but seeing her walk closer, he found her somewhat lovely. Harold gazed intently at her, wanting to touch and hug her.
Victoria paid her respects to the Royal Consort Aelra and the Prince calmly and politely. The Royal Consort Aelra also smiled, pleased by Victoria's courteous demeanor.
She's a decent kid, as expected. What happened at the party must have been a mistake.
The two welcomed Victoria gently, unaware that they were being drawn into the power of blood.
“My Ladyship, I apologize for causing you trouble with my foolish actions.”
“It is all right, Princess. There must have been a reason for it. However, I think it would be best to stop worrying about Princess of the East now. Since she is set to marry the Fifth Prince, she will no longer be a problem for our plans. I will plead with His Majesty to move the Fifth Prince's wedding forward as much as possible, so please stop paying attention to the Princess of the East now.”
Victoria did not like the Royal Consort Aelra's words, which sounded like she was scolding her.
The Royal Consort Aelra knew nothing.
You think Ariana won't be a problem? The moment Ariana received the imperial decree to marry the Fifth Prince, she made very good use of that fact.
It was pathetic that the Royal Consort Aelra and the Prince were leisurely spending time together when it was uncertain how Ariana, now the Emperor's woman, might attack.
However, their strength is needed now.
Victoria suppressed her irritation and spoke in a sweet voice.
"I will take the Royal Consort's words to heart."
The Royal Consort Aelra and Harold smiled with satisfaction at the obedient answer.
"So, what brings you here today?"
“There is something I would like to ask of you. Royal Consort, would you mind arranging a meeting with His Majesty the Emperor?”
The Royal Consort Aelra and Harold narrowed their eyebrows.
Victoria spoke quickly before they could rebut.
“Ari, you know that Princess of the East collapsed after drinking poison in front of His Majesty the Emperor, don’t you?”
“I know. I couldn’t believe who dared to do such a thing. Not only His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, but also Her Imperial Majesty the Empress is furious. The one who attempted to poison the Princess of the East will face a terrible punishment.”
Victoria got goosebumps on her forearms at the Royal Consort Aelra's cold words. She realized anew just how big a crisis this situation was.
Even if it means pushing herself a little, she must properly resolve this matter.
“That is correct. I am sure that is the case. However, there is one thing that worries me. I felt that not only I but also the Third Prince might be put in a difficult position, so I came to see you.”
"You mean I'll be in a difficult situation?"
Harold, who had been listening quietly until now, opened his mouth. Victoria lowered the corners of her eyebrows and spoke pleadingly.
"The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess have been consistently drinking tea brewed from poisonous herbs all this time."
"Ah!"
“He will collapse soon. By then, even the royal doctor will realize what the problem is.”
"Poison..."
“Yes. If His Imperial Majesty were to connect the poison that harmed the Princess of the East with the poison that harmed the Crown Prince and his wife...”
"We're going to be in danger."
“Even if it turns out that the gift sent from the East was mixed with poisonous herbs by then, a few words from the Princess will be enough to change the situation. So we must act first.”
“Let’s make the first move...”
“Do you remember how I acted excessively at Marquis Materin’s party? Hitting Ariana.”
Harold frowned.
“Yeah, I remember. You went too far back then, Victoria.”
"It was for moments like this."
"What?"
“I wanted to show that I have become cruel, just as the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have. It would serve as proof that I, too, am drinking the same poison.”
Of course, it is a lie.
However, Harold believed Victoria's lie.
Victoria has just come back after eating three fox hearts. The hearts of white foxes that bewitch people. They were hard to obtain, but the effect was good.
She must meet the Emperor before this effect wears off completely.
“Harold, help me. I’ll set everything right.”
Recently, the Emperor had been troubled by various problems.
Not only did the Empress make a fuss over the imperial decree ordering Ariana to marry the Fifth Prince, but even the ministers spoke of it as an excessive measure.
He could not say that it was a decision intended to make the Eastern Lord even more loyal to the Imperial Family. He did not want anyone to find out how much he cared about the Eastern Lord.
In the midst of this, the relationship between the Crown Prince and his wife was heading toward a near-catastrophic breakdown.
It would have been fortunate if they had just screamed and argued, but whenever they met face-to-face, they ended up throwing things and even punching each other.
It felt like the sky was falling when he heard the report that the Crown Prince had slapped the pregnant Crown Princess hard on the cheek.
Everyone is keeping quiet about it for now, but if this fact becomes known to the outside world, the Crown Prince's qualifications will be called into question.
Although the Emperor still had many outstanding Princes remaining, he did not want to let the Crown Prince's position be shaken. This was not because he was the son of the Empress, but because internal strife would ensue if the Crown Prince's seat were not secure.
Amidst all the internal turmoil, Harold and Victoria's visit was nothing but a nuisance.
The Emperor asked without hiding his displeasure.
"You said you wanted to see me?"
“Yes, Your Majesty. To the Sun of the Continent...”
"Enough with the introductions. Right, what did you say you wanted to see? If you're asking for my help because of a power struggle among the women, I don't want to hear it."
“Your Majesty, the Third Prince informed me of what recently happened to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
The Emperor glared at Harold.
They are keeping quiet about the Crown Prince and Crown Princess's violent behavior to prevent it from leaking out, so to think he would blab about it to someone like Princess from the West.
He wanted to lock up Harold and Victoria without hearing any more, but the words that followed caught the Emperor's attention.
"The Third Prince suspected that the recent events within our Bronte family and what is happening to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince might be related."
“The situation that unfolded in the Bronte family?”
“Your Majesty, isn’t that very strange?”
Victoria raised her head and stared directly at the Emperor, even though he had not given permission. The moment he met those vividly shining green eyes, the Emperor felt a strange sensation.
He had only thought of Victoria as the woman who bullied her half-sister and acted violently at parties, but she had an unexpectedly cute and delicate side. Her sparkling eyes looked clever, giving him a baseless conviction that she might be able to resolve this situation well.
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess were renowned for being exceptionally benevolent and wise. To think that their personalities have changed so suddenly is astonishing. It is as if they have been swapped... Isn't it strange that not just one, but both of them have changed like this at the same time?”
“Yes, I thought the Crown Princess might be feeling a bit restless, but I simply cannot understand the Crown Prince’s behavior.”
As the Emperor's voice became gentler than before, Harold and Victoria stifled a laugh.
“We were the same, Your Majesty. My mother and I suddenly became hasty and violent, and unable to bear our anxiety, we ended up acting out. Even though we tried not to, inexplicable irritation surged within us, causing us to display a side of ourselves that we should never have shown Your Majesty last time.”
“Hmm...”
“The Third Prince remarked that the two incidents were too similar, so just in case, I investigated from various angles, and as a result...”
As Victoria reached for something from her bosom, the knights standing behind the Emperor reached for the sword hilt.
However, Victoria took out a small pouch without showing any signs of fear.
"I found this at our mansion."
As the Emperor gestured with his chin, a servant approached and took the pouch from Victoria.
The servant checked the inside of the pouch and took out a few dried leaves. They looked like medicinal herbs.
The Emperor, having examined the dry grass in the attendant's hand, narrowed his eyebrows and asked.
“What is that?”
"It is the dried leaves of a plant called Chivera."
“Chivera?”
“My doctor travels extensively and is very knowledgeable; he says that while on a trip to the eastern part of the continent, he once met a tribe that used dried Chivera leaves as medicine.”
"Medicine..."
"It is a medicine used to treat lethargy, and while it poses no problem if taken carefully according to a pharmacist's prescription, it is also a very dangerous, poisonous herb that can lead to violent tendencies, loss of reason, and ultimately death if taken in excessive amounts over the long term."
The Emperor's face contorted.
He could guess what Victoria was going to say.
Victoria clasped her hands together politely and spoke forcefully.
“Your Majesty, I discovered that poisonous herb mixed in with the Bronte family’s tea leaves. Unaware of this, I consumed it for an extended period, lost my reason, and acted violently. As soon as I discovered it, I tried to ask the tea maid, but she had already vanished.”
Tears welled up in Victoria's eyes.
“It is clear that someone harbored a grudge against our Bronte family and was plotting to commit a terrible act. However, if the attack were directed solely at our family, I would have managed to handle it somehow; but hearing that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is displaying similar tendencies makes me extremely worried...”
Victoria finished speaking without wiping the tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I just hope I'm not too late."
As if waiting for Victoria to finish speaking, the outside became noisy. The chief attendant, having opened the door to the audience chamber and rushed in, reported to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty. Her Highness the Crown Princess has collapsed, bleeding profusely.”
Watching the Emperor's face contort, Victoria barely managed to hold back her laughter.
She didn't expect this kind of effect, but as expected, heaven helps her. All the adversity she faced so far was merely a minor obstacle leading up to this very moment.
Finally, the Crown Princess, pregnant with the royal grandson, collapsed.
The Emperor will never let this matter pass quietly, even if the opponent is the East.
After looking at the Chamberlain, Chivera Leaf, and Victoria in turn, the Emperor shouted loudly.
“Lock the gates of the Imperial Palace. Until that Chivera leaf hidden inside the palace is found, no one shall enter or leave!”
Victoria also couldn't leave, so she ended up staying at the Lily Palace.
The imperial palace was noisy with people searching for Chivera leaves that might be somewhere. The same was true for the palaces where the Royal Consorts stayed, so people acting on the Emperor's orders were coming and going from the Lily Palace as well.
It was late at night that the Lily Palace became quiet.
Victoria was sitting alone in a bedroom a short distance from Empress Eila's room. Soon, Harold arrived.
“What happened? Did you find that maid?”
Harold kept a few of his own people by the Crown Prince's side besides Chloe, and Penny Hoodis, the lady-in-waiting in charge of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess's tea, was one of Harold's people.
“I heard that yesterday, after hitting her a few times, the Crown Prince apologized and gave her a vacation. She must be at her house by now.”
“Why of all people...?”
Penny Hoodis had a son, and Harold's men were holding him hostage. Penny was a woman with strong maternal instincts who would take the blame for a crime she did not commit for the sake of her son.
According to the plan, Penny should have been captured by now and had to confess, "I mixed the tea leaves from the East gift box into the tea on the orders of the East side."
“Don’t worry. I’ve discreetly informed the knights, so they will check the gift boxes brought in from the outside. If they confirm that the East’s box contains poisonous herbs, they will arrest the White family members, and as soon as the gates are closed, you just need to send someone to capture Penny.”
It was just as Harold said. There was nothing to worry about. Ariana probably didn't even know about the existence of the Chivera leaves.
"The Crown Princess lost the child in her womb. I heard it was a son."
Harold said in a good mood.
"The Emperor was furious. If the White family doesn't acknowledge it, he will torture them horribly to make them admit it."
A subtle smile appeared on Harold's lips.
Victoria seemed to know what he was thinking.
'Are you planning to show up and help Ariana while she's being tortured and in agony? You can't do that, Harold. She's going to die in agony.'
Just moments ago, he had hated Victoria terribly, but seeing her walk closer, he found her somewhat lovely. Harold gazed intently at her, wanting to touch and hug her.
Victoria paid her respects to the Royal Consort Aelra and the Prince calmly and politely. The Royal Consort Aelra also smiled, pleased by Victoria's courteous demeanor.
She's a decent kid, as expected. What happened at the party must have been a mistake.
The two welcomed Victoria gently, unaware that they were being drawn into the power of blood.
“My Ladyship, I apologize for causing you trouble with my foolish actions.”
“It is all right, Princess. There must have been a reason for it. However, I think it would be best to stop worrying about Princess of the East now. Since she is set to marry the Fifth Prince, she will no longer be a problem for our plans. I will plead with His Majesty to move the Fifth Prince's wedding forward as much as possible, so please stop paying attention to the Princess of the East now.”
Victoria did not like the Royal Consort Aelra's words, which sounded like she was scolding her.
The Royal Consort Aelra knew nothing.
You think Ariana won't be a problem? The moment Ariana received the imperial decree to marry the Fifth Prince, she made very good use of that fact.
It was pathetic that the Royal Consort Aelra and the Prince were leisurely spending time together when it was uncertain how Ariana, now the Emperor's woman, might attack.
However, their strength is needed now.
Victoria suppressed her irritation and spoke in a sweet voice.
"I will take the Royal Consort's words to heart."
The Royal Consort Aelra and Harold smiled with satisfaction at the obedient answer.
"So, what brings you here today?"
“There is something I would like to ask of you. Royal Consort, would you mind arranging a meeting with His Majesty the Emperor?”
The Royal Consort Aelra and Harold narrowed their eyebrows.
Victoria spoke quickly before they could rebut.
“Ari, you know that Princess of the East collapsed after drinking poison in front of His Majesty the Emperor, don’t you?”
“I know. I couldn’t believe who dared to do such a thing. Not only His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, but also Her Imperial Majesty the Empress is furious. The one who attempted to poison the Princess of the East will face a terrible punishment.”
Victoria got goosebumps on her forearms at the Royal Consort Aelra's cold words. She realized anew just how big a crisis this situation was.
Even if it means pushing herself a little, she must properly resolve this matter.
“That is correct. I am sure that is the case. However, there is one thing that worries me. I felt that not only I but also the Third Prince might be put in a difficult position, so I came to see you.”
"You mean I'll be in a difficult situation?"
Harold, who had been listening quietly until now, opened his mouth. Victoria lowered the corners of her eyebrows and spoke pleadingly.
"The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess have been consistently drinking tea brewed from poisonous herbs all this time."
"Ah!"
“He will collapse soon. By then, even the royal doctor will realize what the problem is.”
"Poison..."
“Yes. If His Imperial Majesty were to connect the poison that harmed the Princess of the East with the poison that harmed the Crown Prince and his wife...”
"We're going to be in danger."
“Even if it turns out that the gift sent from the East was mixed with poisonous herbs by then, a few words from the Princess will be enough to change the situation. So we must act first.”
“Let’s make the first move...”
“Do you remember how I acted excessively at Marquis Materin’s party? Hitting Ariana.”
Harold frowned.
“Yeah, I remember. You went too far back then, Victoria.”
"It was for moments like this."
"What?"
“I wanted to show that I have become cruel, just as the Crown Prince and Crown Princess have. It would serve as proof that I, too, am drinking the same poison.”
Of course, it is a lie.
However, Harold believed Victoria's lie.
Victoria has just come back after eating three fox hearts. The hearts of white foxes that bewitch people. They were hard to obtain, but the effect was good.
She must meet the Emperor before this effect wears off completely.
“Harold, help me. I’ll set everything right.”
***
Recently, the Emperor had been troubled by various problems.
Not only did the Empress make a fuss over the imperial decree ordering Ariana to marry the Fifth Prince, but even the ministers spoke of it as an excessive measure.
He could not say that it was a decision intended to make the Eastern Lord even more loyal to the Imperial Family. He did not want anyone to find out how much he cared about the Eastern Lord.
In the midst of this, the relationship between the Crown Prince and his wife was heading toward a near-catastrophic breakdown.
It would have been fortunate if they had just screamed and argued, but whenever they met face-to-face, they ended up throwing things and even punching each other.
It felt like the sky was falling when he heard the report that the Crown Prince had slapped the pregnant Crown Princess hard on the cheek.
Everyone is keeping quiet about it for now, but if this fact becomes known to the outside world, the Crown Prince's qualifications will be called into question.
Although the Emperor still had many outstanding Princes remaining, he did not want to let the Crown Prince's position be shaken. This was not because he was the son of the Empress, but because internal strife would ensue if the Crown Prince's seat were not secure.
Amidst all the internal turmoil, Harold and Victoria's visit was nothing but a nuisance.
The Emperor asked without hiding his displeasure.
"You said you wanted to see me?"
“Yes, Your Majesty. To the Sun of the Continent...”
"Enough with the introductions. Right, what did you say you wanted to see? If you're asking for my help because of a power struggle among the women, I don't want to hear it."
“Your Majesty, the Third Prince informed me of what recently happened to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”
The Emperor glared at Harold.
They are keeping quiet about the Crown Prince and Crown Princess's violent behavior to prevent it from leaking out, so to think he would blab about it to someone like Princess from the West.
He wanted to lock up Harold and Victoria without hearing any more, but the words that followed caught the Emperor's attention.
"The Third Prince suspected that the recent events within our Bronte family and what is happening to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince might be related."
“The situation that unfolded in the Bronte family?”
“Your Majesty, isn’t that very strange?”
Victoria raised her head and stared directly at the Emperor, even though he had not given permission. The moment he met those vividly shining green eyes, the Emperor felt a strange sensation.
He had only thought of Victoria as the woman who bullied her half-sister and acted violently at parties, but she had an unexpectedly cute and delicate side. Her sparkling eyes looked clever, giving him a baseless conviction that she might be able to resolve this situation well.
“His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess were renowned for being exceptionally benevolent and wise. To think that their personalities have changed so suddenly is astonishing. It is as if they have been swapped... Isn't it strange that not just one, but both of them have changed like this at the same time?”
“Yes, I thought the Crown Princess might be feeling a bit restless, but I simply cannot understand the Crown Prince’s behavior.”
As the Emperor's voice became gentler than before, Harold and Victoria stifled a laugh.
“We were the same, Your Majesty. My mother and I suddenly became hasty and violent, and unable to bear our anxiety, we ended up acting out. Even though we tried not to, inexplicable irritation surged within us, causing us to display a side of ourselves that we should never have shown Your Majesty last time.”
“Hmm...”
“The Third Prince remarked that the two incidents were too similar, so just in case, I investigated from various angles, and as a result...”
As Victoria reached for something from her bosom, the knights standing behind the Emperor reached for the sword hilt.
However, Victoria took out a small pouch without showing any signs of fear.
"I found this at our mansion."
As the Emperor gestured with his chin, a servant approached and took the pouch from Victoria.
The servant checked the inside of the pouch and took out a few dried leaves. They looked like medicinal herbs.
The Emperor, having examined the dry grass in the attendant's hand, narrowed his eyebrows and asked.
“What is that?”
"It is the dried leaves of a plant called Chivera."
“Chivera?”
“My doctor travels extensively and is very knowledgeable; he says that while on a trip to the eastern part of the continent, he once met a tribe that used dried Chivera leaves as medicine.”
"Medicine..."
"It is a medicine used to treat lethargy, and while it poses no problem if taken carefully according to a pharmacist's prescription, it is also a very dangerous, poisonous herb that can lead to violent tendencies, loss of reason, and ultimately death if taken in excessive amounts over the long term."
The Emperor's face contorted.
He could guess what Victoria was going to say.
Victoria clasped her hands together politely and spoke forcefully.
“Your Majesty, I discovered that poisonous herb mixed in with the Bronte family’s tea leaves. Unaware of this, I consumed it for an extended period, lost my reason, and acted violently. As soon as I discovered it, I tried to ask the tea maid, but she had already vanished.”
Tears welled up in Victoria's eyes.
“It is clear that someone harbored a grudge against our Bronte family and was plotting to commit a terrible act. However, if the attack were directed solely at our family, I would have managed to handle it somehow; but hearing that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is displaying similar tendencies makes me extremely worried...”
Victoria finished speaking without wiping the tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I just hope I'm not too late."
As if waiting for Victoria to finish speaking, the outside became noisy. The chief attendant, having opened the door to the audience chamber and rushed in, reported to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty. Her Highness the Crown Princess has collapsed, bleeding profusely.”
Watching the Emperor's face contort, Victoria barely managed to hold back her laughter.
She didn't expect this kind of effect, but as expected, heaven helps her. All the adversity she faced so far was merely a minor obstacle leading up to this very moment.
Finally, the Crown Princess, pregnant with the royal grandson, collapsed.
The Emperor will never let this matter pass quietly, even if the opponent is the East.
After looking at the Chamberlain, Chivera Leaf, and Victoria in turn, the Emperor shouted loudly.
“Lock the gates of the Imperial Palace. Until that Chivera leaf hidden inside the palace is found, no one shall enter or leave!”
***
Victoria also couldn't leave, so she ended up staying at the Lily Palace.
The imperial palace was noisy with people searching for Chivera leaves that might be somewhere. The same was true for the palaces where the Royal Consorts stayed, so people acting on the Emperor's orders were coming and going from the Lily Palace as well.
It was late at night that the Lily Palace became quiet.
Victoria was sitting alone in a bedroom a short distance from Empress Eila's room. Soon, Harold arrived.
“What happened? Did you find that maid?”
Harold kept a few of his own people by the Crown Prince's side besides Chloe, and Penny Hoodis, the lady-in-waiting in charge of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess's tea, was one of Harold's people.
“I heard that yesterday, after hitting her a few times, the Crown Prince apologized and gave her a vacation. She must be at her house by now.”
“Why of all people...?”
Penny Hoodis had a son, and Harold's men were holding him hostage. Penny was a woman with strong maternal instincts who would take the blame for a crime she did not commit for the sake of her son.
According to the plan, Penny should have been captured by now and had to confess, "I mixed the tea leaves from the East gift box into the tea on the orders of the East side."
“Don’t worry. I’ve discreetly informed the knights, so they will check the gift boxes brought in from the outside. If they confirm that the East’s box contains poisonous herbs, they will arrest the White family members, and as soon as the gates are closed, you just need to send someone to capture Penny.”
It was just as Harold said. There was nothing to worry about. Ariana probably didn't even know about the existence of the Chivera leaves.
"The Crown Princess lost the child in her womb. I heard it was a son."
Harold said in a good mood.
"The Emperor was furious. If the White family doesn't acknowledge it, he will torture them horribly to make them admit it."
A subtle smile appeared on Harold's lips.
Victoria seemed to know what he was thinking.
'Are you planning to show up and help Ariana while she's being tortured and in agony? You can't do that, Harold. She's going to die in agony.'
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