Ā Chapter 03
The moment I shouted and then thought “oops” and bit my lip, a knight quickly reported to the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, there really is an unknown silver liquid floating in the fountain.”
“It’s not an unknown silver liquid, it’s Silver Dragon blood! When mixed with water, it gives off toxic fumes!”
I supported a woman who was barely holding onto consciousness and pointed with my chin toward the garden.
> “Those big leaves over there! Go get Erba leaves! If you crush those leaves into the contaminated water, the toxicity will be neutralized!”
The Emperor signaled with his eyes to the hesitant knight.
As if exchanging places with the knights who rushed out to pick the leaves, the maids rushed in and supported the fallen ladies.
‘So my experience dealing with the Silver Dragon with the villagers is helping this much.’
I sighed long and wiped my chest.
Every time I went to the Dragon’s Lair for three full years and repeated hitting and stabbing, people got poisoned by the blood the Silver Dragon spilled. The knowledge that Erba leaves helped purify this contamination came at the cost of many people’s deaths.
“You. Your name.”
The Emperor approached without a sound and asked for my name, startling me so much I almost hiccupped. For a moment I completely forgot even my own name, then quickly imitated the way the nobles introduced themselves at the hero’s welcome celebration.
“…Merial of Evergreen.”
“Your knowledge was very helpful.”
“You flatter me. It’s just that when dealing with the dragon with my villagers, we used this method to purify the contaminated land and waā”
“Did a Silver Dragon live in the Evergreen family’s territory?”
Realizing my mistake, I pressed my lips tightly together. The Emperor tilted his head slightly and slowly bent down to meet my eyes.
“Why is there no answer?”
Just as he began to seriously interrogate me, the knights and servants started stuffing Erba leaves into the fountains, having gathered them in their arms.
Miraculously, the effect appeared immediately.
“Your Majesty! The water is becoming clear!”
The silver liquid that had been floating on the surface like oil was instantly absorbed by the Erba leaves, turning the water clear.
As breathing became noticeably easier, gasps of admiration broke out among the people. But the Emperor’s expression had actually darkened more than before.
> ‘He’s going to be suspicious. I noticed a poison no one else knew about, and I even went and said its source was my own territoryā¦ā¦.’
Just as the Emperor, noticing my tension, twisted the corner of his mouth, the pale-faced Captain of the Imperial Guard saved me.
“Your Majesty. A report has come in that the same poison was found in the kitchen.”
At that small whisper, the Emperor snapped his head around and glared at the Captain. As he stood up, I grabbed the edge of the Emperor’s cloak.
> “You must not go.”
A colder gaze than ever before pierced me. But I held the woman I was supporting even tighter and put strength into the hand gripping his cloak.
> “It’s a trap, Your Majesty.”
I tried to persuade the Emperor with quite a bit of confidence. I had my own reasoning. Because I was supposed to get caught up in an assassination attempt targeting the heroine.
> ‘If the Emperor and the knights leave the banquet hall, only the ladies will remain. The assassination will happen then.’
Even if I was wrong, there was nothing I could do.
> ‘If he cuts my neck because I’m in his way, that’s just another way of achieving the goal of “dying,” I suppose.’
At the same time, the thought crossed my mind that I should have let the Emperor go with the knights.
‘ā¦That would have been the natural flow for me to get killed. Ah, well.’
I thought “oops,” but I couldn’t say “If you really must, then go to the kitchen” now. Wasn’t the safety of all these people more important than me dying quickly?
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I added an explanation as if it were nothing.
“I think this is a tactic to lure Your Majesty and the knights away.”
“Your basis.”
“The fact that they put only a very small amount of poison in the fountain.”
“ā¦ā¦.”
His red eyes stared at me with a strange light. I recalled the long, hard years up until cutting off the Silver Dragon’s neck and faced him.
Silver Dragon blood melted bones and flesh upon contact with the body, and when it touched water, it gave off such terrible fumes that it corroded the nose and throat.
> “Look. The damage is just a headache for Your Majesty, and a brief fainting spell for the ladies who collapsed here. They cause a shallow commotion that can be quickly cleaned up, lure Your Majesty outside the banquet hall, and then the real assassination willā”
Before I could finish, the Captain of the Imperial Guard, who had urgently reported to the Emperor, drew his sword. Starting with him, the Emperor’s guards wearing gold brooches all raised their swords at once.
“How dare you!”
“Your Majesty! We drew our swords to protect Your Majesty! We absolutely cannot allow Falkenstein to become a member of the Imperial family again!”
As if by prior agreement, everyone looked at the woman in my arms.
‘Huh? Then, judging by the situation, this woman must be the ‘Falkenstein’ I just mentioned?’
I didn’t know what had happened between the Falkenstein family and the Imperial family. I didn’t know, but judging by the situation, it seemed that this blonde beauty leaning in my arms was a lady of the Falkenstein family, and there were factions who didn’t like her receiving the Emperor’s attention.
Having sorted it out this far, I became even more certain. This person was the heroine, and she would become the Empress.
> ‘Ah, so isn’t this the perfect timing for me to die? If I die holding the heroine like this, getting killed by the Imperial Guard, raising the tension, then wouldn’t the Emperor and her properly get involved after that?’
In that case, there was only one way for me to die naturally without any other casualties. Die by getting stabbed after talking back to the person holding the sword.
Since I’d already said everything I needed to say before dying, it would be good if I could even clear up the misunderstanding between the knights and the Emperor.
“Step aside. Hand over Falkenstein’s daughter.”
The tip of the Imperial Guard’s sword, demanding the woman, pointed at me. I shook my head, still holding the woman who couldn’t steady herself tightly.
> “This is not loyalty to Your Majesty.”
“What?”
> “You are being used. Someone who wants to damage Your Majesty’s authority has created this situation by exploiting the knights’ loyalty.”
“What do you mean?”
> “A situation where Your Majesty’s Imperial Guard points swords at an Empress candidate without Your Majesty’s permission. Is there any better way to damage the Imperial family’s authority than this?”
The knights surrounding me shifted their necks.
“All the nobles in this banquet hall are watching this scene right now. ‘The Emperor’s Imperial Guard, fearing the Falkenstein family, drew their swords in a gathering of noble ladies.’ ā¦ā¦Is that the kind of rumor you want spreading?”
The Captain of the Imperial Guard’s face grew darker.
> “Your Majesty. Before blaming or punishing these people, finding the real culprit is the priority. Finding out who approached the knights and instigated them, who put poison in the fountain ā that should come first.”
I looked into the eyes of each knight, one by one, and continued speaking. Thinking that my death here alone would be enough.
> “Your Majesty. Please give the order. Only when Your Majesty speaks can we find out who stirred up your loyal subjects.”
Pointing a sword at an honored guest without the ruler’s command was a grave sin, one of the gravest. I looked over the countless sword tips pointed at me, superimposing the faces of the villagers, and held a small wish.
I wished that my villagers were living without being pushed around by others anymore. Just as I was trying to save these knights from a wrong choice, I hoped someone had protected my villagers.
“Are you all not entertained?”
Breaking the terrifying silence, the Emperor asked quietly. No one dared to answer that vague, endless question; they only glanced at each other.
“I prepared an unprecedented entertainment, thinking the selection ball was boring and dull. But no one is laughing. I am very disappointed.”
The Captain of the Imperial Guard took a breath and looked back at the Emperor over his shoulder. The Emperor, standing without changing his expression, his red eyes gleaming dangerously, called his loyal subject.
“Captain of the Imperial Guard.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.”
“This is entirely your fault. The excitement was lacking, and the tension wasn’t enough either.”
“ā¦ā¦.”
“The crime of failing to give our honored guests a good laugh will be dealt with severely. That failed play has gone on long enough, so sheathe your swords and return to your posts.”
The Imperial Guards all sheathed their swords at once. The Captain of the Imperial Guard, catching his breath, knelt with a trembling voice.
“Your Majesty!”
“I said return to your posts. I did not tell you to kneel.”
The Emperor, coldly passing by the moved Captain, approached me and gracefully spread his hands toward the guests.
“I myself apologize to you all. I will prepare more interesting entertainment next time, so please look forward to the next ball.”
The Emperor, having come close, signaled to an attendant. An attendant who flew over quickly took the woman I was holding and handed her over to the maids.
> ‘Everyone’s relieved, right? Now, if that Emperor executes me for being rude, it’ll be over, right?’
I wiped my chest inwardly and watched the Emperor’s reaction.
“Did you say Merial of Evergreen?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Thanks to your impudent arrogance, I saved face. Neither my authority was damaged, nor did I end up owing the Falkenstein family anything. Rather, I might even be packaged as a wiser and fairer leader.”
Is this guy crazy? He’s actually saying that out loud.
I mumbled the curse I couldn’t say out loud inwardly and bowed my head deeper.
“Merial von Evergreen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Send a letter to the head of your household. Tell them a wedding will take place soon, so they should attend with the proper courtesy befitting the bride’s family.”
I couldn’t understand the Emperor’s order, so I just blinked.
This was strange. I was supposed to die.
> “Do you understand? From today, from this moment on, you are my Empress.”
Why did things turn out like this?
