Episode 117
How could he possibly express the joy he had felt upon hearing those words?
Perhaps because she believed she had overcome her fate of death, she grew increasingly vibrant and lovely.
For a while, things were complicated due to her brother’s affairs, but the harsh storms had now passed.
‘Although the Grand Duke and that Ernie fellow are still annoyingly hovering around Louise…’
He could get rid of those wretches in an instant if he so wished.
The only reason Ren had left them alone until now was because of his promise to Louise.
So, once his Master awoke, everything would be perfect.
“Hoo……”
Ren took a deep breath and looked down at his Master.
His resolve was firm, yet his outstretched fingertips trembled with an inexplicable anxiety.
A fortnight later.
Ren, who had stepped out of the infirmary for the first time in a while, froze in shock upon hearing the news from the Imperial City.
“What did you say?”
The Chief wizard delivered the unwanted news, his shoulders shaking with fear.
“His Imperial Majesty has designated the seventh day of next month for the national wedding. The marriage between Grand Duke Babenberg… and Her Highness the Third Princess.”
It was one of those moments where the idiom ‘being left speechless’ felt utterly inadequate to describe Ren’s feelings.
‘Louise, how could you…?’
However, ever since that day he had hastily cut off communication with her, Ren had, in fact, avoided her attempts to contact him a few times.
It was because that damned nightmare kept repeating.
‘It felt so real…’
To the point where he even began to worry that it might be true.
‘…But that’s impossible.’
Suddenly, he recalled what the Grand Duke had said to him on the day he left Edessa.
“And you, have you ever spent a night with Louise? Even if you have, are you so sure it was real?”
What basis did he have for saying that back then?
Looking back, his tone had almost seemed to anticipate that Ren would have such nightmares.
“I’ve heard the Magic Tower has many excellent mind-altering magical drugs. I wonder if you’ve ever experienced any of them personally…?”
It was absurd.
A sophistry not even worth entertaining.
Len Daphte was the head of the Empire’s Magic Tower.
There was not a single reason, nor any need, for him to have experienced the Tower’s drugs himself.
Ren firmly believed this, yet the recurring nightmares had weakened his resolve.
Another outrageous assumption surfaced in his mind.
‘What if someone secretly drugged me…?’
While he believed it impossible, he eventually found himself casually asking the pharmacist who had come to his Master’s room.
“Those drugs that can affect memory, what are they again?”
The pharmacist, though puzzled, listed several drugs, their uses, and characteristics.
Then, he inquired respectfully.
“Might you need any of those drugs, sir?”
“Bring them all.”
At Ren’s words, the pharmacist looked at Moghold on the sickbed with startled eyes.
“Lord of the Tower, you aren’t planning to use them on Sir Moghold, are you?”
Ren retorted, flabbergasted.
“What kind of insane talk is that? I’m just curious. If I said bring them, then just bring them.”
Before rushing to Babenberg to confront them about this vile scheme, he needed certainty.
Proof that he had never ingested any such drug, even by accident, and was therefore, of course, in his right mind.
It took Gideon several weeks to visit the Sebitol Monastery again.
Having been reduced to penury, he must have been busy moving around, scrimping even on sleep, but for Cyril, trapped and waiting in the monastery, it felt like an eternity, her anxiety wearing her down.
“You’re here, Uncle?”
Cyril felt a sense of relief seeing the pouch he held out.
But Gideon hadn’t brought just money.
Cyril nearly fainted upon hearing the thunderous news from the capital.
“What? The Imperial Family announced a national wedding with Babenberg? Are you sure?”
When she had sent three letters complaining about her impoverished situation at the monastery, they were all ignored.
It seemed the Grand Duke had been busy preparing for his marriage to Louise.
Well, the Grand Duke had paid attention to Louise even when she was the Imperial Family’s unwanted child; now that she was the Emperor’s only full-blooded sister, he had even less reason to hesitate.
Whether he knew Cyryil’s heart was breaking or not, Gideon coldly continued.
“That’s not all. Given the rush, that rumor might be true as well.”
“…What rumor?”
She wished she hadn’t asked.
Cyril felt her heart shatter at her uncle’s next words.
“I heard a rumor among the commoners when I went to the Duchy trying to secure funds. I thought it was just nonsense at the time. They said during the last Babenberg New Year’s festival, the Grand Duke officially attended events with a heavily pregnant woman, personally attending to her.”
“So… you’re saying it seems to be true?”
After asking, Cyril bit her lip hard.
Gideon continued nonchalantly.
“If not, why on earth would they prepare and rush through a national wedding in just a month or two? Moreover, I hear the wedding ceremony itself will be held in Babenberg?”
“…The wedding in Babenberg? It’s not even midsummer, and His Majesty has never been fond of Babenberg’s climate… Is that also just a rumor you heard?”
Gideon replied stiffly, as if offended by Cyril’s doubt.
“Losing my title and assets doesn’t mean I’ve lost all my connections.”
In truth, he had been busy getting turned away by everyone, but Gideon boasted loudly.
If he couldn’t secure Chirilla as an ally today, it was all over.
Although he pretended to be concerned about his sister in front of Cyril, it wasn’t his true feeling.
Now that his trusted sister had lost her mind, all Gideon needed was Cyril’s money and rage.
That was the only means to get even a slight revenge on the Emperor who had taken everything from him.
The Emperor’s timely declaration of the national wedding provided Gideon with the perfect pretext.
It was just the thing to stir simple Cyril’s fury.
“And do you think I’d speak carelessly based on mere rumors? Timore isn’t far from Edessa. Even you didn’t recognize me, so who in Edessa would worry about recognizing me?”
Cyril asked very slowly.
“You mean… you saw it yourself?”
Gideon nodded.
“I didn’t see the baby directly, but it’s certain it’s already born. I overheard the hired help gossiping carelessly. The brown-haired maid who shadows Princess Louise everywhere was there too.”
Cyril gasped for breath.
She remembered a year ago, after even the graduation banquet had ended, how Louise had stubbornly remained in the Academy dormitory with Karl.
Back then, Hart had upset Cyril’s by saying Grand Duke Callisteon intended to propose to Louise.
Cyril had tried every trick to separate Louise from Callisteon, but the girl had luckily escaped every single trap.
‘That low-born wretch actually entered the Grand Duke’s bedchamber without even a betrothal?’
Carrying imperial blood, yet behaving as dirtily and shamelessly as some common market ruffian!
It seemed she took after her vulgar mother in more than just looks!
‘Just like her mother, a pauper who seduced the Emperor and entered the Imperial Palace!’
That brazen girl had then taken to her bed, using illness as a pretext, even receiving get-well visits!
“Aah…!”
Cyril suddenly screamed and thrashed, causing a teacup on the reception table to roll off and shatter with a loud crash.
—CRASH!
As a maid startled and moved to approach, Gideon hastily gestured to Cyrilah.
“We can’t do anything if we attract suspicion!”
At the hushed reprimand, Cyril flinched.
“Attract suspicion? And if we don’t, what exactly can I do from here?”
Gideon shooed the maid away and began clearing the broken pieces himself, clicking his tongue inwardly.
It was no secret for just a day or two that the Grand Duke of Babenberg had purely and devotedly cared only for Princess Louise.
Probably every noble in the Empire knew it.
Yet, she still harbored some vain hope, reacting even more dramatically to the news of Louise’s pregnancy than she had upon hearing about her own mother’s illness.
But with his sister gone mad and Hart dead, Cyril was Gideon’s only chess piece.
Unlike him, she had connections to the Grand Duke and the Princess.
Gideon gave a meaningful glance at the pouch of gold coins on the table.
“Chirilla. This money might seem paltry to you, but for commoners, this amount can change their lives.”
Cyril seemed to calm down a little and listened intently as Gideon continued his explanation.
“Of course, it would be best to procure magical drugs for a complete deception, but after the last kidnapping incident, the wizards are too vigilant for that. However, creating a brief opening to escape… that should be possible.”
