MHC 39

Chapter 39

After the series of incidents was settled, Lia was able to return to her daily life. However, something still did not feel right.

Just like in the tiara incident before, she felt that Freya might have been involved again.

With that thought, Lia decided to go see Freya once.

Even if she did not directly ask her about the incident, she might still gain something related to it.

When Kartian heard that Lia was going to visit Freya, he hurried to see her.

Lia looked displeased when she saw him.

“You’re going to see Freya?”

“I didn’t make any announcement. How did you know?”

“Well…”

Kartian hesitated.

After the previous incident between Lia and the maids, Kartian had ordered someone to report everything about Lia to him. He wanted to help her, even in that way. So that he could solve problems for her without her having to step forward.

But he hesitated to say it out loud.

He worried she might feel offended and think he was trying to spy on her. Especially since that intention was not completely absent. More than that, he wanted to protect her.

“It’s fine. But I must have authority over them. They should follow my words more than Yours.”

From the moment Kartian hesitated, Lia had already guessed that he had placed people around her.

She could understand why he did it, so she did not intend to argue about it.

However, aside from that, knowing that all her actions were being reported to someone else did not feel good. So at the very least, she needed control over them.

Saying that they should obey the Empress more than the Emperor might sound like a challenge to imperial authority, even rude. But she did not want to take back her words.

Especially since there might be things she would need to do without the Emperor knowing.

For example, asking to be deposed in the future. Or finding a way to return to her original world.

“…All right. But if something bad happens to you, please don’t hide that from me.”

“That’s fine.”

That much was not difficult. If she had something to hide, it would be something else.

Still, he was sharp. He seemed to realize that her words meant she might want to hide something.

At her easy answer, Kartian finally let out a sigh of relief.

He had been quite tense, unsure how she would react.

“But Lia…”

Did he still have something to say? Lia looked at him as if telling him to go on.

“Why are you meeting Freya?”

Kartian asked without hiding that he disliked the idea.

“There’s something I want to confirm.”

Kartian’s expression became complicated. For whatever reason, he did not like her meeting Freya. Freya was not someone pleasant to Lia, and he worried that Freya might try something.

But he could not bring himself to tell her not to go.

“Then I’ll be going.”

Lia could guess what he wanted to say, but she pretended not to notice.

She understood what he was worried about, but she would not be going alone, so it should be fine.

Things were different now.

No matter what Freya tried, she had no intention of quietly accepting it.

Ignoring the way Kartian seemed to want to hold her back, Lia walked away.

Baron, who had been standing beside her, bowed to Kartian and followed her.

“Protect her. Make sure she never suffers anything bad,” Kartian whispered into Baron’s ear as he passed.

Baron nodded firmly, as if promising he would do exactly that.

With Baron accompanying her, Lia arrived in front of Freya’s room.

Compared to the room Freya had before, this one was clearly of a much lower standard.

Aside from basic furniture, there was nothing inside. It looked like a maid’s room. Even the furniture was plain, without any luxury.

But Lia did not feel pity.

Even though Freya had not directly done anything to her, Lia knew Freya was not as kind as she seemed.

She did think Kartian’s treatment of Freya was excessive, but it was not her place to interfere.

If she wanted to take sides, she could. But she chose not to, because she did not know Freya’s true intentions.

“I greet the flower of the Empire, Her Majesty the Empress.”

Freya had always worn splendid dresses.

But she had lost all of that. Wearing a simple dress, Freya bowed with a fragile appearance.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve spoken alone. I think this is the first time I’ve come to your room.”

Lia had never been close to Freya, so there had been no reason to visit her before.

“Yes.”

Freya, looking much thinner than before, answered weakly. She carefully looked at Lia.

Meeting her gaze, Lia examined her closely.

If her suspicion was wrong, she was willing to apologize. But if not, she would make her pay.

In truth, she had not intended to interfere with the original story so seriously. The relationship between Freya and the Empress was something the original owner should have dealt with.

Freya was different from the other maids or noble ladies.

Especially since Freya had an important role in the original novel.

Looking at her, Lia hesitated.

She had come to see her, but she did not know how to begin.

She planned to avoid direct questions. The clearer her intention, the harder it would be to get the answer she wanted.

But there was almost nothing she could naturally talk about with Freya. The original Empress might have mocked her situation, but Lia would not.

Instead, Freya spoke first.

“Is your… health all right?”

Even though Freya was confined to her room, she was not unaware of what was happening in the palace.

Especially when it concerned the Empress.

For a while, there had even been suspicion of poisoning. And some had suspected Freya.

Of course, the maids who had once favored Freya insisted she would never do such a thing, and the suspicion faded.

Even though people in the palace had changed their opinion about Lia, that did not mean their opinion about Freya had changed. Only their view of Lia had.

“Fortunately.”

Perhaps the medicine from the physician was working. The hives that had covered her face and body had mostly disappeared.

“An allergy… It could have been very dangerous.”

“Yes.”

Allergies could range from mild to very serious.

Lia nodded calmly.

“Who would have known? That something like that would be in the cookies you ate.”

Freya continued carefully, as if truly worried.

“It was also my fault for eating them without knowing.”

“But that doesn’t erase the young lady’s fault.”

“Does it?”

“Of course. If it was food meant for Your Majesty, she should have been careful. To put walnuts in the cookies.”

Lia, who had been speaking casually, suddenly stiffened at those last words.

Just now—

Her sharp gaze turned to Freya.

Freya knew about her allergy. No matter how she had found out.

That fact held many meanings.

Freya might not have realized the consequences of her words, speaking carelessly. But in this situation, that sentence only increased Lia’s suspicion.

She had already suspected Freya’s involvement.

Still, she had gained something.

She now knew the cause of her allergy.

Thinking back, walnuts had indeed been among the ingredients the cook mentioned. And the cookies she had eaten before in the palace had never contained walnuts.

The problem was that even if Freya knew about her allergy, that alone was not proof she was guilty.

Unless they could prove Freya had directly sent a letter or given instructions to the Marquis’s daughter.

Lia did not react to Freya’s last remark. She let it pass naturally.

She did not ask how Freya knew.

Now that she had a clue that Freya might be involved, she had no intention of letting it go.

But there was no need to alert Freya by provoking her.

When someone was careless, that was the best time to plan.

“And congratulations.”

“Hmm?”

Lia frowned slightly, not understanding.

“Tomorrow, you will share a night with His Majesty.”

Freya forced a smile, hiding her bitterness as she spoke.

At those words, something crossed Lia’s mind.

Putting aside Freya congratulating her on something she did not welcome, she seemed to understand why Freya might have planned such a thing at this time.

There was no solid proof that Freya was involved. But if her guess was right, the reason was that night.

It had seemed strange.

Why put something in the cookies that would cause an allergic reaction?

What could she gain?

It seemed she wanted to prevent Lia and Kartian from sharing a night together.

It was hard to call it simple jealousy. It was also unclear whether she intended to truly harm Lia.

Perhaps she only wanted to ruin Lia’s appearance with the allergic reaction so the Emperor would not want to spend the night with her.

Honestly, after seeing her face in the mirror, even Lia herself had thought it looked terrible.

With a face like that, it would not be strange if someone did not feel like sharing a night.

After that conversation, Lia left Freya’s room.

She had gained everything she needed.

There was no reason to talk more.