Episode 96
Naturally, the Emperor immediately thought of the Empress.
Just the day before, she had come to him demanding that he investigate the Star Palace servants to extract the testimony she wanted.
But he couldn’t reveal that straightforwardly in front of Rurik.
‘As she said, we’ve been in the same boat since long ago.’
Since that time when he placed the demon sword in the young Rurik’s hand.
The Emperor forced a smile.
“There must be some misunderstanding. Someone must have made a mistake.”
At that habitual excuse, Rurik’s red eyes gleamed with a fierce light.
“How can everything be just a misunderstanding or a mistake?”
Rurik recited slowly.
“Giving the demon sword to me as a child was a mistake. Your desire for a new expedition was a misunderstanding. Trying to push the demon sword back onto me was a misunderstanding. The Duke of Damiani kidnapping Louise was also a mistake.”
His gaze looking up at his father now held no trace of loyalty or obedience.
“And now the Imperial Guard has arrested the Head Maid of my palace. Is that another mistake?”
Flustered, the Emperor spoke sternly instead of placating his son.
“Not even a week has passed since your brother’s funeral ended. You should try to understand that the Empress is sensitive.”
Rurik retorted coldly.
“Even when she suspects me at every turn, tries to pin false charges on me, and persecutes my subordinates along with me, should I still say nothing?”
“Rurik…”
The Emperor gripped his shoulders.
“You are now my only son. The sole successor. An Emperor must be magnanimous, must he not…”
“I,” the crimson eyes glared at the Emperor, “will not become an Emperor who cannot even protect his own people. And of course, I will not do something like saddling my own child with the evil spirit of a demon sword.”
“Rurik, back then, I… no, we…”
Rurik bowed without even hearing the Emperor’s full excuse.
“Then, I will go elsewhere to continue searching for my subordinate.”
It was a rude act, but the Emperor could not stop him.
In truth, it was because he lacked the confidence to complete the false document from earlier with any integrity.
At the same time, in the underground prison.
Several members of the Imperial Guard knelt before the Head Maid, who was seated on a chair, looking up at her helplessly.
“Our apologies, Head Maid. Her Majesty the Empress will be coming to see you shortly, and… we need there to be some signs that you’ve endured hardship…”
In truth, the Imperial Guard was already under Rurik’s control.
Moreover, since stimulating the Empress through the First Princess had also been Helena’s clever plan, Rurik had naturally been able to prepare for the subsequent events.
‘With the First Prince dead, even a stray dog could guess who the next Emperor will be.’
No matter how much the Star Palace was the dark underbelly of power, the Head Maid in charge couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.
Head Maid Paula was, of course, frightened by the grim appearance of the prison.
But if the Prince she had served for half her life was finally attempting to seize power, she too had to muster whatever courage she lacked and assist him.
She, more than anyone, knew how much he had sacrificed for this Empire and the Imperial family.
“What must I do? His Highness the Prince promised to get me out safely, so I will trust him and do what is necessary for him.”
The Guard had deliberately sent down some of its youngest members for this task, especially those who had frequented the Star Palace, worried that sending burly, rough-looking men might frighten the Head Maid. This consideration, however, meant that young, inexperienced guardsmen were saddled with an overwhelmingly difficult task.
“I-if it’s alright…” they stammered.
The Head Maid of the Castle is the highest position among female employees.
While not outranking the Guard in terms of official position, her age and experience easily overshadowed that of the young guardsmen.
The guardsman, intimidated by the Head Maid, hesitantly suggested,
“W-we need to… make your clothes a bit dirty… and get some soot on you…”
The Head Maid, usually a symbol of propriety and cleanliness, let out a soft laugh and swept up soot from the floor with both palms.
Then she smeared it messily over her face and her pristine white apron.
As the guardsmen watched uneasily, she crumpled her apron and said,
“How about… tearing it a little?”
“…Y-yes?”
The guardsman was quite taken aback but ultimately drew his longsword and carefully tore the apron, ensuring the Head Maid wasn’t hurt.
Paula now actively took off her headscarf and messed up her hair.
The guardsman thought he would never see the Head Maid like this again in his lifetime, and hoped he never would.
“You must be cold, we’re… truly, truly sorry.”
As one of the members sprinkled water on her face to wet it, the Head Maid now took on an appearance similar to someone who had been tortured and was sweating cold sweat.
Even in that state, she joked for the benefit of the flustered guardsmen.
“How is it? Do I look pitiful enough to invent and confess to things that never happened if you just tap me?”
Of course, the Guard could not answer and merely bowed their heads deeply.
Soon, the iron door closed.
After the sound of multiple footsteps faded, the Empress appeared, her face contorted in a deep frown.
“She still refuses to confess?”
The Captain of the Guard had appeared outside the cell bars.
He bowed his head deeply and replied,
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
“Open it.”
At the Empress’s command, the iron door clanged open.
The Empress personally bent down, picked up a water basin from the doorway, and splashed its contents over the Head Maid.
Paula, who had been pretending to be unconscious leaning against the chair, suddenly straightened her head as if snapping awake.
The Empress said coldly,
“While my own flesh and blood, the Crown Prince, suffered because of the demon sword, hiding the Saint away in the Star Palace is no different from treason.”
At the time, the Crown Prince had already been deposed, making the statement invalid.
Paula wanted to point that out but bit her tongue and replied,
“I don’t understand… what you are talking about.”
The Empress sneered sharply.
“There is a witness who says you spoke about a maid named ‘Helena’ at a confession group.”
Paula answered with trembling lips.
“I know every single maid in the Star Palace without exception. That is my duty. However, there is no one named ‘Helena’ among them…”
The Empress threw the empty basin at the Head Maid’s face.
The brass bowl hit her with a thwack and clattered noisily as it rolled on the floor.
“Do you think just because my son is dead and there’s no evidence, your impudent crimes will be hidden?!”
The Empress commanded the Guard.
“Do not let her sleep or eat until this one confesses the truth properly!”
After the Empress stormed out, the door slammed shut with a bang.
However, the heavy door was hurriedly opened again not long after.
A young guardsman dropped to his knees, lowering his posture to peer at the Head Maid’s face.
“Are you alright? I’ll have the maids bring a change of clothes and medicine.”
Paula, her forehead red and swollen, nodded and asked,
“How was it? Was my acting passable?”
The guardsman furrowed his brow.
“Acting? You were genuinely hurt, please don’t say that. Please wait just a little longer.”
Paula said to the guardsman who was hurriedly trying to leave the prison,
“Do not relay unnecessary words to His Highness the Prince. So that His Highness need not worry about trivial matters and can see his task through to the end… Understand?”
The guardsman nodded firmly and withdrew.
Paula wiped her wet face and hair with a dry towel handed to her by the remaining guard and thought,
‘I could take a basin to the forehead a hundred times over.’
She recalled the young Prince Rurik, who had been dragged off to the battlefield when he was just twelve.
Even as he forcibly pried the crying, clinging Princess Louise from her brother, he himself did not cry.
Perhaps because of that, Paula didn’t want to make a fuss.
‘The Imperial family must repay Prince Rurik.’
That was the justice she wanted to see in this place, and the reason she endured this unreasonable humiliation.
A few days after sending the rocking chairs to the Magic Tower, a reply came from Len.
Along with an apology saying that Moghold’s condition hadn’t improved as much as hoped, preventing him from leaving the Magic Tower immediately, the letter stated that he would commission production-line mages to begin furniture manufacturing.
After reading Len’s worried letter, I quietly took out the diary.
It was time for the diary entry about the day Moghold promised to read the stars for her.
