~Chapter 88~
Camilla tried to quickly grasp the situation.
‘How much does the Empress Dowager know?’
Who was the traitor? And how much had been exposed?
“……Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager.”
“Seize her and search her.”
Just as she was about to say anything to avoid suspicion, the Empress Dowager’s knights grabbed both of Camilla’s arms.
They roughly pulled out the bundle hidden beneath her cloak.
‘No…!’
The Empress Dowager’s eyes flashed as she took the bundle.
Inside were one syringe filled with medicine and two bottles of clear potion.
“My child, is this the potion I told you to make—the one that puts a person into a death-like state?”
Camilla swallowed dryly.
“……Yes. The two bottles are the potions for Your Majesty—the ones that induce a death-like state.”
“Ho, ho, ho. Then this remaining syringe must be the antidote you intended to offer to His Majesty the Emperor.”
‘She even knows about the antidote.’
“Your Majesty, please listen to me.”
“What is there to hear? You brought an unauthorized person into the palace and made such things.”
The Empress Dowager lifted the syringe and held it under the moonlight. Camilla spoke calmly.
“Your Majesty. This antidote was also made for you.”
“Hmm?”
“……After coming here and learning of His Majesty’s illness, I thought Your Majesty would be pleased if I created this.”
“What did you say?”
“Is not His Majesty the Emperor your one and only grandson?”
As if she did not know that the Empress Dowager had tried to assassinate him, Camilla smiled gently.
“And you asked about that man. Kabul Everitt—he merely holds a grudge against me, a member of the Mowin family, and came to kill me.”
She gestured toward Kabul, adding that he had likely deceived the Countess into helping him.
‘Forgive me, Kabul.’
For now, survival and administering the antidote to the Emperor came first.
“This antidote is a gift for Your Majesty, who granted me the position of head of Glamis.”
‘I must get through this crisis first.’
“……Ho, ho, ho! How amusing!”
But after laughing loudly, the Empress Dowager suddenly threw the syringe to the ground.
Then she crushed it beneath her heel.
Crack!
“No!”
Kabul stared in despair.
Camilla could not hide her shock either.
“……Why…?”
“You have quite the silver tongue. But I already know why you came here. Speak, Amelia.”
Amelia stepped forward gracefully and began to explain.
“Mother informed me that this girl was secretly planning, through my mother, to administer medicine to His Majesty without Your Majesty’s knowledge.”
‘……Countess.’
It seemed the Countess had been discovered by Amelia. What a disastrous turn.
“Ho, ho! Attempting to administer unknown medicine behind my back—that is treason and betrayal!”
‘No.’
Camilla clenched her teeth.
“That was because I believed Your Majesty would be pleased—!”
“I have no need for limbs that act without my knowledge.”
The Empress Dowager tapped Camilla’s chin lightly with her fan, then turned to Meisa.
“As expected, the position of head of Glamis is far too grand for such a lowborn girl, is it not?”
Seeing Meisa grovel so pitifully, Camilla bit her lip.
But the Empress Dowager looked at Meisa with cold eyes.
“Meisa.”
“……Y-yes?”
“You were the one who gave that girl hints about the antidote, weren’t you?”
“……Y-Your Majesty?”
At the Empress Dowager’s signal, a knight seized Meisa and forced her to kneel.
“I have benefited from your help for a long time. Now that you have exhausted all useful treatments, you are no longer necessary.”
“Your Majesty!”
Meisa cried desperately, but the Empress Dowager turned her gaze to the captured group and smiled coldly.
“Well then. How shall we punish these rats?”
At that moment—
“Hraaah!”
Kabul roared like a bear, breaking free from the knights restraining him, and swung his rock-like fist.
Thud!
One knight fell to the ground.
Kabul then pulled out a tube of fireworks hidden inside his clothes and shot it into the sky.
Whiiish—Bang!
Boom!
Bang!
The silence of the imperial palace shattered as fireworks brilliantly colored the night sky.
“W-what is that?!”
“Fireworks…!”
Servants throughout the palace gasped in shock.
As the fireworks burst overhead, the Empress Dowager’s knights rushed to subdue Kabul.
Thud!
“What signal did you send?!”
“Spit! The imperial guards will come soon! I’ve made it known to all that the Grand Duchess—who should not be in this palace—is being held here!”
“Grand Duchess? That girl is the Grand Duchess?!”
The Empress Dowager’s startled gaze turned toward Camilla. Her lips twitched unpleasantly.
“……What?”
“Run, Your Highness!”
‘Run? As if I can.’
And with him revealing so openly that they were on the same side, her head began to ache.
“Knock that girl unconscious and cover her face!”
Lux, who stood beside Amelia, approached Camilla to carry out the order.
‘Should I have escaped earlier with Kabul and the Countess?’
But regret now was useless.
Still, she had prepared one safeguard.
Step.
Camilla whispered to the hooded man who stood before her.
“……Lux.”
As he raised his hand to seize her, she looked straight at him and silently shaped the words with her lips.
‘Keep our deal.’
Lux never lied about matters concerning Amelia. Since it was a promise made staking his precious lady’s safety, he would keep it.
As a blow struck the back of her neck and darkness overtook her, Camilla comforted herself with one thought—
There was still a chance.
Because the deal with Lux was—
‘To deliver the other antidote hidden in the laboratory drawer to the Emperor.’
Boom!
Bang!
“Wow, fireworks at the palace!”
“So pretty!”
Gray fireworks exploded in succession.
Hans, standing near the palace grounds, turned pale.
He hurried to Dane, who stood at the entrance of the secret passage.
“Your Grace! The signal has just gone up!”
“……I see.”
Beside him stood Eugenia, Romulus, Howin, and Dylan, all with hardened expressions.
“……Father has failed.”
Kabul had sent a note saying it would take time to deliver the sedative to the Emperor and rescue Camilla.
And now, the meaning of the fireworks signal was—
“We proceed with the second plan.”
Dane gave the order, his face dark and steady.
“As the Emperor’s direct ‘Shadow Knights,’ commence the assault on the imperial palace.”
“Yes, sir!”
“……Don’t be in pain.”
‘Mother.’
She had been the one who caused the pain, yet she was also the one who placed a damp cloth on her forehead and gently wiped her face.
That was why Camilla could never let her mother go for so long.
She could never forget the cool touch of the wet cloth against her skin, nor the cold hand brushing her cheek.
Until she awakened to her past life as Yunmira.
Flash.
Camilla opened her eyes.
She must have dozed lightly in prison, but where she woke was not a cell.
Splash—
Water poured down from the mouths of stone lions placed all around.
Cold liquid soaked her entire body—not just her forehead.
Clank.
Heavy chains bound both her wrists.
“Ugh…!”
Camilla frowned.
It felt like a massive bathhouse—except the walls rose far higher than her height, making escape impossible.
“Ho, ho, ho! You’re awake!”
From above the wall, the Empress Dowager stood proudly, looking down at her. Behind her stood Ares as an escort.
And beside Camilla—
“Y-Your Majesty! Please, spare me!”
Splash! Splash!
Meisa, also chained, screamed desperately.
The Empress Dowager smiled as if savoring the sound.
“……Where is this, Your Majesty? And where is Kabul?”
“That man has gone somewhere more suitable for him.”
“Oh? So this place suits me and my mother?”
“Yes. Those who do not know their place must be taught—even if it means drowning them.”
The Empress Dowager pointed to a massive hourglass behind her.
“When all the sand in that hourglass falls, you will drown and die.”
‘How disgustingly cruel.’
