Chapter 111
The maid hesitated before continuing.
“Right now the Chief Chamberlain is outside. He says we must escort Her Majesty the Empress to His Majesty the Emperor immediately.”
“……”
The Empress remained silent, pressing her palm against her forehead as if she had a headache.
“Your Majesty…”
“I understand. Tell him to wait a moment.”
After answering the maid who was anxiously fidgeting, she looked at me.
Her gaze was still sharp, but the hostility in it had softened compared to before.
“It seems I’ve been struck quite badly, though I’m not yet sure exactly how the situation has unfolded.”
Her tone was unexpectedly calm.
“Idel Wallace, I underestimated you and the Second Prince far too much.”
“You flatter me, Your Majesty.”
“No. In truth, I had to underestimate you. Otherwise, neither Mikhail nor I would have had any hope.”
“…Your Majesty?”
After a long pause, the Empress spoke with difficulty.
“Later, I will invite you to the Empress’s Palace. Would you come visit? I wish to formally apologize for the wrong I committed.”
An apology?
“Of course, I understand that something as small as an apology cannot ease your feelings after what I’ve done. But still… I want to apologize.”
I was surprised. Regardless of whether the Empress was a good person or a villain, someone who had climbed to such a high position rarely chose to bow their head.
Especially to someone they had been looking down on and treating as an enemy just moments ago.
“Your Majesty, how could you apologize to a woman like her—!”
“Please withdraw those words.”
Just by looking at the shocked expressions of the maids witnessing their mistress apologizing, it was clear how unusual this was.
“Silence! How dare you speak so rudely to my guest!”
The Empress rebuked the maids sharply before turning back to me.
“Please do not take it to heart. Their loyalty to me simply caused them to act improperly.”
“It’s fine. I won’t dwell on it.”
“Even so, they must apologize. Come now—apologize at once!”
The Empress spoke sternly to the hesitant maids.
“W-we’re sorry.”
“Please forgive us.”
As the maids bowed their heads to me with flushed faces, I couldn’t help but admire the Empress a little.
As expected of the Empress. She hasn’t ruled the nation carelessly all these years.
Receiving an apology now didn’t make me like someone who had tried to steal my mine, but credit should be given where it’s due.
Enduring humiliation and instantly changing one’s attitude to become humble—that too was a skill.
Many people in high positions suffered losses because they couldn’t bow their heads when they should have.
It also meant the Empress’s situation was bad enough that she had to bow to me.
I calmly analyzed her current circumstances.
A son she cannot control. A husband who is gradually losing trust in that son. An illegitimate child who is beginning to stand out. A strained relationship with her natal family because of her son defending Cassius…
And now that Mikhail had been stripped of his position, Terrence had connected the imperial family with an ultra-high-grade magic stone mine.
It was natural that the Empress would feel impatient.
That impatience had driven her to make the reckless move of trying to seize the mine.
I also began to understand why she had pushed me so aggressively earlier.
“Surely you don’t think the Imperial Knights will protect your mine?”
“Ah, are you perhaps trusting that contract you signed with the Second Prince?”
Those words that had seemed meant to break my will were actually meant to convince herself.
Because even she had felt uneasy about such a reckless plan.
The Empress cautiously studied my expression.
“Why? Do you refuse to even accept my apology?”
“Your Majesty, there is one thing I would like to ask.”
After a brief pause, I spoke.
“If accepting Your Majesty’s apology means providing the magic stones from my mine to the House of Birod, then I cannot accept that apology.”
The Empress inhaled sharply and closed her eyes.
“…I see. Is there truly no way?”
As expected, the main reason the Empress had bowed to me was her natal family—the House of Birod.
The Empress’s father, Duke Birod, had once been Mikhail’s strongest supporter. But ever since his grandson supported Cassius, he had shown a lukewarm attitude.
He still supported Mikhail, but from a distance.
Even sending private soldiers to the mine this time had been an extraordinary show of support.
But look at the result.
Now the Emperor had summoned even Duke Birod to the palace.
The glory the Birod family had long enjoyed might end here.
So the opportunity for the family to rise again lies in high-grade magic stones, is that it?
Now that I thought about it, magic stones were essential to the artifact business Duke Birod had recently entered to revive the declining family.
The better the quality of the magic stones, the more powerful the artifacts created from them.
The Empress felt guilty toward her family because of Mikhail—that was why she was apologizing so readily to me.
Being caught between her son and her natal family must make things very complicated for her.
Though it wasn’t my problem.
“I’m not kind enough to give magic stones to someone who tried to steal my property.”
“……”
“And I have no desire to accept an apology that carries ulterior motives.”
“I know! I know that perfectly well!”
The Empress slammed the table.
“Even so, please help our family just this once! We’ll pay a higher price than anyone else!”
“Your Majesty, please calm yourself.”
“My wrong judgment has put my family in danger—how could I possibly stay calm—”
“For now, I have no intention of selling magic stones to Birod. But that doesn’t mean I never will.”
“What?”
“I prefer practical benefits over apologies with hidden intentions.”
The Empress’s eyes changed.
“What is it? If it’s something I can give, I’ll do my utmost.”
I smiled faintly.
“I will tell you when the time comes.”
I didn’t like the Empress or the House of Birod, but turning them into enemies wasn’t necessarily wise.
When cornered, people can do anything.
With Riena constantly trying to trip me up, making more enemies would only make things worse.
And if I could bring them to my side, I had a feeling they would prove useful someday.
Just then, the Chief Chamberlain spoke from outside.
“Your Majesty the Empress, you must leave now.”
Too much time had passed. The Empress quickly stood up and spoke to me.
“I don’t know when that time will be, but when it comes, you must tell me. I ask this of you.”
“Yes, of course.”
“I will hold you to that.”
The Empress left her chambers, and since I also had to return to the annex palace, I followed behind her.
“Your Majesty the Empress!”
But in the corridor of the Empress’s Palace, an unexpected person approached her.
“What is it, Duchess Luciano?”
It was the beautiful Duchess Luciano, with her striking black hair.
“Must we always have a specific reason to meet?”
“I’m sorry, but we must talk another time. His Majesty the Emperor has summoned me.”
“Oh my, my brother?”
The Duchess Luciano was the Emperor’s younger sister—a former imperial princess.
That was why the Empress spoke to her politely.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Just a moment, Your Majesty! I have a gift for you. Please accept this.”
“What is it?”
The Empress seemed ready to accept the gift quickly and leave, but the Duchess waved toward another direction.
“It’s fine, come over here!”
Then someone timidly stepped out from around the corridor corner.
“…Riena Cassius greets Her Majesty the Empress. Glory to Asteroth.”
It was Riena, holding a gift bundle.
“What are you doing here?”
The Empress’s expression immediately hardened.
“If Mikhail brought you into the palace, you should stay quietly inside the Crown Prince’s palace! How dare you step foot here!”
At the Empress’s shout, Riena trembled as if frightened.
“I—I only wished to give something to Your Majesty…”
“Your Majesty, really! Why treat our Lady Riena like that?”
The Duchess Luciano hugged Riena protectively.
“She’s as cute as a little baby rabbit! What could she possibly have done wrong?”
Duchess Luciano was one of Riena’s most enthusiastic supporters.
With her sister-in-law acting like that, the Empress could say no more and tried to continue on her way.
“Y-Your Majesty.”
Until Riena held out the gift bundle.
“I understand that you dislike me. But could you please accept just this?”
Riena said shyly, her cheeks slightly flushed.
“They’re socks I knitted little by little. I heard Your Majesty suffers from cold hands and feet, even in seasons like this. My skills aren’t great, but please…”
At those words, Duchess Luciano gasped dramatically.
“My goodness! Socks knitted by Lady Riena herself! I’m so jealous! I want some too! Why didn’t you give me any? I’m hurt!”
It was such tactless jealousy.
She even urged the Empress.
“Your Majesty, please accept them quickly. Lady Riena’s arms must be getting tired.”
“I don’t need them.”
The Empress frowned and tried to refuse, but Riena pleaded desperately.
“If you accept just this! While I’m in the imperial palace, I promise I’ll never appear before you again! Please? You can even throw them away afterward—just accept them!”
“……”
But this time the Empress, who seemed ready to reject her coldly again, hesitated.
“Your Majesty, we are out of time,” the Chief Chamberlain urged.
“…Very well.”
The Empress’s hand slowly reached toward the gift bundle. Her fingertips trembled slightly.
“I’ll accept it. Now disappear from my sight.”
She spoke firmly, yet her face was strangely full of confusion.
To me, it looked as though she truly didn’t want the gift but was forcing herself to take it.
“Thank you!”
Riena brightened.
At that moment, the divine beast’s voice sounded in my head.
“Master! I sense a considerable use of divine power! That human seems to be using a blessing!”
