Chapter 9
“By Your Majesty’s command, we have issued a notice to the civilians advising them to avoid going near the forest for the time being.”
“And their response?”
“It seems the rumors have already spread, so there hasn’t been much resistance… but they appear quite anxious.”
“…That’s only natural.”
Elisa nodded at Sir Sheraz’s report.
It was shocking enough that not one but three mid-level monsters—Red Wolves—had appeared in the forest near the capital. But on top of that, a high-level monster, a Bell Bear, had also emerged.
If Elisa had not dealt with the monsters, the entire capital might have been placed in danger.
“Forgive my boldness, but honestly, it was fortunate that Your Majesty happened to be there.”
A situation in which the Emperor of the Empire is put in danger is a national emergency.
Yet, thanks to that, the monsters were swiftly exterminated, and the capital remained safe.
If the monsters had appeared while Elisa had yet to locate a hunting ground…
Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.
Because Elisa had been present, the scene was brought under control quickly.
The injured were transported to the Imperial Palace, and access to the forest was temporarily prohibited in case any monsters remained.
“What about the treatment center?”
“Most suffered only minor injuries and have already returned home the same day. Those hospitalized are only a few knights who fought the Red Wolves and some who were injured during the evacuation.”
“Make sure they are given ample rest until they fully recover.”
“Yes, understood.”
Aside from Hadelaide, no one was seriously injured.
A handful had sprained ligaments or suffered minor fractures, but most had only superficial wounds.
At least that’s a small relief.
Most of those present were nobles.
If nobles had been severely injured or killed at an event hosted by the Imperial Palace, it would have been impossible to contain the fallout.
In particular, it would have been difficult to avoid blame being directed at Hadelaide, the host of the event.
This time, there were no major casualties, and most participants had ties to the Duke of Riertree’s family, allowing the matter to pass quietly.
We were lucky.
Letting out a sigh, Elisa read through the report handed to her by Sir Sheraz.
Her gaze stopped at the page detailing the Bell Bear’s corpse.
“Is something wrong?”
Instead of explaining, Elisa handed the page she had been reading to Sir Sheraz.
It contained an image, recorded through magic, of the Bell Bear’s arm—torn apart by sword wounds.
“This is…”
“The claws have been ‘cut off,’ haven’t they?”
Realizing Elisa’s point, Sir Sheraz’s expression stiffened.
“Before the Bell Bear revealed itself, its claws were sent flying.”
At first, she had thought it was part of the Bell Bear’s attack, but…
“If someone had deliberately cut off the Bell Bear’s claws and thrown them in this direction…”
“Then the possibility arises that the Bell Bear’s appearance here was not a coincidence, but someone’s doing.”
Watching Sir Sheraz examine the corpse with a grave expression, Elisa turned her head.
It seemed they would need to investigate the forest.
“We should form a search party. And request support from the Ferdin Count family in case any monsters remain.”
At the mention of the Ferdin family, Sir Sheraz nodded.
“There is no one better when it comes to dealing with monsters.”
The Ferdin Count family was one of the four great frontier houses guarding the cardinal directions. For generations, they had defended the northern forest—known as the homeland of monsters and the most dangerous region of all.
In short, they were experts on monsters, more knowledgeable than anyone else.
“However… if we contact the Ferdin Marquis, that person will surely hear of it as well.”
At that, Elisa let out a low sigh.
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t considered that.
“If that bastard hears the news, there’s no way he’ll stay quiet.”
Just thinking of his shameless face made her sigh again.
But…
“With the situation as it is, we don’t have much choice. Contact them.”
“Yes, understood.”
Exhausted, Elisa leaned back in her chair.
Her head still throbbed from being struck by a wooden sword, yet she couldn’t rest.
“Working even while on sick leave… Should I just quit being Emperor?”
Muttering to herself, Elisa watched as Sir Sheraz approached.
Without changing her expression, she personally replaced the cold tea with a fresh, warm cup—something more befitting a maid than a knight—and replied calmly,
“I don’t mind, but perhaps you should finish what you’ve started.”
“……”
“Young Master Rouge Shonus has come to see you.”
At Rouge Shonus’s shocking claim that he had been with her that night, Elisa’s pupils wavered.
It wasn’t because she disliked him.
Rouge Shonus possessed beauty more than sufficient to be considered a suitable match for Elisa, and although he wasn’t from the central nobility, he was the cherished son of Count Shonus, who held significant trade power in the eastern region.
The problem was…
Elisa stared at Rouge Shonus, who had come to her private reception room.
Despite being in the Emperor’s personal chamber, he showed not a trace of tension, casually smiling as he picked up and ate the cookies laid out for refreshments.
This cheerful idiot is supposed to kill me?
According to the original novel, Like the Tears of a Silver Branch, the man who spent the night with Elisa would later visit her—after she was deposed and imprisoned in a tower—and kill her.
The same man who radiated murderous intent so intense it sent chills down one’s spine just from reading…
“That was you?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“What do you mean ‘what’? The person who was with me that night—”
At Elisa’s words, he swallowed the cookie he had been chewing and nodded.
“Yes! Ah, but I was only with Your Majesty for a very short time!”
“…What?”
What was that supposed to mean?
“Well, you see, what happened was…”
As Elisa stared at him in disbelief, Rouge Shonus continued.
“I was actually taking a walk alone that night.”
On the day of the banquet,
Rouge Shonus had arrived at the Imperial Palace and was thrilled by the grand banquet hall and the delicious food.
He became so excited that he ended up overeating without realizing it, to the point of severe indigestion.
As the banquet was nearing its end, his discomfort grew unbearable, so he sought out a palace physician, took some medicine, and on his way back, decided to take a short walk upon seeing an empty garden.
And then—he got lost.
“It turns out it wasn’t just an ordinary garden, but a maze garden!”
Already poor with directions, finding his way in the dark through a maze was no easy task for him.
After wandering for quite some time, he spotted a light and followed it as if it were a lifeline.
And that led him to the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace.
“It was Your Majesty’s residence.”
Having arrived at the Emperor’s residence, he hesitated.
It wouldn’t be appropriate for a man to seek an audience with the Emperor so late at night.
Though he might seem foolish, he still possessed the basic decorum of a noble.
No one would look kindly upon someone who entered the Emperor’s residence without permission.
He might be branded a shameless man sneaking in to seduce the Emperor—or worse, suspected as an assassin.
While he stood there, unsure of what to do, he sensed someone’s presence a short distance away.
Like a lost lamb, he stopped sniffling and was drawn toward it.
What he found was the Emperor, drinking alone in the garden attached to the residence.
“You were drinking alone without a maid or guard… so I thought if I spoke calmly, it might be alright.”
After some hesitation, Rouge Shonus greeted her.
Instead of being wary, the heavily intoxicated Elisa invited him to sit beside her and even offered him a drink.
“By the time I had my third glass, Your Majesty had already emptied an entire bottle and collapsed…”
“…And then?”
“I couldn’t carry you alone, so I went to find someone to help.”
While searching for a maid or attendant, he encountered a patrolling guard.
At first, he intended to ask the guard to fetch someone else, but Elisa regained consciousness and insisted she could return on her own.
She was so unsteady she looked like she might collapse at any moment.
“I tried to support you, but you refused, saying a ‘kid’ wasn’t needed…”
So, having no other choice, he asked the much larger guard to assist her and watched as she entered the residence.
In the end, he couldn’t even ask for help and had to spend the entire night searching for a way out on his own.
“I never imagined I’d end up sleeping outside in the palace! Good thing it was warm—if it had been winter, I’d have been in serious trouble!”
“Right, that’s fortunate—…wait a second. Then you weren’t with me that night?”
“Huh? But that night, the only person I was with was Your Majesty!”
Back to square one.
Letting out a sigh, Elisa clutched her throbbing head.
“May I ask you one thing, Young Master Shonus?”
Sir Sheraz, who had been listening from a step behind, spoke up.
“Do you remember the appearance of the guard who escorted His Majesty?”
“Well, it was dark, so I couldn’t see clearly…”
“Even something trivial would help.”
“Hmm… he was tall? But most guards are tall… Oh!”
After thinking for a moment, Rouge Shonus clapped his hands as if he had remembered something.
“Black!”
“Black?”
“That guard—his hair was black!”
