Chapter 38
The next day
Lia prepared to go meet the Marquis’s daughter. While getting ready, she glanced at the mirror and frowned.
“Right… it’s an allergy.”
She understood it, but it was still hard to look at.
Fortunately, her natural beauty was outstanding, so it did not look completely terrible. Still, it was not something she could show openly.
The swelling on her lips had gone down a little, but they were still puffy. Small red spots had risen on parts of her face like hives.
Noticing Lia’s mood, her personal maid, Laila, carefully brought her a veil.
“Ah, thank you.”
Lia thanked her and put on the veil. Having something covering her face was very uncomfortable, but she had no choice.
After roughly finishing her preparations, Lia headed straight to the place where the Marquis’s daughter was being held.
Kartian had said that since he had not fully recovered yet, she should leave the matter to him and rest. But Lia refused.
She was not in such bad condition, and she wanted to check things herself.
Judging by Kartian’s current state, she felt that an objective interrogation would not be possible.
“Hmm?”
When Lia stepped outside, she looked surprised to see Baron.
“His Majesty has ordered me to guard Your Majesty,” Baron said.
“Weren’t you originally Tia—His Majesty’s guard?”
“His Majesty said that Your Majesty is more important than himself and told me to protect you.”
“I see.”
Having someone follow her around was annoying, but Lia did not want to argue, so she simply nodded.
Baron quietly followed behind her.
When Lia arrived at the place where the Marquis’s daughter was confined, she received the knights’ greetings and entered.
It had only been a day, yet the Marquis’s daughter looked extremely worn out. It was hard to believe someone could change so much in just one day.
“Your Majesty!”
Seeing Lia, the Marquis’s daughter called out urgently.
“This is Her Majesty the Empress. Show proper respect,” Baron said sharply.
“Ah, I apologize. I greet the flower of the Empire, Her Majesty the Empress.”
Realizing her rudeness, the Marquis’s daughter quickly bowed.
Lia quietly watched her.
Whether it was acting or not, the Marquis’s daughter’s face was clearly filled with worry for Lia.
“You probably know about the situation,” Lia said directly, without wasting time.
“…Yes.”
The Marquis’s daughter lowered her head and answered softly, as if apologetic.
“The problem seems to be the cookies you brought.”
“B-But I…!”
The Marquis’s daughter looked innocent, as if she truly knew nothing.
“Whether you really didn’t know or not will be revealed after an investigation.”
“…Yes.”
At Lia’s cold words, the Marquis’s daughter answered quietly.
“Do you know what ingredients were in the cookies?”
“Well… I only asked for the cookies to be made.”
She shook her head, as if she did not know.
Lia clicked her tongue.
If the cookies had remained, it would have been different. But since they had all been eaten, the only way to know what was in them was to ask the person who made them. So they had no choice but to summon the Marquis family’s cook.
After giving that order, Lia carefully observed the Marquis’s daughter’s reaction.
Even the most perfect liar could not hide everything. A glance or small movement would always reveal something.
With a summons stamped by the Emperor’s seal, the cook hurried to the Imperial Palace, leaving everything behind.
The cook answered Lia’s questions sincerely. However, even after hearing the ingredients, Lia still could not tell what the problem was.
She had not expected that simply hearing the ingredients would tell her what she was allergic to.
Afterward, imperial knights visited the Marquis’s estate and thoroughly searched the kitchen.
Still, they found nothing.
Lia also asked the palace maids and cooks, as well as the maids and cooks of the ducal house, if anyone knew about her allergy. No one knew.
It seemed unbelievable, but the situation was clear.
Unless she had told them herself, they could not possibly know.
In the end, there was only one conclusion.
Since no one knew about her allergy, the Marquis’s daughter could not have known either. She must have prepared the cookies without knowing.
Fortunately for her, it was concluded that her actions were not intentional.
However, that did not mean she could be released without punishment.
Kartian insisted that since Lia, the Empress, had been harmed, severe punishment was necessary. But Lia refused.
Because of this, Kartian and Lia had a slight argument.
Normally, Kartian wanted to follow Lia’s wishes in everything, but this time he could not.
In the end, the punishment decided was one year of house arrest and demotion in status. The Marquis’s daughter of Sarontien would no longer hold the title of a noble young lady.
She would keep the Marquis family name, but she would no longer be treated as a noble daughter. Instead, she would be treated almost like a commoner.
At the same time, for six months, she would work in the Imperial Palace as a maid, as a form of service. For a noble young lady who had lived a privileged life, this alone was a heavy punishment.
“Thank you very much.”
The Marquis’s daughter did not show any dissatisfaction with the humiliating punishment. Instead, she accepted it calmly.
Rather, she seemed grateful that it had ended with such a light sentence.
“If it is later revealed that this was intentional, it will not end so lightly,” Lia warned.
After carefully watching her reactions the whole time, Lia believed more strongly that she was innocent. But one could never be completely certain.
Even at that warning, the Marquis’s daughter did not waver.
As if she truly had no ill intent at all.
