Chapter 49
After Freya moved to Fade Palace, a strange tension spread through the Imperial Palace.
Lia had asked everyone to keep what had happened to her strictly secret, so no one spoke openly about it—but the maids were quietly gossiping.
They were sure something had happened between Lia and Kartian.
Lia also heard news of Freya. She hadn’t expected Kartian to act so quickly, but she didn’t try to stop him.
That was actually good.
It meant she could observe Freya more clearly and limit her actions.
Since Freya had moved to Fade Palace, if something like what happened the previous night happened again, Lia would know for certain it was the work of Marquis Sarontien.
No, it didn’t matter whether it was the Marquis or Freya.
Lia wasn’t targeting either of them individually.
Now that she knew the two were closely connected, she planned to deal with both at once.
To do that, she needed to understand the hidden letters, which wasn’t easy.
Even after reading several books on code-breaking, she couldn’t find a single clue.
There had to be a rule hidden in the letters—whether a specific order to combine the characters, or if the characters themselves pointed to something.
Without a rule, a code was meaningless—just a string of letters.
“Haa.”
Frustration twisted Lia’s face as no solution appeared.
Whether it was the Marquis or Freya, the fact that they risked taking these letters knowing she was checking them meant the hidden content could not be trivial. It might reveal what they had done to the Emperor—or what they were planning next.
At the same time, one question remained:
How did Freya come to work with the Marquis?
Freya had been the daughter of a minor provincial noble, while the Marquis was a high-ranking noble in the capital.
How did they even meet? Had they known each other before she became a concubine? Or after?
Nothing was clear, and it frustrated Lia.
“Lia.”
As she quietly pondered, Kartian came to see her.
“Ah, Tian.”
At his small greeting, Lia looked up at him.
“Are you trying to decipher the letters?”
“Yes. But I really don’t understand them.”
“Do you… want me to help?”
Since he didn’t know the contents, he couldn’t leave it all to her. This wasn’t just Lia’s personal matter—whatever the Marquis and Freya were planning, threatening the Empress was a challenge to the Emperor’s authority.
It could also be dangerous for her to handle alone.
Lia paused at his question. On second thought, it might be better to accept his help. He probably knew more than she did, having lived here all along, while she had come from another world.
“Yes. I think it would be too difficult alone.”
“And Lia, there’s something I want to tell you.”
‘Hmm? What could it be this time?’
Lia looked at him curiously.
“I’m thinking of moving your office and bedroom.”
“Where to?”
“My office is spacious. How about you use it as your office too?”
“And the bedroom?”
“There’s a room connected to mine. It’s connected, not the same room.”
Lia thought about this for a moment.
She understood why he suggested it.
Someone had dared to enter her room, so it was no longer safe for her to stay there.
Even though the intruder hadn’t tried to kill her, one could never know what they might do when cornered.
The Emperor’s office and bedroom weren’t perfectly safe, but they were certainly safer than her own.
“Let’s do that.”
“…Alright.”
Kartian nodded obediently.
“Sorry about this.”
“I don’t mind.”
There was no need for an apology. This had happened because of past actions, and Lia hadn’t expected such events from checking the letters.
“But I promise. I will protect you.”
Just as he had promised once before while drunk, Kartian said firmly.
“I’ll trust that.”
Lia’s words surprised him—he hadn’t expected her to say that.
His face lit up with joy.
She trusted him. That feeling of being trusted was incomparable.
It was the first time he had heard it. The first time he had gained her trust.
And he would do everything to protect that trust.
“I also plan to reorganize the palace staff and personnel.”
“Good.”
Lia’s approval made Kartian accept it without question. Everything she did had reason, and she wouldn’t act carelessly.
There was certainly something suspicious, but since he had entrusted her with all authority, it was natural.
In fact, Kartian had also been thinking about restructuring the palace staff.
