~Chapter 12~
“Are there any conditions, perhaps?”
At that question, Izaya responded with a gentle smile.
“Well, if I had to pick a condition, it would be that someone who has experience hosting a banquet would be ideal.”
The first to step forward was the young maid Erika, who had recently helped Izaya pick out a dress.
“I want to try!”
Perhaps because she was the youngest, a few other maids, who had been hesitating, raised their hands.
“I want to try too!”
“My mother enjoys hosting banquets, so I’m confident I can handle it!”
“I can do it well too!”
Seeing this, Izaya magnanimously said,
“Then the four of you shall oversee the banquet.”
The responses were mixed.
The maids who volunteered were overjoyed, while the silent ones looked disappointed.
And Melanie turned pale, almost shocked.
‘This can’t be happening. Something like this…’
At that moment, Izaya’s voice reached her.
“And if there’s anything you don’t know, you can have Melanie handle it. From today, she is a regular maid, so treat her comfortably.”
Three days had passed since Melanie became a regular maid.
“Melanie, please handle this as well.”
“Me too!”
Melanie’s face grew even paler.
At first, the maids had been cautious around her, but now their behavior had completely changed.
They treated Melanie naturally as a subordinate, ordering her around without hesitation.
‘Damn it… was this part of the plan too?’
When the Empress had demoted her to a regular maid, it hadn’t fully sunk in.
At that time, she was the only one who knew the inner workings of the palace, and the maids had been wary of her.
So she had thought that as time passed, the Empress would eventually seek her help.
But things were going very differently from what she had imagined.
“Melanie, what flowers does the Empress like again?”
“That would be pansies, lavender, and…”
“Could you just tell the gardener? I should probably focus on the garden arrangements.”
Although she had thought she could endure it, a feeling of injustice welled up inside her.
She had gone from a position of giving orders to being a subordinate who only carried out requests.
Moreover, the Empress was gradually dividing up the tasks that Melanie had once handled.
‘At this rate, I…’
Melanie could feel her own growing anxiety.
Meanwhile, Ern was signing documents with a bored expression.
At that moment, Hans entered with new papers.
“It seems the Empress is preparing for her coming-of-age banquet.”
“I see.”
‘When she said she would spend her coming-of-age day alone with me… and now she’s hosting a banquet…’
Ern’s mood sank further.
“This is an opportunity!”
“What opportunity?”
Despite the Emperor’s gruff tone, Hans raised his voice.
“It’s an opportunity to reconcile with the Empress!”
Bang!
Ern slammed his hand on the desk and glared at Hans.
Startled, Hans swallowed nervously.
‘Did I anger His Majesty?’
At that moment, a low voice spoke.
“I’m not particularly interested.”
Hans, already nervous, tried to maintain a calm façade.
“Oh, I see….”
“But since you seem eager to talk, I’ll listen with broad-mindedness.”
“Huh?”
When Hans asked in confusion at Ern’s sudden change in tone, Ern’s violet eyes gleamed sharply.
“What are you waiting for? Speak quickly.”
It was almost a command, and Hans swallowed dryly.
‘So… His Majesty is also interested in reconciliation, then?’
Hans’s doubts were brief. Seeing Ern’s increasingly fierce expression, he nervously parted his lips.
‘Well, whether I speak or not, my life’s at stake. I might as well say it.’
Just as Hans was about to speak, bang!
“Your Majesty, I have a report… aah!”
Gretchen had barged in without warning, and Ern drew his sword without a word.
Hans clicked his tongue in frustration.
‘Such an untrainable person… I told them to knock.’
Still, he couldn’t allow the Emperor to attack the captain of the guard, so Hans quickly opened his mouth.
“You can win the Empress’s favor at the banquet! Then she won’t want to use separate chambers anymore!”
Ern remained unmoved.
Hans anxiously glanced at Ern, worried.
‘Did I say something foolish?’
Then a quiet voice asked.
“So, what is the detailed plan?”
“I’ve drafted one, but it’s not fully organized yet.”
“How long will it take?”
“I’ll prepare the plan today and submit it.”
“Bring it before dinner.”
Having said this, Ern set down his sword, struck a proud pose in his chair, and looked at Gretchen.
“Now, what report do you have?”
The Emperor’s expression seemed somewhat lighter than before.
Gretchen sighed in relief.
“It seems the Duke of Lauchen’s minions visited a tavern run by the assassination guild.”
Ern smiled wryly.
‘I personally warned him, yet that foolish Duke of Lauchen still caused trouble.’
As Ern’s eyes gleamed dangerously, Gretchen cautiously suggested,
“Your Majesty, perhaps we should increase the guards? Or at least tighten security more than usual?”
Ern spoke.
“No, maintain the usual procedure.”
“What? But…!”
“There may be spies from the Duke of Lauchen inside the palace. Increasing the guards will only alert them that we are monitoring them.”
Gretchen was impressed by his clear logic and bowed.
“Understood. We will act as usual, then.”
“Everything will proceed smoothly today, right?”
The Duke of Lauchen asked, and his aide nodded.
“One of the gatekeepers at the eastern gate has been bribed, so there will be no obstacles for any intruders today.”
“And have you warned the unwanted guests? Only scare the Empress.”
“Yes, and we also tipped off the knight. At the proper moment, he will rescue Her Majesty.”
“The Izaya side is handled, then. How about the Emperor’s guard?”
“We’ve instructed the assassins accordingly. Unlike with the Empress, they are to kill him without fail.”
The Duke of Lauchen smiled contentedly.
‘Let’s see if that brat can remain calm even if my minions die.’
Late at night, Izaya was reviewing invitations and the guest list, scribbling notes.
“Your Majesty, tea has been served.”
“Thank you.”
Izaya took a sip, slightly frowning.
‘This tea…’
“Your Majesty, is something wrong? Is there a problem with the tea?”
There was no problem. Izaya just realized that the tea she was drinking was the same leaves she had shared with the Duke of Lauchen before her regression.
“No, it’s just not to my taste, so don’t worry about it.”
“Not to your taste? Such a waste of expensive tea!”
“I’ll have it discarded immediately.”
“Discard it? That’s expensive! Share it with everyone in the maid’s lounge instead.”
The maid lowered her head, understanding.
‘They seem pleased because it’s expensive tea.’
“Looks like you’ll be heading to bed soon. Prepare everything, please.”
Perhaps because it was earlier than expected, the maid’s face brightened.
“Yes! Shall I also prepare a fragrance to help you sleep?”
“Yes, thank you.”
After the maid left, Izaya’s expression grew serious.
‘Communication is good, but I still need a supervisor to manage the maids. And someone loyal to whom I can entrust things.’
Nobles feared the Empress’s influence but also openly mocked her for being ignored by her husband.
Normally, one would be careful due to family or friends, but the Empress had no one close enough to be her eyes and ears.
‘Well, my chief maids were all my father’s people. And I had no close nobles.’
But at that time, Izaya didn’t care.
She was too busy countering the Duke of Lauchen and worrying about Ern.
‘But in this life, that won’t happen. I’ll have a most loyal subordinate. And…’
Izaya smiled, seeing her reflection in the guest list.
‘Perhaps I’ll even gain a solid ally.’
At that moment, assassins under the Duke of Lauchen’s orders scaled the palace walls without trouble.
The leader of the assassins signaled his subordinates.
‘I’ll head to the Empress’s palace. You two go to the captain of the guard.’
The subordinates nodded and went toward the Emperor’s palace.
The assassin leader fixed his gaze on the Empress’s palace.
‘The Empress’s room is at the far left, right?’
Cautiously approaching, he saw the maids.
‘If I cause a commotion to force the Empress to the Emperor’s palace, killing the maids will suffice.’
Just as the assassin was about to enter the Empress’s room—
“This is the last one.”
A soft, youthful voice spoke, and the assassin froze, looking around.
‘Where is that?’
The leader noticed someone and smirked.
‘A young one has lost all fear.’
Under the moonlight, a boy with shining silver hair stood, staring at the assassin.
