Chapter 7

“So this was what Your Highness wanted to show me.”

Marone’s lowered gaze settled on Jack, who was curled up on the floor.

Since when?

Since when had the discipline of the guard deteriorated to this extent?

No—if he was honest with himself, he already knew.

Only one month had passed since the Emperor changed.

And yet the order within the Imperial Palace had already crumbled this badly.

As he remained silent, Evelyn’s voice rang out again.

“Captain.”

“I will report the matter immediately.”

“Thank you.”

“Your Highness, please! Please!”

Marone looked down at Jack, who clung desperately to his trouser leg.

With a swift motion, he struck the back of the man’s neck.

Jack’s body instantly went limp and collapsed onto the floor.

After glancing at him briefly, Marone turned toward the other soldier, who was still trembling against the wall like a leaf in the wind.

“Watch carefully.”

Just as he was about to leave—

“Captain.”

Evelyn called out again.

“Stop by my palace and bring me a set of outdoor clothes. I cannot appear before His Majesty dressed in sleepwear.”

“…Understood.”

A short while later, Marone returned carrying a neatly folded dress.

Entering the audience chamber, Evelyn looked toward the throne.

It was even more extravagant and magnificent than it had been during Philip’s reign.

More lavish than it had been during Edward’s reign.

And it will only become worse.

Three years from now, when the imperial treasury is completely drained, every wall of the audience chamber will be covered in gold leaf.

Back in her second life, Evelyn hadn’t even dared try to stop it.

Having died less than two years after offering honest advice in her first life, fear had ruled every part of her.

Slowly, she walked forward and stopped before the steps leading to the throne.

“Evelyn Bournemouth—”

“Formalities aren’t necessary.”

“I greet Your Majesty.”

“Mm.”

Evelyn lowered her head deeply.

Just as she had done with Robert, she found herself obsessively wondering what expression Mary wore.

She’s probably resting her chin on one hand with that bored look she always has.

As though everything in the world is tiresome and beneath her.

When Evelyn finally straightened, she confirmed her prediction had been completely correct.

Mary’s cold green eyes stared down at her.

“Evelyn.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Two pairs of green eyes met in the air.

Evelyn struggled to keep her facial muscles from tightening.

“As Count Edenbarker said, your eye color truly is identical to mine.”

“It seems we both inherited Father’s eyes.”

“I suppose so.”

The conversation they had shared during her first life resurfaced in her mind.

Then Mary’s gaze shifted elsewhere.

“The guard insulted a member of the imperial family, I hear.”

Her eyes settled on Jack.

His hands and feet were bound, and a gag had been shoved into his mouth.

“So that’s him.”

“Mmph! Mmph!”

The man with faded brown hair shook his head frantically.

Mary showed no reaction.

She looked at him the same way one might look at a tedious piece of homework.

Nothing but indifference filled her eyes.

“What should be done with him?”

Her fingers tapped the armrest slowly.

Watching Mary appear to deliberate over his punishment, Evelyn almost laughed.

A man who insulted a royal should, by law, receive the harshest punishment.

The very fact that Mary was treating the matter as debatable proved one thing:

Mary did not truly regard Evelyn as royalty.

That was why Evelyn had overlooked similar behavior in her previous two lives.

A prisoner in the Imperial Tower is still a prisoner, after all.

And more importantly—

She had never wanted someone to die over something like this.

But now…

Her heart felt lighter.

Or perhaps emptier.

More numb.

Leaving the Imperial Tower was essential.

If she wanted to seize the throne, she first needed freedom and allies.

Besides, insulting royalty is already a capital offense.

A soldier who took such a crime lightly would inevitably commit something worse later.

In fact, during her second life, Jack Fale had eventually been reassigned to warehouse security.

Later he accepted bribes and allowed unauthorized access, resulting in his execution.

He’s doomed anyway.

There was no reason to feel guilty.

Even so, she had no desire to watch someone die in front of her.

This wasn’t compassion.

It was merely a compromise for her own peace of mind.

“Your Majesty, may I offer a suggestion?”

“Proceed.”

“Imperial law states that anyone who insults a member of the imperial family shall be sentenced to hanging.”

“But…”

Evelyn’s eyes moved toward the man trembling like a frightened animal.

“I am currently imprisoned in the Imperial Tower and treated legally as a criminal. Therefore, it is difficult to say he insulted a fully recognized member of the imperial family.”

She paused.

“In that case, perhaps exile from the capital would be a more suitable punishment.”

Mary’s gaze landed on her.

Silence followed.

Then Mary spoke in a dry voice.

“So be it.”

“Thank you for hearing my humble opinion.”

“Captain.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Expel the criminal from the capital immediately.”

Mary added casually:

“Oh, and cut out that chattering tongue of his.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Marone answered a beat late but obeyed.

Jack screamed as he was dragged away.

Mary didn’t even blink.

Soon, only Mary and Evelyn remained in the audience chamber.

Evelyn’s heart pounded painfully inside her ribs.

She tried to remain detached.

But every time she witnessed Mary’s cruelty, it became difficult to breathe.

The image of Mary smiling while watching her burn flashed vividly through her mind.

“Evelyn.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

“There’s no need to pity him.”

Mary’s voice remained indifferent.

“He was going to die anyway. Thanks to you, at least he avoided that fate.”

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—

Mary interpreted Evelyn’s tension as sympathy.

To hide her true thoughts, Evelyn bowed her head even lower.

“Evelyn.”

Once again, the ruler called her name.

Her wandering thoughts immediately returned.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I heard you refused Count Edenbarker’s visits.”

“Do you find him uncomfortable?”

In her first life, she had answered honestly.

“I feel burdened, Your Majesty. How could I become close to a man who belongs to you?”

Back then she had assumed Mary and Robert were lovers.

Because of that belief, she had drawn a strict line between herself and Robert.

As a result, she remained trapped in the Imperial Tower until her death.

Mary intends to kill me anyway.

But before that, she planned to enjoy herself.

To watch Evelyn suffer betrayal in love just as Mary’s own mother once had.

For Mary, revenge was a reward.

And Robert was the lead actor in that cruel play.

At least until Mary had enjoyed herself enough, Evelyn would remain alive.

That meant getting out of the tower required maintaining a favorable relationship with Robert.

“Not at all.”

Evelyn lowered her head.

“I was merely concerned that one of Your Majesty’s trusted aides continued visiting a place where even the guards behave so recklessly.”

Mary raised an eyebrow.

“I only feared that someone serving Your Majesty might encounter trouble while visiting a prisoner.”

Mary’s whims changed constantly.

In the past, Evelyn had never understood them.

Now she did.

Because she finally understood the standards by which Mary made her decisions.

“I only wish for the Count to stop troubling himself.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Mary closed and reopened her eyes lazily.

“Your residence will soon be decided.”

Her gaze lingered on Evelyn.

“When that happens, you may meet privately with the Count there.”

“…I am grateful.”

Silence settled over the audience chamber.

The Emperor had not dismissed her.

And Evelyn had not requested permission to leave.

The uncomfortable quiet made everyone else present tense.

After staring at Evelyn for a long time, Mary finally spoke.

“You may go.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Evelyn bowed and turned away.

Mary watched her half-sister until the very end.

Her face remained as expressionless as ever.

But the flames burning within her green eyes raged like an inferno.

Every Monday, the empire’s nobles gathered at the palace to discuss affairs of state.

The organization was known as the Council.

Its members existed to oversee parts of the Empire the Emperor could not personally manage and to offer their insights.

Inside the council chamber, the nobles were divided as though an invisible line had been drawn through the center.

On one side sat the supporters of the First Empress.

On the other sat the supporters of the Second Empress.

They spoke only among themselves and ignored the opposite faction entirely.

When Mary entered, everyone immediately rose and bowed.

“Begin.”

The moment she sat down, her authoritative voice echoed through the chamber.

Immediately, Viscount Cornwell raised his voice.

“Your Majesty, the traitors and heretics must be dealt with at once!”

Mary’s sleepy gaze shifted toward him.

“There has been far too much suspicious activity around the capital!”

“Heretics and rebels…”

“Yes, Your Majesty! Rebels were discovered even within Baron Sands’ territory. A large-scale purge is necessary!”

Mary’s relaxed expression twisted slightly.

The nobles supporting the Second Empress looked visibly unsettled.

“Indeed.”

A dangerous smile touched her lips.

“We cannot simply leave them alone.”

Her gaze swept across the nobles of the Second Empress’s faction one by one.

The killing intent hidden within her eyes made their heads lower instinctively.

“Then we shall need an investigation team immediately.”

The First Empress faction watched calmly.

The Second Empress faction grew increasingly anxious.

To them, this felt like a test.

Cases involving rebellion or heresy were normally investigated directly by the Imperial Family or the Holy Order.

A single mistake could mean bearing all responsibility.

In the worst case, they could even be framed.

Yet refusing the task might make their loyalty to the Emperor appear questionable.

Desperate for guidance, many of them unconsciously turned toward a single man.

The most powerful noble among the Second Empress faction.

The Duke of Gloucester.

Aiden.