If they went to the Capital, the number of people hostile toward her would double.
After she had worked so hard to build things up to this point, it would be a disaster if Eren went there and ended up swayed by rumors.
So she planned to lay some groundwork in advance.
Leaving her room, Liselotte quickly made her way to Eren’s office and let out a small, polite cough.
Just before she knocked—
“You may enter.”
Eren’s voice answered first.
Her hand, which had lost its purpose mid-air, awkwardly brushed against her dress. Then, forcing a bright tone, Liselotte opened the door and asked,
“How did you know, Your Highness?”
“Your footsteps sound different from the other knights.”
He could tell something like that just from footsteps?
She was surprised inside, but outwardly she remained composed as she took a seat on the sofa placed before his desk.
“I came because I have something to tell you. Are you busy?”
“I have more than enough time to spare for you.”
Considering what he said, the stack of documents neatly piled before him looked anything but light.
It was probably because it was right after a subjugation.
Seeing how the edges, rows, and even the height of the papers were all aligned with obsessive precision, it was obvious Ail had set them there.
Tap.
Eren put down his pen and finally lifted his head.
“Judging by how you’re hesitating, is there a problem?”
“Oh, it’s nothing like that. A banquet invitation came from the Capital.”
At her answer, Eren’s eyelid twitched faintly.
He soon asked again,
“It’s not the season for one.”
“I think my brother is hosting it. I assume Lady Diana said something to him.”
“Is he trying to negotiate on behalf of Lady Gloria?”
“Probably?”
“…Understood. We will attend.”
It was an invitation he couldn’t refuse, and he answered it calmly.
That was essentially the end of the matter.
However, when Liselotte didn’t leave, Eren leaned back in his chair and quietly watched her.
Creak — the chair shifted, and soon he stood up.
With his long stride, he reached the sofa opposite her in an instant and sat down quietly.
Leaning forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, he met her eyes and asked seriously,
“It doesn’t seem like that was the real reason. Do you have something else to say?”
Liselotte pursed her lips, then casually let her real point slip out.
“Well, I’m saying this trusting that you won’t suffer from weakened nerves or faint from sudden shock. But my reputation in the Capital is really terrible.”
“I know.”
Seriously, did he have to answer immediately like he knew everything?
Hearing that her reputation was rock bottom was downright embarrassing.
Eren continued with firm certainty,
“I’ve heard bits and pieces even in the North, so I am aware.”
Well… maybe she should be relieved that he knew.
Feeling a bit lighter, Liselotte asked with a hint of sincerity,
“And you still accepted the marriage proposal knowing that?”
“Aren’t they just rumors?”
“…What?”
Liselotte tilted her head, not understanding for a moment.
Eren let out a small chuckle before continuing,
“I’ve had grim rumors follow me as well, but it hasn’t been a problem, has it?”
Considering all the havoc she used to cause, it would’ve been reasonable for him to think, So they weren’t rumors, they were facts. I was scammed into marriage by the Imperial Family.
But Eren simply looked at her and said,
“I thought that because we’re similar, we would be able to get along. And in the end, I wasn’t wrong.”
So that was why he married her.
A sense of kinship.
It stirred a strange feeling inside her.
Maybe it was because she had seen so many people judge and measure everything by their own standards while pretending to be morally superior.
Thanks to that, she felt reassured.
“That’s good to hear. I was worried you might misunderstand if I entered the Palace for no reason.”
Eren’s dark gaze clearly fixed itself on her.
His eyes were tightly furrowed, giving him a rather fierce look, and it made her wonder if she had done something wrong.
But the words that came out of Eren’s mouth were somewhat unexpected.
“So you had that little trust in me.”
“…What?”
“Aren’t you here to persuade me right now?”
“It’s similar in nature, but if I had to be precise, it’s closer to an explanation than persuasion, isn’t it?”
How could she persuade him about pushing someone down the stairs and throwing a wine glass?
Even she, generous toward herself, had at least that much sense.
Eren leaned back against the sofa, folded his arms, and tilted his head.
“As you said before, you didn’t kill anyone. Isn’t that all that matters?”
Well, strictly speaking, that was true, right?
But hearing it from Eren made it feel strange.
Of course, she had often said as a habit that killing was not acceptable, but he seemed to genuinely believe that as long as she didn’t kill, it was fine.
‘He’s not wrong, but still…’
His expression suggested that he truly couldn’t understand her point.
By now, she was beginning to distinguish between his expressionless faces.
Just because he looked expressionless didn’t mean they all carried the same meaning.
His next response confirmed that her intuition had been correct.
“In the North, according to territorial law, when a spy was discovered, we would torture them and then execute them immediately.”
Ah. From that perspective. Understood.
With such a lenient thought process, Liselotte simply shut her mouth.
If she agreed, her conscience would sting; if she disagreed, her life might be in danger. There was no other choice.
Since he didn’t seem to expect an answer, Eren continued calmly,
“If you convey the schedule of the banquet to Ail, I will prepare accordingly.”
“Yes, understood.”
Since he agreed to attend without misunderstanding, she quickly seized the opportunity.
Her objective was achieved, so Liselotte asked nothing more and returned to her room.
Click — opening the door, she found Marsha waiting.
“You’re back!”
“Judging by how delighted you look, there must be good news?”
When Liselotte smiled and sat down, Marsha didn’t even wait a moment before spilling everything.
“Among the subjugation force members who used to be mercenaries, there’s someone whose aunt is a theater actress from the East. And guess where her hometown is?”
“Lergo?”
“Correct!”
No wonder she’d been so impatiently waiting.
Marsha continued, looking quite proud of herself.
“And he also knew about the mercenary commander who entered the eastern subjugation force. His name is Taebon.”
“He knows what happened after Taebon left House Gloria? Or maybe how to contact him?”
“Of course not.”
Marsha answered with absolute confidence.
Liselotte’s posture faltered at the overly crisp reply.
“What…?”
“But instead, he said the Magic Tower is near Lergo Village. Maybe we could try sending a letter there?”
“To the Magic Tower? Why the Magic Tower?”
The Magic Tower was indeed close to Lergo Village, but it was a closed-off, neutral territory.
And since mages from the Magic Tower rarely went out, one couldn’t assume someone from Lergo Village would automatically be acquainted with a mage.
‘Wait, hold on.’
At that moment, Hedmilton’s past achievement rose in Liselotte’s mind.
‘The Magic device contract with the Magic Tower.’
Could Taebon and House Gloria have known each other through that?
Marsha’s next words cleared up Liselotte’s question.
“It’s not certain, but apparently when Gloria’s aide negotiated a contract with the Magic Tower, he used Taebon to coax the Tower Master.”
‘So that’s how it connects?’
No wonder. Very few people even knew the Tower Master’s face.
Even if you formally requested the dispatch of a mage, the Magic Tower often ignored it.
And when they did answer, it was always lower-ranking mages who responded.
The Tower Master was such an elusive figure that one couldn’t even be sure he was a real person aside from the occasional mention.
She had always found it strange that such a man had signed a magic device supply contract with House Gloria.
‘So that’s how it was?’
Liselotte grinned and pulled out stationery.
“Send this letter to the Magic Tower.”
[Greetings.
This is Liselotte Keilos of the Keilos Duchy.
As I have no proper means of contacting him, I am sending this letter to the Magic Tower out of necessity.
May I ask if you have any way to reach Mr. Taebon, a mercenary commander from Lergo Village?
I heard he recently left House Gloria and would like to have a conversation with him.
Please feel no pressure; if you are able to send a reply, I would be grateful.
I will be waiting.
Thank you.]
There was no way to know whether a reply would come, but if it had any connection to the Magic Tower, there was nothing to lose by trying.
With a trembling heart, Liselotte handed the letter to Marsha.
