Chapter 25

Chapter 25 : Good Medicine is Bitter to the Mouth (4)

‘No, why is that bastard here?’

Had she ever been this flustered since her regression? Legina, momentarily forgetting to control her expression, glared with a crumpled face at Hermann and Annetta, who were bowing to Larousse. Hermann was a handsome man whose indifferent, expressionless face and long, midnight-blue hair made him seem like he belonged to the night, but to her, he was simply hateful. And Annetta was a beautiful young lady with dazzling silver hair and pink eyes, so lovely that many young noblemen in high society coveted her company. If Hermann hadn’t been by her side, quite a few romantic dramas would have unfolded around her.

To summarize, though it was a lengthy digression, objectively speaking, they were two individuals whose strikingly beautiful appearances garnered people’s favor. However, Legina frowned at the sight of their faces.

‘Why are those two here?’

Legina’s gaze landed on the Emperor, and he subtly averted his eyes, beginning to speak. It seemed he remembered Legina’s annulment declaration from yesterday.

“You must be curious why I’ve summoned you all today.”

“Yes, we are most curious, Your Majesty.”

Legina replied with a smile, but Larousse felt the sharp thorn hidden within it. A murderous glare, hinting she would do anything if he didn’t provide a convincing reason right now, was an added bonus.

“You all know about the unfortunate incident at yesterday’s banquet, do you not?”

By “unfortunate incident,” was he referring to the assassination attempt? Or the unilateral annulment declaration? Given that he had summoned Theore, Aaron, and Annetta, it was highly likely he was referring to the assassination attempt, but the Emperor’s continued glances at Legina made her wonder if it was…

“I’m not sure what connection that has to summoning us here.”

“There is a law in the Empire stating that if the lives of the Emperor and Imperial Family are threatened, the number of escorts must be increased until their safety is confirmed.”

What nonsense was this? She was relieved that it wasn’t about the annulment, but she still didn’t understand. If he was worried about his life, shouldn’t he start by increasing the banquet’s security and assigning close-quarters bodyguards? This was a follow-up action after the incident. Legina briefly suppressed the rational suspicion that the ancestors who created the imperial laws might have had a serious problem with their heads, and waited for Larousse’s next words.

“And that law includes a clause that the close escort of the direct Imperial Family must be carried out by the direct lines of the two Ducal Houses.”

It wasn’t nonsense, it was utter garbage. This damned father, or rather, this Emperor, clearly existed solely to infuriate Legina. Here she was, the Imperial Princess, desperately racking her brain and working hard to stop that damned traitor, and the Emperor summons the traitor and assigns him as an escort. A close escort, no less.

Legina took a deep breath, gritting her teeth. If she didn’t, she felt she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from cursing at the Emperor. No matter that she was royalty, cursing at the Emperor would have severe repercussions.

“Why, why do such a thing?”

Her rage was so great that a grinding sound mixed with her words, but Legina smiled as sweetly as possible and asked. Trying to force a smile made her face feel like it was spasming, but showing anger as it was now would be a rookie mistake. Legina, aiming to be a troublemaker who smiled sweetly while stabbing people in the back, tried her best to maintain a gentle expression.

“It is imperial law. It is also one of the reasons why there must always be two Dukes in the Empire.”

Was her true enemy actually this imperial law, rather than that traitor? Legina thought this, and began to search her memories for whether such an event had occurred before her regression.

‘Ah… was it this?’

Such an event had indeed occurred. However, she had only heard about it later, as she was exhausted from cleaning up the banquet and meeting various nobles, barely getting any sleep. The difference between then and now was that she didn’t have to clean up the mess, and Aaron was standing here instead of the young Duke of Vestein, Gissley.

When I heard about it, it was already all over, and the direct lines of the two Ducal Houses weren’t assigned as personal escorts.

The fact that close escorts hadn’t been increased despite Larousse citing imperial law meant that, in the past, at this very moment, her terribly beloved brother Theore had caused a huge ruckus. Legina’s gaze, reaching that conclusion, fell upon Theore. Sure enough, Theore, with a face full of complaints and his lips pouting, looked as if he was about to prove himself a born troublemaker at any moment. Yet, no matter how long she waited, those mischievous lips didn’t open. He even pretended not to notice her gaze, feigning indifference.

In truth, Theore wanted to yell that such escorts were unnecessary, just as he had in the past, and throw a tantrum. He didn’t want to add another nag to Jesse, who was already annoying even when he wasn’t actively trying to be. All of Theore’s restraint stemmed from Legina. Right before coming here, he had endured a ‘clubbing spa treatment’ disguised as education. No scars remained, but the pain in his bottom was still there. And if he threw another tantrum here? This time, he might get hit somewhere other than his bottom.

Legina sighed, reading Theore’s thoughts from his sullen face. This problem arose because her education had been too effective, so what could she do?

If Theore won’t do it, I will.

Legina, who had decided to solidify her troublemaker position starting from the banquet, cut off the Emperor’s words and spoke.

“So, from today onwards…”

“No.”

“…What?”

“I said no.”

The air in the audience chamber turned chillingly silent. However, Legina continued speaking as if she didn’t care about the atmosphere.

“I don’t believe Sir Johan’s skill is inferior to that of the two ducal scions here. I don’t wish to give him a colleague he’s never worked with before.”

“Legina, this is not for you to decide.”

“It’s a staffing increase that the person being escorted doesn’t want.”

“According to imperial law…”

She had no intention of abiding by laws that only caused trouble rather than helping.

“No.”

“Hey, aren’t you going too far?”

“Be quiet.”

Because you also went to all sorts of lengths to say no in the past. Legina swallowed her unspoken words and glared, and Theore subtly lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze. Indeed, the closest club was always the scariest. Legina, having subdued her brother with a single look, repeated “No,” as if she couldn’t hear Larousse. Larousse kept trying to persuade her, but what did it matter? Troublemakers inherently never listened to others.

How much more do I have to be unreasonable before he understands, really?

Come to think of it, she heard Theore had thrown himself onto the audience chamber floor and thrashed about back then. The Emperor had scolded him loudly, and the attending servants tried desperately to make him stand up, but he just lay on the floor, flapping his limbs and screaming. Someone had been running around, losing sleep, to erase baseless rumors about the Emperor’s assassination attempt and her brother’s undignified behavior—like the sword dance—while the culprit, in his royal body, was literally polishing the Emperor’s audience chamber floor with his entire being. Recalling the exasperation she felt when she heard this after finally persuading the nobles, Legina involuntarily sighed.

And the Emperor’s eyes, watching Legina, sank in gloom. This was the day after Legina told him he had no daughter. He disliked this situation, where he had to do something that would make his daughter resent him even more, at a time when he should have been comforting her, the daughter who had drawn a line saying she would fulfill her duties as princess but expected nothing else. However, he had no choice. For the sake of the relationships between Vestein, Slyveig, and the Imperial Family, Legina absolutely had to marry the young Duke of Slyveig.

“Legina B. Alpere. This is an order.”

At the single word “order,” Legina fell silent. The Emperor, vowing to find another way to mend his relationship with his daughter, continued speaking to those before him.

“Hermann Slyveig will escort the Imperial Princess, and Aaron Vestein will escort the Imperial Prince. The period will be until the mastermind behind the assassin is revealed. During this time, there will be no sword lessons. Other external activities are also forbidden.”

“I receive Your Majesty’s command.”

“I receive Your Majesty’s command.”

Aaron and Hermann bowed. The Emperor’s gaze, after confirming no further words, now turned to Annetta. Come to think of it, it was strange. There was no reason for a mere Viscount’s daughter to be summoned to this place. Legina’s gaze, grinding her teeth and glaring at Hermann, who stood behind her, rested on Annetta, then shifted to the Emperor. Surely, this time too, that mouth would utter something unwelcome to Legina.

As if Legina’s certainty was correct, words that infuriated her immediately poured from the Emperor’s lips.

“I hear Annetta, the sole daughter of the Veedis family, has great talent in concocting herbal medicines.”

“You honor me with your praise.”

“I hear there is a truth serum among the Veedis family’s secret arts that can make anyone reveal any secret without concealment?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“I will spare no expense in providing all support. Make it.”

“I receive Your Majesty’s command.”

Was this the time to say ‘this is driving me crazy’? No, there must have been a more intense expression, but her mind was so clogged that she couldn’t think.

Not only is he assigning the traitor as a close escort, but he’s also telling his sorceress to make medicine? How does he know it’s a truth serum and not poison, and he’s saying he’ll spare no expense in support?!

Should I have just let him die at the banquet yesterday? Is that too filial-improper a thought? No, but really, can the Emperor make decisions that are so harmful to Ellias? Legina gritted her teeth and glared at the Emperor. At this moment, she hated the Emperor more than the traitor or his sorceress.

– Mochinuna.