Chapter 26

Chapter 26 : Of Traitors and Sorcerers, and Troublemakers (1)

‘How did I end up with him…?’

Legina, having exited the audience chamber at the Emperor’s command to withdraw, ground her teeth as she watched Hermann, who clung to her like a shadow. But what could she do? The imperial order had already been given. If this was the case, she had to uncover the assassin’s mastermind as quickly as possible.

‘The problem is that the mastermind is this traitor. And even worse, his sorceress will be making the truth serum, so the mastermind will never be exposed.’

The word ‘screwed’ was invented for situations like this. Legina roughly ran a hand through her hair, then turned her gaze to Theore, who was pouting and grumbling. The silver lining in this misfortune, if there was one, was that Theore’s close escort was Aaron. At least with Aaron by his side, the traitor and his sorceress wouldn’t be able to pull any tricks. Legina sighed, thinking so.

“My lord. I have something to say to Sir Aaron, so please step back a little.”

“I cannot do that. I received an order from His Majesty.”

“His Majesty ordered you to protect me, not to interfere in my private life.”

“…”

“If you understand, step back. You’ll have to retreat to where you cannot hear our voices.”

“As you wish…”

Hermann, looking at Legina’s face with murky sky-blue eyes, retreated. Annetta had already left with the Imperial physician. Feeling Hermann’s gaze on her from the end of the corridor, Legina turned her back to him and gestured to Aaron. As he approached from where he stood beside Theore, she lowered her voice slightly and requested, “My lord, please help prevent the young Duke of Slyveig and Lady Annetta from approaching Theore. Just ensure that Theore doesn’t meet those two when you’re not around.”

“Understood.”

“And be sure to tell Lady, no, Sir Jesse as well.”

“Yes.”

“Please take good care of my brother, my lord.”

Legina waved goodbye to Aaron as he moved away with Theore, then frowned at the sight of Hermann, who, as if waiting, approached and stood behind her again. Of all places, behind me! Even when Selma or Johan, whom she trusted, were behind her, she sometimes felt uncomfortable. But thinking that a traitor who could turn a knife on her at any moment was standing behind her was far beyond mere discomfort.

“Do you absolutely have to stand behind me, my lord?”

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“Yes.”

“Endure it.”

…Should I just break into a sword dance here? I feel like I could just start swinging my sword and let people call me a troublemaker. Legina clenched her fists tightly. If not for her fingernails digging into her soft palms, she truly might have searched for a sword and grasped it.

‘Titi… I should have just brought it!’

She quickly thought of Titi, Theore’s personal club and her mental stabilizer, and took a deep breath. If this was the case, she had to get rid of this traitor as quickly as possible. The assassin’s mastermind? Legina just needed to act first before the sorceress pulled any strange tricks.

“I’m going to the underground prison right now, is that alright, my lord?”

“…The underground prison?”

“Right, I didn’t need to ask your opinion. If I move, you have no choice but to follow.”

“…”

“Follow me closely, my lord. It would be great if you got lost, but… that’s a mistake. My words slipped.”

She smiled as if it were a mistake, but Hermann must have sensed that it was her true feeling. However, after a faint smile, Hermann returned to his expressionless demeanor and followed behind her, showing no complaints. Who would have guessed, looking at him now, that he was the man who had received a unilateral annulment just yesterday? Come to think of it, though she had informed him of the annulment, neither the Emperor nor Duke Slyveig had made any official statement.

‘I should have ended it decisively when I met him earlier!’

The thought of meeting the Emperor again made the anger she had barely suppressed surge up again. Legina took a deep breath and spoke to Hermann, who was walking behind her. She did not turn her face.

“My lord, did Duke Slyveig have anything to say?”

“What are you referring to?”

“Our annulment.”

“‘Our,’ you say. It was an annulment unilaterally declared by Your Highness, wasn’t it?”

“Whatever. Did the Duke have nothing to say?”

“What is there to say?”

Legina’s steps halted. She heard Hermann’s footsteps halt as well, following her.

“What do you mean, my lord?”

“My engagement with Your Highness is a promise between the Imperial Family and Slyveig. Just as it wasn’t by our will that we became engaged, we cannot end it by our will either.”

He wasn’t wrong. But she also had no intention of meekly nodding to that. Legina summoned all her facial muscles to give a bright smile and turned to face Hermann.

“It’s an engagement you also didn’t welcome, isn’t it?”

“It benefits Slyveig, so there is no reason to refuse it.”

“I believe you have a lover, don’t you?”

“Annetta? That child is like a younger sister to me. I’m a little disappointed that Your Highness believed such groundless rumors.”

Ah, how annoying. Legina frowned at Hermann, who answered with a smile, not backing down. She wanted to maintain her smiling face, but perhaps her training was insufficient, as her facial muscles wouldn’t move as she willed them.

“So, you won’t annul the engagement?”

“Is there a reason to?”

“There is for me.”

“There is not for me.”

A sneer flickered across his murky sky-blue eyes, then vanished. He was smiling, but apart from the fleeting sneer, no other emotion could be read in his eyes. Why hadn’t she recognized that gaze before her regression? Legina gritted her teeth.

“I will annul it.”

“I pray that your wish is granted.”

Legina, hearing the sarcasm mixed with even a hint of amusement, turned and began to walk again. Conversing further here would only exhaust her. What she needed to focus on now was getting the assassin to speak before the sorceress could act. He would surely be brainwashed and unable to speak properly, but wouldn’t names of innocent individuals potentially slip from his lips? If such a thing happened, the owners of the names that slipped from the assassin’s lips would be those who could become a strength to Legina. Before her regression, Legina had lost many of her people to the sorceress’s trickery.

I never want to experience such a terrible thing again.

That thought was more terrifying than Hermann’s footsteps behind her. Legina vowed to somehow finish this before Annetta could act, and began walking towards the underground prison.

While Legina and Hermann headed to the underground prison, Annetta had arrived at the place where medicinal herbs were prepared, accompanied by an Imperial physician. True to a place responsible for the health of royalty, it was a space filled with rare and precious herbs and medicinal ingredients. Annetta took in the scene and walked to her prepared spot, gently caressing the empty desk with her palm.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Lady Annetta. My name is Percy Dirancha.”

“I am Annetta Veedis. What is the matter…?”

“I was told to assist the Lady. This place is quite large, so newcomers often have a lot of trouble finding the herbs they need.”

“Ah… is that so?”

Annetta’s pink eyes swept over the small, unassuming man standing before her. His naive, freckled face showed no hint of wariness.

“Then, may I receive your assistance?”

“Yes! Just tell me what you need!”

“I’m looking for these herbs…”

Percy, his face flushing, approached Annetta as she opened a small notebook and shyly trailed off her words. And the moment he bowed to examine the drawing in the notebook, Annetta’s finger subtly touched Percy’s forehead, unnoticed by anyone. Black mist flowed from her fingertip onto Percy’s forehead in an instant. Annetta confirmed that Percy’s brown eyes, which had been sparkling just moments before, had grown hazy, and she subtly pulled up the corner of her lips in a smile. It was so easy to deceive someone who was not just naive, but almost foolish.

“Percy Dirancha.”

“Yes, Lady…”

“Are there Bimardi roots here?”

“Yes… However, that is classified as a Class 1 poisonous herb, so you can only use it with Lord Derain’s permission.”

“I need it.”

“But…”

“Percy.”

“Yes…”

“I said I need it.”

“…I will bring it.”

“Thank you.”

Annetta watched Percy, who hid his hazy eyes with his usual expression, walk away and commended herself for choosing Slyveig. If not for Slyveig, she wouldn’t have been able to enter the Imperial Palace so easily.

“Ugh…!”

Annetta, who had been watching Percy’s retreating back for a long time, bit her lower lip at the sudden pain in her chest. It was a pain that came every time she exerted her power. It had never bothered her before, but the pain, which started suddenly last winter, was gradually spreading its range from her heart. Moreover, its intensity was steadily increasing, making it harder and harder to endure.

“Just a little more now. Just a little more!”

Annetta, enduring the pain while clutching her chest with one hand, gritted her teeth. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, trickling down her jaw and falling onto her dark-colored dress.

“Excuse me… are you alright?”

“Ah… I’m fine. Thank you for your concern.”

Annetta, smiling at the nameless person who approached with a face full of worry, straightened her back. She couldn’t guarantee when such an opportunity would come again. So, she had to move diligently. Annetta took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead and spoke in a gentle voice to the person who was still looking at her worriedly.

“My name is Annetta Veedis. May I know your name?”

“What? Oh, I’m…”

The person, whose face flushed at her demeanor, stammered out their name. And on Annetta’s fingertips, as she smiled at such a foolish person, black mist gathered, waiting for the next unfortunate prey.

– Mochinuna.