Chapter 37: The Emperor’s Shadow

“No, how did that half-dead woman crawl into the banquet hall on her own, crawl in like that! Ugh, my head is pounding.”

Grabbing her disheveled hair, Emilia screamed at the top of her lungs.

The maids standing nearby froze, stiff as boards.

‘Emergency, emergency!’

‘Don’t make a peep. If any of us makes a sound, we’re all dead.’

The maids’ eyes darted anxiously.

“Did none of you really know? That Empress Amanda would show up at the banquet?”

“…….”

“Aren’t you going to answer?”

At Emilia’s sharp questioning, the maids glanced at each other, then finally one of them spoke.

“No one had any interest in Empress Amanda, Your Highness……”

“She was just someone who lay in bed every day……”

“Ha!”

Emilia snorted, her eyes glaring in disbelief.

“So she was faking her illness from the start, wasn’t she? Just to make a fool out of me?”

“Oh, no, Your Highness. Even the imperial physicians prepared medicine for her every time……”

“She could have just not taken it. Besides, those diagnoses—anyone could be bribed to make up an illness that doesn’t exist, right?”

“…….”

Thud.

A maid beside her tapped the speaking maid’s arm.

It was a warning not to say anything reckless and get into trouble.

“This is driving me mad. And that letter—what was that about?”

Emilia pressed her forehead.

‘His Majesty will surely look into this.’

She had thought she’d handled everything cleanly, but the original letter had landed absurdly in Rohan’s hands.

How? From where?

Just then, a trembling maid entered the room.

“Um… Your Highness.”

“What is it now?”

At Emilia’s vicious glare, the maid closed her eyes tight and spoke.

“R-right now, His Majesty the Emperor has visited Boronia Palace and is having a private audience with Empress Amanda…”

“What?”

Clutching her swollen belly, Emilia leapt to her feet.

“Right now… In the middle of the night, the two of them are meeting alone?”

Her face, which had burned like wildfire, suddenly went cold.

“…Call the chief attendant.”

“Pardon? Yes! Your Highness!”

One of the maids quickly left the room.

“All of you, get out.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

The maids seized the chance to slip out, one by one.

“Your Highness, you called for me?”

Soon, Chief Attendant Alfredo entered the room.

“That Allong or Ballong or whatever. Where did you say his wife lives?”

“She’s in Shurium. Is something the matter?”

“Find that woman and bring her to me in secret. I have some questions for her.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

“If she resists, it’s fine to break an arm or leg or two.”

“…Y-yes.”

Alfredo bowed and withdrew.

“Huu.”

Only then did Emilia collapse onto the sofa.

“Honestly, is the position of Empress even appropriate for a commoner like her? Right, my child? She couldn’t even restrain herself and already she’s meeting with His Majesty… Ugh, how vulgar.”

She caressed her rounded belly.

“Don’t worry, my son. Even if everything is exposed, His Majesty won’t be able to do a thing. Why, you ask? Surely, with you in my womb, what could he possibly do to me?”

Her soft, sinister laughter echoed through the spacious room.

“She never should have coveted the Empress’s seat in the first place. Letter forgery? If anything, I was giving that woman a way out.”

The crime of a commoner daring to receive His Majesty’s affection.

The crime of reaching for a crown she had no right to wear.

“If she still dares to act out after all my help… then I have no choice.”

Emilia’s eyes gleamed with cold intent.

---

Midnight, outskirts of Shurium.

At the end of a windless alley, footsteps rustled atop the dark cobblestones.

Madame Allong, crouched down, blew out a candle with trembling hands and offered a final prayer.

“…I need to get out of this house.”

A strange man had visited her not long ago.

He claimed to know about her husband’s mysterious death and said he needed a hidden letter to uncover the truth.

Since only she, his wife, knew about the hidden letter, she assumed the man must have been a close friend of her late husband and gave it to him.

But as time passed, her anxiety grew.

She didn’t know all the details, but Madame Allong realized—at least intuitively—that her husband’s death had something to do with that letter.

So ever since she’d handed it over, she had lived each day in fear.

Click.

Without any luggage, wrapped only in a coat, she quietly opened the door.

Outside was dark, eerily quiet.

And then—

“There you are.”

As if he’d been waiting, a man with a blank expression appeared from the shadows.

Behind him stood three more figures. Four men in all.

Madame Allong startled, stumbling back.

“…Wh-who are you…?”

“There’s no need for you to know.”

As soon as the tallest man finished speaking, the others seized her roughly by the arms.

“Ahh! Let me go! I said let go!”

“Shut up and be still!”

How could a lone woman possibly resist the strength of several burly men?

They quickly covered Madame Allong’s mouth and began dragging her away.

The tall man brushed off his clothes and spoke.

“Take her quietly.”

“Yes, understood.”

“Let me go! Somebody help!”

She struggled desperately, but one of the lackeys, annoyed, kneed her hard in the stomach.

Thud!

“Mm…!”

Her small scream was cut off in her throat, and her body slumped.

“Tsk, so noisy.”

The men were about to haul her out of the alley.

“If only you’d kept quiet, none of this would have happened…”

Swish.

“Gurk…!”

Suddenly, he staggered and clutched his throat, collapsing to the ground.

“W-what?!”

Blood spread from a red line at the back of his neck.

The men looked around in a panic.

And only then did they realize—

At the mouth of the alley, between the buildings, on the rooftops, in the cracks of the walls.

They were surrounded by knights in expressionless silver armor.

“Wh-who are you people?!”

The tall man shouted, but there was no reply.

The tall man—Alfredo—finally noticed the emblem on their chests.

A crown and sword crossed over a crucifix.

“…Be-Bertion!”

Alfredo swallowed hard, nearly choking.

The Emperor’s Shadow.

The Emperor’s direct imperial guards, who never moved without his express command.

A cold sweat ran down his back.

‘…This is bad.’

Could His Majesty the Emperor have acted personally?

‘I need to escape.’

He frantically searched for a way out, but the knights moved faster.

“You’ll have to come with us.”

That chilling voice was the last thing he heard.

“Guh!”

Alfredo lost consciousness.

---

Late at night, a small meeting room in Boronia Palace.

Behind each person, shadows stretched long across the floor.

“This is Retina, the Blood Elphyrion.”

“Hello?”

Retina raised a hand in a casual greeting.

“This is Lucretia Finch, the seamstress.”

“Good evening.”

Lucretia greeted with a modest demeanor.

“And this is… Zenon, scribe at the Imperial Archives.”

“N-nice to meet you, my ladies!”

Clutching his leather satchel, Zenon gave a nervous, bright smile.

“As for Martin… everyone knows him.”

“…….”

Martin only nodded once.

“You’ve all seen each other at least once, right?”

Everyone nodded at Rohan’s question.

Rohan spoke in earnest.

“The reason I’ve called you all here is simple. From now on, we’ll be moving together.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Rohan.

Outside the window, darkness had settled in completely. Only the candlelight illuminated those inside.

“Zenon.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“For now, stay in the archives. If any documents related to Marquis Fabian and his supporters come in, organize them separately. And don’t let anyone catch on. Understood?”

“Yes, Your Highness. O-of course.”

A sense of duty flickered in Zenon’s eyes as he nodded.

“Lucretia.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Have you started investigating the Kingdom of Raolacis as I asked before?”

“Yes, of course. But it’s such a closed-off place, it’s not easy to gain access. I’ll need a little more time. Marquis Fabian’s movements are all so secretive…”

“If you need to, exchange information with Zenon. Meet in secret if necessary.”

“Yes, that would be helpful. Understood.”

Lucretia bowed her head without expression, but Zenon’s eyes grew wide and his face flushed.

“S-secretly…?”

“Zenon. Don’t get any funny ideas.”

“Ha, yes, of course! Hahaha!”

Zenon scratched his nape with an awkward laugh.

Rohan smiled and turned to Martin.

“Martin.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Martin stood firm, responding to Rohan’s call.

“For now, stay at the palace and protect my mother.”

“…Me? But I am your knight, Your Highness.”

“That’s exactly why. You’re the only knight I can trust right now.”

Martin’s eyes wavered quietly at the short reply.

The current palace guard was practically nonexistent.

Entrusting his most important person to Martin was only natural for Rohan.

“The person in the most danger right now is my mother. Because I’ve made a real enemy.”

“An enemy…?”

Lucretia seemed to instantly understand who.

“…I see. That woman’s temperament is… unique.”

At Lucretia’s words, the others murmured quietly.

‘Empress Emilia!’

‘He’s talking about Empress Emilia.’

Rohan paced slowly as he spoke.

“Marquis Fabian won’t act just yet. He’s cautious. He’s the sort to watch the woods and wait for the sun to rise. He won’t move against me immediately. In fact, he’ll likely approach offering help.”

“…….”

“But Empress Emilia is different. She’s impulsive. Unpredictable, like a blind child’s wild ball. And… she’s not particularly bright.”

Rohan smiled, tapping his head lightly with his finger. Lucretia smirked.

“In any case, that’s why you’ll be guarding my mother for now. I’ll recruit more guards soon, so just hold out until then.”

“…I understand, Your Highness.”

Accepting the reason, Martin bowed to receive his orders.

“Oh, and there’s something else.”

“What is it, Your Highness?”

With a questioning look, Martin turned to Rohan, who glanced at Retina.

“You’ll be learning something from Retina here. Stay by my mother’s side while you train.”

“…And what is it she’s supposed to teach me?”

Martin turned his head.

Retina, arms crossed, replied indifferently.

“Ora. I’m going to teach you ora control.”

“……”

“Remember? Last time your ora almost destroyed the training hall. Nearly killed someone, too.”

She gestured meaningfully at Rohan.

“That… actually happened?”

“Gasp.”

Lucretia and Zenon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“……”

Martin’s lips tightened.

How could he forget nearly killing his own liege by his own hand?

Since then, he’d been training harder than ever.

But even so—

To learn ora swordsmanship from a non-human, a female Elphyrion at that.

“I know. It’s a blow to your pride. What man would learn swordsmanship from a woman?”

That’s how the times were. That’s how the customs were.

Rohan crossed his legs and sighed softly.

“But if you truly desire strength, that pride is a petty thing.”

Rohan’s eyes shone as he looked at Martin, whose lips were still pressed tight.

“So? Will you do it or not? Oh, and don’t worry about me. Retina will be at your side except during training.”

At Rohan’s words, Retina shrugged.

“……”

It stung his pride, but Martin had to admit it.

For now, Retina’s skills surpassed his own.

That she was a Blood Elphyrion with superior physical ability didn’t matter.

As a swordsman, he wanted to surpass her.

“I accept your order, Your Highness.”

He bowed his head low.