Towards June 15th
Lady Laila’s second salon was already shaping up to be a resounding success. Among the guests who had received invitations, almost no one had indicated they would be absent. Even the Countess of Albesleben, despite scoffing and asking who Laila thought she was fooling, had returned her reply with an intention to attend.
Princess Roella, having read only halfway through, threw the newspaper aside and stood up.
"Let's go to Mother!"
Roella knew that Lilian frequented the Lih Theater to watch The Curtain Rises. She didn't truly believe her mother would accept the invitation, but she wanted to talk to her just in case. Besides, since Lilian had no close friends and kept her distance from high society, she likely hadn't heard the rumors about Laila and her salon.
"Your Highness."
Caroline hurriedly tried to stop Roella. Roella looked at her as if she were stunned.
"What is the matter with you? You stopped me from going to the Empress's Palace last time, too, with all that talk."
Roella loved her mother, but she didn't pay her much attention. Her life revolved entirely around Ezekiel. Had they lived in the same palace, things might have been different, but living in separate residences made it difficult to keep Lilian in her thoughts.
This time, too, she had briefly thought, 'Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in a while,' but she hadn't intended to actually visit. If not for the mention in the Sunday News about the invitation to Lady Laila's salon, she would have forgotten about it again today.
Only now realizing that Caroline’s attitude was strange, she glared at her with suspicious eyes. Caroline spoke cautiously.
"I heard she is unwell."
"Then I should go even more. Did she catch a cold or something?"
"Ah, I heard it is a very severe case of the flu. The Head Lady-in-Waiting, Sophia, said you should not visit for the time being, as you might catch it, Your Highness."
"Is that so?"
Roella asked back, frowning.
"If you heard something like that, you should have told me. Mother is sick, and I didn't even know."
"I apologize."
Caroline apologized readily. Roella slumped back into her seat and sighed. It was the flu, and she had no desire to visit and get infected. Instead, she instructed another maid nearby.
"Go to the kitchen, have them make some sweet pumpkin soup, and send it to the Empress's Palace. Mother likes that."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Roella flicked her fingers, her face still twisted in a frown. Recognizing the signal, Caroline quickly picked up the Sunday News. Roella unfolded it again.
"What on earth is that woman thinking?"
She grumbled, reading the article again from the spot where she had thrown it. She was a woman with nerve, knowing full well what kind of talk was circulating about her. She knew Laila was shameless, but she hadn't expected her to be this brazen. It seemed she thought her own status would rise just by gathering notables for a party.
Roella did not know the rumors regarding Zion and Lilian. It was impossible for anyone to tell her about Lilian’s scandal directly, and the maids who should have brought her such information were following the orders of Sophia and Caroline, keeping it hidden as much as possible. Thus, Roella could not understand what those who had accepted Laila's invitation were thinking.
Sophia had mobilized all the personnel at her disposal to find Zion, but she ultimately failed. To ensure this matter did not reach Ezekiel’s ears, she had used only the staff she could directly control, but since those under her command were mostly employees and maids within the Imperial Palace, not only did they fail to achieve results in the search, but this also resulted in the palace's surveillance network being compromised.
Nevertheless, it was impossible that the rumors spread throughout high society had not reached other ears in the Schwab family. Helmut Schwab visited on the third day after Lilian had been brought back.
"The Countess of Albesleben has been going around saying strange things. No, I am not saying this to interrogate you, Lady Sophia. I have come to verify the facts so that, in the worst-case scenario, we can provide support from our side."
"It is true that Her Majesty the Empress shared a friendship with Zion Miller."
Sophia spoke as she had prepared. Of course, the friendship between a wealthy noble and a performer rarely meant what the word literally implied.
Helmut wore a worried expression, but Sophia kept her own face completely blank and spoke in a businesslike tone.
"She has been more lethargic than usual lately, so I turned a blind eye to it, provided it did not cause any problems. Her Majesty the Empress knows her position well, and she is a person who knows fear, so you need not worry."
"Indeed, the Princess and the Duke have also been worried, saying Her Majesty the Empress is losing her vitality day by day. I understand. I trust you, Lady Sophia."
Helmut left after saying that. At that point, Lilian was still locked in her bedroom, shedding tears and unable to accept the separation, so Sophia was filled with nothing but worry.
She had to eliminate Zion as quickly as possible. Once his corpse floated up in the Reno River, the scandal would naturally disappear. A lowly actor could only draw attention while he was alive. Lilian would be tagged with suspicion, but for now, it was merely an uncertain rumor.
However, she had not been able to find Zion even by early June. As if to match the timing, the performances of The Curtain Rises had ended, so Zion did not appear at the Lih Theater or the offices of the Marell Troupe. She had inquired, wondering if the play had ended abruptly because the lead actor had gone missing, but the contract had been scheduled to end at this time from the start.
'Did he run away?'
The Marell Troupe also clearly seemed to be in a panic over Zion’s disappearance.
It was not an impossible story. A male actor who was that beautiful and bold enough to seduce an Empress could not have been without such experiences. It was correct to assume he had fled as soon as trouble arose.
Next, Sophia investigated Laila’s salon. It was true that she had invited the director and lead actor of The Curtain Rises. However, there was little to be learned from that side. Laila’s employees, who handled the menial tasks, seemed unaware that Zion had even vanished, and she could not expect information to come from the Countess of Andex or the Viscountess of Münchhausen.
Ultimately, Sophia decided to attend Laila’s salon to observe the situation herself. It was unexpected that she had received an invitation, but she thought it might be for the best.
In the meantime, Lilian stopped crying and began to eat properly. Sophia was puzzled, unable to believe that the emotional Lilian had accepted the situation so quickly, and asked,
"Has there been some change in your state of mind?"
"If I don't eat and collapse, Zion will be sad."
Lilian said, swallowing her soup with a pale face.
"I will follow your words. Leave Zion alone."
"I am doing this for Her Majesty the Empress."
"It doesn't matter if there's a scandal. No one respects me as a member of the Imperial family anyway, so what does it matter if one more element of contempt is added to it?"
"Your Majesty the Empress."
"I will remain a quiet doll, just as I have been. So, let Zion go."
"Have you received any contact from that man?"
"……."
Lilian kept her mouth shut, but Sophia realized it was true.
After grilling every maid and employee, she discovered that Frederica had delivered a letter. Frederica spoke cautiously with a terrified face.
"I read the contents first. It was a love letter bidding farewell. I delivered it thinking it would help calm Her Majesty the Empress's heart."
"You should have brought it to me first."
"I apologize."
Sophia felt like she was going to burst, but it was already done, so there was nothing she could do.
This was not within Olivia’s expectations, but it had a significant impact on the employees within the Imperial Palace once again. The very small hole she had held was widened even further by this.