I’ll Hold It Close to My Heart
With the maid lifted by the power of wind, Regina rose from her chair.
“The disrespect I showed to Her Majesty the Grand Empress has already been atoned for with ten lashes, so I’ll be taking this maid with me.”
“……You’re only skilled in offensive magic, aren’t you?”
Chloe had already been informed by her spies. She knew that Regina could use magic with considerable skill.
She had also heard that Regina seemed to specialize in magic used to attack monsters. For mages, it was nearly impossible to handle several different kinds of spells with equal ease.
“I’ve been diligently reading all sorts of spellbooks.”
Regina answered. In truth, a mage who mastered many forms of magic was often just a mage who lacked true specialization.
Otherwise, it meant they were an archmage with command over every type of spell—and Chloe did not believe Regina possessed that level of ability.
“So you really are rootless trash.”
With a derisive snort, Chloe flicked a hand in dismissal.
“That’s enough for today’s tea time.”
Clinging to the last shred of her pride, Chloe waved Regina away.
“Thank you for Your Majesty the Grand Empress’s consideration.”
And with that, the first clash ended in Regina’s complete victory.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“It seems that’s how the situation was concluded.”
Mir, who had gone to inspect the Grand Empress’s Palace, reported back to Conrad.
“Magic, hm.”
At the emperor’s quiet murmur, Mir lowered his head.
“Wind-based magic, Your Majesty?”
“That’s correct.”
Conrad tapped the armrest of his chair with a finger, then dragged his long, strong hand over his brow.
“Protective magic, elemental magic, and now offensive magic as well… my empress really is extraordinary.”
The reputation of the mage corps’ commander had been understated, after all.
Conrad realized that every report he had received about the commander of the mage corps had been wrong.
I need to look over the records again.
He would have to find out whether there were others like that mage as well if he wanted an accurate read on the Ferman Empire’s true strength.
“And there’s urgent news from a village near the barrier.”
“What is it?”
“They say a group of men they’d never seen before suddenly appeared. By the look of them, they seemed to be knights…”
“Is that even possible?”
Conrad lifted one brow. He had no memory of sending any knights there recently, which meant they had to be outsiders.
Ferman? No way.
After the Magic Barrier had been raised, every route connecting the Ferman Empire and the Fredericks Empire had been sealed off. Aside from Regina being found at the barrier, no one had ever been seen crossing it.
The ordinary people who had once wandered near the barrier had all been eaten by monsters.
“They appeared in the village as if they’d fallen from the sky. They stayed there for a while, then went back toward the barrier.”
“Went back to the barrier, did they…”
It was obvious.
Ferman had almost certainly sent people to look for Regina.
But how did they get through the barrier?
“Is there any problem with the barrier?”
“We dispatched men to investigate, but the barrier is still the same as ever.”
“Could someone from the Ferman Empire have crossed over?”
“They built the barrier in that empire, so perhaps crossing it might be possible. But I don’t know enough about magic to say for certain.”
“I see.”
As Conrad’s expression turned grave, Mir offered his own opinion with care.
“Might Her Majesty the Empress know?”
“She might.”
If there were any route through the Magic Barrier, Regina would never have been helplessly exiled in the first place.
She probably doesn’t know about whatever they created on the other side.
There was also the possibility that Regina had lied, but if she had, then there would have been no reason for a contract marriage to begin with.
If there truly had been a way to cross the barrier even with her mana sealed, she would simply have gone to Mardina’s subordinates without a second thought.
“Where is Lena?”
“She’s on her way here from the Grand Empress’s Palace.”
The instant Mir finished speaking, Conrad rose from his seat. If she had used magic, she must have spent mana.
Even protecting her maids.
He had never seen her get particularly close to the maids of the emperor’s palace. And yet she had gone out of her way to look after the women in her own residence.
Is she trying to grow attached in her own way, or is that simply her nature?
He already knew from reports that she had been attentive to the subordinates of the mage corps.
Still, he had not expected that same warmth to extend to the maids of the imperial palace as well.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
It was just after Regina had overcome one hurdle and stepped out of the Grand Empress’s Palace with the maids.
“I said not that way! I told you to carry it over here!”
The maids and attendants of the Grand Empress’s Palace were giving all sorts of orders to the knights. The knights obeyed silently, without a hint of resistance.
“On second thought, I think the place from before was right after all.”
They had been moving a heavy flowerpot around, and by Regina’s count, this was already the fifth time.
And yet the knights moved wordlessly at the maids’ command, and Regina’s brow slowly tightened.
“You there. All of you.”
“We greet Her Majesty the Empress.”
Even after seeing Regina, the maids and attendants did not look the least bit flustered as they bowed.
“What exactly are you doing?”
“We are placing the flowerpots in suitable spots.”
One attendant stepped forward to answer.
“And that’s supposed to be your job?”
If they were helping out of goodwill, Regina would have let it go. But no matter how she looked at it, this was not that.
Something she didn’t know was clearly going on. Regina spoke again.
“Why are the knights performing such services? Knights have their own duties.”
“That is true, but the knights are helping of their own accord.”
“So the Grand Empress’s Palace calls this help, does it—moving flowerpots around to torment them?”
Her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
Only then did the maids realize that Regina had not called out to them by chance, and they lowered their heads.
Using the knights in this way had not been a problem in itself, but if it led to repercussions for Chloe, then that would be disastrous.
“I believe there may be some misunderstanding, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“Whether it’s a misunderstanding or the truth, we’ll find out later.”
She could not judge their insolence based only on what she had seen. So she intended to hear the knights’ side as well.
Regina motioned to the knights, who had been dropping to one knee with a hand over their chests.
“You knights, come with me.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
Having rescued the knights from the maids’ and attendants’ games, Regina nearly staggered the moment she stepped out of the Grand Empress’s Palace.
I’ve probably used too much mana.
But she could not show weakness to those who followed her, so Regina bit down on her lip and clenched her hands.
Pressing strength into her legs, she stood straight and turned around.
“I don’t suppose you’re ignorant of your own duties.”
“Your Majesty the Empress.”
The knights moved as if to kneel before her, but Regina’s words forced them to remain standing tall.
“A knight can’t be called a knight if he bows so easily.”
“…We shall keep that in mind.”
“The duty of imperial knights is to stand guard and watch for any suspicious elements entering the imperial palace. His Majesty did not send you to the Grand Empress’s Palace to do such trivial work.”
“……We’ll hold it close to our hearts.”
They answered, but Regina could see that the knights’ expressions were not bright.
Still, without saying anything more, she waved them away and murmured,
“Bring me Limutan, the aide.”
“Yes.”
The nearest knight moved at once.
It looks like Chloe did something to the knights…
She would have to find out exactly what it was. Regina gazed toward the towering emperor’s palace in the distance.
The Fredericks Imperial Palace looks like it has its own serious problems too.
For the emperor’s closest knights—men who could be considered his most trusted agents—to be dragged around for work like that meant the hierarchy in the palace must already be badly damaged.
As she kept thinking, Regina swallowed the blood that had risen bitterly in her throat and went on walking.
By the time Regina returned from the Grand Empress’s Palace to the emperor’s palace bedroom, she was sinking weakly into a chair. The strain of having used too much mana had finally caught up with her.
“Tell His Majesty the Emperor that I’m looking for him.”
“Lena.”
Before the maid could answer, Conrad came into the bedroom through the still-unclosed door. He had already known she would be looking for him and had come in advance.
He flicked a glance at the maids. Once they left and the door closed behind them, Regina’s posture finally gave way.