Chapter 97
Chapter 97
Translation: godsn
'Was there ever such a path in the royal palace?'
Neril guided Siseo through a secluded passage behind the Administrative Palace, leading him down a rarely used narrow corridor.
After passing through the dimly lit area illuminated by a single torch, they knocked on a small wooden door, which Saya promptly opened.
"Her Highness is waiting inside."
Upon being ushered into the modest room, Siseo's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Medeia.
"Sir Siseo, I apologize for summoning you so late at night. There are matters I wished to discuss with you discreetly, away from prying eyes."
Her pale cheeks appeared soft, and the flickering light cast rich shadows above her delicate brows.
The young princess, whom he had once dismissed as merely a naive girl, now seemed a measure more mature under the dim lamplight.
A private space, just the two of them. The gentle glow of the lamp. A girl awaiting his arrival.
"Of course, Your Highness. Please speak freely."
Siseo clenched his jaw, struggling to steady his wavering composure.
"I need to review the information on Pelleus's royal guards—their origins, backgrounds, and even their families."
"You mean the Agema (the King's Royal Guard)?"
Medeia nodded.
"Yes. That shouldn't be difficult, but may I ask why—"
"Sir, have you been taking the antidote for Halus properly?"
Siseo stiffened, then quickly grasped her implication.
"Are you suggesting the Regent has spies among the Agema?"
Medeia smiled faintly. When Siseo shook his head in disbelief, she continued.
"That... that can't be. Those men have served His Majesty since their knighthood. They are not the kind to betray—"
"You're quick to trust, aren't you? Just as you trusted that maid."
Her quiet rebuke left Siseo speechless.
Her emerald eyes gleamed with a shrewdness that seemed to pierce through human nature, exuding a sharpness that could not be underestimated.
"Word of Pelleus's victory against the Lasai Tribe will spread soon, and my uncle will make his move. We must act first."
Medeia's voice remained calm as she spoke.
'Before Pelleus returned, there was an incident.'
At the time, the powerful Lasai Tribe had united with other plains tribes to ambush Pelleus.
A traitor among the Agema had abandoned him instead of calling for reinforcements, leaving Pelleus surrounded on all sides.
Only through the sacrifice of his knights, who carved out a narrow escape route with their lives, did Pelleus barely manage to flee.
But he suffered a deep wound to his right leg, which later led to permanent disability.
Most of his royal guards also perished in the effort to save him. Out of two hundred elite warriors, only twelve returned alive.
With the King's valiant and loyal guard shattered, royal authority weakened further.
"Deliver this to Pelleus."
Medeia handed him a letter.
"I will see to it. I'll also keep an eye on the Regent's movements."
Instead of answering, Medeia gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
"But, Your Highness."
As Siseo turned to leave, he hesitated and faced her again.
"Please reconsider keeping Facade by your side. That mercenary—while undoubtedly skilled—is excessively cruel. He is a blade too sharp for Your Highness to wield."
"......"
Medeia studied Siseo silently before countering,
"Can you truly claim that a righteous man is incapable of cruelty?"
Iason had been a hero who saved the continent. Yet countless lives had been sacrificed for that glory.
Rachel was a saintess. Yet she had poisoned her own son.
"Your Highness."
"I appreciate your concern. But that is all."
This was the line the princess clearly drew for Siseo.
Their relationship was unambiguous—a partnership for the survival of Valdina.
Anything beyond that was overstepping.
Because Medeia's vision stretched far wider and more intricate than Siseo's.
"I, too, am aware that Facade is a blade that could turn on its master. I won't keep him for long. Once his usefulness ends, I'll cast him out of Valdina. So spare yourself the worry."
"...Understood. Forgive my presumptuous advice."
Siseo swallowed a sigh and withdrew.
The same answer. The same expression.
Was it because he had realized there was an unspoken bond between the princess and Cesare that he did not understand?
On his way back, for some reason, his mouth tasted bitterly sour.
The Kazen Diplomatic Mission's Lodgings.
Several days had passed since the banquet, yet Angelique still couldn't free herself from the aftermath of that day.
"Aaaah!"
Crash—!
The decorative pieces Kensington had painstakingly transported all the way from Kazen shattered into pieces with a single wave of the Fourth Imperial Princess's hand.
"What am I supposed to do?! Father will blame me! Not only did I fail to refuse their request for aid, but now I have to repay this insane country twice over! What do I expect me to do?!"
At the thought of her father's wrath, her vision darkened. She trembled violently, gnawing at her nails.
Click. Click. The eerie sound sent shivers down one's spine.
"Your Highness, please compose yourself."
Then her dark eyes flashed sharply.
"Kensington, can't we just kill that damned princess? If the other party to the oath is gone, how can the promise be fulfilled?"
Kensington nearly let out an audible sigh.
"And what of the hundreds of witnesses present at the banquet that day? Continental law dictates that anything formalized in writing must be honored. Do you wish to give every nation an excuse to tear Kazen apart? His Majesty would only grow even more furious."
"Then what the hell am I supposed to do?!"
"That is precisely why I warned Your Highness at the time not to stamp the seal so recklessly—"
Crash—! A heavy object whizzed perilously close to Kensington's ear.
The enraged princess had snatched up a nearby vase and hurled it at him.
"You should've stopped me harder! That's what you're here for, isn't it?! If you're just leeching off your salary, you should've done your damn job no matter what I said!"
She obstinately shoved all responsibility onto Kensington.
Even though the wound on Kensington's cheek was still visibly fresh.
As he watched the princess throw a tantrum, trying to weasel her way out of the situation, someone else involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
'Princess Medeia.'
Both were princesses of their respective nations, yet how could they be so different?
One would throw herself away for her country, while the other would exploit her country for herself.
What use were noble bloodlines and backgrounds? They were rotten to the core from the very beginning.
"Get out! Get out! I can't even stand the sight of you!"
As Kensington stepped outside, his face was drawn with exhaustion. A deep weariness washed over him.
When he returned to Kazen, the Emperor's wrath would be directed at him.
Though the princess would undoubtedly face consequences as well, the ultimate responsibility for resolving this mess would clearly fall on his shoulders.
"...I've grown old."
Back in the days when he served with silent loyalty, expecting nothing in return—now, for some reason, an unwarranted melancholy crept over him.
"Her Highness seems deeply unsettled."
A soft, shuffling footstep sounded beside the disheartened Kensington.
His mood soured further upon recognizing Count Laju, with his oily eyes.
'Like a damned hyena. Doesn't even think of hunting for himself, just circles around looking for scraps to scavenge.'
He remembered all too clearly how Laju had groveled before the princess at the banquet, yet the moment she found herself in trouble, he hadn't so much as opened his mouth in the hall. The sheer wretchedness of it.
But, true to his role as head of intelligence, not a hint of his displeasure leaked out.
"...Indeed. Keep your distance and dismiss the attendants as well."
With only that brief warning, he left.
Whether Laju provoked the Fourth Princess and suffered her wrath or not—it was no concern of his.
As Kensington departed, Count Laju glanced around and let out a low, sharp whistle.
At the sound, Samon emerged from the shadows behind a pillar where he had been concealed.
The princess's chambers reeked of heavy perfume.
"If you're all just going to take and take, then at least do your damn jobs properly!"
The princess exploded in fury.
Clang—! A wine glass flew through the air and shattered.
"That... that bastard Iason is no different. He should've at least tried to wriggle out of it till the end... No... Why didn't any of you foresee things turning out like this? Why?!"
As she swayed drunkenly before him, Samon stepped forward.
"Your Highness, you seem deeply troubled. Allow me to apologize on Medeia's behalf."
A smirk curled at Samon's lips as he recalled his conversation with Count Laju.
"Her Highness the Fourth Princess is likely drowning in liquor right now. When she's upset, she tends to seek comfort in wine and... other pleasures. If you wish to strike, now is your chance."