The Poisoned Snack
"Is there anyone else you're meeting with privately?"
"I've met with Prince Raphaelo Kedrey a few times. Only very briefly, though."
"Hmm."
"These days I spend the most time with His Highness Prince Rezef. It's good to have more chances to see him often, but strangely, His Highness isn't like his old self anymore. Have you heard that ridiculous nickname they gave him—Beast Tamer? It's absurd!"
Something feels off.
He had heard that Prince Rezef had grown considerably more compliant lately. There were even rumors that Princess Cayena's influence was behind it, though he had not placed much faith in them. Listening to his daughter now, however, it seemed the stories were not baseless after all.
His suspicions toward the princess's intentions and behavior sharpened. She might, for instance, be planning to involve herself in the prince's ascension and seize power as regent.
That is entirely possible.
History was littered with cases of a successor's mother, sister, or concubine wielding authority as though it were their own. Besides, Cayena had the respectable House of Hamel as her maternal family.
That Prince Rezef had suddenly begun listening to Cayena and turned obedient—what else could it signify?
Now that he thought about it, even his earlier conversation with Zenon Evans regarding Lydia had felt strange. He had sensed that the man was watching Princess Cayena with unusual intensity. The nagging feeling that something was happening beyond his knowledge refused to leave him.
He gripped Lydia's shoulder and spoke in a low, confidential tone.
"Princess Cayena is suspicious. Watch her closely to see if she makes contact with anyone. Every tribute gift, every item—examine them all!"
"What? There are so many tributes..."
"Can't you order the other maids to do it? I'll speak to them myself, so they'll follow your instructions properly."
Lydia was not pleased to receive this sudden mission, but she liked the idea of the other maids obeying her again as her father promised.
"I understand."
Cayena sat in the sunlight streaming through the window, staring at the ledger with a grave expression. There was no particular problem with the accounts.
There's simply too much budget left.
The right to manage the inner palace registers belonged to Rezef. The original Cayena had been too incompetent to perform the duties that should have fallen to the late empress.
This time Rezef had adjusted the princess palace budget with unprecedented generosity. It was a simple but unmistakable way to show the world how dearly he cherished her.
The old me would have bought clothes until every last coin was spent.
Or she might have remodeled the garden or bedroom. She could have purchased armfuls of flowers doomed to wilt within days and thrown a lavish party.
But now she hosted neither parties nor gatherings, nor did she order new dresses. There was simply nowhere for the money to go. The largest recent expenditure had been replacing her shoes.
"The refreshments are rather late."
Vera, who had been serving alone while the other maids were absent, paused her embroidery.
"Shall I go see what the delay is?"
Cayena gave a small laugh and shook her head.
"No."
Any misdeed naturally required time to arrange.
Lately the maids—except for Vera—left the bedroom whenever they had a spare moment. According to Vera, they seemed to be searching for something.
As a result they had grown even more negligent in their duties. Since Cayena never scolded them, they stopped caring altogether. Moreover, with the princess neither going out nor receiving guests, the maids gradually found themselves with less and less to do.
"It is nearly time for afternoon tea, Your Highness."
"So it is. Still, I have the butter cookies I made earlier, so it should be fine."
"Eating only sweets will harm your health. I will bring something suitable myself."
With those words Vera left the bedroom. She had not mingled with the other maids at all lately; the atmosphere was one of outright ostracism. Yet Vera paid it no mind whatsoever.
This is the calm before the storm.
Vera had witnessed Rezef's transformation firsthand. She had seen with her own eyes how dramatically his attitude toward Cayena had changed.
Besides, Cayena had been subtly pressuring her all this time. Vera could feel the quiet insistence that the moment to choose had nearly arrived.
I have a feeling she will replace every last maid soon.
But how?
Even an emperor could not dismiss people without proper justification. How could a mere princess accomplish such a thing?
Just then a maid entered carrying the refreshments. It was Dona.
"Why did you bring Her Highness's snack instead of the maids?"
When Vera asked with clear suspicion, Dona answered.
"They said that since Lady Vera is here it would be fine, so they simply chose the snacks and left."
Vera regarded her with doubtful eyes. This was the maid who had been attending Cayena with increasing frequency of late.
There is something here.
"...Bring it here."
Dona handed over the silver tray.
Before carrying it into the bedroom, Vera inspected the contents in the reception room.
"......"
Vera's expression froze into icy fury.
"These insane wretches...!"
Among the snacks were cookies containing nuts.
Cayena suffered from a severe nut allergy. The maids were required to check meticulously for any such ingredients before serving. This was blatant, dangerous negligence.
With a soft click the bedroom door opened. Cayena stepped out in her indoor dress.
"What are you doing out here instead of coming in?"
"Forgive me. There is a problem with the refreshments. I will prepare them again at once, Your Highness."
"Oh, there's no need for that."
She smiled brightly.
"That is a very well-prepared snack."
"...Pardon?"
Cayena approached the table and picked up the exact cookie that contained nuts.
"Your Highness, that is—!"
"A cookie with nuts, yes."
"...?"
"I intend to eat it."
Was she speaking of suicide?
Vera could not make sense of it.
"You will deliver the snack I made to Rezef at afternoon tea time. While running my errand you failed to notice that a nut cookie had been mixed in with the refreshments."
"Your Highness."
"I will be lying collapsed alone in my room. The startled Dona will immediately call for the physician. Naturally His Majesty must be informed as well. Dona will handle that. But you must behave as though you knew nothing about any of it."
Only then did Vera understand.
"Can you manage it?"
Vera realized she had been chosen.
Cayena planned to dismiss every maid in a single stroke with this incident. All of them—except her.
Vera immediately knelt and bowed her head low.
"I will serve as Your Highness's person."
Cayena smiled.
"What a welcome thing to hear."
Rezef examined the sword, the bow, and the new epaulets.
"The spy we planted near Grand Duke Heinrich reports that he has recently purchased javelins."
"Javelins?"
What possible reason could Grand Duke Heinrich have for buying javelins?
"If he starts throwing spears haphazardly and startles the horses, it will be a disaster. Find out what scheme he is plotting."
"Yes, Your Highness."
He removed his cloak and dropped onto the sofa. The servants immediately began clearing the weapons from the table.
"And my sister?"
Zenon, who had been working at another table, looked up.
"She is in her bedroom."
Lately the princess had been refraining from external activities to a suspicious degree. The physician said she had already recovered completely from the poison.
I cannot tell what she is thinking.
The feeling was distinctly unpleasant.
"Your Highness, a maid from the princess palace requests an audience."
"Let her in."
Vera entered with only a single maid in tow.
"I greet Your Highness the Prince."
Rezef noticed the silver tray in her hands and gave a faint smirk. His sister had sent snacks again.
"Her Highness prepared them herself to coincide with afternoon tea."
"Bring them here."
This ritual no longer felt strange.
Zenon rose, accepted the tray, and had a servant taste the refreshments. Once it was confirmed safe, Rezef bit into a butter cookie.
"Now that I think of it, you have been visiting quite often lately."
"Her Highness has come to trust this servant greatly."
"Has she?"
His blue eyes studied her as though peeling back her thoughts layer by layer.
Vera met his gaze without thinking and felt a chill run down her spine.
"What is my sister doing right now?"
"Until a short while ago she was troubled that the princess palace budget was excessively large."
Rezef burst into laughter.
"Money exists to be spent as one wishes."
He had been about to use that as an excuse to visit her when a servant rushed into the reception room.
"Your Highness, a serious matter!"
"What is it?"
"Princess Cayena has suddenly collapsed! The physician has already been summoned to the princess palace!"
"What? My sister collapsed?!"
Rezef bolted toward the princess palace.