Chapter 42

Chapter 42.

9. Do you want to proceed with the scenario ?

A little while ago, inside the carriage to the Empress Palace.

“Do I have enough fateful energy?”

I’ve been working hard on the quest, and this is the result.

‘Shall I summon something while I’m at the palace?’

Ropan is famous for having fierce underhanded fighting!

Isn’t it the rule that not only tea and cake, but also teacups and fork handles are poisoned?

‘It’s actually my dream.’

It was somehow cool to use a silver spoon in a teacup and stir it to distinguish whether there was poison or not.

“The indifferent heroine who drinks tea and vomits blood even though she knows there is poison in this tea cup, and the male protagonist who rolls and rolls while recalling that image…!”

It was the best combination.

‘Am I finally going to experience it too?’

Of course, there was no way they would give me poisonous tea because I was officially receiving an invitation.

But I was so excited that I summoned this and that.……….

[Please specify the item you want to summon]

“I hope it’s in a portable form so I can sneak it out of my fake inventory.”

After a while, a white window fluttered.

[Summoning using 100 fateful energy. The remaining energy of fate: 115]

[Summoning…]

[Summoned successfully. You have acquired fake blood with adjusted status.]

[Summoned items are stored in the inventory.]

She had reached the point that she even summoned something as useless as fake blood.

‘But it has some use.’

If you look at the current situation.

Embarrassed, she looked at the empress whose body was frozen and opened her mouth.

“All the ladies who were watching the Empress were out of the room. If you have anything to say, say it now.”

“……How do you…………!”

“I don’t think that’s the point right now. The ladies will be back soon.”

When I asked with my eyes if I would miss this opportunity, the empress clenched her fist.

After a while, she knelt down in front of me.

“Princess.”

The emperor’s most noble empress in the world asked with tears.

“I’m so sorry about that. Even if it’s a hundred times too much, please… forgive me!”

The Empress, Agnes, has walked down the golden road.

Born the daughter of the Duke of Blake, she became Empress of the Empire.

The disturbance in her peaceful daily life was to the extent that she heard the tragedy of the Brighton family.

Agnes, hearing the news of the death of the Duchess of Brighton, whom she had been quite close to, was uncharacteristically unable to sleep.

Even after tossing and turning for a long time, she couldn’t sleep, so her eyes were wide open.

“Be quiet. Light it up.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She heard a voice from the bedside.

‘I guess they’re here to take care of me because they know I can’t sleep. Thankfully.’

Up until this time Agnes had no idea.

It’s the lady-in-waiting’s job to look after her.

“Lady Agnes is a good sleeper, because of the power of the sleeping plant.”

“Yes, I will remember.”

But something was strange.

‘What’s more obvious?’

But I couldn’t ask.

Agnes’ consciousness was cut off with the scent of the sleeping plant in the air.

The next day, Agnes asked the lady-in-waiting lightly.

“Did you come into my bedroom when I was sleeping?”

“Yes, I lit a scented candle for you to sleep because you look like you’re tossing and turning. But I’ve disturbed Your Majesty’s sleep. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s alright.”

The lady-in-waiting’s reply, who had served the Blake family for a long time, was impeccably smooth.

Agnes, who trusts the lady-in-waiting, tried to move on without much thought.

Until she saw the hand of the other maid trembling far away.

‘That kid’s…’

It’s a feeling of discomfort that remains in her heart to just let it go.

Eventually Agnes spoke to the maid.

“Did you come in this time?”

“Yes, yes! Yes. It’s an honor for Her Majesty to remember!”

“I’m sorry, what was your name?”

“It’s Susan. I’m a commoner, so I don’t have a surname!”

The moment I heard the voice, I was sure.

She was the maid next to the maid last night.

‘There’s something.’

Sleeping at night is one of the most defenseless times for the imperial family.

The lady-in-waiting, who knows it better than anyone else, brought a new maid to the queen’s bedroom.

‘What is the lady-in-waiting hiding?’

Agnes commanded the maid, pretending to be calm.

“Okay. Take care of my tea from now on.”

“Thank you! I will repay you with all my loyalty from now on!”

It was a truly unconventional move.

In the words of the empress, she was promoted from a maid to a lady-in-waiting.

“Let’s wait and see for now.”

But soon Agnes’ suspicions turned to fear.

“The next day, the lady-in-waiting and Susan came back into the room where I was sleeping. Can you guess what they’ve done to me?”

“No, I can’t.”

“······ They took my blood. I didn’t do anything even though I knew.”

The Empress’ voice trembled.

She was genuinely afraid.

“They took it at least once a week. Do you think I’m crazy?”

“No…”

I had complete faith in what the Empress said.

[Lie detector is running]

[Beep! It turned out to be true]

It’s such a shocking story that I turned on the lie detector in the middle.

‘The result proved that the Empress only tells the truth.’

But it was true that there was an unanswered question.

She was the queen of the empire, therefore she has great power.

And she’s at the mercy of a lady-in-waiting….….

‘I’m saying the lady-in-waiting has an ulterior motive.’

Having more power than the empress, it had to be someone like the emperor or one of the heads of three duchies.

‘First of all, it’s not the Duke of Brighton.’

If he was the criminal, she wouldn’t have contacted me, the duke’s daughter.

“It’s not Argention.”

The previous Duke of Palesdon had long passed away.

Argention was too young when the incident began.

There was no reason for him to draw the queen’s blood, who had been on the battlefield until a few years ago.

‘Then there’s a good chance it’s the Duke of Blake.’

I was a little surprised because they were known to have a good relationship.

There was a saying that there was no business in front of power for no reason.

‘But it’s still not enough.’

If the emperor is the culprit, he can join hands with Duke Blake, and if Duke Blake is the culprit, he can join hands with the emperor.

“Why have you endured it for more than 10 years?”

A collaboration between the Emperor and Duke Blake?

‘Then there’s no need for the new maid to take over.’

It seems that Duke Blake is more likely to be the culprit.

And there must be something that keeps the empress at bay.

“So what do you think?”

She knew from the urgent question of the empress.

“This is why you tested me.”‘

Desperate at the base of the eyes, where shame and fear lie deep.

It was a feeling that would not be seen if she had only considered her own safety.

“They have a hostage.”

Tears welled up in the empress’ eyes as soon as she finished speaking.

It’s not that she didn’t do anything.

She’s been waiting for someone who can see through all these facts with just a few clues and stand up to the black screen.

Desperate more than anyone.

‘Someone precious to the empress….’

The previous Duke and Duchess of Blake died a long time ago.

Except that her husband, the Emperor, and her brother, Duke Blake, were candidates, all that remained were the crown princes.

“Is it His Highness, Prince Felix?”

Once again, the empress’ eyes were filled with tears.

She shakes her head and nods again.

‘What do you mean?’

I thought about it for a second and found out.

So far, the empress has given me the answer to the extent that she reacts to my words.

In this urgent situation, we don’t know when the ladies will return.

“You’re banned.”

Thick tears fell one after another from the empress’ eyes as if to answer.