Chapter 169
Meanwhile, back at the count’s residence, Sophia looked out at the relentless rain, calculating the timing.
“As expected… with this much rain, the monsters must be on their way.”
Sophia hoped Killian and Ian would quickly finish their tasks and return.
Monster hunting was an episode in the original novel designed to showcase the heroine Estelle’s prowess.
In the original, Estelle was in Orhelin, so in order to show that Estelle has excellent anti-demon abilities, the demons had to fly towards Orhelin, where she was.
And these monsters were vastly stronger than the usual ones found near the capital.
It was a cliché often used for the protagonist in novels: entering a dungeon thought to be F-rank only to find it a hidden dungeon, or encountering a boss-level monster when only small ones were expected.
The heroine, Estelle, would then use her abilities to solve the crisis when everyone else struggled.
‘But now, Estelle is…’
Given it was monster hunting season, Estelle, along with other Ruchtainer knights, had also gone out of the capital to hunt monsters.
“I need to prepare to hold out until Estelle returns.”
Sophia went up to her room and opened books related to monsters.
She had been researching them ever since arriving here.
Knowing the original plot, she hadn’t neglected to study monsters even while investigating Rosarphi.
After double-checking the materials she had noted, Sophia left her room again.
“Jenny, I need to go to the merchant guild.”
“Now?”
“I’ll be quick.”
Sophia put on a raincoat.
Fortunately, she had access to the name and money of Count Fraus, which she could use freely at the Fraus merchant guild.
The money from Fraus would be very useful in preparing for the monsters and floods.
* * *
Beatrice headed to the Central Palace, where the Emperor, who had ordered Killian to capture her, was located.
Despite the situation, her steps remained graceful and unwavering.
“Open the door.”
When Beatrice commanded the soldiers guarding the Emperor’s room, the giant door in front of her obediently opened.
She walked inside elegantly, the hem of her rain-soaked black dress dragging across the beautiful tiled floor, leaving a trail behind her.
“Empress, what is the meaning of this!”
The Emperor, who seemed to have been receiving a report from a servant, stood up with a grave expression.
Ignoring his reaction, Beatrice moved to the centre of the room and spoke.
“You issued an edict to Killian.”
When Beatrice met the Emperor’s eyes, his green pupils trembled.
“To secretly issue an edict… it seems Your Majesty has finally grasped real politics. This is truly a blessing for the empire… however.”
Beatrice took a step closer to the Emperor, her heels clicking on the floor.
“When undertaking significant actions, one must invest a long time.”
As Beatrice smiled, the Emperor’s fist trembled with anger.
“Arrest the Empress and imprison her in the palace immediately!”
The Emperor ordered the knights beside him.
Beatrice elegantly raised her hand.
“Knights, draw your swords and protect the Emperor.”
With a light wave of her raised hand, the two knights guarding the entrance drew their swords.
Soon, the knights beside the Emperor also drew their swords and stood by him.
The Emperor’s face showed evident confusion.
“Did you not hear my command! Arrest the Empress immediately!”
Despite the Emperor’s repeated orders, the knights stood still, swords in hand.
Seeing this, Beatrice couldn’t hold back her laughter.
“It seems the knights prioritise Your Majesty’s safety.”
She mocked the Emperor with an exaggerated courtesy.
“What is the meaning of this!”
“Did you think the title of Emperor alone could grant you power?”
Beatrice walked up to the Emperor.
Her husband is pathetic.
His only achievement was being born into the royal bloodline and sitting on the throne.
Although the western territory expanded during his reign, he had never set foot on the battlefield.
It was her father who had destroyed the Swehill Kingdom in the west.
Her family originally owned fertile plains in the west and had significant political influence.
Her family’s territory contributed 40% of the empire’s taxes, and with that wealth, they raised strong knights and soldiers.
The decision to marry Beatrice to the then Crown Prince was all because of this.
Her father was especially remarkable, even in the history of her family.
Beatrice respected her father and aimed to be a daughter and empress worthy of his name.
In contrast, her husband was neither a fool nor an exceptional person.
And his actions with his ordinary mind often irritated Beatrice.
Especially, taking in Gwendolyn, a war slave, triggered her deepest fury.
Her hatred for Gwendolyn wasn’t just because she was jealous of a lowly war slave.
It was because the Emperor’s transparent schemes were insulting to her.
Gwendolyn was a princess of the Swehill Kingdom, the country her father had fought to conquer.
Her father had lost a finger and bore a large scar on his face from that war, eventually passing away a few months after it ended.
Thus, executing or enslaving the conquered nation’s royalty was a way to honour her father’s sacrifices.
But the Emperor, who had lived in luxury in the palace while her father fought, had fallen in love with the princess of the enemy nation.
He even babbled the crazy idea of freeing her and her family from their status.
The Emperor claimed to “love” her.
And it truly seemed like he did experience “love.”
But Beatrice believed the Emperor had other motives.
No one could be so foolish as to fall for such a woman without any political calculations.
Her conclusion was:
‘He intends to insult my father’s achievements and suppress my family’s power.’
At that time, her family, who had made significant contributions to the victory, was at the height of its power.
They had such influence that even birds would fall at their command, and no noble dared to challenge them.
The Emperor used Gwendolyn to check the power of a stronger external force than himself.
At least, that was how Beatrice saw it.
Thus, she was enraged and couldn’t tolerate that woman, nor could she stand to see the illegitimate child brazenly live and marry into the Grand Duke’s family, gaining recognition.
“Power comes from strength, and if you lose your strength, you lose your power too.”
After realising that the Emperor was trying to suppress her family’s influence, Beatrice began to build her own power.
While she couldn’t lead a family like her late father, she possessed different abilities her father didn’t have.
Unlike her father, who was a strong soldier, she had delicate, meticulous, and nuanced power.
Like the Rosary pea, which hides a deadly poison inside a beautiful shell, she built her forces in unseen places and wielded power discreetly.
She persuaded, negotiated, divided, or threatened key figures and useful people to make them her own.
“Power doesn’t accumulate overnight.”
Now, it was too late for the Emperor to clumsily engage in behind-the-scenes manoeuvres.
The people around the Emperor had long been under her influence.
The Emperor, who had spent his youth being ambiguously indulgent and trying to govern vaguely, and now couldn’t even maintain his health in his old age, was no match for her.
“It seems it’s time for Your Majesty to issue a new decree.”
“Empress…!”
“How about accusing Killian of forging the edict?”
Beatrice stood face-to-face with the Emperor and asked.
At that moment,
“Your Highness! You must return…!”
“Stop this, Your Majesty!”
Mikhail stood at the open door of the Emperor’s room.
There was a small wound on Mikhail’s cheek, and his original black jacket was gone.
Despite several knights attacking, they couldn’t stop Mikhail alone.
“This is…”
Beatrice turned her head, inwardly blaming the knights for their incompetence.
“Mikhail.”
“Stop everything, Mother.”
In Mikhail’s hand was a sword, seemingly taken from a knight.
Beatrice watched her son, holding a sword and approaching her, with calm eyes.
The knights hesitated, unsure if they should stop Mikhail, but Beatrice allowed him to come to her.
“Do you not realise that your actions now are undermining all my legitimacy?”
He was afraid of the illegitimate child posing a threat to Mikhail.
But Beatrice’s current actions were genuinely destroying Mikhail’s legitimacy.
Beatrice lowered her gaze as if contemplating, then looked up.
“History belongs to the victor.”
If you win, everything is resolved.
Seeing his mother, Mikhail gripped his sword tightly.
Then he pointed the sword directly at her.
As his sword aimed at her chest, Beatrice’s expression momentarily wavered.
“This is my final warning, Your Majesty.”
He barely managed to speak through clenched teeth.
“Stop, Mother.”
