Chapter 123
A short while later, a maid approached quietly and reported.
“The Empress has collected them all.”
“Was it properly recorded in the crystal ball?”
“Yes, everything was recorded clearly.”
The cursed dolls could only be dispelled by the one who had cast the spell.
Thus, the Empress had no choice but to handle it personally.
With this decisive evidence secured, she wouldn’t be able to evade responsibility for this matter.
No matter how much the Emperor favored her, attempting to assassinate members of the imperial family was a grave crime.
“Don’t worry, child.”
The Crown Princess smiled languidly, gently stroking her belly.
Contrary to the Empress’s wishes, the baby was growing healthily and robustly.
* * *
The harvest festival had begun in earnest.
Events were held everywhere, and the streets were alive with festive atmosphere.
A broad smile bloomed on Count Miranda’s face as he attended this event.
Right after the lawsuit from the Peris Dukedom, he’d thought it was all over.
But as they say, even if the sky falls, there’s a way out.
Thanks to Jessica, he’d managed to avert the crisis.
‘Engage to Prince Cesare! You know what kind of things he’s done!’
‘What can we do about it now? You’re the one who refused to leave for the estate.’
‘Still…’
‘This is a special proposal from the Empress. Just becoming the prince’s official fiancée will bring great benefits to the family.’
‘But everyone will see me as a loose woman.’
‘If you become the princess consort, those rumors will die down.’
‘But…’
‘And that’s not all? If Prince Cesare becomes Emperor, the child in your womb will one day be the Crown Prince. You’ll become the Empress, the highest woman in the empire.’
Convincing Jessica had been quite a ordeal, but the results were good in the end.
As the rising maternal family of the prince, Count Miranda didn’t crumble easily under the Peris Dukedom’s assault.
If Jessica became the princess consort like this, they could fully establish themselves in the capital’s social circles.
Count Miranda decided to be shameless about it now that things had come to this.
‘We were unfairly driven out of the capital in the first place. This is just the natural order.’
After the engagement, the fact that Cesare frequently summoned Jessica made it clear this wasn’t just a pipe dream.
Rather, the prince’s courtesan scandal was a boon for the count.
Engaging to a prince whose reputation had been tarnished by that incident.
With the Empress as his backer, the once timid Count Miranda gradually grew arrogant.
“Father.”
Jessica approached during the height of the event.
“What are you doing here? What about the princess?”
“I told her I was stepping out for a bit.”
She glanced around and pulled Count Miranda inside.
Her face was filled with urgency. Seeing this, the count dismissed the people around them.
“So, what’s the matter?”
“It’s just as you said, Father.”
As Jessica spoke, touching her flat belly, a flush of joy spread across Count Miranda’s face.
“Oh, Jessica…!”
He embraced her, patting her back.
Right after she became the official fiancée.
Count Miranda had given Jessica an order.
To take advantage of the prince’s vigorous vitality and conceive an imperial heir.
It was something he’d orchestrated after learning of the prince’s promiscuous private life and the Empress’s cunning nature.
A measure to solidify the marriage.
Given the courtesan incident already, he calculated it would be hard for the prince to turn his back on the child.
Jessica, who had feared the prince might break the engagement and abandon her, obediently followed her father’s words.
The contraceptive Cesare always insisted she take before relations.
She’d pretended to swallow it, secretly discarding it, and as a result of spending the night, she was now pregnant.
In the Barnard Empire’s protection laws, there was a clause stating that if a woman in an engagement became pregnant before marriage, the engagement could not be broken.
Meaning that even as a prince, he couldn’t carelessly discard her now that she was pregnant.
Of course, the public’s gaze would be harsh.
They’d point fingers, saying a chaste woman had conceived out of wedlock.
‘But in this situation, the flaws are more on the prince’s side.’
Usually, in such cases, the custom was to hasten the marriage and hide the premarital pregnancy.
“The prince doesn’t know yet.”
Jessica murmured with a joyful expression.
Having conceived the prince’s child, she would soon become the princess consort.
Even a wastrel like the prince wouldn’t turn his back on his own child.
Jessica still longed for the position beside Cesare, despite the bone-deep pain of his betrayal.
It was a lofty seat that Rodellia could never even dream of.
She would ensure no one could look down on her again.
That’s why she endured Nanael’s scoldings and Cesare’s temper.
A sinister gleam flashed in Jessica’s eyes.
“I plan to tell the prince after the founding festival event.”
“Yes, you’ve done well. Rest well for now. Isn’t that precious blood flowing in there?”
“Yes, Father.”
Jessica blushed shyly, her cheeks flushing.
Unaware that it was all a vain dream.
* * *
The day before the founding festival event.
While Edwin detained Pierre, Alferen and I headed to the site.
Ordel, who had manifested at my side, wandered around and reacted irritably.
– Why are humans so desperate to tear each other apart?
“Yeah, really. I don’t know why they’re so vicious.”
I replied absentmindedly to Ordel’s words and calmly scanned the ground.
There should be a Fairy Bloom around here for sure.
My proficiency wasn’t high enough yet to survey a wide area easily.
Then, when Ordel placed a hand on my shoulder, the energy became astonishingly clear.
“Found it!”
I quickly pointed under the stage.
It was the temporary stage set up in the square for the event.
They were probably aiming for when Alferen would ascend the stage.
Alferen skillfully moved the bricks, revealing a gap inside.
When he illuminated the crevice with light magic, the Ice Dragon’s egg connected to the Fairy Bloom came into view.
– It’s still alive.
Ordel looked at the Ice Dragon’s egg with curiosity.
As he said, the Ice Dragon’s egg was still pulsing with life.
It was a healthy throbbing, despite being trapped in the egg without hatching for so long.
If not for a skilled tamer, it would have died long ago.
Recalling Pierre, I replied softly.
“The person who had this is an advanced tamer.”
In the meantime, Alferen retrieved the egg and the Fairy Bloom.
The cord woven with talismans where the flower stem had been removed looked ominous at a glance.
As Alferen tried to sever the talismans recklessly, Ordel stepped in to stop him.
– It’s dangerous. Let me do it.
As if this was why he’d come along, Ordel easily cut the cord.
In that instant, the ominous energy that had been lingering dissipated.
“Let’s replace it with this.”
I placed the fake Fairy Bloom and ostrich egg I’d brought under the stage.
Reconnecting the severed cord made it look quite plausible.
Cesare and Pierre’s plan had already been fully uncovered on our side.
“Just in case, Adrian will be on alert that day.”
Adrian, who led the first division of the imperial knights, was scheduled to guard the Crown Prince and Empress that day.
I’d warned him to be especially vigilant in case of any other terrorist acts.
“I’ve also heard from the Crown Princess. She’s secured all the evidence, so we can move at the right time.”
Now that we knew Cesare was trying to kill Alferen, swift action was paramount.
Alferen gazed at me steadily.
“When do you plan to reveal it?”
“The best time is when the opponent’s attack is neutralized.”
If the fact that the Empress tried to assassinate the Crown Princess and the child became public, Cesare would try to cover it up.
Having removed all the traps, Alferen and I headed straight to the Range mansion.
Edwin greeted us upon seeing us.
“You handled it quickly?”
“Yeah. What about Pierre?”
“I’ve kept him secure.”
Edwin led me and Alferen into the mansion.
When we arrived at the holding area, Pierre was bound and confined with restraints.
The restraints Alferen had provided in advance neutralized the sorcerer’s powers.
As soon as he saw us, he realized things had gone awry and became furiously indignant.
“Edwin, what the hell is this! Release me, now!”
“I can’t do that.”
“Didn’t I tell you clearly? Don’t interfere with my affairs! My life is mine to do with as I please!”
At Pierre’s outburst, Edwin wore a troubled expression.
He seemed uncomfortable imprisoning someone like a father to him.
I pushed him outside.
“I’ll talk to him, so wait out there.”
