Chapter 130

“Count Ecklen hates the Duke of Reston……”

Marquis Croychen mumbled, recalling the past.

“I heard they had some kind of grudge in the past.”

“I heard that too. In fact, they didn’t and still don’t get along well.”

“That’s right. The Count will never side with the Duke.”

Another nobleman was spoken in response to the Minister of Home Affairs.

“The Count’s son[1] is with the Empress. We have to take advantage of that.”

[1] Seibel, Theor’s teacher.

Florin and Marianne listened carefully to the three men.

Since coming here, their father has not explained his plan to his daughters.

He said that it was all his wife and daughters’ fault that the family was in this situation, and he drew a line with them.

‘You will feel better if you blame others.’

Their conversation ended with that. The Marquis got up first.

Other nobles also went out with him.

Maybe he will be leaving for the capital again before dawn.

After the study was empty, Florin asked her older sister.

“Do you know what Father was talking about?”

“It was a plan to separate the Emperor and the Empress.”

Marianne explained the story she heard to Florin.

Florin couldn’t keep her mouth shut when she heard that.

“What a fool…..!”

How could the emperor fall for such a stupid trick?

Where in the world could an assassination attempt be so sloppy in the first place?

Florin was stunned and forgot to lower her voice.

“I think so too,” Marianne agreed. “But there’s not much father can do right now, so he’s trying to do whatever he can.”

Her older sister’s short hair caught Florin’s gaze.

Marianne became more cautious than she was before thanks to her hard work in the convent.

“One way or another, I hope she will fall soon.”

Instead, she developed a deep hatred for Empress Astelle.

“Daphne entered the Imperial Palace but His Majesty the Emperor treated her like dust.”

“I don’t even think Daphne can do well.”

In fact, there was no way the Emperor could turn his attention to another woman.

Marianne shook her head in annoyance.

“What the hell is Naen doing there?”

“I don’t expect much from her either.”

Florin turned to Vellian for help, but she has yet to hear from him.

***

Even though there was an accident on the day the imperial couple went to the theater, the atmosphere of the Imperial Palace flowed peacefully as if nothing had happened.

The only thing that changed was that strange rumors were circulating inside the Imperial Palace.

“Rumors are divided, but the basic content is that the Empress and the Duke tried to assassinate the Emperor. In particular, the Duke……”

Hannah reported to Astelle with a dark expression.

“They speculate that you tried to kill His Majesty to make the prince the new emperor.”

“It’s not quite wrong.”

Her father must have had such a wish in reality.

But this was never her father’s.

The fact that this rumor spread as if someone had been waiting, it seemed that someone was determined to spread it.

Hannah said worriedly, “I will crack down on the maids to prevent such rumors from spreading.”

“There is no way we can stop it from spreading in other palaces. Just don’t let it spread inside the Empress Palace.”

In the other palaces, Kaizen will have his servants block it to some extent.

Kaizen must have been aware of the rumor too.

On the night of the accident, Astelle talked with Kaizen until late.

Kaizen reassured the anxious Astelle.

“Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I will protect you.”

It was a low, captivating voice.

“……”

Astelle stood facing him in the bedroom.

Once again, it was clear that Kaizen was a strong man.

His firm-looking body wrapped in muscles seemed to be strong enough to resist any kind of hardship.

She wasn’t sexually attracted to this man.

Even so, Astelle struggled to shake off the subtle atmosphere.

But it was true that she was relieved to be with Kaizen.

Kaizen carefully took a few steps closer.

“Astelle.”

He stroked Astelle’s pale cheek and lips lightly, comforting her. His warm hand touched her ear.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Astelle smiled, clasping his hand lightly.

“I will help Your Majesty too.”

After that night, there was a more comfortable and friendly warmth between the two.

It was funny considering that there were rumors circulating inside the palace that the empress was trying to kill the emperor.

It was the fifth day after the accident. The butler came directly from the Imperial Palace.

“The Emperor sent you a gift.”

Astelle looked at the boxes laid down by the servants and quietly traced her old memories.

I think this has happened several times before.

Kaizen has sent gifts a few times before, but I’ve never been happy to receive them.

At that time, no matter what Kaizen sent me, everything was just annoying.

But now Astelle didn’t feel that way, because she knew why Kaizen sent this.

‘I’m sure you must be trying to dispel useless rumors.’

The servant opened a large box.

Inside the box are all kinds of colorful jewelry, including necklaces made of rare golden pearls and sapphire earrings.

There’s even a large, light green diamond that is big enough to think about how to use it.

The simple cut diamond is a little smaller than a ripe plum.

How am I supposed to use this?

I think it would be too heavy to make into a necklace or hairpin.

“That’s great.”

Just in time, her father, Duke Reston, picked up the light green diamond and admired it.

“This is one of the heirlooms of the imperial family. It’s a precious jewel to give to the only empress.”

The only empress.

The empress is the highest status a woman in the empire can enjoy.

The Duke touched the necklaces made of gold pearls one by one as if he was putting a price on them.

“Is the finances of our estate difficult?” Astelle asked sullenly.

It’s too blatant for her to ask ‘Father, do you need money?’

The Duke of Reston read the ridicule in Astelle’s calm voice and put the jewel down in an unpleasant manner.

“There’s plenty of money in the mansion.”

Astelle gave a formal thank you and let the servants out.

Only Astelle and her father are in the room.

“Are you here because of the last incident?”

“Then what did I come here for?”

“I don’t know. You came here every day.”

In the early days of her becoming Empress, he came in almost every day and bothered Theor.

The Duke of Reston frowned, not knowing what to say, and just drank the tea.

“You’ve heard about the bad rumors about the last accident, haven’t you?”

“It must have been the work of the nobles on the side of the emperor.”

“Don’t you think the emperor is behind all of this?”

“No, he’s not.”

Astelle glanced again at the jewelry box, which had been set aside.

“How can you even say that to me? His Majesty cares about Theor and me. There is no way he would try to destroy our family.”

“You never know. Did you ever think that it was all you and Theor needed?”

It wasn’t wrong.

From the emperor’s point of view, it may be better to have only his beloved empress and successor, and not have to keep the nobles who don’t support them.

Astelle didn’t answer for a moment before she asked another question.

“Who are the people on your side?”

“It’s quite a lot. First of all, Count Ruth,…..”

The Duke of Reston mentioned the names of several nobles.

There were several ministers that Astelle had also heard of.

“How about you? I heard you have Count Ecklen.”

“He offered to help me.”

“Since when did you two know each other? Why did he suddenly become friendly?”

“Maybe because he was close to my mother.”

The Duke who was putting down the teacup paused.

“Who said that?”

“My grandfather did.”

“Did he? How ridiculous.”

The Duke clicked his tongue.

“Is that something I shouldn’t hear?” Astelle naively asked.

“Why not? Well, I don’t care what happened before we got married.”

He was surprisingly generous.

If it was her father she knew, the Duchess should have had a flawless past without blemish.

She thought he had such a mindset.

Astelle remembered that Count Ecklen had been unfairly expelled when he was young.

‘It’s like something my father could do.’

Well, I’m not sure.

Her father was very sensitive when he heard the name of Count Ecklen before.

“Anyway, I wanted to meet you.”

Astelle put down the teacup.

She looked straight at her father and brought up the main point.

“Please drive out those who are hostile to our family among the emperor’s ministers.”

“The ministers?”

The Duke asked back in surprise.

Astelle said coldly, “We can’t just defend ourselves forever. If they keep targeting our family, we must retaliate.”

“Will the emperor stay still?”

“Even if His Majesty is aiming for you, we can take the initiative and get rid of those who are on the Emperor’s side.”

“Get rid of them you say?”

“They used poison and gunpowder first, and there’s no law that says we shouldn’t do the same.”

It means to get rid of it by any means, whether using poison or whatever.

“……”

The Duke of Reston soon realized that Astelle looked a lot like him.

Her light green eyes and platinum blonde also resemble his, but in particular, her personality was clearly inherited from him.

The Duke was fond of his wife, Jacqueline, Astelle’s mother.

But getting her was a pretty tough process.

Because Jacqueline was foolishly fond of a worthless lieutenant.

But fortunately, Astelle has a brilliant brain and is wise like her father.

He still doesn’t regret taking Jacqueline.

She gave birth to a daughter who became the empress and a son who would become his successor, so he had no regrets.

He did, although some forced tactics were used to win her over.

He had no choice but to get the foolish Marquis’ daughter to come to her senses.

At that time, the Duke of Reston was a promising young duke.

It was very easy for him to drive away the insignificant lieutenant, find the weakness of the Marquis’ daughter and force her to marry him.

The Duke answered with satisfaction, recalling the memories of that time.

“Okay. First of all, let’s get rid of the Minister of the Home Affairs who has sent a woman to the Imperial Palace as a maid to seduce the emperor.”