Turning Chapter 1118

Chapter 1118

–Clang.

The fork suddenly fell on the neat plate filled with soft pastries that went well with tea, making a sharp sound.

"Your Majesty?"

The Empress, who had been enjoying tea with the Emperor, blinked in surprise. She now knew that even when the Emperor seemed to be enjoying daily life, countless pieces of information were passing through a corner of his mind, so she lowered her voice and asked with a cautious expression.

"What's the matter? Has something bad happened somewhere...?"

"No, it's nothing."

Emperor Keilusa shook his head and sighed as he picked up the fork again.

"It's a bit sudden, but it seems Duke Peletta has just entered his heat."

The Emperor hadn't contacted his brother, but he hadn't removed the eyes and ears he had planted there either. Therefore, he was aware of most of what was happening in Peletta Castle and what work his brother and his aide were currently doing.

The anomalous crack in the North, the subsequent response, and the situation of cracks occurring throughout the entire empire that followed – all of it.

"Pardon? Is he alright?"

"Of course. Baron Aile is by his side, isn't he?"

"Ah... That's right. Yes."

Color returned to the Empress's cheeks, which had paled with worry for Kishiar.

"How fortunate it is that Yuder is there..."

"I feel the same way. It seems we are once again indebted to this valuable talent."

"I've heard that second gender manifested awakeners can't do anything during their heat period. Is there anything we can do to help?"

"I was already thinking of taking action since he was working again despite being sent on vacation. An unexpected event has occurred, but. Well, it might have turned out well in a way."

A faint smile passed over Emperor Keilusa's face.

"I'll send some of my people to Peletta. It would be more reassuring for them to work together rather than handling things on their own. And as punishment for the impertinent Duke and Baron who dared not to heed the imperial order, I'll decree a few days of additional confinement, and if we finish the work they're currently doing until they return, we can both help and scold them at the same time, I think."

"That's a really good idea."

The Empress clapped her hands.

"The Duke is excessively clever, so he probably guessed how I would move when he became absent due to his heat, but he wouldn't have predicted the confinement I'll impose. I want to see his displeased expression when he receives this order after his heat ends."

"As you say, the Duke used to be most disappointed by orders to rest."

The couple smiled simultaneously as if thinking of a certain point in the past.

"Your Majesty. When sending people to Peletta, could I also send the scented candles and tea I made?"

"Of course. Although it pains my heart a little to give such a good reward to my impertinent brother who doesn't even listen to my orders... don't be too surprised if news comes that the Empress's scented candles have suddenly turned into spicy peppers when they arrive."

The Empress burst into laughter. Emperor Keilusa savored that clear laughter with pleasure as he lowered his eyes. In his mind, the ability opened towards Peletta Castle closed, and the eyes and ears planted in other places began to open all at once.

'Really... Big brother hired those assassins?'

In a high-class lodging in the capital. Kiolle, who was staying there unable to return to the Diarca main residence where he originally lived, couldn't hide his shocked expression as he received the investigation results.

'Why on earth would he...! No, more than that, how on earth should I tell Father about this...'

However, he didn't need to worry about that. Duke Diarca was already personally looking into the full story of this shocking incident where his youngest son had saved the Empress from an ambush and was then appointed as the Emperor's special investigator to investigate the matter.

'Kironne, you fool! How could you be so blinded by greed as to try to kill your brother at such a crucial time, and not content with that, to bring things to this state!'

The old man's lips, with a long pipe in his mouth, trembled with anger.

'This is why I can't hand over my position to that fellow. He's stupid yet too greedy. Who on earth does he take after...'

'Your Grace. What should we do now? The Emperor has already blatantly turned this incident into an attempt on the Empress's life. Could it also be their ploy that Sir Kiolle refuses to return to the main house...'

'Kiolle is the one with the thickest Diarca blood of all. Does he seem like he would do such a thing?'

"..."

'The fact that it turned out as if Kiolle coincidentally met and saved the Empress, when in fact Kiolle was the real target, might have been... what that boy aimed for.'

'What? Are you saying that Young Master Kiolle himself did this...?'

'Yes. If it weren't for this incident, would I ever have known that Kironne was ignoring my words and acting on his own like this? It's ridiculous.'

'Ah...'

A cold smile appeared on Duke Diarca's face.

'We may not be able to avoid the disgraceful picture of a Diarca family member investigating Diarca, but if we can find out which bastards have been covering my eyes and ears because of this, this shaking might not be so bad.'

'Then regarding the resolution of the Empress's ambush...'

'Just find some substitute culprits. Whatever the Emperor says, we can handle that anytime! Do you think they can dare make Diarca into traitors? But the internal enemies are important. So from today, Kironne is to be removed from all his duties and confined. Externally, he has suddenly fallen ill. Set it up like that, and thoroughly examine his surroundings. If there's anyone who shows even slightly suspicious movements, report immediately and deal with them...'

Duke Diarca's suspicion towards the internal affairs of the family. His trust in his youngest son. His arrogant carelessness in believing that the Emperor could not become his true enemy.

The factors that Emperor Keilusa had carefully manipulated and inflated blinded the old raccoon's eyes and ears. And it was the same for the raccoon's children as well.

'Father ordered me to be confined?... He's going to investigate from tomorrow? Ha...!'

'What should we do, brother? Is Father really going to abandon you just listening to that stupid Kiolle's words? This is nonsense!'

'That damned sword-wielder. If only he had died instead of the Empress, he could have at least been of use as Diarca's soil!'

'Isn't this really too much? The most important thing right now should be resolving external matters, not internal Diarca affairs...! Have you heard the rumors that other ducal families are trying to bring down His Highness the Crown Prince and establish a new Crown Prince?'

'I've heard those rumors too. Yet His Grace the Duke isn't even worried...!'

The false rumors that the Emperor had secretly spread among the Diarca family members were many and varied. They were busy suspecting and looking down on each other, believing that only the information they knew was real. The Diarca, who had the strongest aristocratic sense of solidarity tied to their proud family even if there was no blood affection, was now being shaken from its internal roots.

Without even realizing they were being shaken.

Emperor Keilusa's vision left the Diarca family. His eyes opened again to a distant land in the southwest of the empire, the hometown where a Cavalry member named Marin was staying on vacation.

'Marin, and Sir Knights. Thank you so much for saving our village from the bandits this time. It's not much, but please accept this.'

'No need. We just did what we should do as Cavalry members.'

'Still... We couldn't even help you properly after Mikey died, but you're helping us even during your vacation, we're just sorry. We were really sorry back then, Marin.'

Marin, who had been looking strangely at the villagers bowing and apologizing, smiled lightly with a relieved face.

'...It's fine. I know you couldn't help it either. I'm doing well on my own now, so it's okay.'

After the villagers left, Marin turned her head. She opened her mouth with a face that wasn't intimidated at all even among the sturdy knights.

'Well, now we can have a proper conversation. You say you're knights from Peletta? Did our Commander perhaps foresee the attack that happened yesterday and send you?'

'To be precise, Duke Peletta and His Majesty the Emperor sent us. Miss Marin, the bandits who attacked the village yesterday were targeting you, not the village. They said you would know who was behind it without being told.'

'Ah. As expected.'

Marin burst into laughter. Emperor Keilusa felt as if her eyes, burning with clear vengeance, were directed straight at him.

'Katchian. That bastard must have found out about me now. I knew this would happen when I joined the Cavalry, but he's quite quick. What should I do?...'

Eyes that understood the whole situation, harbored revenge, but had no intention of acting rashly. That was because she trusted this side.

However, unlike Marin, someone living at the same time was showing a completely different appearance. Emperor Keilusa's eyes closed and opened again, moving beyond the Sun Palace to the Bright Palace.