“Achoo!”

The tip of my nose had been itchy since earlier, so I ended up sneezing again.

I lost track of how many times I’d sneezed, yet not a single maid had asked how I was feeling. They were probably cautious because they didn’t know how Madame Chunet would react.

My body felt cold, so I pulled the blankets close to me and curled up. However, I could strangely still feel the chilly air.

Perhaps it was because my nervousness about meeting Hadel earlier had disappeared.

Finally, I couldn’t stand it any longer and quietly called for Madame Chunet.

“Madame Chunet.”

“Yes, Miss Silver Lily.”

“Can you stoke the fire a bit more?”

“…I cannot.”

“Haa. What can you do?”

Madame Chunet ignored my grumbles, instead calling my name in her characteristically dry voice.

“Miss Silver Lily.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Do you know why His Majesty was so surprised?”

There it is.

I was wondering why you hadn’t asked me.

She definitely received an order to watch and report my every action to Duke Valkirino.

The Emperor’s visit alone must have been surprising, so they probably were especially curious as to why that Emperor powerlessly collapsed before returning.

I took a second to consider how I should respond.

I definitely couldn’t tell the truth, but it’d be strange to pretend I didn’t know anything at all.

Acting like it wasn’t of much importance, I spoke with a slight smile.

“Who knows. Don’t you know the reason well enough, Madame Chunet?”

After saying that, I grabbed a handful of my hair and shook it.

The Head Maid stared at my face for a moment, then bowed her head without any further words.

I was going to motion for her to leave the room, but I stopped because I suddenly thought of a good idea to let Hadel know who I was.

“Madame Chunet. No matter how much my actions are restricted here, it shouldn’t matter what I do with the funds allocated to me, right?”

“Correct, though the amount of money allocated to you is so small that I’m not sure you’ll be able to buy what you want, Miss Silver Lily.”

“It doesn’t matter. What I want is very common, you see.”

“…What is it?” Madame Chunet asked suspiciously.

In response, I clearly stated my request.

“A bird. Get me a very yellow chick.”

“…What do you plan on using it for?”

“Do I have to tell you something like that too?”

“…But…”

“It’s because I’m lonely, okay?! And I know selling and purchasing animals on the streets is illegal according to the Empire’s laws, so adopt a cute but strong chick from a licensed chicken farm.”

Madame Chunet didn’t respond.

To confirm, I hammered in the nail one more time.

“No matter how powerless I am as a Queen only in name, can’t you at least do this? I don’t think the Duke will be interested in me raising a chick.”

“…Understood.”

“Do it for me as soon as the day dawns.”

After finishing what I wanted to say, I pulled the blanket over my head again.

It felt like my body had gotten a little bit warmer after thinking about Hadel.

He’d probably come find me again soon, given his condition from today, so I had to quickly put this game to an end.

I can’t let this drag on any longer, since, above all else, Hadel’s condition was much worse than I’d thought.

* * *

“Here’s the report, Your Excellency the Duke.”

The shadow fluctuated as a heavy voice rang through the air.

Setting down the wine glass he’d been drinking from, Duke Valkirino leaned deeply into the sofa.

“The Emperor went to Lily Palace. We don’t know why, but he seemed very tormented as he looked at the Silver Lily before leaving swiftly.”

“Hm.”

The Duke’s purple eyes gleamed.

He went to the Lily Palace and didn’t kill the girl—instead, he seemed tormented and then swiftly left?

“This is an unexpected turn of events.”

No matter how weak the Emperor was to silver-colored women, he didn’t expect it’d be this severe.

Had the Emperor gotten weaker? Or…

The Duke, who had been lost in his thoughts for a while slowly blinked, his eyelashes lowering and rising.

“Did some other unexpected variable appear?”

When Marquis Melliot’s daughter Lepea changed her hair color and tried to seduce him, the Emperor’s emotions had been perilous, but not to this extent.

Each time, he’d almost killed Lepea before ultimately throwing her aside.

However, this time he wasn’t able to even touch a fingernail before fleeing?

“Does the Emperor know that the child is a distant relative of the de Ach family?”

“Not yet. However, it seems that he’s found out that they are somehow related.”

“Hm. Well, there’s no need to hide it. Since the person who could control the Emperor is already…”

The tip of the Duke’s mouth quivered, then quirked up strangely. His eyes thrashed with lunacy for a moment before calming down.

“Since she no longer exists in this world.”

Ashella de Ach.

To be honest, he’d originally had no interest in whether Lahadelt—who’d been chased away to the de Ach Duchy—started dating someone or not.

He was only a half-blood Prince, after all, and there was no way someone like that would become the ruling Emperor.

Thus, the Duke hadn’t been concerned at all.

Even after he’d killed the other seven princes and slowly poisoned the Emperor to death, he could have never imagined the half-blood Prince they’d chased out would become a hindrance.

But then, the few nobles who were on the royals’ side brought Lahadelt into the Imperial palace and made him into the Crown Prince.

If the Duke had opposed him there, he would have received suspicion. In the end, he supported the half-blood Prince into becoming the Emperor and planned for the future.

Wasn’t it thanks to him that Lahadelt was able to become the Emperor, anyway?

It was natural that the Empress should be his daughter, Nella.

Funnily enough, though, the stupid half-blood Prince who he had wanted to make his chess piece had already gotten married.

After a bit of consideration, he had decided to raise the stakes.

He would murder the wife of the half-blood who would soon become the Emperor and completely dispose of the de Ach Duchy that the Emperor favored so much.

Although the de Ach family was a Duchy at the time, they weren’t too involved in politics, which is why getting rid of them had been so easy.

They had had no measures set up to protect their family.

“Leave for now. Closely observe the Emperor and the Lily Palace. The moment that child acts out or says anything strange, send some military forces to the de Ach Viscounty.”

“Understood.”

The shadow fluctuated once more before a feeble wind blew.

Duke Valkirino burrowed himself deeper into the sofa.

There was only a faint shell of the Emperor Lahadelt who’d once seemed like an impregnable fortress.

Who knew that someone could get this wrecked after their wife died… If anything, this might actually be for the better.

No matter how strong of a human you may be, if you get destroyed like that and continue falling to ruin, you become easier to get rid of.

That’s why the Duke had ignored the actions of Marquis Melliott and his daughter until now, even when they acted up, since it aided him in making the Emperor waver.

The Emperor would now slowly dry up and die.

Afterwards, it’d be easy. He simply needed to get rid of anything that got in his path.

Just as he’d done until now, he’d remove all of it.

A new history would be written when his plans succeeded.

The time for the old royal family of the Sierria Empire was over.

* * *

The next morning, the thing that made me lift my heavy eyelashes was Mary’s lilting voice.

“Miss Silver Lily—Miss Silver Lily? Wake up!”

Normally, I would try to hold onto the blanket and sleep for as long as possible, but today was different.

I could feel shivers going down my spine at the fakeness oozing off of the voice whispering into my ear.

It was no surprise I instantly woke up.

“…Mary?”

As I blearily opened my stiff eyes, I saw Mary softly smiling as she came close to me.

“Miss Silver Lily! It’s time for you to get up.”

“Where’s Madame Chunet? Why are you here?”

Didn’t Madame Chunet usually coldly wake me with a frosty tone?

Although several questions filled my head, Mary smiled that fake smile of hers before amiably responding.

“The Head Maid is preparing your breakfast, Miss Silver Lily. That’s why I received the honor of letting you know that it’s morning.”

Why is she acting like this?

Wasn’t she the one who was looking at me with disgust until just yesterday?

There’s no way someone would change overnight like this.

Not to mention, no matter who saw or heard this, they’d know her smile and tone were artificial.

Mary must have sensed how taken aback I was, for she hesitated before bowing her head.

“I was rude to you yesterday, Miss Silver Lily. Thank you for forgiving me. It’ll never happen again!”

I never said I forgave you, though?

Madame Chunet must have heard what happened in the bathroom and purposely assigned Mary to me.

It was like she was saying, “no matter how shitty you might feel, you can’t do anything about it, got it?” while laughing at me.

“…Okay. I’m in your hands from now on, Mary.”

Surely enough, as soon as I acted like I agreed, Mary’s yellow-green eyes burned with passion.

“Yes, Miss Silver Lily! Thank you!”

Those eyes were definitely not burning with enthusiasm.

If anything, isn’t Madame Chunet a little stupid? How is she planning on using a girl who can’t even hide her greedy gaze?

“Then I’ll get some water so you can wash up, Miss Silver Lily!”

“Okay, thanks.”

Seeing Mary smiling as she hummed under her breath, I smiled as well.

It seems you’re trying to pick a fight with me and screw me over, but what will you do?

Thanks to you, I think I’ll get a chance to get rid of Mary sooner than I expected.