Chapter 24

Ugh!

You people, stop with the terrifying threats already…

It wasn’t much different from what the Emperor had said, but Lydia sat up straight and listened carefully.

As expected, the Prime Minister was much better at speaking than the Emperor.

Lucas continued gently.

“One night, the sacred creature brought me a small pouch. Then it told me not to eat it. A pouch with black fruit inside. Do you know it?”

I licked Lydia’s sleeve, trying to encourage her to find the courage to answer.

At last, Lydia burst into tears and threw herself flat on the ground.

Her young voice came out broken through sobs.

“I-I’ve committed a sin worthy of death, Your Excellency. I dared to accept silver in exchange for keeping it a secret. I wanted to return the coins, but I already spent them on my sick mother’s treatment. I never imagined that such a small thing could kill someone… Your Excellency…”

Lucas quietly watched the crying girl, then asked again.

“Why did the one who gave you the silver hand you that fruit?”

“Th-that… they told me to make milk wine with it. I swear, that’s all!”

“Milk wine?”

As he said that, Lucas glanced at me.

I nodded firmly.

I hoped this would prove that I hadn’t tried to harm Michaela.

Lucas gave me a faint smile, then turned back to Lydia.

“So you made it?”

The poor girl began sobbing loudly.

She looked as if she already believed she had killed someone.

“I-I made it, sir. Did I… did I hurt someone? Because of me, did someone…”

The Prime Minister answered slowly.

“…Not yet. What did you put into the drink?”

Lydia listed everything that went into the milk wine. The fruit, spices, sugar, wine.

Then she added,

“B-but on the day I was making it a second time, the sacred creature came into the kitchen. Then it knocked over the ground fruit powder I had prepared…”

Sniffling, Lydia carefully stroked my head once.

“At the time, I was only worried about being scolded by my superiors… but now I think the sacred creature was helping me avoid committing a sin…”

“Is that true, Kitty?”

I nodded.

Lucas smiled with a gentle expression, almost like an angel.

What once seemed like a carefree face, I now knew he only showed to a select few.

Surprisingly, Lucas didn’t press her about who gave her the silver.

Instead, he stood up.

Just before leaving, he asked again,

“But weren’t you imprisoned today for a different charge?”

Lydia sniffled.

“…Yes, Your Excellency.”

Lucas frowned slightly.

“Did you really take the sacred creature outside the palace?”

“N-no, absolutely not, Your Excellency. I swear to Goddess Favia, I never did such a thing. I definitely went out alone.”

At the innocent girl’s words, the quick witted Prime Minister let out a small chuckle.

“So you’re saying you weren’t alone when you came back.”

Lydia hesitated, and Lucas sat back down.

“Well then, let’s hear that story too. What kind of trouble did our little sacred creature get into all by itself?”

Now Lydia even glanced at me nervously.

But unable to withstand his pressure and coaxing, she roughly explained what she knew.

That she had found a shop owner looking for the cat’s owner and brought it back.

Even in the middle of that, I couldn’t help but admire her loyalty and courage in protecting the shopkeeper.

Lucas’s expression grew serious.

“So you only met the sacred creature late the next afternoon…”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“I saw in the records that you also met it in the palace garden the day before?”

“At that time, I had gone down to get delivered fish and happened to see it. After that, I clearly saw the sacred creature go back into the palace with noble ladies.”

Lucas tilted his head.

“Did you see what those nobles were doing with the sacred creature?”

“I did not, Your Excellency.”

“Then when you saw it, did the sacred creature already seem upset?”

This time Lydia hesitated before answering.

Lucas added,

“You may speak as you felt.”

“Well… I was scolded by a noble lady, so… I think it seemed a little upset because of that.”

Lucas asked again.

“What did you do wrong to be scolded?”

“I… I was so happy to see the sacred creature that I dared to look up at it.”

He looked slightly confused.

“Who are you referring to?”

“T-the sacred creature…”

“And?”

“One beautiful lady scolded me for daring to meet the eyes of the sacred creature, who stands above nobles. I-I will never do it again, Your Excellency.”

Despite her firm resolve, Lucas looked baffled.

His gaze shifted to me.

“Don’t tell me Emma Schmidt did that?”

I nodded firmly.

Lucas burst out laughing.

“So that’s why you got so angry you ran out of the palace?”

As if that was the only reason.

I turned my head sharply away, and Lucas continued with a grin.

“So the charming lady of the Schmidt duchy wears a sweet and gentle mask, does she? That’s why you hate her so much?”

I nodded without hesitation.

His hearty laughter echoed against the stone walls of the dungeon.

After we returned upstairs, Lucas had a kitchen servant deliver a special meal to the underground prison.

Ah, everyone.

The Prime Minister of Kella is love.

* * *

Night fell just like that.

Since Lucas had learned most of the truth, I figured the chances of Klaus carrying out something like mutilation on my little friend were slim.

After all, Lucas Walter was bold enough to threaten the Emperor with his own life.

Still, Lydia remained in prison.

I couldn’t stop worrying whether it was too cold down there, whether rats were crawling everywhere.

Klaus sat in his chambers going through documents and offered me food several times.

“Are you really not going to eat?”

My stomach twisted with hunger, but I endured.

I had already learned that skipping a few meals wouldn’t kill me.

Klaus left the room with the plate, looking displeased.

I thought he had given up, but soon a servant came in with a plate of cheese.

My favorite, mascarpone cheese.

Ugh, what a petty Emperor.

I almost writhed at the fragrant smell but turned away.

Klaus clicked his tongue.

“You’re really not going to eat?”

When I ignored him, he reluctantly asked,

“You really didn’t go out with that servant?”

I nodded quickly.

Klaus looked unconvinced.

“Is it true you went to her every night?”

This time, I nodded slightly.

If I lied, it would undermine my earlier answer.

But if Klaus forbade it, I planned never to go again.

I mean it, Your Majesty.

I’ll do whatever you say, just let her go.

He asked again.

“There’s no fireplace in the servants’ quarters. Was it so uncomfortable here that you had to go to such a cold place?”

I didn’t understand the question.

As he said, it was cold there. I only went because I was worried Lydia would be cold.

I tilted my head and shook it.

Klaus wasn’t particularly uncomfortable.

Just sometimes terrifying…

He sighed and continued.

“Do you like that girl?”

I nodded again, small and firm.

Klaus brought the plate closer, and I tried to run away, but his voice sounded a little tired.

“I’ll question her again tomorrow. If she’s innocent, she’ll be released. If you eat this cheese.”

So I ate it.

Every last bit.

Only then did he add,

“But if it’s proven that she moved the sacred creature at will, she won’t be spared. That small, insignificant child could never protect you. You belong to the Imperial family of Kella. This is not a private matter.”

Yeah, I get it.

I won’t leave again.

I’ll haunt Herera Palace even after I die.

So stop punishing innocent people…

Only after pushing the cheese plate aside did Klaus change into his nightclothes and lie down.

At the tap by his pillow, I jumped onto the bed.

Just because he gave me cheese didn’t mean I suddenly found him lovable after acting like a madman since yesterday.

But if I acted cute, maybe he would forgive Lydia.

So I burrowed into his arms.

I rubbed my face against his soft golden hair, and a pleasant woody scent filled the air.

Honestly, with how he acts, he should smell like blood.

When I looked up, his clear blue eyes, even half asleep, looked like a calm lake.

Considering how violent he had been these past few days, it was ridiculous.

Your Majesty.

With a face like that, why are you living like this?

Of course, Klaus had no way of knowing my thoughts.

His hand stroked my neck with growing familiarity.

As I purred, he spoke drowsily.

“And everything that belongs to this Imperial family belongs to me.”

…Get a grip, Im Mari.

Don’t get worked up over a madman’s claims of ownership.

Don’t expect anything.

He’s just crazy.

And yet, stupidly, I kept hoping.

That the Emperor would show even a fraction of the softness he showed me to his people.

That tomorrow he would hate less and be hated less.

Even in the restless early dawn, I stayed in his arms.

Clinging to him like I was part of him, I spent the entire night that way.

It was a warm, long night.

* * *

The next day, around lunchtime, after returning from the banquet hall with Klaus,

Lydia was brought into the Audience Chamber.

She walked hesitantly between the large soldiers, but she looked calmer than yesterday.

Someone must have helped her. She was in clean clothes, her washed face finally showing a bit of youthful brightness.

Though the moment she saw the Emperor, her eyes began to tremble again.

Even the soldiers handled her carefully, and I was sure it was all thanks to the Prime Minister.

But Lucas himself didn’t appear.

In the grand chamber stood only the Emperor, the acting chamberlain, and a scribe.

Ah, Lucas.

Couldn’t you have come to help just a little more?

Resentment bubbled up as the interrogation began.

Klaus asked in a commanding tone.

“Are you ready to tell me when you first met the sacred creature?”