Chapter 25

Good grief.

All the charm I had shown him through the night meant nothing. The Emperor’s voice was cold as ice.

As expected, Lydia’s face was growing darker by the second.

Just when I thought everything was ruined—

Bang, the Audience Chamber doors flew open without a knock.

“Hah, hah… my apologies, Your Majesty. I meant to arrive on time, but…”

There weren’t many people in this palace who could burst through those heavy doors like that.

Lydia and I both spotted Lucas at the same time and let out sighs of relief.

Your Excellency, did you really have to make an entrance like a protagonist…

Klaus frowned.

“Prime Minister, don’t you dare lecture me on etiquette again.”

Honestly, he deserved that.

With a sigh, Klaus continued.

“I didn’t order your attendance. And why is the head chef here of all people.”

Exactly.

The perpetually late Prime Minister of Kella wasn’t alone.

For some reason, he had brought Head Chef Britta with him.

Instead of Britta, Lucas spoke first, still catching his breath.

“Hah… please proceed for now. I will explain afterward.”

Beside him, Britta removed her chef’s hat and bowed deeply.

Klaus gave a reluctant nod.

Thanks to that, Lydia now had an even larger audience for her interrogation.

Klaus seated the pitiful girl and coldly urged her on.

“The accused will answer the question.”

Lydia flinched.

Wait, he was already calling her a criminal before even determining her guilt?

Wow. Human rights in this country were truly nonexistent.

“When did you first meet the sacred creature.”

After taking a deep breath, Lydia barely managed to speak.

“I-in truth… I first saw it one night in the small kitchen, Your Majesty.”

Klaus raised an eyebrow.

“The small kitchen?”

“Yes. It’s where broth and soup are prepared, and jam is made, both day and night, Your Majesty.”

Klaus tapped his fingers against the armrest.

“Do you work there every night.”

“N-not usually, but that night I stayed late to run an errand, Your Majesty.”

“What errand.”

“…I was told to make milk wine with nuts, Your Majesty.”

Klaus looked frustrated.

He clearly wanted to skip ahead to the part about meeting the sacred creature, but Lydia’s short answers were dragging things out.

He pressed her.

“Explain in detail. Did it have to be made at night.”

“Th-that’s because I was ordered to do so, Your Majesty.”

What kind of twenty questions game was this in front of the Emperor.

Lydia was trying to keep her promise to the Chamberlain, but from my perspective, it was terrifying.

I knew very well how short Klaus’s patience was.

Good grief, Lucas.

Do something.

As if squeezing out the last of his patience, Klaus asked again.

“…I told you to answer in detail. Who gave you that order.”

I felt like I was about to suffocate from frustration, but thankfully Lucas stepped forward.

He approached the Emperor and opened the small box he had shown me before, placing it on his palm.

“In truth, someone gave this to that child, Your Majesty.”

Klaus looked annoyed, as if Lucas were interrupting.

“Do you wish to play riddles with me. What is that. It looks like an ingredient, so the head chef will answer.”

Britta bowed again as she replied.

“Your Majesty, I don’t know what it is. However, when the Prime Minister showed it to me, I could clearly tell it’s not an edible fruit.”

Klaus’s sigh seemed ready to pierce the floor.

“If it’s not edible, then.”

Only then did Lucas speak again.

“Your Majesty, this is a fruit called Ascalon. Among high ranking nobles, it’s used as an abortive drug, but it’s also a poison that causes severe illness without killing. With prolonged use, it’s extremely harmful. There are even rumors it’s more dangerous for men.”

“What did you say?”

Lucas placed the box before Klaus and knelt.

The handsome Prime Minister looked obedient and loyal, yet at the same time confident.

“What I am about to report goes back quite some time, Your Majesty. I acknowledge that I may be questioned for acting on my own judgment, but I didn’t wish to trouble you with uncertain matters.”

“…Speak.”

And so Lucas began his story.

Surprisingly, it was unfamiliar even to me.

“We must go back to the time when an illegitimate child of the late Emperor appeared in the Viche Territory.”

Klaus’s face twisted in irritation.

Ignoring the ears around him, the young Emperor snapped at Lucas as if in private.

“Didn’t I tell you not to handle that kind of thing on your own.”

“My apologies, Your Majesty.”

But if it ended there, we wouldn’t understand what Lucas was getting at.

Klaus reluctantly asked,

“What about that bastard.”

“Nothing. The child did nothing. However, after observing for some time, their appearance improved noticeably. It seemed they had gained a sponsor. I began watching closely to track the source of funding. It was around that time I reported the matter to Your Majesty. The intention of secretly investing in an illegitimate child is obvious.”

“Who was it.”

“Unfortunately, I could not catch them. They were extremely cautious. However, I later discovered that the child had begun receiving advanced lessons. Providing such education to an abandoned illegitimate child suggested highly impure intentions.”

“And.”

“Therefore, I instructed the head chef here to strictly monitor her staff and to taste all food prepared for Your Majesty in advance.”

Lucas glanced at Britta.

She hesitated, gauging whether she should speak, before finally opening her mouth.

“After receiving the Prime Minister’s order, we captured several mice and tested the food daily, Your Majesty. It felt wasteful, but his instructions were very strict…”

Britta’s plump cheeks twitched as if she truly found it wasteful.

Then she quickly continued.

“But one day, the mice that drank the milk wine died instantly. However, milk wine is not assigned to a specific person. Anyone prepares it when they have time. The Prime Minister instructed us not to cause a disturbance, and within my knowledge, I could not find the culprit.”

Klaus tilted his head slightly.

“You said milk wine.”

Lucas stepped in again.

“Your Majesty, there is something further to report.”

“…Speak.”

“The one who made that milk wine at the time was that child.”

Lucas clearly gestured toward my small friend.

Startled, Lydia hurriedly lowered her head even further.

Her shoulders trembled as if she were crying face down, yet not even a sound escaped.

Poor thing.

She probably didn’t even understand the talk about illegitimate children, let alone expect the Prime Minister to present everything in such detail and point to her as the culprit.

Klaus also looked at Lydia in disbelief.

He was young, but he was the ruler of a vast empire.

To someone like him, Lydia could never look like a person capable of poisoning him.

Lucas continued.

“It’s an extremely expensive substance, Your Majesty. Noblewomen who commit indiscretions obtain it secretly and use it. It’s not something a mere errand girl could ever handle. She likely had never even heard of such a fruit.”

Klaus sneered.

“So this time, are you offering your life in exchange for hers.”

Lucas paused briefly before speaking again.

“Well. However, I wasn’t the only one concerned for both that child and Your Majesty.”

Klaus scoffed.

“Oh? And who else would that be.”

“Do you recall the day Kitty Mari spilled milk wine on Her Majesty Princess Michaela.”

At the sudden mention of my name, Klaus paused for a moment.

Lucas continued explaining.

“That day, the wine had already been replaced by the head chef. However, unaware of that, Mari caused a commotion. To protect Your Majesty.”

What, so that’s what it was?

Seriously, I went through all that trouble because of that milk wine.

While I was feeling wronged, my eyes met Klaus’s.

He stared at me as if confirming the truth.

I quickly nodded, and his blue eyes softened for a brief moment.

For some reason, I felt like no one would die this time.

Phew.

“After that, Mari continued visiting the kitchen and the servant’s quarters, interfering with the child several times. One day, she even took the fruit from the child and brought it to me. When I asked if it was meant to be eaten, she shook her head repeatedly.”

“…Mari did that?”

For once, Klaus properly said my name.

Lucas curved his brows with a smile.

“Yes, this little ball of fur. And this servant child has testified to all of it.”

Lydia, who hadn’t known the full story either, flinched in surprise.

“But how did Mari know all this.”

Lucas smiled gently, like spring sunlight.

“Have you forgotten, Your Majesty, that Goddess Favia resides within our sacred creature. I believe I should show Mari more respect from now on.”

If I weren’t a cat, I would have laughed.

Wow, being a temple cat was incredibly convenient.

Anything you didn’t understand could just be attributed to the blessing of Goddess Favia.

Even as I sat there in awe, Lucas continued.

“That’s not all. Afterward, Mari visited the servant’s quarters and kitchen, helping find substitute fruit to replace the poison. That’s why Your Majesty has only been drinking milk wine made with blueberries and blackberries.”

Well, I did put in quite a bit of effort.

I proudly straightened my back and raised my tail high as I walked toward the Emperor.

At last, the corner of his lips lifted slightly.

“After obtaining the fruit thanks to Mari, we made progress in identifying the sponsor of the illegitimate child. We found a familiar family crest on a promissory note given as advance payment to a tutor.”

“…It was Schmidt, wasn’t it.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. This time, I was wrong. Human greed truly knows no bounds.”

Huh?

It seemed Klaus had already suspected the Schmidt ducal family.

Was that why he had been so cold to Emma?

“However, there was a variable. Because of Mari, Emma Schmidt remained true to her nature. As you know, that young lady is infatuated with the Sun of Kella.”

…I had no idea her crush was that well known.

I didn’t think even Klaus knew.

Lucas continued.

“You may or may not know, but that charming lady has been acting as if she enjoys Your Majesty’s favor, flaunting herself around the palace. Rumors grew, and it seemed she might even aim for the position of Empress. As a result, the Schmidt family halted their carefully prepared poisoning attempt.”

For the first time since entering the Audience Chamber, Klaus smiled.

“The position of Empress. How amusing.”