Chapter 66
“Truly remarkable, isn’t she? To give up both money and power?”
Lady Nefir spoke as she recalled that day.
Olivia had chosen her conscience over her father.
She had searched her father’s study from top to bottom and presented the documents she found there.
When the papers were pieced together, they revealed clear evidence of illegal transactions between Hans and Jabeni.
The evidence she submitted became the iron chains that bound Jabeni without escape.
“How dare you… How could you do this to me!”
Jabeni could not conceal his shock and sense of betrayal toward his daughter.
But with such evidence exposed, no one could defend him anymore.
Even the Council of Elders, who had always sided with Jabeni, were utterly humiliated—like dogs left chasing after chickens that had already flown away.
The control of the situation had already changed hands.
Soon after, Kaisa confiscated the High Elder’s property and power and ordered him to be imprisoned in the underground dungeon for life.
The Council did not raise a single objection to Kaisa’s decision.
It was not that they didn’t want to—they simply couldn’t.
“His Majesty’s prestige will surely rise even higher after this,” someone remarked.
Kaisa had long been at odds with the Council for pushing through reforms in the Temple.
Though those reforms had succeeded, the Council felt their authority had been undermined and became even more conservative afterward.
Tensions between the monarch and the Council had only deepened—until now.
This assassination attempt had changed everything.
“If there is proof, then we can no longer deny it,” said one elder. “As His Majesty decrees, the sinner must pay for his crimes.”
Anyone defending Jabeni, a man guilty of treason, risked being accused of the same.
In the end, pride and bloodline mattered little—one’s own survival mattered most.
The Council became obedient.
The balance of power in Barhad had shifted dramatically.
“But…”
Julius cleared his throat softly and spoke again.
“Treason is a grave crime. Ordinarily, the entire family would be executed, would it not?”
However, the ruler had placed great value on Olivia’s confession.
Though Jabeni was imprisoned and his family stripped of everything, Olivia was spared.
That was the price of renouncing the Kusley name.
When she took one last look around the now-empty mansion, her face appeared strangely peaceful.
“Yes, it’s truly fortunate,” someone said. “His Majesty must have deeply admired her courage.”
People spoke in admiration of Olivia. Julius, listening nearby, wrinkled his nose.
“Everyone speaks of her so kindly… but who knows what lies ahead.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by that,” said Lady Nefir, peeking at him from behind her fan.
Julius coughed again.
“Well, think about it. Without money, status, or family to protect her, life will not be easy for a woman alone.”
He chuckled with the nobleman beside him.
“Still, with her Kusley bloodline, you won’t find a better bride anywhere, will you?”
It seemed Julius had already added Olivia to his list of potential brides.
He was so used to buying people with money that he didn’t even realize how offensive his words were.
To look down on someone so openly—
Lady Nefir nearly frowned but caught herself just in time.
Showing raw emotion at a social gathering was the mark of an amateur.
“His Majesty is a merciful ruler,” she said calmly. “We cannot interfere in what he has already decided.”
“Merciful, hmm… yes, perhaps.”
Julius met her composed smile and leaned in to whisper, “But who’s to say? We all know how Sir Jabeni met his end.”
A chilling silence fell over the table.
Was it because he had once been so powerful that even birds fell silent when he passed? Or because he could not bear the shame and humiliation?
One dark dawn, Jabeni secretly took rat poison smuggled into his cell—and died.
A miserable end for a man once so splendid.
Still, some wondered: how could a prisoner under such strict guard have obtained poison at all?
“It’s only rumor, of course, but some say His Majesty…”
“Enough.”
Lady Nefir couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Lord Julius, mind your words.”
There were ears everywhere.
And in the royal palace ballroom—where everyone was alert to the latest gossip—such talk was dangerous. Was he mad?
“What?”
Julius looked sheepish, even a little annoyed at being rebuked so openly.
Maintaining her pleasant smile, Lady Nefir quietly excused herself.
She had seen plenty of men like him—reckless fools who got drunk on fleeting popularity.
Julius, with his loose tongue and poor sense of discretion, was exactly that type.
Such people never lasted long in high society.
No point in keeping his company. Nor do I want to.
Looking around, she noticed several others had drawn the same conclusion and were drifting away from him as well.
“This wine is especially good tonight,” Lady Nefir said brightly as she approached another group. “Shall I bring you another glass?”
The dress Sharie wore that day had been waiting for her in the dressing room since her first day in Barhad.
A silver gown, the color of her hair, with pink embellishments that matched her eyes—it couldn’t have suited her better.
For her hairpiece, she chose a ruby-encrusted headband.
Then came the shoes.
Three pairs of matching heels were laid out before her.
Not a difficult choice, given the small number—
“Kaisa.”
Sharie looked down at the man kneeling at her feet, studying the shoes with excessive seriousness.
“Um, it’s getting a little late…”
“Just a moment longer.”
Kaisa stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“I’ll decide soon. Please, give me a moment.”
Ten minutes earlier.
“It’s a husband’s duty to escort his wife,” he had said.
Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he entered the dressing room—where men were normally forbidden.
He hadn’t taken his eyes off her once while she was being dressed.
The maids, bustling about to prepare her, occasionally glanced at the monarch, but he remained perfectly composed.
When Sharie’s dressing was almost complete, he dismissed the attendants.
“I’ll take care of the rest,” he said.
And so they ended up like this.
He was treating the matter of shoe selection as though it were a national issue.
It was amusing, but the guests in the ballroom must already be waiting.
“What if we’re late?”
Unlike the anxious Sharie, Kaisa remained unhurried.
“It’s fine. Everyone’s already enjoying the party. If we arrive too early, it might make people uncomfortable.”
He finally reached for one of the shoes.
“This one.”
A pair of pink shoes with low heels and rounded toes—soft and elegant.
“Here. Your right foot first.”
His large hand gently grasped her slender ankle beneath the folds of her dress.
“Ah!”
The cold touch made her let out a small, involuntary sound.
Her face flushed at once—it was an embarrassingly intimate noise.
Kaisa looked up, a faintly mischievous smile playing at his lips.
“Do you want to go to the bedroom instead of the ballroom?”
He looked as if he’d carry her straight there if she said yes.
It had been ten days since the hunting tournament and the assassination attempt.
During that time, Kaisa had been impossibly busy; whenever Sharie woke, the seat beside her bed was always empty.
She, too, had been focused on recovery, and naturally, their conjugal life had been on hold.
It had been a long time since they’d even looked properly into each other’s eyes or shared a kiss.
Maybe that was why—
A few indecent thoughts flickered through her mind.
Can he read what I’m thinking?
She’d been sneaking glances at his body for a while now.
Flustered, she quickly denied it, cheeks burning.
“O-of course not!”
Fortunately, her lie seemed to convince him; he chuckled softly and bowed his head again.
“Your foot, please.”
“I can put them on myself, Kaisa.”
She didn’t want him to trouble himself with such things, but he was firm.
“I want to do it myself. Honestly, I wanted to help you dress too, but the gown was far too complicated. Shoes, though—there’s no special method.”
“But still…”
“Sharie.”
At his quiet, steady voice, she gave up resisting and obediently offered her foot.
His hand guided her ankle into the shoe, slow and deliberate.
It was such a simple act, yet her cheeks burned hotter.
Perhaps because she could feel every detail of his touch—
His long fingers, the calloused palm hardened from years of wielding weapons. His hand was large enough to completely encircle both her feet.
“Does it tickle?”
Kaisa’s voice was low and hoarse—like that of a man parched with thirst.
