Only You Can Do It.
“Your Majesty the Empress. Have you heard the news?”
Early morning.
Countess Chloe, who was tending to my hair, asked me.
“What news?”
“They say the Empress’s palace was thoroughly searched yesterday in an effort to find the lost ring.”
“I see.”
“Apparently, even after all that, they couldn’t find the ring.”
“How unfortunate.”
I clicked my tongue briefly.
Of course they didn’t find it.
That ring? It was rolling around under my bed.
“They say Her Majesty the Empress was so distraught she wouldn’t stop crying, so His Majesty the Emperor personally offered a reward and ordered a full-scale search of the palace.”
“Oh dear, I hope they find it soon.”
Despite my serious tone, I couldn’t focus on her words.
My mind was completely fixated on the ring I’d discovered beneath my bed.
What am I supposed to do with that ring?
In the original story, Jerome, startled by Faye’s tears, ordered the royal guards to search for it.
Just like Countess Chloe described.
First, they searched the Empress’s palace. Then, they began inspecting the rooms of everyone who had visited her chambers.
And when the ring still wasn’t found, the very next day… they searched the Empress’s room last.
And that’s where the ring is discovered.
The ring, discarded like trash under the bed.
The culprit? The Empress.
The incident shook the imperial palace to its core.
Helena, blinded by jealousy, had stolen the Empress’s ring.
The very first gift the Emperor had ever given to Faye.
That scandal rapidly destroyed Helena’s reputation. Even sinister rumors began to circulate.
At least, that’s how it went in the original story I knew.
When I read it, I assumed Helena stole it herself…
In the novel, all they said was that the ring was found beneath the Empress’s bed. No explanation of how it got there.
Right. That’s all it said.
But now that ring just showed up under my bed.
Of course I didn’t do it.
Unlike in the original, I hadn’t suddenly visited the Empress’s palace, nor had I ever asked to see her chambers to steal a ring.
I had no intention of interfering with Jerome and Faye’s relationship in the first place.
I furrowed my brow slightly.
So who did this?
It wasn’t as if the ring had grown legs. Someone had deliberately placed it under my bed.
There was one suspicious person who came to mind.
I asked Countess Chloe,
“I think one of my maids mentioned going to the Empress’s palace yesterday…”
“Oh! That must be what you’re referring to,”
Countess Chloe clapped her hands as if recalling something.
“There’s a banquet coming up at the Empress’s palace, isn’t there? They were short-staffed, so we sent one of our maids to help.”
As she said this, Countess Chloe looked around and pointed to someone.
“There she is.”
She gestured toward a maid cleaning the windows. A girl with long, freckled hair braided down her back.
“Her face is unfamiliar.”
“She joined us a month ago. Her name is… I believe, Roizen.”
“No one else was sent to the Empress’s palace?”
“There was still plenty to do here, so only she went. Before she came here, she’d been working throughout the palace, mostly in laundry and bed-making. The work needed over there was similar, so she was the best fit.”
I looked at the maid named Roizen.
It’s you.
The one who planted the ring beneath my bed.
I still needed proof, but I’d found my prime suspect.
If she had helped with bed-making, sneaking the ring out of the Empress’s room wouldn’t have been difficult.
The real question is: why do it?
It was hard to believe she stole the ring out of simple greed.
Faye’s ring wasn’t particularly valuable.
She cherished it because it was the first gift she received from the Emperor.
If it were money she was after, there were countless more valuable items she could’ve taken.
Why choose this particular ring?
And why hide it under my bed of all places?
In such an obviously incriminating spot?
“Ah…”
A low sigh escaped me.
I was beginning to understand.
The fact that she’d arrived just a month ago only made my suspicions stronger.
Why didn’t I think of this sooner!
If there were those loyal to the Empress, surely there were also those loyal to the Crown Princess.
Just as my informants had risked everything to act on my behalf, there was no reason someone on Faye’s side wouldn’t do the same.
This was a setup.
The mastermind? Most likely Faye.
And the maid Roizen, who arrived just a month ago, was her accomplice.
Roizen was probably planted here from the beginning.
She must’ve been watching me, waiting for the perfect moment to frame me with this ring incident.
Faye probably gave her the ring herself.
Then deliberately made a fuss during a meal to make it seem like the ring had gone missing.
Jerome, naturally, ordered a search.
And when the knights came here…
They’d find the ring—just as Faye had planned—under my bed.
From there, the story would proceed just as it had in the novel.
Good heavens.
I couldn’t help but admire my own deductive skills.
Faye… you’re terrifying.
The Faye I read about in the book was gentle and meek.
But now that I’ve seen her in person… she’s surprisingly cunning.
Of course, I couldn’t be certain.
It was all circumstantial evidence.
But the sly look she gave me and the strange expression when she claimed to have lost the ring… felt like more than just a hunch.
I nodded faintly with a knowing smile.
Countess Chloe said something beside me, but I wasn’t really listening. I was still lost in thoughts of the ring.
I’d identified the culprit and understood her motives.
Not a bad plan, heroine.
But unfortunately for you, I happen to know the future.
I wasn’t about to go down that easily.
I knew exactly how this whole incident would unfold.
All that remained was deciding what to do with the ring…
I could toss it in the garden during a walk, or throw it somewhere out of sight.
But that somehow didn’t feel satisfying.
If I just got rid of it, I’d barely escape suspicion.
And besides, in a situation where everyone already suspects me, would removing the ring really clear my name?
Wasn’t there a better way?
Just as I was deep in thought—
“What has you thinking so hard?”
A familiar voice interrupted, and I turned around in surprise.
“Sir Leonard?”
Leonard stood there, smiling lazily.
Why was he here?
Did we have an appointment?
Countess Chloe, startled by my confused expression, chimed in,
“He requested an audience a moment ago. When Your Majesty nodded with a smile, I assumed it was approval.”
“Ah…”
So that’s when it happened.
Unlike the cold-hearted Helena in the original, I must’ve nodded reflexively without thinking.
I must’ve nodded when Countess Chloe asked if she should allow Leonard in.
“It appears there was a misunderstanding.”
Leonard, ever quick on the uptake, grasped the situation immediately.
I nodded.
“Yes. I’m afraid I’m not in the right state of mind to receive you today.”
It was a polite way of saying: please leave.
But Leonard didn’t budge.
“No problem. I only came to return the book I borrowed last time.”
He placed a book on the table.
101 Ways to Capture a Rational Heart
Huh? I raised an eyebrow.
“I believe you borrowed four books.”
“I haven’t gotten to the others yet.”
So brazen.
I stared at him, dumbfounded, as he casually sat across from me.
And even asked Countess Chloe for tea.
“I heard the knights are terribly busy. Yet here their captain is, enjoying tea?”
“Of course I’m busy. But no matter how hectic things get…”
His eyes curled with a smile.
“…I’ll always make time for tea with the one I care about.”
“…I think I may have misjudged you.”
“Misjudged me?”
“I heard you were obsessed with sword training, avoided society, and had no interest in women.”
“Oh dear. That’s quite a misunderstanding.”
Leonard said with a dramatic sigh.
“It’s true I have no interest in society. But women? Not so.”
Then, with a strange glint in his eye, he added—
“I just hadn’t met anyone who caught my interest. Until now.”
“How many women have you fooled with that line?”
“You may not believe it, but you’re the first.”
“Obviously I don’t believe you.”
If this was his first attempt, he was far too skilled.
No—he must’ve been born with it.
Like a nine-tailed fox in human form.
“This kind of cold reception is also a first.”
His playful tone turned serious.
“By the way… things seemed rather chaotic in the Empress’s palace.”
“I heard. Do you suspect me too?”
“Not at all.”
Leonard answered firmly.
“You don’t?”
“No.”
“That’s unexpected.”
“Why?”
“I mean, look at my track record.”
Take Jerome, for example.
Thanks to Helena’s past misdeeds, his trust in me was practically nonexistent.
Not just Jerome—most people would suspect me first.
“Hmm. Just a feeling.”
Leonard echoed something I’d said to him before, then added—
“We haven’t known each other long, but for some reason, I feel certain about this.”
His lips curled into a smile.
His eyes held nothing but sincerity.
Those blue eyes shimmered softly.
I turned away from that gaze.
“From the moment you showed interest in romance novels, I knew you had strange taste.”
“I didn’t know either. That this would be my taste.”
“…”
My mind went blank.
I barely held onto my slipping sanity.
A formidable opponent, indeed.
He had a retort for everything.
Just then, Leonard rose from his seat.
“I’ve returned the book, so I’ll be going.”
“Take care on your way.”
“I’ll bring back the others once I finish reading them.”
No—what?
I quickly shook my head.
“There’s no need to deliver them personally.”
“Hearing that makes me want to, even more.”
Leonard grinned.
“Oh, and this is a token of thanks for recommending such a great book.”
He took something from his coat and placed it atop the book.
A black box wrapped with a white ribbon.
I tilted my head.
“What is this?”
“It’s a new product from my family’s house. I hope it pleases Your Majesty.”
After handing over the gift, Leonard bowed and left.
The moment he was gone, the maids buzzed with excitement.
“My goodness! Isn’t that from the Hilbert marquisate?”
“Anything from them is bound to be a rare treasure!”
“What do you think it is? I’m so jealous, Your Majesty!”
Amid their fuss, I tilted my head and asked,
“The House of Hilbert… is it that famous?”
“Of course! It’s the most talked-about house in society right now.”
“They recently opened new trade routes, didn’t they?”
“They’ve brought in a ton of rare and unique goods—everything is limited edition! Every noble in the Empire wants at least one.”
“People are even lining up at dawn to get their hands on them.”
What, is this some kind of launch day stampede?
I hadn’t realized his family was that influential.
Sure, the novel mentioned their prestige—but not to this extent.
Then again, he does become one of the most powerful men in the Empire later.
Wait.
Looking at Leonard’s background and the little ribbon-wrapped box on the table…
A brilliant idea struck me.
“Countess Chloe.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Could you fetch Sir Leonard back for me?”
A short while later, Countess Chloe returned with Leonard in tow.
“I heard you called for me.”
I nodded.
“Sir Leonard. I have a request for you.”
“A request… for me?”
“Yes. Because only you can do it.”
“…!”
Maybe it was because I’d always been cold to him—he seemed momentarily stunned by my sudden sincerity.
Then, with elegant composure, he bowed deeply and asked—
“What would you have me do, Your Majesty?”
