~Chapter 104~
“You said you could do anything as long as it didn’t hurt anyone, right?”
Johann asked Gerda as he slipped the bottle of monster poison into his coat.
“Yes, yes! Your Excellency!”
Gerda nodded hard, clinging to the prison bars.
The queen doesn’t know her spy’s been caught.
If I use this right, she could be a useful card later.
“Then keep working as a maid until I give you new orders.”
“R–Really? I can?”
Gerda stammered in surprise.
“But you’ll work in the laundry, not the kitchen. And I’ll have you watched, so don’t even think about doing anything stupid or running away.”
“Yes.”
“If you do run, you know exactly what’ll happen. But if you do what I tell you later, I’ll let you leave here alive.”
“Thank you so much, Your Excellency!”
Gerda bowed her head to the floor, on the verge of tears.
Johann watched her for a moment, then headed toward the basement stairs.
“Your Excellency, are you sure it’s okay to keep the queen’s spy alive?”
Harry asked, frowning as he walked up beside him.
“She’s the queen’s spy, so that’s why I’m keeping her. She’ll be useful if I need to stir up trouble later.”
“You mean an undercover double agent.”
“Exactly. Pick a few trustworthy servants to keep an eye on her.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Samuel, track her past activities and see if what she told us is true. Report back when you’re done.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir Harry.”
Johann’s voice suddenly turned cold, like sharp ice.
“Yes, Your Excellency.”
“What happened to the knights who were guarding the entrance?”
“…I’ve isolated them in their quarters for now.”
“Strip them of their Blumhardt knighthood immediately and send them away.”
Johann’s tone was merciless.
“Understood, sir.”
Harry accepted the order with a troubled look.
Being stripped of their title meant their lives as knights were over.
No noble family would take in disgraced knights.
The only work they could still do with their skills was becoming mercenaries—an utterly humiliating punishment.
“Also, call all the knights to the training grounds, except for the minimum number needed to guard the mansion.”
“…Yes.”
Johann changed into training clothes and headed to the training grounds to tighten discipline.
The Blumhardt knights ended up spending the whole day enduring grueling training they hadn’t seen in a long time.
Patrizia arrived at the palace with her maids.
Her body trembled with a swirl of emotions.
I have to see Mother right away—whatever it is, I have to tell her before the Duke does.
“…Silvia! Silvia!”
She rushed into the palace looking for the head lady-in-waiting.
“Yes, Princess. Did you enjoy your outing to Lake Windberry?”
“That’s not important right now—do you know where my mother is?”
“The Queen? I heard she’s having tea with His Majesty in the imperial garden.”
The lady-in-waiting answered, puzzled by Patrizia’s obvious anxiety.
“I’m going there right now!”
“What? Now? Since you’ve just returned from your outing, wouldn’t it be better to change clothes before seeing her?”
“No, there’s no time!”
“But both Her Majesty and His Majesty are there… shouldn’t you at least make yourself presentable?”
The woman tried to hold her back again.
“Silvia, you’re my lady-in-waiting, not my mother, right? So stop nagging!”
Patrizia slapped her hand away and ordered the coachman to take her to the imperial garden immediately.
“Princess, I wasn’t nagging, I was—”
Bang!
Ignoring the startled lady-in-waiting, Patrizia shut the carriage door.
If she hadn’t stopped me, I could’ve been there already…
Hopefully the Duke’s letter hasn’t arrived yet.
She nervously bit her manicured nails and bounced her leg.
There was no way she was going to a convent.
When she arrived at the garden entrance, she bolted toward where her parents were.
Seeing them from afar, she straightened her wrinkled dress as much as possible and took a deep breath before walking over.
Her heart was pounding like crazy and wouldn’t calm down.
From the looks of it, her parents seemed perfectly normal.
Looks like the letter hasn’t arrived yet, right?
She let out a small sigh of relief.
“Oh—Father, Mother! Here you are.”
She stammered slightly, nervous as she approached them.
Her palms were sweaty.
“…Ha, Patrizia.”
Her father sighed deeply when he saw her and rubbed his temples.
“Why… what’s wrong, Father?”
“…”
Instead of answering, he gestured with his chin.
On the table sat an envelope sealed with the Blumhardt crest, and in Narcissa’s hand was an opened letter.
No way—it’s already here?!
“Patrizia, you’ve really gone and done it this time.”
Narcissa gripped the letter so tightly it crumpled.
“M–Mother, whatever’s written there—it’s all lies!”
Patrizia blurted out in panic.
“…Lies? Who would bother lying about someone as simple as you?”
Narcissa pushed her chair back and stood up.
“You obviously fell right into the trap you dug yourself.”
Her eyes were full of disgust, contempt, and disappointment.
“M–Mother…”
Those eyes were so terrifying, Patrizia’s knees gave out and she collapsed.
“I told you to stay put, and you can’t even do that one simple thing.”
“Mother, please, just forgive me this once!”
Patrizia crawled toward her on her knees, staining her beautiful dress with grass and dirt.
“How am I supposed to forgive someone who never listens?”
Narcissa sharply slapped away her daughter’s reaching hands.
“You’ve always forgiven me no matter what I did wrong!”
Patrizia clung desperately to her mother’s dress hem.
“That’s because I thought you’d at least do your part properly.”
“My… part?”
“To bear the Duke of Blumhardt’s child, of course.”
Narcissa bent down and whispered in her ear.
“…”
Patrizia was struck speechless by the outrageous words.
How could that possibly be her role?
“Your Majesty, I can’t deal with this child anymore.”
Narcissa told the emperor, after having a maid pull Patrizia away.
“…Then what should we do with her, my queen?”
The emperor asked with a troubled look.
“If you allow it, I think it would be best to send her to a convent for a while, so she can get her head straight.”
“Mother, I can’t go to some convent!”
At the word “convent,” Patrizia jumped up.
“Your Majesty, I think the Fortuna Convent would be best for her to learn patience.”
The Fortuna Convent was one of the harshest in the empire—its life of poverty was too much for even the most devout believers.
“…If that’s what you wish, then so be it.”
“If we’re sending her, why not tomorrow?”
“Isn’t that too soon?”
“Your Majesty, the sooner she learns patience, the better.”
Narcissa’s voice was firm, her eyes locked on the emperor.
She didn’t want to see her daughter’s face any longer.
“…Then so be it.”
“The Fortuna Convent? Over my dead body! Father!”
Patrizia cried out in anger, but her father avoided her gaze.
“Your Majesty, I’m tired. I’ll take my leave.”
“Go get some rest, my queen.”
“Mother!”
With the emperor unmoved, Patrizia turned back to Narcissa.
“How can you be so cold to your only daughter?!”
“…Patrizia.”
Her mother said her name in a weary voice.
“It’s because you’re my daughter that I’m letting it end like this.”
Narcissa gave her a faint smile.
“…”
That smile was so cold, it filled Patrizia with despair.
“So let’s stop here.”
Patrizia stood frozen, watching her mother’s back as she walked away.
