Episode 9
As soon as she returned to Namgung, Sevia headed straight to her office and began digging through documents.
Among the detailed information she had prepared beforehand was a report on Casar Juan.
He had originally been a commoner, but at the young age of sixteen, he was noticed by the current emperor, Dominic Alhbania.
Back then, Casar had managed to kill the strongest knight under the Northern Archduke using just strategy. Impressed, Alhbania took him in.
From that point on, Casar led many victories in battle, eventually defeating the Northern Archduke and helping elevate Alhbania, who was a viscount at the time, to the rank of archduke.
Once Alhbania had gained enough power, he revealed his ambitions, stormed the Imperial Palace, and overthrew the Trinitor royal family.
But something didn’t sit right with Sevia.
If Casar truly felt guilty, why would he continue working for the emperor?
She had a gut feeling there was more to it, though she didn’t yet know the full reason.
As she sighed and recalled Casar’s back, the door to her office suddenly opened.
Lady Tanibera rushed in with a pale face.
“Just now, the emperor killed Countess Elika.”
It felt like there wasn’t a single day without bloodshed in the palace.
Sevia and her closest aides gathered in the drawing room.
With the door shut, they began speaking in secret.
“Why did he kill the countess?” Sevia asked.
Lady Tanibera covered her mouth and replied in a sorrowful voice.
“She stuttered out of fear in front of the emperor. He called her useless and killed her.”
“For something that small?”
Before Sevia could react further, the lady added something even more shocking.
“And… he drew his sword and killed her right in front of Count Elika and his wife…”
“He killed their child in front of them?” Sevia asked in disbelief.
Even the usually calm Marquis Temian looked shocked.
“Yes. The countess tried to rush at the emperor, but her husband held her back. To save his wife, the count raised his arms and shouted ‘Long live the emperor’ right in front of him…”
It was a horrifying story.
Sevia had thought the crown prince was insane—but the emperor was even worse.
Having just witnessed someone die, Sevia was even more shaken by this news.
How many more innocent people have to die?
How much more blood must be spilled in this empire, where nobles and commoners alike are being slaughtered?
Lady Tanibera sighed, trying to calm herself, and then finished what she had meant to say.
“The emperor even mocked the count, laughing and saying, ‘Shouting long live the emperor to the man who killed your child.’”
“He’s mad…” Baroness Akina muttered under her breath.
The four people in the room fell silent for a while.
They needed time to absorb the horror.
Just as Sevia was gathering her composure, Marquis Temian—ever the strategist—spoke up first.
“The nobles will come to you now.”
“The nobles?” Sevia asked.
“Yes. They won’t sit still after hearing this. They’ll realize they’re in danger too and will want to get rid of the emperor.”
Sevia straightened her back and listened closely.
“Naturally, they’ll start looking for the next emperor. And that person would obviously be from the Trinitor bloodline.”
“The Trinitor royal family…”
“There’s no one more qualified than you, Your Grace. You’re the legitimate heir to the duke’s title and a true royal. And conveniently, you’re already in the palace, so they’ll want to speak with you.”
Lady Tanibera nodded in agreement.
“Some have already asked me if they could meet with you.”
“Draw the capital nobles to our side, Your Grace,” Marquis Temian said seriously.
“We should gather them in secret and build a power base here in the capital.”
Sevia nodded, her determination showing.
“I’ll do it. If we can bring down that mad emperor, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
The reasons to start a rebellion were piling up.
Sevia was ready to take on that burden.
“Don’t kill the nobles?” the emperor scoffed at Casar’s words.
“You think killing a few spoiled capital nobles is such a big deal?”
While drinking wine, the emperor glanced at Casar, who remained expressionless.
“Didn’t you always hate the nobles anyway? And now you want me to spare them?”
“That’s true,” Casar replied, bowing his head.
“But now they’re all running away in fear, and there’s no one left to handle administrative duties.”
“Cowardly fools,” the emperor muttered, laughing to himself.
“They strutted around all proud, but now they flee just to save their lives. Pathetic.”
As the maids refilled his cup, the emperor continued drinking.
“They used to look down on me, the frontier viscount. And look at them now.”
Casar kept his voice flat and emotionless, not wanting to provoke the emperor.
“…They may be pathetic, but they still control the military and the economy. If they unite, it’ll become troublesome.”
“Hmph. Even the great Trinitor emperor wasn’t all that. What can those nobles do against me?”
The emperor, completely unconcerned, gave Casar a lazy look.
“They’re probably already in your palm anyway. Take care of it.”
Waving his hand like he was tossing off a chore, the emperor leaned back.
Casar, hiding his expression, responded calmly so as not to upset him.
“Understood. But if too many people are killed, there will surely be backlash. We shouldn’t make things more dangerous than necessary—”
“Hmph.”
The emperor cut him off and stood up, walking straight toward Casar.
He raised his thick, heavy hand and gripped Casar’s left chest tightly.
“I’m just enjoying my power. What matters are wine, women, and authority. Who cares about a few noble lives?”
Casar inhaled but didn’t show any pain or humiliation.
It felt like his heart was being crushed.
“You know what I want, Casar. If something threatens me, it’s your job to destroy it.”
The emperor, merciless as ever, looked down at him with a chilling gaze.
“If you don’t want your heart to stop beating, then do as I say. Don’t annoy me.”
He let go of Casar’s chest roughly, flashing a twisted smile.
Casar didn’t flinch and responded politely.
“Yes. I exist to serve Your Majesty.”
Pleased with the answer, the emperor laughed arrogantly.
Casar, now too used to humiliation to even feel it, simply bowed and left the banquet hall.
In the capital’s social circles, many noble gatherings were still taking place.
Lady Tanibera attended numerous tea parties and social events, keeping a close eye on the nobles’ movements.
At the same time, she subtly spread word that Sevia was of Trinitor royal blood.
Soon after, a gentleman brushed against her wrist and slipped her a note.
He introduced himself as a baron under Count Litua and whispered that a secret tea party was being held—and that Duke Trinitor was invited.
The note Tanibera brought to Sevia had an address written on it.
“Count Litua… wasn’t he the former Minister of Justice?” Sevia asked.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Lady Tanibera answered, her purple eyes gleaming.
“I heard the emperor forced him to resign,” Sevia said.
Marquis Temian, standing nearby, corrected her.
“More precisely, he was pushed out so the emperor could replace him with one of his own men from the north.”
“I see. Then why would Count Litua want to meet me?”
Lady Tanibera, known for her persuasive voice, answered clearly.
“Looking into the people Count Litua associates with, many have lost family members, official titles, or noble ranks because of the emperor.”
Covering her mouth with a fan, she continued confidently.
“My guess is that he’s secretly gathering people. They probably all hold grudges against the emperor—maybe they’re planning a rebellion.”
Sevia nodded.
“True. With everything the emperor is doing, we’re probably not the only ones considering rebellion.”
“You should attend the meeting. And if they seem trustworthy, it would be best to win their support,” Lady Tanibera said.
Marquis Temian also nodded.
“I agree. This is a rare opportunity. Meet with the nobles, and if they seem useful, bring them to your side.”
“I will. However…”
Sevia trailed off.
“I’m worried Casar Juan might notice. He must know nobles upset with the emperor will start gathering.”
“I understand your concern, but avoiding the nobles now will only make it harder to build support.”
“You’re saying I should take their hand for now.”
After a brief pause, Sevia nodded again, checked the note one more time, and then burned it.
