Translator: Aura / Editor: Maybe

  ‘When I told Rashta about the divorce, I was very clear about the one-year period. But I didn’t say who the empress would be after the year was over. Maybe that’s why Navier misunderstood. Did she think I would bring in another empress after Rashta? No, she probably didn’t even hear that part. Yes. That must be it. I have to let her know the truth.’


  Navier, who had already remarried, might not come back right away, but Sovieshu felt he should at least clear up the misunderstanding.

  According to rumors, Heinley was a well-known playboy. Such a man would hurt Navier. Navier married him out of shock, but it was clear he would eventually cause her pain.

  Sovieshu wanted to let Navier know he had no intention of abandoning her…… This way, she would come back here after she gets upset.

  Sovieshu got out of bed and walked over to the desk. He took out a piece of paper and quickly began to write a letter.

  Although he did not know what to do after clearing up the misunderstanding, for him, this came first. He felt the only thing standing between him and Navier was this misunderstanding. He was confident things would somehow work out once the issue was resolved.

  After writing the letter and sealing it with wax, Marquis Karl arrived, “Your Majesty, you called for me?”


  Sovieshu handed the sealed letter to Marquis Karl. There was no name of the sender or the addressee on the letter.

  Marquis Karl accepted it in bewilderment, “This is……”


  “It is for Navier.”


  “You mean the queen?”


  The corners of Sovieshu’s eyes rose at the word queen, and Marquis Karl immediately closed his mouth.

  Sovieshu continued, “King Heinley might prevent her from receiving it, so it must be secretly delivered to Navier directly.”


  ***

  There was someone else who was just as disturbed as Sovieshu.

  ‘Rashta is getting married……’


  It was Viscount Roteschu.

  Roteschu frowned and stared at the gossip magazine. He was upset all because of a news item that appeared in the magazine today.

  The news that Rashta was going to marry Emperor Sovieshu.

  According to the gossip magazine, many merchants came and went from the imperial palace to prepare for her wedding. Expensive jewelry, carpets, silks, and rare items from Rwibt were entering the imperial palace in carriages one after another, and famous florists suddenly became very busy.

  While the gossip magazine noted the news had not been officially acknowledged by the imperial family, it insisted there would be a wedding, arguing that there was no other reason for these merchants to be coming and going.

  The so-called ‘experts’ in the magazine also predicted there would most likely be a wedding soon.

  Some claimed the marriage would not be with Rashta but to a young lady from another great noble family. However, there were no young unmarried ladies of the same age as Sovieshu in any noble family comparable to the Trobi Family, the family of Queen Navier.

  There were many young ladies in lower-ranking families, but if this was a political marriage, then it did not make sense that he would have divorced Navier to bring a young lady from a lesser family.

  Therefore, the majority of opinions was that it would not be a political marriage, but a marriage out of love, and the bride would be Rashta.

  ‘Heavens. She really will become the empress.’


  Knowing Rashta was a slave, Viscount Roteschu shook his head.

  He was surprised, but also felt very strange.

  ‘How derisory this world is. To think the slave I used to own would become the empress.’


  On the other hand, Alan, Roteschu’s son, was completely discouraged by the news of Rashta’s marriage and locked himself in his room.

  His daughter, Rivetti, was angry and frightened, “As soon as she becomes the empress she will take revenge on us, father!”


  “No, why do you say that?”


  “Because we know her secrets.”


  “Huh, all the more reason for her to be careful.”


  “What if she hires an assassin to kill us?”


  Viscount Roteschu snorted, but he couldn’t help but feel anxious.

  Even though he was secretly raising Rashta’s baby just in case, the anxiety didn’t disappear.

  What if Rashta decided to kill her own child?

  At that moment, someone knocked at the door.

  The visitor was an employee of the imperial palace Viscount Roteschu had bribed.

  Ever since he started blackmailing Rashta, Viscount Roteschu regularly bribed the imperial palace staff.

  The knights and nobles would keep their mouths shut because they had a stronger sense of loyalty compared to those who only worked in the imperial palace for remuneration.

  Of course, he lied to them claiming he was gathering information for Rashta, and due to Rashta’s popularity among the commoners, this excuse was well accepted.

  The employee who visited Viscount Roteschu was one of those people.

  “What is wrong, do you have something important to say?” Roteschu asked as he hurried to let the employee in.

  Considering how things were right now, even a little information would be important.

  However, the information given by the employee was more valuable than expected, “His Majesty secretly sent a letter to the Western Kingdom.”


  “To the Western Kingdom?” he inquired.

  “Yes. Secretly, without any official record.”


  Afterward, the employee left with the extra payment.

  Viscount Roteschu laughed wildly. A good idea occurred to him as soon as he heard the employee’s words.

  He quickly got ready and went to visit Rashta.

  ***

  Entering her room, Rashta greeted him indifferently, “What do you want?”


  It was the first time the two had seen each other since Viscount Roteschu saw Rashta with her fake parents.

  Roteschu smiled as he sat on the couch across from Rashta, holding back his anger, “Do you know what news I have for you?”


  “You are trying to blackmail me again,” Rashta spoke coldly and sat down opposite to him.

  Then, Viscount Roteschu said with a smile, “I heard the Emperor has sent a letter to Empress Navier.”


  “Empress? You mean to the deposed empress.”


  “Well, to the deposed empress.”


  “.……”


  Rashta raised her eyebrows.

  On second thought, Rashta realized that the point was not whether to call her empress deposed or empress.

  A letter?

  “What’s the letter about?” she asked.

  “That I don’t know.”


  “Didn’t you steal the letter?”


  “Being an envoy of His Majesty, the messenger must not be ordinary. How could I have the money to hire a mercenary capable of snatching the letter from him?”


  ‘But I’ve given him a lot of money.’


  Rashta swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth, she knew what Roteschu was trying to say. He had not come just to convey this information.

  He was now—


  “Do you think you’re a good informant? Rashta can find out something like that too.”


  “But you didn’t know that,” Viscount Roteschu smiled with narrowed eyes and leaned forward with his hands on his legs, “I told you. I told you, you needed me.”


  “!”


  “We both know each other very well. But what about your fake parents? They only know your good side and don’t you want them to only see your good side?”


  Rashta couldn’t answer. Marsha and Gillimt were good people, but her relationship with them was like a sandcastle.

  No matter how well they treated her, Rashta was not their biological daughter. They didn’t even know yet that their fake daughter was really a slave.

  “Rashta, Rashta. People like us must hold hands to stand,” Viscount Roteschu whispered persuasively.

  Rashta leaned back on the couch and moved her lips nervously.

  Last night, Sovieshu had sung a sweet lullaby to her belly, yet today he secretly sent a letter to Navier.

  If it was about something bad, he would have sent it officially. However, knowing he sent the letter secretly, she was sure it was a letter of apology.

  This morning, Rashta received a newspaper from the Western Kingdom, which had published an interview with Navier.

  Maybe Sovieshu was apologizing for that.

  Rashta said as she nervously wiggled her fingers, “Haven’t we been holding hands before?”


  “Of course…… that’s true,” The corners of Viscount Roteschu’s eyes curled up in satisfaction.

  “Anyway, if it’s because of the deposed empress, you can rest easy, Rashta. Will the queen, who remarried, really come back?”


  “Rashta is not worried about the deposed empress.”


  “Okay, okay.”


  “Really.”


  “Well, you don’t have to worry about His Majesty looking at other women either. I’ll take care of that.”


  At Viscount Roteschu’s words, Rashta pursed her lips and nodded, “Alright.”


  “Ah, I saw the gossip magazine, did it say you might get married?”


  “Watch your mouth.”


  “Of course I’ll be careful, my Empress.”


  Roteschu, who let out a frivolous chuckle, held out his empty hand.

  He was asking for money again.

  Rashta was angry, but she suppressed her anger and gave some jewels to Roteschu. Viscount Roteschu smiled, pocketed the jewels then got up.

  “Until next time then.”


  Having gotten what he wanted, he headed for the door to leave.

  “Wait,” Rashta called after him.

  When he stopped, Rashta approached Roteschu and asked him for a favor, “There is someone I need to find.”


  “Someone? Who?”


  “A girl a little younger than me.”


  “Is she the same age as Rivetti?”


  “I don’t know. I need you to help me find her anyway. She’s my parents’ second daughter.”


  Viscount Roteschu looked at Rashta, wondering if she meant it.

  Rashta became even more disgusted at the look on Roteschu’s face. She was already very angry at the idea of finding her fake sister.

  “First find her.”


  When Rashta repeated the request, Viscount Roteschu muttered, “Well……” and shrugged, “I’ll find her first. What exactly is the name of your fake parents?”