Translator: Aura / Editor: SaWarren

  Rashta paced anxiously around her room.

  The day after ordering Delise to be imprisoned, Sovieshu called her to his room, but she didn’t go on the pretext that she had abdominal pain.

  But soon the pain became real, probably because she kept thinking about what happened, so she called the palace doctor, and he prescribed some medications.

  From that day on, she felt nervous about the unhappy look she often received from Sovieshu.

  After she became pregnant, Sovieshu would sit by her bed to sing lullabies to her when Rashta was about to fall asleep.

  Sometimes Sovieshu didn’t because he was busy, but whenever he went to her bedroom he would sing to her for about an hour. However, after the Delise incident, the time he sang lullabies to her decreased to about thirty minutes.

  ‘He doesn’t believe Rashta’s words.’


  Rashta felt sad just thinking about it and bit her lower lip hard. To her, Sovieshu clearly had feelings for Delise.

  Delise was beautiful and charming, and that had always worried her. Now that Delise was imprisoned for committing a crime, he was evidently upset.

  “It’s unfair.”


  Rashta sobbed while sitting on the couch.

  “Delise tried to harm Rashta. Doesn’t that even matter to His Majesty? Rashta was in danger, does that mean Delise is more important to him?”


  When Arian heard Rashta’s words as she set the freshly brewed tea down on the tea table, she felt a chill.

  Rashta had claimed that it was Delise who plucked the bird’s feathers. But that day Delise had been away for hours running errands.

  Even though she knew that Rashta was falsely accusing Delise…… there was nothing she could do.

  As an experienced maid, she had seen her masters frame their subordinates many times.

  Lost pearls, ruined shoes, missing money bags, spies, and so on.

  What she had learned from working as a maid for so many years was that you should not refute your masters when they tried to frame their subordinates.

  If you did, you would only be punished or expelled along with the person framed, it wouldn’t help anything.

  The chill Arian felt was not because sweet and lovely Rashta had accused and given terrible orders against Delise.

  It was for talking to herself.

  Arian got goosebumps watching her talk to herself.

  Rashta obviously should know that she had framed Delise. However, as she talked to herself, did she really seem to consider Delise as the culprit?

  ‘Did she act even while alone, or……?’


  Rashta’s gaze settled on her.

  Arian stopped thinking, turned around and left her room.

  Either way, it was none of her business. She just had to keep quiet and do her job.

  ***

  ‘At this rate, not only will I be ridiculed, but I won’t even be able to show how well I am.’


  After grumbling for hours, Rashta came back to her senses as she felt a movement in her belly.

  ‘Yes. Now is not the time to be like this.’


  Despite being pregnant, she had come all this way to show Navier how well she was.

  Just as Navier had gone to the Eastern Empire to persuade the nobles, she wanted to persuade the nobles of the Western Kingdom to take revenge.

  To do so, she first needed to put aside the Sovieshu issue and find a way to get revenge immediately.

  ‘But how? If only Duke Elgy was with me at this moment.’


  Rashta regretted that Duke Elgy did not come with her, but quickly ordered Viscountess Verdi and her guards.

  “Find out how the deposed Empress is doing here, how well she has adjusted, and if she has any problems.”


  Soon after, Viscountess Verdi discovered that Navier was in a delicate confrontation with the former queen, Christa.

  “Are you sure? I can’t believe you figured that out so quickly. Did you come to that conclusion yourself?”


  “It didn’t seem to be a secret.”


  “Really? Phew…… My sister betrayed His Majesty believing she would live well. But it seems quite the opposite.”


  The information the guards subsequently discovered was similar.

  Convinced that Navier was still adjusting here, Rashta bit her finger in careful thought. Then, she instructed,

  “Call Christa. She’s the former queen, and Rashta is the empress, so she’ll come, right?”


  “You can’t give orders to nobles from another country. However, I don’t think she would refuse an invitation considering your position.”


  “Then invite her.”


  Having instructed Viscountess Verdi, Rashta now called Arian and ordered.

  “Prepare simple food. I’ll eat with the former queen when she comes.”


  “Yes, Your Majesty.”


  “Ah, one more thing. Bring drinks that have a very strong aroma and taste.”


  “Understood.”


  “A sweet wine would also be nice.”


  Soon after, Arian returned with simple food.

  Crunchy sandwiches made of finely chopped sweet potatoes, sugar and cheese, very sweet drinks, fruit champagne and so on.

  Once Arian left after leaving the food on the table, Rashta mixed the champagne with one of the sweet drinks and shook it.

  Just then, Christa walked in and greeted her.

  “It is my honor to meet Your Majesty the Empress of the Eastern Empire.”


  Being greeted with such politeness, Rashta momentarily forgot her original purpose and felt an inexplicable pleasure.

  Her mood improved as the former queen of another country bowed politely to her.

  Rashta said with a sincere and kind smile.

  “Welcome, Lady Christa.”


  On the contrary, Christa smiled awkwardly.

  She had seen in the paper that Sovieshu and Rashta had promised to marry before the divorce. Although she herself did not have a good relationship with Navier, she did not like this.

  “Have a seat.”


  However, this was the Empress of a powerful Empire, so Christa sat quietly.

  Rashta hurried to sit opposite and smiled radiantly.

  “I’ve heard a lot about Lady Christa in the Eastern Empire.”


  “Really?”


  “Yes. I have heard that you are elegant, intelligent and kind. Seeing you now, it really seems true.”


  “Thank you.”


  Rashta asked politely as she poured Christa the drink mixed with alcohol.

  “Were you surprised by Rashta’s sudden invitation?”


  “A little……”


  Christa accepted the glass and drank, thinking that now she would start talking about the main topic.

  However, Rashta’s words were surprisingly about herself.

  “Well…… as you know…… Rashta went through a somewhat complicated process to get married. My parents are respectable nobles, but they’re not from the Eastern Empire, and as a child, I was separated from them and raised as a commoner.”


  Christa nodded as she took another sip of the drink.

  In fact, Christa had heard that story before. Whether it was true or not, there was a lot of gossip about it in the Western Kingdom.

  Meanwhile, Rashta kept talking.

  “Because of that, Rashta’s debut in high society was belated, and there are no particularly close nobles.”


  “Ah.”


  “Also, all the nobles in the Eastern Empire are on Navier’s side, so Rashta feels isolated there.”


  “I’m sorry to hear that.”


  “I don’t blame them. It hasn’t been long since Rashta learned etiquette.”


  Rashta smiled sadly and gripped her hands tightly, Christa’s eyes widened in surprise at her strange behavior.

  Looking at the surprised Christa, Rashta said with a genuine expression.

  “That’s why Rashta would like to get closer to all the nobles of the Western Kingdom.”