Translator: Aura / Editor: SaWarren

  McKenna thought about it for a moment before responding,

  “Hmm, I’m not sorry at all. Can I be honest?”
“Of course.”
“While it would be nice to go ahead with the plans, doesn’t it take a lot of time and effort to stabilize the country that has truly become an empire? It might be more beneficial to stabilize the country than to push for a war.”
“…”
“It’s fine to build strength for the next generation, and leave the glory for future generations.”
Sighing, McKenna looked at Heinley and voiced his opinion as his cousin.

  “It is important to fulfill the wish of a lifetime, Your Majesty. But if you become obsessed with it to the point of sacrificing your happiness, that would also be very sad.”
McKenna finished in a quick voice, “I don’t want Your Majesty to live in regret. I would rather you be happy.”
It seemed to embarrass him to say this slowly, even though they were like brothers.

  At McKenna’s earnest and honest opinion, Heinley became lost in thought.

  ***

  “What are you thinking about?”
Countess Jubel’s question snapped me out of my thoughts.

  Looking down, the embroidery I had started to do to calm down a little was ruined.

  “I was thinking about the ghost’s commotion.”
“Didn’t the Emperor say not to worry about it?”
“He said so, that’s true, but…”
“It worries you?”
I nodded, set the embroidery hoop aside and rose from the armchair.

  “You never know how even a little rumor can change things. It would be best to quash it before it grows. Especially if the intentions of the person who started the rumor are not good.”
But how should I do it?

  There were ways to attack the rumor once it was known who had started it. However, finding the person who started the rumor would not be easy.

  With Viscount Langdel’s help, I even hid knights at the place where the ghost supposedly appeared, but that didn’t work either.

  Well, if it was easy to catch, Heinley would have done it by now. Heinley seemed to be trying to catch the culprit in his own way.

  However, the answer to this question came from who I least expected… it was the day I called Grand Duke Kapmen to my office to discuss, in person, the items to be traded as the meeting could not be postponed any longer.

  “So, as we have discussed, the items to be traded can be essential goods on the Hwa and Wol continents, non-essential goods on the two continents, useful goods not available on both continents, exotic luxury goods, some grains and fruits, among others.”
Who would be a good trader to take care of market research? If it were about your heart, I’d like to take care of it myself, but it’s not like that… Damn it.”
“The Emperor’s help is needed in this part. I haven’t been in the Western Empire for a long time either, so I don’t have detailed information about the trade groups.”
Although Kapmen was still under the same effects of the potion, it was much more efficient to meet in person than to have a discussion through letters.

  When the meeting was over, I walked Kapman to the door to see him off. However, Kapmen repeatedly glanced at me without saying a word.

  He seemed to hesitate about something.

  Just as we reached the door, Kapmen brought up a truly unexpected fact.

  “It is led by Marquis Ketron, and Duke Liberty turns a blind eye.”
He said no more. After that, he left quickly.

  But I understood at once what he meant.

  The ghost’s commotion is led by Christa’s cousin!

  ***

  “It is entirely possible that it was him.”
When I told Heinley that I found this out with the help of Grand Duke Kapmen, he frowned and grumbled.

  “Besides, he can use illusionary magic. He must have used that magic to cause the ghost’s commotion.”
“Marquis Ketron is a mage?”
I asked in surprise. Until now I didn’t know that the Minister of Foreign Affairs was a mage. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for him to work in a department related to magic?

  Well, come to think of it, neither Grand Duke Kapmen nor Heinley, who were exceptional mages, work in magic-related fields.

  “Isn’t Duke Liberty Miss Mullaney’s maternal uncle?”
“Yes, My Queen.”
Mullaney’s adoptive brother and rival was the Duke’s second son… I’ll think about this later.

  Now I had to put an end to the ghost’s commotion.

  “Heinley, may I take care of this matter?”
“My Queen? Of course you can, but… what do you plan to do?”
“I’ll use the eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth method.”
At my determined words, Heinley smiled broadly. He seemed to like it.

  “Have you thought of a particular way?”
“I have thought about it.First, I’ll ask Viscount Langdel for some of the more agile transnational knights. Then I’ll make sure that Marquis Ketron can’t wake up for at least a week.”
Heinley nodded and asked with an incredulous expression.

  “Is that really ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’, My Queen?”
“Yes.”
“Not really… it sounds like ‘I’ll work it out with fists’.”
Heinley laughed, clutching his stomach as if it was really funny. But when I glared at him, he noticed my expression and quickly got himself under control.

  “I’m sorry. I wasn’t making fun, I was just laughing because I like My Queen’s boldness.”
“You don’t have to apologize. I was just waiting for you to stop laughing.”
“… I’m sorry, My Queen.”
He really didn’t have to apologize. When I frowned, Heinley looked more embarrassed.

  Lest he continue to misunderstand me, I told him my plan in more detail,

  “If the ghost stops appearing as soon as Marquis Ketron loses consciousness, it will become obvious who the culprit is. Then, this time, we will spread the rumor.”
The rumor was ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’.

  Of course, the difference was that Marquis Ketron spread a false rumor, and we will spread the truth…
Only then did Heinley understood my words, but exclaimed.

  “You’re not going to use your fists!”
“I said no.”
Who the heck does he think I am?

  * * *

  When Viscount Langdel heard my request, he gladly accepted it, saying it would be easy.

  Instead, he asked me to leave the specific plan in his hands. Transnational knights had a unique way of acting, different from other knights.

  I agreed. The next evening, Viscount Langdel came to see me to announce the success of the plan.

  “The ghost will no longer appear.”
“Did you make sure Marquis Ketron was put to sleep?”
“Yes, it will take him seven to ten days to wake up.”
“Thank you.”
After expressing my gratitude, he immediately withdrew, saying that it had not been a difficult request.

  I was concerned that Marquis Ketron’s aides or Duke Liberty might use a different method to continue the ghost’s commotion.

  But apparently this depended solely on Marquis Ketron’s magic. Since Marquis Ketron was put to sleep, the ghost never reappeared.

  Neither Heinley nor I had to spread any rumors. People began to murmur on their own.

  They were outraged, convinced that Marquis Ketron had done it as revenge for Christa’s expulsion.

  ***