Despite being dissuaded, Lord Angenas stormed out of the closed gate and headed for the logging grounds.

  Unfortunately, the collapsing earth and stone hit the mountain path, and the carriage of Lord Angenas was also buried there.

  When Ivan found out that Lord Angenas was missing, he hurriedly released his soldiers and found the carriage, but sadly, both Lord Angenas and the coachman had already died.

  Details of the letter filled his head, but Ronchent remained silent.

  It was a courtesy to the Empress.

  Instead, Empress Rabini asked again.

  "……Father, what did he say?"

  No matter how famous the Empress is for having no blood or tears, there is nothing she can do about her father’s sad news.1

  Ronchent said with more somber heart.

  "Lord Angenas has passed away. This is a letter from Lord Ivan this morning."

  The small letter that flew across the continent by the courier pigeon was crumpled and dirty.

  It contrasted so much with the white, well-kept, smooth hands of the Empress who accepted it.

  The Empress’s head gradually bowed.

  He couldn’t see her face anymore because of her hair.

  At that appearance, Ronchent Ivan comforted the Empress because he felt sorry for her.

  "I know you must be heartbroken, Empress, and the late Lord Angenas was indeed a model for many nobles."

  Despite his low voice, the Empress did not budge.

  How much heartbreak would it be?

  Perhaps there are hot tears on the Empress’s face.

  Deputy Lord Ivan continued to speak of comfort.

  "In our Ivan, we will do our best to ensure that the belongings of the Lord Angenas return safely to the Capital……"

  "What happened to the Triva tree?"

  "……Yes?"

  Ronchent Ivan doubted his ears.

  And he asked again.

  "What do you mean……"

  "He should have collected the Triva wood."

  The Empress slowly raised her head.

  Empress Rabini’s face was perfect with light again.

  There was no part of the makeup that was ruined by tears, and it was not distorted by sadness.

  It was the same face she was greeting Deputy Lord Ivan a moment ago.

  "My father was collecting Triva woods by participating in a woods auction in the North. Can Deputy Lord Ivan help me move it to Angenas?"

  "Uh, uh, it’s……"

  Ronchent Ivan was speechless for a moment.

  He got goosebumps on the beautiful face like a sculpture of the Empress staring at him.

  Her father died in an accident, and the first word he heard was about the tree.

  The development work of the West comes before the death of her father.

  "Uh, can you tell me which warehouse it is stored in……"

  Of course, he had to refuse if Ivan’s restoration work was too urgent, but Ronchent has to give a quick answer.

  ’The Empress is dangerous. I have to keep my distance from Angenas.’


  His instincts were shouting like that.

  The Empress was a person who could bear any loss for her ambition.

  And the target could be Ivan next time.

  Even when he visited the Empress Palace, Ronchent Ivan’s heart was heavy.

  It was because he had one more bad news to pass along with her father’s obituary.

  It was an order delivered by Lord Ivan in a letter, but now it’s an excellent choice.

  After thinking that far, Deputy Lord Ivan nodded heavily and opened his mouth.

  "We will carry the words that the Lord Angenas has already purchased to Angenas. But……"

  "What is it?"

  "I think it will be difficult to put Triva woods in the Angenas anymore. It is necessary for Ivan’s reconstruction. I ask for your understanding, Empress."

  The Empress’s blue eyes shone coldly.

  Unable to catch the gaze, Deputy Lord Ivan averted his eyes and gulped down his dry saliva.

  "……I suppose so. I understand Ivan’s position."

  That’s a relief.

  Ronchent Ivan quickly rose from his seat, swallowing a sigh of relief.

  "Thank you, Empress. Then I have a schedule to go……"

  Empress Rabini bowed and glanced coldly at the back of Deputy Lord Ivan, who was scurrying away.

  And when his carriage was heard leaving, the Empress called the maid-in-honor.

  "Get Duigi."

  After a while.

  Duigi Angenas arrived in the drawing-room at the call of the Empress.

  "Our father passed away."

  It was the first remark of the Empress, even before her brother sat down.

  "What did you just say, sister? Uhh, what do you mean our father died?"

  Duigi Angenas felt as if the sky was falling, and his legs were loosened and he slumped into a chair.

  But he was not given time to grieve.

  The Empress spoke in a dry voice.

  "So as soon as you leave the Empress’s Palace, move quickly according to my orders. There’s a lot of work to do."

  "That’s too much, sister!"

  Duigi Angenas has rarely been furious.

  "Our father is dead! But you don’t seem to be sad, how can you……!"

  "Don’t be so easy-going, Duigi."

  The Empress cut off Duigi’s speech with a sharp voice.

  "If we don’t get our act together, we’ll hold Angenas responsible for all the landslides in the North. But the death of our father could prevent it. It’s a good thing in a way."4

  "Huuuu, sister!" cried Duigi Angenas in dismay.

  However, Empress Rabini was not bothered by such a younger brother’s reaction.

  "They would argue that the landslide was caused by the carelessly logging at the request of our Angenas. Yeah, our father’s accident could be a great shield."

  After a small murmur, Empress Rabini looked at her younger brother looking contemptuously at her.

  Rabini’s ability to see through what people want has always been one of Rabini’s specialties.

  Even now, with a word she says, that contempt of Duigi will melt away.

  Empress Rabini opened her mouth thinking so.

  "Duigi, you are to succeed our father as the Lord Angenas."

  "……Me, me?"

  Look at that.

  Aren’t those cold eyes shaking with greed for power?

  "Yeah, someone has to fill the spot after him. Of course, the Lord Durak will be greedy, but I can put you in that position."

  "Lord Angenas……"

  Duigi muttered dreamily.

  "But it’s so sudden and you’ll need help at first. For the time being, follow my advice. Can you do that?"

  Duigi’s answer had already been set from the moment she broached the subject.

  "Yes, sister. I will."

  Empress Rabini said quietly twisting one corner of her mouth.

  "Then you should inform many people of our father’s death as soon as possible. Our Angenas have a period of mourning from this moment until the end of the funeral. So naturally, you won’t be able to attend tomorrow’s conference."

  "But even if it’s in mourning, it’s a rule to attend the meeting……"

  "The day you falter on the spot, the old man from Lombardy will bind Angenas’s limbs. Can you still afford it?"

  "Oh, no. I’ll be in the mansion."

  Rabini said after looking pitifully at her brother, who quickly shook his hands out of fear of Lulak.

  "Go on."

  Duigi Angenas leaves the Empress Palace with a walk that closely resembles Deputy Lord Ivan, and Rabini is left alone again in a quiet Palace.

  Then the Empress picked up the vase on the table and threw it to the ground with all her might.

  Klang!

  That was not the end.

  Empress Rabini threw and tore everything in her possession.3

  "Haaa……"

  After a while, the Empress, standing in the middle of a ruined drawing-room, called the servants.

  "Get rid of this, and there, you. Tell the Emperor to stop by the Empress Palace. Right now."

  "Yes, Empress."

  When maids and servants were busy cleaning the drawing-room, Empress Rabini returned to her bedroom.

  Immediately, the maids were called in and changed into dresses they had put in the corner.

  Sitting quietly in front of the dressing table, she lifted a cotton cloth full of makeup-removing water and wiped her face.

  Srak, Srak.

  With a small noise, the makeup on the Empress’s face was completely erased.

  After a while, what remained in the mirror was Rabini, pale face without blood.

  "The Emperor is here."

  When the servant announced, the Empress stood up in front of the dressing table with a small deep breath.

  And the very next moment, in a wistful voice, she left the bedroom calling the Emperor.

  "Your Majesty……"

  Suddenly, Empress Rabini’s face was filled with pitiful deep sorrow, unable to find her cold image a moment ago.8

  * * *

  The time when the sun goes down.

  The door of the ’Gentleman’s Club’ in Sedakyuna in the Capital, a social club where noblemen gather to drink and chat, opened, and Ronchent Ivan with a tired face came out.

  "That’s too much."

  Deputy Lord Ivan who came out from the Empress’s Palace headed straight to this place.

  It was to prepare for tomorrow’s conference right away.

  During the discussion on how to deal with landslides in the North, Deputy Lord Ivan need someone to help him and provide strong help.

  He usually came and went to the Capital often and thought that he had formed quite a few friendly connections.

  The result was disastrous.

  "I’m a member of the aristocracy, but you know I’m still at the end of the line. It’s a little weird for me to step up and talk, huh."

  "I’m sorry, but if you make such a claim, you will fall outside the eyes of other nobles."

  Isn’t that mean we should empty our pockets and restore what the North has brought on itself?

  No one willingly offered to help the North.

  All those who had been drinking glasses, attending banquets, and building righteousness turned their backs.

  Instead of rushing back to the North, it was Ronchent Ivan who remained in the Capital to do this.

  Naturally, the sigh grew deeper.

  It was hard to hope for Angenas’s cooperation because it was no longer possible to provide the tree.

  In this state, if he goes to the conference tomorrow, he could have been in a situation where he could not even win a penny of the condescending subsidies that the East had received.

  "How can you all be so cold-hearted?"

  Ronchent’s shoulders drooped endlessly down to the nearby carriage.

  It was then.

  "Are you representing Lord Ivan?"

  When he got near the carriage, someone was calling him.

  "By the way, who are you?"

  "My name is John, the butler of the Lombardy family. The Lord of Lombardy sent me to see the deputy Lord Ivan at the mansion for a moment."

  "Lombardy……?"

  Relations between Lombardy and Ivan were not so good.

  Although he had a good business relationship with the mine and the Top, Ivan recently stood on the Empress’s side and was checked by Lombardy.

  "Hmm."

  However he couldn’t ignore it, Lulak Lombardy himself has sent a man.

  Lulak Lombardy, who is holding on to the conference, could not be offended.

  Even more in this situation.

  Eventually, deputy Lord Ivan headed for Lombardy’s mansion.

  * * *

  I stood quietly behind my grandfather and watched Deputy Lord Ivan walk into the office.

  His expression is not so good.

  All this time, he seemed to be checking why my grandfather called him.

  "Welcome, I’m sorry about the North."

  Grandfather first talked to Deputy Lord Ivan.

  "Thank you. I’m glad to visit."

  The words were very soft, but the atmosphere was very stiff.

  Apart from being suddenly in Lombardy’s mansion, Deputy Lord Ivan looked very tired.

  That’s understandable.

  I already know that Deputy Lord Ivan has struggled all day today to somehow lure his side at the social club all day long.

  And that it didn’t go his way.

  Nobles who become extremely stingy about opening their own pockets could not have easily stepped up to the work of the North.

  I just need to target that point.

  "The Lady is……"

  The deputy Lord Ivan looked at me and blurred his words.

  "She is."

  When my grandfather tried to introduce me, I stretched my shoulders and took a step forward.

  "My name is Florentia Lombardy, deputy Lord Ivan."

  "Ahh, that Gallahan’s daughter……"

  It seemed that he had heard of me.

  "Nice to meet you."

  I held out one hand at the deputy Lord Ivan and asked for a handshake.

  Women and men rarely shake hands equally.

  "Oh, yeah……"

  The deputy Lord Ivan took my hand, albeit a little embarrassed.

  There is a strange power to shake hands.

  I said, holding the hand strongly.

  "How surprised I was to hear the sad story of the North."

  I said in a trembling voice as if choking.

  "I wanted to help you somehow, so I asked my grandfather to ask for deputy Lord Ivan."

  The look of me looking truly sorry for him gave deputy Lord Ivan a slight flinch.

  I checked it out and patted the deputy Lord Ivan’s hand in the back and said the last word I had been prepared.

  "You’re having a hard time, aren’t you?"

  Warm words at the end of a tiring day have a great effect.

  Deputy Lord Ivan’s eyes were shaking, perhaps because he was emotional as he recalled all day’s hardships today.