Chapter 28
[Benefactor, benefactor! What should we do?]
‘Hmm.’
The hesitation was brief.
‘Just say yes. Very naturally, like it’s an everyday thing!’
[Got it!]
Even though I was just as shocked inside, I didn’t want to show it in front of them.
The next moment, my lips formed a smooth, elegant line. A composed, graceful voice flowed out.
“How could I possibly refuse Her Majesty the Empress’s summons? I shall attend immediately.”
“Yes, Lady. Then I shall escort you at once.”
As I extended my hand, the knight naturally guided me.
I climbed into the luxurious carriage that seemed poured from gold itself and glanced subtly out the window.
I saw Felix and Lorena, mouths wide open in astonishment.
Saliva must be dripping, kids.
I had no idea what was happening, but this exit was satisfyingly dramatic.
Leaving Felix and Lorena behind was fine, but…
‘…What is actually happening here?’
I sank into thought as the carriage glided smoothly along.
By the way, the ride was perfect. A high-class carriage is really something… No, that’s not the point.
‘Logically, there’s no way Her Majesty the Empress would summon me specifically.’
No matter how I tried to think, I couldn’t come up with any reason why the Empress would personally call for me.
‘…Wait. Could it be?’
An impostor pretending to be the Empress—a human trafficker?!
‘It’s a common kidnapping tactic to impersonate someone whose summons the target would follow without suspicion!’
Oh, no. I should have considered that possibility, but Felix and Lorena had clouded my judgment.
Ugh, people who are zero help in my life!
‘Pi, Pipi. What should I do? Should I jump out even now?’
[That is impossible! If you jump from a carriage moving at 10.7 km/h, your spine might break!]
‘Then… what should I do… huh?’
Confused, I looked out the carriage window and widened my eyes.
The carriage was entering the main gate of the Imperial Palace.
A place I never thought I’d enter in my life!
‘Oh my. We’re actually going into the Imperial Palace?!’
A short while later.
Once inside the palace, I stood dazed, staring around in shock.
Tapestries glittering as if they were made from melted jewels.
Artworks that must cost more than my entire worth.
Guards lined up perfectly, like decorations.
Everything felt like a different world, so unlike the land I’d lived on my whole life.
The knight led me deep into the palace.
The thought that I was about to meet the Empress herself made my nerves tense even more.
‘Pipi. Can you tell me everything you remember about Her Majesty the Empress?’
[Current Empress Erzea Lowell Asterion. Age 48. She has one son, the current Crown Prince. She is also the mother of Duke Kaien Kreutz according to the family tree.]
Being the Empress alone was intimidating—but being my superior’s mother made her even more formidable.
My tension only grew.
[However, according to public rumor, the Duke is illegitimate. So biologically, they are unrelated.]
My superior’s stepmother! That made her even more daunting.
[Ah, I just remembered. Her son, the current Crown Prince, once had conflicts with Duke Kaien over succession rights.]
Political friction with my superior as well…
The more I heard, the worse my tension became. My stomach even started aching.
“Her Majesty requests your presence.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I creaked into the audience chamber like an ungreased doll.
Inside sat the most beautiful and regal woman I had ever seen.
Golden hair elegantly twisted, a long, swan-like neck, and deep, penetrating blue eyes that seemed to look right through me.
‘Wow. Lorena might be pretty, but… she could never compare to this.’
“I pay my respects to Her Majesty the Empress.”
I greeted according to the etiquette Pipi had drilled into me on the way.
“Hmm.”
The Empress set down the book she had been reading, perfectly aligned without a millimeter of error.
Her gaze fell directly on me.
Erzea’s eyes were cold and sharp as she observed Freesia.
She had just spent hours reading a report detailing Freesia Violet’s personal information.
‘Her family was once a respected Viscount lineage, known for good deeds, but now long lost its former glory.’
But background didn’t matter for this meeting.
‘Academy grades were terrible.’
But of course, Kaien must have seen her potential and hired her, so that didn’t matter either.
‘Still, she must not be a snob!’
Erzea’s gaze sharpened.
The report included a “testimonials from acquaintances” section:
[Academy peer 1, Dottie Milo: Freesia? Ugh, she was obsessed with boys, neglecting studies and friendships. How she even got into the Mage Tower, I’ll never know.]
[Academy peer 2, Charlotte Brennan: She used up all her luck in life. If fortune had found her, she should have been quietly grateful. But now she’s taken a fancy to Duke Kreutz? She should avoid unreachable trees… she caused the whole female disgrace on her own.]
[Academy peer 3, Lorena Belmont (special note: this year’s academy top beauty): Don’t speak so harshly. Freesia is a kind girl. She just happens to love a certain type of man a bit… excessively. Particularly handsome and wealthy men, though each has their own tastes. Such a person is like a flower… or a snake?]
The testimonies were biased, but repeated by several witnesses, so Erzea could not dismiss them entirely.
She had to verify for herself if Duke Kreutz’s secretary was truly trouble.
From the moment she confronted Freesia with that purpose, Erzea realized:
The image in the viewing orb was actually somewhat polished.
Seeing Freesia’s messy, lion’s-mane hair made her chest tighten.
‘If only she tidied her bangs and removed those awful glasses… no, that’s not it.’
Erzea’s sharp eyes swept over Freesia.
“You must be Lady Freesia Violet.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“Hmm. I hear you were recently hired as Duke Kaien’s new secretary.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“You know the Mage Tower is an independent institution but indispensable to the Empire. As Empress, I must naturally pay attention to its internal affairs.”
“Certainly, Your Majesty.”
Satisfied with the polite reply, Erzea opened her fan with a flourish.
Through the peacock-feathered fan, she fixed her gaze squarely on Freesia.
“Judging by your academic records, you seem to have had little interest in magic. May I ask why you applied for the position of Tower Master’s secretary?”
“Ah.”
Freesia paused for a moment, perhaps surprised by the question, then answered:
“That is because I have always greatly respected the Tower Master.”
‘A textbook answer.’
Erzea clicked her tongue inwardly.
“Hmph. Respect, you say. Can you explain more precisely?”
“Yes.”
Freesia took a deep breath.
‘If she gives another dull, formulaic answer, I’ll have to interrogate properly,’ Erzea thought.
“I admire Duke Kaien not only for his scholarly knowledge and magical talent but especially for his character. He is principled and resolute, immediately punishing wrongdoing. He provides candid feedback to incompetent subordinates and generously supports them materially. To me, Duke Kaien is truly a role model.”
“…….”
“……?”
Erzea blinked. Even the maid serving tea froze, staring at Freesia in astonishment.
