Kneel Before The Villain - Chapter 124

The lady in waiting continued with an anxious face.

 

“It is said that even before the duke went to war, the Emperor had called him to discuss the marriage of the 2nd prince and the princess. If it’s too late now, we can’t do anything about it.”

 

Her words created a deep crease between the empress’s eyebrows.

 

She sneered as she put down the teacup she was holding in her hand.

 

“Until now, I thought it was strange that the second Prince did not accept the marriage arrangement with Marquis Kylon’s daughter, but there really was a reason.”

 

Marquis Kylon’s family was a good place to marry into.

 

However, how could it be compared to the Duke of Lillian?

 

In terms of power, wealth, and influence, the Marquis’s family was no match for the Duke.

 

The reputation and influence that Duke Lillian built up was comparable to that of the Grand Duke in this generation.

 

“It’s only natural that one can’t see the lump of silver in front of him when he’s trying to embrace gold. Since the second Prince doesn’t have the Princess’s willingness, he uses His Majesty’s power.”

 

The Empress frowned and her lips pressed in a straight line.

 

A cold glint passed through her gentle eyes, adding to her icy aura.

 

“He’s cunning. I guess we underestimated him.”

 

The empress pushed the platter of refreshments away as if she lost her appetite.

 

As she waved a bell, a maid entered to clean the table and left the room immediately.

 

The lady-in-waiting sat across from her and looked at the empress with an anxious gaze.

 

The Empress was staring at the empty table with her face lost in thoughts.

 

In the quiet room, only the sound of the clock ticking was heard.

 

A few minutes later, the empress opened her mouth.

 

“The relationship with the Duke of Lillian is irreversible. If so, we’d better use our hands before it’s too late.”

 

“Empress, you mean….

 

The lady in waiting looked up at her empress with a surprise expression on her face.

 

She had been supporting the Empress right by her side for a long time.

 

They had shared many things and together they weathered difficulties.

 

As much as they had been together for a long time, the lady in waiting could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her expression.

 

The empress’ expression now was… she had the same expression she had when she poisoned the former empress a long time ago.

 

The lady in waiting opened her mouth with a complex expression.

 

“If we harm the princess and the duke finds out, we don’t know how he will react. Why don’t you tie the princess to another good family?”

 

The empress let out a sigh at the words of her confidante.

 

“I have been watching her since she was little. Of course I don’t want to hurt her. But what about other families? Are you talking about the Grand Duke of Croix?”

 

“Yes. Didn’t the young master Croix attend Your Majesty’s birthday banquet? He showed up with a matching outfit with the Princess. Perhaps they are already in the middle of the marriage conversation.”

 

“Right. You’re right.”

 

The empress nodded her head as if she had realized something.

 

She recalled the images of Elvin and Roxana that she had seen at the banquet hall not long ago.

 

Unlike the princess who drew a line between the crown prince and Payne and treated them coldly, she seemed to be very close to Elvin.

 

If the princess rejected the crown prince to the end, she would not agree to marry the second prince.

 

Fortunately, the Grand Duke of Croix did not intervene in the struggle for the throne and maintained a neutral attitude.

 

In addition, since the Grand Duchess had a close relationship with her (the Empress), it was probably the best thing for the princess to connect with Elvin.

 

“Then shall we send a letter to the Croix’s residence?”

 

“No. There’s no need for that.”

 

“Wouldn’t it be better if we had their help?”

 

“Elvin is quick-witted and smart from a young age. And he dislikes his stepmother, so we don’t need to touch him.”

 

“I see.”

 

The lady in waiting still seemed uneasy, but the empress regained her composure.

 

Elvin was a stubborn child from a young age, but the princess was easy to seduce once she made up her mind even though she had strong will.

 

Didn’t the Duke surrender to her strong will and agree to let her engage the crown prince?

 

When she fell for one like a sunflower towards the sun, she never looked back at her surroundings and only looked at one person blindly.

 

As it was with the Crown prince, it would be the same this time.

 

If the Duke didn’t agree but the emperor’s nephew Elvin, whom he cherished so much, wanted, the emperor wouldn’t be able to do anything about this either.

 

So there was no problem to be seen.

 

However, she was worried about how the crown prince would react upon hearing this.

 

“What is Jeremy doing?”

 

The empress summoned the maid and asked.

 

The maid looked at her and spoke cautiously.

 

“I’m not sure. His Highness the Crown Prince sent away all the servants and didn’t allow anyone to enter the room… According to the servant who brought meals in the morning, his room was full of broken bottles.”

 

“Outrageous!”

 

The empress jumped up from her seat, clenching her fists.

 

It looked like she was going to pay the crown prince a visit at any moment.

 

The lady-in-waiting hurriedly stopped her.

 

“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince doesn’t feel good right now. Let’s wait a few more days. Seeing that he is not having any problems with his official duties, isn’t His Highness working hard too?”

 

“He pretends to be fine outside, but it looks like his mind is at a war. How can the crown Prince of a country….”

 

The empress frowned and let out a long sigh.

 

The crown prince was her greatest pride.

 

But now, just thinking about him made her head throb and her breath choked. She became angry thinking about him, and sometimes she didn’t even want to see him.

 

But he was her only son after all.

 

As a parent, how could she feel comfortable when she sees her child suffering?

 

Even though she was frustrated and angry, she felt sorry for him, and she wanted to get rid of all the things that made her son suffer.

 

“I don’t know what the Crown prince’s aide was doing until the situation reached this point.”

 

The empress spat out with a cold face.

 

There was deep irritation in her voice.

 

“I agree.”

 

The lady in waiting nodded her head.

 

The empress raised her head as if she had suddenly remembered something.

 

“How did the search for lady Dana go? Could it be that she still hasn’t been found?”

 

“Yes. But I did find eyewitnesses. A maid, who she presumed to be, got into the carriage of a nobleman and went somewhere together, so it won’t take long for her to be found.”

 

“We’ve got to catch that lowly thing before she starts messing around again. The situation is at an all-time bad, and we can’t afford to have more.”

 

A sharp glint crossed the empress’ gaze.

 

She gritted her teeth as she remembered Claire.

 

Wasn’t the reason why the prince and the crown prince broke up and why he was so ruined because of the baron’s daughter?

 

She couldn’t just leave her as the culprit behind everything she did.

 

If she (Claire) was found, she would never be able to escape.

 

An insidious expression passed over the face of the empress who was making a vow to her heart.

 

***

 

“My lady, Merchant Hermes has sent someone.”

 

When I was about to go up to my room after lunch alone in the dining room, Stephen came.

 

“What should I do?”

 

“Is the person in the parlor?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Just as she was about to take her step, Stephen asked with a puzzled face.

 

“Are you leaving right now?”

 

“Yes. Why?”

 

Stephen looked at me with a face full of questions.

 

However, he hesitated for a long time, as if he could not speak easily.

 

Just as I was about to become anxious about his unusual appearance, he opened his mouth.

 

“My lady, the world is worse than you think. The more favors they do, the more you should be suspicious.”

 

“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

 

Come to think of it, Stephen didn’t seem to like the Merchant Hermes so much.

 

Since the last time Noah visited late, Stephen openly disliked them.

 

Even now, he seemed unhappy with me interacting with Merchant Hemes. On the one hand, I couldn’t help but feel absurd even though I could understand Stephen’s position.

 

“I know you’re worried, but I’m not some kind of seven-year-old child.”

 

Now, my words were tantamount to advising him

not to worry.

 

Even if I was still young, I would become an adult soon, so he didn’t have to worry too much.

 

But Stephen’s next words forced me to keep my mouth shut.

 

“I found out by accident while looking at the ledger, but the lady hasn’t spent much lately.”

 

People from Merchant Hermes came and went with valuable items, but I didn’t pay for anything.

 

It was a situation that anyone would find strange.

 

I was momentarily taken aback and looked at him without saying anything. Stephen let out a small sigh and continued.

 

“Merchant Hermes is a place of profits. They never do anything to lose. They must have a different purpose in continuing to send things to you without charge.”

 

“I know, so you don’t have to worry.”

 

“My lady, it doesn’t seem like a good thing to keep meeting with them. It’s kind of strange.”

 

“Stephen, stop.”

 

Despite my warning, he still looked at me with a worried face.

 

“Before leaving, His Excellency ordered me to take good care of the lady. If something happens to the lady, I cannot handle it.”

 

I frowned when he still wouldn’t let it go.

 

“Stephen, do you think I’m blinded by free things and keep interacting with them because of that?”

 

He didn’t answer.

 

Perhaps it really looked like that in Stephen’s eyes.

 

However, when he did not even deny it, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

 

“Even if it wasn’t for all the free stuff, my advice would be the same. You should be wary of those who say nice things to hear. The flattery of the merchant by sending free goods means that the lady has something for them to gain.”

 

There was nothing wrong with Stephen’s words.

 

But as I listened to it, I felt somewhat uncomfortable.

 

“Seeing that no one knows the face of the lord of Merchant Hermes, isn’t it suspicious? Seeing that he hides his face, it is clear that he’s afraid of something. His Excellency… suspected that the person might be a wanted criminal or an enemy spy.”

 

Listening to Stephen’s words, I couldn’t stop my mouth from opening.

 

Did the duke think so?

 

Come to think of it, he advised me on something in the past.

 

Was that what he was talking about?

 

Did Elvin know that he was suspected of being a criminal and a spy for an enemy country?

 

Of course I didn’t know.

 

It was the first time I felt fortunate to have a spacious mansion like today.

 

The distance between the dining room and the parlor was ridiculously far.

 

When I didn’t say anything, Stephen paused and spoke in a weaker voice than before.

 

“My lady, if you have something to do, let the servants do it. If there’s anything you want, just tell me and I’ll get it for you.”

 

*****

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