Chapter 28
Chapter 28
"I will."
Vivian carefully cupped his cheek.
As expected, she could feel the gazes around them. It seemed surprising to those around them that the person who had recently caused such a stir in the capital was exchanging ordinary words of encouragement like everyone else.
Then, shouldn't she satisfy their expectations even more?
Vivian's soft lips touched Aslan's stiff cheek. The moment their breaths mingled, his shoulders twitched.
'Endure it, even if you don't like it.'
Vivian raised her arms and gently wrapped them around his neck. It was to prevent him from running away.
Fortunately, Aslan seemed to understand her intentions, as he tightened his grip around her waist.
They looked like an ordinary engaged couple to anyone who saw them. They seemed no different from the people around them who had been observing them.
Satisfied, Vivian finally pulled away.
"Come back safe."
And it was the moment she was about to turn around. Her hand was held.
"I was originally planning to do just enough and step back."
"..."
"I will catch the best prey and repay your encouragement."
Aslan's lips touched the back of her bare hand, which was not covered by a glove. He was the type to be thorough with his showmanship until the very end.
"Go now."
Vivian chased away Aslan, who seemed reluctant for some reason. Then, she entered the large tent where those who were not participating in the hunt were gathered.
'Wow, this is called a tent, but it's basically a hall.'
It seemed that they had expanded the existing building when they opened the Sacred Forest this time. It was spacious and luxurious enough to hold a small banquet without any problems.
Vivian leisurely looked around.
The Empress and her entourage had not yet arrived, but Countess Amelia was sitting comfortably, fanning herself with a fan.
She didn't seem like someone who was planning to kill someone. Indeed, it seemed that such boldness was essential to become the Emperor's mistress.
'But she can't help being careless. Did she really try to pin it on Aslan with this?'
Vivian pretended to look outside, while observing the Countess's reaction.
A maid approached her. She pretended to put down the champagne, blocking the view around her, and received a small note from the Countess.
There must be poison to kill the Empress inside that.
'She can't use weapons, and she doesn't have a powerful following, so I guess she had no choice.'
So the Empress must have been careless. Her carelessness had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"The Empress and the Crown Prince are entering!"
At that moment, a loud shout echoed through the room. The Empress and the Crown Prince, dressed in formal attire, entered.
Vivian, like the others, rose from her seat and bowed her head. The two dignitaries walked across the red carpet and sat at the head table.
Now, she had to find the right timing to approach the Empress.
But unfortunately or fortunately, she made eye contact with the Empress.
"The Lady is also in attendance."
In other words, it meant, 'Come here.'
Vivian didn't know why the Empress was calling her, but she decided not to think about it too much. She had a lot to do today.
"I heard you weren't feeling well, but you came."
"I am deeply grateful."
"Are you planning to go hunting again this time?"
The Empress stared at the hunting clothes Vivian was wearing. She looked like she could get on a horse and go out right away, as long as she had protective gear.
"Unfortunately, I will not be going out today and will stay here."
"That's good."
What is?
Vivian cautiously raised her head. But the Empress, who had received her gaze, only calmly sipped her champagne.
At this point, she couldn't help but recall the contents of the original story.
The female lead being severely bullied at the hunting festival because she was Aslan's fiancée. The miserable situation of being hunted like an animal by the Empress's maids.
"..."
Vivian made eye contact with the Crown Prince, Johannes, who was behind the Empress. He smiled slightly.
"It just so happens that my mother's maids are planning to go hunting today. I would feel more at ease if the Lady stayed with my mother."
"I will do my best to serve you today, though I may be lacking."
Now that she thought about it, it seemed that the Empress didn't have any maids, so she needed someone to assist her. Things were working out so well that it was almost too good to be true.
As the Empress sat down comfortably, the nobles who had risen to greet her returned to their respective tasks.
She turned her gaze towards Vivian.
"Lady, how have you been since then?"
"Pardon?"
"I mean when we met at the Imperial Palace. You didn't look well that day."
Of course, it felt like I had met the Grim Reaper when I met you.
"The Imperial Physician will be arriving soon. You will receive his examination."
"I, to the physician, you mean?"
It had already been four months since she was diagnosed with Consumption.
The time to die was approaching, but she showed no signs of dying, so the Empress must have been impatient.
'As long as I, who am from Eleonora, am Aslan's fiancée, his political position will be solid.'
She clearly intended to call the Imperial Physician to confirm whether she really had Consumption and whether she was definitely a dying person.
'From now on, I will be watching you.'
Come to think of it, the Empress had said this when they met in the Imperial Palace garden. She said that with a very meaningful (?) smile!
Vivian's vision blurred.
But there was no room to escape. Just in time, the Imperial Physician entered with a medical bag.
And as people began to come and go around the Empress, the maid who had been instructed by the Countess also began to move.
"I am Pablo, who will be in charge of the Lady's examination. First, I would like to listen to the sounds of your lungs, so please come closer..."
On the left, the Imperial Physician was approaching, and on the right, the maid who would kill the Empress was approaching.
Originally, she was planning to quietly end it by pretending to bump into the maid and switching the poisoned glass. But the Imperial Physician had blocked her way, so it was a complete mess.
It was a desperate moment where she had to stop two people at once.
'Everyone, look here. The villainess is causing a ruckus!'
Vivian pulled out the sharp tweezers that were stuck in the Imperial Physician's upper pocket. The Imperial Physician blinked in surprise at her sudden action.
"Lady, what are you doing?"
"You're not going to put this in my nose, are you?"
"It is necessary for a respiratory examination. It may be a little difficult, but it will not be painful."
"No."
Vivian snatched the champagne glass from the maid. The maid, who had been caught just before committing the crime, trembled as if she didn't know what was going on.
"You, hold these tweezers."
"Yes...?"
"And Pablo, this is an Artifact that my brother ordered for me. It has the ability to distinguish things that are harmful to me. I need to check your instruments with this."
As expected, from the moment she deliberately and loudly snatched the Imperial Physician's tweezers, all eyes were on her.
Everyone had clearly seen that she had not touched the maid's champagne glass, so it was time to get to the point.
"Let me go! I, I am holding the champagne for the Empress...!"
At the same time as the maid, who felt an ominous premonition, shouted, Vivian activated the Artifact.
"...!"
The Artifact turned black.
Those who had been sneering at the villainess who was about to die were all shocked.
"Could there really be poison in the instrument?"
"But that Imperial Physician was recommended by the Empress..."
"T, that can't be! Why would I want to harm the Lady?!"
Pablo, who was under suspicion, jumped up. He was in danger of being unjustly beheaded.
After that, without Vivian needing to do anything, he found the real reason why the Artifact had turned black.
What was in the maid's other hand.
"Poison."
"Poison! The Empress's champagne is poisoned!"
The Empress, who had been watching Vivian's actions indifferently, and the Crown Prince Johannes, who had been enjoying it, also hardened their expressions at once.
While everyone was shocked or frightened and panicking, Johannes, who had risen from his seat, ordered.
"Arrest that maid immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"No, it's a frame-up! I don't know anything!"
"Since you tried to harm my mother, I will interrogate you myself."
He had always been slippery. But his expression was as fierce as the Grim Reaper's, at least for now.
'Fortunately, no one is paying attention to me. As expected.'
People's attention was only focused on Pablo and the maid.
Thanks to the two of them pointing fingers at each other and shouting, Vivian, who had been the spark of the incident, was out of everyone's mind.
'Let's get out of here.'
Now she had to go save Aslan.
Before he turned into a Demon Hand in front of everyone, she had to stop him from entering the Tomb of the First Emperor.
But unlike Vivian's thoughts, Johannes had been constantly watching her. His eyes, which had risen from the head table, curved beautifully.
"Lady, a moment."
Their eyes met.
Vivian suppressed her trembling feelings and calmly raised her head.
The Crown Prince was approaching. She had a bad feeling.
"Is it just my imagination? I keep thinking this since a while ago. The Lady revealed the maid's assassination attempt by pretending it was a coincidence, but that's not the truth."
"...I apologize."
Johannes in the original story was a strong man who had even defeated Aslan, and the main villain.
Since she had failed to deceive his eyes, all that was left was to lie as low as possible.
"Actually, I noticed it from the beginning."
"Don't be so nervous. I know the Lady is not the culprit. If you were, there would have been no reason to stop that girl's crime."
The arrested maid was forcibly knelt on the floor.
She didn't say the Countess's name until the end, as if she had been caught with a weakness, but the hidden truth could be seen in her eyes, which were searching for someone as if asking for help.
"The Lady always makes me curious. You could have become a hero who prevented the assassination of my mother, but you passed that credit to Pablo."
"..."
"You are too good of a fiancée for Aslan. The more I think about it, the more I regret missing you."
Vivian couldn't understand Johannes's last murmur.
But before she could ask him again, he had already moved away from Vivian. As if he had never had a private conversation with her, he hardened his expression and looked around the room.
"Countess Amelia. You will have to follow my instructions."
"Y, Your Highness."
"I don't want to treat you harshly because you are my father's favorite concubine, but I am very angry right now."
At Johannes's gesture, the Countess was also made to kneel.
This time, everyone's attention was directed at the real culprit of the poisoning. Only then was Vivian able to quietly slip out of her seat for her next plan.
