Chapter 13

13. You Must Crush Her Completely This Time.

Suddenly, a thud sounded from outside the door.

It seemed someone eavesdropping had collapsed from a surge of blood pressure.

Helene, even more excited, spewed out outrageous words.

"Both the prince and the princess will yield to Her Majesty the Empress. After all, I am a Saintess, so I shouldn't have children."

Helene was exceedingly condescending.

She didn't even bother to hide that she didn't need something like children and was giving them to me.

'She probably wanted me to get angry and slap her cheek.'

But the age difference between you and me is easily over a thousand years.

I was just blinded by my first love, betrayed by that love, and turned into a human after having all my power stolen, so I had a little trouble controlling my emotions.

Talking with Helene actually helped me calm down.

'It was good to meet her.'

I finally felt like I could look at my hatred and resentment rationally.

After sending Helene away, I glanced at the things she had left behind and tapped the table.

"How can someone be so rude and presumptuous!"

Just then, Mrs. Bertolt stormed in, fuming. Yet, her every step was so graceful that I inwardly admired her.

"To sit next to Her Majesty the Empress without permission! Who does she think she is to dare! Even if Her Majesty the Empress had offered first, she should have declined!"

"She must have thought I was on the same level as her."

"How can that be! A Quid commoner, of all people!"

Mrs. Bertolt was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes.

I quietly stood up and patted her shoulder.

"Susan, I have a task for you from now on. But you must move very carefully. There might be the Saintess's ears in our palace too."

"Does that mean...!"

"I don't doubt your loyalty, nor Charlotte's. But I honestly can't trust anyone else."

Helene is cautious. Her acting is good, and she knows the line of how far she can be presumptuous.

Also, she enjoys playing chess, making moves.

I knew Helene's type well.

She wouldn't be satisfied unless she had everything in the palm of her hand and could manipulate it, so there was no way she wouldn't have an informant in the Empress Palace.

"I'm sure of it. She realized it after our conversation just now. The Saintess has planted ears in the Empress Palace."

Honestly, Helene didn't drop any hints during our conversation earlier. It's just that I've lived for so long that it's obvious to me.

Mrs. Bertolt clenched her fist tightly and whispered quickly.

"I will find them. I will definitely expel them."

"The opposite. Identify who is truly trustworthy. I will cut off everyone else. And there's something more important than that."

After confirming that no one was eavesdropping, I put my lips close to Mrs. Bertolt's ear and whispered in a low voice.

Mrs. Bertolt listened to my words with a serious expression and nodded.

"Then bring Duke Ahillo now. We must continue our interrupted conversation."

I was getting tired, but I had to finish the story. There was something I needed to ask Duke Ahillo.

"Are you alright, daughter?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"You must crush her completely this time. The Emperor cherishes the Saintess very much... there won't be a second chance."

Duke Ahillo didn't get angry, even though he had to wait a long time due to the unexpected visitor. He only showed concern for his daughter.

Although it wasn't my will to be in this body, now that it had happened, I wanted to show Duke Ahillo that 'his daughter is living well.'

"Don't worry. Oh, there's something I want to ask you, Father."

"What is it?"

"There must be a real reason why the Desert Kingdom requested a meeting with Nix, right? Please tell me that."

I said that and called a maid to bring the map I had borrowed from Old Man Sasa.

Duke Ahillo stared at me with slightly clouded eyes.

Perhaps the real Leonarda wouldn't ask such a thing. She wouldn't have a world map, and she certainly wouldn't spread it out on the table.

It was only natural for him to find it strange.

"...It's not certain, but from what I've gathered, the atmosphere in the Desert Kingdom is strange."

"Strange?"

But Duke Ahillo eventually answered the question.

"Yes. Last year, their high priest received some kind of revelation."

"And you don't know the content."

"That's right. However, it is certain that the meeting request came after the revelation."

A revelation.

Humans think that gods give revelations, but that's only the case in very few instances. Even a demon, if it's a Monarch-level one, can give revelations.

And the Desert Kingdom has deeper ties with demons than with gods.

'Could my sisters have done something?'

It's possible that my sisters planned to put the soul of the foolish youngest, who didn't listen and stubbornly died, into this body.

I had briefly suspected that.

I thought of my sisters, who cherished me so much, and bit the tender flesh inside my mouth at the surge of longing.

"Besides that, is there anything special happening in the Desert Kingdom? I thought it might help with the banquet preparations."

"Hmm. The imperial family's atmosphere is... well, it's so-so, but the common people are uneasy."

"Is that so?"

Are the officials extorting them and the Emperor squandering money?

Even that boy didn't seem to be treated properly.

If he had such a vile character that he was wary of his younger brother, who was much younger than him, and drove him to his death, it wouldn't be strange if he were a tyrant.

"Here, do you see this big river?"

"That's the Nashtef River. It's a huge lifeline that runs through the Desert Kingdom."

"That's right. But the Diawan River, a small tributary that branches off from this Nashtef, completely dried up last summer."

"Dried up? Without leaving a single drop?"

"Yes. But as the river dried up, ancient ruins buried deep within the riverbed were discovered. Currently, only about 3% of the excavation work has been completed. They say they might even discover the ruins of the ancient Mado Empire from a thousand years ago."

"So that's why you said it was strange."

There must be people who are happy that the ruins were discovered, even though there are people who have become impoverished because the Diawan River dried up.

And those happy people are highly likely to be from the noble class.

'The commoners have reason to be angry. There must have been people whose livelihoods depended on that one river.'

A summit held amidst great turmoil.

I tapped my lips and looked at the map, roughly checking the area diagonally above the Diawan River.

The name of that area, beyond the border and a certain distance away, was none other than 'Ansel.'

"His Majesty the Emperor lived in the Ansel region when he was young, I hear."

"Yes? Yes. He has a very special affection for that place."

"That's good. It's going to be flooded and submerged soon."

"!"

"So, have the local residents evacuate to nearby territories and prepare relief supplies in advance."

Duke Ahillo's mouth dropped open. What on earth was I saying?

Realizing my mistake, I softened my eyes.

"Where else would the evaporated water go?"

"If it evaporated, wouldn't it be gone?"

"That's not true, Father. There are rules for everything in the world. If a river dries up to that extent, that water must go somewhere and pour down."

I couldn't explain why it was Ansel.

Even if I told him, he wouldn't understand as a human.

How could he know that the world is a net intricately woven with cause and effect?

I can only calculate and read that causality.

'If the ruins were discovered in the summer, and it's the middle of winter now, there's not much time left.'

What would happen if a large amount of water poured into an area that had never been flooded before?

There was only one answer.

Everyone would die.

Even those who barely survived would be swept away by the epidemics left by the flood.

I was going to prevent that in the name of the Empress.

The Saintess and the temple could just take care of the aftermath.

"But never publicize it widely. Proceed quietly. The Saintess will surely be in the capital until the summit ends. Even if she receives a report that something has happened, she won't move."

"So, you're saying that the temple will only move after all the relief efforts are completed in the name of Her Majesty the Empress?"

"Yes. But if she hears news that I've done something, she'll definitely rush over. That must not happen. The people of Ansel must be saved solely by our help."

Now that I've spoon-fed him like this, the Duke will take care of the rest.

Creating good public opinion, and creating bad public opinion about the Saintess and the temple.

I looked down at the tea that had gone cold and slowly moved my lips.

"If we save his cherished hometown, the Emperor will bow his stiff neck at least once."

"If it really rains in Ansel... it's a miraculous move."

"It will come."

Saying that with a confident tone, I stared directly at Duke Ahillo.

"Ahillo is to crush the enemy's heart with his teeth. You taught me that, Father."

"...Yes, I certainly did."

"Do you believe in revelations, Father?"

Doubt flickered in Duke Ahillo's red eyes again.

Knowing that his daughter was dead versus being mistaken that she was alive.

I don't know which is better. Because I've never been a parent.

However, I needed this body right now.

At least until I completely finished my revenge.

"Isn't 'revelation' a word used in the Desert Kingdom?"

"If you're uncomfortable, I'll change it to divine message. It's the same thing anyway."

"Has a god descended?"

Duke Ahillo asked in a surprised tone. I just smiled silently.

I found it funny that he said a god had descended.

But I deliberately used the word revelation so that he would be mistaken.

I elegantly gathered my hands and took a posture as if praying to God. Then, with an incomparably sacred and solemn tone, I slowly opened my mouth.

"If you're going to die anyway, die enjoying untouchable power in the highest position. That's what I heard."

It was such a brazen lie that if God heard it, he would slap his forehead.