48 - The Bride of the Great Lord is a Warrior from Hell
The Grand Duke's Bride is a Warrior from Hell 48
The royals seemed a bit more sincere than that.
However, everyone seemed inwardly pleased that a princess, not a prince, had been born.
Marquis Lennox and Count Istevna praised the Emperor in louder voices than usual.
The Emperor responded with a smile that seemed to melt away at his brothers' kind words.
The princesses' expressions were varied.
They were still the Emperor's direct siblings, but from now on, they would be recognized more as the late Emperor's daughters than the current Emperor's siblings.
They had gone from being among the noblest of the female royals to a slightly less noble position.
Because from today, the noblest female royal would be the Emperor's first daughter, Princess Dorothea.
Pop!
As the wine was passed around the high table once more, fireworks exploded outside.
Fireworks celebrating the birth of the princess.
Alisha looked up at the brilliant fireworks and gazed at the glass in her hand.
"No, you can't."
Before she could even bring the glass to her lips, a large hand reached out and snatched it away.
Reikart, who had taken Alisha's glass, emptied it in one gulp.
"...Hey, that was mine."
Alisha belatedly realized her glass had been taken and spoke, but the wine was already gone.
"The celebration will end soon."
As if hearing Reikart's words, the Emperor thanked the royals and dismissed them.
Several people urged the Emperor to enjoy the joy further, but he brushed it all off with a smile.
Those who missed the Emperor set their sights on Reikart.
As soon as the imperial order to withdraw was given, he subtly urged Alisha to hurry out of the Audience Chamber.
Aggressive people followed them, but Reikart pretended not to hear, opened the carriage door, helped Alisha in, and then climbed in himself.
"Let's go."
Despite it being nighttime, the outside was bustling with people who had heard the news of the princess's birth.
"Your Highness. Princess Louise is outside..."
Alisha, who had been pushed into the carriage by Reikart, said, looking out the window.
The carriage had already departed at the Grand Duke's command.
Not only Princess Louise but also Marquis Lennox and Princess Anri were coming to find Reikart's carriage as it left.
Suddenly, the curtain on the carriage window was drawn.
Startled by the sudden darkness, Alisha strained her eyes.
Thanks to consuming a lot of Magic Stones in Tessen, Alisha had almost recovered her abilities from Hell.
"I have something to say."
Reikart whispered in a lowered voice.
His voice was so low that his already deep voice sounded rough.
"Speak."
Alisha relaxed the power she had focused in her eyes and replied.
For some reason, she had a bad feeling.
"I don't want His Majesty to know Alexi Tocqueville."
Bad feelings never miss.
"I can't do that."
In this unexpected situation, Alisha spoke surprisingly calmly.
Her words of refusal were gentle but firm.
Her face was so gentle that it was difficult to tell from her expression that she was refusing.
"Alisha."
"Your Highness."
Alisha and Reikart called each other's names.
Reikart tried to meet Alisha's gaze, but Alisha shook her head.
Both speaking at the same time, they paused for a moment.
"Speak first."
Reikart said to her imploring face.
"Alexi Tocqueville will eventually die. You don't want the Emperor to know Alexi Tocqueville? That means you're going to kill him. If you accuse him to the Emperor, he will listen to the situation before and after and order Alexi Tocqueville to be killed. The conclusion is the same."
What Alisha was saying were the things Reikart had intended to do.
In the end, Alexi Tocqueville would die.
So, wouldn't it be better to handle the problem himself without upsetting the Emperor when he was so happy to meet his first child?
It was unpleasant that the woman who gave birth to the Emperor's first child had a former lover, and that there was a man claiming to have been in a relationship with the Emperor's Imperial Concubine.
"..."
Reikart quietly watched Alisha, who was saying what he had wanted to say.
"I know too, Your Highness. We can't perfectly judge the truth of what Alexi Tocqueville is saying. Even if we accuse him to the Emperor, it might not be much different from what we think."
Reikart fully agreed with Alisha's words.
In his silence, Alisha continued to speak.
"Did Maud Mannors and Alexi Tocqueville date in the past? Maud Mannors will deny it. Alexi Tocqueville claims they did. Maybe Maud Mannors will say they met briefly in the past. If Maud Mannors's words are true, she will be wronged. But whether they met a long time ago, or Alexi Tocqueville gave meaning to a gift she gave without meaning, or he's making a fuss with stolen goods. If His Majesty finds out, she will be suspected. And Alexi Tocqueville will die."
Even if he accused the Emperor, it was difficult to clearly judge the situation.
"So."
"So, we have to make His Majesty kill Alexi Tocqueville. The Emperor must suspect Maud Mannors now, and Maud Mannors must present evidence or circumstances to prove her innocence, or tie up any situation that could cause suspicion."
"Even if the result is the same?"
"Because we can't be sure that only you and I know Alexi Tocqueville's claims. We must not leave any excuse for someone to use Alexi Tocqueville. We don't know who else knows this, so we must inform the person who shouldn't know it the most. Even if it upsets the Emperor, we must not leave any room for exploitation."
Alisha spoke earnestly. Reikart agreed and took her words.
"If the Prime Minister's opposing forces know, it's not a matter they'll let go of. The Mannors Marquis family might use this too."
At his words, Alisha nodded enthusiastically.
Alisha was planning to eliminate as many variables as possible.
She couldn't leave anything uncertain.
Alisha planned to use everything she knew without holding back.
But only one thing.
In matters related to the birth of a new life, it was difficult to be sure of even the smallest thing.
Everything could go wrong with even the slightest thing.
So, even while praising herself for doing well so far, she felt anxiety and fear about approaching the Empress and changing the circumstances around her.
She was worried that her intervention would prevent what was originally planned from happening.
"Your Highness."
Alisha called Reikart with an earnest face.
"I know."
Reikart replied with a reluctant expression.
"When you tell His Majesty, you have to look the most pitiful in the world."
Alisha followed his averted face and spoke with all her might.
Reikart showed displeasure at Alisha's request.
He always seemed uncomfortable when the topic of accusation came up.
Perhaps it was because of the request to look as pitiful as possible, as if he were confessing the world's greatest sin.
"I understand."
Reikart replied gruffly.
Alisha stepped back with a brightened face.
Reikart stared blankly at Alisha, who was patting his arm and spreading a lighthearted smile.
As their eyes met in the darkness, her faint smile deepened.
"You promised."
At Alisha's repeated urging, Reikart nodded.
"It seems you don't know who he is."
"I don't."
Alisha said lightly to his passing remark.
Then she realized she had been tricked.
Her purple eyes looked at Reikart with a hint of protest.
"How many more Imperial Palace nephews will be born in the future?"
Reikart deliberately asked an explicit question.
Alisha quickly brushed off the clinging words.
"The season hasn't changed yet, Your Highness."
Alisha retorted sullenly.
Reikart lightly parried.
"So you do know."
The man's voice was filled with certainty.
This time, she had definitely been tricked.
A long silence fell.
"...I don't."
"Your answer was late."
Reikart said nonchalantly.
It was a low, monotonous tone, but she could tell he was teasing her.
Alisha closed her mouth to avoid getting further involved.
It was a wise choice, but the frustrating result did not change.
Reikart's laughter flowed gently in the running carriage.
Rejoicing at the birth of Princess Dorothea, the Emperor ordered a three-day holiday.
The Imperial Palace officials went on a short break.
The Emperor bestowed the Room of Glory in the Imperial Palace main castle as the princess's residence.
The Imperial Family and the Imperial Concubine were subtly stirred.
Four nannies had already been assigned to Princess Dorothea.
The person in charge of managing the nannies and overseeing the upbringing had not yet been decided.
Until now, there were only the Emperor and Empress's residences in the Imperial Palace main castle.
By bestowing the Room of Glory in the Emperor's residence area to his first child, Princess Dorothea, a person other than the Emperor and Empress would live together in the Imperial Palace main castle.
The person chosen as the princess's primary caregiver would stay in the main castle the longest, following the Emperor, Empress, and princess.
The Imperial Concubines were on edge in their own way, and the Prime Minister and nobles were on edge in their own way.
The last day of the three-day holiday.
On the new morning, Reikart Tessen entered the Imperial Palace.
The Emperor summoned Reikart to his office.
"You've come."
The Emperor's face was brighter than ever due to the birth of Princess Dorothea.
"Your Majesty, I have something to tell you."
At the formal words, the Emperor's smiling face calmed down.
The Emperor pushed the papers he had spread out to the side.
"Speak."
The Emperor's attitude towards Reikart lost its smile.
"Do you know a man named Alexi Tocqueville?"
Alisha had emphasized to Reikart several times to look the most pitiful in the world.
Reikart spoke stiffly as usual.
"I don't remember."
At the Emperor's words, Reikart took out a handkerchief from his pocket.
It was an item he had prepared in advance.
Maud Mannors.
The handkerchief had familiar initials embroidered on it.
The Emperor was familiar not only with the initials but also with the design and color of the handkerchief.
He had a similar handkerchief himself.
"Grand Duke, bring Alexi Tocqueville. Cover his face."
No human emotion could be seen on the Emperor's face.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Reikart replied in a stern tone and left the office.
A short while later, a carriage passed through the Imperial Palace gate.
Roderick, the aide of Grand Duke Tessen, drove the carriage himself and pulled down an anonymous person wrapped in a cloak and hood who had entered the palace.
The anonymous person went inside wrapped in a cloak and came out wrapped in a cloak as well.
Reikart and Roderick were sitting together in the front seat of the carriage leaving the Imperial Palace.
There was a slight commotion in the Imperial Concubine.
The Emperor's servants and maids searched the residence of Lady Goggins, Maud Mannors.
The Chief of Staff took away a common pendant.
The pendant had the initial 'A' engraved on it.
On the last day of the holiday.
The Emperor appointed Duchess Palz, one of the Imperial Concubines, as Princess Dorothea's caregiver.
