Chapter 78

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 78

Chapter Title: The Empress's Treason Charge

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“What do you mean by treason?!”

The Emperor reacted with utter disbelief, and the others mirrored his shock.

They interpreted it as the offended Empress making an utterly unreasonable claim.

But the Empress had come prepared with her own logic. She had no intention of backing down.

She pointed accusingly at the western nobles led by the Grand Duchess and began to speak.

“Among those people there, has anyone received permission to enter the palace today? Or been searched by the imperial knights?”

“...”

“...”

A heavy silence crushed the hall.

The Empress's point was irrefutable.

The imperial palace naturally had security protocols in place.

These were even stricter when meeting members of the imperial family directly.

Obtaining entry permission and completing a prior body search were basic requirements.

And by clear imperial law, allowing anyone into the palace without these procedures was punishable as treason.

It was a law forged from the upheavals in the empire's early days, and it remained fully in effect.

That was when Hilia stepped forward.

“Please don't speak so harshly, Your Majesty the Empress. They were simply attending the banquet at my invitation.”

She was still smiling, but tension flickered across her face.

The Empress sneered at the young girl.

'This foolish child, throwing caution to the wind to best Evangeline, and now she's slipped up.'

And yet, here she was, strutting about smugly with the Emperor and Crown Prince flanking her.

It was far too unsightly to tolerate.

As the Empress's argument began to ring true, murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“Y-Yes, the Empress does have a point.”

“Exactly. We must thoroughly investigate anything that could threaten the imperial family's safety.”

“I always thought the Crown Princess was so composed and thoughtful, but this time... she seems to have been a bit shortsighted.”

A blatantly hostile atmosphere toward Hilia started to take shape.

As Hilia found herself cornered, the previously silent Axion Grand Duchess stepped forward.

She took Hilia's side, standing against the Empress.

It was also a defense of her own entourage.

“If that's the case, are you saying that I—who entered here in secret—and the other western nobles are now rebels?”

The Empress slowly turned her head toward the Grand Duchess.

“You've deliberately avoided entering the palace all this time, only to sneak in like thieves. How can you possibly claim you harbor no treasonous intent? Axion Grand Duchess?”

“...!”

The Grand Duchess's eyes twitched at being singled out and addressed so rudely.

In stark contrast, Empress Isabel's gaze gleamed with unmistakable glee.

The Axion Grand Duchess had once been the lady Empress Isabel served.

She was the very one who had opposed Isabel's ascension to Empress, rallying her own nobles in defiance.

The reversal—being able to speak down to her now—was deeply satisfying for the Empress.

Thrilling, even.

The last time the Grand Duchess had defied her and stormed out of the palace, there had been no direct confrontation.

'That's why I never heard "Your Majesty the Empress" from that woman's lips. Not even proper honorifics.'

But things were different now.

The Axion Grand Duchess had no choice but to show Isabel the respect due to her station.

After all, Isabel was the Empress.

'For that one thing alone, I might even owe that girl my thanks.'

Yet the Grand Duchess refused to yield easily.

“If you truly doubt the loyalty of the western nobles, then instead of slandering us to ruin this banquet, shouldn't you arrest us all as rebels first?”

The Empress sneered at the Grand Duchess before retorting.

“My mercy is the only reason I haven't. You should be grateful. For people of your age and stature to debase yourselves in a child's power game like this...”

The Empress clicked her tongue in disdain.

The Grand Duchess's wrinkled face flushed red with humiliation.

“You...!”

The Empress ignored her completely.

At that moment, Evangeline sidled closer and chimed in.

“Exactly. Your Majesty has made a perfectly valid point. As expected!”

She clearly judged the situation to her advantage.

Her eyes gleamed predatorily, like a hyena eager to tear into prey already caught by a larger beast.

And with bold confidence, Evangeline cut straight to the heart of it.

“Does someone who would orchestrate all this out of mere personal ambition to secure her position truly have the qualifications to be Crown Princess?”

It was the Axion Grand Duchess, not the cornered Hilia, who snapped back in anger.

“Watch your tongue, Ruth Marquis's Daughter!”

But Evangeline had fully regained her usual poise.

Her soft smile carried a mocking edge that grated on everyone listening.

“Well, of course you'd say that, Grand Duchess—you're her accomplice. You wouldn't want to share the punishment.”

“Enough, Eva.”

“But...!”

The Empress took another step forward.

“Even so, Evangeline isn't wrong. Even if there was no intent to harm His Majesty, this is still a blatant violation.”

She swept her glare across the other nobles filling the hall, one by one.

“What I can't believe is that no one here pointed this out.”

The central nobles, caught in her stare, hunched their shoulders in embarrassment and discomfort.

“O-Our judgment was too narrow...”

“How could we possibly match Your Majesty's vast insight?”

Some scrambled to offer excuses.

“Ignoring such a critical procedure is utterly unacceptable. Especially when the Crown Princess herself led it. She cannot be considered qualified.”

Growing ever more assured, the Empress earnestly appealed to the Emperor.

“As the mistress of the inner palace, I beseech Your Majesty to make a wise decision.”

Everything hinged on his response.

All eyes turned to the Emperor.

The Emperor finally spoke.

“The Empress is mistaken.”

“...Pardon?”

A question born of genuine bewilderment.

The Empress had never imagined he would dismiss her plea outright.

After tilting her head in stunned surprise for a moment, she twisted her face and shot back.

“No matter how much you dote on your daughter-in-law and wish to take her side, her wrongdoing doesn't vanish.”

Her eyes—so like Evangeline's—burned with unmistakable hostility and jealousy.

The Emperor slowly shook his head.

“No, this has nothing to do with favoritism. All procedures were followed to the letter in this matter.”

“...What?”

Her face, so triumphant just moments ago, now looked utterly dazed.

The Emperor summoned the chief secretary to bring the documents.

“See for yourself. It's the list of western nobles attending today's banquet, submitted in advance for my approval.”

The Empress's eyes bulged wide.

She practically snatched the papers from the secretary's hands and scanned them.

The Emperor was right.

From the Axion Grand Duchess to every western noble present—their names were all listed.

And at the bottom: the Emperor's decree permitting their entry, complete with his seal.

The date on the document was three days prior.

“T-Then... the body searches for entry...!”

Arpad answered in her stead.

“The imperial knights attached to the Crown Prince's palace have conducted them all. There are no procedural issues whatsoever.”

The Empress lifted her ashen face.

From beside the Emperor and Crown Prince—who stood like an impenetrable wall—a small head popped out.

Pink hair swayed adorably.

Their eyes met.

The Empress saw it.

Hilia, mocking her.

Of course, this was entirely my doing.

'If a group this large could slip into the palace without a whisper, of course it would raise questions.'

No—failing to question it would have been the real anomaly.

And that very flaw was the perfect bait to lure in the Empress.