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The blue bird’s head tilted as he peered at Prince Heinley’s letter, then he suddenly stretch his wings wide and trembled. I thought he must have been injured, but when I looked at him he seemed...angry, in fact. Of course it wasn’t clear because it was a bird’s face, but at least it appeared that way to me.

“Are you alright?”

I looked at him carefully, and the bird folded his wings and suddenly became very quiet.

“Queen is great, but you’re amazing too.”

– ?

“It’s almost like you’re a person.”

– !

“Prince Heinley keeps very smart birds.”

Ah, wait. He’s not a prince anymore. However, it seemed strange to call him King Heinley now.

I tapped the bird’s beak with my finger, but the bird hopped backwards away from my touch.

‘He’s smart, but he’s certainly different from Queen.’

“I won’t touch you.”

After smiling and apologizing to the bird, I returned to the letter.

– Coronation day is not far away. There will be a delegation from the Eastern Empire. Will you come as the head delegate?

Coronation day...

I checked the date on the letter and looked at the calendar. There were no major events during that time, and it was customary for the members of the Imperial Family to attend coronations anyway. However, I didn’t want to promise my appearance and then suddenly be unable to go due to unforeseen circumstances.

– I’ll check my schedule.

I wrote a non-committal answer and tied it to the bird’s leg.

“Please deliver this to him.”

I reflexively lifted my hand to pat him like I did with Queen, but the blue bird dodged me again. I sheepishly set down my hand, and the bird flapped his wings several times and then flew out the window. I watched him until he was out of sight.

What would it be like to exchange letters with Heinley again after so long? The events of the past several months came to me like a hazy dream. It wasn’t long after Rashta arrived, but back then my friends were close...

A chilly draft blew, and I made to close the window when I was suddenly interrupted.

“Your Majesty!”

There was a commotion in the parlor room and my name was called out. After signalling that they could come in, Countess Eliza and the ladies-in-waiting burst into the room. Everyone’s eyes were feverish.

“Is something wrong?”

I looked at them in bewilderment, and Laura puffed her nostrils.

“Someone put abortive drugs in Rashta’s food!”

“Miss Rashta? Are you sure?”

“Yes! I heard that the Emperor recognized it.”

I had no idea how he did, but if this were true, no wonder the ladies came running. The eastern palace would be in even more of an uproar.

“Did Miss Rashta ingest any of the drug?”

It didn’t sound like she did, but still...

“It was discovered in advance this time.”

Countess Eliza’s words seemed meaningful.

“‘This time’?”

“The Emperor called the palace doctor, and he said that Miss Rashta had already eaten a small amount several times before.”

Who did this? On second thought, I realized that I hadn’t asked the most important question yet.

“Are Miss Rashta and the baby safe?”

“The drug itself does little harm to the parent, so Rashta herself is fine.”

“And the baby?”

It suddenly occurred to me that whoever poisoned Rashta would be someone around me. Who else would benefit from killing her baby?

“I suppose it’s weak, but it’s still fine.”

I worried that Sovieshu would think, ‘If the baby disappears, what will the empress gain?’ I remembered all the other times Sovieshu summoned me whenever there was any perceived slight against Rashta. There was no indication that this would not repeat itself.

“Your Majesty, can I get you a warm cup of tea?”

“I’m fine. I just want to be alone...”

After Countess Eliza and the other ladies-in-waiting left the room, I pledged to myself that I would not be hurt if Sovieshu called me again.

But Sovieshu and I did not speak.

Not until the day we ate our meal together.

***

Full chapters and artwork at WordExcerpt and Crystal Crater’s Patreon.

Sovieshu didn’t inform me if he didn’t want to eat, or didn’t want to meet, or if he was too busy today, so I crossed into the eastern palace at dinnertime.

“Inform the Emperor that I am here.”

I gave my instructions to the servant at the door of Sovieshu’s bedroom, and he quickly went inside.

When he came out, however, his expression was dark. What was going on in there? The servant approached me and spoke.

“Your...Your Majesty. His Majesty said that...well, he didn’t say anything.”

The servant looked embarrassed, and I raised my eyebrows.

“He didn’t say anything?”

“No.”

The servant looked at me almost as if he were sorry. He didn’t alter his words, so it must be true.

“Go in one more time and tell him.”

I repeated my order again, and the servant entered the room. After several moments, he came out again.

“The Emperor still says nothing.”

He looked ready to cry, and the knights stationed at the door glanced at each other. I narrowed my eyes at Sovieshu’s door. Somehow I had been suffering under the illusion that he wasn’t placing blame on me.

‘But he already was.’

Instead of arguing with me, this time he was giving me a silent condemnation.

A sigh escaped my mouth. Why did he always find me at fault for anything that had to do with Rashta?

***

“I blame the Empress.”

The chief secretary, Marquis Karl, squeezed the handle of his coffee cup in surprise. He was simply here to discuss the matter of the Western King’s coronation, but somehow the psychological warfare between the Emperor and Empress erupted again. It was better done face-to-face, but Sovieshu would not allow the Empress to be sent in his room...

“Marquis Farang bought the abortive drugs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s connected to the Empress...”

“Marquis Farang is Koshar’s best friend, and Koshar is a hot-tempered man. You don’t think it’s connected?”

“Even the Empress would not resort to this.”

“Yes. I know that too.”

“What?”

“But she is committed to disliking Rashta.”

Sovieshu stared coldly at the floor.

“Wouldn’t the Empress, as intelligent as she is, have been able to imagine how Koshar would react with just one word from Rashta?”

“I...”

“I’m already being quite tolerant by refraining from dragging Koshar away and torturing him, am I not?”