Chapter 130

A surge of disgust towards Anais welled up inside me.

It was the first time since my previous life’s father.

Even though I had clashed with my mother in the mud, I had never truly hated her. That fight was unavoidable because she was trying to protect my father.

However, something about Anais’s recent behavior made me simmer with anger. It felt like merely pushing her actions under the rug would simply not suffice.

There was someone who was infuriated far more intensely than I.

“Sir Alan. Have you heard the news?”

It was Victoria.

She stood ready for battle, wielding one sword and two wheellock pistols. Victoria was reputed to be skilled not only in swordplay but also to have excelled in marksmanship during her academy days. Some even claimed she could handle cannons.

Nevertheless, Victoria was undoubtedly the imperial princess.

The reason she was armed with weapons that she would never use in actual combat was said to be different.

“The atmosphere at the Military Affairs Ministry seems grave.”

“Of course. Not only the Ministry but also each of the army headquarters…”

Victoria started to say something but then just stiffened her expression.

The state of the military was clear to me. The Wolphall family, a powerful house that had wielded enormous influence over the army, had been entirely wiped out not long ago, and now, an addicted officer, Leon Rothe Dale, had brutally murdered four officers and deserted.

Even worse…

“Have we been able to track Leon Rothe Dale’s movements?”

“I don’t know.”

“…”

“Apparently, Leon asked some soldiers he encountered just before deserting which direction the state was in. The soldier accidentally told him, but Leon disappeared in the opposite direction. I don’t understand why.”

“Hmph.”

There was no sign of Leon’s current whereabouts.

Although it was certain that he had set his destination as the state, there was no guarantee he would find his way there properly. For all we knew, he might be wandering around aimlessly. If his drugs ran out along the way, there was no telling what he might do.

This chaotic situation was all started by Anais, who had just returned to the Imperial Palace.

Judging by the dates, it was evident that she had committed the act before her release. Another incident in the waiting room for parolees.

Victoria was said to have been enraged because of this.

“…Sir Alan. I consider Jin-guk’s involvement in Anais’s pardon to be an interference in our internal affairs.”

“I agree.”

“Nevertheless, I am aware that the funds Jin-guk spent to secure that pardon were not small. The value of the gifts brought by the embassy delegation amounted to over forty million talers, they say. Moreover, they granted us exclusive trading rights for a limited time.”

“…”

“I believe such privileges will never be offered again. And yet, that foolish girl threw away the help of her mother and maternal relatives like it was nothing. Just for the sake of revenge.”

“Victoria…”

“Moreover… I’m not even sure if she really had revenge in mind! What does Anais even have left after going to such lengths? It’s too strange, isn’t it!”

Victoria’s voice grew increasingly louder.

In fact, purely from a cost-benefit perspective, Anais’s actions amounted to self-harm.

Of course, both I and Victoria were quite troubled by Leon’s desertion. Sending Leon, the drug addict, to the punishment unit was our doing. Due to the incident where Leon was ruined in the grand hall, I was still being avoided by many people. Naturally, I’d face more criticism because of this affair.

But compared to the damage Anais would face going forward, it was nothing.

‘Rational judgment, this is definitely not.’

If Anais had any intellect, she’d know I wouldn’t overlook this easily. She chose to act anyway.

“I don’t understand. Why exactly…”

“Perhaps she thought she could save her life no matter how things turn out.”

“What?”

“I can guess what Anais, the Imperial Princess, might do next. Likely, she’ll confess her crimes preemptively to Her Majesty the Empress.”

“To confess? That girl?”

Victoria clearly didn’t believe it.

Considering Anais’s past actions, such behavior seemed highly unlikely. Acknowledging and sincerely repenting for one’s wrongdoings didn’t suit Anais. I wasn’t expecting genuine remorse from her either.

“Let’s go to the palace.”

Both Victoria and I immediately headed to the imperial palace.

My guess wasn’t entirely wrong, though it wasn’t completely accurate either.

Apparently, the first person Anais requested an audience with upon returning to the state was not the empress who had granted her pardon, but the emperor.

Even more shockingly, they were already in a meeting.

***

The luxurious bedroom in the Empress’ chambers.

It belonged to the third Imperial Princess Anais upon her return from the monastery.

Anais was practically confined to the room. Outside of one maid assigned by the empress, there was no one she could command.

‘Still treated as a criminal?’

Excluding the fact that this space, ten times larger than her old quarters in the monastery, was filled with extravagant furnishings, nothing had changed. She was still busy doing lacework, using the old bobbins and baskets she brought along from the workhouse.

Even in such a wretched state of imprisonment, unable to even leave the palace, something had changed.

“Did you request an audience with me?”

The Emperor, who had aged significantly in the past few months, and who was also her father, had come to see her personally.

This followed her earnest request for an immediate audience upon her return.

“Your Imperial Majesty! How could you…”

“Rather than letting you wander the palace grounds aimlessly, I thought it better for me to make the effort. Especially since dignitaries from Jin-guk are currently staying in our empire… there’s no need to unnecessarily cause unrest, right?”

There was distrust in his words.

Nevertheless, Anais kept silent and lowered her eyes, for now.

The emperor was her only support. She had planned to seek safety through her mother, but Empress Lianhua wouldn’t even face her. She had simply said, “Let’s see each other after the embassy delegation leaves.”

Comparatively, the emperor was kinder.

“I didn’t expect you to cause trouble before even receiving your pardon.”

And yet, his gaze on Anais was filled with unease.

Anais managed to feign ignorance.

“What did I cause?”

“Leon Rothe Dale deserted. …After receiving your letter.”

“What?”

“It wasn’t a simple escape. He killed four commanding officers. Their bodies were so grotesquely mutilated that they were unrecognizable… And we still can’t track where he is right now. Anais, what exactly did you do?”

“…”

Desertion?

Anais’s expression briefly hardened. She had suspected Leon might react drastically, but she hadn’t anticipated desertion. She had expected that, at most, he would stage some sort of protest demanding stronger drugs.

Of course, this outcome was more catastrophic.

At this point, there was nothing she could do to undo what had been done.

Anais slowly stood up.

Then, she approached her father and knelt down before him.

“Your Imperial Majesty… it’s all my fault.”

“What?”

“Using the name of the respected nun to smuggle out the letter was wrong. I know that… But please understand, I had no malicious intent. It was done out of guilt towards Senior Leon.”

Seeing the youngest child kneel down and repent seemed to soften the emperor. He nodded, encouraging her to continue.

Anais, with a sorrowful expression, continued to pour out her thoughts.

It wasn’t an act.

After being implicated with Alan Medoff, her life had always been filled with sorrow. Her expression of genuine regret seemed to have intrigued even the emperor.

“Father, I know what has happened because of the syrup I circulated before. My older sister Siena has been frequently updating me on the state’s news. Maybe she intended to make me suffer, but ultimately, it helped me.”

“What help, exactly?”

“Because it made me face what I had done. Students who should have been focusing on their studies were rolling around in opium smoke all day… Some students even operated opium fields themselves. As a result, many got expelled or withdrew from the Academy.”

“Anais…”

“One of them was even my friend. And there were also my seniors and juniors… but I thought Leon was victimized the most… so…”

She only wanted Leon to quit drugs.

After explaining up to that point and deliberately leaving it vague, Anais thought it’d be counterproductive to speak too clearly at this moment.

Fortunately, the emperor watched Anais with a compassionate gaze.

To definitively sway his heart, Anais continued.

“Rather… what if I met Senior Leon? Even though it wasn’t my intention, because of me, he went berserk and took lives. It seems only right. Please order the military to tempt Senior Leon using me as bait. I beg you.”

A declaration to offer her own neck to a drug master.

The emperor responded not with words but by placing his hand gently on Anais’s head.

Raising her head slightly, she saw the moisture welling up in the emperor’s eyes. If it had been her mother, she wouldn’t have fallen for it, but Anais realized her strategy had been correct and sighed in relief.

Of course, she still repeated apologies to shield herself further.

Because she needed her father as a shield.

***

We arrived too late.

“First, we must capture Leon Rothe Dale.”

These were the first words the emperor uttered without hesitation when he granted an audience with Victoria and me.

Victoria was about to fiercely protest but the emperor cut her off immediately.

“Victoria. We’ll discuss Anais after the embassy delegation from Jin-guk departs. That girl is not only my daughter but also a ruler of Jin-guk. To punish her right after their emperor spent so much to save her grandchild would create diplomatic tension.”

“…Sire.”

“Besides, the letters, judged as harmless, were sent to Leon by officers you Victoria directly appointed—aren’t they all responsible here? It would tarnish the honor of those who perished. Let’s handle this quietly, quietly. Pleas of a father.”

It wasn’t entirely wrong.

But from the emperor’s expression, his reluctance to punish Anais was evident. It appeared he at least didn’t wish to see her dead.

Victoria’s eyes widened as she resisted accepting the emperor’s intentions, but I gently touched her sleeve to stop her and stepped forward.

“Sire, if you allow me, I will chase after the deserter Leon Rothe Dale.”

Whether ordered or not, he had to be caught.

But my offer wasn’t because I intended to fulfill the emperor’s wishes.

Somewhere in the empire, Leon, the drug addict, was roaming about.

I intended to apprehend him quickly, then bring Anais to the operating table as well.

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