Chapter 136

It seemed even the Emperor found it difficult to give up easily.

“The statement left behind by a drug addict on the brink of death cannot be the sole basis for punishing Anais. We must ascertain the facts before holding anyone accountable… Is that not correct?”

By saying such things…

It was clear that punishing his daughter, who had just returned from the monastery, wouldn’t be easy. He must also realize that this time, it wouldn’t be as simple as sending her back to the monastery.

I decided to assist the Emperor in making a swift decision.

There was no need for me to intervene directly. All I had to do was subtly suggest to Siena, who loved her younger sibling dearly, and it would be enough.

**

Anais wandered through the Imperial Palace grounds with a blank expression.

It was because the late Senior Leon was apparently attacking her.

Currently, Leon wasn’t being portrayed as a crazed deserter addicted to drugs but rather as a soldier who had acted out due to being coerced by Anais. Specifically, Alan Medoff, the commander of the pursuit operation, was pushing this narrative.

‘When did I ever do such a thing…?’

Anais felt wronged.

But she knew one thing for sure – no one would listen to her grievances.

What she needed to do now was find a way to survive. If she did nothing, she might end up being accused of crimes she didn’t commit.

Unfortunately, her options were limited.

She couldn’t even leave the palace grounds, and when she wandered within, she had to be accompanied by a lady-in-waiting assigned by her mother.

Even when she tried to shoo the lady away, she steadfastly ignored Anais. If it weren’t for her father, she might have been locked in her room.

‘Still, I can’t just sit here and do nothing.’

Her destination was the Grand Hall.

It served as both an exhibition area and a social space for the nobility.

For Anais, trapped in the palace, it was the only place where she could meet with outsiders.

“Excuse me.”

“My apologies, Your Highness.”

Even here, Anais struggled to find allies. Everyone avoided her gaze as soon as she looked their way.

‘I’m not infected with the plague, so why are they avoiding me?’

As her anxiety grew, she noticed someone familiar.

A frail figure with lanky brown hair – it was Iris, her old friend from the Academy.

Though her appearance had changed somewhat, it was definitely Iris. The friend who had been expelled for running an opium den with her boyfriend. Yet, the fact that she could still freely enter the palace suggested she hadn’t faced harsh punishment beyond expulsion.

Anais hurriedly approached Iris.

“Hey, Iris! Can you help me out?”

“Help you?”

“Uh… It’s been a while, huh? I didn’t even greet you properly. Sorry.”

“Sorry?”

At least Iris still addressed her casually.

Anais felt no irritation. On the contrary, it made her happy. It meant that Iris, the Skepington heiress with the slightly haggard face, still considered her a friend, much like in their Academy days.

How could she leverage this friendship to extricate herself from her current predicament?

Fortunately, the Skepington family was one of the more influential houses within the Empire.

In an era where over 80% of the land had been integrated into direct imperial control, there were still families that retained their fiefs. The Skepington family was one of them. Unlike those involved in banking or trade, they maintained their influence purely through the productivity of their lands.

‘Maybe she could be useful.’

But how exactly?

Should she ask Iris to rally local nobles to launch a campaign for her exoneration? No, Iris wasn’t foolish enough to do that for a friend, and even if she were inclined to help, her family wouldn’t agree.

Though relieved to have an ally, Anais found herself at a loss for practical ways to use this connection.

At that moment, Iris broke the silence with a lackluster expression.

“I actually have something to tell you. Our elder sister recently married into the Kingdom of Marinaud.”

“Huh? Oh, that’s nice.”

Not the time for idle chitchat about family matters.

In a more relaxed setting, Anais might have replied something like, “Our elder sister seems to be engaged to a drug lord,” but the situation was too urgent.

But soon, Iris revealed something intriguing.

“I’m thinking of relocating to the Kingdom of Marinaud to start a business there.”

“Business?”

“Yeah. Actually, my family has almost disowned me because of the opium scandal. All thanks to that Julian kid. Why did you have to mess with the supply of military morphine? But anyway, I’m planning to start anew in another country.”

“You’re thinking of dealing opium overseas?”

“This time I’ll be smarter. I’m going to sell it subtly through tea houses.”

“Uh… That sounds… okay.”

Anais found herself intrigued and nodded her head.

Relocating to a country that didn’t share borders with the Empire and starting a business…

The Anais remembered wasn’t reckless—operating an opium den, getting expelled, and now planning an exile-driven business venture was far from her previous image. But she had no time to lament her friend’s downfall.

‘Right. Anyway, staying in the Empire has no future for me.’

Alan Medoff was going so far as to fabricate Leon’s final words to target her. Though she wanted to retaliate, the circumstances weren’t in her favor.

While she’d like to believe her father would protect her, she couldn’t rely solely on that.

If she just sat around and waited, it’d be better to make the first move.

A new idea began to form in Anais’s mind.

What if she confessed to her offenses, voluntarily renounced her position, and accepted exile? No one could argue that the punishment was too lenient. It would be considered one of the harshest penalties aside from execution.

‘And this could set the stage for negotiation with Father.’

The Emperor would surely see her departure as pitiable.

Relying on his sympathy, she could ask him for money and resources, and there was no doubt he’d comply. More than that, he might even look out for her subtly after she relocated. Using that support, she could begin anew.

‘It won’t be easy.’

But compared to passively waiting for punishment within the Empire, it was a much better path. It would also offer the chance of a future.

Alan Medoff and Siena Carlisle.

It pleased her to think about building a foundation in a country beyond the reach of these devious individuals. Besides, Victoria, her older sister, was also against her now. Immediate revenge was impossible.

Yes. This is it.

Assessing it as a good plan, Anais refocused her attention on her friend.

She wanted to propose a mutual escape, suggesting they start a business together in Marinaud.

“Iris, I have something to say.”

“Say what?”

“Yeah, if it’s alright, me too…”

Anais suddenly stopped talking.

She felt it was too convenient for the situation to be unfolding perfectly in her favor.

Actually, it wasn’t that favorable since it meant she had to accept exile.

But, to her, cornered as she was, the idea seemed quite reasonable.

It felt odd that a plausible option appeared immediately after she found herself in trouble.

‘Perhaps it’s a trap.’

Once the suspicion surfaced, she couldn’t shake it.

She didn’t want to believe it.

Because the Iris in front of her really was a friend from her past. She had even tried to gather information about Iris through her bodyguard during her time at the monastery. She’d felt a pang of regret upon hearing that Iris had been expelled due to opium.

Has she read the suspicion in Anais’s face?

Iris smirked and nodded slightly.

“You’re a bit smarter than what Siena said. I thought I had you hooked.”

“What…?”

“Sorry, it’s disappointing since we waited for over nine hours for you to show up, but no big gain.”

Indeed! It was a trap!

Anais frowned and stared at her former friend, Iris.

Even knowing she thought of her as a friend, how could she betray her this way?

While she could understand if Iris refused to help, it was another matter to take orders from Siena, that conniving woman, to set her up like this. That was unacceptable.

“How could you, a friend?”

“Sorry, but didn’t you do the same to Senior Leon?”

“….”

“Didn’t you betray him?”

Speechless, Anais merely moved her lips.

It was true she had used Leon. She hadn’t intended for him to die, but she admitted to not being concerned about his safety.

“So kind-hearted a person…”

Anais knew Leon Senior was a good person.

Back when she last saw him, consumed by syrups, though briefly, her heart had been shaken. A feeling akin to guilt. Though, this was quickly forgotten during her time at the monastery doing lacework and tending gardens.

‘Even if you mention that now…’

She wanted to argue, but words didn’t come.

Her friend’s face, bringing up Leon’s death as she stared intently at her.

The onlookers, nobles watching the confrontation from afar.

With many people around, she felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness.

Then her friend, Iris, casually announced,

“I’ll immediately confess to the Military Police that Anais came to me in a hurry asking for help… That part’s true, isn’t it? I don’t intend to fabricate anything unnecessary to defame you. Siena even told me not to push it too far.”

“…”

“Then, I’ll be going now.”

Without any hesitation, Iris turned her back.

What kind of promise did she get from Siena to betray her like this? Did she get free morphine judging from her glazed eyes? Or maybe a title or money?

She must have received some kind of promise. But there was a bigger issue.

That even her supposedly closest friend had turned against her.

And that betrayal made her situation even worse.

Anais let her arms fall limply to her sides.

‘If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have messed with Senior Leon…’

Perhaps it would have been better to invest more time into truly detoxifying Leon and helping him get a pardon. Having a young master with his faculties intact as an ally could have made her revenge easier.

Of course, regretting now was futile.

Leon Rothe Dale, her former respected senior, was already dead. Some even claimed he had died with a smile.

A deceased person couldn’t be friends with her. Instead, Leon’s fabricated last words were causing her troubles even now.

“No. Now’s not the time.”

Anais, who had been standing helplessly for a while, forced herself back to reality.

She then headed toward the Imperial Chambers where her mother was.

Now, the only thing she could rely on was her background as the granddaughter of the Emperor of Chinguk. If she wanted to leverage the empire, she would need her mother’s cooperation.

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