Chapter 43
The Serpent’s Intent
There was a reason why this ginger juice tasted different.
Rasilia furrowed her brows, recalling the pungent and bitter taste of the ginger juice Flota had once made. At the time, Flota hadn’t made it with any care for her well-being, nor with the hope that she would get better.
So this sweet, warm ginger tea now slid down her throat gently—yet clung somewhere lukewarm to her heart.
—“Make it taste good.”
Because the one drinking it should find it delicious. Because he wished for that.
“…I don’t know.”
Clink.
Rasilia set down her second teacup.
She pulled the blanket over her head, worried she might start having foolish thoughts. She closed her eyes, hoping the blanket would cover and erase all her thoughts, and forced herself to sleep.
The next day, the Imperial Palace’s head chef received a piece of absurd information: the Empress of Eliazen’s favorite food was ginger.
“Isn’t this a bit much?”
Rasilia muttered, looking at the dishes that filled the table. Every dish had ginger in it.
It was the first time she realized there were so many different ways to cook with ginger.
Yvette, with one arm bandaged, lowered her head in embarrassment.
“I think so too, Your Majesty the Empress…”
“…It’s ridiculous, but it tastes good.”
Rasilia let out a bitter chuckle as she moved her fork.
“Apparently you can even make jam from ginger. I didn’t know that.”
“You can make pretty much anything, Your Majesty. Even cookies and cakes. And also… no, wait, I didn’t mean that as a compliment.”
Yvette had begun listing off facts out of habit but quickly closed her mouth.
Fidgeting with the hem of her skirt, Yvette couldn’t suppress her guilt and added cautiously,
“Well… I only mentioned to someone that ginger juice helps with colds… but somehow it must have been miscommunicated.”
In other words, Yvette believed it was her fault that the breakfast table turned out like this.
“It’s not your fault. If anyone is to blame, it’s me for finishing two cups of ginger tea.”
A laugh slipped out of Rasilia in the middle of her exasperation.
How could she not laugh, thinking about the emperor who created such a commotion simply because she drank sweet tea?
“Oh… then, it’s not entirely a bad thing?”
“Once is fine. But we should make sure this doesn’t happen every time.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Relieved, Yvette busied herself attending to the meal.
“It’s fine. You’re injured, Lady Yvette. I’ll do it myself.”
“No, it just looks bad, it doesn’t hurt much. I’ve already received full treatment. But… Your Majesty…”
Her face, which had lightened just moments before, darkened again.
“Are you really… alright? I mean, after what I did…”
“I’ve told you many times—it wasn’t your fault.”
“But I did something so… unspeakable…”
Yvette bit her lip tightly.
Rasilia set down her fork and gently patted Yvette’s hand.
“Even Sir Sigres was affected. They say it might have been ancient magic. It couldn’t be helped. I’m just glad you’re safe, Lady Yvette.”
“Your Majesty…”
Yvette looked at her with teary eyes.
Rasilia, sensing that this conversation would only repeat itself, picked up her fork again.
“I’d like to finish my meal. Don’t worry about it anymore.”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty… But… why did they make me remove your clothes?”
Yvette was sharp. She had already begun to suspect a definite purpose behind the incident.
“No matter how I think about it, it’s just too strange. I’ve been thinking it over constantly, and there’s only one possible reason.”
Clink.
The fork hit the plate with a soft sound.
Rasilia took a sip of water to hide her reaction.
“And what do you think that reason is?”
“The mark. There’s no other reason someone would do such a thing to Your Majesty other than to see the mark.”
Yvette trembled as she spoke.
“The mark is in a place no one can easily see. I don’t know what they intended to do with it, but… this is really serious, Your Majesty.”
“…Indeed.”
If Yvette had figured it out, others would soon follow. The only reason to forcibly remove the Empress’s clothing was, as Yvette said, to confirm the mark.
“Sir Horsed said ancient magic might have been used. Then the culprits are likely the Snakeheads… which means the temple might be involved too.”
“…Perhaps.”
“What on earth is happening? Why is this happening to you, Your Majesty…”
“Lady Shryden.”
Rasilia interrupted Yvette’s growing thoughts.
Yvette was getting dangerously close to the truth. At this rate, she might even start to connect the dots between the Empress refusing bathing assistance and always changing her underdress alone.
She was just a few steps away from the secret.
“As I said, that’s the job of His Majesty’s guards. I’d like to finish my meal.”
“Ah, I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.”
Yvette closed her mouth and stepped back.
“……”
Rasilia silently continued moving her fork.
Now was the time to act.
She needed to find a way to no longer be the Empress.
What kind of method would that be?
In the Emperor’s office, a slightly unusual group had gathered. In place of Serben, who had been demoted to gate guard at the Empress’s palace, Dekan and Pipi were present.
“Ah, I haven’t seen… I mean, it’s my first time… meeting you?”
It was Lian’s first time seeing Pipi. He had heard she was a phoenix, but she was so small that he struggled to use polite speech.
“You’re very, um… young?”
“Peep!”
Pipi flicked one wing and shook her head.
“What did she say?”
Lian looked to Dekan in confusion.
Dekan, also demoted to gate duty, stood politely behind Lian with his hands clasped.
“Ah, she says we should skip the unnecessary greetings and get to the important part.”
“Oh, you understand her?”
“Not exactly. I use ritual magic to interpret her gestures.”
“That’s still amazing… Um, what should I call her? Just ‘Ms. Phoenix’? That sounds odd.”
“Peep!”
“She says she has a name. But she doesn’t like humans saying it casually.”
“Ah… Very particular, I see.”
Lian looked slightly hurt as he nodded.
“Peep! Peep!”
Apparently annoyed, Pipi flapped her wings and smacked Lian on the nose.
“…She says to focus.”
“Ah, yes. I apologize.”
Lian quickly straightened up. It wasn’t really necessary—Rescal hadn’t arrived yet—but that tiny bird had a way of making people nervous.
“His Majesty?”
“Still speaking with the head chef.”
“I see.”
It was virtually unheard of for the Emperor to personally meet with the head chef. But neither Lian nor Dekan commented.
After a series of misfortunes for the Empress, the Emperor was clearly on edge, ready to do anything to please her.
Security in the palace was tight. Chief Steward Pershon was frantically seeking a new tailor and ordering a new necklace for the Empress from the jeweler.
Meanwhile, Rescal had not forgotten to send gifts to the maid who had shared the Empress’s favorite food. It was an excessive reward for a mere piece of gossip—many thought so.
“Will he give something to the chef too? If Her Majesty even hinted that it was tasty, he might just grant him a whole estate.”
Lian muttered without much thought.
“Peep!”
He was immediately smacked on the opposite cheek.
“She says not to question His Majesty’s efforts to please Her Majesty.”
“No, I wasn’t questioning, I just…”
“Peep!”
“Okay, okay. I understand.”
Lian quickly raised both hands in surrender.
The tiny phoenix had a temper far larger than her size. She always struck first and asked questions later.
“He won’t grant a whole estate.”
“Well, yeah. Maybe jewels. Depends on how big, I guess.”
While exchanging those words, Rescal arrived.
Dekan and Lian straightened up as if they had never been chatting.
“No need for greetings. Sit.”
Rescal got straight to the point, skipping the formalities.
He certainly didn’t look like a man who had just been made happy by a new recipe from his wife.
“The Guard confirmed the tailor’s household. All were dead. The youngest son had been missing but was found dead early this morning.”
Lian reported swiftly.
“Do we know who killed him?”
“Regrettably, no. They were thorough—left no witnesses.”
“So it was House Malik?”
“That also isn’t certain, Your Majesty. The cause of death was a normal stab wound. There’s nothing tying it directly to Malik.”
“…Frustrating.”
Rescal’s quiet voice carried restrained fury. The knights flinched.
“Apologies, Your Majesty.”
“What else?”
This time, Dekan stepped forward.
“We must consider the purpose of the incident, not just evidence. Using a tailor is odd. If they had access to such powerful means, they could have used someone more direct—like the chef.”
“……”
Rescal’s eyes sharpened.
“Just as an example, Your Majesty. I meant that if the goal was to harm the Empress, there were easier routes. Poisoning food, for instance. If they could manipulate Sir Sigres, it wouldn’t have been difficult.”
“And?”
“But they chose the tailor. There was something only the tailor could do.”
“…Meaning the real goal was to strip the Empress.”
“To see the mark, perhaps.”
Rescal pressed his thumb to his furrowed brow.
“The mark is just a mark. It’s a symbol of our bond, nothing more. It holds no power.”
“Then… could they have wanted to move the mark to someone else? If ancient magic allows it.”
“That mark was made with ritual magic. Can ancient magic interfere with rituals?”
“I’m not sure. I understand they’re different systems, but if the stronger power can erase the weaker…”
“Let’s say they wanted the mark. What do they gain from that?”
“…I’m sorry, I don’t know.”
Dekan admitted with frustration.
“There’s so little research on ancient magic. If we could just learn what kind of power it uses…”
“Peep?”
Then Pipi spoke up.
“What was that?”
“Hmm?”
Rescal and Dekan reacted.
Lian, not understanding a word, just looked helplessly confused.
“Peep. Peepipi. Peep?”
“…Ah.”
Dekan’s eyes widened—then brightened.
“That might actually work. A clever idea.”
