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Albrecht’s shoes had heels that were notably higher than the ordinary footwear worn by other men.

Maybe that’s why Dana distinctly felt the sound of his approaching footsteps resonating loudly towards her.

No, to be exact, she tried to convince herself of that. She didn’t want to acknowledge the pressure she felt emanating from him.

“Please, oh God. Just allow me to get through this moment.”

As she watched his outstretched hand, Dana tightly closed her eyes and silently cried out to a deity she had never called upon in her life.

She wished for at least not to meet a pathetic end.

She hoped to somehow fulfill the task they had left for her.

And was it possible that her plea had indeed reached the divine?

Just as Albrecht’s hand was about to touch her body, a woman passing by noticed the scene and intervened.

“Marquis Bertus, what are you doing there?”

“Empress, what a surprise to see you in such a secluded place.”

That woman was none other than Empress Beatria.

Given that this path was usually a place where only servants would pass, Albrecht’s eyes widened slightly in surprise at the unexpected presence of a notable figure.

“I just happened to pass this way as it’s a shortcut. But what about you, Marquis? What were you doing with a maid in such an isolated area?”

Beatria directly pointed out what she had just witnessed.

If her eyesight was intact, it was quite clear that he was trying to reach out to that maid.

Moreover, Dana’s looks were decent enough to deepen any misunderstandings further.

“Please refrain from making statements that could be misinterpreted.”

“Is it not easy to misunderstand? I hope you’re not suggesting you were just going to brush off some dust stuck in her hair, right?”

From their previous encounters, Beatria had never held a favorable view of Albrecht.

Though he displayed the demeanor of a noble, as befits a marquis, that was merely superficial.

He was a man with nothing beneath the surface. Yet, his eyes always seemed to crave something, which made her instinctively feel disgusted.

After spending a significant amount of time in the imperial palace, coming across people who presented a facade of virtue was common, but this man exceeded that norm.

In any case, he was the type of person who made her want to keep her distance, hence it was natural that her words were less than flattering.

“Rest assured, Your Majesty. What reason would I have to lay a hand on a lowly maid?”

In response, Albrecht dropped his cold demeanor and shamelessly spoke down about Dana.

He was already at the end of his tether due to the potential ruin of his plans due to a mere maid, and now a clueless empress had appeared, making it hard for him to maintain his composure.

However, this was akin to poking a hornet’s nest right in front of Beatria.

This was because her mother had also been a maid until her marriage.

Thus, he was essentially belittling the empress’s mother.

“… That’s hard to believe. Regardless of someone’s status, I am not so forgiving as to believe the words of a man who indiscriminately insults someone in front of them.”

Beatria, just as agitated as he was, swiftly dismissed his claims and reached out to Dana, bringing her closer to herself.

Dana felt a faint shiver run down her spine as she intentionally disregarded his presence, and Albrecht’s eyebrows twitched slightly in reaction, but he had no means to stop her.

If he were to take such rash action and kill her, that would mean losing the binding rope to the Emperor.

It was time to regain his composure, for the greater good.

“Child, what is your name?”

“I-I am Dana, Your Majesty.”

In stark contrast to her previous raised voice, Beatria now spoke to Dana in a gentle tone and with a warm expression.

As Dana hurriedly bowed her head and revealed her name, Beatria softly patted her shoulder and continued.

“I have to ask, just in case. You haven’t done anything wrong to the Marquis, have you?”

“N-No, I haven’t. I’ve never even had the chance to meet him…”

“That means there’s no possibility of misunderstanding, right?”

“Y-Yes, that’s correct.”

Beatria felt there was a slight tremor in Dana’s shoulder, indicating that something inappropriate must have occurred.

At this point, it was correct to ensure the safety of the maid until she learned the full details.

“You should return to your room and rest today. If someone points out that you haven’t done your duties, just mention my name.”

“I will obey your command.”

Although Dana’s heart wished to protest and insist on returning to her duties, her legs felt wobbly, making it difficult to do so.

So, she bowed her head in gratitude toward the Empress and decided to leave quickly.

Observing Dana’s departure, Beatria turned to Albrecht, subtly smiling, and said.

“If you had intended to blame that girl for any wrongdoing, please inform me formally, Marquis. But if you had planned to harm a member of the imperial family, I assure you, I won’t overlook it next time.”

This principle was something Beatria had learned not by herself but from her husband, Emperor Bartheus.

Everyone living in the palace, regardless of status, position, or race, was someone they were meant to govern and protect.

As a member of the royal family, it was their duty to cherish and safeguard those individuals as if they were family.

“… I understand. My apologies for displaying an unsightly scene, Your Majesty.”

“Then you should return now. If anything happens to that girl, I will hold you responsible.”

Albrecht clenched his teeth, having unwittingly opened a can of worms for himself.

After all, he considered her a lowly maid whom no one would care about. Even if he took his time to deal with her, it wouldn’t have been an issue.

However, the moment he lost his composure and chose to chase after her, an unforeseen sight caught him off guard — the Empress witnessing it.

From now on, he could no longer act rashly.

If that maid were to die tonight, the blame would undoubtedly fall back on him.

While part of him wanted to manipulate the Empress’s memory or find some way to smooth things over, that thought faded as soon as he saw the necklace around her neck gleaming.

‘Such pointless action.’

That necklace was made of a stone with considerable magical resistance.

It would easily deflect one or two spells cast from the outside.

For now, he should be grateful that it had no effect on the seed he had planted within her.

Albrecht relaxed his clenched fist, turned, and walked away.

Who did she think she was to climb up as if her existence was of any value?

He vowed to pay her back for this humiliation.

—

The call he received from Dana, who remained alone in the palace, was on the night the Billhark family arrived in Hespania.

Edgar noticed the faint glow radiating from the ring’s edge and led Ariel to the office.

– Ah, can you hear me?

Compared to their first meeting in the palace, his tone was significantly softer.

Edgar had advised her not to be overly formal since they would be in regular contact, and it seemed to have worked.

“Dana, what’s going on?”

– Actually, I believe I’ve discovered the people behind their actions.

The eyes of both individuals narrowed at the voice coming through the ring.

It hadn’t been long, so had he already started moving?

Whatever the case, progress was always welcome.

“Who is it?”

– It’s Marquis Bertus. Based on information I received from an acquaintance and other findings… it’s definite.

“… Acquaintance?”

Upon hearing the one out-of-place word, Edgar expressed confusion, and Dana’s voice came through again.

– Yes, I have a friend named Reshi who… according to her, she witnessed me going somewhere with Marquis Bertus on the day I was ambushed by Edgar.

“……!”

This was unexpected good news.

To think they would have obtained such evidence from an unanticipated source.

That said, it would be logical to conclude that Albrecht was behind it since both of them led to him; Dana’s situation, however, was a bit different.

It was quite possible that, after separating from Albrecht, she had fallen victim to someone else’s magic.

Even so, the certainty implied there must have been another trigger for this confidence.

– Also, that man tried to make contact with me yesterday. I managed to escape, but…

“Escaped? Well done.”

Without a doubt, Albrecht must have reached out to silence her with murderous intent.

Nonetheless, her succeeding in fleeing from his grasp was commendable.

– Thanks to the Empress. If it hadn’t been for her, I would probably be…

“……”

Edgar felt a moment of silence as he sensed the tremor in Dana’s voice while recalling the events of that day.

He wanted to offer some comfort but knew it would likely be in vain given her current state.

Meanwhile, Ariel, who had been observing from the side, suddenly leaned in and spoke on Edgar’s behalf.

Though they hadn’t discussed the matter beforehand, she felt confident in her assessment.

“Dana, do you have a place to hide right now?”

– No, but I believe I am safe for now since he doesn’t seem to show any signs of harming me.

Moreover, she had heard that Albrecht had returned to his family’s territory last night.

Of course, he could hire assassins or use his subordinates to harm her, but for the moment, the immediate threat seemed to have vanished.

However, despite Dana’s attempt to reassure them, Ariel shook her head and delivered a command.

“I’m not interested in your thoughts, just answer my questions. Do the palace maids have any vacation time?”

– Yes, they do.

Even if they were maids, they were officially paid employees.

Although it was rather short, the concept of vacation existed.

However, the issue was how uncomfortable one felt about taking it.

“Have you ever used that vacation? Maybe to briefly visit your hometown or something?”

– Not yet… No.

Her nature was quite diligent, and more importantly, she didn’t particularly have anywhere she wanted to go, so she hadn’t taken any leave up until now.

Dana imagined she probably still had about a month’s worth of vacation time left.

“Then I want you to use it immediately tomorrow. And head straight to the place I tell you to.”

– …What?

Dana could only respond in bewilderment, unable to comprehend what was happening, but Ariel pressed on without a care.

“Just north of Hildak, there’s a town governed by the Lorentz family. Go there and hide while mentioning my name.”

– I-I don’t think that’s necessary… I might still have more information I haven’t shared, so it’s better for me to stay here…

“No, do as I say. Given he has already contacted you, staying here will only lead to your pathetic demise.”

Her sense of duty was admirable, but Ariel chose to take a rational view of the situation.

Even if they tried to gather more information at this point, it would be difficult, and if they crossed the line, a knife could fly at any second.

Thus, protecting Dana now was the right course of action.

“I will notify the Lorentz family myself. And your friend… Reshi, was it?”

– Yes, yes…

“If it’s possible for her, ensure she heads to the Lorentz family as well. If Albrecht discovers this, her safety wouldn’t be guaranteed either.”

The more evidence they had, the better.

Of course, there was sympathy for Dana being dragged into this situation, but rationally speaking, Ariel was doing this to preserve the vital evidence they needed to secure their victory.

While it would be optimal to bring her along to Hespania, the risks were too great if they were spotted along the way.

The distance was considerable, and there were numerous variables involved.

Moreover, Albrecht would likely not anticipate that she would be hiding in the Lorentz territory, so this seemed a safer option.

“Make sure to treat them well; you can sweet-talk your friend saying that I will make arrangements for her comfort.”

– Treat them well…? We only need food and a place to stay…

“Just do as I say, and contact me again. Head directly to the Lorentz family tomorrow, understood?”

– Y-Yes, I will follow your command.

Even though he wasn’t royalty, he held a position close to it, so in that regard, her reply was perfectly valid.

After all, both Edgar and Ariel were the ones Dana had sworn her loyalty to, not the Emperor.

“… Thank you for your hard work. I know it’s unfair to put you in this position, but try to rest quietly until the matter resolves.”

“Indeed, as Ariel said. You’ve worked hard, Dana.”

– Ah, it’s alright. I feel more apologetic for not being able to be of help.

Dana bowed repeatedly towards the unseen figures as she expressed her gratitude and remorse simultaneously.

Even though it seemed she hadn’t done anything concrete, she was relieved to have her life extended, thanks to the kindness of both.

As she received praise from them, Dana stealthily wiped the tears from her eyes.

Now, she wouldn’t have to stay in this dangerous place any longer, which brought her relief, but it also stirred feelings of guilt for not being able to offer further assistance.

Thus, people really were strange beings.

How could one moment resolve to cast aside their life so easily, then find joy in merely surviving?

After confirming the call had ended, she promptly began packing her belongings.

It was late at night, and Reshi was likely sleeping, but she would have to knock on her door to discuss their plans for tomorrow.

Dana had often expressed her desire to experience the life of a noble, so she was confident her friend would agree without hesitation.

 

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