The Villain’s Aide Has Run Away - Chapter 118.2
What if that story is unfolding right now?
Leslun considered each person moving around the Empress carefully. Then he spoke cautiously.
“Viscount Cal Byweiner. It would be good to investigate through him.”
Kailos’s eyes lit up at Leslun’s suggestion.
He was reminded once again that Leslun was his capable aide, and how Leslun had refined the plans he had devised.
The face that had moments ago been tender and affectionate now carried the dignity of the Crown Prince of the Empire.
“Tell me more in detail.”
Leslun took a steady breath and nodded.
The atmosphere inside the carriage changed instantly. Where moments ago they had conversed like children, hiding and testing their emotions, now they discussed the throne and the Empire’s fate with gravity.
Above them, the now-giant Blue purred contentedly.
***
The Empress leisurely tilted her teacup.
“The Crown Prince will return soon.”
In front of her sat Brian, just back from handling matters at the Academy. For someone who had caused such a fuss installing a new headmaster, his posture and attire were neat and composed.
The Empress set her teacup down.
“Yes, we must welcome him properly.”
“I wonder what expression he will make.”
How would he react upon hearing that the Emperor had collapsed while she was briefly away?
“Leslun, was it?”
The Empress mentioned the name of the person who had left the castle with the Crown Prince.
“Yes, that is correct.”
Brian replied briefly, then tilted his head.
The Empress smiled quietly.
“He did well, so I want to praise him. Therefore, do not kill him.”
The praise was not simply that she liked Leslun. How she might torment him was unknown, but Leslun’s fate was practically decided.
“Understood.”
Brian bowed his head and then spoke again.
“And the headmaster asked me to deliver a message to Your Highness.”
“What message?”
A slight crease appeared on the Empress’s smooth forehead.
“He said that once this matter is resolved, the protective spirit should be handed over. To remind you not to forget the promise.”
The Empress stared into the air for a moment and lightly rested her chin on her hand.
“If that is the case, I could hand it over even now.”
Brian smiled gently and shook his head.
“The headmaster does not want the current Emperor’s spirit.”
He was referring to another being, the small cat that moved freely between the Crown Prince’s palace and Prince Cassian’s chambers.
The Empress narrowed her eyes and lowered her voice.
“A spirit must inevitably be tied to the one who leads the Empire. Do you think I would give that away?”
If the Emperor were to die immediately, someone else would have to ascend the throne. Amid such urgency, the demand to hand over Blue carried a hidden intention.
The Empress narrowed her eyes as if to see through that hidden motive.
“I am not saying to kill it. I just want to understand this mysterious being a little more. The promise was to return it alive.”
Her lips smiled, but her eyes revealed her intent.
However, she showed no interest in the cruel experiments being conducted in the shadows. She had already seen how the Shadow Group had taken countless specimens and fused them into a single grotesque lifeform. That alone was enough to disgust her.
The Empress raised her eyebrows, unable to hide her displeasure.
“Your greed is endless.”
Brian remained unfazed. As if he had expected it, he nodded and continued his gentle smile.
“And… Prince Cassian should also begin to know about the Shadow Group, should he not?”
“What?”
Unlike when discussing the spirit, the Empress’s expression twisted openly. She struck the table, and the tea spilled out of the cup.
Brian calmly produced a handkerchief and carefully wiped the tea from the Empress’s hand. Despite the polite gesture, his words were provocative.
“We are inseparable from Prince Cassian. Have you forgotten? The night Your Majesty took him, you received the potion…”
“Silence.”
The Empress’s icy command froze the air. Brian said no more, but the smile at the corner of his mouth remained.
In the silence, each of their emotions swirled.
The Empress, long unable to bear a child, had miraculously conceived.
Whether it was truly a miracle or intervention by the Shadow Group, the Empress never revealed it, but she knew the truth better than anyone.
And now Brian had dared to subtly remind her of that fact.
The Empress’s eyes darkened coldly.
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