Chapter 68 – Rose Garden

The rose garden.

In that place where roses bloomed profusely.

The red-haired, red-eyed imperial princess received an unexpected piece of news.

“Her whereabouts are unknown?”

An Imperial Guard knight respectfully conveyed the message.

“Yes. According to the last confirmed information, it seems she attempted to contact another inquisitor to target the inquisitor who arrested Kaiser. Two Imperial Guard knights followed her, but seeing how all of them disappeared without a sound, it seems they were either done in by the inquisitor or met with a mishap in some other way.”

She was a woman who had babbled as if she knew the future.

She had been useful in many instances, but to think she would go so helplessly.

It was pathetic and also disappointing.

Perhaps everything she had predicted correctly about the future until now was also all a coincidence?

“If she… knew the future, she would have naturally avoided disaster as well.”

Indifferent, she composed her thoughts and opened her mouth.

“I understand.”

“If you wish, we will proceed with a further investigation. Was she not someone you cherished, Your Highness?”

“No need. The moment her whereabouts became unknown, it lost its meaning. She has no value.”

“Then, what should we do about the suppression of the Golden Age Party based on her opinion? Shall we continue with it?”

The Council itself was the problem.

Since such political parties were springing up day after day.

“The Golden Age Party is not the problem. If we trample them, they will make a fuss under another name. I heard the Guild Federation Ambassador keeps pressuring us?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“We should stop around there. By now, even those ignorant fools must have understood well.”

As if she thought of something.

Her words continued.

“His Majesty wishes to go on an inspection. He seems to be curious about the outside world.”

“I will prepare it.”

“Make sure to plan the route to avoid the rally areas as much as possible. There is no need to show the riotous behavior of the ignorant crowd to His Majesty, who is still young.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And…”

The handling of the inquisitor who had insulted the Imperial envoy remained.

Before taking action, she wanted to see him in person.

Only then would she be able to make a correct judgment.

“I wish to meet that person called the inquisitor.”

“If you mean the inquisitor…?”

“I heard he killed the count and also captured and is guarding Kaiser? Did he kill the envoy as well?”

“We cannot know that far. We only know that the last report was of her contacting another inquisitor to target him.”

“They are all people of the same Holy Order. How pathetic.”

Her words continued.

“Arrange a meeting. If he does not accept the invitation, I will go meet him myself.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

* * *

An invitation arrived from the Imperial Palace.

It was a sort of warning letter stating that if he did not accept the invitation, he would face a strict investigation by the Internal Inspectorate regarding the disappearance of the envoy.

‘What is this?’

Rashid was puzzled.

He had never touched that woman, yet she was already processed as missing.

‘I didn’t even touch her?’

‘Then who touched her?’

‘Kaiser?’

‘He is down in the basement here, so how?’

The doubts continued, but one thing was certain: he had absolutely nothing to do with the envoy’s disappearance.

Moreover, he could not simply ignore the Imperial Family’s invitation; unless he was going to live inside the Basilica for the rest of his life, there had to be a justifiable reason to reject it.

‘There’s nothing I can do.’

Although it was a place he wanted to avoid if possible, since there was no other way, Rashid decided to accept the invitation.

On the way to the Imperial Palace.

Rashid heard an unexpected story from his subordinate inquisitor who was following him.

“That woman who came as the Imperial envoy, I disposed of her.”

“What?”

Somewhat flustered, Rashid cast his gaze on her, but she looked straight ahead without even blinking an eye.

“You killed that woman?”

“Yes. She called herself a player, so I just killed her.”

Various thoughts flashed through Rashid’s mind.

To think she actually killed that woman.

He had thought that the woman might secretly contact his subordinate.

But to think she was the one who was taken out instead.

“Did I do wrong?”

Her expression was not one of craving praise.

Many thoughts surged, but the conclusion reached was only one.

“No, you did well to kill her. If not for you, I would have killed her somehow anyway.”

Only then did she smile faintly.

“That is a relief. Since I also did it impulsively, I wasn’t sure.”

“But, did you hear anything else?”

Killing her was killing her.

Rashid was certain that she must have said something.

There would have been a story about him in it.

Aria gave him a different story instead of an answer.

“However, I didn’t kill her particularly because she was a player. I disposed of her in advance because she might be harmful to you, Lead Inquisitor.”

“Is that so?”

Then does that mean she heard it?

“So you didn’t hear anything?”

“I did not.”

She spoke flatly, and Rashid had no choice but to harbor doubts in his mind.

‘No way.’

She must have said it.

Then was she knowing and acquiescing?

“What did you do with the scene?”

“I burned everything. In any case, that woman also came out in secret, so probably no one knows what happened there. There might be speculation. But I can say with certainty that there is no evidence.”

“Then that’s a relief. It’s fine to just deny it when we go there.”

From a certain point, the carriage ride became awkward.

Rashid had no choice but to keep being conscious of her.

‘Does this woman know the fact that I am a player?’

‘But why is she staying still?’

‘Or is she preparing something in another way?’

“Lately, I have developed an interest in players.”

An out-of-the-blue topic began from her.

“I have read various materials and also looked at past articles. Although I fully empathize with the reason why people fear and view them negatively, looking at it differently, I thought they are very attractive.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It was just a casual remark.”

Rashid did not ask any further either, and she also stopped there.

‘Does she know?’

If so, it was a problem.

‘I can’t make a judgment. Is she testing me?’

To him who could not grasp the situation, she asked something else.

“You are wearing something you don’t usually wear.”

This was a reference to the monocle Rashid was wearing.

“It seems similar to what the person named Kaiser was wearing. Surely you didn’t borrow it?”

“That’s right. It is his. I borrowed it for a while.”

“Is there a reason?”

There was a reason.

The Emperor had no Authority, but she was different.

“It is just fashion.”

“I will take that as there being a reason. You are not a person to do something you don’t normally do.”

* * *

The Imperial Garden.

When the two inquisitors in black uniforms made their appearance, there was someone who welcomed them warmly.

It was Ryden, a knight of the Imperial Guard.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we? I am Ryden.”

Ryden did not forget to take care of his junior who had followed either.

“Aria, you’ve come too. But you’ve already become an inquisitor?”

Sure enough, unlike Varasha, her attitude toward him was frosty beyond measure.

“Yes, I became an inquisitor.”

“Ah, please come this way. Her Highness is waiting.”

At the place they arrived, the princess was waiting with a tea table set under a gazebo.

Around her, Imperial Guard knights and several court ladies could be seen.

‘The Blood Empress…’

Since he was the only one who had received the invitation, Rashid approached her and showed his respects.

“Rashid Preston. I am an Inquisitor.”

The scarlet pupils on her pale skin swept down him lightly.

Her blood-red lips parted.

“Please sit. I have wished to meet you since long ago.”

A teacup was placed between the two, and she broke the ice.

“I remember the Imperial Family and the Holy Order having good relations since ancient times. I think it is truly regrettable regarding the count’s case that occurred before.”

“There was an instance where our knighthood did not move in relation to the Director of Palace Affairs who caused trouble recently. I also think of that matter with deep regret.”

She smiled lightly.

“You have no intention of backing down easily, do you?”

“Is there any reason to? When has the Holy Order ever bent its knees?”

“There was a person I cherished… Strangely, her whereabouts became unknown after she met you. What happened with this?”

Conscious of the knights positioned in the surroundings, Rashid continued speaking.

“This setting is very uncomfortable. Did you bring all of the Imperial Guard knights?”

“Since they have nothing in particular to do unless I call them, I specially summoned them today.”

“Nothing good will come from having bad relations with each other. The reason I accepted this invitation, which I could have refused, is nothing special. It was in the sense of getting along well in the future. Is there any relationship that could get worse than this?”

She prodded him indirectly with a smile that hid her true intentions.

“Then it will make our conversation quick. Please dispose of Kaiser, whom the Holy Order is detaining, first.”

“Kaiser…”

Rashid smirked.

“I do not know why you are so anxious to devour that man.”

Rashid asked, his face turning serious.

“It would not matter to me whether he is killed or not. But if Kaiser dies after I meet him like this, will the Guild Federation stay still?”

“Do you even care about such things?”

“In the first place, to have a good relationship, we must be considerate of each other. I could simply kill Kaiser using the player excuse. However, from Your Highness’s perspective, if Kaiser dies, a major problem will arise. Are you not receiving contact from the Guild Federation even now?”

“That is true… but still.”

“I know the reason you care about Kaiser. The political party must be getting on your nerves. Realistically, he is the presence that threatens the Imperial Family the most.”

She suddenly asked what she was curious about.

“Are you a revolutionary party member?”

“Let me tell you precisely. I have no interest in revolution. First of all, the people of the Holy Order do not want the existing system to be shaken.”

“Then what is the reason you shield Kaiser? If you are not a revolutionary party member, do you have a personal acquaintance with him?”

This was something he had thought of before coming to this meeting.

“It is the potential. Even if I am not a revolutionary party member, is there any reason for me not to shield the representative of the largest political party at this point? With the Council present right now, if that system continues, he will possess power second only to the Imperial Family. In fact, though he is called a party representative, he is a man who might become the master of this Empire in the future.”

“Was that the reason? The reason you shield him.”

“Kaiser is merely a representative. If he dies, will the Golden Age Party disappear? A second Kaiser, a third Kaiser will only appear. Killing him now is not the problem. If you wish to change the situation itself, you had better abolish the Council system instead.”

She could not answer.

No, she probably could not.

“However, that will be difficult for you. Since you cannot maintain this massive country called the Empire without the immediate help of the Guild Federation. Let’s do this regarding Kaiser.”

In any case, her abolishing the Council was a predetermined course of events.

The only thing Rashid was aiming for was to buy time for Kaiser to grow.

“If you abolish the Council, I will handle Kaiser according to Your Highness’s wishes. However, as long as the Council exists, I intend to just leave Kaiser alone. How about doing it this way?”