It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 26

“I heard you’ve been visiting the library often lately. If there’s any book you want, you can keep it in Arlin Palace.”

“Oh ho ho, that’s alright. I concentrate better when reading at the library.”

So now I’m supposed to become a concubine who selfishly takes the precious books from the library?

Not a chance.

“I heard rare gem auctions are in full swing these days. Would you like to go to one together?”

“No, the weather’s gotten cold, and I don’t want to go outside.”

Is he planning to bid outrageously again and then blame it on me?

I may have fallen for it once, but never again.

“Do you like the new servants in Arlin Palace?”

“……”

Here it comes. Ever since he saw bruised Louis and me together, I’ve been on high alert, trying to decipher every word Erich says.

The new maids were from Verna Palace, sent by Erich himself.

After beating up my previous maids, he sent his own as replacements?

The intention was obvious.

Surveillance and control.

Of course, I had no intention of keeping the new maids permanently.

Once Louis and the others recovered, I planned to send the Verna maids back. But to make that happen, I had to carefully read Erich’s mood.

Erich had turned my maids into bloody messes as a punishment for my sudden disappearance from the palace—a moment of uncontrollable chaos.

I didn’t know when that punishment might come for me.

…To him, I was nothing more than a tool to suppress the Edelheit family and keep the high nobles in check.

“Of course, since Your Majesty sent them for me, I couldn’t possibly dislike them. But I worry that Your Majesty might be inconvenienced by the sudden absence of so many Verna Palace maids. So once the Arlin Palace maids recover, I’ll send them back.”

“You intend to bring back maids who couldn’t even serve their mistress properly?”

“Who could’ve predicted I’d suddenly chase a cat out of the library? And like clothes that fit well, I’m simply more used to the old maids.”

“Hmph, I handpicked those girls myself, and yet they don’t suit Arne’s taste. How about we take this opportunity to replace all the palace staff?”

Oh, come on. Can you just listen for once?

I sighed inwardly.

His words were clearly intended to provoke. He wanted to replace all the palace staff and then blame me for it, making me bear the resentment of those who lost their jobs? Too obvious.

I tried to keep my expression pleasant as I replied.

“Oh my, I’m truly touched that Your Majesty personally selected them. I do like them, of course. But familiarity is hard to overcome. I wouldn’t dare ignore Your Majesty’s thoughtfulness, so I’ll keep a few of the new girls and send the rest back. As I’ve said, I wouldn’t want Your Majesty to be inconvenienced because of me.”

It was a compromise I’d carefully crafted. If Erich’s goal was surveillance and control, I could accept that.

My disappearance that night hadn’t been intentional. It wouldn’t happen again.

So if I kept a few maids for monitoring, Erich’s goal would be met. Whether I reinstated the old maids was a secondary issue.

Apparently, Erich found my compromise acceptable. He didn’t say anything more.

Good. I’d taken a step back even though I understood his intentions—he should do the same.

Satisfied, I emptied my teacup. I used to sip slowly, but these days I drank like someone who hadn’t seen an oasis in a week.

After all, it’s called teatime because you drink tea.

In the past, I relied on external cues to end teatime. Now, I actively tried to empty the teapot quickly so I could say, “Oh my, the teapot’s already empty!” and wrap things up.

I used to endure teatime by admiring Erich’s handsome exterior. Now, even that wasn’t enough. I had to act.

As I downed two cups in a row, I felt Erich’s gaze.

“Did you hear the news in advance?”

Erich asked out of nowhere.

What news?

I’d been dodging his traps all this time, but this question was baffling.

I looked at him, puzzled.

“Is Arne’s discomfort because the Edelheit family contacted you beforehand?”

Contact from the Edelheit family?

They’d only ever sent me massive monthly allowances disguised as pocket money. Nothing else.

And now he’s saying I’m upset because of some news?

“Didn’t you hear that Giskal von Edelheit won a great victory at the Azba Plains and is returning?”

I nearly dropped my teacup. If it hadn’t been empty, I would’ve spilled tea everywhere.

Erich was startled by my reaction and asked if I was alright.

Arne’s older brother, Giskal von Edelheit, winning a great victory wasn’t new.

Since I’d become Arne, I’d heard constant reports of Giskal’s victories in battle.

He was a war hero who had never lost.

Always triumphant, always overwhelming the enemy.

The problem was the word that followed “great victory.”

Returning. He was returning after the victory.

Who? I asked myself.

Giskal von Edelheit.

Arne’s older brother.

“He’s… coming back? Has the war ended?”

I was so shocked I could barely speak.

Erich, surprised by my reaction, explained calmly.

“Yes. The Azmatan Kingdom concentrated all its remaining forces at the Azba Plains to reverse the tide. But Giskal annihilated them. There’s no way they can resist anymore. The war with Azmatan is completely over.”

“It’s over… the war is really over…”

I repeated his words.

I should’ve been happy that the war ended and my only brother was returning.

And I was—his victory was welcome. It was just the suddenness of his return that shocked me.

I tried to smile but hesitated.

Why would this news upset Arne?

“Is Giskal injured?”

War is full of blood and death. No one is exempt.

If something happened to him… my voice trembled with fear.

Erich didn’t answer right away. He twisted his lips slightly.

“…No. He’s returning safely, as always.”

I sighed in relief.

“But unlike usual, he’s leaving the post-war cleanup to the vice commander and returning early.”

“Returning early?”

“Normally, Giskal oversees everything himself. But this time, he seems eager to return to the capital. He ordered us to wait for your response. What should we do? Should we tell him to finish the cleanup and return later?”

Why is he asking me?

“If Giskal wants to return early, he must have his reasons. Just accept his decision.”

“……”

He took even longer to respond.

Erich looked at me like I was a stranger, then nodded.

“Alright. I’ll inform him he may return immediately. It should take about ten days to reach the capital.”

Ten days? Hearing the exact timeframe made my breath catch.

In ten days, I’d see Giskal in person.

Giskal, Arne’s older brother. Her only family.

We’d exchanged letters, but seeing someone in person is entirely different.

And come to think of it, I hadn’t received a letter from him recently.

Not since Louis was too injured to move.

That memory made me bite my lip again.

Giskal’s letters always came through Louis. With Louis incapacitated, the letters hadn’t reached me.

Or maybe no letters had come at all.

In my last reply, I’d told Giskal not to rush his response.

Then everything fell apart, and the letters vanished.

Honestly, after meeting Perlo, I’d completely forgotten about Giskal’s letters.

Caught in a storm of fear and hope, I’d focused on sending gold bars to Perlo and dispatching people to the Kingdom of Jaren. Without Louis, I had no reminders.

But now, it wasn’t ink on paper—it was Giskal himself.

My heart raced. It felt similar to when I first wrote to him, but different. Back then, I feared he’d discover my true identity. But after exchanging letters, that fear had faded. Now, I felt excitement and anticipation.

“Come to think of it, this war ended unusually quickly for Giskal. Normally, he avoids full-scale clashes and prioritizes preserving his troops…”

Erich’s words reminded me of rumors I’d heard. Azmatan’s forces were so strong that the war was expected to last into the next year.

But it didn’t. He was already returning.

Could it be that Erich planned to discard the Edelheit family sooner than expected?

“Then… my brother won’t have to go to war again?”

Erich studied my worried face for a long moment before answering.

“No. The western alliance of small kingdoms still remains. If he goes there, the nature of the conflict will change.”

Good.

Giskal, the war hero, still had value.

For now, I had to prepare for our first meeting in ten days.

Arne’s only family. Her lifeline.

The war hero, Giskal von Edelheit.

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