It Turned Out She Wasn't a Favored Concubine - Episode 77

“You have every reason not to trust me, Lady Arne. So first, I’ll rescue Perlo.”

At Marianne’s firm declaration, I looked at her with a doubtful gaze.

“We could smuggle Perlo out using Motus, but then His Majesty would face a storm of consequences. So I’m going to lie.”

“What kind of lie?”

“His Majesty has already accepted the secret rendezvous as fact, so we’ll have to change the person involved. I’ll tell him that the one who met Perlo in the library wasn’t you, Lady Arne, but me.”

I cleared my throat to make sure my ears were working properly. Thankfully, there was nothing wrong with them.

“There are many problems with that… but let me say just one thing. I can’t accept any plan where you get hurt in my place, Lady Marianne.”

I was dead serious, but Marianne burst into cheerful laughter again, bending over at the waist. I was dumbfounded.

“I’m sorry. Lady Arne always says things that exceed my expectations… Haha, you’re truly kind. I’m not teasing you—I mean it sincerely.”

Marianne finally stopped laughing and wiped her eyes with her finger.

“I assure you, if the rendezvous target changes from you to me, this incident will fizzle out. Who would care? The high nobles won’t be interested in a princess from a defeated kingdom.”

It was a valid point. Rosadel had made the public accusation in court solely because of me.

Because I was favored by the Emperor and a threat to the high nobles as the sister of Giscal. If I were removed from the incident, the nobles would have no reason to stir up trouble.

“Also, the reason His Majesty made such an irrational decision is because the scandal’s protagonist is none other than you, Lady Arne. He must have lost his mind over the vile and crude rumors surrounding you, despite being usually calm and rational.”

Marianne was also misunderstanding. I debated whether to correct her.

“So if the target becomes me, His Majesty will come to his senses. Even though I’m from a defeated kingdom, they won’t punish someone from the Kingdom of Zaren, which tormented the Empire for centuries, too severely. No need to stir up unnecessary trouble. Same goes for Perlo. They’ll keep him alive and squeeze him for the Empire’s benefit.”

Though based on a misunderstanding, her conclusion was sound.

“…Will it really go that smoothly?”

“Yes. If things don’t go as planned, we’ll just escape to Motus. I have no attachment to the palace anyway.”

“Lady Marianne!”

I scolded her, and she waved her hands.

“Haha, just kidding. Anyway, if this incident ends quietly, His Majesty will refocus on Count Leten, and we can take down the First Concubine who lied and her father, Marquis Parmati, all at once. Again, if we do nothing, Perlo Shanaire’s head will fall with the sunrise tomorrow.”

She was right. Perlo’s execution was imminent. We couldn’t afford to keep hesitating. When I gave a faint nod, Marianne raised a finger.

“Just watch.”

Marianne’s detailed plan was as follows:

Arne, who had lived according to her temper, reforms and reflects on her past actions, trying to improve relations with the other concubines.

In particular, she interacts with Marianne and learns that Marianne is a Motus artisan. When Marianne says her wish is to study Motus craftsmanship while isolated in the palace, Arne asks Perlo Shanaire—whom she met at the Edelheit estate—for help.

Perlo, intrigued, agrees, and the two meet in the restricted section of the palace library.

But when Perlo and Arne are mistakenly suspected of an inappropriate relationship, Marianne, overwhelmed with guilt, confesses.

This scenario was refined repeatedly by me, Marianne, and Louis. Louis got involved for an obvious reason: I had raised my voice too much during the conversation.

Hearing two people talking loudly in a room that should’ve been quiet, Louis burst in with snacks. Fortunately, he knew the general situation and was happy to help when he heard Marianne was assisting me.

After rehearsing her lines a few times, Marianne declared she would head straight to Verna Palace. Her decisiveness and initiative were truly impressive.

At first, I had assumed Marianne was a delicate and powerless princess from a defeated kingdom, but she shattered that prejudice in just a few meetings.

Whether the plan would succeed, and how Erich would react, was naturally frightening—but Marianne remained composed.

After she left with a mischievous smile, Louis and I sipped tea and stared out the window. We calculated the time it would take for Marianne to travel from Maron Palace to Verna Palace, wait to meet the Emperor, and deliver her false confession…

It was pointless, but we were too anxious to read or chat while waiting.

Finally, after a long wait, the scenery changed. The guards surrounding Arlin Palace raised their alert at the sight of a lone rider approaching. But upon recognizing the rider, they quickly lowered their swords. I could tell at a glance—it was Erich, his red cloak billowing as he rode.

The sudden arrival of the Emperor threw the guards into a frenzy. Hans, the lead knight, approached him. Though I couldn’t hear the words, the urgency was palpable.

There was only one reason Erich would come to Arlin Palace now.

He had heard Marianne’s confession.

Judging by the timing, he must have rushed over immediately after hearing it.

Would Erich believe Marianne’s lie, or doubt it?

As the door opened, Erich looked up. I had been watching him through the window and could see his face clearly.

“Ah…”

A sigh escaped me.

Was this really the Erich I knew? The one who always appeared perfect as Emperor?

His fair face was pale to the point of being ghostly. His once-bright blue eyes were sunken and shadowed.

His golden hair, usually well-groomed, was tousled by the wind. He scanned the palace windows with unfocused eyes, then fixed his gaze on the one I stood behind—even though he couldn’t possibly see me.

He had ridden his horse straight through the garden, where horses and carriages were forbidden. The cruel hooves scattered delicate petals. I closed the curtain and turned away.

Louis asked what was wrong, but I was too breathless to reply.

Erich arrived like the wind, dismounted, and climbed the stairs. He ignored the startled maids and bowing soldiers, heading straight for my room. I could picture it vividly—up the stairs, down the corridor, around the corner, to my door. The doorknob turned.

I stood by the curtain, feeling its coarse texture. I could see the door directly. My imagination became reality as the door slowly opened. I stood frozen, watching the figure beyond.

“Arne.”

Erich stepped into the room. His cracked lips moved. He approached slowly. He looked even worse up close than he had from afar. His haggard appearance wasn’t makeup or disguise—it was real. He said only my name and didn’t come any closer.

I took a deep breath. My racing heart, triggered by his devastated face, finally began to calm.

I had known he would come, and why—but my heartbeat had still gone wild.

I bowed out of habit. Louis, watching us both, bowed as well.

“May I ask the maid to leave?”

Erich asked, eyes fixed on me. Louis looked uneasy, but I signaled her to go. Even after she left, Erich remained at the door, as if ready to leave if I asked.

I stood tall, recalling the lines Louis and I had prepared. I had to pretend I didn’t know Marianne’s plan. I was a concubine falsely accused and locked away, now meeting the Emperor after days of confinement.

“Why have you come? Are you here to cast me out of the palace because of those ridiculous accusations?”

I bit my lip and spoke in a suppressed voice, trying to sound hurt and frustrated. My stiff tongue from nervousness helped. Erich shook his head with closed eyes.

“Of course not, Arne. How could I ever cast you out?”

He was as courteous as ever. At least he hadn’t dismissed Marianne’s confession as a lie and come in anger. I decided to trust Marianne and push harder.

“Ha, you locked me up at will, so you could throw me out just as easily.”

“No. I took away your freedom… because of my weakness. I was afraid you’d abandon me, afraid you’d leave me… That fear made me do something foolish.”

Erich’s voice trembled, like a sinner making his final confession to God. A sinner with nothing but fire behind him has no reason to lie.

In that moment, the deceitful and manipulative Erich felt like a man standing at the edge of a cliff.

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