I’ve Decided to Let You Go - Chapter 94

“House Aschart will attend the banquet. Tell them we would like our name added to the guest list.”

“Ah… You mean we’ll be attending?”

Jenkins hesitated at Natasha’s order. His reaction was unusual compared to how confidently he usually responded.

“Didn’t we already receive an invitation?”

“Yes. Yes, we did…”

“Even if our ties with the imperial family are strained, it would be rude to decline an invitation to the palace banquet. That would go against proper decorum.”

“Yes, that’s true as well…”

Jenkins answered her repeatedly, but his expression remained uneasy.

Maybe he was unsettled because Natasha was making a decision that didn’t feel like her usual self. He might have been worried that she was acting impulsively out of emotional instability.

Sensing this, Natasha offered a soft smile and began to explain.

“It’s been a while since the Letius royal family hosted a banquet. Naturally, people will be paying more attention to it this year.”

Two years ago, after a failed initiative and declining reputation, the royal family canceled their annual banquet. But now, with something to finally celebrate, they were preparing one again—right at the start of spring.

People would focus on this banquet more than usual. In that kind of setting, if a noble house as prominent as House Aschart didn’t attend, the public would assume one of two things.

First, that the royal family had intentionally excluded them.

Second, that House Aschart was intentionally avoiding the royal family.

“Everyone will notice if we don’t attend.”

Jenkins stayed silent.

“We could claim we’re standing firm and defending our pride, but right now we have more important priorities.”

He blinked, his eyes silently asking her to continue.

“We need to find noble houses willing to support us.”

Still quiet, Jenkins waited for her next words.

“If it looks like House Aschart is openly hostile toward the royal family, no one will want to be associated with us. They’ll avoid the risk and choose the safer option—the Letius dynasty.”

Although House Aschart had officially cut ties with the royal family, this banquet was different. It wasn’t a private event. Nearly every noble in the empire would be there.

Even if House Aschart currently held influence, no one could guarantee how long that would last. Not many nobles were willing to gamble their future on uncertainty. That was why, for now, House Aschart needed to act with caution and play along.

Jenkins finally seemed to understand.

“That makes perfect sense. I’ll speak with the organizers and have House Aschart added to the list!”

He left with a bright smile. Natasha thought she heard him mutter, “Our lady really is amazing,” but she wasn’t sure if she imagined it.

“Well, I suppose there’s no harm in letting him be proud.”

In truth, that wasn’t the only reason Natasha wanted to attend the banquet. She had a far more calculated reason as well.

Just as House Aschart found the royal family troublesome, the feeling was mutual.

With the Knight of Honor now serving House Aschart, their knight order had grown more prestigious than the royal guard. For a family that had held dominance for decades, that was a hard blow to their pride.

And it wasn’t just military strength. House Aschart was expanding its presence in high society and forming powerful connections. With the Pope expected to attend the banquet, their close relationship with the temple would be clearly shown.

It was becoming more obvious by the day that House Aschart was no longer a house to be underestimated.

If House Aschart was worried about nobles shifting toward the royal family, then the royal family was surely just as concerned about losing influence to them.

“That’s why they’ll do everything they can at this banquet to win the nobles back.”

The Letius royal family would try to remind the aristocracy of the power they still held.

They might even try to prove that the imperial knights were superior to those of House Aschart.

“They might increase the number of knights attending, to show off their strength.”

As her thoughts circled around this possibility, one idea led to another, until they spiraled endlessly.

Then, a sudden sound pulled her back.

A firm knock on the table broke the silence in the room. Her drifting thoughts were interrupted, and her focus returned.

Her unfocused eyes finally settled. As her vision cleared, so did the face of the person who had entered without warning.

It was Sieghart Aschart.

“You’re here.”

Even though Natasha had asked him to come, his sudden appearance still felt like an intrusion.

She stood from the table and moved to sit on the nearby couch. Sieghart sat across from her, having just arrived.

She poured the tea but didn’t give him time to take a sip before going straight to the point.

“Jenkins just told me that a royal banquet will be held soon. I’ve already instructed him to add House Aschart to the guest list.”

“I see.”

“You’re not going to ask why?”

“There’s no need to question your decision.”

She had only asked because it surprised her how calm Sieghart was. Unlike Jenkins, he didn’t even flinch.

The response she got was neither satisfying nor upsetting. It was vague, an uncomfortable mix of trust she hadn’t asked for.

Not sure how to respond, Natasha simply glanced at him sideways.

“Anyway, I want to hear more about the banquet. I heard the knight order will be involved. On average, how many knights attend these kinds of events?”

“In the past, it was about twenty to thirty percent. Usually just the most skilled or well-known knights.”

“In the past? So, it’s different this time?”

“Surprisingly, yes. They’re planning to send almost the entire Imperial Knight Order. Everyone except the newest recruits, regardless of ability or reputation.”

“Almost everyone?”

Sieghart nodded.

“They’re even organizing a hunting tournament between the knights to show off their strength. I heard the prize is something extravagant.”

“They’re trying to impress the nobles.”

“Yes. The Imperial Knight Order will be recruiting soon.”

Every year, when the Letius royal family opened recruitment for the Imperial Knights, it attracted the most promising young nobles.

The competition was famously intense—so much so that people joked it was nearly impossible. But last year, the number of applicants had dropped, likely because the knight order’s reputation had taken a hit.

Now, the royal family was trying to prevent the same mistake. They needed to restore their image.

“But that’s not really what I’m interested in. If most of the knights will be at the secondary palace for the banquet, then the main palace will be less secure, right?”

“That’s right.”

The banquet wasn’t being held at the main palace but at a secondary palace built specifically for such events. It was a place known more for its beauty and extravagance than practicality.

That meant the Imperial Knights would be stationed there instead.

“I’m planning to use that day for a preliminary scouting mission. For the rebellion.”

Sieghart quietly took a breath. His red eyes calmly settled on Natasha, as if trying to read her every thought.

“I need two things.”

She raised two fingers and continued.

“First, we need to find the treaty once signed between the duchy and the empire.”

“You mean the one that promised peace?”

“Yes. More specifically, the clause where the duchy gave up Charlier’s territory to the empire. It would be best if the next emperor finds it and destroys it himself, but as you know, verbal promises can be easily denied or forgotten.”

She was referring to their own broken marriage agreement, and Sieghart seemed to understand—perhaps recalling something else as well.

“We can’t make a sacred oath like rulers do, so it would be smarter for us to find and destroy the treaty first.”

Only monarchs had the right to bind themselves in sacred contracts. Anyone else needed approval from the temple, and for those planning a rebellion, that wasn’t an option.

“Alright. And the second thing?”

“We need to find the backdoor. The secret passage.”

The second objective was to locate a hidden route—an unofficial entrance into the palace, leading directly to the emperor’s private chambers. Only the emperor and his most trusted aides knew of its existence.

“To do both, we’ll need access to the emperor’s room. Finding that room is the first step.”

“I know where it is. We just need to get inside.”

“You know where the emperor’s chamber is?”

Natasha looked genuinely surprised.

The location of the emperor’s room was a closely guarded secret, known only to his personal attendants and the Imperial Knights. Even if Sieghart had once worked closely with the royal family, knowing the location of the emperor’s private room was another matter entirely.

“I have a reliable informant.”

“A knight from the Imperial Order is helping you?”

That was hard to believe. Imperial Knights were well paid, respected, and fiercely loyal. Helping House Aschart, an enemy of the crown seemed unthinkable.

“Why would someone like that help us?”

“Maybe I gave them too much money.”

“…”

“Or maybe they just feel sorry for me.”

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