The Empress Tames the Tyrant - Chapter 14

The next morning, Alicia’s resolve unintentionally hardened even further.

“That, is it true? Why?”

“I have heard nothing other than that they were disloyal.”

Agnes’s face was as pale as Alicia’s, whose eyelashes were trembling. The news that Cayenne himself had wielded his sword at dawn, cutting down several palace servants, had plunged the entire imperial palace into terror.

“How many?”

“Some say three, others say five but His Majesty has ordered that it not be mentioned, so I do not know exactly.”

“But it is a definite fact that he suddenly killed palace servants with his own sword at dawn, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t know whether to be afraid of the sudden cruelty or to be relieved that none of the servants in the Empress’s Palace had died, as warned last night.

“Even if they were disloyal, how could he just draw his sword and kill them on the spot.”

It was as if last night’s nightmare was continuing. No, in fact, that nightmare was probably still unfolding for the servants in the Emperor’s residence. No matter what crime a palace servant committed, it was beyond common sense for the Emperor to draw his sword and take their life on the spot.

“Without even a detailed reason?”

“Yes. As I have already said, he ordered that this matter not be mentioned further. So, Your Majesty the Empress should not bring this up either.”

“Haa,” Alicia sighed softly.

“No matter how he orders it, he cannot stop rumors from spreading. Those who have already heard the rumors will all be criticizing this in their hearts.”

The news had arrived at the Empress’s Palace before sunrise, so it had already left the imperial palace by now. The capital’s nobles, and even Lucan, would know this news by this evening, so the whole world would know about it.

“However, no one dares to oppose the Emperor’s words and actions.”

Agnes spoke as if warning Alicia. It was advice not to get involved in this matter and incur the Emperor’s wrath.

“So, what happened after he killed them?”

“I do not know the details. The palace servants probably cleaned up the bodies, and there will be no trace left in the imperial palace.”

That was true, as they couldn’t leave corpses lying around in the Emperor’s residence.

“The bodies of those who are not royalty cannot be buried in the imperial palace so they will be taken outside. Agnes, isn’t that the job of the Internal Affairs Department, which manages the inner palace?”

It was customary for the servants of the inner palace to collect the bodies of elderly palace servants or those who died in accidents and return them to their families.

“That is so, but this time they are criminals.”

“Yes, everyone will be afraid and unable to properly handle the bodies.”

Alicia paused for a moment, lost in thought, then looked at Agnes again.

“Find those in the inner palace who will take the bodies out and give them money and alcohol. At least so that the bodies are not thrown away like baggage and can return to their hometowns.”

“However, getting involved in such a matter.”

“Isn’t that the Empress’s job?”

Agnes nodded involuntarily at the dignified words that were hard to believe came from a twenty-year-old.

Whether the recent high fever was truly a wisdom fever or not, Alicia now showed a wisdom, intelligence, and a firm heart that she had not had before.

“Surely, there will be many who criticize His Majesty for this. So, for His Majesty’s honor in the future, it is right to properly handle their bodies.”

“That is also true. Certainly, the palace servants in the Emperor’s residence are by no means of low status, even more so.”

The servants and maids who served the Emperor and Empress were all of at least middle-ranking noble status, and even the servants and maids who did menial work were well-educated commoners from affluent backgrounds.

Cayenne had cut them down with his sword like the barbarians of Rubeo.

“As I said last night, tell all the servants in the Empress’s Palace to be careful.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“And just in case, tell the head chamberlain to find out what foods His Majesty has been enjoying recently and prepare plenty of similar things in the Empress’s Palace.”

The next time Cayenne barged in as he pleased, she wouldn’t be able to avoid him with excuses like having a fever. She was lucky yesterday, but there was no guarantee that luck would always be on her side.

“Then, I will step back and take care of the things you have ordered. Shall I tell Nancy and Maren to bring tea?”

“Yes.”

Alicia managed a faint smile. Agnes was deliberately calling the young maids of the Empress’s Palace to give Alicia a chance to instruct them directly. Even if they were given the same warning, the young maids would be more careful if the owner of the Empress’s Palace spoke directly.

❖ ❖ ❖

Cayenne did not attend the council without any notice. Because of the incident at dawn, no servant dared to tell him that the nobles were waiting.

“Your Majesty.”

“Why, are you going to blame me?”

“No, Your Majesty.”

Only his close aide, Glenn, attended to Cayenne as usual. To him, Cayenne’s slaughter was always something that happened, and the reason was clear, so it was natural.

“If Your Majesty had not killed them, I would have killed them.”

Cayenne, somewhat relieved by Glenn’s words, turned his head and looked at him.

“But those who do not know the details will talk as they please. It infuriates me to think about it.”

“It does not matter.”

Cayenne had heard countless criticisms and been told that he was not qualified even before ascending the throne. Killing a few more now wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“I have forbidden any mention of that matter, and I have told everyone not to interfere, so Duke Nigel will not dare to speak of it.”

“Is he not a spy in the first place? If he is someone who knows fear, he will remain silent even at times like this.”

Perhaps because he had grown up and lived on the battlefield for many years, Cayenne had a particularly keen intuition.

It was purely by chance that he encountered those who were secretly informing Duke Nigel of the Emperor’s affairs while taking a walk at dawn after waking up from an unfamiliar bed, but his judgment was quick.

“I thought so. The Duke was talkative at the last luncheon. As if he knew a lot about me in particular.”

“He has planted a spy and received reports on Your Majesty’s every move, so it is only natural.”

Glenn frowned as if despising Duke Nigel.

“Your Majesty killed them immediately, so it will be a lesson for the Duke as well.”

Cayenne nodded in satisfaction. Rumors said that the Emperor felt pleasure in cutting people down with his sword, but his sword only moved when needed. Of course, that was why he had no remorse either. It was a situation that was easy to misunderstand, but neither Cayenne nor Glenn knew that fact at all.

“He dared to do such a thing as soon as I returned, he must have bought them off in advance.”

“Yes, the two of them have been servants for a long time, so it is not a matter of a day or two.”

Cayenne frowned in displeasure. But Glenn still had more to report.

“I am afraid to report this, but the Empress’s Palace has taken separate measures to properly handle their bodies and send them back to their hometowns.”

Cayenne frowned even more at the unexpected words.

“The Empress?”

“Yes.”

Instantly, a strong anger appeared on Cayenne’s face. He thought that the tiresome connection with Lucan had been severed and that she had become a new person, but she was even handling the bodies of the spies that Duke Nigel had planted, so suspicion could not help but arise.

“How absurd. Did those whom I killed have any connection with the Empress in the past?”

“I have investigated, but there was none. But there may be a connection with their master.”

Suspecting everything was a natural calling as the Emperor’s close aide. Even if that meant turning the arrow to the innocent Empress.

“I am going to the Empress’s Palace.”

Cayenne abruptly stood up.

“No entourage is needed.”

“I will attend to you.”

Glenn, properly armed with his sword, followed Cayenne. And soon after, the peaceful Empress’s Palace was once again turned upside down.

Before lunch, a servant came panting to Alicia, who was drinking tea in the drawing room.

“Your Majesty the Empress, His Majesty the Emperor is now.”

And before his words could finish, Cayenne strode in with a stern face. Alicia tried to suppress her violently beating heart and paid her respects.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

Cayenne still did not order her to raise her head.

“Leave only the Empress and everyone else get out.”

Glenn tried to say something, but fell silent after seeing his cold profile. The rest of the palace servants were the same.

“I heard that the Empress ordered that the bodies of those whom I killed this morning be respectfully handled?”

Cayenne’s angry, cold voice gripped Alicia’s heart fearfully, like last night’s nightmare. It was because she did not expect the fact to reach Cayenne’s ears so quickly, nor did she know that it would offend him so much that he would come in person.

“That is so.”

Last night’s nightmare had given Alicia a great lesson.

That she could not deceive Cayenne with shallow tricks. So, she had to avoid lying in any situation.

“How confident.”

But it was not easy to deal with him with the truth either.

“Very confident. You must have known that it was a matter that I had forbidden even mentioning, so how did you show such great mercy?”

Cayenne was already angry at Alicia’s actions. In particular, the sword at his waist seemed even more threatening.

“It seems that you have not forgotten Lucan, but have made a new friend named Duke Nigel.”

Alicia involuntarily raised her head and looked at Cayenne when an unexpected name came out. At the same time, Cayenne looked at Alicia’s blue eyes, which were subtly shaking.