The Empress Tames the Tyrant - Chapter 15

In that fleeting moment, a truly brief span of time, Alicia’s genuinely wavering eyes captured Cayenne’s fury.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Alicia stated the plain truth, allowing all of Cayenne’s senses and even his intuition to perceive that she was telling the truth.

“Of course, it is true that I ordered the bodies of those who died in His Imperial Majesty’s chambers today to be respectfully collected and returned to their hometowns.”

“Why?”

Cayenne stepped closer, his eyes staring at Alicia with suffocating intensity.

“I told you not to even mention it. How dare you interfere?”

“Because…”

Alicia bit her parched lip unconsciously and looked up at him again. As expected, she didn’t have the confidence to break through him with lies or smooth sophistry.

“Don’t even utter the pathetic word ‘compassion’.”

The wall she had felt in her past life still existed, very high and cold.

“Unless you felt pity because the Empress was involved.”

There was clear anger in his scathing tone. The mere act of collecting the bodies wouldn’t have provoked this level of fury. The only clue was Duke Nigel, whom he had mentioned earlier.

All Alicia knew was that Duke Nigel was the head of the nobles and that Cayenne despised him intensely.

“Why are you silent?”

And judging from the clues, Duke Nigel seemed to be involved in this incident. At this point, last night’s nightmare didn’t feel like just a dream.

“I’ve already heard that they never followed the Empress.”

Recognition or human decency couldn’t be the reason now.

If so, Alicia’s options were limited. Even if those words further fueled Cayenne’s rage and made him draw his sword, what more could happen than death?

“I’ll ask one last time. How was the Empress involved in their deaths?”

She had been momentarily careless, thinking there had been a brief peaceful time between them. Cayenne could have cut down his nominal wife at any time but had no interest in doing so. It was just that, and nothing more.

“I was not involved in their deaths.”

Was it the resentment accumulated in her past life, or was it because she had no attachment to this life anyway? Alicia could look him straight in the eye. She didn’t realize it because she was extremely nervous, but even Cayenne was inwardly surprised by Alicia’s unwavering gaze.

“Because it was Your Majesty who executed them.”

“Yes, I personally struck them down with my sword. Would you call it cruel?”

“No.”

“Huh,” Cayenne scoffed at her audacious words. Alicia quickly opened her mouth again before he could say anything more.

“When I heard the news. I thought there must have been a reason why Your Majesty personally executed them, bypassing the palace’s legal procedures.”

Cayenne’s brow furrowed at the unexpected words, but Alicia continued to speak. It seemed like there wouldn’t be another chance unless she made up her mind now.

“However, I didn’t want foolish people to hear false rumors and think of Your Majesty as a cruel person.”

“Didn’t want?”

Every word Alicia uttered was unfamiliar to Cayenne. So, even with a deep frown, he couldn’t take his eyes off those blue eyes.

“Yes. Your Majesty must have had an unavoidable reason to execute them personally.”

Cayenne was receiving understanding from the woman he thought was the furthest from him in the world. The fact itself was bewildering.

“But not everyone can fathom Your Majesty’s high intentions. Foolish people will just say that Your Majesty is cruel. As the Empress, I didn’t want that to happen.”

Blinking slowly, Cayenne closed his eyes and then opened them.

Who on earth was this woman? No matter how much the Empress had changed, he never thought she would give him more surprises than abandoning Lucan’s teachings.

“By foolish people are you referring to someone like Duke Nigel?”

“I don’t know much about the affairs of the council or the nobles.”

It was an unintentional correct answer.

“But I thought that no matter who it was, they shouldn’t tarnish Your Majesty’s name. Even if it was the body of someone who had committed a crime.”

“What are you saying?”

Cayenne didn’t realize it, but his voice had already softened considerably. The initiative in the conversation had also subtly shifted to Alicia.

“They are the bodies of criminals whom Your Majesty executed. They should rightfully be disposed of like baggage, and it’s natural for those who handle them to be afraid.”

Now Cayenne didn’t press Alicia and waited for her next words, as if knowing that Alicia would take a short breath and open her mouth again.

“If the bodies of palace servants who were not respectfully collected were to go outside, there would be rampant speculation.”

Alicia felt Cayenne’s gaze, which was looking at her without hostility, and wore a faint smile.

“I couldn’t allow Your Majesty’s honor to be tarnished by such trivial things.”

Once again, Alicia bent her knee slightly and paid her respects.

“They deserved to die for committing unforgivable sins, but they shouldn’t commit sins even after death.”

Dark eyes scanned Alicia’s face, as if examining her inner thoughts or trying to read her emotions.

“I have been an inadequate Empress in everything since suffering from a high fever. However, I couldn’t stand by and watch Your Majesty’s name be tarnished so I apologize for rashly stepping forward.”

Alicia lowered her eyes and bowed her head.

And a few seconds, like an eternity, passed.

“For me?”

There was no anger at all in the low voice, only a pure curiosity about Alicia’s heart.

“You’re saying that the Empress stepped forward to collect their bodies because you didn’t want me to be criticized as cruel?”

“Yes.”

Alicia gently raised her head and looked up at Cayenne.

“Really?”

His lips still uttered a hint of doubt.

“Yes.”

It wasn’t entirely expected, but she had thought of a way to prepare in case he doubted her. In a way, yesterday’s nightmare had helped Alicia.

“Unfortunately, they contracted a disease and died.”

Alicia said as calmly as possible.

“As Your Majesty said, nothing happened in the palace this morning.”

Cayenne’s eyebrow twitched.

“Unfortunately, since those who died of illness have a long way to go to their hometowns. I ordered the head court lady to cremate them and send their remains in urns.”

“Huh,” Cayenne’s mouth slightly opened.

She was said to have become foolish after suffering from a high fever, but this was completely the opposite.

“Then, strange rumors wouldn’t spread about those who died of illness, I thought.”

It was truly a perfect response. If they said that those who died of illness were cremated, there would be no traces of being cut by a sword, and it would be more difficult to spread rumors.

He still didn’t regret cutting down Nigel’s spy, but he was thinking that the subsequent criticism would be troublesome, and Alicia had neatly resolved that concern.

“If I have troubled Your Majesty’s heart by interfering, I will accept punishment.”

For a moment, Cayenne looked at Alicia, who had lowered her head again.

Even the shadow of her eyelashes cast on her clear and beautiful cheeks was trembling.

“Yes, it was an unnecessary act.”

Cayenne was a man who didn’t care about reputation or listen to the criticism of nobles.

“But it’s not something that deserves a big punishment.”

As if he wasn’t the one who had entered the Empress’s palace with a face full of anger, Cayenne’s voice rang out much more softly.

“Well, if you serve me a satisfactory lunch, I will forgive you.”

The corners of Cayenne’s lips tilted up slightly.

“I will do my best, even with a simple meal.”

She hadn’t predicted and prepared for this exact situation, but fortunately, the Empress’s palace kitchen was full of ingredients that Cayenne would like.

“We’ll see.”

Cayenne gave a meaningless laugh, then turned his back and left the room.

“Your Majesty, I will escort you.”

The head court lady of the Empress’s palace, who had been waiting in front of the door just in case, attended to the Emperor. She thought that if it hadn’t been for Alicia’s order, which was like a prophecy, everyone would have been in trouble today.

“Where’s Glenn?”

“He’s in the garden.”

“Tell him to go back first. I’m having lunch here.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The conversation that was heard through the door made her heart pound, but fortunately, the situation seemed to have been reversed thanks to Alicia’s wit. Otherwise, Cayenne’s face, which had been full of anger, couldn’t have softened so quickly.

“So, what is today’s lunch at the Empress’s palace?”

Fortunately, the menu was abundant due to the orders that had been given since early morning. Moreover, the preparation was good because she had asked Miller, the Emperor’s personal head court lady, for his opinion on Alicia’s orders.

“Actually, the Empress decides the meals at the Empress’s palace on a case-by-case basis. Usually, she has a simple meal with seasonal vegetables.”

“So, is today’s lunch seasonal vegetables?”

Howard bowed deeply once at the Emperor’s lukewarm reaction.

“The amazing thing is that today, there is a special dish that the Empress has ordered to be served for lunch.”

Howard desperately racked his brain while speaking.

The Emperor had praised the pheasant roast at the last lunch, and he had enjoyed the steamed and grilled veal and three other meats at yesterday’s lunch with the nobles.

“Salmon is very good this season. We will grill the salmon that is in season with butter and serve it with lemon juice.”

As expected, the Emperor nodded at the skilled head court lady’s tact.

“Now that I think about it, I’ve only been eating meat lately. Salmon sounds appetizing.”

And the Empress’s palace’s performance had just begun.