RAMHM Chapter 96

Visitors

Just then, news arrived that Epero and Viktor had come to visit.

I deliberately ignored Rhodness's expression souring rapidly and allowed the visit.

"It seems I have more difficulty seeing my own attendant than His Imperial Majesty. Should I thank you for showing your precious face?"

"Are you all right? Your body?"

They made a noisy entrance.

Several massive flower baskets and jewelry boxes—clearly not Epero's own idea—passed from the hands of their escort knights to the old butler.

"You've made such a precious visit. I actually have a favor to ask."

"Attendants usually give orders to the people they serve?"

"Epero."

At Epero's barbed words, Rhodness immediately called his name in warning from behind me.

Epero deflated like a scolded puppy, then immediately raised his chin high and followed me into the drawing room.

Viktor looked around, surveying the space.

"What's the favor? I haven't been to my homeland in a while—I'd rather not work too hard."

I showed the glib Epero the list of words Rhodness had extracted from Bliea's diary.

Epero frowned briefly, then read it with his head held stiff, eyes only—and snorted with laughter.

"If it's foreign language studies, ask the prince."

I didn't care either way, so I immediately turned my attention to Viktor. Unlike Epero, Viktor took the list directly, buried his nose in it, and began reading earnestly.

"...Epero, come here."

Epero had sprawled lazily in his chair, slowly looking me up and down. Rhodness's cold voice cut into him.

Only then did Epero sit up straight with an oops expression, scratching the back of his head as he stood and scurried over to Rhodness, who leaned crookedly against the drawing room threshold.

Epero had his own complaints.

The woman's voice saying she'd let him stay in Ronteaux had tormented him for days after that night.

When he immediately reported it to his mother, Empress Grace, she was shocked—and terrified.

Epero watched Bliea wipe cold sweat from her forehead, feeling his resolve waver—but he couldn't bring himself to view the woman who'd thrown both his mother and himself into anxiety with anything resembling kindness.

Yet when his eyes met Rhodness's, his mouth snapped shut.

Those same eyes that had warned him not to be rude—Rhodness stood there leaning crookedly, looking down at him.

"If you could interpret the meaning or names of these Ellaconian words, that would be helpful."

"Herb names. This. Enough. For you?"

"...Yes. If I know what this is, it will help."

As Bliea and Viktor murmured together, Epero expressed his dissatisfaction to Rhodness.

"You trust that lady too much, don't you think, Brother?"

Epero spoke lightly, but he meant it.

He stood by the door with Rhodness, watching Viktor and the noblewoman deep in serious discussion inside the drawing room, twisting his lips.

He and Viktor had finally been allowed in after being turned away several times. Because of Rhodness, who stood guard like a protector.

He'd been hearing news from Ronteaux too—he knew about his brother's scandal with the noblewoman.

"That lady looking for strange drugs doesn't seem normal. Brother, you should be care—"

"Just do what you're told, Epero."

"..."

Rhodness's face as he cut off the words was full of worry.

Epero felt oddly bitter, as if that woman had stolen the affection from his brother that he himself had never quite possessed.

"If you behave yourself and cooperate with the lady, I'll help you stay here too."

For those words to come from Rhodness's mouth!

"...Even if it goes against His Highness the Crown Prince's will?"

"..."

Rhodness's closed lips as he silently kept his gaze on Bliea were answer enough.

A complete stranger boasting she could keep an imperial prince here and Rhodness saying he'd help—the latter carried an entirely different weight of belief.

Epero swallowed the surge of emotion and guessed that Rhodness—for whom Crown Prince Bardenaldo had always been the first priority—had changed slightly because of that noblewoman's accident.

When Viktor and Bliea finished their whispering conspiracy, getting along surprisingly well, Epero immediately grabbed Viktor to leave.

Bliea seemed quite satisfied with her conversation with Viktor—she came out personally to see them off despite her injury.

"We'll have to at least pretend to be friendly for a while, my lady. If only because Brother is frightening."

Epero spoke in a half-teasing voice, very much conscious of Rhodness standing at a distance.

Bliea's eyes widened before she smiled faintly and nodded. Epero immediately lowered his voice.

"But you should clearly distinguish between enemies and friends too, my lady. My enemies are the Crown Princess and Crown Prince you serve."

It was meant to mock Bliea's behavior—maintaining tentacle-like friendships while acting ambiguous. But the moment Epero's words ended, rather than looking flustered, Bliea clutched her injured side and laughed.

Her slender shoulders shook slightly, trembling as if holding back laughter—then Bliea extended her hand to Epero.

Caught off guard, Epero took it. Bliea slowly pulled his hand toward her, drawing him in.

"My goal isn't to make my masters into friends, Your Highness."

"?"

"I told you what I want is to distinguish between enemies and friends. If Your Highness becomes my friend instead of my enemy—who knows? Maybe I can eliminate your enemy for you."

This woman really is suspicious.

Epero's body stiffened at her casual suggestion that she might eliminate her own master. Even after Bliea's body moved away, he stood there for a long time.

Which apparently irritated Rhodness, since he was immediately chased out of the estate.

The second visitor was Nora Giusetta.

Nora's body went rigid the moment she saw Rhodness. She bowed her head deeply.

I had many questions for Nora, so I pushed Rhodness out of the drawing room.

When I shoved at his back insisting he leave, a slightly wronged expression crossed Rhodness's face—but that was all.

Nora watched us bickering at the drawing room door with an odd look, then erased her expression the moment I sat across from her as if nothing had happened.

"Her Highness the Crown Princess personally sent me to check on you."

Nora didn't waste words with me. No empty pleasantries that wouldn't reflect Doris's true feelings.

"How inconvenient that the carriage accident happened on the very night of her consummation with His Highness the Crown Prince. Her Highness is quite displeased."

Why would she be displeased about something she orchestrated?

"What does that have to do with the consummation night?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince worried over it as if it were his own affair and postponed the consummation."

Nora studied my complexion and wet her dry lips with her tongue.

"Things are developing strangely. People are starting to say your attack by those criminals might actually be connected to the missing women case."

"What?"

I asked in disbelief. Hadn't this case already been quietly closed with Novian Trovika named as suspect?

"Such a thing happening in the capital at twilight—some people think that way. There are similarities, aren't there? Words like 'capital center,' 'woman,' 'disappearance.' What's more interesting is that His Highness the Crown Prince amplified those suspicions himself."

"His Highness the Crown Prince did?"

"As if he'd been waiting, he declared a state of emergency and used that excuse to postpone the consummation for over a week now."

Nora said it was interesting, but her face looked sick. I could vividly imagine how much of a scene Doris—who showed her emotions unfiltered to Nora—must have made.

But hearing it, I could only snort.

If I'd died that day, wouldn't it have been a perfect night for Doris?

Eliminate the irritating Bliea Acacia and finally consummate with the Crown Prince.

But I survived, and the consummation was ruined—how furious she must be.

'She fell into her own trap.'

Nora watched my laughing face intently.

"But the story is flowing strangely—people are saying there might be a different culprit for the missing women case. Some are worried they identified the Grand Duke as a suspect too hastily and gave him excessive punishment tantamount to exile."

"Well, such concerns could arise. He was thrown north so suddenly."

"So here's the thing—there's talk that His Imperial Majesty is taking the situation seriously and will summon His Grace the Grand Duke to the Emperor's birthday celebration for a personal audience."

My body stiffened at the sudden mention of Novian.

"So if you were planning to attend the celebration, it would be wise to keep a low profile this time. My lady."

Nora advised me with a slightly worried expression.

My hands and feet suddenly went numb.

I clenched and unclenched my fists quickly, feeling my side ache as I smiled at Nora as if everything were fine.

"Thank you. But I absolutely intend to attend His Imperial Majesty's birthday celebration."

The attempted kidnapping of Adrienne took on new dimensions.

Rumors that Novian Trovika was behind the missing women case faded. Instead, rumors spread that it was actually Rhodness's scheme to eliminate his uncle.

The Emperor dismissed it as nonsense, but Rhodness's accumulated reputation meant some people even spread rumors that he couldn't drink monster blood on the battlefield and had to drink women's blood instead.

Because he'd been showing his face here and there these past months after rarely appearing, his distinguished features had become widely known—which made it worse.

The secret to a man possessing such bewitching beauty was women's blood.

An absurd rumor that wasn't even funny—but the problem was people actually believed it.

Especially among commoners, Rhodness was already a fearsome imperial figure associated with monsters.

Rhodness himself was so accustomed to such rumors he acted unbothered—which made Adrienne even more upset.

Whatever happened outside, he simply repeated Adrienne's words about wanting to get closer and devoted himself to her care.

Thus dawned the day of the Empire of Ronteaux's greatest annual event—the Emperor's birthday celebration.