Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

Chapter 116 “Are you saying there is no news yet?”The chamberlain bowed wordlessly at the shrill voice.The Emperor, who was staring at the empty filing cabinet, threw the box.“How can this be, we have sent messengers three times and never received an answer!”“Calm down, Your Majesty.”Marquis Melks, who beckoned the chamberlain to leave, approached the angry Emperor.“He must have known that if he came up to the capital, he would be accused by Your Majesty, so he ignored it.”Marquis Melks whispered like a snake.The Emperor, unaware that he had stolen the orders he sent to Helios, grinded his teeth.“That bastard.”The Emperor muttered, unable to subdue his boiling anger. Marquis Melks encouraged the Emperor.“If you leave him alone, it will definitely be a lot of trouble.”“So what am I supposed to do? I can’t even send soldiers.”The Emperor groaned.He couldn’t send troops to capture Helios, especially since he was ignoring all of the nobles’ requests for assistance, citing the urgency of defending the imperial city from the monster.Marquis Melks smiled meaningfully.“If he doesn’t come to the capital, you can send him to a place of no return.”“A place of no return?”“The whole empire is in trouble because of the monsters, so should a person with the honor of Royal Hastings protect the Empire?”It was advice to send Helios to a place where monsters run wild and deal with it naturally.The Emperor, who understood the meaning without difficulty, raised his eyebrows.“He’s ignoring the order to come up to the capital, but will he obey these orders?”“If the commander of the Imperial Knights directly delivers Your Majesty’s orders, he will not be able to refuse.”The Emperor’s ears perked up. It was a pretty plausible plan.The commander of the Imperial Knights is an absolute servant of the Emperor, and his skills are not pushed by the knights of the Duke of Anthemion, so there is little fear.However, there was a problem when things didn’t go as planned.“If it goes wrong, wouldn’t that make Duke Anthemion a hero?”“No matter how much stronger the Duke Anthemion is, it will be difficult to defeat all the monsters on the western border, and.”“……”“I have a plan in case things go wrong.”Marquis Melks confidently assured him.It was questionable, but nothing had gone wrong as he said, so he had no choice but to believe.“You’re sure there won’t be much opposition from the nobles?”“Aren’t they the ones who will become quiet if only a few monsters run wild? Forsake those who rebel against Your Majesty, and keep close to those who are truly loyal, for example… Loyalists like the Duke of Eaton.”When the Emperor heard the Duke of Eaton’s name, he frowned.“My sister wouldn’t tolerate it.”“Your Majesty the Grand Duchess, is not technically an Imperial family. There is no reason for Your Majesty to hear it.”Marquis Melks continued to speak without hesitation.“Think of it as something you must do for the Crown Prince.”When things have come to this, hesitation is a waste of time.The Emperor made his decision.“Call the knight commander.”   ***** The Imperial Knights started protecting the Grand Duchess Crawford’s residence about a week ago.People began to talk about the strict border surrounding the peaceful Grand Duchess Residence.The knight commander said that he had strengthened the security due to the Grand Duchess’s safety, but rumors were spreading that the Emperor imprisoned her.“Who are you?”The knight stopped the carriage that had stopped in front of the Grand Duchess residence and asked.The woman in the carriage pulled the curtains back and poked her head out.“You are working hard. The winter dress requested by the Grand Duchess has been completed and brought. Could you please make way for me?”“Dress? I didn’t hear anyone coming.”“I think you forgot the dress she ordered two months ago.”Madame Florence smiled and pointed to the dress on the carriage.The knight looked into the carriage with suspicious eyes.Inside the carriage were Madame Florence and a woman who appeared to be a dressing room worker.He opened the way after checking the carriage full of dresses and tools.“You may enter.”“Thank you.”The knights who had driven the carriage into the manor blocked the front door again.Madame Florence sighed as the woman who had been watching them through the window frowned and drew the curtains.“Hah, what the hell is going on?”“Shh, it’s right in front of us.”The woman pointed to the knights guarding the front door.The knight who stopped the approaching carriage asked the same question as the knights guarding the front door.“Tell the Grand Duchess that I have brought the dress she ordered.”At Madame Florence’s words, the knight looked at her up and down as if suspiciously, then headed into the mansion.While anxiously waiting for the results, the missing knight who had disappeared approached the carriage.“Please enter.”Relief flashed across Madame Florence’s face.When the two women got off the carriage, the butler who came to meet them bowed his head politely.“Welcome. Her Majesty the Grand Duchess is waiting for you.”While the servants moved the luggage in the carriage, the butler led them to the other room.“Your Highness the Grand Duchess, Madame Florence is here.”“Tell her to come in.”As the butler opened the door to the room, the faces of the Grand Duchess Crawford and the Countess Walford, who were waiting for them, turned red.Countess Turner, disguised as Madame Florence’s maid, bent down.“Your Highness Grand Duchess.”“How do you get here… Come sit down.”The Grand Duchess frowned and took Countess Turner’s hand and led her to the sofa.“I apologize for my unannounced visit.”“No. How could you send a message in a situation like this?”“Madame Florence’s acting is so good that I seem to have been deceived.”Madame Florence waved her hand at the Countess Turner’s praise.“What can I say, I’m glad Her Highness recognized our plan.”Madame Florence shook her head in a feigned modesty.Grand Duchess Crawford took off the gold brooch she was wearing and handed it to her.“I will never forget your favor.”“You’re welcome. Then I’ll be out.”As Madame Florence quietly left the room, the Countess Walford opened the door to the secret room connected to the room.Countess Turner in the back asked anxiously.“Are you in good health?”“I am fine. Isn’t it great outside?”“The atmosphere is horrendous. There are monsters all over the place, and the damage is immeasurable, but His Majesty only strengthens the defense of the capital, so the resentment is growing.”“What are the nobles doing?”“Half of the people left to take over their territory, and the rest are suggesting that they should come up with a countermeasure, but they say they are in great trouble because Your Majesty doesn’t accept it.”“Did Your Majesty have any conflicts with the nobles?”“I don’t know the details of the story, but there are speculations that it may have been a trick of the Marquis Melks.”“Marquis Melks?”Grand Duchess Crawford frowned.The character of the Marquis of Melks was well known.He was greedy, insidious, and different from the outside, and before the Duke of Eaton was ousted, he was a person who was wary of doing all kinds of evil by holding hands with him.“It is said that he’s tearing Your Majesty and the other nobles apart. Already the Marquis of Hallstein has lost his position, and my husband has been pressured to resign as Imperial judge.”“How can Your Majesty be so insensitive?”Grand Duchess Crawford touched her forehead.She had only heard the news about outside the mansion through a doctor who came in and out, but it was the first time she had heard of it in detail.“Not only that, but there are rumors that he is trying to restore the Duke of Eaton position.”“What?”Grand Duchess Crawford gripped the armrest.“What! After what he’s done!”“Grand Duchess, please calm down.”The Countess Walford stopped the Grand Duchess. She shook off her grip and raised her voice.“Calm down! How many children he sacrificed! How can you think like that without going crazy!”“There is speculation that the Crown Prince’s position is unstable, so he is looking for someone to look after him.”“People are people too, what the heck…!”The Grand Duchess’ voice was terribly broken.“No matter how many people you trust, how can you keep the Duke of Eaton and the Marquis of Melks. You’ve been keeping Duke Anthemion close to you for a while now, and suddenly you’re acting like this.”Countess Turner, who had listened to the words with a gloomy expression, pulled out the letter she had in her arms.“Actually, the Duke of Anthemion has send me a letter.”