The Return of the Female Knight

CHAPTER 99

Elena had no intention of making a move at the moment, but now that the Empress had done so, she couldn't let things stay the same. Elena slowly rose from her chair, her blood-colored eyes shining.

“The maid who brought the plant looks a bit suspicious to me. What do you think of him?"

"I feel the same way . ”

"Yes . There can't be a Queen here. ”

I'm sure Carlisle already knows, but there's a mole hiding between us. From now on, things will change. I am the mistress of this palace.

After considering for a moment, I opened the door to the living room, and a servant I knew approached and quickly bowed to me.

"Is there anything you want, Your Majesty?"

"Catch me, Mr. Zenard. ”

"ah! Yeah, woman!"

As expected, the maid seemed to know who Zenard was. After several visits to the palace, she was the one Elena had encountered most often among Carlisle's subordinates except for Kuhn. Zenard was one of Carlisle's closest aides and he was familiar with him, making him the right person to talk to once he had just entered the Imperial family.

As Zenard's neat, white-haired appearance floated in his mind, he counted his future steps on his head one by one.

"Now, shall we move?"

*

*

*

A few minutes passed before Zenard arrived in the living room. As soon as he saw Elena's face, he bowed politely.

"Greetings to the Crown Princess. Eternal glory to the Ruford Empire. ”

"We will meet many times in the future, so that you can eliminate such formal greetings between us. ”

"Oh no . I have to follow the standard. ”

While his stubborn tone was similar to Kuhn's, there were still differences in their personalities. Kuhn showed an indifferent attitude towards him, while Zenard was patient to attend the service, and Elena knew not to ask him again past the formalities. He nodded consciously and continued.

“I want to meet the people who work in the Crown Prince's palace. I want to gather everyone together, and I can only think of you who can do this. ”

"Ah, is that really so?"

He raised his head proudly. In the past, he had looked at Len with eyes filled with envy and burdens, but his impact on Elena was quite admirable.

'The difference in reaction when I was Carlisle's guard and his wife was huge. '

Perhaps that was why there was a strange feeling about the distance between them. When Elena was a knight, Morgan was the only one who treated her with a friendly smile, contrary to her intimidating appearance. He suddenly wondered if he was okay, but he was pressed for other things.

“I want you to set up a place where I can introduce everyone to my waiting missus. ”

"Well…"

Zenard looked at the nanny standing next to Elena with new eyes. The butler waited and the butler always played a big role on their master's side.

The nanny, who had been keeping a quiet position next to Elena, introduced herself politely first.

"Hello. I'm the nanny who took care of His Majesty when he was a child. I am honored to be the chief lady waiting, so please take care of me. ”

“I look forward to working with you. As you may have heard, my name is Zenard. Do not hesitate to ask for help anytime in the future. ”

Satisfied with each other's greetings, Elena continued.

"I want to see everyone before I send my regards to the Emperor. Is that possible?"

"Yes . I will invite as many people as possible. ”

"Thank you . ”

Zenard saluted again. The final task was to inspect the plants that Ophelia had sent. If it was truly toxic to the body, they could pretend to be ignorant and disguise it as a weakness. Elena will assign this to Kuhn, but she's still at Blaise's house. He pointed to the plant on the table and spoke to Zenard.

"This is a gift from the Queen. Can you find out exactly what this plant is from the kingdom of Sibena? "

"An empress?"

Zenard's eyes blinked. His suspicions also appear to have arisen.

“I'll pick it up soon and find out. ”

“No, I will leave this plant where I pass often. ”

"But if it's dangerous—"

"All the reasons again. ”

Zenard looked at him heartlessly, and Elena smiled and spoke softly.

"With this, we will be able to find out who the Queen's spy is in the Crown Prince's palace. They would lower their vigilance if I acted carelessly. ”

"…!"

He was stunned to hear her answer, then he spoke in awe.

“You really are the crown princess. ”

Elena smiled in embarrassment at her excessive praise.

Whether it was help or revenge, one had to return whatever they received. This time, however, he planned to act differently.

'I don't need to expose my claws yet. '

Elena needs to hide her true intentions and witness the Queen's reaction. And if there was a chance, he would attack first.

"I will leave quickly and gather the servants of the Crown Prince's palace. ”

"Yes . ”

Zenard walked out of the room, but she suddenly stopped and turned towards Elena with a cautious look.

"Ah, Your Majesty …"

“Speak. ”

“I've threatened everyone to stay away from the Crown Prince's private training hall, so you don't have to worry about anyone bothering you. ”

"…What?"

Elena blinked for a moment, and then her cheeks lit up when she realized what she meant. She thought she caught a glimpse of Zenard when Carlisle kissed her this morning. It completely slipped his mind after he received the plant from Empress Ophelia.

"I can't believe it …"

Outwardly he was calm, but inwardly he wanted to crawl into the rat hole and never leave. Others might not have thought about their love affairs, but Elena was so embarrassed that she wanted to die. The nanny looked curiously at Elena.

“Training room? What the hell happened back there?"

Fortunately, Zenard had the sense to shake his head.

"Nothing . I'm going to leave now. ”

Zenard left with a satisfied expression on her face, happily ignoring Elena's feelings. Elena fanned her hot face with her palm, and the nanny ventured with her question again.

"What happened at the private training hall?"

"… Nothing, babysitter. ”

Elena avoided her gaze and looked out the window. He may have a place to train now, but he suspects that rumors of the two sharing a passionate love life will spread far. She suddenly remembered when Carlisle leaned over to whisper in her ear.

-.Last question . It doesn't matter what the method is, does it?

It seemed that Elena still needed a lot of mental preparation before she could practice the sword as much as she wanted. Her face flushed red as she recalled the hot pressure of Carlisle's lips on hers.

'… The bad guy. '

*

*

*

Zenard quickly gathered all the servants working in the Crown Prince's palace. A meeting was expected with the new mistress in charge, but it happened much faster than anyone had anticipated, as it was only a day after Elena rose to the position of Crown Princess.

Ungseong ungseong—

There was a rumble of feet as the crowd gathered, and Zenard confirmed to Elena that everyone was present.

"We're ready, Your Majesty. ”

"Thank you . ”

They gathered in an open garden outside the Crown Prince's palace, as it was difficult to accommodate them all in one place in the room. Elena slowly climbed onto the high platform that Zenard had set up, looking at the scene of the crowd that was bigger than she had expected. The servants gathered their voices together.

"Greetings to the Crown Princess. Eternal glory to the Ruford Empire! ”

The voices sounded quite far away as everyone spoke together. Elena turned her head to observe the group and spoke in a calm voice.

“Happy to meet you all. From today on I will manage the palace, and I hope you will obey my will. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty. ”

“Then, I will introduce my chosen dragon head. From now on, treat him like that. ”

To the palace servants, the waiting butler was their direct superior, whom they would meet more than the crown princess. Everyone's attention was fixed on the old lady as she climbed onto the platform. He had a graceful air about her, but there was a feeling he could not be taken lightly as well.

“Happy to meet you all. From today on, I will be the chief lady in wait. If you do not break the rules, there is no need to feel ashamed, so please do your part well. ”

Everyone is subject to the quiet charisma of the nanny.

"Yes, the chief lady is waiting. ”

Elena watched with a satisfied expression, and she scanned every face of the servants gathered there. Some of them he had met several times before. And…

He saw the face of the waiter who led him into the living room. Elena pointed towards the servant.

"What's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Asabe, Your Majesty. ”

"Alright, Asabe. I'd like you to serve as my personal servant starting today. ”

Asabe's eyes widened in shock, then he quickly lowered his head.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Elena kept her face smooth, but she secretly exchanged glances with her nanny. Elena might be able to find out more about Asabe and if he was secretly associated with the Empress. If the maid was confirmed as a spy, it was not yet known if Elena would remove it, but the important thing was that she could be useful one day.

'Even though he might be a spy, that doesn't mean I should keep him away. I can bring it closer to me and divulge false information. '

In order to do so, it is imperative that he figure out who his friends are and who his enemies are. It was likely that the many servants here were not only spies for the Empress, but also other nobles and even other kingdoms.

Elena silently looked at all the servants gathered here.

'… The more you know who your enemy is, the better you can move. '

First he would look to Asabe, the first person to catch his suspicions. Elena had taken her first steps in her life as part of the Imperial Family.

*

*

*

At the Empress's palace, Ophelia sat on a high-backed chair with a pipe in her hand. A scroll of smoke floated in the air, as someone approached him silently from behind.

"Your Majesty. ”

Ophelia looked at him in a low voice. Cassana, the head of the woman waiting, stood in front of him.

"The gift was sent to the Crown Prince's palace. ”

"…Is that so?"

Ophelia's reaction was inaudible, and Cassana spoke cautiously.

“They don't pay attention at all, so I don't believe they are the smartest type. ”

"We'll see later . ”

“It is not disappointing that he did not even pay attention to a simple gift. ”

Hearing those words, the tip of Ophelia's mouth rose upwards. He wanted to test Elena's reaction, and he fed her with the plant. The Empress could have tried something more complicated, of course, but for now a little sense of celebrating the arrival of the Crown Princess was enough. If Elena didn't pay attention to the plant, it wouldn't matter. It wouldn't be good for Ophelia if Elena was pregnant before Sullivan died. Ophelia wondered how they would react if they noticed the scheme quickly.

He put his pipe back on his lips and relaxed, like a fisherman waiting for a fish to take the bait.

“... I'm looking forward to seeing what the new family member looks like. ”

After introducing herself to the palace servants, Elena met with Carlisle to pay respects to the Emperor and Empress. Carlisle wore his usual formal attire, except for the cravat around his neck. She looked at him curiously, but then turned around when their eyes met. He still felt somewhat embarrassed after their kiss in the training hall.

“Cats for me. ”

"…What?"

“I hear that other people's wives do it every morning. ”

"Who did you hear that from?"

“Bawahanku. ”

"Please ask one of the maids to do it. ”

Carlisle's brows furrowed due to Elena's refusal.

"Why should I let a waiter do that when my wife is really capable?"

"I…"

Elena stopped, and let out a low sigh. Slowly, he acknowledged his incompetence.

“... I don't know how to tie it. ”

Carlisle's eyes widened in surprise.

"You've never done it before?"

“There is no one for me to do it. My father and brother are knights, and they usually wear their uniforms. ”

The knight uniform had a standing collar, so there was no reason to wear a cravat. Even when her father and brother had to wear one, they would ask one of the maids to do it instead of Elena.

Carlisle's mouth gently lifted upwards.

"Then I can be the first. ”

“... I really do not know how. ”

"It's okay . ”

“People might talk badly about me if they see an uneven cravat. ”

"Then I'll cut their throat. ”

He was surprised by the simplicity of his words. He had no idea how much it was true and how many jokes.

“We have to leave immediately. ”

"What difference?"

Carlisle's response caught him off guard. He would push again, but he knew the futility and took the piece of cloth from Carlisle's hand.

“I warned you. ”

"I know . ”

Carlisle slightly lowered his upper body, and he concentrated on tying the cravat around the collar of his shirt. When he looked up, he saw that his gaze was fixed on him.

"…What do you think?"

"Beauty . ”

Her response appeared out of nowhere, and Elena widened her eyes as she looked at him. He spoke again, his voice like velvet.

“My wife is very beautiful. ”

Elena's fingertips felt drier than before, and she suddenly realized her closeness to the woman. His breath tickled his forehead. He did not want her to notice his burning cheeks, so he hurriedly finished tying the cravat. It didn't look as neat as a waiter's job, but it was quite acceptable.

"A ready. ”

Carlisle carefully stroked the cravat with a satisfied expression.

“I should have married you sooner. ”

Elena alternately looked between Carlisle and Cravat, and spoke with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Because I did your cravat?"

"Yes . Maybe I'll ask you to do it every morning. ”

Elena sometimes really wondered what was going on in Carlisle's head. He extended his hand towards her as a warm smile played on her face.

“Come go. ”

*

*

*

Elena and Carlisle arrived at the Emperor Palace in time for their meeting. The guard bowed deeply and opened a large door decorated with pure gold.

Kkiiieu—

Behind the door was a luxurious interior, and the one sitting inside was Emperor Sullivan, looking more sickly than before, and Empress Ophelia, an image of elegant beauty. Elena remembered the rare plant she received from the seemingly generous Empress. Ophelia was not someone to be underestimated.

“Kollog — welcome. ”

Sullivan held a cough behind his hand as he greeted Carlisle and Elena. A wrinkle appeared on Carlisle's face.

"You look worse than ever. ”

“As we get older, every day is different. Nothing to worry about . ”

Sullivan carelessly waved his hand, but Elena thought he did look even more sick.

"How was your night at the Imperial Palace, my dear?"

Elena blinked and turned to look at Sullivan's face.

“Thanks to the care of Father and Mother, nothing less. ”

It was a routine answer, but it didn't seem like the one he was looking for.

“Yes, my son-in-law can say all kinds of beautiful words. But is it true that Carlisle gave you a huge reward in return? The palace is busy talking about it. ”

Elena nodded as she remembered the small fortune Carlisle had given her. He's still embarrassed about it.

"Yes . Carlisle cares about me. ”

Sullivan smiled consciously.

"Haha, there's no point in persuading my son, right?"

Hearing this, Ophelia replied with a sweet smile.

“This is a blessing when couples get along well. ”

"Just like us?"

Ophelia's eyes glittered like snakes, but the sight disappeared in an instant and no one noticed.

“Really ... This is an incredible blessing. ”

However, Elena sensed that something was wrong. Sullivan and Ophelia looked friendly on the surface, but somehow it felt as if they were walking on thin ice beneath them. Elena could not say it with words. He immediately gave up trying to gauge their mysterious relationship, and instead intended to watch them for now.

"I received the flowers you sent today, Your Majesty. ”

Elena's words caught Sullivan and Carlisle's attention, and she continued.

“I heard it's a rare plant found only in the Kingdom of Sibena. The blooming flowers symbolize harmony and fertility. ”

If the plant was really dangerous, he had to make Ophelia say she was the one who sent it herself, so she couldn't claim otherwise later. The Queen's eyes glittered, but then she smiled and casually replied.

"Yes . When I heard there was such a plant, I immediately thought of you. ”

“I don't know how I can express my gratitude for sending me such a gift. Thank you, Your Majesty. ”

Elena hid her true intentions, instead of projecting the appearance of a simple-minded princess. There is nothing better than eliminating the enemy.

'… It would be easier to make me move like that. '

Elena did not want the Empress to be on her guard immediately. Ophelia's influence was greater in the Imperial Palace, and Elena had yet to establish her own power.

An elegant smile adorned Ophelia's face.

“Oh, I didn't realize you'd really like it. Do you want me to plant it in the garden of the Crown Prince's palace? "

"…!"