The Abandoned Empress

I sighed with relief, gently laying down the drooping young man. I was relieved when I saw him peaceful.

“Thank you, Your Eminence.”

“… ”

“Your Eminence?”

“… Ah yes. Did you call me? ”

He replied, while thinking something over with a frown. For some reason he looked somewhat embarrassed, which was unusual.

“What’s wrong? Did anything bad…”

“Oh, nothing… I’m going to tell him when he woke up. I think it would be better. ”

“…Really? I got it.”

I was nervous. Given that he was catching his breath and made an embarrassed expression, I thought something bad happened to the emperor.

How much time passed? When I was just staring blankly at the young man who was sitting across the couch, I suddenly heard him making a low moan.

“Um… ”

“Your Majesty, are you coming to your senses?”

When I asked, hurriedly approaching him, his blurred eyes began to sparkle gradually.

He said, blinking slowly, “Aristia…?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“… Why are you crying? ”

He touched my eyes with his hand carefully. I stiffened at his cold yet soft touch. Even though he might have noticed my flinching, he got up after wiping away tears in my eyes. Then he flinched, while trying to say something.

“… Oh, you must be the High Priest. It looks like I caused trouble to both of you. What happened? ”

“I don’t know the exact situation. It seems that Lady Monique gave you first aide…”

“Really?”

Looking up at his navy blue eyes, I said, “As you suddenly lost consciousness, I decided to invite the High Priest here by giving the emperor’s order on your behalf. Please forgive me.”

“Oh, that’s fine. Thanks a lot for your fine job. You must have been surprised. ”

“I am, Your Majesty.”

“Thanks, Your Eminence. I think I have bothered you.”

The High Priest said, looking at him who expressed his gratitude silently, “It seems that you overworked yourself because of your coronation ceremony and other things. You showed symptoms of severe fatigue and dehydration. No matter how busy you are, take some rest.”

“Okay.”

“By the way…I want to say something to you. I am supposed to tell this in my one-on-one meeting with you, but can I just tell you? I don’t think Lady Monique is a third party…”

“Um. Yes, go ahead.”

When he nodded, the High Priest said with a sigh, “I would like to ask you one thing. Your Majesty, have you ever felt something strange about your condition these days? For example, did you suddenly become upset or irritated or were you on an emotional roller coaster?”

At that moment, I felt goosebumps. Is he going to say the same thing that I’m concerned about?

Looking at me who flinched, the emperor said, “… Why are you asking me that? ”

“Annoyance, anxiety, anger, and extreme emotional highs and lows. All of these are the symptoms that one shows when affected by a particular poison. It is the same poison that almost killed Lady Monique. Can’t you figure out anything?”

“… ”

He didn’t say anything, but his frowning showed that he was agitated.

I hurriedly closed my mouth with my hand.

Poisoning? Who dared poison the emperor?

This was clearly different from the issue of my poisoning. If anybody tried to harm the only ruler of the empire, wasn’t it treason? If this were known, everybody in the empire would be shocked.

“… Are you sure? ”

“I’ve checked it again and again, but I’m pretty sure. Whew, I’m so glad I found it before I left. ”

“…I see. Can you please keep it secret until I tell you?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you. You did a great job today. I’ll repay your efforts later.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Even though he was in the process of being poisoned, he was very calm. I asked, on behalf of him who knocked on the handle of a chair with a pensive expression, “Your Eminence, the poison used on him has been neutralized?”

“Yes, but unless we find out how he was poisoned, he would be likely poisoned again. I felt it very strange that some strange things kept happening to delay my departure, and I think Vita has stopped me.”

“I see. So, the thing is…”

“Oh, this poison has no special effect on a man. However, if poisoned over a long period of time, it will make it difficult for him to lead a normal life because of his growing emotional highs and lows. I guess somebody committed this crime to sully his reputation because he has just been inaugurated as the emperor.”

I now understand. The emperor is considered to be superior to anyone in terms of rationality. If he suddenly bursts in anger, for example, it will certainly sully his reputation. If they have been plotting treason, it would be easy for them to promote a cause for treason, arguing he is a tyrant.

Wait a minute. Anger?

At that moment, something crossed my mind suddenly, but I quickly shook my head out of it.

No, it can’t be. It’s too much speculation at this point.

When I held onto my cold fingertips, the High Priest looked at the window and said, “Your Majesty, can I leave today? Looking at the situation, I think I have to postpone my journey, and I think I have to take care of something…”

“Oh, yes please. Let’s talk in detail next time. ”

“Thank you. Bye for now, Your Majesty.”

Bowing his head to express gratitude, the High Priest stood up. I also tried to stand up like him, but I couldn’t because the emperor asked me to stay a little longer.

When he left, with his long hair dragging on the floor, the emperor sighed, holding his temple with one hand. I hesitantly opened my mouth, looking at him agonized deeply.

“… Are you okay? ”

“To be honest, I am not. My head is throbbing. Are you okay? It seemed you were surprised.”

“I’m alright. I’m concerned about you more. I just don’t understand how somebody could commit such an unpardonable crime against you? I think you must search for the suspect and bring him to justice by all means.”

When I opined cautiously, he said, nodding lightly, “Of course… May I ask you a favor?”

“Yes, go ahead, please.”

“Everyone knows that the Monique family has the right to investigate your poisoning, so use the right to investigate the people at the palace affairs office.”

“Yes, I will.”

Was it because of the documents I saw the other day, or what I just thought of?

One name came to my mind quickly. He was the guy who was responsible for serving wine for the emperor, Ian Belot.

He was also the secret lover of the maid who poisoned me, and he probably had connections with the noble faction.

If Ian Belot was the same person in my memory, namely the same guy who was the maid’s secret lover, he must have poisoned the emperor, too. As the emperor drinks wine in a glass, Ian could easily put poison in the wine glass without being caught.

I vowed to look into the palace affairs office sooner or later, and asked carefully, “I will investigate and report back to you as soon as possible. Do you have any other order?”

“No. I think that will be enough for now. ”

“Got it. Your Majesty, may I leave now? As you are exhausted because of this, I hope you can take a rest today.”

“…I see. I will. ”

“Have a good rest, Your Majesty.”

I rose from my seat and bowed my head to show due manners.

Turning slowly, I suddenly heard his distinctively cold voice from behind my back.

“Aristia.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?” Only

“Thanks for your efforts today.”

I felt his voice was warm this time. When I saw his face suddenly glowing again, I felt relaxed.

A smile came to my lips.

“You’re welcome, Your Majesty. I just did what I had to do.”

When I replied humbly, a smile touched the corners of his mouth.

With my hand on my calm heart, I turned after bowing out to him.

Upon returning home, I immediately wrote a letter to the head of the palace affairs office.

I asked him for cooperation with respect to the investigation of the Earl Lanier case. I didn’t forget to mention that the emperor approved my investigation, asking him to turn over all the information about the personal details on all the staff of the palace affairs office as soon as possible.