Lady to Queen

Chapter 40: CHAPTER 38. WAS THIS WHAT YOU WERE AFTER?

“Awful. No, should I say wily?”

“I am innocent, Your Majesty. Is it a part of your Regent Majesty’s job to hold innocent people here?”

“There is no evidence that you are guilty. It is a pity that my evidence has not been confirmed. I should have taken a good look at that man’s face at that time.”

Patrizia said all of this in a low voice, and Rosemond looked carefree and triumphant. She knew as well.

Without clear evidence, even the Empress could not punish the people for unproven sins. Even if it was related to the assassination of the Emperor. Patrizia made a face as if she was briefly in thought, and then called out to her.

“Rosemond Mary La Phelps.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“You seem to be acting this boldly because there is no evidence now, do you not think that is too easy?”

“What does it mean?”

“Your maid is being interrogated in the next room. No physical torture has been applied yet… Well. If there is no progress in the works, I have to consider if I need to resort to torture. Is that not the most concrete way?”

Also the cruelest. Patrizia brightly laughed, and Rosemond seemed to have a slight freeze in her facial expression, but she soon regained her composure.

“Ah, if that happens, Your Majesty, then that child will name a guilt that doesn’t exist.”

“No way. Would I go that far?”

Patrizia smiled mischievously and fiddled around with a piece of her slightly protruding hair. The soft voice continued, “This investigation must be finished before His Majesty wakes up. Then His Majesty will be pleased. When he opens his eyes, the criminal that tried to assassinate him will already be dead. Oh, it is a perfect comedy.”

“Even if that criminal was framed?”

“Would His Majesty know that, Lady. His Majesty will know nothing.”

Of course, if things turned out like that, Lucio would know. But even if he hated her, he would not be able to dispute anything.

The Empress had at least that amount of power. Patrizia began to feel bored and made a request to her.

“I hope you confess to your sins as soon as possible, Lady Phelps. The search is currently in full swing at the hunting grounds. If there is any confirmation of evidence, then it will not be a simple beheading. But if you confess, I will send some courtesy to the Emperor’s woman.”

At that time, Patrizia’s face suddenly turned into a frown. Rosemond, who had been listening, spit at her direction. Patrizia’s face wrinkled terribly, but she soon regained her composure and spoke to Rosemond while laughing.

“Oh my, even if there is no sin, you will go to jail for insulting the Regent Majesty.”

“This is already a prison, Your Majesty. Even if my situation is bad, it can’t get worse than this. To do this to me while His Majesty is unconscious as revenge for being his mistress… perhaps, Your Majesty, this is what you were after? Then the person that should be investigated is not me but…”

~SMACK.

Patrizia could not overcome the momentary anger and raised her hand against Rosemonds’s cheek. She was trying to avoid getting worked up as much as possible recently, and there wasn’t much to get worked over these days, but she just could not tolerate Rosemond’s remarks at all.

She did not hold it in. Patrizia started at Rosemond with her icy cold eyes, and quietly spoke to her.

“Be careful with your words. Where do you think you are to dare speak so freely?”

“…”

Rosemond glared at Patrizia with an expressionless face that did not frown, and without saying anything.

And Patrizia had no choice but to get goosebumps because Rosemond’s next move was completely unexpected. But she was never scared. She just thought this was just her being taken aback when she encountered something unexpected. Patrizia spoke.

“You better think about your will. You probably will not open your mouth. Right?”

“…”

She was still staring at Patrizia with impassive eyes, and now Patrizia felt that she was just tired of this above anything else. This damn Empress seat, did she really want it so much? Enough to create such annoying and complicated schemes at any time? If this was a position to be granted for effort, then she really deserved it.

Patrizia walked out of the interrogation room without hiding her cold eyes. She was already so busy, she had just wasted her time.

Duke Witherford looked at Patrizia who was coming out with anxious eyes and had probably heard the slapper of her cheek. He asked in a nervous voice.

“Your Majesty, what happened inside?”

“…”

Patrizia looked at the Duke of Witherford without saying anything and then replied, “Question the criminal well. No matter what, make her open her mouth.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Duke Witherford bowed towards her, and Patrizia began to take a step forward with her eyes still sunken. Small thorns in her head constantly moved around in her head, making her feel pricked. Unpleasant and shuddering sensations.

Patrizia gave a small groan. Whatever her reaction, Rosemond’s presence was always stressful to Patrizia. However, it was even more so in this situation.

“Is there no progress with His Majesty’s condition?”

“Yes, that is what they say, Your Majesty.”

At Mirya’s response, Patrizia said nothing more. When her footsteps finally reached near the vicinity of the Central Palace, Mirya asked carefully, “Your Majesty, are you not going to the Central Palace?”

“Why should I stop by?”

Patrizia asked in a dry voice and soon closed her mouth. Anyways, this was the man who almost sacrificed his life for her. Patrizia sighed briefly and then turned towards the Central Palace without giving any indication. This was just purely a visit to the sick.

At the appearance of the Regent Majesty in the Central Palace, the maids looked flustered. It was really funny that this was the reaction towards the Empress looking for the Emperor, even though it was natural.

The fact that the relationship between the couple was not so good was already known in the Central Palace. After all, the fact that the Emperor favored Rosemond was known enough. She asked a question.

“Is His Majesty in?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. What is the reason for your visit?”

“I came to see His Majesty. Can I go in?”

“Of course.”

The door opened with a courteous greeting. Patrizia went in awhile, pledging to herself not to think about anything as much as possible, but it was unstoppable for the thought that kept springing up. Patrizia exhaled in a frustrated manner and muttered without her knowledge.

“Anyways… It is not unnatural to care.”

Patrizia slowly approached his side. His figure was still lying there as if dead, just like in the cave at that time. What was he dreaming of? She wondered what kind of dream he was having to still not have awakened.

It made her concerned. And come for no reason.

Patrizia sighed. So, please get up quickly. Don’t bother someone by making her concerned. Don’t make her busy. Patrizia scanned Lucio with a deepened look. In this short time, he looked skinnier than before.

Why did he get hit by the arrow for her stead?

Did he really got hit by the poisoned arrow out of guilt? An Emperor of an Empire, stupidly. Patrizia stood up suddenly from her seat. If she stayed there anymore, she felt like she would feel the same as she did before.

She walked away hurriedly without looking back. But clearly, some emotions were interfering in between the steps. What was that?

Patrizia was not curious. No, to be exact, she had decided not to be curious. Nothing changed from her being curious.

Was there anyone that could give an honest answer. That was why questions without answers were not something she embraced. It would end up being her who got tormented.

Patrizia erased all of her foolish thoughts and walked on again. When she went out, she felt like the maid was looking at her with an expression wondering why she was already coming out, but Patrizia didn’t care, but only gave a short comment for her hard work.

She started walking again. She left behind a short unrealistic sentiment in this place. It was time to crawl back into the fierce and dense reality…

The work of the Outer Palace and the work of the Inner Palace did not differ greatly in character. However, the intensity of workload was much more difficult because they were being worked on simultaneously.

Nevertheless, this was something she had to do. It wasn’t something she wanted to do, and it wasn’t something she had to try to do well. It was just something she had to do. Patrizia had never experienced the consequences of not doing so but was able to guess enough.

Thanks to this, her dark circles could not be erased from under the eyes, her eyes were always empty from the lack of sleep, and her mouth was frozen in a drooping state.

Naturally, the people around her—other people that included Petronilla, were worried about her, but couldn’t stop her either. Because they knew the results that would follow if she couldn’t do the job well.

Patrizia had been rubbing the corners of the worn-out paper and was looking at documents related to the additional budget for the welfare of the poor this year. It was then that Rafaella entered the room.

Patrizia immediately covered the paper documents.

“Sir Rafaella.”

“Your Majesty, I have returned.”

It seemed she hadn’t participated in the long search on the hunting grounds without effort, as she seemed much thinner in the few days they hadn’t seen each other. Patrizia instantly felt sympathy towards her, but soon calmed herself and asked her a question.

“I was flustered because there was no news. What happened?”

“I am sorry, Your Majesty.”

She apologized as if she couldn’t raise her face, and continued reporting.

“We looked into everything that could provide evidence, without missing a single ant, but I apologize. There was nothing that could prove to be clear evidence. It was as if nothing had happened.”

“That cannot be.”

Patrizia shook her head.

“Then how could the assassins get into the hunting grounds? As you know, the only way to enter the hunting grounds is to go past the place where we first entered. So that is why the forest was deliberately designated as a hunting ground.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. Your words are correct. However…”

Rafaella bit her lips with a defeated face and offered something to her. It was a map. Patrizia accepted it and asked in a puzzled voice, “What is this?”