Chapter 340. Cornered (1)

Translator: Aura / Editor: SaWarren

Evely was found a few days before most of the guests had left, but by the time the knights brought her to the imperial palace, the festive mood had already dissipated.

“Evely!”

The carriage door opened once it stopped in the courtyard. Evely, who had grown bigger than I could have imagined, appeared without strength.

Evely looked very weak when she got out of the carriage. She was thinner and her skin paler than when she was in the orphanage. However, she had a better countenance than the last time I saw her collapsed from the loss of her mana.

“Your Majesty, I am glad to see you again after a long time.”

I stopped her from bowing and asked a guard to take her to my room.

After Evely followed the guard, I turned my attention to the knights who found her. They were the 5th Division of the Supranational Knights, commanded by Viscount Langdel.

“The girl who greeted me a moment ago. Where did you find her?”

I asked a knight who participated in the search for Evely.

“She was lost in the Moon Forest.”

The Moon Forest was a place near the path from the Eastern Empire to the Western Empire. Many people fell there because they took the wrong path. The Moon Forest itself was densely wooded and had complicated terrain, so people often got lost inside.

“There were also some knights and envoys from the Eastern Empire.”

Behind the green carriage of the Western Empire, from which Evely had gotten off, a damaged carriage could be seen. It was even missing a wheel.

“Were the rescued people in that carriage originally?”

“That’s right. When we found them the carriage was already damaged. It’s not easy to get out of the Moon Forest, and they also were carrying a lot of luggage, so they could only hope to be rescued.”

“They must have had a bad time.”

“Yes. But there’s something strange.”

“Something strange?”

“Look at the carriage. Isn’t one side completely wrecked? At least one person must have been injured. However, everyone is unharmed.”

The knight added significantly, “It looks like magic.”

“Was there a mage in the group?”

“Not officially. When I asked, no one stepped forward.”

I knew Evely was a mage. However, didn’t Evely lose her mana? Of course, it would be great if she had recovered it.

“First of all, check the identity of the rescued people and where they were located inside the carriage. It is possible that the culprit is among them.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As the knight turned to his colleagues to do as I had ordered, Heinley approached me and asked as if he had overheard the conversation.

“My Queen, are you sure the culprit is among them?”

“Although I was surprised that Sovieshu sent Evely, it’s impossible for him to send a delegation without first ordering to check the condition of the carriage.”

Heinley raised an eyebrow.

“He may have forgotten.”

“He was the worst as a husband, but as an emperor he was never so careless.”

There might even be a disguised knight in the delegation. Anticipate potential dangers and plan countermeasures in advance.That’s how Sovieshu acted.

“He is a person who would not only check the condition of the carriage, but also prepare two or three spare wheels. Someone definitely caused the carriage to be damaged. Probably… whoever was located farthest from the wrecked side is the culprit.”

As I spoke, I noticed that Heinley’s expression was not good. He looked a little sad.

“Heinley?”

Why did he have that expression? Heinley put his hands to his face and rubbed his numb eyes with his thumbs, then muttered with his eyes half closed like a cat being petted.

“I don’t like it when My Queen says nice things about him.”

“Did it sound like a compliment?”

I didn’t mean it with that intention. I just meant that it couldn’t have been a mistake about the carriage given his personality.

However, Heinley nodded with a shadowed face. Then he repeatedly rubbed his forehead against my shoulder.

“Heinley, it’s not dignified for the emperor to do this in public.”

Once I murmured in concern, he reluctantly stopped. Still, he pouted his lips.

I sighed and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

However, he’s sly… Heinley was clearly no longer sad. Now he only pretended so that I would comfort him.

When I stared at him, he turned slightly and covered his face with his hands. As if he knew that he would look very sad and lovely.

In fact, that bothered me for a moment. How was he so clear about the impression he would make?

Heinley kept glancing at me, as if he wanted to see how I would comfort him now. So I told him honestly.

“Heinley. Every time you act like that you look so lovely.”

From his slight smile, he seemed to like what I had said.

“Do you often use this tactic with other women?”

He could barely speak to my question.

“My Queen?”

This was the reaction I expected. Heinley lowered his hands and turned to me. As if a leopard, who mimicked a cat, stopped pretending to be weak.

“My Queen. There are no other women. You know—”

“I don’t know anything.”

“!”

“You know my past, while I don’t know yours. That’s enough.”

“!”

Even without casting a spell, Heinley froze instantly.

I smiled pleasantly inside. Did he think I didn’t know how to be jealous?

“My Queen, I…”

“I need to go see Evely.”

“Wait, My Queen?”

***

When I went to my room, I was informed that Evely was with my ladies-in-waiting.

I couldn’t believe she was with my ladies-in-waiting. They hadn’t met Evely. What’s going on?

I was surprised, but I went to my ladies-in-waiting’s room first.

There, Laura was combing Evely’s hair in front of the dressing table.

Before I knew it, Evely was dressed beautifully with her hair braided.

But embarrassed by her appearance, Evely’s face blushed and her eyes looked down at her own feet.

“Evely.”

At the utterance of her name as I approached, Evely jumped up with a face full of life.

“Your Majesty!”

From the way Laura laughed, she seemed to find it fun to be with Evely, who was almost her own age. Even in the Eastern Empire, Laura always went out to have fun with young ladies her age.

“I’ll get something to drink!”

Once Laura left, Evely walked over to me, grabbed my hands and bowed.

“I heard it was Your Majesty who sent the knights to find us. Thank you. I always get help from Your Majesty.”

“No need to thank me, tell me what happened.”