The Empror's Trap

"I believe you may have misunderstood Duke Anos' meaning, don't you think?"

Pluvia chose to step in and diffuse the awkward tension herself.

Seeing that Her Majesty was actually speaking up for Kenji, Sonya hesitated, then replied uncertainly, "But Your Majesty, he clearly said—"

"Miss Sonya, You seem to have misinterpreted my words," Kenji quickly seized the opportunity to explain. "At the time, those barbarians claimed they would only submit if the Emperor of Camelot appeared in person. I was acting under Her Majesty's authority, so I had no choice but to assert that I represented the Emperor's will. It wasn't a declaration that I was the Emperor—only that I embodied Her Majesty's authority."

He scrambled to smooth things over.

He wasn't looking for trouble, but if Pluvia decided to press the issue, he'd have no choice but to play along.

"Ah, I see. In that case, your actions were necessary to uphold Camelot's dignity. There was no impropriety here. Sonya, you're being overly suspicious."

Pluvia gave Sonya a mildly reproachful look.

Finally understanding the situation, Sonya bowed deeply. "My apologies, Grand Marshal. I misunderstood your intentions."

"No harm done. As Her Majesty's protector, it's your duty to remain vigilant. That's commendable." Kenji had no reason to hold a grudge.

Truthfully, Sonya had been clever about this. She hadn't raised the issue publicly—only in private among the three of them.

After all, this was just a test. She wasn't trying to stir up trouble. As long as it stayed between them, it could be resolved easily. They all had to work together daily, and some things were better discussed behind closed doors.

Of course, when speaking to Pluvia, she still had to mind her words. She was a subject, after all.

At any rate, Sonya now understood Her Majesty's stance—Pluvia was clearly on friendly terms with Kenji, both in court and in private.

As long as this matter wasn't brought into the open, everything could be smoothed over.

"Sonya is just overly cautious. But I suppose that's to be expected—if she weren't, I'd be in danger."

"Hahaha, quite right, Your Majesty."

Kenji laughed it off, treating the matter as settled.

Honestly, he couldn't even remember if he'd actually said those words. He'd just made up an excuse on the spot. Fortunately, it seemed Sonya wasn't out for blood.

Still, next time, I'll have to find a way to mess with her a little.

…

Three Days Later

Their visit to the Vishi Empire was coming to an end, but before leaving, Kenji still had unfinished business—namely, the two assassins imprisoned in Thelia Palace.

The two Executioners had been held there since their capture three days ago. The Royal Guards had interrogated them relentlessly, wearing them down like taming a wild hawk. To ensure everything was above board, they'd even sought permission from the Vishi Empire (since the prisoners were its citizens) before employing more persuasive methods.

At first, the two had been straightforward—they admitted they were there to assassinate someone.

But as Kenji had predicted, devout believers were nearly immune to conventional interrogation. Short of the most extreme measures, the Royal Guards had tried everything—yet the prisoners refused to reveal their identities, any objectives beyond the assassination, or their allies' next moves.

Kenji didn't particularly care what information they gave up. In his eyes, the fact that the Church had hesitated to act was valuable enough. If they couldn't extract anything useful, he'd just hand them over to the Vishi Empire.

He drafted a letter to Emperor Feit, formally requesting the transfer of the prisoners, sealed it, and prepared to have it delivered before their departure.

But before he could summon a messenger, one burst into Thelia Palace.

"Urgent military report!"

Frowning, Kenji threw on his outer robe and stepped out.

"What's the situation?" He studied the messenger with narrowed eyes.

"This letter—sent by the Chancellor and the Censor themselves—must be delivered directly to Her Majesty!" The messenger hesitated before adding, "They were very clear about that."

"Her Majesty is still resting." Kenji reached for the letter.

But the messenger paused, then pulled it back slightly.

Kenji understood the unspoken message in the man's guarded expression.

This letter had been sent by the Chancellor and the Censor—without General Balinos' involvement. And they'd likely instructed the messenger to deliver it only to Pluvia.

Military reports concerning troop movements required authorization from either Kenji or Pluvia (with Siyue's battalion being a minor exception). Clearly, the two ministers were worried Kenji might intercept the message.

"Regulations state that urgent military reports must be delivered to the Grand Marshal if Her Majesty is unavailable."

Kenji's voice was icy.

"Grand Marshal, please don't make this difficult for me. I've been traveling for days—what's another hour? I can wait until Her Majesty wakes."

The messenger hesitated again.

"And what else?"

"Well… the regulation about delivering urgent reports to the Grand Marshal… wasn't that something you proposed recently?"

Sweat beaded on the messenger's forehead. This was clearly an unpleasant task for him.

"Huh? Oh, right. I did say that." Kenji scratched his head. "Fine."

He glanced around, ensuring no one was nearby, then pulled out a small pouch of coins. "You've had a long journey. Take this, go out the palace gates, turn right, and treat yourself to some ice treats. Cool your throat."

The messenger's eyes widened. "N-no, Grand Marshal, I couldn't—"

"If Her Majesty asks, I'll say I opened it in haste. Don't worry. You've earned a good rest—find a nice inn and stay a few days before heading back."

With a smile, Kenji tucked the pouch into the man's robes and smoothly took the letter.

The messenger could only feign reluctance as he accepted the money and handed over the letter. Under normal circumstances, no amount of gold would have convinced him to risk his life.

But this was the Grand Marshal. If anything went wrong, Kenji could probably protect him. Besides, the rule about delivering urgent reports to the Grand Marshal was official protocol. The Chancellor and Censor's orders had only been verbal.

Once the messenger left, Kenji opened the letter.

He didn't dare hand it directly to Pluvia.

Court officials had been scheming against him for a while now. Worse, some ministers often persuaded Pluvia—who wasn't well-versed in military strategy—to make questionable decisions that could destabilize her rule. If this report bypassed him entirely, who knew what kind of trouble it might cause?

He had no choice. This was just self-preservation.

Your Majesty, trust me—I really am loyal!