While the king was spending a leisurely afternoon, his second daughter suddenly stormed in.
It was already shocking enough that Ioret, who had never once come to see him on her own, had appeared—but the king was left speechless when he saw his daughter’s tear-stained face.
She kept her mouth tightly shut, crystal-like tears streaming down her pale cheeks one after another, a truly pitiful sight.
And then she said it—Count Castlein was in critical condition?
Rishi panted wildly.
“I didn’t harm the Count! It must be Princess Ioret’s doing! Arrest the princess immediately and investigate her, Your Majesty!”
The king’s face twisted harshly.
“But didn’t Count Castlein himself point to you, his maid?”
“T-That is!”
Rishi’s face turned deathly pale.
As soon as Ioret reported the incident to the royal palace, the palace knights rushed to the tower. The nearly unconscious count gave his own statement.
“The princess’s maid… acted rudely and struck my head with a food tray. Then I fell… She… she always seemed improperly behaved, cough!”
Ioret let out a deeply regretful sigh.
“I was waiting for Rishi by the window, Father. I was about to bring in the Count’s gift. But Rishi, who had entered the dining room first, suddenly screamed. It seems a mistake happened then.”
“No, that’s not true! How dare you lie like that in front of His Majesty!”
Rishi flailed wildly.
However, the king’s gaze remained cold. At this rate, she would not escape severe punishment.
Looking around frantically, Rishi spotted Catherine and crawled toward her.
“Y-Your Highness the Crown Princess! I truly did nothing! You know how faithfully I have carried out your orders until now…!”
“Enough. Wait.”
“You fool. How dare you drag me into this?”
Catherine cut off the maid’s words and clenched her teeth.
There were only two people who entered the dining room—if one was not the culprit, then the other must be.
Half in doubt, Catherine turned toward Ioret.
“Then… was it really that child?”
Ioret’s blue eyes, unreadable as always, stared directly at Catherine.
A chill ran down her spine.
It was a fear Catherine had never once felt before.
Ioret slowly opened her delicate lips.
“If Rishi is not the culprit, then there must be someone in the palace with ill intent.”
“What?”
“With the Founding Day approaching, how could such a suspicious incident occur? Please search the palace immediately and find the culprit, Father.”
“You mean there is an intruder in the palace?”
The king’s expression changed instantly.
With the Founding Day near, congratulatory envoys from neighboring kingdoms were already arriving at the palace one after another. Now more than ever, royal security needed to be at its highest level.
The king’s cold gaze turned to Catherine.
“What is the meaning of this? Crown Princess. Why is palace security in this condition?”
Catherine had been in charge of organizing the Founding Day preparations, including commanding the royal guards.
Her face turned pale.
“Bring the knight assigned to protect Ioret’s residence. What was the knight doing while the maid behaved so recklessly?”
“Your Majesty, I truly—!”
“Silence! I never granted permission for a maid to speak. Must I cut out your tongue for you to shut up?”
At the thunderous roar, Rishi immediately fell silent. Her trembling back shook violently.
“Crown Princess, why are you silent? Where is Ioret’s personal knight? I will hold him accountable.”
Catherine bit her lip secretly.
There could not possibly be any knight assigned to Ioret. She had already removed them all.
The only staff in Ioret’s tower were a maid and a steward—just two people. Since she never even left the tower, there was no need for a knight.
But if Ioret were to report that truth directly to the king, the blame might turn back on Catherine.
This was an unexpected variable.
But she did not hesitate for long.
Catherine put on a graceful smile.
“There are no gaps in palace security, Father. Please do not worry.”
Catherine stepped in front of the kneeling Rishi.
“Rishi Keith. Think carefully again. Was it really not you?”
Rishi’s eyes wavered violently.
She had served Catherine for a long time. A loyal maid who could understand and execute her master’s intentions with just a glance.
The master’s eyes were telling her to confess falsely. That she would be saved if she did.
She had no other choice.
“I-I’m sorry… It was all… my doing.”
Rishi’s voice trembled.
“So it was as expected. Then why did you lie earlier?”
“I was… afraid of punishment… I was wrong. I was wrong, Your Highness. Please show mercy…!”
The king gave an irritated order.
“What a shameless maid. Cut off both her arms and send them to Count Castlein. That should serve as punishment.”
“P-Pardon? Father, wait.”
“While you’re at it, cut out that insolent tongue as well. How dare she speak lies in this palace?”
Only then did Catherine realize things had gone too far.
She tried to object, but Ioret, who was wiping her wet cheeks, suddenly spoke.
“You are truly merciful, Father, to let it pass at that level.”
That girl?
Catherine glared at Ioret with burning eyes.
But her sister’s expression remained innocent.
“Hands that commit wrongdoing should be removed, shouldn’t they? Don’t you agree, sister?”
What was she even talking about?
No matter how it was heard, it sounded ominous.
“N-No! Your Highness, Crown Princess—!!”
Rishi screamed as she was dragged away by the knights.
The maid, now to lose both arms and her tongue, would be expelled from the palace. No one would treat a servant who had incurred the king’s wrath, and she would likely die miserably wandering the streets.
The king waved his hand tiredly.
“Leave, Crown Princess. And make sure such disgraceful incidents do not happen again. Is this why I gave you command over the capital’s defenses? Must I take over state affairs again at my age?”
“…My apologies.”
“Postpone Ioret’s marriage for now. Until Count Castlein recovers.”
“Yes, Father.”
Catherine replied reluctantly.
As she strode past, Ioret still wore that foolish smile.
The same dull expression she had shown for years.
Yet Catherine could not shake the unpleasant feeling, as if she had been struck from behind without warning.
After Catherine left coldly, only the king and Ioret remained in the audience chamber.
The king, gesturing for the minister to be summoned again, glanced at Ioret.
“Do you have anything else to say, princess?”
“Please assign me a knight, Father.”
Ioret answered immediately, as if she had been waiting.
The king, holding his beautiful consort around the waist on his lap, frowned.
“If you have the courage to smash your future husband’s head, do you really need knights following you around?”
It was a probing remark aimed at Ioret.
