RETURN OF THE FEMALE KNIGHT

86. Would You Like a Drink?

Sana was dragged roughly into the party by the palace guards, then tossed face down onto the ground.

"Why did you call me here...?"

Empress Ophelia looked coolly down at her.

"Tell me the truth. Did you replace the Vanera plant to drive a wedge between the Crown Princess and I? If you are honest, I will spare your life."

"Wh-what? What are you talking about?"

Her eyes were filled with fear, as if she knew something was wrong. One of the other guards, under the orders of the Empress, brought in a potted plant.

"I found this plant in the room of the maid Sana, Your Majesty."

Lalisa, who had been observing the situation so far, was speechless. Whatever trap she prepared for Ophelia, the Empress found a way to squirm out. This couldn't be a simple act of coincidence.

'Was it all planned?'

This only made sense if the Empress had prepared for this in advance. But why?

'Did she want to test how I would react when I received the gift?'

Lalisa's red eyes trembled in incredulity. If so, Ophelia was a step ahead of her and was assessing her. It would be dangerous if this assumption were true. Lalisa couldn't appear harmless if her claws were shown too early.

Ophelia spoke to the scholar she summoned earlier.

"Look at this. Is this the plant that I wanted to give to the Crown Princess?"

The scholar quickly inspected the flowers and nodded.

"Yes, Your Majesty. This is the Vanera plant I sent you. I painted the pattern on the pot myself, so I recognize it."

Ophelia pounded the chair with her first. In an instant, a deathly silence gripped the room.

"How dare you change the plant? Tell me, who made you do it?"

Sana looked up with a pale, trembling face.

"W-what do you mean? Your Majesty, I am guilty only of following your orders. I only did what I was told..."

"Ha. You still can't repent of your mistakes. Are you trying to frame me, despite the evidence otherwise?"

Ophelia was speaking to Sana, but Lalisa sensed the words were meant for her.

"I don't want to see your face anymore. Take her out and execute her."

Sana's eyes widened.

"P-please save me, Your Majesty! I was wrong! I really did only what you ordered!"

Sana begged loudly of her innocence as the guards dragged her away, but it was futile. Eventually her screams faded away, but it lingered in the minds of those in the hall.

Lalisa clenched her first. She never dreamed that the Vanera plant would be found in Sana's room. If it weren't the case, she would have intervened, but she couldn't come forward in this situation. A wrong step could lead to her being misunderstood in this drama. Sana was still a maid of the Crown Prince's palace, and Lalisa had kept her close to her side recently.

'How dreadful... '

Ophelia had swiftly ordered an execution without even batting an eye. As Lalisa expected, Sana had confirmed that she was a spy planted by the Empress. It was incredible how the Empress so easily tossed aside a human life.

'Did the Empress find Sana less valuable when she knew that I suspected Sana was a spy?'

It would be logical for the Empress to cut Sana off before Lalisa could glean any information from her.