Before anyone knew it, it was getting very cold. Common sense would dictate that it was time to stop fighting, but Actilus's army was well-armed.
The ambush on Sombinia was carried out very carefully and stealthily to the extent that a memorial tower could be built with the heads of those who were killed on suspicion of espionage. It was pursued with perfection, and it was a strategy that received Raniero's expectations.
Before the departure of the Actilus's army, there were those who left first.
It was Empress Angelica, her two ladies-in-waiting, and one male porter.
Angelica, who had been feeling unwell recently, was scheduled to recuperate at Count Tocino's estate for several weeks. They all nodded in agreement with her decision to recuperate, having seen with their own eyes that she had recently lost weight and gotten paler.
Some complained that it was different from her image of summer, but such public opinion didn't gain strength.
It was because Raniero Actilus cared for the Empress very much. Even those who secretly complained didn't have the courage to go against the Emperor.
Duchess Nerma also secretly supported her decision.
Countess Tocino had a very close relationship with the Duchess of Nerma. And since she was in the early stages of pregnancy and preoccupied with her belly, they couldn't wish for more if the Countess could cling to Angelica.
Thus, without encountering opposition from anyone, Angelica was able to prepare to leave for the County of Tocino smoothly.
Raniero, who cared for the Empress dearly, even came to see her off.
He seemed to think that even a few days of traveling would be too much for her as he furrowed his brow and gazed down at Angelica.
"Will it be okay?"
Angelica smiled and nodded.
"There are no mountains on this journey."
The last time they went on the demon subjugation, they had to cross a mountain. No matter how small the mountain was, it was exhausting because they had to ride a horse on a rough and narrow path. But this time, this itinerary was planned to be traveling only on smoothly paved roads.
"Alright."
He glanced at the people who would be leaving with Angelica, one by one. Even when he offered to make the trip more comfortable for her with a large entourage, his wife refused, saying that the more people she brought, the more things she had to worry about.
"Only, Sylvia and Cisen... and I'll only take one porter."
After a back-and-forth, it was Raniero who finally gave up his stubbornness, as Angelica was apprehensive that it might be a new nightmare for her if too many people were keen on following after her. He sighed before allowing her to leave with a minimum number of people.
Instead, he decided to attach someone to follow her on her way to Count Tocino's estate.
Angelica noticed Raniero's intentions but decided to settle with not leaving as an official party, at least.
It didn't matter if they wouldn't stick close.
Just before parting, a long kiss was preceded. Raniero stared at his wife, who was leaving. Angelica smiled lightly and never looked back after she had made her vows until her figure became a dot and disappeared over the horizon.
The imperial palace without Angelica...
Like someone who has had a sudden awakening, Raniero hastened to prepare for the conquest of Sombinia. His eyes, which had seemed so docile in front of his wife, began to glow with the blood of Actilla's godson.
˚ ·: * ✧ * :· ˚
Countess Tocino had been repeatedly asked by her friends in the capital not to make a fuss.
Still, she couldn't help but get excited.
Her husband has been having an affair for a long time. Her son, who initially seemed to side with his mother, has decided he's had enough of the fighting and eventually left to study in another part of the country. Meanwhile, her father-in-law, who had secretly disliked her from the beginning, openly stated that he would have kicked her out if it weren't for the emerald mines owned by the Countess.
She couldn't believe such a precious guest came to her, who was neglected in the family like this.
It was an opportunity to raise her nose to the fullest to the in-laws.
The Duchess of Nerma, who said, "I used some effort," clearly expressed her desire for emerald earrings though the Countess wasn't offended at all since she gave one doe but got ten times of it back*.
[ T/N: It's an idiom which means, 'To give others a small quantity of something and get a much larger quantity of it or something else.' ]
In her mind, she wanted the whole neighborhood to know that a guest from the imperial family was coming.
A big welcome feast was also prepared.
However, the Empress expressed her intention that it would be nice if the hospitality wouldn't be noisy since she was only visiting for the purpose of recreation.
Although deeply regretful, Countess Tocino decided to act wisely. And true to her word that it was just for recreational purposes, the empress entered the County's territory with two ladies-in-waiting and a man to support her, carrying very little luggage.
_______________________
Waiting for the Empress with her neck stretched since the crack of dawn, and when she crossed the threshold, the Countess was happy as a girl.
"You must be tired. Let's go to the mansion first."
The Empress gave a faint smile to the smiling Countess Tocino.
"Thank you."
Then, Countess Tocino made her way to the mansion like a triumphant general. Everything was perfect, only the newest and best were reserved for the Empress. In addition, all of her servants were carefully trained to make no mistakes. As if her efforts weren't in vain, everything prepared was impeccable. The Empress even liked the dish prepared by the three chefs.
Pleased that things had gone according to plan, Countess Tocino took a moment to observe the party the Empress had brought with her.
The first person that caught her eye was the head maid, Cisen. She heard that she was a maid whom the Empress had cherished since she was a maiden. She'd also heard that she'd taken over the position after Jacques's mother and son were executed.
Sitting next to Cisen was, to her surprise, Sylvia Jacques. Even though Cisen was sitting on the seat where her mother used to be, Sylvia should be uncomfortable, but she didn't show it at all. Well, it could be that since she had no other way to get ahead than to stick close to the Empress right now, she couldn't afford to show her displeasure.
Countess Tocino's gaze now turned to the unfamiliar young man.
He was literally a stranger. She had heard that he was the new hire of Cisen, who was now living outside the imperial palace, but nothing was known about him other than his name, 'Daniel.'
'He must have gained quite a bit of credibility in such a short period of time to have come along on this journey.'
The smooth face and well-behaved demeanor were somewhat favorable.
Though a strange thing happened.
She kept making eye contact with the young man.
At first, she wasn't aware of it, but when I realized that he often looked this way, I was subtly concerned. Because of that, the Countess counted the number of times they made eye contact, wondering if she was being overly self-conscious.
However, it wasn't self-consciousness.
In the half-day since the Empress' party arrived, their eyes had crossed twenty times.
At this point, she couldn't possibly dismiss it as an illusion. When their eyes met for the twenty-first time, she stared at the young man long enough to see him twitch his fingertips and turn his head away.
...As if he was shy.
Countess Tocino, whose self-esteem as a woman has long been diminished by her husband's infidelity, is elated by the attention of a striking, handsome young man. All of a sudden, her whole body was filled with joy, and she couldn't stand it. She immediately coaxed the young attendant into her bedroom that night. The next few hours were as enchanting as a dream, and the very satisfied Countess Tocino fell asleep.
However, the expression of the shy 'Daniel,' who was full of passion, turned cold as soon as her eyelids were closed. He rummaged through the drawers as soon as the Countess had fallen into a deep sleep.
Moments later, as he exited the bedroom, he held a packet of keys in his hand.
The next day, Countess Tocino, who woke up refreshed, realized that her packet of keys was missing. She immediately prepared to summon Daniel to ask, but as soon as she left the bedroom in a huff, the Empress called out to her quietly.
"Are you in a hurry? If it's not urgent, later..."
She was about to decline the conversation out of rudeness when the Empress held out a package of lost keys.
Countess Tocino's mouth dropped open.
'I thought Daniel stole it, but why does Her Majesty have it?'
"Countess, you dropped this yesterday when you were taking off your coat. I have kept it quiet in case I would embarrass you if I talked about it in front of others."
Bewildered, the Countess was unable to keep her mouth shut.
Did she carry a packet of keys with her yesterday? Did she carry them in her coat pocket? She was certain she'd put it in the drawer where she always put it. Or did she get confused with that because it was something you did every day?
She never thought that the thief and the Empress were in league.
Naturally, according to common sense, there was no reason for the Empress to steal Countess Tocino's set of keys. After all, why would the Empress steal from her when she could get everything she needed from her with a simple word?
In the end, Countess Tocino accepted the package of keys from the Empress with a bewildered look on her face.
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I was afraid I had lost it."
"Even I would be surprised. It's a good thing I found it."
What a stupid mistake to drop such an important key from her coat. It must have been that she was so excited about the Empress's visit that she behaved in a thoughtless manner.
Countess Tocino's face burned.
She bowed deeply and thanked the Empress.
In the meanwhile, Angelica smiled as she recalled the pass that Eden had stolen.