Oliver stared at the table with an impassive face and spoke.
“Even if I don’t say anything, everyone in this room knows. Not long ago, my wife was wounded in an ambush.”
No one answered, but as he said, everyone knew. In fact, they all had their suspicions about the culprit, but it was an awkward topic to point out over a family meal.
Madelyn spoke, her voice dripping with sincerity.
“I have heard rumors about it. The criminal, Marquis Brown, escaped? I can assist the Crown Prince with the search, if he desires.”
Everyone already knew that Madelyn was the main culprit, and her words were nothing short of teasing. Oliver gave a stony smile.
“That’s not necessary. I only bring this up because…”
Oliver’s eyes shone coolly for a moment. It was so eerie that even Madelyn, who was facing him, swallowed dryly.
“…Regardless of rank, what do you think about cutting off the necks of the people involved in the assassination attempt, and hanging their heads on the street?”
Leon’s smirk immediately dropped at Oliver’s words. He realized that Oliver was openly talking about Madelyn. A strained silence hung uncomfortably in the air, before it was broken by Oliver speaking to Howard.
“It is a crime to kill or attempt to kill the crown prince. Please allow this punishment, Your Majesty.”
Howard’s eyes flickered involuntarily towards Madelyn, and he answered with a gentle smile as if he knew nothing.
“Very well. The proper justice must be given to anyone that tries to touch a hair the crown prince, of course.”
Oliver replied with a satisfied expression.
“Thank you.”
No one spoke after that. Everyone was busy doing calculations in their heads.
Meanwhile, Amanda glanced at Oliver with a look of surprise. Although he sometimes had a tempestuous personality, he seemed to have a grasp on politics. It would not be easy to find evidence that the Empress was the culprit, but it would make it difficult for her to escape. Amanda wouldn’t be satisfied until the suffering was repaid. It seemed the same way for Oliver.
It was Howard who broke the silence at the table.
“Amanda. A few days ago, I heard that—kollog— a knight from your family could potentially win the championship. Is that true?”
Howard acted even more affectionate towards Amanda after he taught her the secrets of the Imperial Household, and he only looked a certain way at the comrades who shared the same secret. Amanda nodded, pretending not to know.
“Yes, it’s my older brother. I’ve heard that he’s been excellent with the sword since childhood, but I don’t know much about fighting. I’m sure he would be flattered to be considered a potential winner.”
Howard smiled at Amanda’s humble answer.
“Yes, you must be proud of your brother. Please tell him I’m cheering for him as well. If he wins for the Windsor family, I’ll be sure to reward him handsomely. Kollog kollog.”
Amanda answered with a joyful nod of her head.
“On behalf of the Windsor family, thank you, Father.”
The awkward silence at the table resumed after that. After everyone finished eating, Howard invited Luke to stay at the palace for a while.
*
*
*
After the dinner, Madelyn returned to the Imperial Palace. She sat in her chair, her mood foul after Oliver provoked her so openly.
‘Was it an empty threat? Or did he find proof?’
She could not grasp what Oliver’s intentions were, but she needed to be careful. Even a rat, when cornered, would bite back at the cat. Ever since Amanda had been injured, Oliver was on sharp alert.
After furiously running through the information again in her head, she gestured for Cassana. The lady-in-waiting saw it and quickly approached the Empress’ side.
“You called me, Your Majesty.”
“Call Cesare into the Imperial Palace.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
They had to review the evidence again in case of the unlikely event that a connection was found between Marquis Brown and Madelyn. She had also heard that the marquis had fled to another kingdom, and he had to be found and forever silenced. At the sudden thought, Madelyn spoke again.
“Is Layla Brown already disposed of?”
“Before Marquis Brown escaped, Lady Brown was sentenced for life in one of the most notorious prisons. It’s known as the harshest in the country…”
Cassana paused and gave a smile.
“We plan to take care of her with poison. Any connection to you will be completely cleansed, Your Majesty.
“Well done. Once the hunt is over, we eat the hounds.”
Both to the public and to private conversation, the reason for the Brown family’s destruction was because of Layla’s greed and Oswald’s rebellion. However, it was Madelyn that carefully orchestrated it all. Layla had to be removed to prevent any possible leaks— dead prisoners did not speak, after all.
Then there was something else she had to turn her attention to now.
“Who are the knights most favored to win the tournament?”
“There are three likely candidates for the championship. There’s Lord Wickley from House Anita, Lord Joel from House Edel, and Lord Aaron from House Windsor.”
“House Windsor…”
Madelyn could not ignore powers from the outside. With the marriage, Amanda had complete support from both Oliver and the Windsor family.
Madelyn tapped her finger on the arm of her chair, and a steely glint shone in her eyes.
“I’ll have to prune the tree before it grows any larger.”
“Your Majesty?”
“How many knights die in the tournament?”
“Quite a lot, I’ve heard, Your Majesty.”
“Then there’s nothing wrong with just one more, is there?”
The corner of her mouth tipped upwards. She had to prevent Aaron from winning the championship and prevent the Windsor family from gaining more power.
The cleanest way to do that was to kill Aaron during the games.