# 44
---
The pale Aglaia hurried to snatch the letter from my hand.
But I backed away slowly, avoiding her grasp.
Bump!
It fell onto the table with a loud bang.
Her dress, stained with spilled tea and crushed biscuits, looked funny.
I leaned down slightly and met her gaze.
Then, seeing her pale white face, I curled my lips into a mocking smile.
“If this secret gets out, your reputation will collapse, right?”
Most of the nobles supporting the parliament venerated the deceased emperor.
Although they feared the new emperor, they hoped that Ethios would not be eliminated.
Aglaia gained their trust by pretending to protect Etheos as his aunt.
But if it were discovered that Aglaia had sent a letter to the Duke of Elmore asking him to cover up her corruption in exchange for Etheus' life?
Aglaya's status will end.
“...You! You...”
“Do you think you can keep your position as Speaker of Parliament? You opposed the Emperor and gained power, but now the Emperor will never accept you.”
As I was whispering this, I watched Aglaya's lips tremble with fear.
Every word I spoke cut to the heart of the situation, leaving no room for excuses.
'As much as I want to completely reveal her true nature. …’
She smiled and stood upright.
There is still value in using this corrupt woman.
With her position in Parliament, the Emperor could not get rid of Etheus easily.
Until the revolution, she had to keep her position.
“Listen carefully, Speaker.”
Aglaya, now in a miserable state with tea and biscuits stuck to her dress, exhaled violently as she stared at me.
But she couldn't utter a word.
She had certainly realized that the paper I had could destroy her.
For now, that was enough.
“Agree to arrest Vadelmon, if you don’t do as I say...”
Her fingers trembled violently.
“You know what's going to happen, don't you? Oh, and if anything happens to me, I've instructed my servant to send all confidential documents, including this letter, to the newspapers, so you'd better wish me a long life.”
My intense precision made her catch her breath sharply.
Her previous attempts to control me had evaporated, replaced by pure fear.
'You may be thinking: 'This child is more cruel than her father...'
At that moment, Aglaya's servants rushed over, alarmed by the commotion.
“Speaker of Parliament...!”
They were shocked to see Aglaia in disarray.
"What happened? Should we stop Miss Catherine Elmore?"
I crossed my arms quietly, watching Aglaya.
She shook her head quickly.
“No, I just tripped while trying to reach something far away.”
Yes, she had to handle this carefully.
Aglaya shuddered and turned to her servants.
“Take our special guest to the party.”
I stood up and spoke.
“I didn't come to enjoy the party, I came to congratulate the Speaker of Parliament on her birthday, but now, I think I'll go home, just...”
I walked slowly towards Aglaya, who leaned back, leaned close to her ear, and whispered.
“I suggest you remember what I said, and something else...”
Aglaya's eyebrows twitched as I spoke.
She quickly motioned to her servants to leave.
They hesitated but quickly disappeared.
I reached out and grabbed Aglaya's pocket, pulling her close.
Her terrified eyes fluttered open.
“If you ever try...”
When she spoke the name of Etheus, Aglaia trembled again.
I fixed my gaze on her, and spoke slowly and clearly.
“…If you ever try to play with his life again, I will kill you.”
Do you dare to trade Etheus' life?
For a trivial reason like hiding your corruption?
My murderous intent and the cold words in my eyes made her gasp.
Fear and confusion flashed in her eyes, but she knew it was best not to speak.
I stared at her with disdain before turning away sharply.
I heard Aglaya's voice as she fell to the ground behind me.
* * *
“Catherine, that cunning vixen, is trying to gain the Emperor’s trust like my brother did. She can’t get any help from the Emperor now, so we must change our approach and side with Parliament. The Emperor’s power is greater, but Parliament’s protection will still at least protect us, and avoid prison. Of course, the Speaker of Parliament will take a big share.”
Lucia remembered her father Vadelmon's words as she searched for Etheus in the garden.
“Lucia, you must seduce Prince Ethios. He is just a prince of no importance, but if you marry him, you will become royalty, and Catherine will not dare to touch us, and Parliament will side with us as well.”
'He's just a prince in name, but he's handsome enough, if my father can steal the duke's fortune... That annoying girl will be gone.'
The prestigious Elmore family.
Unlike Lucia, born of her father's relationship with a commoner woman, Catherine was the only child of the eldest son.
Thanks to that, she lived arrogantly, without respect for anyone.
No one provoked Lucia's feelings of inferiority more than Catherine.
Especially with her condescending look, as if she was looking at someone lower than her.
'The only thing in which I am inferior to you, Catherine, is my lineage.'
At the Speaker of Parliament's birthday party today, it was planned that Lucia would be presented to Etheos.
The problem was that Etheus had disappeared.
“His Highness Prince Ethios! Where are you?!”
Lucia put her hands around her mouth and called Etheus's name.
But she found no trace of him anywhere in the vast garden.
"Did he come home? He left me here alone?!"
After a long search, Lucia finally stopped and raised an eyebrow.
On such occasions she was known to many important people, but no one had ever treated her like this before.
Her pride was hurt, and her face turned red as she gripped her dress tightly.
Then, at that moment. …
“Are you Miss Lucia Elmore?”
A young man dressed as a knight stopped in front of Lucia and asked.
Lucia looked him up and down before responding condescendingly.
“Who are you? Sorry, but I already have an escort...”
“I am a knight in the service of Speaker Aglaia, I am afraid the Speaker has asked you to leave the party immediately.”
Lucia's eyebrows furrowed at the knight's words.
“W-what do you mean? Speaker Aglaya personally invited me to...”
“One more thing, the Superior asked me to inform you that the cooperation with your father has been cancelled, and that introduction to Prince Ethios is no longer necessary.”
“W-what?!”
"Get rid of Lucia immediately, screw it! The Elmore family always brings bad luck, I shouldn't have cooperated with that bastard Vadelmon!"
The knight remembered Aglaia's anger as he noticed Lucia's shock, ignoring her protest and motioning to the soldiers behind him.
Lucia's face turned pale as it became clear that she would be forcibly expelled if she did not leave of her own free will.
In the end, she had no choice but to leave the party, humiliated and alone.
As Katherine was leaving Aglaia Palace through the front gate, she felt a presence and turned.
In the shadow of the tall bell tower, Etheus, with dim eyes, watched her.