Early in the morning, Pon put Eliana into a carriage and headed somewhere.
Even though it was still morning, the streets near the market were crowded, so the carriage moved so slowly that it was hardly faster than walking.
Considering Pon had firmly refused when Finn said she would come along, the distinguished person he mentioned was almost certainly Hera.
‘Sigh… I’m walking straight toward the strongest villain in the novel. Now that I’m actually about to meet her, it’s terrifying.’
Eliana quietly took a deep breath.
Hera Owen.
A dancer from another kingdom who deliberately approached the emperor to elevate her status and became pregnant with his child.
Originally, as a foreigner, she could not become empress. But the empress, Velkirei’s mother, recommended her for the position.
However, Hera did not stop her ambition after becoming empress.
Instead, she began secretly coveting the position of the very empress who had accepted her.
The emperor loved the empress.
He treated the night he spent with Hera as nothing more than a drunken mistake, and never once visited her afterward.
That humiliated Hera.
Because the emperor ignored her, even the palace maids subtly looked down on her.
The only ones who treated her kindly were the empress and Velkirei.
‘But Hera found even that repulsive…’
In the end, Hera decided that instead of taking the place of the empress loved by the emperor, she would remove him and place her own daughter, Mary, on the throne.
She lived quietly like a shadow while secretly nurturing her ambition.
Then, when the emperor and empress let their guard down, she poisoned them.
Even the fact that Crown Prince Velkirei, who had been present, miraculously survived but lost his sight had been her doing.
Hera had not spared Velkirei out of pity.
She merely needed a puppet emperor until her daughter ascended the throne.
Otherwise, the Grand Duke Crombel would have immediately tried to seize the throne.
In other words, if Velkirei also died, Hera and her daughter’s position would become unstable.
That was why she had allowed him to live.
While Velkirei hovered between life and death, Hera carefully created an alibi and escaped all suspicion.
The culprit she had prepared beforehand took all the blame and was executed.
By the time Velkirei opened his eyes, the balance of power had already shifted in Hera’s favor.
Moreover, the poison had left Velkirei’s body extremely weak, so even after he became emperor, Hera’s authority never diminished.
A regency.
It was unnecessary for an eighteen year old emperor, but Hera still controlled the throne completely.
She had already finished preparing everything behind the scenes.
Velkirei was a blind emperor, his body was frail, and he possessed no impressive ability, so the other nobles could not oppose it.
For the Owen Empire, which had few surviving royal bloodlines, leaving him on the throne as a puppet was the safest way to prevent civil war.
It was humiliating for Velkirei, but he appeared to accept his circumstances and obediently followed Hera.
Hera slowly devoured him.
All while waiting for her daughter to make her debut and awaken the power of the Owen bloodline.
"We’ve arrived."
At the coachman’s shout, Pon opened the carriage door and extended his hand.
Eliana took it and stepped lightly down from the carriage.
They had stopped in front of a dessert cafe in the center of the capital.
.
It looked like an ordinary cafe from the outside, but Eliana knew the truth.
This was the secret gathering place of Hera’s faction.
"Welcome, guests."
The employee bowed politely to Eliana and Pon.
After Pon said something quietly to him, they were led somewhere.
‘The inside looks like a normal cafe.’
The first floor was a wide open hall filled with delicate tableware and charming furniture.
Even though it was morning, noble patrons filled the room, laughing and chatting while enjoying tea and desserts.
The employee led them past the second floor and up to the third floor, marked as staff only.
Someone unfamiliar with the place might mistake it for a storage area.
But in reality, it was the secret meeting place of the Empress Dowager’s faction.
Knock knock.
Perhaps word had already been sent ahead.
After knocking, the employee immediately opened the door.
A red figure inside the room immediately caught Eliana’s eye.
Hair the color of blazing fire flowed in thick waves past her shoulders to her waist.
Even from behind, the woman radiated an intense presence.
Eliana instinctively knew who it was.
Pon stepped forward first and spoke.
"I have brought her, Your Majesty."
"You’ve done well."
A clear voice echoed through the room.
Eliana stood frozen.
Hera slowly turned her head, and their eyes met.
Her eyes were a vivid, burning red.
Gulp.
Eliana swallowed nervously.
Those blazing eyes scanned her as if measuring something.
A moment later, Hera greeted her with a faint smile.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you."
The moment Hera finished speaking, Eliana immediately threw herself down in a deep bow.
"I greet Her Majesty Hera Owen, Empress Dowager, the flower of the empire!"
"You’re quite perceptive."
Hera burst into light laughter as if amused.
Then she gently stroked the white cat resting on her lap.
Her movements were elegant, but Eliana, who knew her true nature, could not smile.
Her body began trembling without her realizing it.
It’s real.
This woman is a true ruler of power.
Even when she saw Count Mushe, even when she slapped Marquis Valkyrie, she had never been this afraid.
Hera was overwhelming Eliana with her presence alone.
Velkirei, the hidden mastermind, would surely be terrifying as well, but now that she faced Hera directly, she was just as frightening.
‘Whichever way I go, it’s walking on thin ice.’
As Eliana trembled, Hera asked Pon,
"She seems frightened, doesn’t she?"
"She appears to be very startled."
"Oh my. You didn’t tell her about me?"
"…Did you not say to bring her quietly?"
"How rigid. That is precisely what I like about you."
Hera extended her hand with a sly smile.
Pon lightly kissed the back of it and stepped back.
Only then did Eliana manage to calm herself enough to stand.
A maid beside them guided her forward to sit across from Hera.
When Eliana sat down, Hera clasped her hands together and asked,
"I hear you can use magic."
"…I cannot control it properly yet."
"I take great interest in magic. An ice mage… That rivals the ability of Duke Hafons, a wind mage. That is quite remarkable."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"There is no need to worry about not controlling it yet. Training will solve that. I will speak to Duke Hafons personally."
"I am deeply grateful for your consideration."
If she could train under Duke Hafons, learning to control her power would become far easier.
Eliana had been wondering how to train her magic, but it seemed the problem would now be easily resolved.
As she thanked her with a gentle smile, Hera curved her lips elegantly.
"By the way, I hear you are not on good terms with your father. After looking into it, he does not seem to be a very respectable man. You must have suffered."
"…"
She was saying she had already investigated her background in the gentlest possible tone.
But Eliana understood the real meaning behind those words.
I now know your secrets, so choose your side wisely.
That was exactly how it sounded.
In any case, it was certainly not said out of genuine concern.
When Eliana did not respond, Hera unclasped her hands and tapped the table lightly.
"So then, if I were to support you, what would you offer me in return?"
Her expression seemed to say, Let me see what cards you hold.
But Eliana had no intention of showing her hand first.
Even though this was a negotiation, the difference in power between them was obvious.
She could not reveal everything. She had to make the other side reveal their hand first.
And when that happened, she would show a harmless false hand.
Eliana already knew what Hera would ask of her.
To become someone close to Velkirei.
Through that role, to discover who was secretly helping him.
And eventually…
To seduce Velkirei, break his spirit, and ultimately kill him.
Eliana deliberately made a clumsy expression and hesitated before suddenly shouting in a hurried voice.
So that Hera would feel reassured by her naïveté.
"If you just tell me what to do, I’ll do anything!"
When Eliana suddenly raised her voice, Hera frowned briefly before smiling again with gentle composure.
"Yes, there happens to be a role that suits you perfectly."
Inside, Eliana cheered.
Hera’s expression had softened compared to before.
It seemed she had concluded that Eliana was an ignorant and naive noble lady.
"As it happens, the emperor requires someone by his side. I would like you to take that role. Since I hear you have nowhere else to go, the imperial palace should suit you well, don’t you think?"
"The the imperial palace?"
Eliana asked in feigned surprise.
Her eyes widened and her voice sounded excited, causing Hera to smile with satisfaction.
‘She must think I’ve taken the bait without realizing it’s a trap.’
If you want to escape someone’s grasp, the best way is to make them underestimate you.
Act simple.
Act like someone who cannot see beyond the next step.
That would keep her safe.
"Yes. I will send you to the side of the most radiant person in the empire. You only need to serve him and gain his favor. Very simple, isn’t it?"
"Yes, it’s incredibly easy! Thank you for granting me such an honorable opportunity, Your Majesty!"
Eliana jumped to her feet and shouted excitedly, bowing repeatedly.
Like an employee eagerly flattering a superior, she did her best to appear utterly devoted.
She could feel Pon staring at her with a strange expression from behind, but she ignored it.
Eliana bowed deeply again and again.