Having kept a low profile at the estate for a while, wary of the Duchess of Roam's watchful eye, Lilia ventured out for a night excursion for the first time in a long while.
It was true that rumors of her secretly meeting a man were bothersome, but she simply could not give up on Fressian's abilities. Especially these days, when she had to live under the constant scrutiny of the Roam family.
And upon meeting Fressian after so long, Lilia heard an unexpected story.
"A secret outing?"
"Yes. She went out very discreetly, with her own guards."
Lilia unconsciously covered her mouth with her hand.
Anelli went out! And without Duke Roam's knowledge!
'She's trying to scheme behind Duke Roam's back...!'
A light sparked in Lilia's eyes.
Although the world was searching for the Resurrected One these days, Duke Roam did not seem inclined to present Anelli yet.
He had, after all, smuggled her out of the imperial palace in the first place. He likely intended to present Anelli, now the minor Duchess of Roam, once he found a suitable pretext, but an unforeseen accident had occurred, leaving him unable to do anything but watch the situation unfold.
Lilia saw this as an opportunity. A chance to reveal that everything she and Maxel had endured was nothing but unjust slander and conspiracy.
"What was she doing? Who did she meet?"
Lilia's eyes gleamed as she leaned forward.
Fressian, who had been watching her with an amused expression, leaned back in his chair and spoke in a light tone.
"She bought some information from my people, then holed up in an inn room and didn't come out. She seemed very interested in the monster attacks."
"Is that so?"
Thinking of Anelli, who didn't believe her precognitive ability had returned and would now be flustered and scrambling in belated shock, Lilia's mood naturally brightened.
Noticing Lilia's improved complexion, Fressian continued in his light voice.
"I looked into it, and it seems a holy knight is staying at that inn under a concealed identity. Not long after your sister went in, that holy knight visited the imperial palace. According to the people I have planted there, it seems he set out to investigate the monster attacks."
At that moment, Lilia let out a hollow laugh.
Anelli, having returned to Roam, had not properly established her position. The servants remained quiet, wary of Duke Roam's mood, but they all felt uncomfortable around Anelli, who openly displayed the scar on her neck.
Anelli seemed to have sensed that atmosphere.
'She must have realized there's no place for her in Roam.'
Or perhaps, having been abandoned once, she feared finding herself in such a situation again.
"She must have decided Roam wouldn't be of help and switched her allegiance directly to the Temple. Roam will be greatly shocked when they learn of this betrayal."
Having spoken that far, Lilia fell silent for a moment, trying to control her lips, which kept wanting to curl into a smile.
Forcing her expression back under control, she suppressed her elation and changed the subject.
"Did you leak the word to Her Majesty?"
In truth, today's meeting was to confirm this.
At Lilia's question, Fressian tilted his head with a languid smile.
"Of course. But is it really necessary to pin it on the Magic Tower? They are people who have been holed up for quite a long time. If we stir them up unnecessarily and things go awry, it'll just become a nuisance."
There was not a trace of tension on Fressian's face as he warned of potential trouble.
It was proven through long history that the Magic Tower disliked getting involved in political struggles. So, even while speaking like this, Fressian likely wasn't overly concerned.
The mages of the Magic Tower were the type to draw a line and withdraw from a mage who caused problems rather than provoke a conflict.
Lilia pouted her lips and deliberately made a sullen face.
"If you knew how much a mage from the Magic Tower insulted me at the imperial banquet, you wouldn't say such a thing."
Was his name Xenon? He seemed quite close to Anelli.
Being from the Magic Tower and ignorant of how the world works, he probably couldn't properly distinguish who to associate with and thus acted that way.
If he gets a good, stinging lesson from this incident, he'll likely come to his senses and turn his back on Anelli, won't he?
"And honestly, isn't an undead created by the Magic Tower through forbidden experiments more convincing than a Resurrected One blessed by a goddess? If we just call her an undead, no one will believe it, so we need to create credible grounds."
If people come to believe Anelli is an undead because of that, good. Or, if the Magic Tower publicly denies any connection with Anelli to quell such rumors, that's also good.
If rumors linking her to the Magic Tower circulate, the Temple would also be displeased, so perhaps the relationship between Anelli and the Temple could sour.
Looking at Lilia, who was smiling with satisfaction, Fressian asked in a curious tone.
"Is she really an undead? She didn't look like a monster."
He even added that he was rather surprised she was still beautiful. At his words, Lilia's expression stiffened momentarily.
Frowning, Lilia retorted with a voice tinged with displeasure.
"Her neck was severed and reattached; could that be human?"
"I suppose."
Fressian readily agreed. Lilia, who had been staring at him uneasily, took a quiet, deep breath.
Then, she lowered her gaze desolately and spoke.
"My elder sister still hates me, and if things continue like this, I fear something terrible will happen. So, I'm asking you. You're the only one I can trust."
The ever-composed gleam in Fressian's eyes wavered slightly.
"I heard you've been in quite a predicament because of me..."
"The idle tongues of high society are predictable. Once I become Empress, they'll change their tune again in no time, anyway."
"From what I hear, the Crown Prince's standing has been greatly shaken. Will you be alright?"
Lilia gave Fressian, who asked as if testing her, a cute sidelong glance before turning her head away haughtily.
"If Her Majesty comes to believe the Resurrected One is a spy sent by the Magic Tower, she will naturally cast out Prince Heinri as well."
"That prince is going to be pushed aside because of you again."
Fressian clicked his tongue with a pitying face.
"Why is that my fault? It's his fault for choosing the wrong person."
Thinking of Heinri, who had humiliated her in the imperial corridor, she felt not an ounce of pity, only a sense of vindication.
For someone who had been pushed aside in the imperial succession struggle and was barely clinging on, the sight of him swaggering about with the Resurrected One at his back was utterly detestable.
Fressian, who had been staring intently at Lilia as she pursed her lips sulkily, rested his chin on his hand and asked obliquely.
"Planning to inform Duke Roam right away?"
"No. If she's caught immediately, she won't dare to venture out again, and that won't do. Besides, this much alone won't be enough to change Duke Roam's mind either."
Lilia replied with a sigh in her voice and shifted her gaze. Outside in the darkness, she could see a few moths fluttering against the window, drawn by the dim light.
Originally, she shouldn't be moving about like this, wary and under cover of night. She should have entered the imperial palace long ago and taken the lead, rallying people to rescue the empire from peril.
Everyone should be looking at her like that, admiring and praising her.
"We need to secure more definitive grounds. Please continue to follow my sister's trail from now on."
"Just follow her trail?"
"You may exercise a bit of overreach for my sake as well."
Lilia added playfully. Understanding her implication, Fressian let out a soft laugh and muttered.
"I hear your sister's guard knights are quite strong?"
"But you are the infamous Fressian. Renowned for not distinguishing between means and methods."
At Lilia's words, Fressian gave a slight, sly smile. He spoke in a casual tone, as if discussing an ordinary daily matter.
"The monster attacks happened at the Lindea River, right? Among the information she bought were geographical details about the Lindea River area."
"Perhaps the opportunity will come sooner than expected."
If Anelli intended to go to the Lindea River herself, then they could intervene in some way at that time.
Or, they could secretly report Anelli's movements to steer the atmosphere in the direction they desired.
Fressian gazed at Lilia, who was smiling contentedly, with a look of regret.
"It's truly a pity you didn't choose to stay by my side."
The gentle curve of Lilia's lips stiffened slightly.
"Don't say such frightening things. I couldn't handle it."
Fressian clearly possessed remarkable abilities. If asked to name the most useful person among those helping her, she would undoubtedly choose Fressian.
But if asked whether she would go to Fressian's side...
Though from a fallen noble family, she was the chosen protagonist. The protagonist's place is not in dark back alleys, but in the brightest sunlight, shining more than anyone else.
"I suppose. You are too delicate; you need to be loved from a higher place."
Listening to Fressian's bitter muttering, Lilia quietly lowered her gaze and picked up the teacup placed before her.
"That elegant demeanor suits you better."
Fressian added, as if to comfort her. Lilia smiled quietly and tilted the teacup.
In truth, she did not like tea. She couldn't even properly distinguish the taste of tea. She was merely drinking it because she had to.
「From a fallen family?」
The memory of her first meeting with Anelli surfaced. It was a very distant and hazy memory.
「How shabby you look.」
But she remembered the voice and the scent from that day.
Anelli's voice, bored, arrogant, and devoid of any consideration. And the bitter aroma of the tea she was drinking.
Lilia could easily tell that the other person had lived a life of looking down on others from birth.
That was the Crown Prince's fiancée, the woman who would become the next Empress. The woman destined from birth to be Empress.
A position so lofty and radiant should rightfully belong to the protagonist.
Ah, so that's why my fate led me here.
Lilia seemed to have thought that. Imagining her own figure, elegantly drinking tea.
"By the way, how did you manage the monster attacks?"
Fressian asked, as if to change the mood. Savoring the bitter fragrance lingering in her mouth, Lilia shook her head.
"That wasn't my doing."
"Really? I naturally assumed it was something you arranged."
"I merely knew it was going to happen. How could I possibly control monsters? But thanks to it, it seems I'll be able to reveal my elder sister's true nature to the world, so that's fortunate."
A faint smile touched the corner of Lilia's lips. Her precognition was real.
"Everyone needs to realize quickly that the Resurrected One is a fraud."
Thus, the protagonist will surely overcome this adversity in the end.