Chapter 156 - North Korean rabbit

Chapter 156

The Empress's Palace.

Three months had passed, and the whereabouts of Arpad and Hilia remained unknown.

Among those gathered at the Empress's Palace, followers of Evangeline, an uneasy atmosphere now prevailed. This was entirely due to Evangeline's own deeply troubled state of mind.

She slammed her hand on the table with a snarl.

"Why have you let things get to this state, Wilhelm?!"

Wilhelm Fileremo's face, which had never been particularly healthy-looking, had turned a deathly ashen hue.

"Lady Evangeline. The influence of Espitola is still intact..."

"Don't make me laugh! You've completely ruined it! It's nothing but a money-guzzling hippopotamus now!"

Wilhelm could offer no further excuse. It was the truth.

For the last month or two, a competitor that seemed to have fallen from the sky had been eroding Espitola's influence at an unbelievable speed.

Wilhelm desperately tried to explain.

"Nevertheless, we have caught all the printers who were leaking knightly information. They won't be able to publish the same content before us anymore!"

For about half a year now, a low-cost cafeteria called Penny Terrace had been quietly spreading throughout the capital.

The places where Espitola exerted its influence were exclusive salons targeting nobles and the wealthy. In contrast, the Penny Terrace establishments that had recently begun to proliferate were far more public spaces. They kept their doors open at all times to welcome guests, and some even operated without a proper building, simply setting out chairs and tables.

The entrance fee was a single leaf coin.

After paying and entering, a waitress carrying a pot of cheap tea or coffee would pour a cup of the desired beverage. And as part of the service, a single sheet of paper was provided.

That sheet, called simply 'Paper' without any grand title, was the very culprit now shaking Espitola to its foundations.

The Paper carried content almost identical to the Espitola knightly reports. Penny Terrace itself was spreading with bizarre speed in all directions, and there one could read the Paper, brimming with the latest information from all walks of life. Naturally, Penny Terrace quickly became the center of media and public opinion among the commoners. Compared to salons, it was a much more open location, and the Paper could also be taken outside. Some even shared a single brought-in Paper among themselves. Because of this, despite the short time, the influence of the Paper and Penny Terrace was growing ever larger among the masses.

Wilhelm had gone to great lengths to uncover the entity publishing the Paper. It was only natural, as Espitola's core information was being leaked. And he had succeeded in rooting out those underlings. He had tried to assert his usefulness by highlighting this, but Evangeline was merciless.

"So, has the Paper stopped being published? Have the slanders about me printed there disappeared? Are those bug-like commoners not reading the Paper anymore?!"

"......"

Wilhelm could say nothing. If he had rooted out the underlings earlier, he might have delayed the Paper's publication itself or eroded public interest and trust. But it was too late now. The Paper was firmly established. Having somehow been prevented from copying Espitola's reports, it had now begun writing its own original articles.

Unable to contain her rage, Evangeline let out a shriek.

"This is all your fault! Because you failed to do your job properly, that nonsense about my child being of Ludwig's bloodline is circulating!"

It was the rumor circulating around the Paper and Penny Terrace. Precisely, that 'Evangeline is trying to pass off Ludwig's child as the Crown Prince's.' The Paper actively dredged up past events between Ludwig and Evangeline, claiming this was precisely why the Emperor refused to recognize the child as the Crown Prince's. It was gossip overflowing with interest in itself, and with an accessible newspaper circulating daily, it became strongly imprinted on the public mind.

"So that's why the Emperor still won't recognize me, isn't it?!"

*Crash!*

A vase, unable to withstand Evangeline's fury, toppled and shattered. She was so excited and caused such a commotion that she didn't even notice the wound on her own hand.

The Tower Lord, who had been silent, clicked his tongue and tended to Evangeline's wound.

"You must be careful. With such a precious body..."

Evangeline's expression began to soften slightly at the Tower Lord's attitude, which seemed to treat her as the most precious being in the world. But in the next moment, her satisfaction was shattered. Because after wiping the wound and bandaging it, the Tower Lord spoke words opposite to his sweet tone.

"What you are carrying is my masterpiece, an experimental subject. What would we do if something went wrong...?"

"...!"

Evangeline's face contorted. She roughly brushed away his hand and slapped the Tower Lord's cheek.

*Smack!*

"Don't you dare treat me like an incubator, you disgusting creature!"

The Tower Lord grinned as if he had never been slapped.

"I wonder what this 'incubator' expression means."

The Archbishop stepped between Evangeline and the Tower Lord.

"You must not get excited. Your body must not suffer because of a madman's words."

"...I know."

Evangeline took a few rough breaths and sat down in an armchair. Her belly was noticeably swollen.

The Empress frowned and asked.

"Isn't your belly swelling too quickly? It looks like five months."

Evangeline knew the Empress's words were not born of concern for her. It was a reproach, asking if this wouldn't make it even harder to gain the Emperor's recognition.

The Tower Lord was unperturbed.

"The fetus's condition is very healthy. Its rapid growth is because of that."

Evangeline retorted to her mother in a sharp tone.

"Rumors about Arpad and me have been circulating since before he went missing anyway. We'll just say the child was conceived before that."

Evangeline stroked her swollen belly and said.

"And once the child is born, everyone will know. That this child is the sole imperial grandchild, and I am its mother."

In that case, the child would have been conceived right after the marriage of abduction, when the Crown Prince and Hilia were getting along very well. Evangeline liked that fact too.

*'What can they do if I insist on that? If they don't like it, let him come back alive and deny it himself.'*

A twisted smile hung on Evangeline's lips.

The Empress asked coldly.

"So, you plan to just sit back and wait for the Emperor to recognize you?"

Evangeline shook her head.

"Of course not."

Her gaze fell upon the loyal Archbishop standing beside her.

"The preparations are complete, aren't they?"

"Of course."

The Emperor was holding firm, saying he could not recognize it. Then, they needed to shake him with a justification so strong he could no longer hold out.

* * *

The imperial capital, Ilverid.

Among the Penny Terrace establishments, whose numbers had exploded around the capital recently, the largest was located in the plaza before the imperial palace. It was the first one established and also the headquarters, so all people and information related to Penny Terrace within the empire gathered here.

The owner of the Penny Terrace headquarters was a young woman. Around her, waitresses flocked like a swarm of birds, chattering.

"Lady Milan. Suspicious people are openly watching us again."

"And they keep prying, asking who the real owner of the shop is."

"Ignore them. It's not a one- or two-day occurrence."

Milan Itenas, the owner of Penny Terrace, gave her employees a gentle smile and then stepped inside the building. The building did not contain only Penny Terrace's kitchen and employee spaces. There was a location in the building's basement known only to Milan and a very select few others.

Milan greeted those gathered there.

"Welcome, Lord Beltain. Dame Ani. Sir Müzen, ah, I didn't know Sir Yulken would be here as well."

Those gathered at the Penny Terrace headquarters were Hilia and Arpad's subordinates. This was only natural. For Penny Terrace was another name for the intelligence department Hilia had prepared since right after her regression and set in motion just before her disappearance.

Even after Hilia went missing, Penny Terrace had been operating according to pre-received instructions. They neutralized Espitola by leaking its internal information and publishing it in the Paper, and opened Penny Terrace to control distribution, public opinion, and collect information.

There was one reason Penny Terrace could pursue an extreme low-margin, high-volume policy: profit was not its primary objective from the start. Hilia had repeatedly emphasized it.

"The one who controls public opinion and information will win."

For that purpose, Hilia had opened Penny Terrace, putting forward the proxy Milan. The employees were those rescued from human trafficking or those suffering under debts caused by others in back alleys. Because of this, their bonds were strong and their loyalty high. The fact that Evangeline's side still hadn't caught on to Penny Terrace's true nature was proof of that.

Ani asked with an anxious expression.

"Has there still been no separate contact from Her Highness?"

Milan shook her head with a grave expression.

A sigh escaped Yulken.

"It's already been three months."

"Even with our efforts to hold on, there's a limit. If the survival of the two isn't confirmed soon..."

Lord Beltain answered in a heavy voice.

"They are surely alive."

"I believe so too. But... the anxiety is unavoidable."

Yulken grabbed his own hand, which was nervously fiddling with his collar. In truth, there was not a single person here who wasn't anxious. They had remained calm and performed well since their masters' disappearance, but now they were reaching their limit.

Lord Beltain spoke in a firm voice, as if persuading himself.

"Her Highness would not come to such a meaningless end. Absolutely not."

Yulken also nodded, forcing a bright laugh.

"That's right. And our Crown Prince His Highness is absolutely not the type with a gentle enough disposition to die for anyone's benefit. Ah, he might be a little late just to tease his pitiful servants, though."

Just as the corners of their mouths were beginning to loosen at Yulken's jest, a sudden knocking sound echoed from the secret space's door.

*Knock knock knock!*

"...!"

Tension appeared on the faces of those gathered. No colleague was scheduled to arrive. Perhaps information about this place had been exposed.

Two knights drew their swords and slowly approached the door. And when the door opened with a creaking, grating sound—

Upon seeing the figure revealed, Lord Beltain nearly dropped the sword he was holding without realizing it.

Romance, Fantasy,