The completely suspicious attendant left only extremely suspicious evidence and an address behind.
Pastel turned pale.
“Emperor! Emperor! I didn’t take the lead and stab the highest dignity!”
I’m just a pure girl who knows nothing about the royalists or nobility faction, here to clarify about a single gold coin!
Waaah!
Why am I facing such a misunderstanding!
Running around the ward in a panic.
“Demon Lord! This is a big deal! A totally big deal! Going against the will of the powerful in a specific matter is an entirely different story from openly joining the opposing forces!”
I can totally empathize with your feelings as a ruler!
If it were Pastel, if a friend betrayed her just once, she would be sad, but if the friend seriously joined the opposing forces, she would turn expressionless.
Expressionless!
Waaah!
This is something that can’t happen in Pastel’s life!
“Calm down for now. It’s better to assess the situation while seated.”
The demon was perplexed by Pastel’s frantic running around.
“Calm down! Calm down! Not calming down!”
Pastel just kept running around. Her pink hair was flying everywhere.
“What are we going to do! What are we going to do!”
A huge crisis had come to Pastel, who had been living innocently in the outskirts without any selfish desires!
Danger signals were popping up everywhere.
This wasn’t about danger signals being detected because she was a brave Pastel who had never known fear in her life. It was the dread of a noble Pastel!
Poor Pastel, who had no support base in central politics and no human resources.
Even if the emperor was at a disadvantage against the factions, without preparation, he would be crushed politically at the moment of opposition. Originally, the Craft Family was pro-royalist, so for all intents and purposes, she was like a traitor. It’s easy to understand that the emperor might prepare another strategic move to use as an example.
Pastel, whose support base is in the Sky Island, would be helpless against the political schemes happening in the imperial capital!
Having lived decently on the Sky Island, there could be an arrest warrant for treason issued during her time in the imperial capital.
Whether she got involved with the large nobility faction or not, it was irrelevant. The Craft family was originally pro-royalist, so they weren’t tightly connected with the nobility faction internally. After the leadership of the nobility faction made a political deal with the emperor, they could easily throw Pastel under the bus.
The nobility faction benefited by sacrificing someone who wasn’t truly a part of the faction to get what they wanted.
The emperor profited by easily dealing with a traitor to establish his authority.
For the Pastel, who was away on the Sky Island, monitoring such intrigues would be nearly impossible.
Pastel clutched her head and screamed.
“Waaah!”
This could seriously happen!
Scary!
The cunning machinations of central politics are terrifying!
Innocent Pastel must be surrounded by schemers she can’t handle! The strategies that are already prepared are choking me!
So, so!
What if the pepper shaker handed to me by the nobility faction is actually fake?!
In the imperial capital, there would have been enough time and resources to simply replicate the pepper shaker while Pastel was fainting.
Then, the replica could be handed to Pastel to reassure her while the real evidence is with the nobility faction.
If they did this, they could later threaten innocent Pastel with the evidence of the pepper shaker to accuse her of fabricating evidence. Or they could hand the evidence over to the emperor in a political transaction.
Oh my.
Thinking about it, that must be true!
If Pastel were the head of the nobility faction, it would have certainly been a fundamental strategy!
Since the Craft family has a notorious reputation as traitors due to their original pro-royalist stance, it makes sense they would keep a weakness in mind for management purposes!
“Waaah!”
Pastel trembled as she checked the pepper shaker.
It looks exactly like the one she usually carries. But thinking of the dark depths of central politics, she couldn’t relax at all.
Could they have replicated it so perfectly that I wouldn’t even notice?!
That! That!
These people are so scary!
Facing a life-or-death situation politically triggered Pastel’s instinct for power. Countless ideas popped up in her mind only to be eliminated one by one.
Her pink eyes sparkled.
“Ha! That’s it!”
Instead of relying on the bad nobility faction that is only keeping tabs on Pastel’s weaknesses, wouldn’t it be better to lean on the pro-royalist faction?
Pastel pointed at the demon.
“Craft is originally pro-royalist, right?”
“Traditionally pro-royalist.”
“Yes! Pro-royalist!”
Pastel transformed into a loyal expression.
“Actually, I’ve respected the emperor since I was young! There’s no way I’m not pro-royalist given that!”
Despite her family’s downfall and the evaporating political asset, the Craft family is still a true pro-royalist with history and tradition. By joining the pro-royalist faction, she could gain sympathy votes and support.
The emperor might feel uncomfortable, but that precisely means he can’t treat the Craft family poorly. If he were to shove aside a loyal family that returned to the pro-royal stance after getting betrayed, it would truly be an utterly political blunder.
Oh my.
How did I come up with this idea!
I’m so smart!
The demon’s expression turned awkward.
“That guy isn’t worth respecting at all.”
“What?!”
Pastel pointed at the demon.
“How could you say that in front of the loyal subject of the great emperor! I can’t let that slide! Hyaah!”
Pastel ran over and tapped the demon’s formal wear chest. The demon was left speechless.
“Since when were you a loyal subject? Objectively, you have less respect for the royal family than the nobility faction. That’s not very noble-like.”
“I can’t forgive such insults! Yip! Yip!”
Her soft punches tapped against the demon’s chest. The demon shook his head and picked up a parfait spoon.
“You must be hungry, so I’ll go get you something to eat. You might not be hurt, but at least lie in bed. If you’ve passed out, resting would be good.”
“Okay!”
The demon left.
Pastel lay down gently in bed.
Then, since she had listened to the demon’s words, she got up and started wandering around the ward.
She crossed her arms with a serious expression.
“There’s nothing wrong if the emperor clears the accusations of fabrication in exchange for my rejoining the pro-royalist faction after being betrayed and reestablishing the imperial family’s authority!”
I’m not afraid of the genuine pepper shaker!
Yes, yes!
I’m so smart!
There was a knock at the door.
“Ah! Is it the demon already?”
When she opened the door, a strange blonde man stood there with a knight in attendance. The man’s golden eyes briefly observed and scanned Pastel.
Huh?
“Who are you?”
The man wore a gentle smile.
“You look okay? I was worried because I heard you collapsed while I was too busy to prepare dinner.”
Pastel went blank.
Did he say he was too busy to prepare it?
No way!
The golden hair and eyes caught her attention.
There’s no doubt he’s from the royal family!
Though he looks young, he seems to be around thirty, the age of the parental generation. It’s the emperor!
Emperor!
Waaah!
Suddenly facing the highest authority, Pastel shivered. Her pink eyes widened in shock, and she froze like a little animal.
“I r-respect you! I mean, I respect you! Yes!”
Waaah!
What am I even saying!
“Huh?”
The emperor looked puzzled and then laughed.
“Thank you. But can I come in? I feel awkward standing here like this.”
“Ah! Y-yes! Yes!”
Pastel rushed out of the way.
The emperor positioned the knight in the hallway and entered. His golden eyes scanned the ward before stopping on Pastel.
The emperor was impressed.
“You really resemble Blossom. I had no idea you’d be this much.”
Ah, Mom?
Pastel didn’t know how to react and fidgeted with her hair.
Thank you?
Thank you?
The emperor reached out his hand. He lifted Pastel’s chin to look at her face.
Eh?
The golden eyes calmly met hers.
Uh-oh.
Isn’t this the scary situation I was worried about?
Pastel shrank back.
The emperor continued to examine her appearance and spoke with admiration.
“If I were ten years younger…”
With a voice of longing, he withdrew his hand.
Pastel quickly took a step back. Her pink eyes trembled.
Uwah.
I feel powerless.
The emperor gazed thoughtfully, then smiled gently.
“Marquess Pastel? I heard on my way here that there are allegations of fabrication. What do you think?”
Oh my.
With a direct question that gave no time to adapt, Pastel felt choked.
“The thing is, um, I mean, I mean.”
The plans she had prepared were flying around in her head due to the pressure of power.
Oh my.
I feel back to being stupid.
“You really do as a spike. It’s not just personality.”
The emperor nodded to himself as he strolled around the wide ward, a wistful expression tracing his past.
“Blossom was misunderstood a lot too. Struggling under the infamous reputation of the family, she tried to clear her misunderstandings, but it wasn’t easy.”
Eh?
What does that mean?
The emperor fell into thought and then caught her gaze, smiling softly.
“As a friend, it is my duty to lessen the weight that child carries.”
Then, with a wink, he added.
“But I should hear the exact situation from Demonious.”
A normal person!
Just a normal person!
Pastel’s cheeks flushed. She clenched her small fists.
“Wow! Wow! Wow! Me! Me!”
Struggling to calm her excited breath, she exclaimed.
“I’ve never met someone who could see me so clearly on the first meeting!”
To recognize such a kind and innocent Pastel right away!
An achievement even the demon couldn’t manage!
Pastel was touched and almost teared up, her pink eyes glistening.
“Really? That’s great.”
The emperor smiled kindly.
“Come into a nest where concerns and ponderings are unnecessary.”
His arms spread wide.
“Yes!”
Pastel rushed in and embraced him. His reassuring arms felt incredibly warm.
The emperor clapped his hands cheerfully. Maids entered the ward with dishes. A small buffet was set up in an instant.
“I figured you might not have eaten properly, so I prepared some food. Would you like to eat?”
Oh my.
How does he know me so well?
She took out the pepper shaker.
“I’d love to eat!”
It feels so healing!
Long live the emperor!
You are the greatest adult in my life!
Meanwhile.
The demon was busy preparing apple pie in the borrowed kitchen, having asked for permission since Pastel was too full to eat anymore.
Carefully placing one piece of apple on the pie crust at a time.
“I’m not sure this one pie will be enough. But then again, I can’t overindulge after having just passed out. Hmm.”
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