âWhat is going on? What are you talking about?â
With bloodshot eyes, Yvette spoke quickly.
âNothing happened. I have to take off Her Majestyâs clothes.â
âNo, I will measure it later. Everyone, please leave.â
âNo, Your Majesty! I need to measure you!â
Yvette burst into tears and grabbed her coat.
Squeak!
There was a long tear near the shoulder of her dress.
âPrincess Shryden!â
âPlease stay still, Your Majesty!â
Sigh!
The clothes were torn longer.
âStop it now! Why are you doing this!â
âBecause I have to take off your clothes!â
It was difficult to stop Yvette with force alone. Even though she held onto both of her hands and pulled them apart, Yvette was still clinging to the torn hem of his clothes. Lasilia shouted out the door of the drawing room.
âLord Sergen! Come in and get these people out!â
What was even stranger was what happened next. Upon hearing Lasiliaâs voice, Serven entered the living room. The imperial tailor blocked his path and said:
âYour Majesty the Empress needs to take measurements. Only then can we make clothes properly.â
âAhâŚ? That⌠go?â
Serven, who heard those words, quietly stretched out his hands.
âLord Serven?â
âI said it should be so, Your Majesty. Please stay still.â
âWhat?â
It was strange. It was really strange. Yvette came over and forcibly pulled down her clothes.
âLook. Even Sir Serven said the same thing. Her Majesty just needs to stay still. I will take care of everything.â
Everyone seemed to be possessed by something. Lasilia snatched back the torn piece of her dress and looked Yvette straight in the eyes.
âPrincess Shryden. No, Yvette.â
âYes, Your Majesty the Empress.â
It was only bloodshot, but there was no hesitation in the gaze looking at her. She could tell by looking at it. Yvette had no intention of harming her. Something strange was just happening. Lasilia calmed her mind. Now she had to get Yvette to come to her senses.
âI am displeased with what you are doing. You tried to force me to take off my clothes against my will in front of other people. This is unacceptable.â
âBut we still have to make the clothes properly. You have to take off your clothes to measure your size.â
âAre you going to keep making me uncomfortable? Is that what you mean?â
âUhâŚ? I am⌠I thought it would be nice for Her Majesty the Empress to wear pretty clothesâŚâ
âIf you donât listen to me for that reason, I donât need your service. You donât have to be my maid anymore.â
âUh, thatâŚâ
Yvetteâs eyes wavered. Lasilia witnessed the strange phenomenon of bloodshot eyes turning white again and then turning red again. She looked bloodshot, but that wasnât it.
âThat is⌠No, I have to make clothes for Her Majesty the Empress⌠So IâŚâ
âTake your hands off my body.â
âWell, I⌠Oh, no!â
At one point, Yvette cried out and clung to Lasilia.
âNo! Donât do that to me! Then I⌠uh?â
Yvette shook her head with a confused expression.
âWhy⌠whyâŚ? Why do I⌠am doing this? Her Majestyâs clothes⌠Wow, I did! I took her Majestyâs clothesâŚ!â
Yvette was shocked, having finally realized what she had done. Looking at it, she was sure. It wasnât normal just now. It also meant that both the imperial tailor and Serven were insane.
âGet up first. Stand behind me.â
Lasilia did not take her eyes off the two and hid Yvette behind her back. Yvette still couldnât believe what she had done.
âWhy on earth did IâŚ?â
âI think that tailor is doing something strange.â
Jerk.
As soon as she finished speaking, Serven came right in front of her. Servenâs eyes were red and bloodshot, just like Yvetteâs.
âYour Majesty the Empress. I donât know why youâre rejecting it. Donât you have to take your measurements to make clothes?â
Slurp!
While speaking his words, Serven at the same time touched the hilt of his sword and made a sound. Lasilia turned to face Serven, wrapping her hands around Yvette behind her.
âSo? Are you saying youâre going to use a knife to take off my clothes?â
âBecause you have no choice but to measure.â
âHaha. Why do I have to measure myself?â
âThatâs it, to make clothes for Her Majesty the EmpressâŚâ
âOkay. To make my own clothes. Why do I have to make those clothes in a way that I find offensive?â
âAhâŚ?â
Serven tilted his head. There seemed to be some confusion.
âIf youâre offended, I wonât⌠No, you have to measure it. You canât make clothes if you donât know the measurements.â
âPlease come to your senses right now. Do you think it makes sense to put a knife to me to make my clothes?â
âUmm⌠Of course it doesnât make sense⌠ah?â
Then the tailor shouted.
âYou have to measure! Certainly!â
Servenâs eyes, which were shaking like Yvetteâs, turned red again.
âYes, Your Majesty.â
Slurp!
Serven pulled out his sword.
âIf you keep insisting, I will take it off for you. Oh, you donât have to worry. If you stay still, I can take it off without scratching a single hair.â
Shish!
The tip of Servenâs sword moved over the dress.
âOh! No!â
Yvette rushed forward and tried to block Servenâs sword with her palm.
âNo! Yvette!â
Lasilia pulled Yvette.
Tsk!
Blood splattered out from somewhere.
âAhâŚâ
Yvette, who suffered a long cut from her palm to her forearm, sat down with a groan. Serven thrust his blood-covered knife in front of Lasilia, not even knowing what he had done.
âI will take off your clothes for you, EmpressâŚâ
âListen to me! I told you not to!â
Lasilia became impatient and looked into Servenâs eyes and shouted. No, she tried to scream, but her voice wasnât loud enough. Instead, it was deep. The words she uttered with as much force in her throat left a strange ringing sound in her ears.
âAhâŚâ
âŚClang.
Serven suddenly twisted his body and dropped his sword. It was then.
Knock, knock.
The chamberlain of the Emperorâs palace knocked on the closed drawing room door.
âYour Majesty the Empress. Now His Majesty the Emperor has eaten it. May I open the door?â
Now was not the time to discuss other matters.
âOpen the door.â
âYour Majesty the Empress.â
Thud!
It was the moment when the door opened on both sides. The tailor, who had been watching this and that since Serven dropped his sword, hurriedly blocked the chamberlainâs path.
âClose the door. Her Majesty must take off her clothes and measure her now.â
âUmmâŚ? Ah, thenâŚâ
The chamberlain tried to close the road gate.
Swish!
At that moment, Lescal reached out and grabbed the tailor by the back of his neck.
âYour Majesty! How dare you do that!â
Everyone looked at Lescal in surprise. Lescal threw the tailor he had lifted into the air onto the floor.
âHold on. Donât let me die with my own hands.â
âYes-yes? Yes, Your Majesty?â
The next moment, Lescal was in front of Lasilia. Lescal, who looked at the knife on the floor, Servenâs body frozen in embarrassment, and the bleeding maid, grabbed Serven back.
Puck!
Just like that one day, Serven flew away and landed against the wall. Serven, who hit his back so hard, was unable to stand on his own two legs and collapsed on the floor.
âAre you okay?â
Lescal grabbed Lasilia.
âYes. My clothes are a little torn, but itâs no problem. HoweverâŚâ
The calmness she had been trying so hard to maintain instantly melted when Lescal grabbed her. Lasilia stumbled and put her head on Lescalâs shoulder. She could feel her hand shaking as he held her. Leskal rubbed Lasiliaâs back. If she wasnât mistaken, his hands seemed to be shaking too.
âIt doesnât look okay.â
âNo. No injuries whatsoever⌠Ah, Princess Shryden. The princess is injured.â
Yvette shook her head, holding her injured arm.
âI am okay. Even though I was injured, I was only slightly injured. Iâve been hurt like this before.â
âDonât say itâs okay. You need to get treatment quickly.â
Lescal turned Lasiliaâs head from Yvette back to him.
âYou.â
âYes?â
âDo you not need treatment?â
âAh⌠I wasnât hurt.â
âShe is hurt.â
âNo. I wasnât hurt.â
âYouâre hurt. Even if you canât see it, youâre probably hurt.â
Lescal continued to insist that she was injured and held Rasiliaâs body. Lasilia panicked and she hit him on the shoulder.
âYou donât have to do this.â
âYour hands are shaking. Itâs because you got hurt.â
âNo. This⌠in amazement,â
âOkay. I mean, I got hurt.â
Lescal, holding Lasilia, opened the door to his bedroom. Before that, he looked at Serven and left a short message.
âCall Ryan.â
He also said that he would not deal with Serven.
ââŚYes, Your Majesty.â
Serven lowered his head with a deathly look on his face. It became Ryanâs job to clean up the strange things that happened today.
* * *
âThe tailor is in bad shape, Your Majesty.â
Ryan said while holding back his teeth.
âDid I make that happen?â
âNo, absolutely not. Her eyes rolled back and purple foam flowed from her mouth. It looks similar to the reaction of witchcraft, but according to Deccan, there are no traces of witchcraft. Now I can barely breathe. But it seems difficult to act like a person again.â
âSo youâre saying itâs not witchcraft?â
âItâs similar to witchcraft, but itâs not witchcraft⌠That is the conclusion, Your Majesty.â
ââŚâ
Instead of answering, Lescalâs blood clotted at his temple. Someone tried to use the imperial tailor to put their hands on the Empress. The exact purpose was unknown. All he could tell was that he was trying to remove her clothes under the pretense of taking her measurements again.
âWho were you in contact with before coming here?â
âDeccan is looking into it. I will let you know as soon as the news comes.â
âTell them to hurry. I donât plan on waiting long.â
Ryan bent her waist straight.
âOf course, Your Majesty. I also know Deccan well.â
âHave you chosen the Empressâs escort?â
âI made a list. Would you like to check it yourself?â
âIâll check tonight.â
âAll right.â
The place where Lescal was located was Lasiliaâs bedroom. After the previous incident, Lescal had no intention of leaving Lasiliaâs side. Ryanâs mind was busy answering his questions, choosing what to say to the Empress and what to hide.
âThen what happens to Lord Serven?â
Lasilia asked, lying still on her bed while Lescal was by her side.
ââŚI thought you were sleeping.â
Lescal turned his head and looked at Lasilia. Yes, she did pretend to sleep. Because she was uncomfortable being around the Emperor. Moreover, it was known that the cold was not completely cured. Still, she couldnât pretend not to know the obvious.
âI woke up. Will Sir Sigress be disciplined?â
âYes.â
Lescal nodded his head once. The light nod seemed somehow heavy.
âHe has set a sword against you. We will never meet him again in the palace.â
Lasiliaâs eyes turned to Ryan. Ryan turned her head to the side to hide her distressed expression. Serven was the one who foolishly fell under what seemed like a spell, but the results were quite severe. Lescalâs last mercy was not to go to the execution site. As the brother and sister, she couldnât help but feel uncomfortable.
âI do not wish for Lord Serven to be punished.â
So when Lasilia said these words in a calm voice, Ryan was surprised by her sincerity.