Teumesia pressed her lips tightly.
She swore she had no such intention.
She did not particularly admire Riorem.
But she also knew that what she was saying could easily be interpreted that way.
Of course, even if others belittled her judgment as jealousy, she didn’t care much.
Riorem wouldn’t misunderstand.
But she didn’t want to be misunderstood by this woman.
She didn’t want to go through that kind of trouble with the very person who had ruined the fortress she had built called “Riorem Velik.”
Suddenly, silence fell.
It was natural.
All the words had come from Teumesia, and Chernea was quietly just listening.
Chernea’s brilliantly shining golden eyes scanned Teumesia’s face.
“Hmm.”
Chernea snorted.
“So, you still haven’t given up trying to persuade Riorem directly, huh?”
“…”
“I thought persuading Riorem yourself was impossible, so you tried to win over people around her.”
“But in the end, since you spoke to me directly, I guess it didn’t go well.”
“Well, it’s a common thing. There aren’t many people who listen to others as much as Riorem does.”
Chernea smiled and leaned back on the sofa.
If Teumesia had been a little less mentally exhausted, she might have thought that smile suspicious—she had watched Chernea long enough.
But as mentioned, Teumesia was cornered, unable to notice the subtle mood.
Chernea whispered:
“Even if I say this, you’ll just get angry, but I feel sorry for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I said. If you were a man, your many warnings would have been considered good advice. But because you’re a woman, they’re belittled. Even this story you brought up now is probably dismissed as mere jealousy. Am I wrong?”
It was so accurate, as if she had read Teumesia’s mind.
Teumesia swallowed quietly.
She had hoped someone would someday understand her situation.
But she never thought it would be this woman.
“How… did you know that?”
“When I went outside, I realized it right away. Everyone misinterprets your loyalty to Riorem as jealousy.”
Teumesia’s eyes trembled.
That was true.
The only person who understood that Teumesia’s advice was truly for Riorem’s power—more precisely, for solidifying her own position through that power—was Riorem herself.
People who sneered, saying, “What good will it do if you give power to Riorem, will it become yours?” were actually better.
What she hated most were those who denied her ambition by saying Riorem would never look back even if she devoted herself that much.
And the one who understood this was the woman who controlled Riorem’s body and mind.
The golden eyes reflected Teumesia’s confused face.
Chernea, who had been watching her intently, smiled.
“Actually… I’m in a bit of a difficult situation too.”
Teumesia suddenly came to her senses. It was an unexpected remark.
“What do you mean?”
“You know as well as I do, but Riorem has been acting strange lately. I think it’s because of Alpheios…”
“Ah.”
Teumesia sighed.
That was certainly true.
Riorem and Alpheios had always been sworn enemies, but recently it felt like they were competing to see who could hurt the other’s soul more.
Riorem’s sudden obsession with luxurious items that only royalty would normally have was probably because of him.
“In the past, I could just get rid of Alpheios, but now I can’t, right? Besides, no matter how wild he is, he’s still a prince.”
“Yes… that bastard being a prince is the problem.”
No matter how much power she gathered, as a subordinate of the king, fighting the royal family was unfavorable.
There was only one way for Riorem to fight Alpheios on equal terms.
Marry into the royal family and become one of them.
“But the general has no intention of marriage… and above all, there is no foolish princess who would marry a man born a slave.”
In that sense, Chernea was someone who helped Riorem fight Alpheios on equal footing.
Of course, that is assuming you regain your status.
Thinking that far, Teumesia took a deep breath.
“Are you perhaps about to say something to me now…?”
“Yes. I need your help. To reinstate the title, at least you need to get outside Dinamis Castle.”
“Don’t I need to leave the kingdom altogether?”
“Your country is just too vast. Even if you try to slip out hastily, Riorem or Alpheos will catch up with you.”
“…Do you need money? To avoid being tracked and get outside the border, I guess that requires funds…”
“No, there are two things I need.”
Her red lips curled into a smile.
“One is a way out of Dinamis Castle. Given the size, there must be a secret passage leading outside the territory… but Riorem won’t tell me.”
“And the other one?”
“That’s obvious, isn’t it? We have to neutralize Riorem, even if just briefly. She’ll surely come chasing the moment I’m out of sight. I thought about using the poison you gave me before.”
“Are you crazy? How could you even think about using that on the general?”
“Right? I was a bit worried about that too.”
Teumesia touched her chin.
“I do know one passage… but it’s also known to the vassals, so I can’t open it alone. At least one person has to hold off others so the other can get in.”
“And getting out?”
“Getting out from the passage isn’t a problem. But whether coming in from outside or going out of the mansion, someone’s needed.”
“That sounds good. No one would suspect I went out that way. Who would imagine you’d help me?”
Just as she said.
Teumesia clenched her fist tightly.
Talking like this made it clear the woman really intended to go outside.
Of course, she was cunning and likely had some ulterior motive.
But whether this woman truly wanted to regain her status and marry Riorem, or simply wanted to leave this place, it didn’t matter.
As long as she disappeared from here right away, half the problems would be solved.
Teumesia lifted her teacup.
The cold tea trickled down her throat.
She made up her mind.
“I have an anesthetic. It’s hard to use since it must be administered through saliva.”
“Anesthetic?”
“Yes. It can put a wolf or lion to sleep. Of course, for large animals like elephants it only causes paralysis… but no matter how monstrous the general is, he’s no bigger than such beasts.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Chernea snorted.
“I don’t know much about outside the mansion, so I’ll follow your lead. But I’ll be the one to give Riorem the drug directly. She’ll forgive that much, right?”
“Yes. I understand.”
Teumesia answered vaguely, drawing the plan in her mind.
She knew she was mentally exhausted too, but she wanted to finish this quickly.
All she had to do was get rid of this woman.
Once done, things would be much less complicated.
Lost in that thought, she never noticed the golden eyes staring at her face and the expression they held.
Teumesia quickly came up with a plan.
While the woman adjusted the remaining issues, I went about my usual routine.
Luckily, the servants had become much more polite toward me, so I felt comfortable.
‘Still, just waiting around isn’t exactly fun.’
I carefully set down a hairpin decorated with pearls.
Below the dangling pearls was a coral-like ornament.
The longest piece had a needle at its tip.
It was a poisoned needle containing anesthetic said to put even large beasts to sleep for half a day.
Liquid dripped from the needle’s tip.
Since it was open while still containing liquid, it kept leaking.
I turned the needle upward so the drug wouldn’t leak further.
Then I looked back at the man collapsed under the acrid smoke.
My master, who rushed back to his bedroom after hearing the mansion was on fire.
“If I had known you’d come up in such a hurry, I’d have just waited in bed.”
I whispered in a gentle voice.
Riorem, completely paralyzed, glared at me with fierce eyes.
I couldn’t help but smile.