Plumera Palace.
Since coming to this world, it was Elara's first time entering the palace.
She was carried in by Dos.
When Uno had just taken her out of the bath, Elara secretly pinched him several times. Only then did he lower his eyes and pull back the hand that almost reached for his dagger. He silently left the Red Pavilion, changed his clothes without letting anyone see his face, and returned to the shadows.
The Wei family was the only sharp weapon Elara controlled for now. Unless necessary, she wouldn't expose them. So Uno was forced to step back, and Dos came to bring her into the palace.
Inside the palace.
When Elara entered with Yang, the Plumera Palace was filled with drifting music and the sounds of indulgent laughter between men and women.
The loudest voices were from Emperor Benedict and Lord Gregory.
On the luxurious silk curtains, the shadows of entangled men and women were printed messily.
"Your Majesty, if these memorials bore you, then don't read them. Just enjoy yourself. Leave everything else to me, and I'll share your burdens."
An old but powerful voice came from behind the curtains. Benedict, who was lying lazily on the emperor's bed, was about to speak, but then he saw a group of people suddenly walk through the curtain.
He frowned and opened his mouth to scold them, but when he saw the pale face of the person being carried in, he immediately jumped up from the bed. His unsteady drunken body staggered toward Elara, reeking of alcohol, and reached out to snatch her from Dos's arms.
"Sis! Royal Sister! What happened to you?"
Seeing the blood on Elara's chest, Benedict's eyes turned red. He hugged her tightly. "Who dared to hurt my sister!"
Elara looked at the boy who forcefully took her from Dos.
He was called emperor, but he was only a boy of about fourteen or fifteen.
Though he was starting to grow, he still looked young. He was barely as tall as her. But his body, hollowed out by indulgence, was weaker than hers. When he pulled her into his arms, he almost couldn't hold her. He took two steps back until he leaned against a pillar to steady himself, though his arms still gripped her tightly.
Elara looked at his angry face. Thinking about their ridiculous past, she felt something hard to describe in her chest.
This boy truly did love her the most. But when it came to the Plumera Kingdom, he was also the most brutal and foolish emperor in its history.
"Don't panic, little brother. Let me explain it slowly."
She raised her hand and gently touched his head to calm him down. Then Elara looked past Benedict to the man still sitting high on the emperor's bed.
He looked to be around fifty, wearing a dark robe that was rich and elegant. His face was wrinkled, but his small, sly eyes held a cold gleam like a snake hiding in the dark, ready to strike.
Lord Gregory.
Finally, she saw this cunning traitor face to face.
Lord Gregory glanced at the two siblings clinging to each other. His eyes paused on the blood on Elara's chest, then moved to Yang, who had followed in.
Yang immediately knelt down. Facing Lord Gregory's direction, his head lowered very low, fists clenched tight.
"Lord Gregory, I…"
But just as Yang began to speak, Elara, still in Benedict's arms, suddenly began to cry out in a weak, pained voice.
"Lord Gregory! You must stand up for me!" She leaned against Benedict like she could barely stand. Her hands clutched his sleeves, her face full of anger and humiliation.
Seeing her like this, Benedict's emotions spiraled out of control.
"Sis, tell me! Who bullied you! I'll kill him right now!!"
Elara looked at the boy whose eyes were red with fury. She quickly lifted her trembling hand and pointed straight at Yang, who was kneeling.
"It's him! Little brother, he didn't just slander and threaten me! He dared to lay a hand on me! I almost…"
She weakly collapsed again into Benedict's arms, as if she'd been seriously hurt. But she was actually using his robes to hide her sharp gaze aimed at Lord Gregory.
Heh. Just as she expected from someone who thought Plumera would soon belong to the Gregory family. The emperor had gotten up so long ago, yet he still sat unmoving on the bed. Clearly, he liked that seat a little too much.
Benedict, seeing how weak his sister looked, was full of panic. He hugged her tightly and glared at Yang with rage. His free hand even moved toward the sword at his side.
"Yang! You dared to touch my sister! I…"
Before he could finish, Elara quickly pressed down his hand on the hilt, pulling his attention back and stopping him from speaking.
She held him close and weakly breathed while secretly watching the other two men.
"Don't be angry, little brother. Lord Gregory once said he would always stand up for us. My hand really hurts right now. Help me rub it, okay?"
Though her brother truly loved her, his mindset had been twisted over the years. If pushed too far, he might really go mad and do something reckless. But today's goal was focused on those two men. So she had to calm him down first.
Benedict, seeing her like this, still wanted to pull his sword. But he held her hand gently instead and began to rub it with care.
"It won't hurt, sis. Let me blow on it. Huff…"
Yang, still kneeling, stared at the siblings with disbelief. His eyes were wide in shock. His fists clenched tightly, and he took deep breaths before lifting his head to look at Lord Gregory on the bed. Gritting his teeth, he said:
"Lord Gregory! Her Highness is lying! I didn't! How could I ever harm her?! I never even touched her!"
He had spent a lifetime being the bad guy. Lying, threatening, and bullying others was second nature. Yet he never expected to be the one falsely accused one day.
It had been years since anyone dared to make him this angry. His hands nearly dug into his flesh from how tight he clenched them. But in front of Lord Gregory, he didn't dare show too much. He only swore silently that one day, the princess would pay for this.
Lord Gregory, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke in a low voice.
He looked at Elara in Benedict's arms. "Your Highness, this doesn't seem right. Yang is the Chief of the Inner Court, personally appointed by His Majesty. You even praised his work before. He's not someone reckless. Why would he suddenly attack you?"
Of course they were on the same side. Elara had expected that response. She immediately replied weakly:
"Lord Gregory, then how do you explain the wound on my chest? Did I stab myself just to frame Yang? Even a halfwit wouldn't believe that."
Benedict couldn't stand seeing his sister like this. He kept rubbing her hand, eyes red as he looked at Lord Gregory. "Lord Gregory!"
Only then did Lord Gregory slowly rise. With steady steps, he walked over to them. His narrow eyes lingered on the blood on Elara's chest for a moment, then he cupped his hands and smiled.
"Your Majesty, it's better to figure out the truth first."
Elara sneered in her heart. Before Benedict could speak again, she quietly held his hand and said with a weak breath:
"Fine. Let me explain what happened today."
"I was lying comfortably in the bath at Jade Pavilion, holding Linger, when Yang suddenly barged in without any warning. He not only broke into my bath but also attacked me!"
She noticed Benedict's red eyes and saw him reaching for his sword again. She quickly pulled him closer and half-leaned into his arms. Her voice, soft and faint, rang close to his ear.
"Lord Gregory, didn't you say before that once you held the top position among the Three Ministers, my brother and I wouldn't need to worry about anything? That as long as you were around, we could do whatever we wanted, and no one would dare defy us?"
"But now that you're the head of the Three Ministers, have you forgotten your oath? Forgotten how much we trusted you?"