Agnes entered and bowed deeply.
“Your order has been carried out, your highness.”
Samantha was still away, and I expected her to be back in an hour or two. I sent Elza and Luis to go plan out and prepare my outfit and jewelries for tonight. It would take them a little while.
As I expected, Agnes was the first one to return. It was just her and I in the room.
This was what I was waiting for.
I tried to make sure my voice was even. Not too high or not too low.
Emotionless.
“I assume his highness is coming to my room tonight? Since you heard what I said to Lisbeth earlier.”
Agnes looked up at me in surprise.
After a brief silence, she asked me politely, “Are you ordering me to let the emperor know about this situation?”
I shook my head.
“No, there shouldn’t be a need for that. You already reported to him.”
“…”
The silence was unpleasant.
After searching my face with her grey eyes, Agnes asked me, “Why would you think that, your highness?”
I answered calmly, “Because you overreacted when I mentioned the princesses.”
Agnes was my number one suspect. It made sense.
At first, I had difficulty narrowing the suspects down. It could have been anyone. However, yesterday, when I showed interest in the dowager empress’ daughters, it was Agnes who reacted angrily. That same day, Lucretius asked me about the same princesses.
It was too good to be a coincidence.
I said to Agnes, “I am lucky to have someone like you who works so tirelessly. I now have no need to ever tell his highness anything or send him a message because of you. Isn’t that right, Dame Dotrya?”
“…”
I surprised even myself with the coldness of my voice and statement. The moment I stopped calling her Agnes and addressed her as “Dame Dotrya,” a huge gap was created between us.
“…”
Agnes continued to look at me silently. I couldn’t tell at all what she was thinking or feeling.
Agnes was better than even Samantha at hiding her feelings. Her face was always blank, especially when it involved the dowager empress Katleyanira.
The woman who killed her beloved empress Beatrice.
Her adopted sister.
I chose her to serve me because I thought her anger against the dowager empress would help me. I never imagined this would actually backfire. I didn’t consider the degree of her fury; it was so great that if necessary, she was willing to betray me.
Agnes bowed calmly and replied, “I did let his highness know, and if you feel I have done something wrong, I am only happy to receive your punishment.”
I felt relieved that I guessed correctly.
I said to her, “I have no right to punish you.”
“Pardon?”
When Agnes looked up at me curiously, I smiled lightly and replied, “You work for the emperor, so how could I dare to punish you?”
“…!” I added slowly, “But this is my home, my wing. I rule this place, and I cannot have people I can’t trust to serve me.”
For the first time, Agnes became pale.
“Your highness!”
I didn’t even blink. I said to her coldly, “You may go back to Lonez if you wish, or you can go to the emperor’s quarters. Where you stay is none of my concern, but you can’t stay with me here.”
“Your highness!”
I ordered calmly, “Please leave my place today. That is all I have to say.”
Agnes bit her lips. She screamed at me desperately.
“Didn’t you tell me you will make the dowager empress pay for what she did?!”
“Yes I did, and I still plan to. I will defeat the dowager empress.”
“Then why would you show sympathy towards her daughters?”
I sighed. Agnes was so furious she couldn’t see the big picture. It was a bit concerning.
I didn’t want to drag this for too long, so I answered simply, “They can be useful. They may be the dowager empress’ children, but I doubt they feel any love for her. I have seen something similar so I can guess how they feel about her. All I did was… consider the possibility of them being useful to me, and therefore, to his highness.”
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Look at their bloody red hair! They are Katleyanira’s daughter, they must be evil too!”
I answered calmly, “If and when that turns out to be true, I will throw them out.”
“…”
“I don’t trust them. All I did was think of the possibility that they could be of use somehow.”
Agnes seemed speechless.
After a brief hesitation, she asked cautiously, “Then why are you so angry that I told his highness? You are his highness’ wife, so why would you feel upset that I told him…”
I smiled smoothly and interrupted her, “There is a difference between me telling his highness myself and someone else telling him without my knowledge. This is my wing, therefore, anything that involves this place should require my knowledge and permission.”
This was true. Other than the dowager empress and her daughters, I was the highest-ranking woman in the entire castle.
“Your highness…”
I said to her simply, “So please leave my place. Thank you for your service.”
“Your highness!”
I didn’t want to hear anymore. When I stood up to leave, Agnes kneeled before me.
“Your highness! I can’t leave like this. That woman! I have lived all this time to see Katleyanira defeated!”
“…”
“Do you know how evil that bitch is? You know that empress Beatrice was pregnant at the time of execution, right? Empress Beatrice begged Katleyanira to delay the execution until after the birth so the baby could live! She begged her on her knees for her baby’s life! Empress Beatrice didn’t care if the baby wouldn’t be acknowledged as royal blood. She just wanted it to live!”
I felt cold.
“That bitch at first pretended like she would help her, but… She instead asked the former emperor to make the execution happen earlier than planned!”
I felt like someone threw ice water at me.
Agnes continued urgently, “And Katleyanira even made Luc watch the execution. She made him watch his own mother’s death! It was because she asked the former emperor to do it. Empress Beatrice begged her to spare Luc such a trauma, but Katleyanira laughed at her!”
“…”
I became speechless. Katleyanira was worse than I thought.
“That is why I couldn’t stand how you showed sympathy towards that bitch’s daughters! I know I have done you wrong, but… I need to see her dead! She needs to suffer and die a horrible death!” Agnes started to weep. “I understand why you are angry at me, your highness, but the only thing I ever told his highness was about the princesses. You can ask his highness yourself. I swear on the empress Beatrice’s grave. I have never spied on you or told his highness anything about you other than about the princesses.”
“Agnes…”
“Please give me a chance. I am not asking for you to trust me or be kind to me.” She took a deep breath and continued, “Please use me as a weapon against that bitch. I swear to you, I will give up my life gladly. Not for his highness, but for you, my lady! I don’t think I will be of great help to your highness, but…”
“…”
“You will find me useful. I have lived in this castle for the past 20 years. I also have experience in serving empress Beatrice. My life is yours, my lady. You can use me any way you see fit.”
Agnes’s eyes were burning.
After a brief contemplation, I decided. What Agnes said and the way she acted right now didn’t seem fake. I could see her genuine desperation.
After a short silence, I said to her, “It is true that I need a tool. A weapon against the dowager empress.”
“Then…”
“But I don’t want a weapon I can’t control or else, I might end up getting hurt with it.”
Agnes nodded passionately. “Yes, your highness, I will never do anything like this ever again.”
“Even for the emperor.”
“As long as you don’t mean harm against the emperor, I will never betray you.”
“There is no way I would ever harm his highness.”
In fact, it was Lucretius who may end up hurting me.
Finally, Agnes smiled widely. It was such a pure abnormal smile that it made me feel uncomfortable.
“My lady, I give you my life.”
Agnes kissed the top of my foot.
That was the day Agnes became mine.
