The crown i will claim — Chapter 7

YOUR HIGHNESS,

MARIEU MET WITH LORD SAMON IN SECRET LAST NIGHT.

I SEE.

IF THE BRACELET MARIEU WAS WEARING WAS INDEED A GIFT FROM HIS LORDSHIP,

IT WOULD MEAN HOUSE CLAUDIO HAS BEEN KEEPING CONTACT WITH THE KAZHEN IMPERIAL FAMILY.

LET'S WAIT AND SEE HOW THINGS UNFOLD FOR NOW.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, NERIL.

YES, YOUR HIGHNESS.

YOUR MASTER, MARQUESS GYLIPPUS. WHERE IS HE THESE DAYS?

MY MASTER...? LAST I HEARD, HE'S BEEN STAYING AT A SMALL ESTATE OUTSIDE THE CAPITAL.

ARE YOU PLANNING TO PAY HIM A VISIT?

YES, BALDINA STILL NEEDS HIM.

HOUSE CLAUDIO'S DEALINGS WITH THE KAZHEN EMPIRE GO FAR BEYOND SECRET CORRESPONDENCE.

SAMON LIKELY HAS NO IDEA...

...THAT THE BRACELET HE GAVE MARIEU TO WIN HER OVER...

...COULD VERY WELL BECOME EVIDENCE OF THEIR COLLUSION.

IT SEEMS MY UNCLE BELIEVES THAT THIS IS HIS CHANCE TO SEIZE THE THRONE WHILE PELEUS IS AWAY LEADING THE CAMPAIGN.

!!

ARE YOU SAYING THE DUKE IS PLANNING A REBELLION?!

THE EMPEROR OF KAZHEN DOES NOT WANT BALDINA TO BECOME ANY STRONGER THAN IT ALREADY IS.

PELEUS PUSHED FOR THIS CAMPAIGN TO BREAK FREE FROM THE EMPIRE'S GRIP.

BECAUSE OF THAT, HE'S BECOME A COMMON ENEMY TO BOTH THE EMPIRE AND MY UNCLE.

IN MY PAST LIFE, BALDINA WAS DEVASTATED BY A HARSH AND BRUTAL WINTER.

THE KAZHEN EMPIRE PROMISED FOOD AID,

BUT AT THE LAST MOMENT, THEY SUDDENLY WITHDREW THEIR SUPPORT, ALL WHILE MAKING EXCUSES.

AS A RESULT, THE PEOPLE DIRECTED THEIR ANGER AT KING PELEUS, AND A REBELLION BROKE OUT.

IN REALITY, HOWEVER, THE REVOLT WAS STAGED BY AGENTS MY UNCLE HAD PLANTED.

DOES KAZHEN NOT FEAR THE CONSEQUENCES?!

NO MATTER HOW POWERFUL THEY MAY BE, THEY CAN'T GO AFTER ANOTHER COUNTRY'S KING AND EXPECT NO REPERCUSSIONS!

THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE NEED TO STOP THEM BEFORE THEY DO ANYTHING.

AS A FORMER COMMANDER OF THE ROYAL GUARD AND A NATIONALLY CELEBRATED WAR HERO, THE MARQUESS WOULD BE A POWERFUL ALLY.

NERIL, ARRANGE A PRIVATE MEETING WITH MARQUESS GYLIPPUS.

YES, YOUR HIGHNESS. I WILL SEE TO IT AT ONCE.

IN THIS LIFE,

I'LL MAKE SURE THOSE TRAITORS NEVER MAKE IT PAST THOSE WALLS ALIVE.

Episode 7

GREETINGS, YOUR HIGHNESS.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE, DUCHESS CLAUDIO.

OH, PLEASE DON'T CALL ME THAT. WE'RE FAMILY, ARE WE NOT?

I WAS TERRIBLY WORRIED WHEN I HEARD ABOUT YOUR FALL FROM YOUR HORSE.

FORGIVE ME FOR NOT VISITING SOONER. I MYSELF WAS BEDRIDDEN AFTER AN EXHAUSTING JOURNEY.

DUCHESS CATHERINE CLAUDIO

IT COULDN'T BE HELPED, MOTHER.

...!

I'M SURE SOMEONE AS GENEROUS AS MEDEA UNDERSTANDS.

VIRNA.

I MISSED YOU SO MUCH THAT I BEGGED MOTHER TO LET ME COME WITH HER TODAY. YOU DON'T MIND, DO YOU?

NOT AT ALL.

I'VE MISSED YOU TOO.

VIRNA CLAUDIO...

YOU TRAITOR TO MY FAMILY AND MY COUNTRY...

JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT SHE DID TO LEAH AND RIAN MAKES ME WANT TO TEAR HER TO PIECES THIS VERY MOMENT, BUT...

...NOW IS NOT THE TIME.

SLOWLY, EVER SO SLOWLY, I WILL SQUEEZE THE LIFE OUT OF HER...

...UNTIL THE PAIN BECOMES TOO MUCH FOR HER TO BEAR.

HOW IS YOUR HEAD, YOUR HIGHNESS?

YOU MAY LOOK FINE ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT A FALL LIKE THAT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.

IN FACT, I BROUGHT A PHYSICIAN WITH ME TO EXAMINE YOU. THEY SAY HIS SKILLS ARE UNRIVALED IN THE KAZHEN EMPIRE.

SINCE HE'S FROM THE EMPIRE, I THOUGHT IT BEST TO SEEK YOUR PERMISSION BEFORE BRINGING HIM INTO THE PALACE.

IF YOU'RE ALL RIGHT WITH IT, I CAN HAVE HIM BROUGHT IN IMMEDIATELY.

AS IF ALLOWING A PHYSICIAN FROM AN ENEMY NATION INTO THE PALACE WOULD EVER BE ACCEPTABLE.

MOTHER WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS TO BRING HIM HERE FOR YOU. SHE EVEN SPENT SEVERAL CHESTS OF GOLD.

VIRNA, THAT'S ENOUGH. YOU'LL ONLY MAKE HER HIGHNESS UNCOMFORTABLE.

IS THAT SO? IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU WENT THROUGH QUITE THE TROUBLE...

...TO BRING HIM ALL THIS WAY, AUNT CATHERINE.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA!

SHE EVEN WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE KAZHEN EMPIRE HERSELF! SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE MORE HER DAUGHTER THAN I AM.

YOU WENT TO KAZHEN YOURSELF...?

WITH THE WAR STILL GOING ON, I DIDN'T THINK CHANCELLOR SISAIRE WOULD ALLOW SUCH A TRIP.

VIRNA!!

DON'T WORRY, YOUR HIGHNESS! HE MERELY CAME AHEAD OF TIME, AS HE IS ASSIGNED TO SERVE AS THE ATTENDING PHYSICIAN FOR THE KAZHEN DELEGATION!

YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!

I APPRECIATE YOUR CONCERN, AUNT CATHERINE.

HOWEVER,

THE ROYAL PHYSICIAN HAS ALREADY SAID I'M FINE, SO I MUST DECLINE.

I SEE... BUT, YOUR HIGHNESS...

I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL A LITTLE HURT.

SURELY YOU DON'T SUSPECT THE PHYSICIAN I BROUGHT?

IT MAY BE PRESUMPTUOUS OF ME TO SAY, BUT I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF YOU AS MY OWN DAUGHTER.

IT PAINS ME TO SEE YOU BEING SO DISTANT FROM ME.

HER OWN DAUGHTER?

HOW FOOLISH I WAS TO EVER BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS GENUINE LOVE.

FORGIVE ME, AUNT CATHERINE.

I DO APPRECIATE THE GESTURE, BUT I'M AFRAID YOUR WORDS DON'T QUITE RESONATE WITH ME.

MEDEA! WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU TODAY?! HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT TO MOTHER?!

BECAUSE I CAN'T AGREE WITH WHAT SHE JUST SAID.

W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT...?

I'M SURE YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN.

YOU WERE ALREADY AWARE OF THE KIND OF TREATMENT I'VE BEEN SUBJECTED TO EVER SINCE I CLASHED WITH THE HEAD MAID, WEREN'T YOU?

YOU WERE QUICK TO NOTICE MY DISCOMFORT, SO I DOUBT YOU COULD'VE MISSED THAT EVERY ONE OF MY MAIDS HAS BEEN REPLACED.

I UNDERSTAND.

THE HEAD MAID IS A DEAR FRIEND OF YOURS, SO I IMAGINE IT MUST BE DIFFICULT TO CHOOSE BETWEEN HER AND ME.

YOUR HIGHNESS, YOU'RE MISTAKEN...!

WOULD YOU HAVE STAYED SO QUIET IF VIRNA HAD BEEN TREATED THE SAME WAY?

YOU MAY CONSIDER ME YOUR OWN DAUGHTER, BUT I CAN NEVER TRULY BE SO. THAT IS WHAT PAINS ME.

I THINK IT'S BEST THAT YOU BOTH LEAVE. I DON'T WANT TO SEE EITHER OF YOU FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.

YOUR HIGHNESS! WAIT!!

WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS RUN YOUR MOUTH AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME?!

I THOUGHT I HAD HER COMPLETELY UNDER MY CONTROL...

IF ONLY QUEZIN HADN'T TAKEN THINGS TOO FAR!

I CAN'T LET HER SLIP THROUGH MY FINGERS NOW.

I'LL START BY MAKING AN EXAMPLE OF QUEZIN.