Carlyle and the army he led had reached the gates of Zyro's mansion and were waiting for permission to enter.
Just then, an unexpected letter arrived at his barracks.
"The Empress's Palace, and from the palace where the princesses live! I've never spoken a word to my sisters in my life!"
Carlyle was surprised by the unexpected sender and tore open the letter.
He read the few lines written there in silence.
"Your Highness…? What does it say?"
"Hmm… No matter how much the Empire boasts of being a developed country, it's not a comfortable place for women to live. Isn't it?"
"Yes? What's the matter with that all of a sudden…"
Lionel frowned at Carlyle's question, which seemed to be a rhetorical one, but Carlyle didn't answer his curiosity as he pondered the contents of the letter.
Just then, a knight who seemed to be struggling with someone outside came in with a slightly flushed face and shouted.
"Excuse me for interrupting your conversation, Your Highness. There's someone here who insists on seeing you…"
"I'm not in the mood to see anyone right now. Tell them to submit a formal visit request tomorrow morning and come back after receiving permission."
"I, I already told them that! But… they said that if you heard their name, you would allow them in."
Carlyle's curiosity was aroused by that.
"Who is it?"
And the moment Carlyle heard the guest's name, he couldn't help but allow the meeting, just as the guest had boasted.
Of course, he wasn't exactly happy about it.
"Well, well, well, who is this!"
"May the utmost glory be upon Your Majesty. I, Viviana Lucipole, present myself before Your Highness."
Carlyle didn't uncross his legs even as Viviana bowed deeply with her back bent.
"Long time no see."
"Yes… It's been a long time, Your Highness."
"The favor of the powerful is indeed fleeting, Mrs. Lowry? Ah! You're no longer Mrs. Lowry, are you? What's your last name now?"
"It's Lucipole. The barony and the Peyton estate were also taken away from me… so I had to use the last name my ancestors used long ago."
"Tsk tsk, tsk."
The guest who came to see him was Viviana, the former mistress of the emperor.
She was still beautiful, but her eyes didn't shine like they used to. Only deep-seated resentment seemed to burn in the middle of her empty soul.
"So, it must be awkward for you. What brings you here? Are you here to make a deal?"
"If it's a deal, then it's a deal. I'll give you important information, so please help me get my revenge."
"Revenge? On whom?"
Her eyes became even more venomous.
"Who? That woman, Beatrice, who made me like this!"
"Hoo. Insolence to the royalty in front of the royalty, is this a trendy suicide method?"
Carlyle said to Lionel as if joking.
However, Viviana didn't laugh along at all.
"I don't care if I die. But before I die, I have to get revenge on that woman. Otherwise... I'll feel so guilty towards my dead baby."
Tears quickly welled up in Viviana's eyes and began to flow down her cheeks. Her appearance was so pitiful that Lionel took out a handkerchief and handed it to her without even realizing it.
Carlyle, who had no talent for comforting crying women, waited patiently for her to stop crying on her own.
At other times, he would have ordered Lionel to clean it up, but he believed that there was a good reason why Viviana came to him, throwing away all her pride.
"Yes, yes. Everyone is wronged and resentful. But I'm a little busy to listen to the whole story. Before you cry more, will you get to the point?"
At Carlyle's admonition, who barely held back his anger, Viviana wiped her wet face, sniffed, and opened her mouth.
"Did you know that His Majesty the Emperor is impotent?"
"What? Hahaha!"
Carlyle burst out laughing at the sudden word 'impotent'. It was something he had no idea about, but it felt quite refreshing.
"I somehow thought that he didn't have any illegitimate children compared to the number of times he had sex with women... Is our father impotent?"
"About 4 years after Princess Charlotte was born, the imperial physician confirmed that he was infertile."
"So that's why you couldn't have my father's child? That's a shame. But what's the matter with that?"
Viviana clenched the handkerchief soaked in tears.
She didn't know how many dirty things she had to do to find out this fact. She had already lost her sense of chastity before becoming the Emperor's mistress, but she felt like she wanted to die when she had to flirt with the old man who couldn't even look at her in the past.
She only endured it because she believed that if she handed over this information to Carlyle, he would take revenge for her.
"His Majesty the Emperor became infertile because of Her Majesty the Empress's doing. She bribed the imperial physician and had him constantly take medicine that makes him infertile."
"Hoo...."
Carlyle, who was touching the tip of his chin and looking at her suspiciously, Viviana handed over the envelope she was holding.
"The evidence is in here."
Carlyle stared at the envelope pushed in front of him for a moment, then slowly reached out and took it. Before opening the envelope, he asked Viviana.
"What do you want in return for this?"
"I told you. I want you to get revenge on that woman."
"Only... that?"
"Yes. That's all. I want that woman to fall into hell miserably."
Viviana's eyes were burning with unconcealed vengeance.
"My mother must have held a deep grudge."
He smiled broadly and opened the envelope.
Inside were a prescription for infertility drugs and a purchase receipt written by the former imperial physician himself, as well as a diary of the days he had mixed it into the emperor's medicine.
The paper was old and faded, but it was certainly an original. This was because it was stamped with the seal that was only allowed to be used by the imperial physicians.
Moreover, Carlyle clearly remembered who that imperial physician was.
"Ha...! How on earth did you find this?"
"Some men can give up a lot of things for their desires. Even men over 60."
"Aha!"
Carlyle found Viviana's taste quite good, but he also realized that her grudge was just as deep.
"It's even more surprising that the imperial physician is still alive. My mother's finishing touches were lacking."
"They say that if the emperor's personal physician dies, it would raise suspicions."
It meant that he was a bold man who dared to participate in the plan to feed the emperor infertility drugs, and a cunning man who would not be swayed by those in power.
"You mean that such a thorough man gave out this information because he was bewitched by a woman?"
"I didn't say he gave it out himself."
Carlyle, who had been looking at Viviana's determined face, smiled slyly.
"You mean you stole it."
However, Viviana did not seem very ashamed, and Carlyle did not care either.
"It's certainly useful information. My father will be furious."
He had planned to get rid of the empress first, but he never imagined that the clue would come from Viviana.
'You shouldn't be rude to good luck.'
Carlyle thought of the bluebird of fortune that had flown away to the north. How nice it would have been if he had thought this way when he first met the bluebird.
He tapped the end of the envelope containing the evidence on the armrest of the chair and nodded.
"I owe you a debt, but come to think of it, you were just being used by the empress's scheme."
Then he gestured to Lionel and gave him some instructions.
"I will surely give you your revenge, so until then, hide yourself. The imperial physician who had his documents stolen will not be able to sit still."
"I'm already finished. I've lost everything. My only wish is to see Beatrice's downfall. I don't have any more will to live."
Tears welled up in her eyes again. Instead of pitying her, Carlyle clicked his tongue.
"Where did you throw away the spirit that made you turn me into an enemy? Just live. If you live, there will always be a way."
Just then, Lionel, who had gone out, returned and handed Viviana a bag.
"This should be enough money to live in hiding for a year. Zyro will be chaotic for a while, so stay in Sir Raphelt's territory."
"Why… Why are you even saving my life?"
Viviana asked with a voice tinged with moisture.
She thought Carlyle would sneer at her and throw money at her. She didn't expect him to care about her situation.
Carlyle, seeing Viviana clearly expressing those thoughts on her face, chuckled and replied.
"I guess living in an Empire devoted to the gods, you tend to pick up some bad habits."
If he just let the person who risked everything to bring him top-secret information go without any reward, the people of Pervaz would criticize him.
Carlyle didn't want to see that disappointed look in her eyes anymore.
***
Carlyle finally entered the capital.
The celebration was much grander than when he returned from suppressing the Kingdom of Albania. It was only natural, as this was the first time the Empire had been attacked so far inside.
"Your Majesty, Carlyle Evaristo, has returned after defeating the invaders in the southern part of the Empire."
Entering the hall of the Imperial Palace, Carlyle returned victorious as always, with a more relaxed smile than ever.
The Emperor pretended to welcome him warmly, but the sight of his son, shining like the embodiment of Aguiles, brought back the inferiority complex he had buried.
'They're all just looking at that bastard.'
All the nobles around him looked at Carlyle with admiring eyes.
The Emperor should be the master of the Imperial Palace, but every time Carlyle appeared, he felt like he was being robbed of his place.