Page 145 of Remarried Empress

McKenna was either the bird or not. Was it a coincidence that he and the bird were injured at the same time? I ended up breaking several pen nibs while mulling over this question.

“Your Majesty, shouldn’t you take a rest today?”

The court officials who knew of my fainting spell kept suggesting that I take a break from work.

“I’m fine.”

I changed my pen nib again.

‘I should be happy that McKenna’s the bird, right?’

That meant that Heinley’s blue bird lived. I was concerned that I might have done something unbecoming in front of him, but I soon shook the thought. I never patted his rear, or hugged or kissed him, or changed my clothes in front of him. It was only with Queen that I

“!”

Was Queen another one of Heinley’s subordinates?

I snapped my pen nib in horror.

“It’s not that she’s weak, it’s that she’s full of vigor.”

My ears caught the sound of a court official whispering, and I started from my thoughts.

“I’m tired, so I’ll go first.”

I hurriedly walked out of the room. The thought that Queen was a member of the Bird Head clan was like thorns in my body.

‘I’ll ask Heinley later.’

If Queen was one of Heinley’s subordinates...

I arrived at the western palace thinking all kinds of horrified thoughts, when I spotted one of Sovieshu’s servants standing in the hallway in front of my room. The servant was holding some kind of wheeled, elongated stand, and a cloth concealed the top of it. My ladies-in-waiting surrounded it with wide eyes.

“Your Majesty the Empress! ”

The servant greeted me as soon as he saw me.

“What is this?”

The voice that emerged from my mouth wasn’t as confident as I wanted. I still remembered the last “gift” Sovieshu had sent me.

The servant spoke with pride.

“It is a gift from the Emperor to Her Majesty.”

“Gift?”

“Yes.”

The cloth covering the stand was pulled off, revealing the identity of the “gift.” It was a blue bird in a cage.

‘Thank goodness it’s alive this time.’

It was a beautiful and elegant gift, but I could only see this as some kind of mockery.

‘Does he intend for me to think of the roast bird every time I see this?’

Whether Heinley’s bird was actually dead or not, Sovieshu wanted to hurt me thoroughly. The servant left, and the ladies-in-waiting moved the cage into the parlor room. The bird seemed quite gentle in personality, and it stared at me intelligently as tears pricked my eyes.

Whenever I looked at the bird, I could only remember yesterday’s shock. I couldn’t bring myself to look after it. Finally, I called for Countess Eliza to return the cage.

***

Rashta was nervous. Several days had passed since Sovieshu had promised to make her empress. She thought he would have notified the empress of divorce by now, but he had yet to act.

“What is he thinking...?”

Rashta hugged her large doll and paced nervously around the room. This morning, her anxiety grew even higher when Sovieshu prepared a beautiful blue bird to give to Empress Navier.

A blue bird. An elegant blue bird fit to be raised by a noble. As soon as Rashta wanted a bird of her own, Sovieshu had chosen to gift one to the Empress instead. She was set to explode into a fit of anger.

However, Rashta paused and heard the sound of something being dragged outside her door. She set down her doll and peeked outside. A man was passing down the hall, pulling a cage on a wheeled stand.

“What is that?”

The servant replied with a rather worried face.

“This bird was given by the Emperor to the Empress.”

“But why bring the bird back here?”

“Her Majesty asked that it be taken back.”

The servant seemed nervous as he spoke, as if he were afraid to return the gift to the Emperor.

“His Majesty isn’t here at this time of day, so you’ll have to leave the bird in the hallway. But if the bird is left out here, it might catch a cold.”

The servant only looked even more worried. Rashta quickly stepped out and reached out her hand.

“Please give it to Rashta. Delise will deliver it.”

***

At the same time, Koshar was travelling down a long road. He was filled with unease. It wasn’t that he was worried that he could not succeed the Troby family, nor that his reputation had plummeted. He did not have to worry about eating or lodging either, as he had plenty of money and jewelry from Marquis Farang and Empress Navier. The thoughts that occupied his mind were far different.

How could he get revenge on Sovieshu and Rashta? What could he do so that his sister could comfortably reign as empress?

Just then, a voice called him from behind. Koshar tugged the reigns on his horse and looked back.

“Lord Koshar! Lord Koshar!”

A man with a bristling beard was running towards him.

‘A bandit.’

Koshar’s hand went to the sword on his waist, but he spied no weapon on the bearded man as he approached. The man stopped in front of Koshar, bending over to catch his breath, before finally speaking.

“Tootoo fast, too fast, too fast...haa, haaI thought I missed you.”

“?”

“I’m from the Western Kingdom. I was sent by King Heinley.”

“The Western Kingdom?”

At present, Koshar was located on the border of the Northern Kingdom. Why would someone from the Western Kingdom come here?

“Why the Western King?”

“He told me to bring you back. He wants to talk about your sister.”