The Villainess is a Marionette

It was sad. The times he spent with Cayena seemed to go away like a flash.

Raphael was amazed by the fact he experienced such rash and impulsive feelings.

“Then, I’ll see you as soon as I sort out the troubles from last night.”

“Have a safe trip home.”

Raphael bid his farewell and climbed into the carriage.

After seeing him off, Cayena took Olivia with her to the princess’s palace.

Olivia carefully stuck to her side and said, “Congratulations, Your Highness.”

Becoming the emperor’s proxy was good for Cayena.

However, Cayena’s safety measures were not properly prepared yet. Cayena paused her steps and replied, “I’m sorry that I hadn’t been able to set up a safety fence before this happened.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I will support you.”

“…Thank you.”

Although the emperor had not declared her as his official heir, many would interpret this as the entrance of a new competitor to the throne.

‘The emperor may be killed like this. And if someone frames me, I could be executed.’

She couldn’t permit herself to incur anger because she couldn’t digest this new power.

When Cayena arrived at her palace and was about to enter the bedroom, the employees of the princess’s palace, led by Vera, were waiting for her in the parlor. This included the other new senior ladies-in-waiting.

Susan also looked at Cayena with a deep curiosity like she had heard everything about the situation outside.

Julia only looked uncomfortable seeing Olivia standing by Cayena’s side. She didn’t seem to understand Cayena’s new role as the emperor’s proxy.

“Congratulations, Your Highness!”

The employees knelt down and greeted her politely. They had to bow like that; Cayena was now the second most powerful person in the empire after the emperor.

‘They’re congratulating me…’

She had simply wanted to make a fake husband and escape safely from the palace. There was no barricade as secure as that plan. That was what she had thought, and that was why she had been taking her time.

However, Rezef and the people around her would not wait for her.

Politics in the central palace would swallow up the weak. Hesitation was a luxury. It was clear that things would be taken from her the moment she revealed a gap.

“Rise.”

She looked around at the palace workers and opened her mouth.

“I have received great power from His Majesty, but I am not his successor. Remember that. Control yourselves well, and don’t act rashly.”

“We will remember, Your Highness!”

“The princess’s palace has just begun to be organized. I know that you may be disconcerted by this change.”

Cayena made eye contact with her new ladies in waiting, one by one.

Olivia, who had seen the situation first-hand, contemplated the situation calmly.

“The new court ladies especially should work hard and adapt to the imperial palace as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

They exited the parlor in an orderly fashion.

Vera was the only one to follow Cayena into her bedroom. Cayena asked, “What is the situation of the silver spoon?”

Vera answered without a pause. “Including the detailed drawings, it will be ready within two days.”

“Once it’s ready, I want it to be blessed by the church. Arrange the donations separately.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Vera’s voice was rather excited while she replied.

“It’s isn’t something to be pleased about,” Cayena noted.

“But you’re the deputy for the state administration, Your Highness. Influence comes to those with power.”

She wasn’t wrong. However, they had to be aware that they might be eliminated before they could even gather any forces.

“This affair could seriously set off Rezef’s temper. And even if Rezef believes in me and lets it slide, his faction may not.”

“What can he do about an imperial order? Furthermore, your authority is only temporary.”

Cayena shook her head. “Even if it is temporary, the traces of authority won’t be erased. If it happens once, what would prevent it from happening again? That’s what everyone is worried about.”

The deputy for the state administration. Taking care of the imperial household and affairs. Neither was anything to blink at. The problem was one of the powers of the deputy: military jurisdiction.

In fact, it was power over the military that legitimized an emperor.

This was a predicament that neither Rezef’s nor Heinrich’s factions desired. That said, Cayena didn’t think she needed to go on the defensive. She was capable of taking this round for herself.

“Find me information on military law.”

She hadn’t thought that she would ever have to study military law, even when she wanted a connection with the military.

‘I never studied military law, not even when I thought I would marry Raphael.’

Well, the lady of the house didn’t necessarily have to study military science.

“I will heed your order.”

Vera left the bedroom to fulfill Cayena’s desires, leaving Cayena alone inside.

‘The state deputy…’

Since the emperor fell sick, the chancellor’s authority had grown. That was also Rezef’s authority.

However, Cayena overtook Chancellor Debussy as the second most powerful person in the empire. She was asked to take care of state affairs as the emperor’s proxy, and that included military matters.

It meant absolute trust in her. The emperor made the decision with the confidence she would never attempt a coup d’état against him.

‘Why would he trust me like this when I’ve only changed so much?’

And why was Rezef excluded? Suddenly, she had the thought that she may not have all the facts. Something was definitely off.

“Why is he treating Rezef so…”

‘Why is he being so cold-hearted?’

The emperor had given Cayena authority enough to rival an official heir because she had taken care of internal affairs properly. That was also a bit weird.

‘Does it have something to do with Rezef’s birth mother?’

Rezef was not expanded upon in detail in the novel.

‘I need to find out who his birth mother is.’

Cayena let out a small sigh. Besides this, she had a lot of work to do.

‘Plus, it seems that the knight commander disapproves of Rezef.’

If she made the knight commander one of her people, even Rezef would not be able to touch her. Rather, Rezef would consider her more seriously.

But that would threaten Zenon’s position.

Zenon had his eye on the chancellor’s seat and was risking his life to support Rezef. Yet suddenly, Cayena had become the emperor’s proxy and given much more influence than the chancellor.

Would Zenon try to eliminate Cayena, or would he try to subdue her some other way?

Zenon headed straight to the palace after hearing the emperor had spat out blood.

A minuscule amount of poison was constantly mixed in the emperor’s tea. It wasn’t a poison that would kill people right away; however, if the dosage increased, the person being poisoned would quickly become unwell.

‘The emperor suddenly entered a critical condition.’

There was no way that could happen. It couldn’t.

‘We don’t even have military control yet. If the emperor’s condition worsens, Heinrich’s faction will find it easier to move!’

Very few people knew that the emperor was being poisoned. Zenon realized that Rezef must have increased the dosage without consulting him.

‘What a stupid move!’

The prince should have consulted with him before this act, but Rezef had decided something so important without going through Zenon. In other words, he didn’t trust Zenon.

Recently, he and Rezef had not been working well together. Friction was inevitable when working with the emotional and violent Rezef, but he had never expected to be blindsided like this.

Just because the prince’s forces were a little bigger right now did not mean that they would gain the throne. Their opponent was Yester Heinrich. That ruffian broke the rules of noble society like they were nothing.

‘As for that bastard…’

It was unbelievable that he sent contractors to the temple to get Cayena. He had to be crazy.

And Zenon was even more foolish for letting such a man hold his weakness!

Moreover, if the emperor died just like this, Rezef would obviously try to thwart Cayena’s marriage.

‘He’ll become busy while negotiating with her.’

Immediately after hearing that the emperor was in a critical condition, Zenon sent a servant to the chancellor and waited for more news. He needed to hear what had happened directly.

The expressions of the knights who guarded Rezef’s chambers were not good. The senior knight spotted Zenon and acknowledged him.

“Ah, Sir Evans. Have you also heard the news?”

Zenon nodded. “Is His Highness inside?”

Rezef had been out investigating the abduction attempt last night as well as the assassination of Henverton Gillian.

And right after he returned to the palace, he went to the emperor to report his progress and check the emperor’s condition.

“His Highness has just come back after meeting His Majesty.”

Zenon nodded and entered Rezef’s bedroom. He said to the servants inside, “Don’t let anyone in until I call for someone. If there is something you must report to us immediately, send in a deaf servant.”

The servants glanced at the prince, who only watched the situation calmly. They quietly withdrew.

Zenon saw Rezef drinking tea at a table in the sunlight. The prince did not seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation at all.

Zenon gritted his teeth and asked, “Why didn’t you consult me?”