“What's all this noise?”
Queen Cornelia's appearance caused a stir in the crowd. At this point, the situation I expected was truly complete. Just now, when I saw Countess Elvira alone appearing, I thought the Queen would not come, but it seems that luck smiled on me.
“Your Majesty the Queen!”
I walked straight in front of the Queen and knelt down on the ground as if I had no strength left. My unflinching aura caused Cornelia to suddenly take a step back. I quickly raised my head and shouted loudly:
"My dear Queen, Your Majesty, how can you stand by and ignore a traitor plotting rebellion right before your eyes?"
At that moment, the Queen's eyebrows furrowed tightly, forming deep wrinkles in the middle of her forehead. She immediately questioned me:
"A traitor? What are you talking about?"
Not only the Queen, but also the crowd was shocked. The two words "rebellion" have terrible destructive power. My words caused everyone to talk.
“What is this all about?”
“Is there a plot to commit treason?”
"What nonsense are you suddenly saying? Or has the Imperial Prince just escaped death and gone crazy?"
The whispers grew louder and louder. I personally poked the bee's nest in the name of "treason", and soon, that noisy sound was as loud as the flapping wings of a swarm of angry bees.
All eyes were on me. I pulled out the dagger stuck in my stomach. If it weren't for the layer of lard and the iron chain mail, this thing would definitely have sunk deep into my skin.
I clutched the dagger in my hand, pointing the tip at Mercedes.
"That traitor tried to kill me but failed, so it's over. I took precautions in advance so I brought protective gear, and sure enough, she used a knife to stab me. But I can endure this small matter."
I removed the armor fixed on my stomach, the lard and the iron mesh fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Realizing that I had used a simple trick to escape death, everyone gasped in surprise. I ignored their reaction and continued speaking:
“But I cannot turn a blind eye to someone who has no shame and dares to plot treason right in front of Her Majesty the Queen!”
Hearing me repeat the words "treason", Mercedes screamed in excitement:
"N-No! W-What the hell are you talking about!"
But with her current disheveled, pathetic appearance, her words no longer had any weight. I stomped my foot hard on the ground and then shouted in a sharper voice:
"What audacity! Your Majesty the Queen, Her Majesty Cesar's mother is standing here, why does a lowly nurse like you dare to call herself the Prince's mother?"
Surprised gasps rang out from the crowd. Mercedes also seems to have been hit in the heart. Her body stiffened as if she were nailed to the spot.
“T-That… t-is not…”
She shook her head vigorously. Seeing that scene, the crowd began to whisper:
“Speaking of which, it seems like she actually said that.”
"Treason, is it true? This is a big deal."
I quickly bowed my head towards the Queen once more.
"Your Majesty the Queen. This young lady has the temerity to report. This young lady cannot stand by and watch the arrogant behavior of this traitor. Someone who acts as the Prince's nanny and claims to be the Prince's mother, this is clearly a blasphemous act, overturning the hierarchical order. Isn't that the same as eying the position of Queen? Her Majesty the Queen's position is given by the Gods, the crime of daring to claim to be of the Royal Family is a shameless act. causing people to be indignant. Please punish this person severely to correct the royal family's discipline."
When I mentioned the royal family's discipline, it was difficult for the Queen to ignore this accusation.
Just now, even though Countess Elvira saw me being stabbed with a knife, she still passed by as if it were nothing. Through that attitude, I knew that even if I died at Mercedes' hands, they wouldn't care one bit.
Not only that, I can easily predict that, even if my unjust death exposes Mercedes' crimes, she will not be punished appropriately. The post-mortem handling will certainly also be superficial. No investigation, just a cover up and done with it.
I will definitely become the fifth Imperial Concubine to die because of the "curse." Like many people before.
Actually, my original plan was to make a big deal out of it to demonstrate clear evidence of guilt in front of many people.
But looking at the attitude of the Countess just now, I realized that even if the situation was clear, I still could not be sure of victory.
At that moment, the Queen appeared like a lifesaver. A bold idea flashed in my head.
If they ignore me, I will steer the conversation in a direction that they cannot ignore.
If I hadn't mentioned the treason, even if the Queen had punished Mercedes, it would certainly have been just a light slap.
At most, it's just a failed attempt at murder. It was a failed assassination attempt, and it was also aimed at a helpless Prince, whom even the Queen did not like. Combined with Mercedes' unstable psychology, the punishment would be even lighter.
But when I accused her of treason, the Queen could no longer ignore it.
Queen Cornelia also realized that, and could not hide her anger. Her white face turned red with anger. She glared at me for a long moment, maintaining her confrontational stance. I bowed my head even lower and chanted:
“Please rectify the royal family's discipline!”
The people gathered here were all palace staff, most of them were relatives of civil and military mandarins in the court. Individuals may be insignificant, but when they come together, the story will be completely different.
It is difficult to eliminate all of these witnesses, or cover it up as if this never happened.
This is the perfect stage for me to achieve my desired outcome.
I secretly signaled to Delfina. She understood and nodded. The plan was a great success.
With fiery eyes, Queen Cornelia ordered the guard knight:
"Tie this person up and put her in a dungeon. Especially cover her mouth so she can't commit suicide. Later I will personally interrogate her, until then, no matter what happens, I must keep her alive."
“Obey orders.”
The Queen's knights immediately took action. They grabbed Mercedes and dragged her away.
"No! Your Majesty the Queen! Blame me! It was all plotted by that evil woman―"
Pop! A knight slapped her hard in the face. The slapping sound was so loud that Mercedes slumped down, unable to move anymore.
The Queen stepped in front of me. I swallowed hard. She reached out to me. I slowly held that hand. The hand was so cold it was chilling.
"Prince, your contribution this time is very great. I am very touched by your filial piety and decisive actions."
Cornelia's red lips drew a gentle curve. Her mouth smiled, but her deep blue eyes shone with a cold, bone-piercing look. The cold cold seemed to freeze my soul.
"No, Your Majesty the Queen. This young lady just saw something unpleasant so she couldn't ignore it."
The Queen smiled faintly:
"Your Highness, I am the one who judges rewards and punishments. Thanks to this matter, I have eliminated the seeds that caused instability in the Royal Family. I praise you. Come on, say what you want."
I bowed deeply. Even though the Queen told me to say whatever I wanted, I wasn't naive enough to believe that she would grant every request.
However, in this situation, there is one thing I can ask for.
"This young lady does not know how to repay Her Majesty the Queen's heavenly grace. If there is anything she wishes for, she only asks for one thing."
“What is that?”
I took a deep breath.
“Just now, that traitor confessed to me the crime of murdering the four previous prince concubine candidates.”
The Queen raised her eyebrows. Even my shocking announcement made everyone around me stir in surprise.
“Lady Alonzo murdered the Prince concubine candidates?”
“Is that true?”
The Queen also asked me again:
“Prince, are you sure about what you say?”
"Yes, absolutely correct. For a long time, everything was only considered a 'curse' related to His Highness Cesar, but in reality it was human behavior. That woman even blamed the crime she committed on the head of the master she served under the label of a curse, truly a devil in disguise. Please, Her Majesty the Queen, please clarify the truth, expose the traitor's crimes to comfort the souls of unjust women!"
“…….”
The Queen was silent. A seemingly endless silence fell between me and the Queen.
Cold sweat broke out on my forehead, my mouth was as dry as someone who had just crossed the desert.
After a moment of glaring at me inquisitively, the Queen finally burst into laughter.
"Prince, you are indeed very smart. The credit for capturing the traitor this time is thanks to your cunning. I will reward you handsomely."
“This young lady can only thank Her Majesty the Queen for her grace.”
"I, Queen Cornelia, declare with honor. I promise to find the person behind this incident and severely punish the criminal Mercedes Alonzo."
Everything went as planned. I silently breathed a sigh of relief and bowed my head to the Queen once more.