# 84
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Still, considering he is an Imperial Palace Inspector, I suppose I should treat him well.
Muttering cynically, Eliza ordered, "Forget the conversation; prepare a very long table where one can at least distinguish facial features." The Queen's ladies-in-waiting placed a very long table, perfectly suited to her taste, in the center of the Eagle Hall. Positioned at a right angle to the curtain, Eliza's seat at the table was by far the most honored spot beneath it.
“Prepare plenty of food. He is leaving on a long journey, so we must feed him well before he leaves. Just prepare a cup of tea for me.”
Under such an emotional order, Ivanka was served a mountain of food. The problem was the wonderful environment surrounding the mountain of food.
The damnedly huge hall was unusually black, and the expressions of the maids and ladies-in-waiting in gray uniforms were as dry and brittle as withered fallen leaves. And the Queen of Richmond, who had personally created this entire environment, sat opposite her, sipping tea with an elegant posture.
As Ivanka merely stared at the food in front of her, Eliza gestured for Mrs. Isaac to come over. After saying something to her, Mrs. Isaac walked across the side of the table with an upright posture toward Ivanka.
The Grand Madam asks which food is the most delicious.
Ivanka's gaze instinctively turned to Eliza. This damn table was so long that, let alone conversation, anyone with poor eyesight wouldn't even be able to see each other's features. When she didn't answer, Mrs. Isaac urged for a response in a calm tone.
“Which food is the most delicious?”
Ivanka wanted to scream at her, asking if she could even swallow food in this situation. The most infuriating thing about this goddamn situation was that Eliza Richmond was having her handmaiden relay everything she wanted to say.
“The Grand Madam is asking which food is the most delicious.”
Ivanka answered, pulling up her trembling lips.
The steak is really delicious.
Then, Mrs. Isaac spoke to the waiting maid as if she had been waiting.
Bring more steak.
Ivanka, unable to bear it any longer, reacted as if having a seizure.
That’s enough! I never asked for more, did I?!
“…….”
Mrs. Isaac stared at her blankly, then approached Eliza without saying a word.
Ivanka felt like she was going to lose her mind from the sheer madness of it all. The only sounds echoing in the vast hall were her own voice, the clatter of her cutlery, and the ordinary voice and footsteps of Arwen Isaac passing between her and Eliza. Furthermore, the oppressive feeling from the long table grew as time passed, causing the little food she had managed to eat to get stuck in her solar plexus and refuse to go down.
Just then, Eliza Richmond, who had been merely sipping her tea, rose from her seat. Dressed in a black dress with a raised collar and wrapped in a black fur shawl, she walked leisurely toward Ivanka. As Ivanka had no choice but to rise, Eliza stopped in front of her and asked.
“I’m glad the food suited your taste. Was the steak good?”
“…Yes. Thank you, I enjoyed the meal.”
"hmm."
Eliza nodded with a peculiar expression and lightly gestured toward the maid standing in front of the food cart. As the maid pushed the cart closer, Ivanka spoke hurriedly.
That is enough.
However, Ivanka was left speechless by Eliza's subsequent actions.
Eliza personally cut the steak on the plate into several pieces. The sound of the knife scraping the bottom of the plate was strangely loud and clear. After cutting the steak on the second plate in this way, Eliza had the maid place the plates in front of Ivanka.
Ivanka's face gradually turned red. Eliza stared intently at Ivanka and wiped her hands with a handkerchief.
“…I have eaten my fill, Madam.”
As Ivanka spat out her words in a growling tone, Eliza pulled her lips together and smiled for the first time.
“I know. You’ve eaten enough. The knights who came with you must be eating plenty too.”
“……?”
“I merely welcome all guests who come to my castle. This is a plate for guests I was unable to welcome; it is not for you to eat, so do not mind.”
Two dishes for a guest I was unable to welcome.
The black tiger quietly bared its front claws and teeth.
Ivanka Tyrien, who had been manipulating the capital's noble ladies with her unexpected antics, felt a chill run down her spine. Just as she was about to cover her lips to ask what was being said, Eliza's cold words followed.
“Ah, and I have something for you. Please deliver it to the Empress on my behalf.”
The summoned knight came carrying a black box. As he approached, it seemed as though a fishy smell was wafting from somewhere. The knight came right up to Ivanka, and without warning, opened the lid of the box in front of her as she hesitated.
"town!"
As the box opened, Ivanka instinctively covered her mouth at the sudden surge of blood. She felt a surge of nausea, as if the food she had barely managed to eat was about to come back up.
Ugh.
"Oh dear. Is it because of the smell? But I must deliver this to the Empress, so keep a close eye on it."
As Eliza spoke kindly and gestured, the knight pushed the box toward Ivanka. Inside the black box, a dozen or so blood-stained curtains were piled up.
“Ugh!”
As Ivanka gagged even more violently, a bitter smirk formed on Eliza's lips.
“Go and tell the Empress that we have punished those who betrayed Richmond, and that fortunately, Richmond remains safe as it was not engulfed in civil war. Ah, and if you happen to need any documents regarding the traitors in Richmond, I will personally send them to you, so tell her to let me know if you require them.”
“Oooop.”
Eat well and take your time on your journey. However, the winter roads of Richmond are treacherous. I hope you travel safely, Viscountess Tyrien.
Eliza, who had smiled gently at Ivanka, passed by her with the rustling sound of cloth. By the time Eliza arrived at the main entrance of the hall, Ivanka had finally vomited up, and Eliza walked on as if nothing had happened and gave an order.
Gather the leftovers together and give them to the pigs.
"yes."
To think you threw up your insides from something so disgusting—this is serious. What I will give you in the future will be even more wretched.
Eliza Richmond let out a silent laugh.
And about an hour later, Ivanka Tyrien, having barely managed to calm her nausea, fled the Duke of Richmond's castle. Venting her resentment with malice, she began to tremble from the maddening cold seeping through the crack in the door.
“Damn Richmond……!”
The Duke and the Godmother, who seemed like personifications of a black tiger.
Ivanka clenched her fists tightly, chattering her teeth. Eventually, all her resentment flowed toward Hazel Chernin.
If that guy had just paired up the decent guys, perhaps the outcome would have been different!
“Grace—I couldn’t do anything about that one woman!”
However, he soon realized that this was extremely incomprehensible and fell into deep thought. Inevitably, Edward Rinko's words came to mind.
The Duke, Eliza Richmond, and Grace Taylor have joined forces. Do not take this lightly. Rinko is just the beginning.
Ivanka's round eyes narrowed as the Duke's expression from yesterday and his bewilderment came vividly to mind.
Shortly after, she hurriedly wrote a letter, and one of the three sparrowhawks the inspector was carrying began to flap its wings.
* * *
In the Black Tiger Hall of the Deccan Imperial Palace, a black tiger banner, larger than the blue eagle banner of Richmond, hangs long. Beneath the roaring tiger banner stood a golden throne, which was covered with the skin of the black tiger said to have been raised by the First Emperor.
A priest in priestly robes approached and bowed from behind Hetbiga, who was gazing at the throne. Hetbiga spoke without even turning to look at him.
How is Your Majesty doing?
He has not yet regained consciousness, but he is in good health.
That's a relief.
“The High Priest told me to convey to Her Majesty the Empress that she will wake up soon, so there is no need to worry.”
Hetbiga let out a silent chuckle. Gathering her laughter in an instant, she turned elegantly and spoke to the priest.
"Yes, tell them I hope so."
As the priest bowed once again and withdrew, Hetbiga turned toward the throne with an expressionless face and began to pray earnestly. It appeared to be the heart-wrenching prayer of an Empress for an Emperor who had been unconscious for over a decade, but the content of her prayer inwardly was somewhat far removed from that of a heart-wrenching Empress.
Please, let the Emperor die as soon as possible.
God, who was on her side in most cases, cruelly did not easily grant this prayer. So Hetbiga prayed a little more faithfully.
Please, let me just die.
How long had she been praying like that? The maid quietly woke her.
“Your Majesty, the sparrowhawk sent by Ivanka, the Head Lady-in-Chief, has arrived.”
The Empress's eyes flashed.
The letter she hurriedly returned to her room to open was not at all welcome. Biting her lip and breathing heavily, she immediately summoned the Count and Countess of Saxony.
“Is something wrong, Your Majesty the Empress?”
At the Count of Saxony's question, Hedby threw the letter down in front of him.
Please read this.
The Count and Countess of Saxony pressed their heads together toward the letter Hedwig had tossed aside. The two pairs of eyes, which had been rolling around together at a steady speed, stopped at a certain point as if by prearrangement. Then, simultaneously, they stared at Hedwig with eyes wide open like lanterns.
Hetbiga sneered at the two of them.
“They say that woman might become the Duchess of Richmond. What do you think? You complained that you couldn't find even a trace of Grace; indeed, you had every right to feel that way, didn't you?”