STE 16

Chapter 16

Tethys could not bring herself to look at the sight before her and turned her head away.

“Why? Are you embarrassed?”

She did not answer, but Riomedon merely snickered as he pulled his trousers all the way down to his ankles.

“Even Her Most Noble Majesty the Empress seems so eager that she doesn’t know what to do with herself…”

Crack—!

But Riomedon was unable to finish his sentence, let alone carry out his intentions.

A black gauntlet had suddenly struck the back of his head.

With a sound that could never possibly have come from a human head, the shadow looming over them collapsed to the side.

Only then did Tethys realize who had saved her.

“G-Grand Duke…?”

The very man she had never imagined would come to her aid at a moment like this.

“Why… Why are you here…?”

She was so shocked that she could not properly continue speaking.

No—could this really be explained by surprise alone?

As the fear that had reached its extreme finally began to subside, relief and confusion, shame and…

gratitude…

All those emotions became tangled together, leaving her unable to express anything at all. It felt as though her words had simply become lodged in her throat.

After staring silently at each other for quite some time, Eden spoke first.

“Your maid…”

Was this what it meant for someone’s voice to waver?

His characteristic low voice resonated with some inexplicably thick emotion.

“She was looking for you. Desperately.”

Only then did Tethys notice the labored breathing following his voice.

She finally realized that he was out of breath—in other words…

He had hurried here.

Yet Tethys still could not say a word.

Even the gratitude she ought to have expressed refused to come out properly, perhaps because the emotions caused by what had just happened had not yet settled.

Then—

“Hic…”

The tears that fear had held back finally burst forth.

“Sniff… sob… sob…”

She had tried to remain composed.

She had tried to stay strong.

Even in the moment when Riomedon had nearly done something terrible to her, she had desperately held on to her sanity, repeating to herself that she would not allow herself to break.

It is a worthless body that I was already willing to sacrifice even to my enemy.

So being subjected to this disgusting man would be no different.

But ironically, having gone through this situation made one thing all the clearer.

What she had believed would be all right would never truly be all right.

No matter how strong a wall she built around herself, unwanted sex would ultimately gnaw away at her soul.

“Ah… ngh… sob… sob…”

The Grand Duke silently remained beside Tethys as she sobbed with her entire face soaked in tears.

He took a handkerchief from inside his coat and held it out to her.

Unable to say anything, Tethys accepted the handkerchief with trembling hands. She barely managed to compose herself, wiped her face, and staggeringly rose to her feet.

“Really…”

I thought something terrible was going to happen, but you saved me. Thank you.

She could not continue because of the emotions welling up inside her.

Eden gazed calmly at her before turning his head away.

Did he not even want to receive her thanks?

Perhaps because she was in such an unusually vulnerable state, Tethys felt her wounded heart shrink even further.

But perhaps this was better.

She could hide the misery caused by this incident behind the pain of being rejected by him.

“Ah.”

Eden firmly caught Tethys when her legs gave out and she nearly fell.

Then he nudged the fallen Riomedon with his foot.

“…I’ll have this man taken into custody. To attempt to rape a woman while drunk… His crime is a grave one.”

“No. Ah, no, you can’t.”

Tethys hurriedly shook her head and stopped him.

“What do you mean, I can’t?”

“The Karnes Empire and the Duchy of Romayer have different laws.”

After barely managing to catch her breath, she calmly continued.

“Have you forgotten? We… don’t handle matters the way Romayer does.”

“That’s right.”

The Duchy of Romayer imposed severe punishments for crimes. This applied regardless of whether the offender was a commoner or a noble.

The Karnes Empire, however, imposed different punishments depending on one’s social class.

And when it came to matters between men and women, the punishments were especially lenient.

If the woman was unmarried, it was usually considered the woman’s fault for failing to protect her own body, and the punishment was often replaced by ordering her to marry the man involved.

Even if she was fortunate enough for proper punishment to be imposed, it was never truly beneficial to the female victim.

She was often pointed at and condemned as a woman who had failed to preserve her chastity and was now making trouble for everyone around her.

Nor would a married woman like Tethys necessarily be in a better position.

If this incident became known, it would undoubtedly follow Tethys’s name wherever she went.

“Then are you saying we should just leave this man here?”

“…For now.”

Tethys wiped away her tears completely and looked down at Riomedon with cold eyes.

A disgusting man, fat and bloated, completely faithful to his own desires.

But even someone like this might prove rather useful.

“We’ll let it go today.”

“If that is your wish.”

Eden did not seem to agree, but he seemed even less inclined to argue with her here.

Having brought her emotions under control to some extent, Tethys changed the subject.

“Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you when we met this week.”

“Something you wanted to ask?”

“I need a new chess piece.”

No matter what happened to her, she could not allow anything to stop her from walking the path she had chosen—a path that felt almost like her mission.

“A knight. …Would that be possible?”

For the past three days, Tethys had been busy receiving the people whose requests for audiences she had postponed.

She had now finished meeting most of those she truly needed to see, so she did not refuse the rare free afternoon that had finally presented itself.

Instead, she spent the time drinking tea alone.

“Your Majesty, have you heard about Young Master Grivas?”

At Dalia’s question, Tethys’s body stiffened.

Riomedon Grivas.

How could she possibly forget the name of the scoundrel who had left such a profound impression on her?

“I suppose not.”

But Tethys stared at Dalia indifferently, without the slightest change in her expression.

“Why?”

“Young Master Grivas is quite famous in high society as a notorious delinquent. But… it seems something finally happened to him.”

Dalia pointed to the gossip paper that had been delivered that very day, one Tethys had been too busy to look through.

“Look here. They say Young Master Grivas was found dumped in an alley behind Pira Street, looking like he’d been thoroughly beaten up. He’s staying at Creta Palace, so I suppose he must have gone to the wrong house?”

“He’s a guest of the Imperial Palace. It seems Countess Troia neglected her duties.”

“I suppose so. That woman is always so obsessed with adorning herself.”

Dalia pouted as she spoke ill of Penelope.

“Dalia.”

Tethys called her name in a stern voice.

Only then did Dalia relax her expression.

“…I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I was being careless with my words.”

It was not that Tethys was bothered by her insulting someone.

It was simply a warning that Dalia needed to be careful with her words and actions.

This was the Imperial Palace, after all, and there were many eyes watching and ears listening.

Tethys glanced once at each of the maids standing nearby before turning her attention back to the gossip paper.

The article concluded by stating that Young Master Grivas had not uttered a single word about how he had ended up that way, and that no one else knew the full circumstances of what had happened either.

Whatever Eden had threatened him with after dragging him away, it seemed he had made certain that Riomedon would keep his mouth shut.

“Whether something that happens in the Imperial Palace is good news or unpleasant news, never speak of it carelessly. It is not difficult to protect my people when they have been wronged, but I cannot take responsibility for words that have already left your mouths.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You as well.”

Tethys addressed the maids who had not yet responded.

“You understand.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Led by Baroness Aegis, the maids bowed their heads deeply.

Tethys quietly watched them before taking several thin envelopes from the desk drawer.

“Baroness Aegis.”

“Yes?”

“Take this.”

Baroness Aegis accepted the envelope with a bewildered expression and stepped back.

Tethys then called the next maid.

“Baroness Demetris.”

“Baroness Antigonus.”

“And the head maid.”

Finally, she called upon Viscountess Padopoulos.

One by one, the maids received the envelopes.

Only when Tethys told them to open them did they finally examine the contents.

Inside the elegant, antique envelopes decorated with gold foil was a certificate bearing the seal of the Gemis Merchant Guild.

“Th-This is…”

The maids’ eyes widened like saucers.

Though it was only a single thin sheet of paper, the certificate bearing the guarantee of the Gemis Merchant Guild was a 10,000-Euro promissory note.