The Tyrant Couldn’t Fall Asleep

‘I think I just heard a slight rustling…'

At that moment, a small bird flew out of the bush.

‘Am I being too sensitive?’

It was when Izaya was so relieved.

“Come on, I want you to tell me what’s going on!”

Izaya sighed and said.

“Does father know? How hard I worked when my father told me to get along with my husband.”

“I know. So, didn't His Majesty the Emperor open his heart to you?"

“He did. But I'm tired of the unchanging selfish and carefree attitude."

‘Is it just a couple fight?’

For a moment he tried to reproach his daughter, the duke bit his mouth.

‘Hey, that kid had a bad personality.’

The emperor was ferocious toward all the nobles.

‘If only I had an heir, I would have killed him sooner.’

At times like this, the young age of the emperor felt annoying.

According to the Imperial Law, it was only when the couple reached the age of 19, when they were both adults, that they were able to sleep for heirs.

Then, Izaya took his hand.

“You know? The only person I can rely on is my father.”

“Yeah, I know, but Izaya…”

“Right now, I don’t want to see the Emperor. It’s fine for a while, so please allow me to use a separate room.”

She was the daughter who gave him the gold mine he longed for. Moreover, the use value is still infinite.

It was better for him to pretend to listen to his daughter and entice her to reunite over time than to force her to reconcile.

“Of course, this father is on your side. Do whatever you want.”

Hearing those words, Izaya's red lips drew a graceful curve.

"Thank you. Father."

Stupid, but she's still a good daughter who listens to his own words.

The duke looked at Izaya and smiled.

‘Really useful.’

The Duke of Lauchen, having accomplished his purpose, had a brief chat with his daughter before getting up when it began to get dark.

“It is late. I’ll just have to go.”

“Yes, I will see you off.”

"No. You must be tired today. Don’t you want to rest?”

Soon, Izaya, who was left alone in her drawing room alone, had a bright smile on her face.

‘It was a really good deal.’

How desperate must he hear that the gold mine, which had been part of his fortune handed down by her mother, had collapsed?

In addition, gold did not come out even after digging, and only the remaining property was wasted, resulting in severe damage.

But now that the troublesome mine has been handed over, the pain is on the Duke of Lauchen.

‘Even if he loses my gold mine soon, he won’t be able to tell me to hand the villa back. The land is seemingly useless.’

But the villa was one of the most valuable parts of the Duke's estate.

‘Now I can use it to make money.’

She was so happy for a moment, and Izaya remembered what she had forgotten.

‘Yeah, I still have a lot of things left unsolved.’

Soon Izaya said to the maid.

“Call Melanie to my room.”

* * *

Duke Lauhen was walking toward the carriage waiting at the entrance of the imperial palace.

Looking at the mine's certificate, he looked pleased and soon spoke to the deputy.

"Stop by the jewelry table and pack all the new jewelry. And find out about the very expensive stallion soon."

He could know without detailed explanation. The fact that it is a gift for the Duke of Lauchen's family.

"Yes, I see."

“And soon, I will send an unannounced surprise to the Empress Palace. Get ready."

The deputy replied without asking what the surprise gift Duke Lauchen was talking about.

"Yes, I'll go buy something soon."

'She’s really stubborn. If I send an assassin, she will have no choice but to return to the Imperial Palace.’

Duke Lauhen did not intend to make his daughter use separate rooms as she wanted.

'If you want to make a successor later, it will be much easier to share a room.’

At that time, someone blocked the duke.

A smile disappeared from the face of the Duke of Lauchen with the appearance of the emperor, a noble boy staring at him with a haughty look.

'I can't believe I ran into that little boy on this happy day.’

Soon, the duke bowed slowly and greeted according to etiquette.

"I see the Sun of the Empire, His Majesty the Emperor. Did you have a nice day?"

However, the emperor only stared arrogantly at him, and there was no answer.

‘Still a cheeky rookie.’

He hated the emperor, but it wasn't like that for a day or two.

The duke laughed like a seasoned politician.

"You must be tired because it's a late evening. Then I'll excuse myself now."

Duke Lauchen tried to leave in a hurry.

It was then.

"Duke Lauchen."

At the sudden call of the emperor, the duke stiffened.

"Why are you calling me…?”

It was even before the Duke's words were over.

"You'd better not dream about doing nonsense."

"What? What does that mean?"

The duke asked again, but the emperor ignored him and hit him on the shoulder.

It was not until the emperor moved away that he noticed that the emperor had threatened him.

For a while, Duke Lauchen denied the idea.

‘No. How can he understand the code written by me and my aide? You just picked a fight because I'm a thorn in your eyes.’

But the duke soon grinded his teeth.

'But he has become more arrogant.’

It was not an ordinary thing for the emperor to be proud, but it was not enough to argue like this.

Now, he is letting himself enjoy power as an outsider, but if he gets bigger, he may try to rebel against him.

Soon after, the Duke spoke to his lieutenant.

“I must prepare a present for the emperor soon.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Melanie was moving towards the Empress Palace.

‘What am I going to do now?’

Although she escaped being expelled, she cannot ask for help as long as the Duke has drawn a line.

Moreover, she was not sure what kind of punishment the Empress would give her.

'It's okay. Even so, I will not be punished if I am in the Empress’s Palace.’

Arriving at the Empress Palace, Melanie entered the Empress's room.

Soon the beautiful empress was seen holding her smile.

“Does my face look good?”

Melanie responded weakly to the words that came out in her roaring voice.

"You… You must have called me to laugh.”

“Do you really think I was just calling you to make fun of you?”

His tone was calm, but that made it more like a mockery.

Melanie's face flushed with shame.

“Then, for what purpose did you call me?”

“Have you already forgotten what happened? You should be punished.”

‘Oh, I didn’t.’

‘If you want to punish, punish me quickly.’

With that in mind, Melanie was waiting for the answer from the Empress.

Before long, Izaya raised the corners of her lips.

“Your brother is imprisoned for being unfairly framed? Now you embezzled funds...”

Melanie raised her eyes at those words.

‘No way… Were you even trying to touch my brother?’

She has done everything for her brother so far. However, if this continues, it may harm her younger brother.

“Yeah, but it’s been a long time since I was isolated from that kid…”

When Melanie tried to draw a line like that.

“It’s a strange coincidence that both of you are equally guilty of embezzlement.”

Upon hearing the words from Izaya, Melanie's eyes widened.

Izaya continued to laugh as if it was fun.

“Isn’t it true that the empress’s palace budget was embezzled to finance your brother’s bail money?”

'I'm sure you knew that.'

This is a part that cannot be known without examining yourself.

'At times like this, you have to keep your composure. If this continues, you will only be drawn into the empress.’

At the time when she was wary and determined, Izaya lifted one corner of her mouth.

"But it's very strange. There will be no bail for life imprisonment.”

At her words, Melanie was surprised and asked back.

"No way! It was definitely reduced to 10 years...”

"Okay, look."

Melanie's eyes, which received Izaya's hand, opened with astonishment.

On the document indicating the younger brother's crime, it was written that the sentence was life imprisonment.

Soon Melanie distorted her face.

'You've been fooled by him.’

"If you follow me for five years, I will help you reduce your brother's sentence."

Afterwards, the Duke sent Melanie in as the Empress's headmaid, and sometimes brought letters written in her brother's handwriting. On top of that, he said he would pay half of the bail.

‘Like a fool, I couldn't doubt him at all….’

At the time of frustration, Izaya asked.

"So where's the money you embezzled?"

Melanie clenched her fist tightly, recalling the whereabouts of the money.

"If you put it in the imperial palace, you may be caught embezzlement, so I can keep the money safe."

Melanie's savior was the duke who paid half of the bail and turned a blind eye to embezzlement.

So, not only the salary, but also all the embezzled money was sent to the Duke for her brother's bail.

Because she trusted him that much.

However, even that was deception, the good will of the Duke.

'That's how you used me to steal the money I embezzled.’

To Melanie, who was in such a sense of shame, Izaya said coldly.

"Why aren't you talking? With my authority, your brother in prison can do as he pleases."