Chapter 189: A Little Earlier, in the Capital

The day after Robby’s departure, the Queen and Chancellor Richelieu were meeting in secret in a room of the Royal Palace. Thick curtains hung over the windows so that no one could peek in from outside. Soundproofing was also in effect, preventing any sound from leaking out. One attendant each of the Queen and Chancellor Richelieu stood behind them. No one else was in the room. Even the shadow people had been excluded.

The Queen spoke in a low, whispering voice.

"Richelieu, have you identified the mastermind behind the recent attack that targeted me?"

Hearing that, Richelieu smiled with one cheek and answered,

"What are you asking at this late stage? Does the Queen with her hellish ears not already know everything?"

The Queen made a face as if that was unexpected and said,

"Calling me ’hellish ears’ is rather rude! I merely have slightly better hearing than others. Therefore I know nothing. That is why I am meeting with Richelieu like this, is it not?"

She spoke while gently rocking the teacup she held, with a slightly sulky manner.

Richelieu wore a somewhat troubled expression and said,

"Is that so? I find it hard to believe that someone of the Queen’s stature would not understand, but I will take Your Majesty’s words as they are. Even so, even if the Queen has no certainty, is there not someone whom she can roughly surmise?"

Richelieu raised one eyebrow and asked back. The Queen said "Well, my," and answered while rocking the teacup in front of Richelieu’s eyes,

"Yes. If I am forced to think about it, it is not as if there is no one, ufufu."

Once again she returned an ambiguous reply, but Richelieu showed an amused face and said,

"Then shall we both reveal the name of the person who comes to mind at the same time?"

"Well... saying it aloud might allow someone to overhear, so let us stop. Hmm, in that case let us write it on paper and show each other. Writing the name might cause problems, so how about writing a number?"

"Hoh, a number? Interesting. Very well, let us write."

The Queen and Richelieu smoothly wrote a single digit on the paper in their hands. Then the Queen placed the paper on her knee, while Richelieu hid his between his fingers.

"Then, Your Majesty, together. Three, two, one, please."

The papers the two of them showed at the same time had the same number written on them. It was "3." When the Queen wrote "Maxim" with her finger on the table, Richelieu also smiled and nodded.

"My, so Richelieu is of the same opinion."

"I find it amusing that the Queen is thinking the same thing as well, fufufu. Does that mean it would be better for me to keep step with the Queen and devise a plan?"

At Richelieu’s words the Queen’s eyes gleamed.

"It would seem so. That said, there is nothing I myself can do."

"No, no, what are you saying? I am relying on you."

"Richelieu, then when do you think 3 will act?"

The Queen’s eyes changed to a serious color.

"Let me see. Very soon, I believe."

"I see."

Because Richelieu would not speak the core of the matter, the Queen felt a little irritated. Having come this far, she thought there was no point in continuing to probe each other. She wanted to finish the mutual sounding-out quickly.

"Yes. Because the attack on the Queen did not go as planned, the other side seems to have been driven into a corner and can no longer wait. Their close aides, far from restraining 3, appear to have been pulled along and become excited together with him. Or perhaps they do not even think they have been driven into a corner. They may regard it as a preliminary celebration and believe they have already given us a threat."

The Queen exhaled as if exasperated and said,

"Youthful indiscretion, then. Compared with 3, Prince Robin, who is far younger, looked much more composed."

Richelieu also nodded at the Queen’s words and said,

"Regarding Prince Robin, I think it is exactly as the Queen says. My subordinates were also used rather well. Adults were being swung around and used by a mere ten-year-old child. As for when 3 will rise, I estimate the earliest tomorrow night, the latest the night after next."

At last the focal day was spoken from Richelieu’s mouth.

"That means you have already completed the arrangements to deal with it."

"Of course."

Hearing Richelieu’s words, the Queen let out a pleased "ufufun" sigh and said,

"I am always astonished by Richelieu’s efficiency."

"I am honored to receive such praise."

"Then, when 3 rises, what will you do?"

"We will of course have him sit down at once. However, it will be a considerably uncomfortable chair, different from the one he usually sits in."

Hearing Richelieu’s words, the Queen slightly twisted her face and said,

"Richelieu, is that not a rather poor move?"

Because the Queen’s words were unexpected, Richelieu took a posture of waiting to hear what she would say.

"How about waiting a little before having him sit down?"

At the Queen’s unexpected words, Richelieu, unable to grasp the meaning, asked the Queen.

"If we wait, what will happen?"

"Surely 3 will seal off the Royal Palace and place His Majesty the King under house arrest."

"That is correct."

"Then he will seal off the Rear Palace and declare to the capital that 3 has seized power."

"Indeed. If I were in the same position I would do the same."

"He will summon the captain of the knight order, place the knight order under his command by royal decree, and issue a summons to the nobles to gather at the Royal Palace."

"Yes. He will do that. There is no doubt."

"At that time, by whether they gather at the Royal Palace early or late, or who does not come to the Royal Palace, and by what attitude they take, will it not become clear whether they side with 3? 3 will surely watch for that."

"I see."

"On the day 3 rises, we will have His Majesty the King come to the Rear Palace. And the moment he rises, I will seal off the Rear Palace myself. I will prevent 3’s agents from entering the Rear Palace and will absolutely not hand over His Majesty!"

The Queen’s eyes narrowed and words of strong resolve were uttered.

"In that case 3 will try by any means to secure His Majesty the King. He may even attack the Rear Palace."

Richelieu expressed concern.

"We will place a gag order so that His Majesty’s presence in the Rear Palace is not known. When His Majesty is moved to the Rear Palace, he will travel by a different route than usual and in complete secrecy. It will be as if he vanished from the Royal Palace by divine concealment."

"Will that not cause an uproar inside the Royal Palace?"

"Richelieu need only declare that he knows His Majesty’s whereabouts and guarantees his safety. If you say that, everyone will surely think His Majesty has gone to Richelieu’s residence. Well, only until the uprising."

"To think that I must say such a thing. I may be attacked by 3."

As if saying that was unbearable, Richelieu fanned his hand in front of his face.

"Someone like Richelieu will manage something of that level somehow."

The Queen said it as if it were the simplest thing, so Richelieu scratched his head and said,

"I am no match for the Queen. Then let us keep the captain of the knight order under control. There are those within the knight order who wish to elevate 3. The list of those people is right here."

Richelieu smiled and pointed to his own head with a finger.

Richelieu continued,

"It cannot be helped that those people will sympathize. However, if we order the captain of the knight order not to move, the order as a whole will not move. Some individuals may become restless, though."

"Yes. And when 3, unable to obtain His Majesty the King and with the knight order not moving, tries to gather the nobles who side with him and act, we need only capture them all in one net, correct? On this occasion it would be good to sweep away the unsettled elements of the capital."

"I see. I will move exactly as the Queen says."

Richelieu bowed his head deeply to the Queen.

"Then, Richelieu, if 3 is captured, what will you do with his treatment?"

"Death. There is no other option."

"And 3’s wives and concubines, and the children?"

"The legal wife came as a bride from the Empire. That said, because she did not restrain 3 and allowed him to proceed down the wrong path, she will also receive death. The others as well will receive death. The male children will receive death; the female children will be placed in a convent."

"It cannot be helped."

"It is also possible to hold the natal families of the wives and concubines accountable, but at present, with the death of the previous crown prince, many capable people have already been lost. I wish to treat them as leniently as possible. I would like to finish it by lowering their peerage and thereby showing His Majesty’s mercy. However—"

"However?"

"When 3 issues the summons to the nobles, those nobles who gladly gather at the Royal Palace will receive severe punishment. Whether their houses will be abolished, whether they will merely be disinherited, or whether they will be exiled from the country — His Majesty is a kind person, so there will surely be nobles who foolishly think that if they cry and cling they will be forgiven, but we shall decide that when the time comes."

"Yes. Handling that skillfully is the ability of a chancellor, is it not?"

The Queen smiled while glaring at Richelieu.

"Indeed that is so. I am nothing more than a puppet dancing on the Queen’s palm. Good grief, there is no time to rest, hahahaha."

Richelieu’s laughter echoed through the room.