Noble Lady Reformation Guide - Chapter 226

"He fled."

Empress Rozelyn's bedchamber was too grand to be called merely a room.

The massive chandelier hanging from the impossibly high ceiling, the towering glass windows stretching to its peak, the luxurious carpets covering every inch of the floor—even the antique wooden tables were all gilded with ornate gold trim.

The empress, wearing an embroidered eagle coat over her pink camisole, clearly had been asleep until moments ago. Her voluminous red hair was hastily tied up as she massaged her temples with weary eyes, while her other hand tapped impatiently on the table.

Derek and Katia standing near the entrance wore equally troubled expressions. They'd just heard from palace guards about Chairman Damon's disappearance and rushed here to request an audience. Surprisingly, Rozelyn had invited them directly into her private quarters.

Even for trusted individuals, this breached all protocol. This was the sanctum where the empire's ruler resided unguarded. One might expect at least time to dress properly before receiving visitors, but Rozelyn's decisive response reflected her disdain for wasted time.

"Though I needn't run about the palace gardens in my nightclothes searching for Chairman Damon..."

"..."

"We cannot dismiss Kochella's words lightly.'Kill the empress and chairman'—she actually said this directly to you?"

Derek had reported Kochella's exact words upon visiting Katia's chambers. Rozelyn rested her chin on hand, studying Derek with grave intensity.

"Indeed. For Advisor Kochella to make such blatant overtures means she's already set plans in motion. She wouldn't risk such dangerous statements without certainty."

"Had anyone else brought this midnight report, I'd have threatened to behead them immediately."

Rozelyn's voice turned steely.

"This court teems with schemers undermining each other through slander and deception. To claim the empire's Head Magic Advisor would overthrow imperial rule—without evidence beyond hearsay—is itself a capital offense. Baseless accusations are the most hollow things imaginable."

"..."

"Every imperial decree stems from my judgment, so disturbing my peace equates to disturbing the empire itself. Had you brought empty rumors tonight, condemning you as reckless would've been justified."

Katie's face stiffened, but Derek remained composed—he knew Rozelyn well enough.

A decades-serving magic advisor suddenly plotting to eliminate faction leaders? An outrageous claim without proof.

"By court protocol, I should be threatening expulsion right now... but it wounds my pride. Lord Ravenclaw, you already anticipated my reaction."

"..."

"Indeed, protocol would forbid receiving visitors in such disheveled attire to begin with."

Rozelyn swept back her bangs with an aggrieved sigh.

"Very well. I'll provisionally accept your account as truth. I trust you, Lord Ravenclaw."

Her peculiar objectivity—even regarding her own trust—was remarkable. Since her battlefield days as princess, Rozelyn never let emotions dictate actions.

"In this viper's nest called Gremfort Palace, if I cannot trust someone like Lord Ravenclaw, then I can trust no one."

"You believe me?"

"I never doubted you. Merely stating my position. Since coronation, even trust requires detached deliberation now."

Rubbing sleep from her eyes, Rozelyn continued:

"The throne's weight proves heavier than imagined."

After wiping her eyelids, she finally looked up with fully awakened crimson eyes burning with vitality.

"Damon vanishing at this juncture is too perfectly timed."

"You don't believe he's dead."

"Impossible! You clearly don't know the chairman well—that man cannot die. Not even against Kochella's schemes."

Though Rozelyn disliked both Damon and Kochella, her certainty about his survival carried strange respect.

"That old viper's roots here predate my birth. Neither brave nor visionary, but his survival instincts are uncanny. He'll always find escape routes—whether political battles or literal warzones."

This aligned with Damon's own claims. Through every conflict, he endured while others fell, never hitting rock bottom.

In an era where survival equaled strength, Damon likely anticipated Kochella's move and disappeared first.

"Worrying about Damon is pointless. I should focus on self-preservation. If Kochella truly moves against the palace, she won't spare me either."

"At dawn, we could arrest Kochella."

"On what charges? Should I imprison and execute the Head Magic Advisor based solely on your account? While I trust you completely, how would bureaucrats perceive an empress eliminating rivals over rumors?"

"..."

"Now you understand my emphasis on evidence. Ultimately, this is about justification. An emperor enthroned yet chained by protocol."

Torn between principle and pragmatism, even rulers faced impossible choices.

"Prioritizing justification over survival risks losing everything. Sometimes tyranny is preferable."

"You're right, Lord Ravenclaw. As last resort, I'll wield imperial power—but even this might play into Kochella's hands."

Undermining imperial authority could be her goal. If Kochella framed Rozelyn as a tyrant persecuting loyal advisors, moral high ground would shift disastrously.

The political labyrinth deepened.

"At least I'm no easy target. Magic cannot kill me—a nightmare opponent for Kochella."

Rozelyn suddenly shrugged off her coat, baring pale shoulders. Katia gasped behind Derek.

"Your Majesty!"

Even for an empress, this breached decorum. But Rozelyn smirked and turned, revealing a massive mark between her shoulder blades—concentric magic circles culminating in a crimson scar.

'The Anti-Magic Seal.'

Unlike Phee's'Cycle's Brand'engraved on the soul, this seal manifested physically. Its location exposed like this was shocking—equivalent to revealing one's greatest weakness.

"I cannot die by magic. A mage like Kochella cannot touch me."

"...Showing the seal's location was unnecessary, Your Majesty."

"To earn trust, sometimes you must give it first. Does this prove my faith in you?"

"Your bestowal of nobility already confirmed that."

"Do I look like I'm haggling over courtesies? Despite appearances, I'm still a woman of marriageable age. Don't underestimate me just because noble girls surround you."

Rearranging her hair and clothes, Rozelyn composed herself.

"Thrones are lonely places with few to trust. When you find someone reliable, you must secure them."

"..."

"I want you as my ally. I said so at Ravenclaw Academy, in Elvester County, and now here... After three entreaties from someone of my station, shouldn't you open your door?"

The girl who lost Emperor Gertrel, campaigned across battlefields, and finally ascended the throne had matured. Her fiery eyes retained their vigor, but newfound poise now tempered them.

"Must you still preen like a prideful lion when your empress humbles herself so?"

Her approach balanced humility and authority perfectly—more refined than her brash princess days.

This was her ultimate courtship: I've done all I can—won't you join me?

Imperial, Magic, or Noble faction—Derek's choice could shatter this delicate balance. Yet titles, wealth, and honors couldn't buy this man.

Bowing, Derek finally responded:

"Your esteem honors me beyond measure."

Rozelyn's face briefly brightened—until realizing this wasn't the allegiance she sought. His perfect courtly manners gave nothing more.

"Ah... really now..."

Propping her chin, Rozelyn exhaled deeply.

"The treasury holds artworks worth thousands of gold and priceless relics... yet Gremfort Palace's most valuable treasure is talent."

"..."

"Exorbitantly, damnably expensive talent."

Though her post-coronation demeanor had mellowed, glimpses of her old fiery self emerged—like now.

"I have nothing more to say."

"Very well. Let's conclude regarding Kochella."

Not even the empire's might could claim this one man—like a puzzle piece refusing to fit. For a ruler needing every ally in turbulent times, it was maddening.

Yet she was right.

The more chaotic the era, the higher talent's price.