Escape from the evil lady (GL)
Chapter 123 - 31. Another Chance

Chapter 123: Chapter 31. Another Chance

«There are only two days left. I really can’t believe it!»

It was difficult for Valencia Gross de Ronan to realize that in just two days, the fate of the imperial family and the entire empire could really be decided. The deadline from the day of the previous emperor’s death had almost expired, and there was nothing left until the moment when the candidacy of the current crown princess could officially be removed.

In two days, if Kaena de Ronan still did not deign to appear at the palace, a meeting of ministers headed by all influential officials was to be held, following which the future fate of the imperial crown would be decided. Of course, there was no doubt that if such a thing happened, the overwhelming majority, if not all, would be in favor of overthrowing the current legitimate successor of the emperor. And yet...

«I can’t believe it. Is this scoundrel really going to continue acting like this?..»

Despite the fact that everything continued to develop in such an incredible way, the Empress simply could not fully believe it. That’s because she was well aware of her stepdaughter’s monstrous and unpredictable nature, and therefore could expect a trick at any moment. Of course, in order to avoid emergencies, the Empress continued to always remain ready and waited for the blow that might follow.

The Empress paced nervously around her office, thoughts racing through her head like a flock of frightened birds. She knew she needed to act, but what exactly should she do? Every step could be decisive, and not only her position was at stake, but the future of the entire empire.

«Should I approach my allies at court?» — a thought flashed through my mind. She thought of her old friends among the nobility, those who had always supported her. But how can we convince them to act when the situation itself is so unstable?

For a moment, Valencia stood at the window, looking out at the vast landscape of the capital stretching beyond the imperial palace. «Am I really going to let this girl destroy everything we’ve been building?» Her heart was filled with determination.

Until the next ruler officially takes the throne, the woman served as a temporary regent, managing state affairs. However, since this state of affairs could not last long and the country needed an official successor, this situation was indeed about to be resolved. And it is still unknown exactly how.

However, since there was so little time left before such a fateful moment, Valencia continued to be very nervous about it. In the end, she didn’t even immediately detect the presence of her servant, who had secretly entered the Empress’ chambers as usual.

Meanwhile, the mercenary was so excited to tell the lady the next news that he even forgot to greet her first:

«Your Majesty, we have finally managed to find the Duke de Walt’s youngest daughter!»

This statement of the servant was what brought the Empress out of her painful thoughts and forced her to pay attention to him.

«Really?» she asked, her voice filled with curiosity and hope.

The Empress frowned. Have these slackers finally started to live up to their title as the best mercenary organization in the empire? After the mercenary confirmed his words, the woman asked skeptically:

— And what’s that? Did you grab her?

— N-no... — he stammered, — Unfortunately, we were not able to do this...

The Empress, whose mood had improved a little, and who was even ready to praise her servant for the work she had done, burst out in anger the next moment.

— And why is that?! — She exclaimed angrily, her eyes flashing with anger.

The mercenary hurried to explain:

— The fact is that this woman is under the protection of the Knights of the Dark Army! They’re almost around the clock with her, so we didn’t even have a chance to get close...

«The Dark Host?»

Upon hearing this, the Empress crossed her arms over her chest, trying to suppress her growing irritation. This was an obstacle that she hadn’t expected to encounter, and so she was at a loss right now. Had the monstrous Crown Princess really assigned her men to this lowly duke’s daughter to guard her?

While the Empress was thinking about how she could deal with such an obstacle, the mercenary again hesitantly raised his voice:

«Your Majesty.»

«What’s the matter?» The woman furrowed her brows impatiently, «You were going to say something, so say it.

«And also...» the servant stammered, «the second princess’ subordinate is also there.

— what? — The Empress immediately asked again.

«The deputy commander of the Imperial Army, Selman Hirsch,» the mercenary explained, «Despite his disguise, but our people also managed to expose him. I’m sure he’s also acting on the orders of the second princess.

— .....

«Y-Your Majesty?»

— That’s how it is, — after hearing this, the Empress smiled mirthlessly. Despite the fact that the mercenary could not read the lady’s thoughts from her expression, he instinctively tensed up, as he sensed that she was not in a good mood right now.

However...

— Your Majesty. In that case... How can we get close to her? Should we really ask Sir Hirsch for help?

But the Empress resolutely rejected his proposal.

— Although Selman Hirsch is a soldier of the Imperial Guard, he is primarily a subordinate of the Second Princess. There’s no way he’s going to help us without her consent.

— Then...

«My daughter did all this behind my back, so I doubt she’ll help me now,» the woman said, «If we do that, we’ll only betray our intentions.»

Valencia looked out the window again, where the sun was already starting to set. Time was running out, and every second was worth its weight in gold. She knew she had to act quickly and decisively. The empire depended on her, and she couldn’t afford to fail.

The mercenary’s face showed obvious confusion.

— But... But then what should we do?

«....»

The Empress didn’t think about it for long. Soon, the corners of her lips stretched into a mysterious smile.

«Haven’t you forgotten? Do we have another person we can turn to for help?» she asked.

The mercenary almost immediately managed to guess the woman’s intentions. But nevertheless, I decided to clarify:

«Are you talking about...?»

«That’s right,» the Empress confirmed her words, «The boy who betrayed us once before. We can give him another chance.