The Empror's Trap

Kenji never imagined he'd actually get drugged by the Empress.

There were plenty of people in the palace who wanted him dead, but ironically, that same palace was exactly why such methods—like poisoning—were rarely used. As a top official, he almost never stayed in the palace. If he suddenly "fell ill" in the palace, anyone with half a brain would suspect the royal family's involvement. He had plenty of followers in court; if word got out he was poisoned, there would be chaos.

That was why he'd let his guard down a bit. After all, who'd expect someone to actually dare drug an external minister inside the palace? If empress dowager's plot was revealed, the court would explode.

Still, when he picked up the tea, Kenji noticed something was off about the taste. The difference was incredibly subtle, but he could sense something wasn't right, so he only took a small sip. He quickly realized there was something in the tea.

Honestly, Dowager was bold—brave or reckless, using a dose of tranquilizer that people usually gave to livestock. It wasn't enough to knock Kenji out, but he went along with it. This way, he could see what the other side intended, and as a precaution, he guided his spiritual energy to purge any lingering drowsiness from his system.

He let himself be carried, eyes closed the entire time to avoid giving anything away. After so many visits, he recognized the scent of Pluvia's bedchamber instantly—he'd been here enough to know.

"Quick, put him here."

"And you are…?"

"We're servants of her highness Empress Dowager, here on her orders. Just keep going about your business and pretend you didn't see anything. Where's Miss Sonya?"

"She had to leave for a moment—she's not here right now…"

"Even better." Kenji heard the sound of rustling paper as one of the maids continued, "This letter's for her, from Empress Dowager. Make sure she reads it as soon as she returns. She won't blame you for anything."

"Uh… "

"If anything goes wrong, her highness will take responsibility."

"Yes, understood."

With that, the Royal Guards and other palace maids stopped asking questions. Empress Dowager's word was second only to the emperor's, and Pluvia valued her mother greatly. No one dared get in the middle of their affairs, especially since neither Kenji nor Pluvia was in danger. It was best to let things play out.

Kenji felt himself lifted and placed gently on a soft bed. The people moving him were extremely careful, as if afraid of waking him.

It didn't take long for Kenji to realize their real worry wasn't disturbing him—but waking the other person on the bed.

A cold sweat broke out on his back.

What was going on?

This was Pluvia's bedchamber. They'd put me on her bed—and someone else was already lying there. I didn't have to guess who it was.

What was Empress Dowager trying to do? Frame me? If she'd really wanted me dead, why not use a stronger poison or an ambush? Killing me during tea would have been her best chance, even if the fallout was high.

But this? This didn't look like an assassination. Trying to disgrace Pluvia to get rid of me wouldn't work either. I held most of the military power in Camelot; as long as I denied everything, no one could force me out.

Creating a scandal to topple both Pluvia and the Grand Marshal at the same time? It was theoretically possible, but it was a risky two-birds-one-stone play—if even one thing went wrong, it would bring down the full force of both imperial and military power.

Either way, this was far too messy and unpredictable.

But at least Pluvia seemed deeply asleep and didn't notice anyone beside her. Her skin was slightly feverish, her breathing slow and even. She must have fallen asleep while recovering from illness.

For now, she wasn't about to discover me beside her.

Of course, Kenji lay stiff as a board, hands at his sides, making him a target of the maids' muttering.

"He's just going to lie there like that? Seriously?"

"I think it'll be fine."

"He looks way too stiff though, like he's laid out for burial. Doesn't look right, does it?"

"So what, should we reposition him?"

"Yeah, let's do it."

They got to work. Two maids gently rolled Kenji so he faced Pluvia. One moved his right leg, and then draped his right arm over Pluvia's waist.

With him in this position, no one would believe nothing had happened between them.

Kenji's hand landed on the soft curve of her waist, warm to the touch. He could feel his body tense up.

Sure, Lina had been physically close to him plenty of times, and he was used to it from her, but this was different—this was the ruler of the empire, and he knew this was a setup. Reaching out to Pluvia in this way, even if forced to, filled him with an odd sense of guilt and thrill.

To be honest, it was also a little exhilarating.

"All right, let's go. Please, make sure Miss Sonya reads the letter first when she returns—her highness Dowager gave specific instructions. If she storms in and beheads him on a whim, that wouldn't end well."

The maid's instructions were light and casual, but Kenji couldn't help but shiver inside. Thank goodness they didn't notice.

Now that he thought about it, if Sonya really DID walk in on this scene, she might just swing her sword first and ask questions later.

After Empress Dowager's maids left, only the Royal Guards and a couple of maids who originally served in Pluvia's bedchamber remained. For a long moment, everyone just stood there silently, unsure how to handle the situation.

"Here's what we'll do," one of the guards suggested. "You stand watch inside, and we'll wait outside for Commander Sonya. Make sure she reads the letter before coming in. If she walks in cold, I doubt we could stop her..."