The Empror's Trap

The room had reached a deadlock.

Kenji was inside Pluvia Camelot's bedchamber, and standing between him and Sonya was Lina, sword in hand, forming a human barrier.

At the door, Empress Dowager and Pluvia herself stood side by side.

"Your Majesty, if my master had any grievances, couldn't we have worked them out directly? What are your intentions in bringing him here like this?"

Lina had no time for courtly decorum—she raised her blade, her anger obvious.

She was livid.

She'd always believed Kenji was relatively safe inside the palace, especially since even Pluvia, who sometimes butted heads with him, wouldn't dare make a move at present. It never occurred to her that, even within the secure confines of the court, someone would dare act against her master.

Technically, Lina was now an imperial official—or nearly one—but first and foremost, she was Kenji's bodyguard. In a moment like this, her loyalty was clear.

"Miss Lina, do you realize what you're doing? Do you know the penalty for barging into the emperor's chambers without permission!?"

Sonya barked furiously.

"All I know is you people took my master."

Lina's voice was cold and dangerous.

She had no intention of backing down. Abandoning Kenji because of technicalities or protocol? Not a chance. She'd regret it forever.

"Your Majesty…"

Sonya turned toward Pluvia, unsure whether to continue pushing forward.

Pluvia signaled her to hold back—she understood well how much Kenji valued Lina. Now was not the time to escalate.

Besides, Sonya had a slight edge in close combat, but magic was a different matter. If the two really fought, the outcome was anyone's guess.

"Oh, how impressive—Grand Marshal Kenji, sneaking into the emperor's bedchamber and sleeping with Her Majesty… Were you worried your list of honors was getting too short and wanted to earn another?"

As expected, Empress Dowager was the first to get into character, her tone half-mocking and sharp.

At her words, Lina's spiritual energy began to boil. Sonya was forced to tense, ready to fight at a moment's notice.

"Your highness, do you have some misunderstanding about my master?"

Lina was doing her best to suppress her rage, directing her question to Empress Dowager.

She was breaking all the rules of protocol, but in a situation like this, she didn't care. If they truly forced her hand, she'd trade her life to take Empress Dowager down with her.

"I, Sonya, and all the maids witnessed the Grand Marshal invading Her Majesty's bedchamber and taking advantage while no one was watching. You're just a guard—how dare you deny what so many saw with their own eyes?"

Empress Dowager's tone was calm, almost icy.

"My master would never do such a thing."

Lina glared fiercely at the villainous woman across the room.

"How can you be so sure? He's a man, isn't he? What's so strange about a man taking what he wants? Besides, as Duke Anos—no, Prince Anos—he already sits at the pinnacle of power. Maybe this was just another way to prove his dominance."

"Oh, so Your highness is saying I forced myself on the emperor to flaunt my authority?"

Kenji, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

He was now fully dressed, hiding his muscular physique. He couldn't help but wonder who had undressed him while he slept—clearly, this drama was staged to perfection.

"I never said that, Grand Marshal." Empress Dowager smiled faintly.

"Your Majesty, I can guarantee I have no impure intentions. What happened today was nothing but an accident."

Kenji turned to face Pluvia.

"Oh? You accidentally ended up in my bedchamber, sleeping in my bed with me?"

Pluvia's voice was frosty.

"Your Majesty, you know I would never do such a thing. No matter how audacious I might be, I would never trespass so far."

He said it calmly.

But, of course, Pluvia was hardly going to let him off the hook—or at least, not show it openly.

"Kenji, I'm willing to be lenient because of all you've done for Camelot. But I expect you to take responsibility for your actions as well."

Pluvia looked him in the eye.

So she was really sticking to the script, huh? Kenji nearly laughed out loud at the mother-daughter duo's performance.

He could see their plan, and, honestly, he had to respect both of them. Not many people were bold enough to risk this kind of scandal for the sake of political strategy.

"I will accept the punishment for intruding on Your Majesty's chambers. But as for sharing your bed? I can't admit to something that never happened. If the court hears of this, history will remember me solely for this shameful act."

Kenji's performance was suitably passionate.

He didn't actually care about his posthumous reputation, of course—he just wanted to test the resolve of everyone here.

It was true that he disliked being maneuvered into marriage, but he was also clear-eyed about what his marriage was worth. Since he was born as Anos, his fate had always been political. His marriage was destined to be leverage—what mattered was the price.

He understood perfectly why Pluvia would want an alliance. If they married, their power would merge, pushing the centrist officials to their side. That would make cleaning up the court much easier.

Politically, this union would shut down talk of an heir—if the empress married, her child would obviously be the heir, ending all disputes.

Truthfully, neither Pluvia nor Kenji loved each other—at least not enough for marriage. But that wasn't unusual for a political marriage. Feelings could come later—or never. It was all a matter of performance.

That was reality: there was still unrest, and the empire needed stability. So a marriage alliance made sense.

But just how determined was Pluvia? That, Kenji was dying to find out.

"If you're truly worried about becoming a byword for disgrace, perhaps you shouldn't be doing things like this," Pluvia said, softening her tone slightly as she sensed Kenji's wavering. Then she continued, "Well? What do you think should be done?"

"Your Majesty, I believe this matter is not my responsibility."

"What do you mean?"

Pluvia frowned.

"If you're truly worried about becoming a byword for disgrace, perhaps you shouldn't be doing things like this," Pluvia said, softening her tone slightly as she sensed Kenji's wavering. Then she continued, "Well? What do you think should be done?"

"Your Majesty, I believe this matter is not my responsibility."

"What do you mean?"

Pluvia frowned.

"Nothing much. I just find it amusing. In my memory, I lost consciousness after drinking a cup of tea given by Empress Dowager. By the time I woke up, I was already in Your Majesty's bed," Kenji said. "Surely you don't believe someone who just fainted could wander over and crawl into your bed all by himself?"

"So you're saying you suspect Empress Dowager?"

Pluvia's face turned frosty.

"I wouldn't put it that way. Empress Dowager just offered me tea. What harm could she possibly mean? I'm simply curious why I lost consciousness right after drinking it," Kenji replied.

"Grand Marshal Kenji, stop trying to play the victim. What you've done is already a capital offense. The only reason you're alive is because Her Majesty is taking your past service into account. If you keep being stubborn—"

"If I keep being stubborn, you'll take care of me yourself, right?"

Kenji smiled, spreading his arms. "Well then, Chief, we can see whether you've really got the ability."

As he spoke, Kenji shot Lina a glance.

In that instant, Lina leaped forward, blade flashing!

"Watch out—!"

Sonya moved to intercept, but Lina's movements were as slippery as an eel, sliding just past the edge of Sonya's sword.

She materialized right behind Empress Dowager!

"Don't move."

There was no trace of threat in her tone or expression, but a sharp blade had appeared against Empress Dowager's throat.

"Lina, what do you think you're doing?!"

The tension in the room, already high, was now explosive. The smallest spark could set off chaos.

"Nothing, Your Majesty," Kenji said suddenly, his tone calm. "All I want is to have a real conversation with you and Empress Dowager. I've already told you what happened—I honestly don't know why I ended up in your bed. If, no matter what I say, you still can't believe me, then so be it. I'm willing to stake my life on my innocence."

His eyes stayed on Pluvia, ignoring Sonya entirely.

Of course, the moment Lina took Empress Dowager hostage, Sonya could have tried the same with Kenji… but, given Kenji's skills, it was doubtful she'd have succeeded.

The real surprise was on Pluvia's side. She never expected Kenji to tear his mask off and confront them so directly.

It was true that Kenji had acted open to compromise lately, but underneath that, there was always a line. If his interests were challenged directly, he'd show his teeth.

To risk death for his word—he wasn't just posturing. And he wasn't bluffing about taking someone else with him, either. With Kenji, If one falls, two shall perish; if blood is spilled, it will take five steps.

"Kenji, let's all calm down."

Pluvia rapidly reconsidered the situation. In this scenario, any rational leader would avoid a direct clash. Lina's knife was at Empress Dowager's throat; if Pluvia wasn't careful, she'd lose her own mother and likely get the worst of it herself. Kenji's place could easily be filled by another ambitious noble, but the costs would be dreadful.

"I know this looks bad for you. Honestly, I'd like to believe you. But the fact is, you were found sleeping in my bed—no matter what, that's an undeniable fact."

"You feel wronged, and so do I. This isn't exactly a glorious moment for either of us. We'd better talk. I doubt either of us is willing to silence all the maids and guards who know about this, just to keep the secret. Let's look for a better solution."

With Pluvia relaxing, Kenji nodded. "Your Majesty's calm is a relief to me. Indeed, intentional or not, what's done is done. What solution does Your Majesty propose?"

Pluvia glanced at the blade at her mother's throat and thought for a moment:

"Given what's happened, I think the best thing would be for you to take responsibility, even if I know you might not like it… With all the trouble around the issue of the heir lately, and since the two of us have worked together closely for so long—we know each other better than most—maybe we should consider marriage."

"Hah!?"

Kenji's eyes went wide. He stared up and down at Pluvia.

He'd mostly assumed this was Empress Dowager's own scheme. Pluvia might have said it out loud, but she seemed a bit resistant to being forced into anything and probably wanted out with minimal damage.

But this? Was she actually serious about it?

Still, as a subject, Kenji couldn't just cave. He had to draw the negotiation out.

"Uh, Your Majesty, may I ask who you intend me to marry?"

Pluvia gave him an icy look. "Don't play dumb. What, you don't think we're a match?"

"I—wouldn't dare! How could I—"

"What's so strange about a political marriage? Empress Dowager and my late father weren't exactly a perfect match either—so what? If you really object, let's drop it. Your bodyguard taking Empress Dowager hostage will be forgiven and the whole matter forgotten. You go your way, I'll go mine. As for what is said in the court, let's both just ignore it and pretend none of this ever happened."

Yikes…

That sounded like, Leave, I won't hold a grudge—but anyone with sense knew better. Today Kenji and Lina had racked up just about every unpardonable offense: breaking into the imperial bedchamber, sharing the emperor's bed, a bodyguard holding Empress Dowager hostage, and threatening the emperor herself…

By the laws of Camelot Central Empire, he'd need more than nine lives to survive this. This was the emperor—a female emperor, no less.