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Chapter 201
To say that Carmen reminded her of the Empress was not entirely accurate.
From the moment Iona devised her plan to turn the Viscountess into a faceless woman, whether consciously or subconsciously, the Empress’s existence had been on her mind.
It wasn’t that she intended to replicate the accident that befell the Empress, but it was true that her case had served as a reference to some extent.
“Who is it you’re talking about?”
A vague answer seemed to have piqued Carmen’s curiosity instead of satisfying it.
Curiosity flickered in Carmen’s eyes as she stepped closer to Iona, as if urging for an answer.
But Amaia intervened before she could get any closer, opening her mouth to stop her approach.
“…It seems you’re referring to Her Majesty the Empress. I’ve heard she wears a similar item to conceal her burn scars. Though, I’ve never seen it myself.”
“Really?”
Iona murmured as if talking to herself, rolling the question around in her mouth.
She found it somewhat amusing that Amaia, who worked under the Empress, acted as though she had no connection to her at all.
Noticing the subtle sarcasm in Iona’s demeanor, Amaia shot a faintly displeased look in her direction.
“Someone as lowly as me could hardly hope to meet someone as noble as Her Majesty.”
Her tone showed no hint of deceit. It seemed true that Amaia had never had an audience with the Empress.
Recalling the intricate procedures required to enter the Empress’ palace, Iona nodded in understanding.
Well, given Amaia’s lowly status in the hierarchy, it was no surprise that her allegiance could be easily swayed.
It was true that adding intermediaries between the one giving orders and the one receiving them reduced risks. However, this structure also diminished a sense of loyalty.
Normally, life-threatening stakes are used to manage such risks…
But if it’s a matter of life and death anyway, opportunities for negotiation arise.
Iona weighed Carmen’s presence on the scales of Amaia’s loyalty, and the decision suddenly became much easier.
Carmen might not have been someone for whom Amaia would sacrifice her life, but she was a sufficient reason for Amaia to choose a course that might save both parties if danger arose.
That was why Amaia had devised a plan to deal with the Viscount for Carmen’s sake.
The bond formed between the two women while they coexisted in a foreign land turned out to be a fortunate stroke of luck for Iona.
Before learning about their circumstances, Iona’s plan had looked somewhat different from its current form.
Originally, Iona intended to fabricate evidence showing that Viscount Ida was secretly siphoning funds behind the Empress’ back, then use an internal spy to treat him as a traitor and dispose of him.
‘That’s why I had Fin help me gather evidence to bribe the lower ranks.’
However, it was soon revealed that this so-called “spy” was already laying the groundwork to eliminate the Viscount.
While leaving things as they were would have achieved the same outcome, Iona’s thoughts extended further.
If the Empress’s subordinates were scheming behind her back during moments of lax supervision, could Iona turn this to her advantage?
The answer was yes.
Iona saw their very plan to assassinate the Viscount as a weakness to exploit.
Amaia might have wanted to quietly wrap things up by passing on the Viscount’s duties to Carmen, but such decisions were not hers to make.
If the Empress had a distaste for unforeseen variables, discovering Amaia’s actions would likely lead to her being dealt with as well.
By failing to recognize when to stop, Amaia and Carmen recklessly carried out their plan, unwittingly handing their leash over to their enemy.
‘Well, I did provide them with the forged documents framing the Viscount’s corruption to secure their cooperation, so now we’re all in the same boat.’
Iona had no intention of discarding the Empress’ subordinates after using them for a single purpose.
Killing Amaia wouldn’t even serve as a satisfactory outlet for frustration. Considering the benefits of turning her into a double agent, eliminating her would have been nothing short of wasteful.
Viscount Ida’s territory was a treasure trove of the Empress’ dirty secrets.
If Iona could bring it under her control, she would gain several valuable cards to play.
“As Amaia said, it’s true. Though the form may differ slightly, Her Majesty often wears a similar item over her face,” Iona said.
When Iona smoothly shifted the topic, the furrowed crease on Amaia’s forehead eased.
It seemed Amaia had no intention of revealing the identity of their other master to Carmen.
That was a wise decision, given that Carmen was soon to leave this place. After all, knowing too many secrets often put a person in danger.
Fortunately, Carmen seemed more intrigued by another matter than by the subtle tension between Amaia and Iona.
Pointing to the veil that concealed her face, Carmen asked, “Are the Empress’ burn scars that severe? Severe enough to keep her from showing her face?”
The Empress, who rarely revealed herself to the outside world, was veiled both literally and figuratively.
Perhaps intrigued by a story not easily heard, Carmen looked at Iona with eager, expectant eyes.
Although Iona didn’t possess the kind of answers that could satisfy such curiosity, she replied, “I wouldn’t know. Her Majesty doesn’t even show her face to her own children. In truth, there’s probably only one person who knows her exact condition.”
“Her husband... I mean, His Majesty the Emperor, right?”
“The court physician.”
Iona’s answer was curt and decisive.
The Empress rarely left her quarters, so anyone who wished to meet her would need to visit her palace directly.
During her tenure at the royal palace, Iona had never heard of the Emperor visiting the Empress’ quarters—not even during the years when his health had been robust.
The relationship between the Emperor and the Empress had been irreparably strained for a long time.
There was no way the Empress, given her feelings toward such a husband, would feel inclined to reveal her face to him.
“In any case, Her Majesty has lived these past ten years without showing her face publicly, and she’s done so without issue. That alone speaks volumes for us.”
Iona clapped her hands lightly, drawing everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand.
The conversation, which had veered into idle chatter, quickly returned to its focus.
“If a lady has grotesque scars on her face, it’s not unusual for her to wear a veil. From what I’ve observed, people tend to consider even mentioning the veil impolite and refrain from bringing it up altogether.”
“The altered voice is due to damage to her vocal cords, right?”
“And if she seldom steps outside and remains secluded, people will simply assume it’s a lingering consequence of the accident.”
Iona’s calm tone carried a sense of conviction as she addressed Carmen’s comments.
Watching from the sidelines, Amaia approached Carmen and began to remove her veil.
Rather than resisting, Carmen allowed Amaia’s hands to move freely.
After all, the veil hadn’t been intended for Carmen in the first place.
Holding the veil delicately between her fingers, Amaia turned to Iona and asked, “So, who do you intend to bring in to impersonate the Viscountess going forward?”
The veil hiding the Viscountess’ face had been part of Iona’s plan to substitute its contents.
Since Carmen was planning to flee to a distant province with Peter, it wasn’t feasible for her to also play the role of the ill-fated Viscountess.
Amaia, perhaps anxious despite her detached demeanor, waited nervously for Iona’s response.
In contrast, Iona replied with a relaxed tone.
“Oh, for now, that’ll be me.”
Both Carmen and Amaia’s faces immediately froze in shock.
The words “for now” and “me” were equally puzzling, and neither provided any clarity.
****
To explain why Iona’s answer was neither an exaggeration nor a lie, they must first consider the message Amaia received during Viscount Ida’s funeral.
Amaia regularly sent reports to her superiors, usually by handing a slip of paper encoded with a cipher to a merchant visiting the Viscount’s estate.
This was typically a one-sided form of communication, and the content was often trivial, like “all is well.”
In truth, Amaia’s most notable accomplishment during her time at the Ida estate was detecting the Viscount’s betrayal and orchestrating his downfall—though even that had been fabricated.
A few days before the Viscount’s death, the merchant who had carried Amaia’s report returned unexpectedly with a reply.
The message contained within was as follows:
“I will be visiting the Ida estate soon. Let us meet with the Viscountess.”
It seemed the intent was to assess whether the Viscountess could take over her late husband’s responsibilities.
Amaia, having anticipated this possibility, shared the news with Iona without hesitation.
The day Iona decided to debut as the “Viscountess hidden behind the veil” was none other than the day of the arranged meeting with the contact.
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