A Mastermind? No, I'm just the Live-In Son-in-Law-Chapter 22: The Emperor (2)

“Sorry, but I’m not the type of black mage who plays along with some imperial theater.”

This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

“If you want to role-play so badly, go do it with your dolls back there.”

As her mocking voice and twisted smile faded, the Emperor’s eyes slowly curved, and a dead silence fell across the garden.

“As expected of black mages.”

“Wh-what are you—urk?”

With a snap of her fingers, the Emperor muttered—and the Imperial Guard behind the black mage fastened something around her neck.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”

A horrible scream echoed through the garden, turning the interrogation into a public spectacle.

“Of course, the Empire does its best to avoid both physical and mental torture of prisoners...”

“But you lot aren’t even worth the dirt in the streets, are you?”

If the information I had was accurate, what had just been attached to her neck was a mana shock collar, originally designed to subdue monstrous beasts.

That meant she was now experiencing a pain so excruciating that it could instantly bring down even a raging magical creature.

No matter how used to pain a black mage might be, there was no way anyone could withstand that.

“Raise your head and look at me, black mage.”

“Ugh...”

“There’s no point in meaningless resistance. It’ll only make the pain worse.”

Sure enough, her head, which had been pressed to the ground as she drooled helplessly, slowly lifted at the Emperor’s final warning.

What do I say if she recognizes me?

My mind, which had gone completely white moments earlier, was now spinning again.

Should I act all tough and start cursing her out? But that feels a little too cliché...

I was frantically trying to come up with a plan to escape this life-or-death crisis when—

“...Please spare me.”

“Huh?”

What came out of the black mage’s mouth as she dazedly stared at me and the Emperor wasn’t a curse or threat—it was a surprisingly limp plea for mercy.

“I swear I’ll tell you everything truthfully.”

“Hm.”

“So please... just spare my life...”

Maybe she was hiding something, but with her face a mess of tears and drool, she just looked worn out as she begged the Emperor.

I get that she didn’t recognize me, but... why does she seem so different from earlier?

That depends on what you say next, doesn’t it?

I furrowed my brow silently, uneasy at the sudden shift in her attitude. The Emperor, on the other hand, seemed pleased and spoke with a content smile.

“I’ll answer everything I know, sincerely.”

“Then, do you know anything about the whereabouts of the kidnapped Saintess?”

Relieved the situation seemed to be calming down, I took a slow breath—only to tense up again and glance at the black mage.

“...I do not.”

“To not know the most important detail makes you useless.”

“That’s because... we weren’t the ones who took the Saintess.”

At those words, I could only close my eyes and sigh quietly to myself.

“And the culprit is here. Right now.”

Fortunately, all eyes snapped to her at that moment, so no one noticed my sudden change in expression.

Of course. The waiting room lights were still on. There’s no way she wouldn’t remember me.

Of course, that also meant my life was hanging by a thread now.

“Then tell us—who is the culprit?”

Before I could even brace myself, the Emperor—smiling as if she were simply observing a play—gave a command to the black mage.

“Point them out. With a nod.”

In the now-dead silent garden, her head slowly began to turn.

“Hm?”

“M-my god...”

“Oh no...”

When her gaze locked onto someone, the ministers—desperately trying to keep up with this rapid escalation—visibly flinched.

What...?

And I, who had already clenched my jaw in quiet resignation, froze just the same.

“It’s that person.”

Because the one standing where the black mage was now staring...

“Right there. She’s the one who used the chaos to abduct the Saintess we’d secured.”

“...Ha.”

...wasn’t me. It was Lady Meredia, who had been calmly watching everything unfold until now.

“What is this...”

“Well, Sir Whitney. Looks like you misjudged the kind of person you were dealing with.”

Still trying to process the absurdity of it all, I turned my head toward the Emperor, who spoke as if casually making conversation.

“But don’t worry.”

“......!”

The next moment, a shiver ran through my entire body, and I instinctively took a step back.

“I know full well that you were just a pawn, nothing more.”

Because the Emperor, whispering in that soft, gentle voice, was staring at me with those half-lidded eyes—

“So if you start serving me now, there won’t be any consequences.”

Eyes that were... just barely open.

“And on the contrary, the benefits you’ll gain—you’ll probably feel them immediately.”

And that look—was one I had only ever seen once in the game I played in my previous life.

What do you think, Sir?

This feels exactly like I’m being recruited into the Emperor’s route...

I had no idea how it happened, but—

But I’ve never once chosen the Emperor route...

It seemed the person sitting at the very top of the Empire had now decided she wanted me.

***

“Haha... Your Majesty?”

Caught off guard by the Emperor’s sudden love call, Whitney scratched his head with a baffled smile.

“You say that all of a sudden, but...”

“Such honor. Quite unpleasant, actually.”

But before he could finish, Meredia’s biting tone cut in, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“It’s as if Your Majesty is already certain that I’m the true culprit.”

“Well, given the situation, what choice do I have?”

“Ha. That’s rich.”

Scoffing, Meredia met the cold, skeptical stares being cast her way and began her rebuttal.

“When the Guard said they’d uncovered something and asked for my cooperation, I was a little curious. What sort of ridiculous accusation were they about to throw at me this time?”

“Hm.”

“And yet now, here we are—everyone blindly reacting to a baseless statement from a black mage. Even a dog would laugh.”

Her sharp gaze swept across the ministers, and those who had been looking at her with suspicion quickly lowered their eyes.

“Your Majesty. Did you truly think my standing would be shaken by something like this?”

“......”

“Have you not considered that it might be your own standing that suffers instead?”

With a sneering smile, Meredia turned her verbal arrows on the Emperor—but the response was unexpected.

“You’re right, Lady Meredia. I’ve always respected the old oath between House Embergreen and the imperial family.”

Rather than deny it, the Emperor readily admitted her point with ease.

“Even I can’t detain or arrest you over something this minor.”

“Then how could someone who understands that still allow this to happen?”

“Hmm, maybe I was curious. After all, everything that’s happened up to now caught me completely off guard.”

The Emperor denied it with the carefree face of a mischievous youth, her voice whisper-soft and her smile unwavering.

“I simply wanted to celebrate the birth of a young hero. And then—such an unfortunate mess. I’m not exactly thrilled about it either.”

“I’m sure you’re devastated.”

“But I do have a duty to investigate these suspicions. Wouldn’t that help protect your honor as well, Lady Meredia?”

Of course, few—if any—believed the Emperor’s claim that this was all spontaneous.

After all, ever since before she ascended the throne, Lilith Winter Clouds had a strange history of uncanny “coincidences” happening around her.

“Or... are you trying to say I planned all this in advance?”

“...Ha.”

“Yeah. That would be a stretch, wouldn’t it?”

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a single person present bold enough to point out that all of those so-called “coincidences” just happened to benefit her every single time.

“So, please cooperate—just for a little while. As a personal favor to me.”

Moreover, in both noble society and the imperial court, Meredia had far more enemies than allies. There was no one here who would come to her defense in a moment like this.

After all, the Emperor was a proven success story—having deposed her inept older brother, a nominal tyrant, and ascended the throne at a young age to usher in the Empire’s prosperity.

Anyone with even a shred of political instinct would know exactly whose side to take here.

“...Do as you wish.”

“Excellent. Then, returning to our earlier point—black mage, do you have any proof that Lady Meredia stole the Saintess?”

As Meredia, biting her lip in silence, finally dropped her glare and gave a low, reluctant reply, the Emperor lifted her head as if waiting for it and posed the question to the black mage.

“...Lady Meredia and I exchanged blows over the Saintess.”

After a brief dazed look at the Emperor, the black mage turned to Meredia and began her testimony.

“The wound on the back of her hand is the evidence.”

“......!”

The moment she said it, Meredia’s face twisted in alarm, and she hurriedly tried to hide her hand behind her back.

“And come to think of it—Lady Meredia, what have you been wearing on your hand all this time?”

But it was already too late.

“This is... my fiancé’s...”

“Yes, I know it’s your fiancé’s handkerchief. What I’m asking is—why are you wearing it on the back of your hand?”

Realizing what was happening faster than anyone else, Meredia tried to deflect, but the Emperor had already latched onto her like a predator and began pressing.

“You, of all people, wouldn’t be interested in some childish display of affection popular in Embergreen.”

“That’s...”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“Or perhaps... you had a reason to cover the back of your hand?”

The Emperor met Meredia’s eyes with a crescent smile, and at last, Meredia’s head slowly dropped, powerless.

So this was the plan all along.

Of course, what lay on the back of her hand wasn’t a wound—but the mark of a curse that had been revealed during the ball the night before.

The problem was that if she showed the curse mark to clear herself, the consequences would be severe.

Under the Empire’s laws, those afflicted by persistent black magic—especially curses—were classified as potential threats, as they could fall under a black mage’s control at any time.

In fact, Meredia suffered so intensely from the curse’s pain that she had even attempted self-harm.

“Lady Meredia, why don’t you answer?”

“......”

“If it’s not true, then all you have to do is show your hand.”

The higher your status, the more you had to lose.

At minimum, she’d be stripped of her position as acting head of the house. Worse still, it would severely damage her place in the succession line.

Meanwhile, the Emperor only had to offer an apology and make a token gesture of compensation to excuse herself for humiliating Meredia.

And if Meredia refused to show her hand, it would only lend credibility to the black mage’s claim—and the Emperor’s.

“I am under no obligation to reveal my hand.”

“How noble. What a stupid, self-destructive answer.”

But at the moment, she had no better choice. As soon as she refused, the Emperor’s voice snapped at her with mocking amusement.

“It’s not like I’m asking for anything difficult.”

“......”

“Hm. Is this some kind of vow of silence? Very well.”

As Meredia remained silently bowed, the Emperor tilted her head with a knowing look and turned to the side.

“In that case, I’ll have to rely on you instead—Sir Whitney.”

Wearing a satisfied smile of victory, she issued a simple command.

“That handkerchief—it looks like you tied it «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» on her yourself. Would you retrieve it for me?”

“Hmm...”

At those words, Whitney, standing beside the Emperor, frowned slightly—and for a brief moment, the flicker of a fragile hope passed through Meredia’s mind.

Maybe he would refuse. Maybe, just maybe, he’d take her side.

A foolish hope—especially for someone like her.

“If you would, Sir—”

“...Haha.”

But then, the Emperor leaned close and whispered something into Whitney’s ear. And at that, he suddenly let out a laugh.

“Lady Meredia. Just stand still for a moment.”

“...Of course. I should’ve known.”

Wearing the exact same smile as the Emperor, he began walking toward her. Meredia, drained of strength, muttered hollowly under her breath.

“As if I ever had anyone on my side.”

In truth, everything that led to this moment—this trap—had started with Whitney’s actions.

Had he been in on it with the Emperor from the start?

Or had he simply switched sides once her own plan fell apart?

Well... I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore.

Meredia no longer cared about the reason.

Either way, she had outlived her usefulness and was being discarded.

“Lady Meredia, may I see your hand?”

“...Fine.”

So when Whitney, now standing before her, gently asked with a quiet voice, she offered it without protest.

“Her Majesty said something just now.”

“......”

“She said that if I untie this handkerchief... she’d guarantee my safety.”

Then, as she looked up at him—unable even to be angry anymore—Whitney continued.

“She also said she’d give me even more, if I served under her.”

“Well then. Congratulations, I suppose.”

Meredia gave him an empty reply devoid of any emotion and stood quietly, waiting for the handkerchief to be removed.

“......?”

But... nothing happened.

And as she tilted her head slightly in confusion, Whitney’s voice reached her ears again.

“Funny, isn’t it?”

“...?”

“I’m your fiancé, Lady Meredia.”

Her dulled eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at him.

“There’s no way I’d ever do something that would hurt you.”

For the first time since she’d met him, Meredia’s gaze wavered as she processed the meaning behind his words.

“Ha—”

Then, she realized the air around her feet had begun to fill with a soft, faintly silver-white glow—Whitney’s white magic.

“What are you...?”

“This is a basic seal spell—any white mage can use it, but it’s highly effective.”

As he spoke, Whitney’s white magic continued to spread through the garden like mist.

“No magic, no curses, no spells can activate within its range.”

“Ugh...”

“As long as I keep my magic going, your condition won’t trigger.”

He finished his explanation in a calm tone just as—

“What the... what is this...?”

The black mage, who had been sitting lifelessly until now, suddenly began to scowl and mutter irritably.

“She won’t last long, though. The spell’s incredibly effective, but it eats through your life force like crazy.”

“What...?”

“That’s why most white mages avoid using it if they can...”

Whitney gave her a sidelong glance, already sweating and wincing. He coughed once, pained, but then forced a smile as he held her hand.

“Yesterday, you trusted me and took a risk.”

“You can’t mean...”

“So today, I’ll put my life on the line and trust you, Lady Meredia.”

For a moment, her eyes simply stared at him—wide and unsure—before they finally began to tremble.

“I don’t know who cursed that black mage or what she’s babbling about, but before she gets me dragged away by the knights... or before I die from burning out my life force...”

“......”

“Flip this situation around. And save me, Lady Meredia.”

Though Whitney ended his speech with composure, speaking like a gallant knight, he could already feel the Emperor’s ominous bloodlust bearing down on him from behind.

I have to hold the spell until Lady Meredia turns things around...!

But internally, he was panicking—having gambled everything in one desperate move to escape the Emperor’s route.

If I fall into the Emperor route, I’m 100% dead!

Maybe that’s why...

He didn’t even realize the trace of white magic still clinging to his hand had started flowing into the back of Meredia’s hand.

“......!?”

Only Meredia noticed—and now she was staring down at her hand, disbelief shining in her eyes.