Could it be that the Mandrake uprising and the nobles' impeachment were both orchestrated by the Third Princess?
Brenda looked at her cousin with suspicion. The Third Princess, resting her chin on one hand, smiled faintly — as if she had already guessed Brenda's thoughts.
"Originally," Aistherin said casually, "I had no intention of moving against you. After all, you are my dear cousin. But your recent behavior has gone too far — arresting commoners without cause, extorting merchants, and even plundering the estates of deceased nobles while driving out their rightful heirs."
"No! That wasn't me!" Brenda immediately tried to defend herself.
But as soon as she opened her mouth, a face appeared in her mind — that of her newly appointed treasury officer, a promising scholar from the Nation of Academics.
Back when Mandrake had been devastated — with refugees flooding in, famine spreading, and the economy collapsing — she'd spent many sleepless nights trying to find a solution.
That was when the young scholar approached her, promising that he could bring her enough gold within half a month to stabilize the situation. His only condition: to be appointed as Mandrake's finance minister.
Brenda couldn't even explain why she had agreed. At first, she'd been wary — but when carts of gold coins actually arrived at her castle just days later, her doubts vanished. She completely entrusted the finances of Mandrake to him.
She never imagined that, behind her back, he had committed so many crimes.
"Your Majesty Aistherin, please, let me explain—"
"No need," Aistherin interrupted coldly. "As things stand, if I don't personally intervene, you'll lose your title. The old fossils in the council are already looking for your younger brother — your third brother, I believe — to replace you."
Her tone chilled. "But tell me, Brenda… why should I protect you?"
"I…"
Brenda swallowed hard. Her throat was so dry it hurt, and though she opened her mouth, no sound came out.
"The separation of Mandrake from the kingdom was inevitable," Aistherin continued calmly. "To keep the territory from truly breaking away, I need someone completely trustworthy to govern it. So, Brenda — tell me. Why should you be that person?"
"I…"
Again, she could not speak.
At that moment, Brenda realized she had stepped right into a trap — a trap meticulously laid for her.
The finance officer, the rioting citizens, the nobles who impeached her — they were all pieces in a game designed to drag her down into the abyss.
"Sign this."
With a flick of her wrist, Aistherin tossed a rolled parchment onto the table.
"Sign it, and I'll dispatch the Royal Knight Order to suppress the rebellion for you. I'll silence the noble council as well. Refuse… and you can deal with your mess alone."
Brenda's eyes dropped to the parchment — and her pupils shrank violently.
"A… slave contract?!"
"Whether you sign or not is your choice," Aistherin said indifferently. "But I'll only offer this once."
Brenda trembled, her hands clenched tight. After a long inner struggle, she finally bit her lip and said hoarsely,
"…Fine. I'll sign."
Channeling her spiritual power, she pressed her soul mark onto the scroll.
Immediately, she felt a cold chain wrap around her very soul — and she could sense the other end held firmly in Aistherin's grasp.
From this moment forward, her life no longer belonged to herself.
"Good. Go back now," Aistherin said, rising and patting her shoulder lightly. "I'll handle the rest."
Without another glance, she turned and left the office — leaving Brenda standing there in stunned silence.
When Brenda finally came to her senses, she was already outside the Selphis Castle, walking numbly through the capital streets until she reached the Mandrake Residence.
But just as she was about to step inside, a man in church vestments stopped her.
"Duchess of Mandrake, yes? We received your report concerning the appearance of a witch in Heim Territory. Inquisitor Sheen of the Imperial Tribunal has dispatched a Squad of Holy Judicators to investigate. They await you now at the cathedral."
"Ah… yes, right — I almost forgot about that."
Brenda blinked, then quickly composed herself. A spark of life returned to her tired eyes as she followed the churchman to the royal cathedral.
After a round of questioning from the Holy Judicator Knights, she was sent back to her residence — this time looking much more at ease.
Meanwhile, inside the cathedral's reception chamber, one of the Judicator Knights was organizing the notes he had taken from Brenda's testimony.
A younger knight beside him frowned. "Sir Pablo, that woman was obviously lying."
"So?" the older knight replied evenly, flipping through his papers as if the remark didn't concern him in the slightest.
"But if that's the case, we've wasted our time! The witch from the Sweetland Duchy still hasn't been captured. By the time we return, she'll be long gone!"
"And then?"
"Then—" The younger knight hesitated.
"Even if we do catch her, it's just one more witch," the elder continued slowly. "But Heim Territory… that's different. Do you know why?"
The younger knight shook his head honestly.
Pablo sighed. "Because an angel has awakened there. And rumor has it, that angel shares a rather… close bond with Heim's lord."
The younger knight frowned in confusion. "But what does that have to do with us?"
Pablo groaned, knocking the back of the youth's head with his knuckles. "You blockhead. Do you really not get it? You're better off raising pigs than hunting witches with a brain like that."
Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and continued.
"An angel may serve the Church — but she doesn't belong to Heim. Anyone capable of influencing an angel's will… is the Church's enemy."
"But judging by the Duchess's story, Heim might not even have a witch," the younger knight argued stubbornly. "If we investigate and find nothing, we'll offend the angel and fail our mission."
"No," Pablo said softly, turning toward the window.
He looked out at the carriage rolling away down the street, his eyes narrowing.
"You still don't understand. When it comes to scheming, the nobles of this kingdom are masters. Even if there isn't a witch in Heim… the Duchess of Mandrake will make sure one appears."