Dangerous Fiancee

Chapter 14

"Thanks for your compliments, but I envy your position all the more. Since you serve the emperor at hand, you always see everybody respecting him, right? As I hear, you're close to His Excellency more than any other minister. It looks like His Excellency values your talents very much."

"Well, the Emperor is a benevolent person. Though my talents are limited, he says he needs my help, so I am trying to help him as best I can."

As he answered her questions out of courtesy, Colin smiled at her softly.

'Was he trying to sound me out?'

She instantly felt that way, but she didn't care because it was true he was one of the emperor's closest ministers.

"By the way, I would like to see the Emperor up close."

She should not have said so because Colin was surprised by her unexpected remarks.

"Pardon?"

"Well, I want to see His Excellency up close."

"In that case, you can submit a request for your audience with the Emperor and wait between three and seven days."

Colin suddenly shut up while saying so. He felt she, as the daughter of the duke, must know the basic process of having an audience with the Emperor.

"Are you saying that you want to see the Emperor at my recommendation?"

"Yes, that's right."

"And I guess the reason you want to see the Emperor at my recommendation is because you can't afford to wait for his approval or you don't want your audience with the Emperor to be known outside, right?"

"Yes, that's right. You're pretty good at understanding my intention."

Marianne responded gladly, clapping her hands, as if she was praising a puppy that brought a ball she threw away. He grinned brightly before he knew when she praised him, but quickly changed his expression. When his eyes met Iric's, who was standing behind the couch, he even cleared his throat and said, "I don't know why you want to see His Excellency, but I don't take anybody's private request."

"Oh, I respect your integrity, of course. As an empire official, you should be wary of any corruption. Furthermore, you should work for the public good as a loyal bureaucrat of His Majesty."

Blinking his big eyes, Colin asked, "Yes, you're right. Why are you asking for such a favor when you know that?"

"Sir Colin, did I put you in a difficult position when I told you I would like to see the Emperor up close?"

When he heard her brazen question, he felt something ominous from her remarks.

"I'm here to report to the Emperor about treason."

It took only three seconds for her ominous warning to be heard by the Emperor.

"Treason?" Eckhart asked as if he was dumbfounded. He nervously closed the book he was holding.

"Yes, that's true. Although it was a blasphemous expression, I've been asked to convey to you what she said exactly," Colin said, looking around the corridor on his study again and again.

"Do you have any specific evidence?"

"I asked her about it three times because I thought it was important, but I don't think she has found any solid material evidence."

Eckhart frowned further at his reply. Colin, who was just innocent, was restless.

"Was the information network in the northern area broken? I never heard Duke Kling's daughter going crazy or anything."