I Plotted The World Destruction With The Male Lead - Chapter 44

What was it that she had said?

Luria moved her legs as the thought echoed in her mind. Her skirt flared out around her, and screams from the maids mixed with the shouting of knights filled the air.

This was the Imperial Palace.

A place where such things simply should not happen. The most secure place in the Empire—an impenetrable fortress.

Nothing like this was ever supposed to occur here. Her consort, the Emperor, was not only royalty but also the most powerful individual blessed with an extraordinary ability.

“Your Majesty, the Empress!”

The knight’s cry was desperate—almost a scream. And by the time Luria realized something had gone horribly wrong, it was already too late.

A massive wolf had its jaws clamped around her throat.

She saw the spray of blood before she felt it—warm droplets splattering across her vision as her ivory dress darkened to a deep, wet red.

Ah… I should have trusted that child more. I should have listened.

The scent of blood mixed with the pungent, wild odor of the beast assaulted her nose. Her thoughts grew sluggish, her vision dimming as if her mind had been dipped in ink.

Everything in front of her went black.

*

Empress Luria was caught off guard by the unexpected development. One of the three noble houses Van had reported to the Emperor for treason turned out to be a vassal family of the Emperton Duchy.

This implicated House Emperton by association.

If they had known—then it was treason. If they hadn’t—then it was incompetence.

To make matters more complicated, a member of that vassal family had served as one of Luria’s personal maids for years. Her feelings were tangled.

She wanted to support Van, who was like a son to her. But she couldn’t help hoping, just a little, that this had nothing to do with her longtime allies.

Still, Luria hadn’t breathed a word of this information to anyone.

She was the Empress. She understood the weight of what was at stake. She knew what mattered most: the Emperor—and Van.

She didn’t believe House Emperton had committed treason. Surely, they had been unaware.

They wouldn’t escape unscathed, of course. But with Eleanor already formally declared the Emperton Duke’s adopted daughter, the damage could be mitigated.

‘It’s just a temporary retreat. Our house will rise again.’

She steadied herself with that thought and ordered tea to be brought in.

Originally, she had planned to host an afternoon gathering with the noble ladies at this hour. But after the conversation with the Emperor the night before, she had been in no condition to entertain guests.

So, she had canceled the event under the excuse of illness. She would need to apologize later, but the very idea was exhausting.

Knock knock.

She recognized the sound instantly.

The person behind it was also from one of the accused houses—which stirred both sympathy and frustration in her. She let out a quiet sigh.

“What is it? I said I wished to be alone.”

“Your Majesty, Lady Emperton is here. She wishes to speak with you…”

Eleanor. She was set to depart with Van tomorrow.

It was rare for a guide to accompany royalty onto the battlefield. Guides were far too precious—and far too few.

In the past, they had been exploited, treated like tools. But in this era, families hid them away, terrified they might be taken.

For Van to bring Eleanor to war meant the upcoming battle was likely grave.

‘Or maybe, he simply refuses to leave her behind. Perhaps it’s a kind of protest.’

Even though the palace was the safest place she could be, Van was still taking Eleanor to the front lines.

The Emperor had made no comment on it, but Luria was troubled. Eleanor might be of noble standing now, but she was a commoner by birth—an ordinary person who’d likely never touched a weapon.

Even in a carriage, matching pace with an army would be no easy task.

Luria had tried to dissuade Van, but he had been resolute. He told her he needed his guide on this expedition.

‘Maybe Eleanor is here to ask me to try persuading him one last time.’

Eleanor had only been a guide for a few short months. Being pulled into battle so suddenly must be terrifying for her.

Moved by sympathy, Luria granted her an audience. Eleanor was Van’s guide now. She had been claimed as House Emperton’s adopted daughter. Luria would likely be seeing much more of her.

“Your Majesty,”

Eleanor entered, escorted by a maid, and offered a bow that was nearly perfect.

Luria didn’t take it as pretentious—rather, she thought it showed how much effort the girl had put in. That kind of eagerness to learn was a good thing.

She was from a ducal house now, after all. And Luria, as Empress, knew very well how much was expected of the person who sat beside the Emperor.

“I heard you weren’t feeling well, Your Majesty. How are you?”

The kindness in her voice made Luria feel something loosen inside her, as if a bit of the tension she’d been carrying melted away.

She was still worried—about the maid who had served her for years, and now, about House Emperton too.

Though Luria knew her maternal family would be safe in the hands of her two nephews, Ludwig and Philip, something about hearing Eleanor’s voice gave her a strange sense of reassurance.

She didn’t know why.

Eleanor’s tone was formal, her manner stiff with etiquette—yet still, something about her made Luria feel as if everything might truly be all right.

“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern. Come, sit here.”

Rather than gesturing to the seat across from her, Luria motioned to the one beside her. Eleanor didn’t hesitate or seem uncomfortable—she calmly took the seat next to the Empress.

As Luria looked into the young woman’s serious eyes, she found herself wondering: Was this girl really just a commoner a few weeks ago?

Even noble ladies often faltered in her presence. Commoners especially avoided direct eye contact. Even women famed for their strong personalities rarely met her gaze like this.

But in truth, Eleanor was more nervous than she appeared. In the past—before her regression—she had held the title of noble lady, but never once had she met the Empress in private like this.

‘Still, I can’t let it show.’

While House Granmire had already purged traitors and tightened their internal defenses, the Imperial Palace remained riddled with hidden threats.

Unless those parasites were flushed out, the Emperor and Empress would remain in danger.

Eleanor and Van, having judged that Carlyle might soon resort to recklessness to protect his plans, had decided to take a drastic step.

It was the recent incident with House Armoire that pushed them over the edge—Carlyle’s hidden hand in the matter was all but confirmed.

But there had been no concrete evidence. None.

Even with a full-scale investigation launched on the Emperor’s orders, there were no leads. In a world without forensic science, tracking down the culprit was near impossible.

Van had provided Ludwig with as much information as he could, but he still insisted: without undeniable proof, punishment was impossible.

Eleanor and Van, however—if they were honest with themselves—would have gladly seen Carlyle assassinated or beheaded if it meant protecting their families.

‘She needs to live too. Just as my family must live… so must she.’

It would be unfair, Eleanor thought, for only Van’s family to suffer in this timeline. He had no parents, and she didn’t want to see him suffer even more.

That’s why she had decided: even if their plans went awry, she would tell the Empress the truth.

Eleanor and Van had already exchanged significant information. Van had taught her everything he knew, and she had shared the betrayals he hadn’t seen—those that even Van, imprisoned in the original story, never realized.

The traitors had followed Carlyle’s orders and lured Van into a perilous trap—yet their betrayal remained hidden all the way to the end in the novel.

Unaware of Eleanor’s inner resolve, Luria simply asked how her preparations were going—if she had rested well, how she felt about the departure tomorrow.

“I’m fine, Your Majesty. But… I have something urgent to tell you. May I ask you to dismiss the others?”

At that, Luria looked surprised, but complied. She ordered the maids and attendants to leave.

Only when the door closed and the last servant stepped out did Luria begin to understand that Eleanor hadn’t come to discuss anything as simple as travel plans.

Eleanor pulled an envelope from within her sleeve and handed it to the Empress.

“What is this?”

“Please read it.”

Luria tore the seal and unfolded the papers inside. The moment her eyes landed on the contents—rows of names, one after another—her expression darkened.

She recognized nearly all of them. Among them were families trusted by both the Emperor and the Emperton Duchy.

More than half belonged to the pro-Imperial faction, and a significant portion were vassals of House Emperton.

Luria’s expression turned cold, fury blooming in her eyes.

“What exactly is it you’re showing me?”

Luria’s voice was cold and sharp, her eyes scanning the list again.

“Your Majesty,” Eleanor said calmly, “House Granmire recently uncovered a spy within its ranks and has since worked to root out everyone connected to him.”

That much, Luria already knew. Spies infiltrating powerful houses were deeply unpleasant—but not unheard of. Even House Emperton had once discovered and dealt with such a person long ago.

“And?” Luria narrowed her eyes. “Surely you’re not suggesting all these houses planted spies in Granmire?”

Her tone made clear how absurd she found the idea—at least on the surface.

Eleanor met her gaze steadily. “No, Your Majesty. That’s not what I’m saying.”

She paused deliberately, then continued:

“Not all of these families sent spies. But some—far more than should be coincidence—received information from one. Deliberately. Willingly. And a few… even acted on it.”

Luria’s grip on the paper tightened ever so slightly.