I Took the Tyrant’s Virginity

Theo’s eyes looking at Genovese became darker.

“……the young lady Peregrine?”

“She hasn’t returned home yet since she attended the Imperial Palace banquet last night. The entire capital has been scoured, but her whereabouts are still unknown. Where and what kind of trouble that little one is going through……”

“She attended the Imperial Palace banquet……”

“If Your Majesty grants permission, I would like to search the Imperial Palace.”

“To hear that young lady went missing, that is a big deal. The duke must be worried. I particularly allow you to search the Imperial Palace.”

Contrary to the expression of displeasure a while ago, Theo’s willing permission was granted. Genovese was curious, but he could not afford to question the emperor’s consideration.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Genovese bowed to Theo and tried to turn around. Then, Theo’s voice was heard.

“But……”

Genovese looked at Theo again.

“You can search the entire room of the Imperial Palace without exception. It is a great privilege, and don’t forget that it’s only possible with my generosity.”

“Are you sure? I will never forget Your Majesty’s favor and repay it.”

Theo smiled as if satisfied with Genovese’s cheerful answer.

“Hurry up and go. Your daughter must be eagerly waiting for you.”

“Then I will take my leave.”

Genovese once again bowed down to Theo and left.

One corner of Theo’s mouth went up obliquely as he looked at the door where Genovese left.

***

Judith stepped carefully and quietly toward the door, bringing her ear close. Outside the door, there seemed to be only one servant she had seen earlier.

‘Now is the only chance to escape.’

Nobles must go to the audience room to meet the emperor. The audience room is in the inner palace inside the Imperial Palace. So Theo probably went to the inner palace.

Judith heard that the inner palace is quite far from the outer palace where she is currently, so people ride a horse-drawn carriage. Even if he returned quickly, it would have taken quite some time.

When he returns, there will be no more chance to escape. Judith quickly racked her brains.

‘Theo knows my name, but he doesn’t know my family’s name……’

The name Judith isn’t very common, but it isn’t unusual either. Among the young children of noble families as well as commoners, there must be at least one other young girl of the same age as Judith.

‘I’ll just have to run away before he finds me among the other Judiths.’

This is the plan that Judith came up with:

First, she leaves a note saying that she will go home because she is worried about her family. And then asks the servant to call the doctor with the excuse that she is not feeling well, then she runs away when the servant leaves. At this time, the point is to calmly escape by pretending to be a noblewoman who came to the Imperial Palace.

When she gets home, she asks her maid, Marie, to live pretending to be herself for a few months. She will escape to another country until the female lead Serene meets Theo. So, even if Theo finds Judith Peregrine later, he will give up knowing that she is not the Judith he knew. A few months later, Theo falls in love with Serene. Only then Judith will return home and live happily with her father and brothers.

‘Okay, perfect.’

Judith was very happy that she could come up with the perfect plan so quickly. At the same time, baseless confidence arose that everything was going to go as planned. Judith picked up a quill on the bedside table and quickly began to write the note.

<Your Majesty, I am worried about my family, so I will go home.>

After drying the thick ink, she lay down on the bed holding the note. And she rang the bell on the side table. As soon as the bell rang, a knock was heard.

“Come in.”

“Did you call, lady?”

“Could you call the doctor for me?”

“Are you feeling hurt anywhere?”

The servant made a troubled expression. To call the doctor, he had to leave her alone in the room. Nothing much would have happened in the Imperial Palace, but somehow he didn’t want to leave her alone.

Reading the dissatisfied expression on his face, Judith lowered her eyes slightly, pretending to be sick, and sighed.

“I tried to put up with it, but it hurts so much……”

It was a bit embarrassing to say that she was sick in front of a male servant, but considering that she would be caught by Theo and her life would be over, it was nothing.

The servant who looked at Judith’s complexion with a puzzled expression finally came up with the answer she was looking for.

“Yes, I understand.”

“Please bring me a female doctor.”

“Yes, then please wait a little bit.”

The servant hurriedly left the room. Hearing the door closing, Judith got up from the bed. She was throbbing all over her body, but she couldn’t miss her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“This will give me some time.”

Judith picked up the pillows from the bedside, laid them out as tall as her height, and covered them with the blanket. At first glance from a distance, it will look like a person lying down.

Lastly, she placed the note on the side table.

“Phew.”

Judith took a deep breath and walked over to the door and put her ear to it. As expected, there was no sound of footsteps outside the door.

She gently opened the door and poked her head out, looking out the door. She saw knights passing through the hallway in the distance, but there were no people on this side.

‘I’m sorry, uncle servant.’

Judith carefully opened the door and exited the room, praying that she would not die. Then, pretending to be a visiting noblewoman due to work at the Imperial Palace, she passed the maids with an unconcerned face.

Some people wearing luxurious clothes were recognized from a distance. Judith avoided them in case there was a noble who could recognize her face.

Judith arrived safely at the entrance to the palace. The outer palace is open to the noble ladies whenever a banquet is held at the Imperial Palace and is the closest building to the entrance of the Imperial Palace.

Now, if she leaves the outer palace, she will be able to get out of the palace in no time.

But she ran into an unexpected problem.

‘Where is my ID card……?’

In the Imperial Palace where security is important when outsiders enter the palace, they have to pass through the magic checkpoint with IDs given only to those who are permitted to enter.

‘It’s gone……’

She looked through her pockets again, but her ID was not there. When she looked around once before leaving the room, she found nothing left behind.

‘Where did I drop it? Did I drop it at the banquet hall?’

But she couldn’t go back to find it.

‘What should I do……’