Please Kill Me - Chapter 188
“Even if she’s disappeared, she’ll come to the palace. There’s no other way to save Leonid.”
“I think so too. That’s why I came to see you right away.”
“The problem is, I don’t know what actions she’ll take. If she was simply brute force, it would be one thing, but she’s an expert at infiltration…”
They knew where she had gone, but without knowing her intentions, it was hard to act recklessly.
That’s why, just moments ago, when Vasily had come to him, even bribing the guards to find him, and the moment Yuri heard that Yekaterina was missing, he immediately sent people throughout the palace.
If she made a fuss trying to break Leonid out or attempted to assassinate the Emperor and got caught, it would lead to serious trouble.
But the more troubling matter was that it wasn’t just about stopping one reckless girl from sneaking into the palace.
As soon as Yuri’s health improved, he relentlessly knocked on the door to the Emperor’s audience chamber.
He even barged into the Emperor’s chamber, where incense was burning heavily for pain relief.
He begged for Leonid’s release.
But all he received in return was cold indifference.
The Emperor, who had been dismissive of Larisa, now turned his back on his own child.
— Yuri Oleg, now that you’ve gained the title of Crown Prince, you’ve grown so arrogant! If you dare to act so recklessly again, you should be prepared to lay down your crown!
In that moment, seeing the Emperor shouting at him with a face that showed clear signs of illness while the Empress wore a victorious smile by his side, Yuri realized something.
Convincing the Emperor had become impossible.
Even if Yuri had become Crown Prince, the Empress, who had seized power during the Emperor’s illness, had not retreated to the background.
Moreover, she had been staying by the Emperor’s side to nurse him, so it was likely she had whispered something about Leonid to him.
Recalling that moment, Yuri frowned and said,
“Saving Leonid itself isn’t that difficult. We could simply swap him out with another prisoner who looks somewhat similar.”
But if it had been that simple, there wouldn’t have been such a fuss in the first place.
“I need a way to save Duke Rostislav, not just Leonid…”
It seemed the Emperor didn’t even have the desire to discuss Leonid’s situation, let alone be persuaded. Yuri had been unable to sleep properly for several days now.
Eventually, Yuri found himself mulling over this insurmountable dilemma before turning his body.
“For now, I should go to Leonid.”
“If you permit me, I can go instead. You’re not in good health,”
“If the Emperor hears that you’re here, it might have some repercussions for Rostislav. It would be better for me to go.”
As Yuri was preparing to grab his outer garment, a voice suddenly interrupted.
“Crown Prince! You must come quickly! There’s an urgent matter!”
A servant rushed into the palace, breathless. The news delivered before the servant could catch his breath caused all the faces present to stiffen. Yuri broke the silence first.
“Vasily, I need to go to the prison immediately. You should go back and find Yekaterina.”
“Understood!”
As the moon began to wane, urgent movements spread throughout the palace.
* * *
Yuri followed the servant who had summoned him. After resolving this ‘urgent matter,’ he would head straight to find Leonid. So now it fell to Vasily to handle the situation.
“You must confirm any suspicious shadows or movements immediately. If any windows are open, report without hesitation.”
“Yes, Sir Arkady. But if you’re looking for someone, shouldn’t the palace guards be informed as well?”
At the servant’s question, Vasily hesitated for a moment, unsure how to respond.
“The Crown Prince is looking for someone privately, so you must ensure it doesn’t leak outside.”
Fortunately, the excuse wasn’t too bad, or perhaps the servant was used to not prying into the business of his superiors.
There were no further questions. The servant disappeared around the corridor, and Vasily walked through the hall, unable to shake the heaviness in his heart. The news the servant had just relayed echoed in his mind.
Vasily recalled the servant’s words and shook his head in frustration, feeling unnecessarily anxious.
In times like this, he needs to think calmly.
‘Just searching blindly won’t work.’
Yekaterina was specialized in infiltration. Given the palace’s security, it would be obvious that finding her wouldn’t be easy.
He needed to understand Yekaterina’s intentions and deduce where she might have gone.
Why has Yekaterina come here?
‘Is it to break His Grace out?’
Was it really such a simple goal?
Vasily suddenly recalled their earlier conversation.
— Are you not going outside?
Since his return from visiting Leonid in prison, Vasily had not taken his eyes off Yekaterina as per Leonid’s orders.
Although it was true that if Yekaterina was determined to act, he couldn’t stop her, knowing what she intended to do would certainly make handling the situation much easier.
But during the several days he had been watching her, when she did nothing, Vasily eventually found himself speaking up.
