WTSP - 5

“This is who? Isn’t it our esteemed deputy commander, Sir Rovair? Looks like he’s been spending time with his new lover.”

Three knights swaggered toward us, their leader sporting dyed-blonde hair and spouting lines that wouldn’t be out of place in a 90s delinquent drama.

Judging by the faint crease forming on Rovair’s otherwise stoic face, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.

With a natural motion, Rovair stepped in front of me and sighed quietly before addressing them.

“What do you want? There’s no issue with the knights, I presume.”

“Oh, but there might be one soon. What do you think, Deputy Commander?”

“Save your petty banter for later. Now leave.”

Watching Rovair closely, I instinctively sensed he was holding back his temper.

Having earned his title as deputy commander solely through skill, Rovair’s swordsmanship was unmatched. It would be wise for these fools to retreat while they still could.

But one universal trait of extras in novels is their lack of awareness.

“Hey, did you hear that? He told us to leave! Thinks he’s somebody important, doesn’t he?”

The central knight sneered at Rovair’s words, prompting forced laughter from the two flanking him.

They’re playing the henchman roles perfectly. Watching these squat figures, I muttered softly to Rovair, “Sir Rovair, who are they?”

“Chief Knight Byzantine Finerus, second son of the Finerus Count family. The others are the twin sons of Baron Foinen.”

“Ah, so that’s why the two lackeys look identical.”

It made sense. Like typical noble-born knights, they relied on their family connections to act arrogantly. Clearly, they didn’t view Rovair favorably either.

Still, resorting to such childish provocations? Shaking my head in disbelief, I took a step forward toward them.

“Stop with the juvenile antics. Are you kindergarteners or what?”

“What? What did you call me? Who are you?”

“You don’t need to know. You’re not at a level where that matters.”

After reassuring Rovair with a quick gesture, I fixed my gaze on Finerus standing in the center.

For some reason, his name felt familiar, though I couldn’t quite place it. As I pondered, Finerus flinched momentarily before shoving my shoulder with an arrogant smirk.

“What kind of woman is this? Now that I look closer, she’s not even a knight…”

That was when Rovair’s blade moved faster than the wind, pressing against Finerus’s throat.

It happened so quickly there was no chance to intervene. Watching Rovair’s cold, composed stance, I gently wrapped my fingers around his wrist.

Finerus’s pupils dilated in fear. So much for being the chief knight—his title must have been bought. Contemptuously eyeing his trembling hands, I spoke softly to Rovair.

“I’m fine, Sir Rovair. Let me handle this. Could you lower your sword?”

“But, Your Majesty…”

“Trust me and let me take care of it.”

At the sound of “Your Majesty,” Finerus and his cronies’ expressions hardened instantly.

“…Are we dealing with royalty here?”

Ignoring their whispered panic behind me, I locked eyes with Rovair.

After a brief pause to collect his thoughts, Rovair sheathed his sword and bowed slightly to me.

“If she were royalty, we’d recognize her. Just who is this woman…?”

“Wait, didn’t a new empress arrive a few days ago?”

“Then she must be from the Meredith family!”

As Rovair and I silently reinforced our unspoken trust, the three knights seemed to realize my identity and raised their voices.

How childish. Watching them openly conspire, I crossed my arms and addressed them.

“Pay attention to me. You seem to have figured out who I am.”

“Hmph! Even if you’re Her Majesty the Empress, you’re still from the lowly Meredith family! Our Lord Finerus hails from a count’s lineage, unlike…”

“I can’t listen to this anymore. Since when do knights refer to each other as ‘young masters’? Are you his servants or something?”

“Watch your tongue! Do you even know who this man’s father is?!”

Watching the twins fawning over Finerus like lackeys, I sighed deeply.

Finally, I understood why the name Finerus kept nagging at me.

Of course—it sounded familiar. Smiling faintly at Finerus, who stood flanked by his two henchmen, I spoke.

“Didn’t your father recently develop an interest in mining?”

“What? How do you know that?”

“It’s none of your concern. But I imagine he’s amassed quite a fortune illegally, right? From what I’ve heard, the count’s family has been trying to keep it quiet… but how long do you think they can hide it?”

With every word, Finerus’s face turned paler and paler. The twin knights also looked confused, as if hearing this for the first time.

Clearly, this was information Finerus had kept strictly under wraps—even from those outside the count’s family. Yet here I was, exposing it all.

But how could I not know? After all, I had written this plot myself.

‘I almost forgot about the Meredith family—they’re practically background characters.’

In A Common Girl Becomes Empress, Serdelius strengthened imperial authority by restricting nobles’ power and private property.

Noble families were required to report their business activities and acquisitions monthly. Any discrepancies resulted in severe punishment, including the loss of titles.

To avoid losing their heads, nobles had no choice but to tread carefully around the emperor.

And the Finerus family was one of the unfortunate casualties of this policy.

The greedy and disdainful Count Finerus would lose his title due to this scandal.

‘Finally, I’m reaping the benefits of being the author. I almost felt sorry for myself earlier.’

Suppressing an internal sigh, I smiled sweetly and continued in a calm tone.

“And that’s not all. Did you know His Majesty is aware that you recruited hundreds of mercenaries under the guise of hiring miners?”

“What? Who are you? How do you…?”

“Conspiring treason isn’t just grounds for losing your noble status—it’s punishable by death. Impressive, Count Finerus. A mere baroness-turned-empress shouldn’t even bother dealing with someone like you.”

“Shut up! Just stop talking!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Finerus shouted furiously. I shook my head slowly.

“That’s not how you make a request, Sir Finerus.”

Erasing the smile from my lips, I took the sword from Rovair’s hand. Surprisingly, he didn’t stop me.

With the sharp tip of the blade aimed directly at Finerus, I tilted my head slightly. My arm trembled under the weight of the sword, but I forced myself to maintain a cold expression.

If only I still had my old body—I could’ve wielded this with three fingers.

My poker face seemed effective; Finerus remained frozen in terror. Watching him sweat profusely, I felt the stress of the past few days melt away.

As the blade neared his throat, Finerus finally collapsed to his knees. The twin knights, fearing their impending doom, prostrated themselves flat on the ground.

“P-Please forgive me, Your Majesty! Show mercy and don’t tell His Imperial Majesty…”

“You should apologize to more than just me.”

“W-What?”

Shifting my gaze from the stunned Finerus to Rovair, I handed the sword back to its owner. Rovair remained as calm and composed as ever, silently standing his ground.

Smiling once more at Finerus, I leaned in slightly.

“You didn’t forget the disrespect you showed the deputy commander of the Imperial Knights, did you?”

“But, Your Majesty, he’s just…”

“He’s mine. Insulting him is equivalent to attacking me. Are you sure you want this story reaching the emperor’s ears?”

Polite speech often cuts deeper than insults. Finerus, clawing at the floor in desperation, gritted his teeth and apologized to Rovair.

It was clearly a forced apology, but knowing genuine remorse was impossible to extract, I simply shrugged.

As soon as I dismissed them, the trio fled without looking back. What a relief.

“My apologies for troubling you, Your Majesty. This was something I should have handled myself.”

“No, don’t waste your time on fools like them. It’s beneath you, Sir Rovair.”

“But how did you know about the Finerus family’s affairs?”

“Well… let’s just say I take an interest in domestic matters.”

Finishing with an awkward laugh, I glanced at the rock I’d been using for training earlier. If not for their interruption, I could’ve focused on my workout.

Their insults toward Ophelia—or rather, me—were bad enough, but their treatment of Rovair, their superior, was equally infuriating. Had he endured such treatment throughout his time in the knights? Bearing both the stigma of being a noble’s illegitimate child and their disdain?

Suddenly, I realized how strong and steadfast Rovair truly was—a man like a straight pine tree weathering countless storms.

“Shall we return to the empress’s quarters? I’ll come to escort you again tomorrow at the same time.”

Accepting Rovair’s polite suggestion, I nodded. Today’s training session had clearly reached its end. Prolonging it further might provoke Lena into causing a scene.

After parting ways with Rovair at the entrance, I dragged my weary body to the bed and collapsed. At this rate, I’d fall asleep just like last night.

I need to fix my messed-up sleep schedule… Muttering to myself, I tried to shake off the drowsiness creeping in—until a low, solemn voice echoed in my ear.

Startled, my eyes snapped open. That cold, authoritative tone could only belong to one person…

“The empress seems to enjoy bathing for half the day. And outdoors, no less.”

Serdelius.

He was my irreplaceable male protagonist—and the emperor of the Carlot Empire.