Chapter 43

# 43

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At the unexpected words, the emperor raised one eyebrow. It wasn't a negative reaction.

Nikan continued speaking in a cautious yet firm voice.

"The Duke of Esselred is not only unmarried but also without an heir. If an unforeseen situation arises in Esselred and the heir position becomes vacant, it will cause a great upheaval in the political world."

A ducal house is a massive entity, inevitably with a large number of blood relatives and retainers.

If the head of the house were to die without an heir, a war could break out over the inheritance.

The problem didn't end there.

The imperial citizens viewed the four ducal houses, which were founding families and powerful mage lineages, as the nation's strength.

And that was indeed the case.

Therefore, there was a tendency to see any major issue in a ducal house as a threat to the country.

If a ducal house were to fall into chaos, it would spread widely.

Chaos often meant opportunity.

If the current Duke of Esselred were to die without resolving the succession issue, the emperor could use the chaos as an excuse to appoint his preferred candidate as the heir.

The desire to strengthen his power was intense, but it was problematic now.

It had only been eight years since the Ailts ducal house was wiped out.

The nobles were sensitive to the disappearance of a house, and if Esselred were to be wiped out as well, suspicions of tyranny would rise to the surface.

This matter was intricately entangled with interests.

'If the Duke of Esselred were to die at a time like this, the first arrow of suspicion would fly towards me.'

The emperor nodded.

"A reasonable point."

Nikan, confident that the emperor would listen to him, smoothly continued.

"Would it not be wise for Your Majesty to help prevent such chaos?"

The emperor smiled slowly.

"An interesting proposal. It could stabilize the situation in various ways... not bad at all."

It was a good story, but it wasn't clear if it was something to decide immediately.

However, since it was a request from a minister, it was awkward to put it off, so he remained silent for a moment.

The head steward reported respectfully.

"Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Empress is waiting outside. What should we do?"

Nikan snickered inwardly.

Instinctively sensing some prey, she had rushed straight to the imperial palace.

'She's a woman with an incredible sense.'

Diana entered the hall gracefully, radiating light like a chandelier.

"I see Her Majesty the Empress."

The empress approached the emperor and asked with concern.

"Please rise. I hope I haven't interrupted any important discussions."

Emperor Yulih smiled faintly and greeted the empress.

"How could you? You arrived at just the right time. I have some very good news."

He told the empress that a cure for the mana reflux disease had been found.

"The abilities of your subjects are a testament to Your Majesty's virtue. I am overjoyed that such a good thing has happened during Your Majesty's reign."

Diana, devoid of the empress's dignity, acted like a mistress, coquettishly.

But no one could look down on such an empress.

She became a pitiful and alluring flower only in front of the emperor.

The emperor still doted on his wife, who was as beautiful and lovely as she was in the days when she was the crown princess.

The empress, who sometimes acted like a seductive mistress, also sometimes acted like a virtuous and wise wife.

The emperor, captivated by her chameleon-like charm, would often return to the empress after taking a mistress.

Each time, the mistresses who lost the emperor's attention would disappear.

It was all predictable.

The emperor continued.

"The Duke of Agnes suggests sending his eldest daughter to the Esselred ducal house as an adopted heir."

"Ah..."

Diana still smiled like a flower, but her eyes turned into those of a cruel politician.

'Sending a foster daughter he raised to Esselred? Huh, I see through your plan.'

The empress, realizing Nikan's scheme to swallow Esselred, smiled as if she were genuinely impressed.

"By showing mercy to the isolated Esselred ducal house and sending a child vouched for by the royal family as an heir, it's a wonderful proposal that also sends a political gesture of goodwill."

The Duke of Esselred had passed the age of marriage as defined by the noble society.

It was a situation where the royal family could reasonably intervene by sending a child vouched for as an heir.

"The sharp perspective of the Duke of Agnes on the state of the nation always surprises me."

Nikan smiled lightly and bowed slightly.

"Your Majesty flatters me."

Both the empress and Nikan wore smiles, but their minds were already calculating numerous strategies.

'Let's see who will swallow Esselred.'

The empress smiled.

"Shall we continue the conversation over dinner? Fresh venison has arrived today."

"Everyone, let's go to the dining room. It's a joyous day, so we should ask the chefs to prepare something special."

They soon moved to the dining room.

* * *

The dinner atmosphere was peaceful.

Wearing masks of smiles, they treated each other with warmth, making the atmosphere gentle.

In this atmosphere, Edward remained silent and immersed in his own thoughts.

He was uninterested in this ridiculous power struggle. Instead, his mind was filled with thoughts of Navia's next move.

'How does she plan to escape the ducal house? And how does she plan to use this situation?'

This power struggle, where they explored and restrained each other's interests, was all part of Navia's plan.

It was absurd to see them playing the puppets while she orchestrated everything behind the scenes.

Whoosh!

At that moment, the sound of heavy rain, which he had been ignoring, reached Edward's ears.

"It's raining heavily. It might be dangerous to drive a carriage now."

The empress's murmur came with it.

Edward's eyes widened.

'Could she have even calculated the weather?'

Of course, the sky had been gray since early morning, but the rain could have started a few hours later.

However, the fact that Navia didn't delay in the room and sent him to Nikan might mean she was confident.

'Can this really be the courage of an eight-year-old...?'

Being reckless as a child and boldly pushing through with plans were distinctly different.

Edward saw this as decisiveness.

Nikan frowned.

"We should wait until the rain eases before leaving."

While waiting for the rain to ease, they enjoyed tea and passed the time.

It had been over three hours since they arrived at the palace.

"Your Grace, the rain has stopped, and it's snowing now, but it would be best to leave before the roads freeze."

Nikan, puzzled, replied to the courtier.

"Snow in November? That's unusual. Have the carriage brought around immediately."

The emperor, seeing Nikan off personally, said,

"Let's meet again soon with more good news."

It was about the engagement of Vivian and Ares.

"I look forward to that day, Your Majesty."

Nikan got into the prepared carriage.

Edward was with him again.

Since he had been invited to dinner, they were returning to the Agnes ducal mansion together.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation, Viscount Wayne."

"I haven't received the title yet. Call me by my name."

"Haha. How can I do that? The title is already confirmed."

Nikan was very pleased with Edward. He was a rare talent, a strategist type, which was uncommon in Agnes.

"Today is truly the best day."

Nikan muttered like a satisfied predator, gazing out the window.

"Ah, wait a moment. I need to buy gifts for my daughters."

On the way home, he stopped at a shop and bought flowers and dolls.

He exuded a sense of ease, as if he had already secured victory, and anyone could tell something good had happened.

The current excitement seemed to have washed away the anger and fatigue accumulated from recent events.

'If I send Navia to Esselred, the emperor, who is quick to make decisions, will likely issue a decree tomorrow.'

Thus, if his son were to marry Navia, the powerful strength of Esselred would become his.