Chapter 7

Lady of the Asher Family (Chapter 7, 7/141)

"Just make sure to put it back in its place after you look at it."

In front of the family, it felt as if my heart was fluttering, seeing my grandfather, who had called me by my surname for the first time.

It wasn't that I was recognized, but it seemed I had entered his field of vision.

Moreover, his words about putting it back.

It meant I could visit his study whenever I wanted.

The book was important, but his words were an even greater gain.

'It has begun.'

"Okay."

I nodded, gripping the book tightly in my small hands as if to steady my resolve.

"Thank you..."

But my grandfather had already turned away from me.

"Go on now."

As I walked briskly to Aunt's side, the gazes of Chandler and Jason, who were looking at me from their eye level, were far from kind.

Needless to say, Aunt and Uncle were the same.

From Andrea, who looked as if she was about to throw me into a small room with a fierce expression, to Vellia, who smiled coldly.

If Grandfather hadn't been there, I might have imagined what could have happened, taking a deep breath—

"Let's see you outside."

Chandler, who had approached me, whispered through his teeth.

He tried to look threatening, twisting his face and making a gesture as if to cut his throat with his thumb.

'I'm not scared at all.'

So I turned my head so no one could see and stuck out my tongue.

With that, Chandler, whose face had turned red, reached out his hand.

"Hey!"

"Chad."

But Vellia, who had stepped to the opposite side to stop Chandler from rushing towards me, shook her head slightly.

"Don't act the same way."

"But—"

"Shh."

"Outside."

Ah.

Not here, but outside.

I let out a small, hollow laugh, imagining what might have happened if Grandfather hadn't been there, and bowed my head.

'It would have been the same in my previous life, wouldn't it?'

Just that I hadn't seen it then.

When I was younger, I only tried to see what I wanted to see.

Shaking my head, I looked up, and Bennett, who had been standing behind Grandfather, glanced out the window and stiffened.

Seeing his expression, the other attendants also looked out the window, muttering curses and twisting their faces into fierce expressions.

"Lord."

Turning quietly at the call of Lord Rivié, Margo—

"Wait a moment, child."

Raising his hand to pause the attendants, Grandfather called Vellia.

"Yes, Father."

Vellia, who had been wondering why she was called, smiled and looked up. Grandfather, putting on the glasses he had taken off, said casually,

"Dismiss all the direct tutors. Bennett will rehire them from the academy in a few days."

"…Yes?"

Surprised, Vellia turned to look behind her and then turned back, her face showing confusion.

"Why suddenly—"

"They lack the qualities to teach children."

That was all he said.

"Go on."

Grandfather's decision was final, and Vellia, who had received the dismissal, left. I took the opportunity amidst the commotion to quietly slip out of the study, a secret smile on my face.

The door closed with a thud, blocking out the noise outside, and Margo stood up from his seat.

The carriages lined up beyond the main gate, and the flag of the royal family, raised high at the front, fluttered in the wind.

"Lord."

"…"

At the call of Lord Rivié, Margo, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, looking out the window, turned his gaze from the flag.

"Alessia."

"Yes, Lord."

Turning to sit, Margo looked up at Lord Rivié.

"What about the movements in Peluana?"

At Margo's sudden mention of Peluana, Rivié furrowed his brow and looked up.

"On the surface, it's quiet, but reports keep coming in that the new Khan of Peluana, who has unified the continent, is gathering the nobles."

"What about the bank?"

"Money is—leaking out."

At Lord Rivié's words, flipping through documents, Margo's eyebrow twitched.

"Leaking out?"

"Yes. The local nobles of Peluana are borrowing quite a lot of money. It wasn't much compared to the central nobles, so it wasn't checked separately."

Rivié, who had been looking at the documents closely, furrowed his brow.

This is—

"A war."

"An internal conflict, I suppose."

Suarez, standing beside him, shook his head with a smile.

"Given that the young Khan has just ascended the throne, there will be many who are targeting him."

"But it could also be a shift in focus outward."

At Margo's low addition, Suarez's face stiffened.

If such a thing really happened, it could lead to unnecessary bloodshed, and among the Asher family, many had territories bordering the Peluana Empire, making it even more problematic.

But Suarez's hope that such a thing wouldn't happen was dashed as Lord Rivié looked up.

"Yes, it seems there is a possibility, as Lord said."

"…"

"Especially in the local territories of Peluana that border the Teparoa Empire, there are frequent small transactions that are not reported. A more detailed examination of the documents is needed, but—"

"Based on your judgment—"

"It seems they are preparing, whether for an internal conflict or a war."

At Rivié's words, his face stiff, Margo, who had been sitting straight, rubbed the armrest.

'A war will soon break out in Peluana.'

Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed such talk, but—

Given the situation where he was considering whether the child's ability had manifested late, he couldn't ignore the child's words.

Especially the confident tone, without any hesitation, that a war would break out.

'Is the ability manifesting as precognition?'

If that were the case, Shari would never try to manifest Leticia's ability.

Because not a single precognitive ability holder had lived a full life.

Historically, they were used and then killed by the opposing side or died young from illness, cursed with a doomed ability.

Unfortunately.

Margo, who had been tapping the armrest with his fist, looked up.

"Bennett."

"Yes, Lord."

"How old is Leticia?"

"She will be seven in six months."

If she gained the qualifications for succession, she would have to go to Onera in six months.

Before that, her ability needed to be redirected, or she needed to learn how to control it before Shari found out.

'It will benefit the family.'

It might seem heartless, but as the head of the family, the only decision he could make was for the family's benefit.

"Appoint Olga as a tutor."

"…Yes, I understand."

As Bennett wrote Olga's name in his notebook, Lord Rivié and Lord Suarez glanced at Margo and pursed their lips, as if urging him to speak.

At their urging, Bennett cleared his throat.

"Lord."

"…"

At Bennett's hesitant voice, Margo's blue eyes turned to him.

"Then, what about the royal palace surveillance team?"

"Perhaps it would be better to confine them to a corner."

"Would that be a bit difficult? After all, they act on the Emperor's orders. Giving them an excuse would not be a good move."

"Then, how long do we have to endure this?"

"Isn't the Emperor's insistence excessive?"

Lord Rivié and Lord Suarez, who remained, raised their voices, but there was no clear solution.

"Bennett, is there no good solution?"

"If there were, we would have used it already."

At Bennett's indifferent voice, the remaining attendants nodded.

After all, Bennett had been the one most affected by Margo's house arrest.

Before, he only had to serve Margo, but now, due to the house arrest, he had to help the incompetent Andrea and report to Margo, doubling his workload.

But there was no way to counter the Emperor's insistence.

Looking at Margo's side profile, who was quietly rubbing the armrest, Bennett let out a short sigh.

The Emperor's harassment was not a new thing, but it had become more severe as he aged.

'How long do I have to endure this?'

Given Margo's tendency to value propriety towards the royal family, it seemed he intended to endure it again, even knowing it was the Emperor's insistence.

"Hmm."

Bennett's sigh, pressing and releasing his eyes, made Margo run his hand over his lips, which he had been tapping on the armrest.

'House arrest. It will be over when the old man retires.'

'Retirement, retirement.'

Margo smiled, slightly twisting the corners of his mouth.

It was, in fact, the best move in the current situation.

Especially if Leticia's precognition was correct and a war broke out.

'The best solution is for me to step down.'

After all, the house arrest was a punishment for being a noble council member and a minister of the Emperor.

Whether he confessed to the crime or claimed to be ill, if he resigned and announced his departure, the Emperor could not stop him, and the house arrest would be lifted immediately.

The Emperor would be flustered, and the hyenas vying for his position would be even more vicious.

It would be difficult to even discern who was an ally and who was an enemy.

While power does not allow for a vacuum, it was clear that my stepping down from the front lines would cause a significant upheaval.

Especially if Peluana attacked.

'Then I can give that old weasel a taste of his own medicine.'

Imagining the Emperor's face contorting in front of him, Margo leaned back deeply into the backrest.

"Bennett, fulfill all the investigation team's requests and bring in Dr. Collin."

"Are you ill?"

"I will be."

"…?"

Without responding to Bennett's puzzled expression, Margo stood up and looked at the family portrait hanging on the wall leading to the bedroom.

Shari, who was standing in the background like a shadow.

'Your daughter will gain the qualifications for succession that you kicked away.'

Just imagining Shari's reaction made Margo feel good, and he chuckled as he walked into the bedroom and lay down.