Chapter 91

"Angus Blue. I am deeply honored to behold your noble presence."

In the audience chamber, where the prince, ministers, and many soldiers were present, a young general knelt on one knee and performed a formal bow to me, who was seated on the throne.

"Raise your head."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Someone, bring a seat for Lord Blue."

As I spoke, a eunuch brought a chair. Angus, who had stood up, hurriedly knelt again upon seeing this.

"I am deeply humbled."

"Very well. You and I are relatives. In a normal family, you would be my elder brother. Moreover, you have achieved great deeds. Do not hesitate to take a seat."

"Yes, I am grateful for this great honor."

Still humbled, Angus bowed again, then stood up and sat on the edge of the chair hesitantly.

Angus Blue.

The husband of the fourteenth princess, Aileen.

Born a commoner, he has accumulated numerous military achievements and was given Princess Aileen in marriage by the previous emperor.

Despite his position as a quasi-royal, he continues to fight on the frontier without arrogance. I have always had a favorable impression of him.

"I received a report from the fourth prince. It seems you have been handling Turbaif well these past few years."

"I am deeply honored by your high praise. I am a servant of the empire and have been granted the honor of marrying Princess Aileen. I will dedicate my entire life to serving her."

"Last time, you defeated the cannon fodder that Turbaif pretended to rebel with in a one-on-one duel, didn't you?"

"Yes, thanks to favorable circumstances, we managed to minimize the loss of soldiers."

From this brief exchange, I got a good sense of his character. In this setting, no matter how much we talk, it will likely remain superficial.

He is a man who understands the concept of "public duty" well.

This is commendable, but somewhat dull.

"Winning a one-on-one duel means you have skill. Show me your prowess."

"Yes, Your Majesty—what?"

Angus, who was about to nod, opened his eyes in shock. The other princes and ministers also began to murmur.

I stood up from the throne and drew the magic sword Leviathan.

"Your Majesty, that is dangerous."

The sixth prince, Sirius Alarate, stepped out of the line and tried to dissuade me.

Among the dozen or so princes, he is the most straightforward. Sirius, who can be described as either straightforward or overly serious, tried to stop me with a stern face.

"Rest assured, no one will be hurt."

"However—"

Sirius, who was about to speak, fell silent. Most of the ministers flinched, and a few fainted.

"Control yourself, Leviathan. Sirius's concern is well-intentioned."

(I understand.)

Leviathan reluctantly, or rather with a sulky look, backed down.

If Sirius had tried to argue, I would have snapped. The killing intent that leaked out overwhelmed the princes and ministers.

Even after awakening, Leviathan is still a mad dog—no, rather, he has become worse.

"That is the magic sword Leviathan..."

"I thought I was going to die..."

"To completely control it, you are truly worthy of being the emperor."

I feel like I snap more often these days, but my words are absolute, and they will follow them, so there is no problem.

In any case.

"Draw your sword, Angus. I will be your opponent."

I stepped forward from the throne and approached Angus.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Angus bowed and accepted the sword brought by the eunuch (it is customary for generals to be disarmed during audiences), then drew it.

"Let's go."

I took the initiative and attacked. I did not use my full strength, as I was not trying to kill him, but to test his skills.

"Hmm..."

(You're too cocky—)

"Wait."

(...Understood.)

Leviathan, who looked sulky again, but this time completely backed down, as if acknowledging my absolute command.

Leviathan reacted to Angus's behavior. He was clearly holding back his true strength, trying to let me take the glory. Leviathan interpreted this as being "looked down upon."

However, I had a slightly different view.

After a few exchanges of sword techniques, I put Leviathan away. Angus, who was not using his full strength, also stopped and sheathed his sword.

"I see, I understand now."

"What?"

"You were trying to guide me and let me win, weren't you?"

"I am deeply sorry!"

Angus dropped his sword and prostrated himself on the spot.

"Very well, I am not blaming you. On the contrary, I find you reliable."

"What?"

"Your movements convinced me. You created a situation where your opponent had no choice but to accept the one-on-one duel, didn't you?"

"..."

Angus was speechless, and the surrounding ministers began to murmur.

"Heh, if I were just a prince, it might have been interesting to follow your strategy as a general."

"I am deeply humbled."

"What was that about?"

"Although I don't understand, it seems that Lord Blue's plan was easily seen through by Your Majesty."

"Indeed. You are truly worthy of being the emperor."

"I like you. I will give you a reward. Is there anything you desire?"

I put Leviathan away and returned to the throne. From here on, I need to act as the emperor.

After a moment of hesitation, Angus spoke.

"Forgive me for my impertinence, but—"

"Very well, I said I would give you a reward. What do you want?"

"To see Princess Aileen more often."

Angus said this, looking straight at me with a challenging gaze. More time with Aileen—his wife?

I was momentarily confused.

It took a few seconds to understand, as it is a unique situation for princesses, something I, as a prince, had no experience with.

"Is this still a custom?"

"No, it is—"

Angus was flustered. I interrupted him.

"Heh, no need to worry. I also considered it a custom. It does not shake the foundation of the country, so I left it for later."

"Then—"

Hope flickered in Angus's eyes.

"I will not treat you badly. I will call for you when the preparations are ready."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

☆

"What was that about, Your Majesty?"

After dismissing the audience and returning to the study, Don, who followed me, asked.

"About Angus?"

"Yes."

"Well, if you don't know the reality, a princess's marriage to a commoner might seem like a fairy tale."

"Yes, in the civilian world, it is treated as a story of envy and romance."

That's right.

After all, it's a marriage between a commoner and a princess. It's a classic rags-to-riches story, and it's full of dreams. If it's not a political marriage but a marriage of love, it's even more of a fairy tale.

"Alright, I will show you the reality. Follow me."

I had just entered the study, but I took Don outside. We got into a carriage and headed to a destination. After a while, we arrived at a mansion in the high-end residential area of the capital.

The gatekeeper, recognizing the emperor's visit, hurriedly opened the main gate and let the carriage in.

"Where are we?"

"This is the residence of Princess Aileen, the fourteenth princess."

"Oh, but it's a strange mansion."

"Hmm?"

"There is a smaller mansion next to it. I often see this style..."

"That's Angus's mansion."

"What?"

Don's face clearly showed disbelief.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. The larger one is Princess Aileen's mansion, and the smaller one is Angus's."

"Why?"

"When a princess marries a commoner, they are both husband and wife and master and servant. The custom is that the husband's residence must not surpass the princess's."

"Really? Even to meet—"

Don asked hesitantly. The man I promoted to prime minister was smart. He understood the situation in an instant.

"That's right."

I smiled and got out of the carriage as it stopped.

A middle-aged woman came out of the mansion, looking flustered upon hearing of the emperor's visit.

She knelt before me.

"I did not know of Your Majesty's visit, and I am deeply sorry—"

"It's fine, I came on a whim. You are not to blame."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

I gestured for her to stand.

"Are you the head maid?"

"Yes, my name is Cassandra."

"How are Princess Aileen and Angus doing?"

"Thank you for your concern. Their relationship is very good. They manage to avoid tarnishing each other's status."

"Status...?"

Don, standing nearby, whispered in disbelief.

He doesn't know, but I am well aware of the inner workings. I led Cassandra and Don into the mansion, heading for the reception room where Aileen was likely waiting.

"Visits?"

"Once a week."

"Evenings?"

"Once every two months."

"That's infrequent."

Even by my standards.

"Yes, Princess Aileen has said that for the sake of the heir, once a month would be ideal, but considering Lord Blue's status, once every two months is best."

"..."

I glanced at Don, who was even more speechless.

Don, who had served the royal family before joining me, was a prince. He was unaware of the "dark side" surrounding the princess.

As I spoke to Don, we were led to the reception room, where the princess and her maids were present.

Princess Aileen, the fourteenth princess.

My sister, four years older than me. We used to play together in the palace gardens when we were children.

"Your visit is deeply honored—"

"Enough, there's no need for formalities between us."

For the sake of the future, I acted not as the emperor but as a younger brother.

This is another difference between a prince and a princess. With a prince, one wrong move could lead to a coup, so I must maintain my imperial demeanor. With a princess, I can be more relaxed.

Aileen was slightly surprised but quickly smiled.

"Of course. I'll treat you as my brother. It's a privilege of being a princess."

"Speaking of which, I came to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Do you like Angus? Honestly, as a husband."

"What are you—"

"Angus said he wants to see you more often as a reward for his military achievements."

"That man... how impolite."

Cassandra muttered, and Aileen looked down sadly.

"Who are you?"

"What?"

I glared at Cassandra over my shoulder and questioned her.

"I am speaking with the princess. How dare you interrupt... Who do you think you are?"

"I am deeply sorry!"

Cassandra turned pale, prostrated herself, and repeatedly bowed her head like a rice-beating locust.

Ignoring Cassandra, I turned back to Aileen.

"Well, sister, do you like Angus? I'm asking as your brother, not as the emperor."

"..."

Aileen laughed softly.

"Yes, very much. He is kind and strong. He loves me... Can you believe it?"

Aileen chuckled.

"There are no concubines in his mansion."

"Really? Is that true?"

"It's unbelievable, isn't it?"

When a princess marries a commoner, they are separated and treated as master and servant, making it difficult to meet. However, even if he is a former commoner, marrying a princess makes him a quasi-royal. Taking concubines is considered normal, and it would be considered shameful for a princess to be jealous.

"Are there really no concubines?"

"Yes... Isn't it silly?"

Despite her words, Aileen looked happy.

"Alright, I understand your feelings, sister. What should I do? Giving Angus a title is easy, but—"

"No, that would hurt his pride."

"True. Stripping you of your royal status would also be wrong."

After some thought, I decided.

"This custom is wrong. I will ban it by law. For the legislation—Fourth Prime Minister."

"The formal process will take about two weeks. With Your Majesty's authority, it can be immediately enforced as a test case before the law is passed."

Don spoke smoothly. From the moment I glared at Cassandra, he understood what I wanted and had been thinking about it.

"Very well, let's do that. Cassandra."

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!"

"From today, no discussions about status are allowed between the princess and her husband. Breaking this rule will result in immediate execution."

"Y-Yes, Your Majesty!"

Cassandra's voice cracked. This level of threat is enough for now.

"Excellent judgment, as expected of Your Majesty."

"Thank you... Noah."

With that,