Chapter 8

The coronation day. Latil, dressed in the emperor's ceremonial attire, stood in front of the mirror, lost in emotion. She felt joy, sadness, excitement, and fear all at once.

“Nanny, do you remember? Six years ago.”

Latil asked, wiggling her hand inside the soft, red cloak her mother had given her.

“I wanted to be the empress then. The empress of Karisen.”

“Of course. I remember everything.”

Nanny looked at Latil with pride, and eventually a tear trickled down her cheek.

“Why are you crying on such a good day, Nanny?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m being silly.”

Latil approached and quickly hugged Nanny.

“I just wish Her Majesty could have seen this...”

“Nanny, if someone heard you, they might misunderstand. Her Majesty is well and healthy. We can show her.”

Latil burst into laughter and patted Nanny’s back.

“I know. It’s just that she can’t see the coronation. It’s a special day...”

“Hmm. We could make a similar coronation outfit and show her, right?”

“Once you become the emperor, you’ll be busier, and every action will come with restrictions. Do you think you can go all the way to the temple?”

“Still, I should go at least once.”

It would be better if Her Majesty could come back herself. Latil swallowed the impossible wish. Nanny wiped her eyes with the hem of her sleeve and sniffled, trying to hold back her tears.

“She would be very happy.”

“Yeah.”

Latil felt a lump in her throat.

“Our Nanny, you used to be much bigger than me. I used to fit in your arms. Now, you fit in mine.”

“Princess...”

“Thank you. For always being there to help me.”

Nanny was fired during Latil’s successor training because the late emperor thought Latil would become lazy with her around. This led Nanny to return to her original fief, and thanks to this, she survived when Prince Tella seized the palace for nearly a year.

“Oh, your eyes will turn red.”

Latil let go of Nanny and wiped her own teary eyes. Today, she shouldn’t cry even if she’s moved. Seeing Nanny cry made her tears well up. Latil tapped her cheeks a few times with both hands.

‘Don’t cry.’

Right, she shouldn’t cry. She needed to show those who had helped her and those who doubted her who the emperor was and how dignified she was. Just as she was about to leave after finishing her preparations,

“Your Majesty. Prince Leisan has arrived.”

A few knights announced Leisan’s visit.

“Big brother?”

Latil, delighted, opened the door herself to welcome her brother. On the coronation day, Leisan had stated he wouldn’t attend because it wasn’t good for the former crown prince to show up. But he had come for a surprise visit, which made her happy.

“Did you change your mind? You must want to see your little sister looking great, right?”

However, Leisan’s expression wasn’t very good when he entered.

“What’s wrong?”

When Latil asked worriedly, Leisan sat on a backless red chair and said,

“I thought you might be upset if I didn’t come at all. I also have something to say, so I came for a short while. I’m not here officially, so I’ll go back.”

“Really not attending?”

“I think it’s better that way. But, Latil, I heard you executed Tella and exiled Anakcha.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you really have to execute Tella?”

“Is that what you came to say?”

Latil sat across from Leisan with a sullen face. Leisan sighed and took Latil’s hand.

“Latil, we had a bad relationship with Tella. Things got worse when he seized the palace. But he’s still your brother, my little brother. We’re family.”

“I know.”

“But did you really have to shed blood? It’s not good to see too much blood, especially at the beginning of your reign. You need to show a benevolent face.”

“Big brother, you were a prince with legitimacy, so you could say that. You had almost no opposition. But I’m different. I was always compared to Tella and you, and other siblings. There were hundreds of nobles looking for a better option than me.”

“!”

“I couldn’t show a benevolent face. I needed to show strength. And...”

Latil, half-standing, whispered in Leisan’s ear.

“I think it’s better to see the blood of a thousand enemies than the blood of a hundred of my own people.”

Latil, who spoke firmly, smiled brightly, contrary to the frightening words. Leisan sighed and rubbed his forehead, indicating he didn’t agree with Latil. However, he didn’t nag further. The person who would become the emperor was his little sister, and the one who had overcome hardships was his little sister. What his little sister needed was trust, not nagging, as she was taking a path he was too afraid to take. Leisan stood up and silently hugged Latil tightly. * * * After Leisan left, there was no more time to hesitate. Latil went to the grand hall where the coronation ceremony would take place. In the center of the grand hall, a red carpet was laid, and all kinds of nobles and officials gathered around it. On one side, priests from the temple surrounded the imperial crown, whispering to each other. Latil looked at the scene and smiled lightly. Strangely, her tension had disappeared. The tongue that had been unbearably itchy during the preparations was gradually becoming normal. As the sound of a large drum and trumpets filled the air, Latil appeared, and the hall fell silent. As people moved further to the sides, the path to the imperial throne became clear. Latil, instead of looking at the nobles, focused on the imperial crown at the end of the red carpet. She walked towards the crown with a calm smile. When she stopped in front of the crown, a high-ranking priest carefully handed it to her. Latil placed the crown on her head and ascended a small dais. If the crown was crooked, it would look bad. The princess who had anxiously asked her nanny about this was not here.

‘I am the emperor.’

Latil, standing in front of the throne, felt a sense of fulfillment as she scanned the nobles and ministers standing below. One by one, the gathered people knelt on one knee and bowed their heads in loyalty. The moment everyone bowed, Latil felt a thrill run through her spine. * * * According to Tarium’s custom, Latil presided over the first imperial council the evening after the coronation. The first imperial council was more about setting the overall direction of governance rather than addressing specific issues. On this day, high-ranking officials who were aligned with the new emperor often replaced the old ones. However, Latil decided to fill only the positions left vacant due to Tella’s involvement and maintain most of the ministers as they were during her father’s reign. Excluding the time she spent in the Melosy fief, Latil had only been a princess for two years. It was difficult to create a completely loyal group in that time, and most of the pro-emperor faction had already aligned with her, so there was no need for replacement. Moreover, her father’s close aides were still in their prime. Latil’s plan was to maintain the existing excellent career officials and gradually adapt them to her style rather than hastily pushing out the old guard. The imperial council went smoothly without any resistance. However, the atmosphere began to change when the discussion turned to Latil’s spouse and successor. The ministers began to clash, and Latil’s previously peaceful expression stiffened slightly. A successor is important for the emperor. Latil wasn’t upset that they were discussing the successor on the first day of the council. What upset her was the underlying tone among them.

“Unlike the previous emperors who could have multiple concubines and produce successors, Your Majesty can only have one empress, can’t you?”

“So, we must welcome an empress as soon as possible to ensure the stability of the royal family.”

“For Your Majesty’s health, making a successor should be the top priority.”

“Focus on bringing in an empress as soon as possible.”

Latil repeatedly clenched and unclenched her hands while silently observing the ministers, then tilted her head. Look at what these people are saying? The idea that she needed to produce a successor quickly was something she could accept. The emperor’s personal life wasn’t a private matter, and this issue was always discussed in the imperial councils of previous emperors. One famous emperor, known for his bad temper, had once thrown his scepter and shouted, “Am I a stud horse?” Latil’s frustration stemmed from a different part.

‘Why do I have to bring in only one empress? These people are strange. They think it’s natural that I can’t have concubines.’

She didn’t become an emperor to create a harem, nor did she expect to. In fact, she hadn’t even thought about it since becoming a princess, as she had been running non-stop without a moment’s rest. Just thinking about Hysins was overwhelming. With the issue of becoming an emperor right in front of her, she had no mental space to think about a harem. But as the ministers assumed that a female emperor couldn’t have concubines and discussed the empress, she felt a sudden urge to prove them wrong. Latil had read the records of previous imperial councils dozens of times during her time as a princess. She had memorized the parts about the first day’s council, especially the parts about the empress and successors. In every council, there were always discussions about the empress and successors, and the topic of concubines came up even more frequently.

‘But they’re telling me to bring in only one empress? That a female emperor can’t have concubines?’

If the ministers had brought up the topic of concubines first, it might have been different. She didn’t know what would have happened if she had experienced that. But now, since they assumed she wouldn’t have concubines, she felt a strong desire to prove them wrong. Latil chuckled to herself. As she had told Leisan, she intended to be a strong ruler. She didn’t want to be swayed by those who constantly compared her to Leisan, Tella, and other royals. And...

‘Thinking about it, a harem might not be bad. Why not? I don’t want to bring in an empress right now anyway. There are several reasons. First, it’s a matter of pride, but Latil hasn’t fully recovered from the shock of Hysins. The busy daily life had helped her forget Hysins, but hearing the word “husband” immediately brought back the pain he had caused. In this state, she didn’t want to bring in a “real” husband right now. Second, she didn’t want power to be diluted by an empress before she had solidified her own base. But if she didn’t bring anyone in at all, she would be constantly nagged about the successor. If she created a harem and brought in a few concubines, they would serve as excellent buffers for the successor issue. After thinking it through, Latil smiled faintly and spoke.

“I have carefully considered your words.”

As Latil spoke, the hall fell silent. She felt a strange pleasure. The fact that all the ministers, high-ranking officials, and nobles fell silent at her words was a peculiar sensation. Hysins... Is this the reason you left me?

“You are right. The stability of the royal family comes from solid successors. I understand your advice to bring in an empress quickly.”

As Latil nodded, a faint smile appeared on the Duke of Artrax’s face. Having supported Latil early on, he had firmly established himself as a key figure in the new emperor’s court. He probably thought Latil would mention his son, Lanamun. Lanamun, who had been frequently mentioned by the ministers as a strong candidate for empress, was objectively a perfect choice in terms of appearance, family, the Duke of Artrax’s achievements, and age. Latil saw the faint smile on the Duke of Artrax’s face.

‘I feel a bit sorry for the Duke. He has helped me a lot.’

But she had to say what she needed to say.

“Therefore, I have decided to bring in concubines first.”