Chapter 47

Two days after the visit of His Imperial Highness, Bertine came to the office, ostensibly to discuss the budget for the river boats. Ignacio, who came to greet her, said, "His Excellency is currently entertaining an unexpected guest," and led her to the room next to his office. While waiting in the anteroom, Bertine sensed the door to the adjacent room, which belonged to Cecil, opening.

(They must be leaving,) she thought, standing up and approaching the door. Suddenly, she heard a woman's voice.

"Cecil, come to my place once in a while. I'll welcome you."

"Ah, maybe sometime. Sorry, Dolores, I have another appointment."

"Right. It's a shame since it's been so long, but see you later."

The closeness in their conversation made Bertine hold her breath involuntarily.

(Whenever I meet him, Cecil always seems to be busy with work, and there's never any sign of a woman. But he is the country's representative, and it's only natural for him to have close female friends.) She felt embarrassed for thinking she had a special relationship with Cecil through their work.

Suddenly, the door in front of her opened, and Cecil exclaimed, "Oh! You were here?"

She hadn't intended to eavesdrop, but the way he saw her standing there made her blush.

She turned her head to the left, sensing a gaze. The woman who had just been talking to Cecil had stopped and was looking back at her.

A woman with long, lustrous black hair and a seductive aura was looking at her with interest. Bertine instinctively bowed slightly, but the woman only smiled and walked away.

"Your Excellency, I'll come back another time. Please talk to her."

As soon as she said that, she realized it sounded like she had been eavesdropping and wanted to cover her mouth. However, Cecil casually replied, "Her? No, it's fine."

"Dolores' husband is a good man, but he's incredibly jealous. If he knew I was having a long conversation with her alone in this room, he might burst in here with a greatsword."

"Greatsword... That sounds terrifying."

"Hehe. I don't want to lose my life over something like that. Dolores is just an old friend, after all."

Hearing that, Bertine felt a bit relieved and inadvertently said more than she should.

"I see... In my country, there were many rumors about you, so I misunderstood. If I get the chance, I'll correct those rumors."

"Rumors about me being a womanizer? Or a bloodthirsty war enthusiast? I don't care either way, so I just let them be."

"That's not good. You shouldn't let people say bad things about you."

Cecil smiled slightly as he invited Bertine into the room.

"Ever since I became the country's representative, more people have tried to offer me women or money. Even in this open-minded country, such things happen. It's useful to know who to trust, and sometimes bad rumors can help with that."

"That's true. No country is full of only good people."

Bertine immediately started explaining the numbers and plans for the river boat construction. When she finished, Cecil asked a question.

"Where does your seemingly endless drive come from?"

"Well, I want people from other countries to know about the greatness of the Union, and I want to serve this country."

"Bertine, a big plan can be dangerous if you rely solely on your own enthusiasm. Do you have enough allies?"

"Evans, Franz, and the people of the Bilba region are my allies."

For some reason, she thought of the Queen of Sanlouan.

"Your Excellency, the Queen of Sanlouan probably planned all sorts of schemes on her own. In a way, it's impressive..."

"Hmm? Can you tell me more about what she did?"

Bertine explained how her engagement and marriage had been thwarted twice.

"I see. Why hasn't your father rebelled against the royal family after all that?"

"My father is thinking about what will happen after the royal family is overthrown. He's in his mid-fifties. Even if he overthrew the current royal family and became the king of Sanlouan, he would have to choose the next king soon. I think he's looking for a more suitable person."

Cecil raised an eyebrow and looked at Bertine.

"Are you trying to become the Queen of Sanlouan?"

"Ah! Don't joke about that. No, it's not me, Your Excellency."

"Sorry, just a joke."

"I understand. There are other suitable candidates for the throne."

"Who?"

"His Imperial Highness, Prince Claudius the Second. From his letters, it seems he wishes for it as well."

Cecil froze for a moment, then smiled with a complex expression. Bertine didn't understand the meaning of his smile.

"But the Prince is only twelve. We should wait until he's at least fifteen. By then, my father will likely serve as the Chancellor to support him, and the Imperial Highness will also back him. For the Emperor, it means keeping the Second Prince close while eliminating the seeds of succession disputes."

"Have you gotten the approval of the Emperor and the Imperial Highness?"

"It seems the Imperial Highness proposed it."

"Interesting. What do you think the people of Sanlouan will think?"

"They will welcome it. The country relies heavily on tourists from the Empire. If an Imperial Prince becomes the king, it will strengthen the bond with the Empire, and the people will be happy. They are already disappointed with the current king."

Cecil, who had been thinking, said something unexpected.

"The Union will fully support Prince Claudius if he becomes the king of Sanlouan."

"That... would be a great help, but what's in it for you and the Union?"

"There is something in it."

He stood up, holding a green book. It was the book that had caught her attention before. Today, she could clearly see the title: "Laws and Regulations of the Kingdom of Sanlouan."

"So it was that book!"

"Actually, I've also been considering making Prince Claudius the king of Sanlouan, but for different reasons."

"Your Excellency, too? May I ask why?"

"After the war, the Empire immediately paid the reparations, but the Kingdom of Sanlouan still hasn't paid the thousand gold coins they negotiated. This is a blatant act of contempt for the treaty."

Cecil took a stack of letters from a drawer and placed them on the desk.

"I've been considering deposing the current royal family and making Prince Claudius the king. I've been researching the laws that could be used in this situation and any laws that might hinder him after he becomes king. Prince Claudius often writes to me for advice on future politics. After reading his letters, I believe he will be a good leader."

(Does the Prince rely on a foreign leader rather than his own father, the Emperor?) she wondered.

"If I can support a young and idealistic king, I'm willing to lend a hand. The royal family of Sanlouan looked down on the Union as a culturally backward country and acted so carelessly. I won't stand by and let them treat the lives of my people, who fought to the death, lightly. If there is a good king who can be welcomed by the people, I'm happy to help."

"But," Cecil looked at Bertine.

"I'll wait until the Prince is fifteen. I was planning to act before the remaining payment was made, but for this matter, I'll coordinate with the Empire. I need to properly 'thank' the Queen who caused you so much trouble."

(What did he just say at the end?) Bertine was surprised and looked at Cecil, but he was only smiling. She continued the conversation a bit awkwardly.

"Your Excellency, my father will likely agree to this plan. May I tell him your thoughts? The Imperial Highness has already informed my father of his plan."

"Your father's second wife is the Queen's sister, right?"

"Of course, I'll tell him without letting my stepmother know."

"Then please do. Your father will likely become my ally. The Queen has wronged you twice. A smart person won't miss this opportunity."