Chapter 93

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"Come on, Emma Stewart, what do you want?"

The evening gathering began with praise for the Stewart family.

For their long-standing efforts in protecting the kingdom from monsters.

For their contributions to the kingdom through taxes from their silkworm farming business.

For their response to the localized barrier hazard a year ago.

And for their recent translation of the Imperial language.

It's quite impressive when listed like this.

The kingdom had repeatedly offered rewards, but the Stewart family had consistently declined.

However, there is no family that has contributed as much as the Stewart family, and if this continues, it will become difficult to award any family.

This time, the king himself persuaded them and finally obtained their agreement to accept the reward.

The king delivered a speech to the gathered guests.

Every time the king praised the Stewarts, Lady Rose would clap softly, which was incredibly cute.

Now, there's no escape.

The pressure is mounting.

A slightly elevated stage.

Surrounded by guests of noble rank and above.

An unexpected reward.

The Tanaka family, being commoners from Japan, are not accustomed to such surprises.

The only one familiar with the noble society, Emma's mother Mersa, was unexpectedly on a business trip to the Imperial nation.

The king smiles and says, "You can choose anything: a title, a territory, a position, or even a marriage partner."

"Come on, Emma Stewart, what do you want?"

Due to Georg, Emma is forced to make this choice.

Standing a step ahead of her family, she finds herself in a difficult situation.

She glances back, silently pleading for help from Leonardo.

Leonardo, sensing Emma's gaze, deliberately looks away.

She throws an angry glance at Georg, who stands next to Leonardo.

Georg, in turn, looks away to avoid eye contact.

Finally, she tries to appeal to her younger brother William, who is known for his intelligence in this world, but his attention is on Princess Jadwiga, who stands behind Lady Rose.

... These useless people.

If it were a direct attack by a monster or a thug, even her father and brothers would protect her...

Prince Edward, standing behind Princess Jadwiga, looks worried.

Probably, the purpose of tonight's gathering was not revealed to the prince.

Being a kind person, he would have told Emma if he knew.

The things Emma values are limited.

Family, insects, cats, and food.

She has no lack of these things at the moment.

If she were to be picky, the capital is more urban and has fewer insects than the palace.

The garden is large, but she has already identified all the insects, so there's little hope for new discoveries.

Honestly, if she could have anything, she would want a rare insect, but she knows better.

... Insects are not something a lady should ask for.

Moreover, it would be weak to equate a title with an insect, and she might be scolded for it.

To Emma, insects are definitely more valuable.

Wait, what else? What else do I like?

Ah!

"Then, Your Majesty, I love Lady Rose. Please give me Lady Rose!"

While desperately thinking about what she likes, Emma's eyes caught Lady Rose smiling behind the king, and her mouth moved on its own.

"Oh, Emma. I love you too!"

"Wait! No! Rose is mine. Rose belongs to me!"

The king, trying to stop the excited Rose, wraps his arms around her from behind and shouts.

"Your Majesty..."

"Rose will never leave me."

"Your Majesty..."

The intimate scene between the muscular, handsome king and the busty goddess... Even though he said I could have anything... The frequency of such scenes has been too high lately.

It's okay as long as Lady Rose is happy.

On the stage, a warm but tense atmosphere surrounded the Stewart family and the prince, while the guests below were far from relaxed.

They were desperately trying to hide their anxiety based on their positions.

Was Lady Rose not supposed to be out of favor with the king? What should our family, supporters of the first prince, do now?

Wait, is this advantageous for the second prince? When did the situation change like this?

Could this be a farce to arrange a betrothal between Prince Edward and Emma Stewart?

By first offering Lady Rose and having her decline, the king might be trying to show the good relationship between the king and the concubine before proposing the marriage to the prince?

However, if the second prince and the Stewart family's daughter are betrothed, won't it upset the power balance in the social circle?

The Stewart family has the support of the Rothschild Trading Company and, in the future, the Imperial nation as well?

This would be a nightmare for the supporters of the first prince.

Could this all have been planned?

The sudden evening gathering, while we were busy preparing our dresses, the royal family and the Stewart family might have been making arrangements?

The Stewart family, using such a despicable tactic...

Why is it the young lady, Emma, who gets to choose the reward instead of the earl?

Wait, I've heard that Emma has many hidden fans among the supporters of the first prince. If she makes a difficult request, the resistance from the nobles would be minimal...

In that case, the reward Emma seeks is... a betrothal to the prince??

What a clever girl, with such a cute face.

Emma's accidental words send a wave of tension through the noble guests.

They felt an unprecedented shift in their positions.

The supporters of the first prince wait with bated breath for Emma's next words.

If she were to say something like a betrothal to Prince Edward, they would have to oppose it here.

It would be impossible to accept a 13-year-old girl's romantic fantasy.

"Come on, Emma... cough. Emma Stewart, a title? A territory? A betrothal?"

The king, perhaps not wanting to lose Rose, narrows it down to three options.

Why did he include a betrothal!?

The anxiety of the nobles reaches its peak, and only the pressure is felt by Emma.

...

Title, territory, betrothal.

Why does he ask for a combination of things I don't need!?

Title... Even the current earl is a bit of a stretch, isn't it?

Territory... Well, the palace is already incredibly large, you know?

Betrothal... This is definitely to someone of a higher title than an earl, right?

No matter when I hear it, it's a reward lineup with no benefits or advantages!

However, it would be rude to spend time hesitating at the beginning of such an evening gathering.

There's no choice but to use the process of elimination.

"... Then, I'll take the territory."

She answers with a trembling voice.

It's better than a higher title or a betrothal.

"Wha...?"

Everyone in the hall let out a deflated sigh.

No one expected her to choose a territory among those options.

Territory would naturally increase with a higher title or a royal marriage.

"Territory? Why?"

Even the king, who said she could choose, asks why she chose territory.

...?

Why do you ask? It's just the process of elimination...

Everyone except her family, who stood behind her, looked at Emma with disbelief.

Emma's gaze dropped to avoid the concentrated attention, but her pure white dress was blinding...

The Nitori pattern drawn by Harold had been completely erased with white ink. I'm glad the dress was ready in time... she thought, somewhat escaping reality, when she suddenly had an idea.

"Your Majesty, I, Emma Stewart, have a specific piece of land I desire as my territory."

"Do you have a specific place in mind?"

The king prompts Emma to specify which land she wants.

It's unheard of to request a specific piece of land as a reward.

Usually, the royal family chooses an appropriate location and grants it, and the land is typically near the recipient's existing territory.

Emma's statement that she has a specific piece of land in mind is something no one expected.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I wish for the Stewart family to be granted the slums in the capital."

And with that, the young lady, Emma Stewart, looked straight at the king.

"Wha...???"

No one understood the young lady's words.