Chapter 172

Proofreader: somnium

When Amalie spoke in the conference room that day, she had already anticipated the current situation.

It was a statement that could not be said that she was trying to take care of Lawrence with a loyal heart.

However it is a statement that cannot be said to have rebelled against the Emperor. Amalie knew for sure that it was impossible to put it as evidence.

So, she was even more casual.

She was prepared to fly outside the eyes of the Emperor. It didn’t matter though. Because she believed Cedric would become Emperor, and she intends to make it so.

It was okay to be deposed or dismissed, or even if the Emperor was more aggressive than she thought and sent out sentences such as exile.

Emperor Gregor was a setting sun. And it won’t be long before the new sun rises.

She now made her presence known not only to Artizea, but also to Cedric. This incident also well established her position.

Even if there were some hardships, the new Emperor’s endowment would make up for it all.

The Emperor was angry, as she expected. However, he did not punish Amalie.

He had to keep the military from swaying, as they might be at war with the Kingdom of Eimmel.

Besides, Amalie wasn’t the only one involved. At the meeting that day, most of them were unsuspecting even after hearing Amalie’s remarks. As Amalie said, there was no one that got agitated.

It was a story worth telling.

All of them could not be punished for the same crime. Moreover, even if that’s not so, in a situation where there are few people who can be used, there will be no more reliable servants left under.

For the mere fact that she had spoken the wrong thing to his son, he could not disown his ever faithful servant.

Even more so at the point when he no longer has any expectations for his son.

‘Hoo…….’

The more he thought about it, the more painful his bones hurt, and the Emperor stared at the air.

He knew well that Amalie was greedy for power.

She was willing to comply with the Emperor’s will when he wanted to put people around Lawrence.

So, her attitude was even more shocking. Because it meant that she had judged Lawrence as someone that she couldn’t do anything about.

The Emperor ordered Amalie to be on probation and finished the work.

Amalie said one last time.

“Allow me the grace to speak frankly, Your Majesty. Sir Lawrence is a person who does not know how to be grateful.”

“Harper.”

“If I swear with all my heart and accept Sir Lawrence’s decree, what does it mean? Would a person who has no gratitude for his parents value public servants?”

So she concluded that she had no desire to become Lawrence’s public servant.

Every word Amalie said that day gave the Emperor a headache, but nothing daggered into his chest as she had said at the end.

Combined with the statement that Lawrence didn’t know where his power was coming from, it was all the more so.

The Emperor was strangled in his throat and pulled a glass of water.

Since the royal court prohibited drinking alcohol, he wished he could drink a lot of cool water, but the chief attendant seldom gave it to him.

He missed Miraila very much.

Countess Eunice said when she saw the Emperor drinking two glasses of lukewarm water in a row.

“If you are thirsty, would you like some honey? There are medicines and herbs that are good for fatigue recovery with honey.”

“Hmm. Did you bring it?”

He didn’t really want to drink honey, but the Emperor asked, because he thought that his daughter’s sincerity would make him feel better.

Countess Eunice said.

“It was made by Fiona. Fiona had recently gone to see Baron Morten Heir Apparent. Baron Morten Heir Apparent is making it for Grand Duchess Evron, so she says she’s been playing around and making it together.”

With all the ingredients and the bottle ready, she just poured it as instructed, so it wasn’t something Fiona could say that she made.

But Fiona was quite proud.

Still, the Emperor smiled. Fiona was his first granddaughter. She was cute no matter what.

“You seem to not like Baron Morten Heir Apparent.”

“For the kids, I think the things Baron Morten Heir Apparent is doing are new and interesting. After all, she’s a strangely good-looking young girl who does something the maids would do.”

Countess Eunice said so. And she called the attendant and made them bring the jar of honey and warm water.

The Emperor took the lukewarm honey water that Countess Eunice had brewed herself and cast his gaze into the air for a moment.

And he came up with a name he had never thought to be associated with.

It was naturally aroused by the thought of the honey water and the connection between Baron Morten Heir Apparent, Lysia, and Artizea.

“What do you think about Cedric?”

“Cedric? He’s a good person.”

Countess Eunice answered without much thought.

The Emperor slowly took another sip of the honey water and asked again.

“Think more seriously. If Cedric sits on the throne, do you think your family will be able to live in peace?”

“Father…….”

Countess Eunice, in her dismay, stopped her hand from the massage, and she returned to the Emperor’s side and knelt on one of her knees.

This was the first time that Cedric’s name was raised by the Emperor’s mouth while discussing heirs.

Just because she was his daughter, she didn’t dare say anything rude.

Countess Eunice was sweating on her back. She wondered why he was asking her this.

The Emperor set down his glass of honey and leaned forward.

“Don’t worry about it. Are you afraid that I will find fault in you and throw you away?”

“It’s not something I can say carelessly…….”

“Isn’t it irrelevant to you?”

The Emperor let out a long sigh.

“When I said I would take Lawrence as my heir, how could I not have been concerned about you? Even though I made it clear that by choosing your brother it would not jeopardize the family and the life of the family by trespassing in these matters, you never know if it will happen.”

Said the Emperor.

“Lawrence isn’t friendly to you, but isn’t he still your blood brother? For the safety of you and your children, it would have been more at ease for Lawrence to be here.”

In order to supplement Lawrence’s lack of legitimacy, he must have the support of his subjects.

He knew that Lawrence didn’t have the skills to gain legitimacy on his own, so he tried to bring that in.

However, he realized that he was losing the hearts of his subjects in this way, so the future was bleak.

The power he had built up throughout his life seemed more at stake than ever. If there is no child to hand it over, no matter how large and strong a castle is, it is just an empty shell.

Eventually, he had to pass it on to someone.

“But now Lawrence was like that.”

The Emperor muttered.

Countess Eunice couldn’t open her mouth again easily because she was speechless.

She couldn’t believe she’ll be safe if her blood brother Lawrence ascends. It was not something to be said when Emperor Gregor himself proved that the lives of his own brothers and sisters were not so valuable when the imperial power was at stake.

However, she could not speak those words directly to the Emperor.

Countess Eunice said cautiously.

“I’m sorry to say this, but I’m not really close with Lawrence. In addition……, I never told Father, but I had a really big fight with Lawrence’s biological mother.”

“Hmm…….”

“Compared to that, I am more reassured with Cedric. I’m not even close to Cedric, but he’s not going to threaten my family or anything because of his power.”

The Emperor was submerged in it.

Countess Eunice felt her chest flutter.

He called her adorable, but the Emperor never had her as an important counselor.

Artizea told her when she met her last year.

“His Majesty is wise, and there are many thoughtful subjects around to seek opinions, but there are very few whom he can discuss anything with as a family.”

“Father is not someone who reflects the wishes of his children or lover in national affairs just because they are his favourite.”

“No. I didn’t mean to take an opinion. It’s like human nature to confide in someone you can feel safe about.”

“That’s possible.”

“You just say what you want to say and you will only push it to the extent that this person is also thinking like so. Nevertheless…… The story you hear at that moment has a greater impact than you think.”

Countess Eunice regretted that at the time she had answered coldly.

She didn’t think back then that this moment would come. Had she asked a little more, she might have had helpful advice.

Artizea once said this too.

“Don’t lie to His Majesty, Countess Eunice. His Majesty is a man of many doubts, and he sees the truth of people very well.”

Countess Eunice made up her mind.

She can’t tell a lie anyway. Countess Eunice realized how clumsy the lies and tricks she was telling while talking with Artizea were.

The Emperor’s eyes twinkled over her wrinkled eyes.

“Have you ever felt sad?”

“What?”

“Come to think about it, both you and Lawrence are in the same position, but I never said that I would make you my heirs.”

Countess Eunice took a deep breath.

“I would be lying if I said I never felt sad.”

The Emperor laughed as if he knew that.

Countess Eunice lowered her eyes.

“But now I am acutely aware that I was not the vessel for that.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I must have let Father down. Rather than that, it’s better to feel comfortable like this. I also understand why Father chose my ambitious and wealthy husband.”

Countess Eunice thought that she herself could not afford even half of what had happened under the waters in the last year.

Had it been herself, she probably wouldn’t have even noticed the existence of so many conspiracies.

“I also have children, Father. Now all I want is for those kids after Father’s death, and until they forget that they are the granddaughters of Father, to live safely and as wealthy as they are now.”

The Emperor understood the meaning underlying it.

The succession laws and customs were disrupted when the Emperor used his authority to place Lawrence on the line of succession.

Emperor Gregor himself ascended to the throne as the predecessor Empress’ adopted son, it added to the situation that he was originally an illegitimate child.

He gave the impression that if the illegitimates had blood and a deep affection, they could succeed.

Grand Duke Roygar will not tolerate it. Because he has had years of being compared to Lawrence and was threatened.

So he will one day endanger her daughters as well.

Not to mention Lawrence and Miraila. Grand Duke Roygar couldn’t keep them alive.

The Emperor thought for a while, then muttered to himself.

“What a ridiculous thing to do.”

“Father…….”

“Even if you give them affection for a long time, even if you build trust and loyalty, and even if you try hard to teach, in the end the thing you can trust is a person with a good nature.”

The Emperor drank the remaining honey water. Then he buried himself in the armchair and fell into deep thought.