Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Her silent gaze was truly cold.

"Have you all finished speaking?"

The conference chamber immediately fell into a deathly silence.

"Given the seriousness of the situation, we'll first go over the fire in the Cartes territory."

"As you wish, Your Majesty the Empress."

A maid beside her placed a prepared stack of papers on the conference table.

"This is the report the Imperial Princess prepared. Take your time and read through it."

Margrave Sertua was the first to pick up the documents.

His brows drew tightly together, his eyes sharp and focused.

It didn't take long for him to realize just how detailed and readable the report was.

"The civilian damage we feared did not worsen. In fact, the losses remained limited precisely because the fire spreading toward the mountain range was contained first."

"H-her wisdom is remarkable!"

After finishing, the Empress looked toward Sir Antonio.

As though he'd been waiting for his turn, he immediately spoke.

"There were enough desperate citizens gathered there that one wrong move could have sparked a riot. However, Her Highness sincerely looked after the people, and the situation was resolved peacefully!"

"The commoners simply do whatever they're told."

Antonio ignored the noble's sarcastic remark and continued.

"The damage was so limited that only the entrance to the mountain range requires continued management! Her Highness's response was both swift and precise, allowing us to avoid a much greater disaster!"

"That's fortunate. Wouldn't it be right to separately reward the civilian firefighting teams?"

Antonio nodded vigorously.

"Her Highness has already handled that as well!"

"How so?"

The Empress stared at him in disbelief.

"The commercial guilds of the Cartes territory have signed an agreement to sponsor the civilian firefighting teams!"

Margrave Sertua's eyes widened.

His expression practically asked what kind of education could possibly give a seven-year-old such skill.

"That means we can now address the chronic shortage of civilian firefighters that prevented timely responses every dry season!"

"Ahem. But surely the agreement with the commercial guilds isn't permanent? What happens after it expires?"

Click.

The conference room door swung open as though it belonged to her.

Riena entered.

"Mother, I'm sorry I'm late."

"It's fine. You only just returned, so you must have had a great deal to organize. Come sit."

The moment the Empress finished, Riena firmly took a seat beside her.

Then she looked directly at the noble who had asked the question.

"The way you asked that almost sounds as though you're waiting for the agreement to expire."

"O-of course not."

Marquis Hutlen gave an awkward cough and forced a smile.

"The commercial guilds and I made a separate promise. They won't be able to end the sponsorship whenever they please."

"A separate promise...."

His sly gaze was exactly the sort Riena hated facing.

He had a peculiar talent for making people uncomfortable with a single look.

But that sort of thing would never work on Riena.

"Marquis Hutlen, why are you looking at me like that? Do you have a problem?"

"Pardon? N-no, Your Highness! Of course not!"

A child couldn't possibly be lying.

So Riena had decided to simply push shamelessly.

"Really? Then why are you stuttering?"

Only then did Marquis Hutlen withdraw his unpleasant stare and manage an awkward smile.

"My eyes sometimes give people the wrong impression. I apologize if I offended Your Highness."

"All right. Be careful from now on. It would be unfortunate if I misunderstood and accused Marquis Hutlen of insulting the Imperial Family, wouldn't it?"

The Marquis visibly stiffened.

He had expected the Empress to come down hard on him.

He hadn't expected the young Imperial Princess to land the first blow.

Count Shilton, who normally would have supported him, pretended not to notice.

"My apologies...."

The Empress, who had been quietly listening, naturally resumed the discussion.

"Then let us move on."

The moment she spoke, Margrave Sertua continued.

"At this moment, when the Empire is in its golden age, the throne cannot remain without an Emperor. I will do everything possible to hold the Empire together, so please proceed with the coronation as soon as possible."

"But Her Highness the Imperial Princess isn't prepared yet! She hasn't even received formal Crown Princess education!"

Silence returned.

It was an atmosphere where no one wanted to speak first.

"Would it not be best to follow His Majesty's wishes...?"

Count Shilton carefully spoke.

Several nobles around him nodded.

"Surely His Majesty can at least decide his own successor? Even if his health has declined...."

"Or perhaps he has already had a successor in mind...."

Bang.

The Empress slammed her fist onto the conference table.

"Do you truly not understand that this Empire has only one legitimate heir?"

Those ridiculous excuses might have worked on the Emperor.

They wouldn't work on her.

"The Imperial Princess is right here. What is there to decide about a successor?"

"Her Majesty is correct! There is no heir other than Her Highness!"

"Of course. Surely you aren't talking about Prince Turio? Prince Turio can never be the successor! A mere prince inheriting the throne? Ridiculous!"

As the atmosphere grew heated, the nobles who had been muttering finally raised their hands in surrender.

"Then if Her Highness succeeds the throne...."

Now it was Riena's turn.

"We should think about the Empire first! I haven't even studied Imperial Governance yet. I'm really disappointed in all of you."

At this unexpected turn, the nobles following Count Shilton and Marquis Hutlen looked at each other.

Their expressions practically screamed, Then what are we supposed to do?

"Margrave Sertua, you tell them. Who understands the Empire's current situation best and watches over its stability more carefully than anyone else?"

"Her Majesty the Empress."

There wasn't even a moment of hesitation.

Only then did the nobles realize they had walked directly into a trap that had already been prepared for them.

Their faces twisted.

"B-but! Her Majesty the Empress was born in the Kingdom of Cornelia!"

"And since becoming Empress of this Empire, have I ever treated the Kingdom of Cornelia as my homeland?"

The Empress's icy gaze pressed down on them.

Everyone closed their mouths.

Chernuier had worked herself to the bone for this Empire.

There was nothing they could say.

"However, there is one thing I wish to ask, Your Majesty."

"Speak."

The Empress calmly looked at Marquis Hutlen.

"If His Majesty the Emperor recovers his health, what will you do then?"

"That is what I desire most. If His Majesty regains his health, what more could I possibly ask for? However...."

The Empress glanced toward her maid.

Another sheet of paper was placed on the table.

Everyone held their breath and glanced at it.

"Marquis Hutlen, read it aloud."

Hutlen leisurely reached out and picked up the document.

But only for a moment.

His greedy eyes quickly scanned the entire page.

Then he stopped speaking.

The others frowned impatiently at him.

But the Marquis slowly shook his head.

"His... Majesty the Emperor has permanently lost his sight...."

"P-permanently...?"

It was like a bolt from the blue.

Even Riena stared at the Empress in shock, unable to close her mouth.

Countless thoughts pierced through her at once.

Her hands and eyes trembled faintly.

That's exactly what happened to me in my previous life.

She couldn't believe what she'd heard.

"Mother, then what about Lady Trinia...?"

"They say she keeps losing consciousness."

Riena's heart slammed against her chest as though struck by a massive hammer.

Those were exactly the symptoms the Empress had suffered in her previous life.

Which meant Trinia's life would probably end soon as well.

"All the palace physicians and mages have been summoned to investigate the cause. We'll need to wait a few days and see."

After the Empress finished, silence lingered for a long time.

The nobles filling the conference chamber were too shocked to recover.

But Margrave Sertua's brows drew tightly together.

"Even if it is only for a few days, the throne cannot remain empty. Your Majesty the Empress, you must make a decision."

"He is correct. Your Majesty, please make your decision!"

When a majority of the nobles spoke in one voice, the Empress answered with determination in her eyes.

"Prepare the coronation."

Her golden eyes were calm and confident, like a predator that had finally caught its prey.

"The Empress becoming Emperor? If that isn't a sign of ruin, then what is?!"

"That foul mouth tells me you must be Count Shilton."

A low voice so violent it seemed capable of striking someone physically hit the back of Shilton's head.

His eyes widened almost painfully.

Gasping as though he'd seen a ghost, he slowly turned around.

Margrave Sertua stood there, looking sturdier than the very walls of the Imperial Palace.

"E-eek!"

"I'll report every word you just said to Her Majesty."

"W-wait, that's...!"

Marquis Hutlen, who had been watching quietly, took one relaxed step closer and smiled faintly.

"His Majesty the Emperor falls ill, and Margrave Sertua suddenly looks happier than anyone else."

"And you, Marquis, look rather uncomfortable. Almost like a man hiding something."

Hutlen's eyelid twitched.

He couldn't tell how much Sertua knew.

And a man who spoke so rarely usually had a reason for keeping quiet.

Marquis Hutlen irritably turned and quickened his steps toward the coronation hall.

"Are we really going to leave things like this?"

"What do you expect me to do? Things have already gone this far."

"But if this continues, everything we've prepared for years will be wasted."

"Listening to that lowborn woman is what caused this mess in the first place. Do you intend to make Prince Turio, who isn't even a year old, the successor?"

"B-but according to the rumors, His Majesty still believes this wasn't Lady Trinia's doing. He thinks the Empress was behind it...."

Marquis Hutlen stopped walking.