I Will Surrender My Position as the Empress - Chapter 69
In the afternoon of that day, as scheduled, the central council meeting commenced right on time, drawing nobles to the conference room in droves. Among them, the Grand Duke, accompanied by the Baldr brothers, stood out as they entered amicably and took their seats. As a landowner with holdings above a certain threshold, the Grand Duke had the authority to attend the central council meetings at any time. Duke Despone barely spared a glance towards Elisabeth, who was smiling across from him, and turned his head away. He had never been fond of his niece, who bore a striking resemblance to her predecessor, the former empress. From Vuetta’s rebellion onwards, there were only so many things that went smoothly. As if dealing with the empress wasn’t enough of a headache, now Elisabeth was back! When the emperor finally entered the meeting room, the council members rose from their seats to greet him. Karl immediately shot a glance at Lionel. He was determined to rid himself of the author’s presence on the empress’s side. But as he turned his gaze, he met familiar violet eyes. The emperor and Elisabeth exchanged a glance. The fragile balance between them seemed to vanish without a trace. It was evident that the Baldr family, now including Elisabeth, would demand something. With the exhaustion from a sleepless night weighing heavily, it felt like fatigue was creeping in even before the meeting began. Karl nervously furrowed his brow. Eventually, the central council meeting commenced. Duke Despone aggressively highlighted the achievements of the Mage Guild from the outset, clearly intending to diminish the accomplishments of the knights centered around the empress and Lionel. Unable to bear the verbose and relentless attacks of the Duke, Elisabeth intervened curtly.
“Duke Despone, I understand what you’re trying to say. Please cease.”
Duke Despone’s extreme aversion to Elisabeth stemmed from her audacious and straightforward demeanor. Despite the Duke’s glaring anger, she didn’t bat an eye and dismissed his verbose speech in a single sentence.
“You mean to say that the Mage Guild’s achievements are remarkable.”
People from the Baldr family nodded in agreement.
“But why do you find the stories of the Mage Guild so tiresome, yet fail to mention the accomplishments of Empress and her knights?”
“Of course, the Empress and her knights have also contributed diligently! But can their efforts compare to the Mage Guild, who obliterated the giant level 2 tower in one fell swoop?”
“Is that so? While the Mage Guild indeed displayed remarkable prowess, I would like to draw attention to the fact that the extent of the damage was remarkably minimal. Minister, please elaborate.”
Lionel smoothly picked up Elisabeth’s thread, succinctly explaining the progress of the battle and the extent of the damage. As he concluded his explanation, he added:
“It seemed that Her Majesty, the Empress, possessed magical knowledge unknown to the Echomont Mage Guild.”
His words had a significant impact. Lennox clenched his fists and rose from his seat, while Duke Despone’s face turned crimson.
“Ah, Minister! Are you now disregarding the Echomont Mages?!” Despite the Duke’s outburst, Lionel responded with a calm demeanor. “You know well, that’s not the intention.”
At that moment, the Emperor, who had been observing the situation, leaned forward on the table and addressed Lionel. “So, Minister of Defense, what is it that you wish to say?”
Lionel’s and the Emperor’s gazes are sharply locked.
“I believe it is right to grant Her Majesty the Empress the authority to attend the central council meetings.”
Before his words could fully settle, Duke Despone slammed his fist on the table forcefully. “That cannot be!! It is exceedingly rare in history for an empress to attend central council meetings!! It’s preposterous!”
To which Elisabeth, without hesitation, raised her voice. “Rare does not mean impossible. Why must it be deemed unacceptable?!”
“What?!”
“If she possesses knowledge of magic that we were unaware of, shouldn’t we seek her counsel? Why oppose everything out of fear?”
“Elisabeth Ulrich! Show some respect!”
“I am showing plenty of respect, Uncle!”
As Elisabeth and Duke Despone glared at each other like a dog and a cat, the supporters of the Baldr faction began to voice their support for Elisabetha.
“The Grand Duke makes a valid point. Isn’t there any valid reason to oppose the Empress’s attendance at the central council?”
As the turmoil escalated, Theseus, quietly observing the chaos, stood up from his seat, bringing a sudden calm to the room. Theseus looked directly at the Emperor and spoke with a resounding voice.
“Grand Duke Baldr strongly demands the Empress’s attendance at the central council, Your Majesty,” Lionel followed suit, and Elisabeth also rose from her seat. Gradually, dozens of central ministers stood up in solidarity with Theseus’s opinion. As the weight of their collective presence bore down heavily, the faces of Duke Despone and Lennox contorted with dismay. Karl’s expression hardened as well. Just as one cannot stop the flowing sea with their hands, even the Emperor, despite his power, cannot ignore the demands of numerous individuals without justification. Ultimately, the Emperor had no choice but to accede to their demands. The attendance of Empress Adelaide at the central council was officially recognized.
“If you permit the Empress’s attendance, what then, Your Majesty?!”
The study’s door slammed shut ominously as Duke Despone vented his anger. Karl retorted without holding back. “Was there any other option in that situation?!”
Duke Despone was beyond infuriated with the Emperor’s displeasure. “And what did I say?! You absolutely should not have sent the Empress to Vuetta! Just look at the consequences!!!”
“Perhaps if you hadn’t left all the Elite Mages of the Mage Guild unattended? How is it that all the credit falls solely on the Empress due to your negligence?!”
Furious at the Emperor’s rebuttal, Duke Despone breathed heavily, running his fingers through his disheveled hair in frustration. For a moment, silence fell between the two.
What exactly are you thinking?
As the Emperor looked at Duke Despone with an inscrutable expression, the Duke furrowed his brow in annoyance. Then, abruptly, the Emperor spoke.
“Did you intend to kill the Empress?”
With an expressionless face and a tone devoid of inflection, the Emperor’s unexpected and perplexing question caught Duke Despone off guard for a moment.
“…What?”
“No? Then, was it Diane Portier?”
“What in the world are you talking about?!”
“Do not dare to lay a hand on the Empress; this is my decree. That woman is mine.”
The Emperor took a step closer, threateningly approaching the Duke.
“Empress Adelaide will become the mother of the future Echmont Emperor, and the father will naturally be me. So, whether they join hands now or not, ultimately, the only place for that woman will be by my side, isn’t it?”
Duke Despone stared blankly at the Emperor, his eyes wide open. What seemed calm on the surface was, upon closer inspection, tangled with sticky obsession and possessiveness, sinking deep like the mud of a swamp. Duke Despone rolled his head in frustration, feeling unjustly aggrieved.
“Are you doubting me now? Me, who buried bones in the Ulrich family, tried to harm the family’s head?! How could you have such a misunderstanding about your own uncle?! At a time when the Baldr and Grand Dukes are joining forces to carry the Empress on their backs!”
But Karl remained silent, seemingly refusing to withdraw his cold suspicions. Duke Despone wanted to shout into the Emperor’s ear, “That woman is deliberately trying to break us apart!!” Duke Despone agonized over what to do in this situation. After a moment, he let out a venomous remark.
“And even if the Empress sits by Your Majesty’s side, can you guarantee that she won’t hold onto Your Majesty with her right hand while grasping Lionel Baldr with her left?”
As the words ended, Karl’s eyes flashed red with anger.
“What if the Empress dismisses her advisor at an opportune moment? But I doubt she would do so.”
“What does that mean?” the Emperor growled, to which Duke Despone shrugged nonchalantly.
“It just seemed that way. While I was away in Vuetta, I observed that the two seemed quite close. Oh, perhaps more than just close? As I mentioned before, while residing in the ducal residence, Lionel Baldr never left the Empress’s bedside, even for a moment. and the Empress herself mentioned that she sought him out as soon as she woke.”
Karl gritted his teeth, recalling Adele’s smile towards Lionel Baldr. Duke Despone respectfully bowed his head.
“I am a loyal servant of the Ulrich family, Your Majesty. Please trust me.”
With that, he leisurely left the Emperor’s study, leaving the Emperor to stew in his thoughts.
****
Elisabeth and Theseus arrived together at the Empress’s palace. Lady Giggs, as elegant as ever, swallowed her disappointment at seeing the two dukes and ushered them into the study. Adele greeted the two with a bright smile as they entered.
“Welcome, Grand Duke and Duke Baldr.”
And as she received their courteous greetings, she motioned for them to take their seats. After observing the two’s expressions for a moment, Adele casually remarked.
“It seems the central council meeting has concluded.”
Elisabeth nodded with a smirk, and Theseus spoke up.
“You will be able to attend the next meeting together.”
Adele arched her eyebrow gracefully and leaned back on the chair’s backrest.
“The opposition was fierce, wasn’t it? But since there was no justification to prevent Your Majesty’s attendance, what could they do?”
“Thank you both. It’s all thanks to you,” the Empress said, to which Theseus nodded slightly.
“It’s thanks to Your Majesty’s accomplishments. Are you feeling alright?”
“It’s alright.”
As they continued their light conversation until the teapot revealed the bottom, anticipating the next move, Theseus reached into his pocket and pulled out a small case, offering it to Adele. Adele accepted it with a gracious nod.
“You must take care of your health. This is a test paper that can detect poisons commonly used in Echmont. You can use it whenever you eat or drink. Just handle it discreetly.”
Inside the case were several sheets of paper familiar to Adele.
“Thank you. I already received one from the Minister. I’ll keep it safe and use it when needed.”
“Did Lionel already give it to you?” Theseus asked.
Adele lightly nodded in response to Theseus’s question. Elisabeth, who had been observing the two, interjected gently with a greeting.
“Well then, Your Majesty. Take care of your health, and we’ll see you again soon.”
“Take care, Grand Duke, Duke Baldr.”
With Adele’s farewell, Theseus and Elisabeth turned to leave. However, the conversation from earlier continued to linger in Theseus’s mind. The poison detection papers given to the Empress were a secret product manufactured by the Baldr family, and their existence posed a risk of more sophisticated poisons if revealed, so only direct descendants of the family had discreetly used them for generations. Thus, even though it was brought as a token of trust, it was not something that could easily be given to outsiders. Theseus pondered over it countless times and brought it as a symbol of trust, but Lionel had already given it to the Empress. Moreover, she seemed unaware of its significance.
“It seems Minister has a strong bond of trust,” Elisabeth, once the Duchess of Baldr, also knew about it. Theseus fell silent with a stern expression, then halted his steps.
“Grand Duke, I need to see the Empress for a moment. Please go ahead.”
Elisabeth nodded subtly, and Theseus turned back towards the Empress’s palace. The vivid memory of Lionel’s unsettled gaze from last night still lingered. Was his emotion so profound that he couldn’t contain it? But if Lionel couldn’t sever it, then the Empress could. That would be better for both of them. With a resolute gaze, Theseus chose his words carefully as he walked forward.
