Chapter 91
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91.
"It seems I've grown far too lenient of late, Countess."
The Countess trembled at the sound of First Empress Scaletti's voice—using her title rather than her name, as was her custom.
"Unable to manage a mere commoner. And worse, I've been played by that child's silver tongue, only to have you report it as a success?"
The absence of even the explosive consonants commonly heard in the Rose Palace made it all the more terrifying.
When she shattered teacups in anger, one only had to endure that moment. But when she did not...
The Countess squeezed her eyes shut.
'Should I have dragged her here by force? Or brought more attendants to intimidate her instead?'
How she wished the First Empress would understand that, unlike before, even the rank of Marquis Clupea could no longer suppress her by status alone.
And hadn't the First Empress herself ordered her to coax Roselita Salice and bring her, believing the Emperor might yet recover?
'That's why I didn't want to go.'
Roselita Salice—a provincial bumpkin risen from a remote estate, ignorant of her place.
That assessment had vanished from everyone's minds more than half a year after she arrived in the Capital City.
Unless one was hopelessly oblivious to the atmosphere.
Even the Rose Palace attendants mocked Roselita Salice with their words while desperately hoping in their hearts that the First Empress would not provoke her.
They remembered all too clearly what fate had befallen Marchioness Irenol, whom they had worked alongside barely a year ago.
A mere baron's daughter, complaining that her son was too precious—hadn't her end been the ruin of her entire house?
Even if they bore some fault in the matter...!
The Countess trembled with fear, yet at the same time felt profoundly wronged.
'I did my best. I saw that Salice Advisor was displeased, yet I persuaded her several times more.'
If it seemed so easy, the First Empress should have gone to the Winter Palace herself and demanded answers!
Had she forcibly dragged Roselita here, she might have avoided this predicament—but then disaster would have befallen her house, and she would surely have suffered consequences for damaging the First Empress's dignity.
And so the Countess had simply steeled herself.
To take the blow of whatever objects the First Empress hurled and have it end there.
Yet unexpectedly, the First Empress remained composed.
The moment the Countess, suppressing her racing heart, cautiously raised her head, she felt an inexplicable dread.
"...Ah, come to think of it. I was not being rational."
"Your Majesty?"
"Things are different now than before. She's no longer merely a baron's daughter—she's become Marquis Clupea. Even His Majesty the Emperor has yielded to her. It must not have been easy for you to deal with her."
Scaletti drew a cool smile across her lips, her delicate fingers tracing the rim of her teacup.
"What need is there to rush? The Second Prince himself has graciously given me ample time."
"Y-yes, Your Majesty."
"It will take five days, as I've said. There's no reason to be hasty. In fact, this works out well."
The First Empress, having finally found her composure, spoke the Countess's name with affection and a gentle smile.
"Don't be afraid. Now that I think on it, today's failure has made me realize I grew careless."
The Countess nodded in response to those words, yet harbored a deep question in her mind.
That 'Winter Palace witch' is letting her guard down...?
And as if responding to her question,
"Your Majesty the First Empress, Duke Lopez requests an audience."
An unexpected visitor had arrived.
It felt like a trap—that was my immediate thought.
The meager loyalty and friendship remaining within me sounded every alarm, warning me to be cautious. And yet.
"At last, that cunning schemer has made his decision—that it's proper to give his daughter to Charlie."
The satisfied smile that bloomed across First Empress Scaletti's face, which had been displeased moments before due to my failure, left me with no choice but to hold my tongue.
*
"Welcome, Duke Lopez."
First Empress Scaletti deliberately dressed in a dark gown with minimal ornamentation to receive Duke Lopez.
Simultaneously, she crafted a smile that conveyed warm welcome while appearing distressed by sorrow.
"I cannot express how grateful I am that you've come at such a time."
With that, she hoped Duke Lopez would make his decision promptly.
Though she thought it was rather late, Wilhelmina Lopez was indeed the only woman of sufficiently noble rank to fill the seat beside Charlie.
'A princess from an ancient and distinguished house suits my son's side best.'
The expulsion of the Hanella Marquis Family had been bitter, but it felt like things had worked out for the better.
Not a foreign princess, not a marquis house of recent history, but an ancient and esteemed duchy.
If only she could place her beside Charlie...!
'His hesitation all this time must largely stem from the Duke Lopez Family losing the diplomatic domain they once managed.'
Thus, First Empress Scaletti decided to forgive Duke Lopez's slowness with a generous heart.
However....
"I'm uncertain whether I should be honored by such gratitude."
Duke Lopez's opening words differed entirely in both content and tone from her expectations.
She had naturally assumed he would say something like, 'I understand you must be preoccupied at such a time,' or 'I am aware of the kindness Your Majesty has shown us.'
"Honored, you say? What could possibly...."
"I'm uncertain what manner of relationship exists between us."
Duke Lopez displayed an aristocratic, arrogant smile.
"I have merely shown Your Majesty a modicum of courtesy."
"A modicum of courtesy?"
"Before coming to the Rose Palace, I stopped by the Sun Palace and submitted a certain document."
Though we spoke the same language, I suddenly could not fathom what he intended to say.
First Empress Scaletti asked, barely concealing her bewilderment.
"What document is this?"
It was inconceivable that he would have submitted an engagement document for Charlie and Wilhelmina Lopez without informing her.
Duke Lopez calmly opened his mouth without even touching the teacup placed before him.
"A request for reinvestigation and correction regarding the riding accident of the Third Consort sixteen years ago."
The First Empress's expression froze, then she composed herself once more.
She lifted her teacup with an air of innocence, speaking with perfect composure.
"If there are grievances to be addressed, they must certainly be resolved. I can only admire Duke Lopez's sense of responsibility toward matters he oversaw so long ago."
All evidence had been erased anyway, and there were no witnesses left to testify.
First Empress Scaletti felt certain, yet the tremors of unease rippling through her heart were difficult to suppress entirely.
'First Trisha brought up that matter so suddenly, and now Duke Lopez as well?'
Why dredge up something that happened sixteen years ago?
As my thoughts grew tangled, Duke Lopez displayed an irritating, thin-lipped smile.
"I do hope Your Majesty the First Empress maintains such sentiments tomorrow, the day after, and beyond."
"Of course I shall."
"I find myself quite looking forward to it, Your Majesty the First Empress."
Duke Lopez rose slowly from his seat and bowed to Scaletti with the flawless etiquette he had cultivated as habit since childhood.
"I believe the time has come when the Lopez Duchy can reclaim what was taken from us. Surely all those serving the Imperial Palace will rejoice."
"What do you mean—!"
"Diplomatic affairs are far too weighty a burden for House of Jamoti to bear, are they not? Their experience is far too limited."
"Are you insulting me and my house now that His Majesty the Emperor has fallen ill!"
I felt a sharp ache bloom in my chest.
He dared strike at my most vulnerable point—had the man lost his mind?
'This wretch who once fiddled with ledgers and calculated petty gains now dares treat me this way?'
The House of Jamoti was no longer merely a marquis family in name alone, and I was the confident mother of the First Prince!
Yet despite my outburst, Duke Lopez remained utterly unruffled, merely clicking his tongue softly.
"Think carefully, Your Majesty the First Empress. Consider why I, who once disparaged the Lopez Duchy for putting on airs despite behaving like merchants, now move as I do."line>
<line id="22">He even had the audacity to repeat the very insults I had leveled against them.
Even going so far as to brazenly repeat the very insults he had been hurling at them.
"Your Majesty, merchants absolutely despise making decisions that result in losses."
In other words, he moved because he possessed certainty.
Contrary to my expectations, I found myself staring at Duke Lopez in utter bewilderment at language so thoroughly unbecoming of a nobleman.
Of course, Duke Lopez bowed to me once more before withdrawing with meticulous courtesy.
“I stopped by because I wanted to tell you something, Margrave Clupea.”
"There's something I wanted to say, so I stopped by, Marquis Clupea."
"What might that be, Duke Lopez?"
The moment news reached me through the servants that the Rose Palace had been thrown into upheaval, Duke Lopez visited my office in the Winter Palace.
"Remarkable, truly—your skill at insulting me with your eyes alone is quite impressive."
My, he's not entirely lacking in perception.
I'd been cursing him inwardly as the inadequate father of this age who had left Wilhelmina starved for affection.
And yet here was a man who had hesitated even after I so very graciously reorganized and sent him the documentary evidence from the riding accident to help him reclaim the diplomatic domain he'd lost in the past.
'If he hadn't received that letter from Wilhelmina, he would have agonized over this for at least another day or two.'
Duke Lopez's timely intervention was entirely thanks to Wilhelmina's keen intellect and her talent for reading the currents of the times.
She had read my brief letter and immediately persuaded her grandparents, enabling Duke Lopez to make his decision.
"I hope you'll continue to treat my daughter well going forward."
"...I beg your pardon?"
"I must take responsibility for having failed to recognize Wilhelmina's brilliance until now."
The man truly deserves to be called an unfit parent for not recognizing that intelligence all this time.
Unable to contain my exasperation, I let my expression speak for itself, and Duke Lopez burst into hearty laughter.
"It's hardly an unreasonable request, compared to how you've rummaged through our household, Marquis."
With that, he left the Winter Palace with a lightness in his step, those words his parting gift.
'What is that calculating man truly scheming?'
Wilhelmina is already so very, very precious to me—I need no such request to cherish her.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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