The Emperor's Gambit
After that, Roella could barely remember what she had eaten. The Emperor had maintained a gentle demeanor and a polite distance throughout the meal, exuding an air of composure. Considering his precarious situation, Roella should have been the one in the position of power, yet she found herself unable to claim it.
It was only after they finished the tea served after dessert that she stood up. The Emperor rose with her and saw her off with affectionate gestures. Even though they hadn't exchanged any words that could bridge the deep, long-standing rift between them, his attitude was such that it created the illusion that the distance between father and daughter had narrowed.
Roella left the dining hall and returned to the Princess's Palace with quick strides. Caroline followed her, asking, "What did you talk about?"
"I… I…."
Roella stopped dead in her tracks and muttered to herself.
She had almost said, I thought I would receive an apology, and in that moment, she realized for the first time that she had harbored such an expectation.
"Your Highness…?"
Caroline looked at her, puzzled by her sudden silence. Roella shook her head.
"It wasn't bad."
It had been completely different from what she had imagined, but it wasn't a bad encounter. Just knowing that her father wasn't the pathetic, incompetent man she had envisioned was a decent harvest for Roella.
When she returned to the Princess's Palace, Helmut was waiting for her. Roella frowned slightly, and Caroline hid her dissatisfaction.
"Did you hear everything already?"
Roella let her maid remove her cloak and ornaments, grumbling to Helmut as he followed her inside. Helmut looked at her with a serious face.
"I came to see you as soon as I heard you had dinner together. I thought it would be best to hear directly from Your Highness what the Emperor said."
Of course, he would cross-verify through the attendants, but right now, knowing what Roella was thinking was the top priority.
After removing her tiara, Roella sat on the sofa, looking exhausted, and ordered tea to be brought.
"That's good. I was going to call for you tomorrow anyway."
"Did the Emperor make any demands of Your Highness?"
"If you call it a demand, perhaps…. For starters, His Majesty wants me to manage the Imperial Palace."
Helmut struggled not to grimace. The maid, Hermine, hurriedly brought the tea, but he didn't even think to touch it. He asked, "In what capacity, exactly?"
"Since I am the only royal family member in the palace besides the Emperor, he said that I should take charge of the household as the mistress."
"Do you intend to do so?"
"It wouldn't be strange, would it? If I get married and Ezekiel enters the palace, it would end up that way anyway, so I might as well start early."
"That is true, but…. Did the Emperor not attach any conditions?"
"It’s not really a condition, but he says his ultimate goal is to make me the Empress."
Helmut struggled to keep his face from hardening. He took it to mean that the Emperor was finally trying to reclaim his power by putting Roella forward.
Roella also guessed what he might be thinking.
"Don't worry. Why would I fight Ezekiel for a father who never treated me like a daughter?"
"Then, did you refuse?"
"No."
Roella shook her head. She wasn't a fool.
She knew well that her most important assets were her imperial bloodline and legitimacy. It was that which had made her Ezekiel's fiancée.
And because of her mother's deposition, that legitimacy had been somewhat damaged. The position of the only Imperial Princess wasn't easily shaken, but Roella's heart was not at peace. The Emperor’s remark that she must have known what kind of existence a powerless Empress was had driven a wedge into that insecurity.
"There's no reason not to do what I can."
"Your Highness, the Emperor would never treat you with good intentions."
"I know. That's why I intend to use him, too. I'll give what I can, and as long as I gain more than that, it's enough."
Helmut looked at her with an anxious face. If she tried to gain power, the currently stable factions within the Schwab influence would be greatly shaken.
Unaware of his concerns, Roella spoke, feigning coldness.
"I’m thinking of holding an official banquet at the Imperial Palace in my name. Is that possible?"
"…Yes."
That wasn't a bad way to announce that the Princess had effectively become the mistress of the palace.
"Then, the Emperor's condition was that he would attend as my partner."
Roella said it as if it were nothing, but Helmut couldn't help but hold his breath. Caroline, struggling to hide her joy, leaned toward Roella and whispered quickly.
"If that happens, Your Highness will be able to establish your authority as the Emperor's sole successor."
"His Majesty hasn't appeared in public for over fifteen years."
Helmut said stiffly, thinking that whatever Caroline had said, it was certainly not good advice. He had meant for her to think about why the Emperor had been kept away from public events, but Roella only sighed.
Helmut's eyebrows twitched minutely. This was a variable he truly had not wanted.
19. A Celebration for Count Lutgarth
It was not long after that when the schedule for the new Count Lutgarth’s oath ceremony was decided.
Compared to the long tug-of-war, once the decision was made to issue the Emperor's edict, the remaining issues were easily agreed upon. Theodore Lutgarth raised no objections to the opinion that the oath ceremony should be simplified, nor to the suggestion that a grand celebration should be held.
Ezekiel eventually accepted Roella's intention to host the official banquet herself.
"It is true that the palace is in chaos because there is no one with official authority. If this allows Roella to formally become the mistress of the palace, it wouldn't be bad."
"But Duke, if you truly allow the Emperor to attend the banquet…."
"I know what you are worried about. The Emperor must have some scheme in mind to have coaxed Roella."
Ezekiel spoke to the nobles standing before him, his brow furrowed in displeasure.
"Are you not truly worried that Roella's authority will become too great?"
"That is…."
"I was going to have her act as a proxy for the oath ceremony anyway. It wouldn't be bad to have the Emperor himself declare the transfer of authority at the banquet instead. It seems the Count of Lutgarth will never swear an oath to Roella."
From the beginning, the purpose of having Roella act as a proxy for the oath ceremony was to solidify her status as the successor by having her exercise some of the Emperor's authority.
Considering that, it wasn't bad for the Emperor to appear at the banquet and personally bestow authority upon Roella. He must have other motives for wanting to attend the banquet, but if he could fill the void in the Imperial Palace by giving up what he wanted once, it was not a loss. Rather, the current situation, where there were holes in the palace security, was more dangerous.
Those who came to him now with various appeals were worried about Roella’s growing power, but Ezekiel was not worried at all. He had been told what the Emperor had proposed to her at dinner, but he didn't care about that either. He was confident that he had completely dominated Roella.
"It’s fortunate that the Count of Lutgarth's oath ceremony was postponed. It’s better to have an important pretext than to hold a banquet for something trivial."
As he said that, he suddenly recalled Theodore Lutgarth's blunt and neat face.
Come to think of it, how did that man finish his conversation with Olivia? He had been so busy lately that he hadn't seen her at all.
'Since I've left her to her own devices, she might have gone off to have a 'free romance',' he thought, letting out a soft, mocking chuckle.
Theodore was a man with a handsome face and a magnificent physique. It would be impossible for him to mentally satisfy a woman like Olivia, but he would certainly be able to entertain her in bed.
As his thoughts shifted from Olivia to Theodore, he no longer felt like laughing. It was cute when she acted on her own whims, but thinking of a specific partner made his stomach burn with heat.
"Ha."
He covered his eyes with his hand and let out a short sigh. He felt like venting his anger, but he didn't want to admit that it was because he missed Olivia.
It seemed he would have to go see Roella tonight, after all.