Chapter 187
Chapter 187
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 187
Chapter Title: Late-Night Summons from the Empress
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"Imperial Princess Elizabeth, Her Majesty the Empress summons you."
The slightly unusual news came from the knight who visited just as I was about to sit on the edge of the bed for the night.
"At this hour? Me?"
I furrowed my brow slightly and pointed to my chest with a finger, questioning the knight in disbelief.
"Yes. Her Majesty commanded it herself—'bring the princess to me.'"
"That's certainly peculiar."
What could be the reason for summoning me, of all people, so late at night—and not my sister, either?
And Mother giving the order personally, no less.
"Hmm~ Everything's ambiguous..."
I ran through possible reasons one by one, but each had its flaws, making none seem likely.
I truly had no idea what it was about.
Well... I'll find out when I go.
"I'll head out right away."
"Understood."
I draped a shawl over my shoulders and rose from my seat, approaching the knight.
He bowed his head slightly, opened the door, and led the way one step ahead, guiding me to where Mother was.
We walked in silence, our footsteps quietly echoing as we pierced through the darkness.
"We've arrived."
"The audience chamber...?"
After the long silence, we reached the audience chamber, guarded by two knights standing rigidly before its firmly shut doors.
Not Mother's bedroom or office, but the audience chamber—this fact left me bewildered as the knight exchanged glances with the guards and opened the door.
"Her Majesty awaits inside."
A narrow gap just wide enough for one person opened up, and the knight stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter.
"...Got it. Thanks for escorting me."
I had a million questions, but I gave the knight a small smile of thanks and squeezed my body through the tight opening.
Pressing my chest in to fit and taking care not to snag my clothes, I stepped inside carefully. There, in the dim light of mana lamps, I saw Mother sitting on the jade throne with a bored expression, and beside her, Marchioness Shannon standing with a faint smile.
Confirming that Mother was indeed waiting, I hurried to the middle of the chamber with quick steps and bowed lightly toward her.
"Your Majesty, I heard you summoned me."
"Yes, Elizabeth. You arrived sooner than expected. I hope I didn't disturb your sleep?"
I'd greeted her as the Empress, unsure if she was acting as ruler or mother, but she responded by calling me Elizabeth—not Victoria—with a gentle smile.
Not Empress and princess, but mother and daughter.
A smile tugged at my lips as the tension melted away.
If we were facing each other as family, it probably wasn't anything too serious.
"No, I wasn't asleep. And even if I had been, I'd come running if Mother called."
With that, I straightened up and dropped the formalities a notch, addressing her as her daughter.
"Heh heh, I'm glad to hear that. This might take a while, so have a seat here."
"Yes."
She seemed pleased, her eyes crinkling softly as she chuckled aloud and pointed to a chair beside the throne.
The chairs were lined up facing the entrance, which struck me as odd, but assuming someone else might join us, I sat without protest.
"Then, may we begin our discussion now?"
As soon as I sat and looked up, there—in the spot where I'd been standing—was a middle-aged man kneeling with a sullen expression, head bowed low.
"...!?"
A chill ran down my spine, my breath catching in my throat.
How long had he been there?
Whether he'd been in the room from the start or slipped in midway, I hadn't noticed him at all until he spoke.
"Tch, what rotten taste. Couldn't you just enter normally like last time, you damned fool?"
As my fingers trembled in shock, Mother clicked her tongue with clear annoyance and scolded the man.
"I figured waiting for your conversation would waste too much time. For our informants, time is more precious than gold."
"You stubborn fool..."
Mother shook her head in exasperation at his reply.
"Sigh... Be more careful next time."
"I'll do my best."
Evidently, this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. She issued a light warning, wrapped it up casually, then slumped back in her throne, hand to her forehead.
"Did he tell you why I called you here?"
"Yes. You have many questions about Baron Howard's movements."
"Indeed. His recent actions seem a bit unusual."
"William...?"
Why was his name coming up all of a sudden?
He seemed far too unassuming a man to warrant a late-night secret meeting with an informant.
His secrets probably amounted to nothing more than the naughty books hidden in his bookshelf.
"Baron Howard seems awfully interested in the steppes lately. What do you make of that?"
Mother's follow-up only deepened my confusion.
Had William ever shown interest in the steppes?
Sure, he'd made strange clothes and met with the steppe elves, but that didn't mean he was fixated on the steppes themselves.
Any interest would be in clothing.
Nothing else was worth considering.
His mind didn't turn to any other topics.
And because of that, I'd suffered enough already. If he could pivot elsewhere, I'd die of resentment.
"Aside from meeting the transcendent elves, he shows no particular interest. They didn't discuss anything beyond clothes, and there's nothing else to interpret—not even as code."
"What about suddenly making clothes that nomads would like?"
"Even the nomad-friendly clothes were more of a lucky accident. Imperial Princess Victoria would know more about that. Isn't that right?"
"Exactly. He was aiming for nobles' riding attire and failed miserably at it."
The man's assessment aligned closely with my own thoughts.
If anything, it was harder to understand why Mother saw grand ambitions in William after observing him this long.
"Hmmm... This throws my plans off..."
After hearing us out, Mother pursed her lips and muttered in dissatisfaction.
"What plans?"
"I've been thinking: elevating William's status is important, but so is raising his house's standing."
"Well... the Hume Earldom isn't so bad, is it? The territory's vast, the history long—practically on par with a ducal house."
"Still, 'count' lacks flair. Handing over a duchy outright is tricky, but something special like 'marquis' or 'frontier count' would lend more prestige."
"...?"
Was that... it?
It was true that border guardians gained extra authority and honor.
But ask if the House of Hume Count would bask in glory over such a mere title, and everyone would tilt their heads.
No—there was an even bigger issue.
"Mother, the Hume County doesn't even border any frontiers."
"That's why I asked about his steppe interest. If he had any, I planned to carve out some steppe land for the Hume Count and Baron Howard and promote them. Who knew he'd have none."
"......"
What nonsense was this?
I was speechless.
"Tch... Should I just grant him a duchy that became direct territory after the last civil war? Give the duchy to the eldest son and the countship to Baron Howard—perfect fit."
It wasn't impossible, but if she did, my sister or her heirs would have to wage brutal political battles to curb the Hume Earldom's influence.
And if I ended up engaged to William on top of that...
"Mother, do you really want to split the kingdom in half again for your grandchildren's generation after barely patching it together?"
"Of course it's a joke. I'm not so senile as to block my daughter's marriage."
When I asked with genuine worry, Mother chuckled and shrugged.
"Haa..."
If it's a joke, at least make the tone or nuance clearer.
"Baron Howard's promotion by March won't work, then?"
"No, especially with the heretic inquisitor fallout. Best to observe for a few months."
"A shame... What about granting the Hume Count some steppe land and promoting him?"
"You could decree that tomorrow without issue. The Hume Count would love the steppe land, and bundling it with a title would please him more—especially one he can hold without inheritance hassles."
"I see."
"For Baron Howard, I'd suggest watching how far his clothes spread on the steppes before deciding on promotion. If they catch on widely, solidify the 'Friend of Other Races' title and slot him as a viscount under Countess Tigres."
"Not a bad idea. Can intelligence nudge things along on the steppes to speed it up?"
"A quarter-year, at least."
"Then handle that too. Ideally, time it for Elizabeth's birthday."
"Understood."
Mother waved the intelligence man off lightly, signaling the business was done.
He bowed deeply, rose, turned, and exited the chamber quite normally.
"That's settled on Baron Howard. Now, let's talk about you, Elizabeth."
"Pardon?"
As the man vanished and the doors shut firmly again, Mother turned to me, resting her chin with a sly smile.
"How far have things gone with William lately? It's been half a year since you started pursuing him in earnest. Surely you've had a few secret trysts?"
"Indeed, I'm quite curious myself. Half a year—even at a snail's pace, you've at least exchanged love letters by now, haven't you?"
And so came Mother's prying into her daughter's love life, followed by a quip from her longtime friend.
"......"
I could only grimace and flush crimson.