So This Was the Real Goal
The noble young ladies who had tried to sit at Conrad’s side up until now had all been killed.
Those who had remained only as fiancées, never allowed to wear the Empress’s crown, had all fallen beyond Chloe’s reach.
There was no shortage of noble daughters eager for the throne of empress, but almost all of them belonged to Chloe’s faction.
Conrad had delayed and delayed selecting an empress, knowing full well what would happen if one of them were allowed to stand at his side.
“And yet, I truly don’t understand.”
His expression was calm, but the oppressive force spilling from Conrad’s body made the nobles flinch. They could hardly move properly, only darting their eyes around and exchanging glances with one another, yet none of them dared step forward.
“Weren’t you all speaking so eagerly just a moment ago? Why so silent now?”
He had already let his aura loose to keep them from even finding the chance to speak, yet Conrad asked the question as if nothing were amiss. Some of the nobles, unable to bear the pressure, swayed in their chairs or went deathly pale.
“Go on. Say your opinions again.”
“W-well, that is...”
Not a single proper sentence came out of them.
Only then, satisfied at last, did Conrad continue to soothe the nobles while still smiling.
“The Temple’s approval has already been obtained, and she has spent the first night with me as well. Regina Madarin is now Regina Fredericks. The crown of empress has been granted, so bear that in mind.”
It was a one-sided declaration, but there was nothing the nobles could do about it.
Just then—
“Your Majesty, the Duke of Messer requests an audience.”
“What audience, in the middle of a council meeting?”
He had announced himself so grandly, but Conrad instantly sensed the truth: the duke had come to object to what he was doing. With a light wave of his hand, Conrad said, “Let him in.”
The doors of the council chamber opened, and the Duke of Messer strode inside with commanding confidence.
As soon as he entered, the atmosphere shifted. He was the one who had placed the former empress dowager beside the previous emperor, the de facto leader of the nobles, and the chamber seemed to tighten around him.
“We greet the highest sword of the empire.”
“Rise.”
Conrad gave a perfunctory reply and fixed the Duke of Messer with a stare.
“I hear Your Majesty welcomed an empress into your bed overnight.”
“Your hearing is sharp, Duke. You learned of last night’s events in the imperial palace right away.”
The implied accusation—that the duke himself had been the one to spread the news to the nobles—slid off without so much as a change in expression. The duke looked back at Conrad, face unreadable, and spoke.
“Since the seat beside Your Majesty is an important one that must uphold the empire together, news like that was bound to spread.”
“Well, if you say so.”
Conrad already knew the man would never admit to keeping spies in the imperial palace.
Even so, seeing that infuriatingly composed face made Conrad’s fist twitch.
The duke ignored Conrad’s expression and continued, “However, Your Majesty, the Madarin barony is not an old house, and its status is low. I am deeply concerned.”
“Concerned?”
“What if the barony demands too much?”
Conrad let out a dry laugh at the suggestion that the Madarin barony, now backed by Regina just as Chloe had once been, would reach for power.
“That is a remarkable thing for you to say, Duke.”
The duke, who had gained the most power during the previous emperor’s reign, was now worrying about losing that power.
He was clearly talking nonsense despite knowing full well that the Madarin family had no other surviving members besides Regina.
Old hyena.
At the mention of it, the nobles’ eyes changed. Given the nature of nobles, who disliked sharing power with others, the Madarin barony’s sudden rise was clearly unwelcome.
If Regina weren’t a woman from the Ferman Empire, this would have been even more troublesome.
Conrad had no intention of giving important positions in the imperial palace to anyone from the Madarin barony, so he was able to fend off the duke’s attack with ease.
“You needn’t worry about that.”
“However, Your Majesty...”
Conrad cut him off crisply, meeting the duke’s silence with an answer.
“The empress has no relatives worth calling family, and she has no parents. She is alone. Naturally, there will be no reason to grant anyone special favors. So there is no need for concern.”
“Are you saying you won’t make use of the Madarin barony?”
“I’ll make my own decisions, but for now, I can state plainly that such a thing will not happen.”
He planned to summon Regina’s vassals soon enough to assess them, but they could not be allowed to remain in this imperial palace. They were obviously spies from the Ferman Empire, so what more was there to give them?
It would be a blessing if they didn’t try to steal back what they were given.
He might need their help to destroy the Magic Barrier, but that was all.
Once the barrier was dealt with, he intended to send Regina back to the Ferman Empire and dispose of the rest however he pleased.
Conrad did not hide his gentle smile.
“Then is everything settled now?”
At his words, which brought every objection to a close, the Duke of Messer merely lowered his head deeply. Watching the tension in the duke’s clenched fist, Conrad felt almost pleased.
There had been many times when he had been forced to swallow Chloe’s schemes even while knowing exactly what she was doing.
He had tried not to stir up trouble whenever possible because he was always away from the imperial palace, but now things were different.
And now I even have someone I can trust a little.
In Conrad’s mind flashed a head of lustrous red hair.
Their relationship might have begun as a contract, built around mutual goals, but she was a surprisingly good partner. Anyone who shared the same objective could never betray it until that goal had been achieved.
Conrad, who had seen too many people pretend to stand on the same side only to stab him in the back, no longer trusted the nobles.
Even the so-called emperor’s faction had committed more than enough illegal acts in the capital while he was away.
Time to cut them out at the root.
It was time to draw out the knife he had kept hidden.
He was reviewing his plans in his head when the chief attendant of the Emperor’s Palace rushed into the council chamber and approached Conrad’s side.
“Her Majesty the Empress has moved her residence to the Empress’s Palace. However, it seems the maids and attendants from the former empress dowager’s palace have been sent there.”
At the hurried explanation, Conrad raised his head. The instant he saw the duke watching his expression, he was certain. The talk of opposing the empress in the political council was nothing but a smokescreen.
So that was the real goal.
The Empress’s Palace was quite large, but it still had not yet been filled with people. Chloe’s naked greed to stuff her own people into that place made Conrad click his tongue.
But Regina was not someone to be underestimated. She was not the sort to sit still and take it, so an incident was certain to happen.
Conrad decided he should hurry and go watch the show, then smiled brightly and waved a hand.
“Everyone, be dismissed.”
***
Regina was not some fragile woman who could be handled by ordinary people. If she had been, she would have already lost her life in the Ferman Empire.
Having survived years of power struggles in the imperial palace, she found the current situation utterly laughable.
“Welcome, Your Majesty the Empress.”
Even though the empress herself had entered the palace, the maids carried on as if they were the masters here. Regina remained unruffled.
“Are you the ones sent by the former empress dowager?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Except for one maid who bowed to Regina, the rest were busy at work. They were changing the curtains in the Empress’s Palace and swapping out the furniture, moving about with great urgency.
But on closer inspection, it was obvious that what they were doing was absurdly blatant.
The curtains are cheap fabric, and the furniture is low-end too.
The previous furniture and curtains in the Empress’s Palace had no doubt been old, but they would have still been of the finest quality. It was obvious they were being replaced on purpose.
If Regina failed to notice, they would look down on her taste. If she noticed and tried to replace them, she would be accused of wasting the imperial budget on needless luxury.
“The same as always.”
“Pardon?”
The imperial maid who had heard her murmur asked again, but there was no answer in return.
How can they all be this similar?
The political infighting of the imperial palace was boringly predictable. To have to go through the same things here that she had endured in the Ferman Empire...
Regina was almost tempted to laugh at the unchanging routine.
“We’re tidying the palace, so I’ll escort you to the bedroom.”
“...”
Before Regina had even answered, the maid from the former empress dowager’s palace had already moved ahead.
As Regina watched her back, the maids from the Emperor’s Palace became restless and glanced anxiously at her face.
Her expression was full of a bright smile, but after what they had witnessed that morning, they had learned that when Regina wore that expression, she was at her most dangerous.