The Palace Must Be Turned Upside Down!
“What brings you here?”
“I came to hear the matter placed on today’s agenda and to speak on behalf of the knights.”
His words came out smoothly enough, but cold sweat was already running down Herzen’s back. Even as he struggled to keep his expression composed, he could not hide the stiffness in his face.
And yet, to the nobles, that expression was no different from the very image of a steadfast knight. His slightly awkward bearing only made them think he was uncomfortable with the meeting itself.
“Go on.”
At Conrad’s permission, Herzen let out a faint breath and steadied himself.
My voice absolutely cannot shake. I have to show resolve.
Remembering Regina’s warning, Herzen spoke the words she had ordered him to deliver.
“Your Majesty, I must report that although the Fredericks Imperial Knights suffered an injustice at the hands of the palace servants, this was the work of only a few attendants and maids.”
“Oh? So the maids did something similar as well?”
A sigh escaped Conrad.
“Good heavens, do you mean this wasn’t a one-time affair?”
“Silence! Let us hear more.”
The nobles began to murmur among themselves.
“But the knights’ duty is to be the shield that protects the empire and the sword that annihilates its enemies. They cannot abandon that duty over something as petty as this.”
“There’s no need to keep faith with those who pawn off even their own responsibilities onto others. In that case, there’d be no need to go out and cull the monsters beyond the barrier either.”
Even in the face of Conrad’s firm words, Herzen did not yield.
“And yet, Your Majesty, knights are men who live to protect their families and, beyond that, the empire itself. Do not strip such men of their pride.”
The moment Herzen finished his final sentence, the chamber fell silent.
A noble knight.
Valiant, self-sacrificing, and honorable.
As nobles who lived under the name of the Empire of Swords, there was not a single one among them who could fail to be moved by such a sincere confession.
Herzen’s words carried the very roots of Fredericks knighthood. Who, then, could casually dismiss the value and standing of the knights he represented?
If anyone dared tell such a knight to simply endure the humiliation of being mocked by a servant, that person would become an unworthy wretch who could not possibly expect the protection of an imperial knight.
Perfect.
He had delivered every word he had memorized without error. Herzen had to bow his head just to hide the corners of his mouth threatening to rise.
He had carried out Regina’s order flawlessly; now all that remained was to wait.
“My word, is he not a true knight?”
“And yet such knights are looked down upon by those traitors who can’t even do their own jobs properly!”
“Your Majesty! Punish that servant severely!”
“No, not just that servant! At this rate, we ought to turn the palace upside down!”
The outraged nobles erupted. Their roots, after all, were the same as the knights’.
Most noble houses in the Fredericks Empire had begun as knightly titles, so there was not a single one among them who did not know how to wield a sword. Even the lowest-ranking nobles studied swordsmanship.
The first thing one learned when taking up a blade was the knight’s code: protect the weak, remain loyal to the empire, and serve the emperor.
The nobles, returned at last to their original sense of duty, shouted as one.
“Your Majesty! Do not let this matter pass lightly—root it out completely so something like this never happens again!”
“That’s right. Re-educate the palace servants and maids, and weed out the ignorant ones!”
The pro-emperor nobles raised their voices as though this were the chance they had been waiting for. The others, swept up in the atmosphere, added their own opinions.
Conrad let his gaze sweep across them with a hard, measuring look before settling on Marquis Ludvika, whose face was full of humiliation.
Seeing how he hasn’t even managed to wipe away the sweat soaking his brow, he must be quite rattled.
He barely kept from laughing aloud.
Had he ever felt this satisfied in a council chamber before?
“However, the authority to manage the people of the palace belongs to the Imperial Financial Rights.”
The nobles, who had sensed Conrad’s hidden intent to strip Chloe of that authority, readily chimed in.
“Now that Her Majesty the Empress has entered the palace, the Grand Empress Dowager should naturally hand over the Imperial Financial Rights!”
“Exactly! Such a disgraceful thing has happened, so what in the world has the Grand Empress Dowager been doing all this time?”
“That’s right!”
Chloe had not attended today’s meeting, claiming she wished to express her dissatisfaction with Regina.
She had declared that since the Empress had committed a crime as a subordinate, she would not attend the council unless Regina came personally to beg forgiveness.
Of course, Conrad had ignored that nonsense without a second thought.
Watching the nobles mutter among themselves, he gave a quiet snort.
It’s over.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Regina had planned. Then—
The chamberlain called out again.
“Her Majesty the Grand Empress Dowager enters!”
At Chloe’s sudden arrival, Conrad clenched his fist.
The nobles had been able to talk so casually about taking away the financial rights only because they couldn’t see her face. But now that she had appeared in person, the situation could change.
This is why I wanted it dealt with quickly…
It was too late.
“Show her in.”
Whatever the case, they could not treat Chloe, who had the right to attend the council, with open discourtesy. Since she held the Imperial Financial Rights, she could observe the meeting whenever she pleased.
So it was him.
It had been Marquis Ludvika who sent word after all. He was the one who had tipped someone off. His visible sigh of relief stood out even among the other nobles.
He must have sensed the danger the moment the mood changed with the new topic and sent word at once.
As Chloe entered the chamber, the chamberlain announced once more, “Duke of Messer enters with her!”
The Duke of Messer, who followed behind her, paid his respects to Conrad.
“I greet Your Majesty the Emperor.”
Compared to Chloe, who merely gave a perfunctory nod and sat down without a proper greeting, the Duke of Messer’s politeness made him far more difficult to handle.
“You’re late, Duke. The meeting is nearly over.”
“It is still early in the day, so a slightly longer meeting would not be a problem, would it, Your Majesty? I was delayed a little because I had something to confirm.”
“Hah. Your tongue is silver as ever.”
At Conrad’s sly tone, which had deliberately cut off any talk of the financial rights, the duke closed his mouth as well.
“What matter were you discussing?”
Chloe’s clear voice rang through the chamber.
No noble under her scrutiny dared step forward now. Though the question had been addressed to Conrad, it was no different from pressure applied directly to the nobles themselves.
“We were discussing the Imperial Financial Rights.”
“The Financial Rights?”
“Yes. Now that Her Majesty the Empress has become the new mistress of the imperial household, the Grand Empress Dowager should naturally return the rights to their rightful owner.”
The Earl of Ulysses, a pro-imperial noble and one of Conrad’s loyal retainers, spoke up. Chloe shot him a sharp look, but the earl did not so much as flinch.
“And it has also been revealed that, aside from the people of the Emperor’s Palace, the remaining servants and maids have treated the palace knights with flagrant disrespect.”
“So?”
“It seems Her Majesty the Grand Empress Dowager has been so burdened with state affairs that she could not carefully attend to the disloyalty of the lower ranks... So why not lay down the financial rights now and relieve yourself of the burden?”
“That won’t be possible.”
Chloe answered the instant the earl finished speaking.
Every person in the chamber could see the strength tightening in her grip on the armrest of her chair.
“The subordinates can simply be managed. The Empress is an inadequate woman who was thrust into that position by an ill-conceived marriage to Your Majesty, so of course she never received proper education.”
“Grand Empress Dowager, that is too far!”
“Am I wrong?”
Chloe’s sharp cry echoed through the council hall.
“Normally, to be qualified for the Empress’s crown, one must prepare for at least a month under strict procedure. And that’s before we even speak of the education that comes with it! If you want to take the financial rights, shouldn’t you at the very least be proficient in reading documents and the laws and etiquette of the imperial household?”