Chapter 112
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Indictment
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Huangnyeo Palace's small garden. The small tea party venue set up there.
"Her Imperial Highness Lia will be arriving soon."
A maid quietly made her way there and delivered the message in a soft voice before vanishing. The ladies gathered at the tea party venue all tensed up at once.
"This moment always makes me nervous..."
"Honestly, I still can't believe it."
"I thought I'd never get invited again..."
Even as they said that, faint smiles played on the lips of the ladies gathered there.
- Tremble, tremble...
Everyone except for one lady who was attending this tea party for the first time. She had been glancing around nervously from earlier, now breaking out in a cold sweat as she bowed her head.
"Looks like we've got one more person today."
"Who is she?"
"Hmm..."
As if it were the most natural progression, everyone's attention slowly turned toward her.
"H-Hello..."
"......"
"I-I... I'm..."
In that situation, the lady tried to lift her head and speak, but her words wouldn't come out properly.
"Speak comfortably."
"Yeah, take your time!"
"No need to be so tense!"
But around then, encouragement started coming from the other ladies nearby.
"L-Lowen Family's second daughter, Ciela de Lowen..."
With that unfamiliar encouragement, the new face glanced around cautiously before stammering through her introduction.
"Um... I have a question."
And right after, as if she'd gained a bit of courage, she carefully looked around at everyone and spoke up.
"I've been ostracized in my family, and I don't have any notable talents..."
"......"
"S-So I don't understand how I could join such a special gathering..."
The ladies, seeing her purely curious expression, soon smiled softly and fell into thought.
"Ufufufu..."
"We all thought that way once."
"Exactly."
And soon, they began explaining in low voices.
"Everyone here is a talent discovered by Her Imperial Highness Lia."
"Huh?"
"People who were overlooked or excluded because they didn't know their own talents."
As they nodded in agreement, the lady who had introduced herself as Ciela began to look uneasy.
"But..."
Eventually, she lowered her gaze again and muttered in a voice as tiny as an ant crawling.
"I'll take it from there."
"Ah?"
At that exact moment, everyone's attention snapped to the voice coming from the front.
"Surprised that the mute princess spoke?"
"Ah, that's..."
"I'm used to that reaction, so don't worry about it."
The hostess of the tea party in the Huangnyeo Palace garden had finally appeared, addressing them in her characteristic icy tone.
"Anyway, I should answer your question."
Thanks to that, the lady who had been shrinking back swallowed dryly at Lia's words.
"Ciela de Lowen."
"Y-Yes!"
"Do you remember yesterday's lunch menu?"
She flinched as her name was suddenly called, tilting her head at the princess's somewhat out-of-left-field question.
"...Rye bread with olives."
But soon enough, she answered the princess's question without issue.
"What about two weeks ago's breakfast?"
"B-Butter cookies and black tea."
"Dinner from a month ago?"
"C-Cold soup and two pieces of bread..."
Even as Lia's questions continued, the lady wore a puzzled expression, but her answers showed no hesitation whatsoever.
"Is there anyone else here who can remember menus that precisely?"
As the lady finished speaking, Lia suddenly stood and looked around at everyone.
"N-No."
"I can barely remember what I ate yesterday..."
"Th-That's kind of impressive, isn't it?"
Of course, after exchanging opinions briefly, everyone just shook their heads.
"Even I can't remember that accurately."
"Y-Your Highness..."
"No need to flatter me."
At the lady's flushed mutter, Lia spoke in a low voice.
"From now on, you'll use that ability for me."
"Ah..."
"In return, I'll provide you with backing and a safe haven."
The lady stared blankly at Lia for a moment before raising her voice with a resolute expression.
"...I'll do my best!"
And so, Lia had expanded her faction by one more today.
"Her Imperial Highness's eye for talent is truly remarkable..."
"She spotted our abilities at a glance too..."
"She's truly gifted..."
Realizing this, the ladies murmured while gazing at Lia with envious eyes.
Over the past two years, Imperial Princess Lia had rapidly built up her faction.
Of course, it was still modest compared to other imperial royals, but the loyalty of her faction was beyond imagination.
"And... she's only 12. I still can't believe it."
"So mature and wise..."
"...Her beauty goes beyond lovely—it's mystical now."
Of course, that loyalty couldn't be separated from Lia herself, who had grown dramatically in those two years.
Just two years ago, she had been the overlooked princess no one spared a glance for. Now, she drew eyes not just from young lords but even some ladies.
"Even among allies, one-sided praise doesn't sit well with me."
"S-Sorry!"
"...No need to apologize."
However, the person herself didn't seem particularly aware of it.
"Someone like her should be the next emperor for the empire's future to be bright..."
"Y-Yeah. But..."
"That's probably impossible...?"
They nearly said something that could get them in trouble, then came to their senses and trailed off.
"Your Highness!"
"......"
"Imperial Princess Lia!"
It was right then that the maid who had announced the princess's arrival burst into the tea party venue.
"It's a disaster, a total disaster!"
"Don't whine."
"S-Sorry..."
The maid had rushed to the princess in a huge panic, but she faltered at Lia's cold tone and began watching her expression nervously.
"But, the letter..."
Then she pulled a letter from her bosom.
"...Is it from Kairen?"
Lia stared blankly at the letter for a moment before suddenly jumping to her feet.
"Ah, um... about that."
"Tell me quickly!"
"Y-You should see it yourself first... Ah."
Without giving anyone a chance to speak, she snatched the letter from the maid's hand, her face flushing as she turned away.
"......"
The sight felt so at odds with her usual demeanor that silence fell over the tea party venue.
"I-Is that rumor true...?"
"Belverk's youngest and the youngest princess are actually...?"
"Shh, quiet down."
A few whispers echoed in the silence, but they soon died out tactfully.
"This is..."
And around then, Lia's hand began to tremble slightly as she read the letter.
「Imperial Princess Lia Lumen Shinehardt, enter the palace immediately.」
The letter's contents weren't exactly what Lia had expected.
「There is a matter to convey regarding the competition for the vacant crown prince position due to Alberion's wish.」
But at the same time, it was the opportunity she had so desperately hoped for.
"...Finally."
Having finally grasped that sliver of opportunity, she murmured in a low voice, her eyes dyeing golden.
"Now I can become a woman worthy of you."
Meanwhile, at that time. The imperial family's secret conference room.
"The Sharhen Marquisate absolutely opposes this."
"Even so, this is too much, isn't it?"
"I'm against this agenda too!"
The heads of the meritorious families, already gathered there, were vehemently opposing the emperor who had approved the crown prince's wish.
"The crown prince's own renunciation of his position and the request for a temporary competition system for the now-vacant crown prince role."
"......"
"Honestly, that's not the problem."
But seeing the emperor's lukewarm reaction, Hakfreecht the Frontier Count spoke coldly.
"However, using Belverk's system to decide it? That's utterly absurd."
Sharhen Marquis immediately picked up on her words and added.
"Even if the royals spill blood against each other, fine. But letting Belverk oversee it?"
"We would have accepted if Your Majesty and all the meritorious families supervised it."
The two usually bickered a bit, but now—with this unprecedented wish approved—was not the time to fight.
"...From the perspective of someone who watched the Founding War's academy battle in real time."
And surprisingly, even Marquis Magnaris, who had zero interest in debates or politics, was reacting intensely this time.
"I can tolerate other things, but I absolutely cannot allow a bloodbath at the academy."
After saying that and pausing, Marquis Magnaris spoke in a murderous tone for perhaps the first time, his face serious.
"So don't forget our pact. Emperor who inherited the hero's blood, and duke who inherited the demon king's blood."
His words, thick with demonic energy like a curse, echoed through the conference room, leading to a brief silence.
"What do you say to that? Astridje?"
"......"
"Shouldn't you be raging by now?"
The emperor sighed in the silence and addressed Astridje, who had been quietly sitting there.
"...I'm not interested."
"Huh?"
Surprisingly, Astridje's expression showed almost the same level of annoyance as the emperor's.
"I'm too busy playing with my son during his growth spurt. Why should I oversee something so annoying?"
The emperor looked stunned for a moment before scratching his head.
"So all the meritorious families are exercising veto power..."
"......"
"This is getting tricky..."
Her dark circles seemed even heavier today as she muttered that, then suddenly turned her head to the side.
"At this point, we should hear from the witness."
At her words, the heads all turned their heads simultaneously.
"Come in."
The next moment, the door on the side of the conference room opened, and someone stepped inside.
"......"
As all eyes focused on the person entering the imperial family's most secretive space.
"Hello!"
A bright, cheerful voice suddenly rang out in the conference room.
"Kairen?"
"Huh?"
"Kiddo?"
His sudden appearance left the family heads flustered.
"Hehe."
Kairen smiled at the familiar faces he hadn't seen in a while, meeting their gazes.
"I'll get straight to the point."
His expression suddenly hardened coldly as he spoke.
"One of the Shinehardt imperial royals is colluding with the Holy Order."
The next instant, the conference room's atmosphere froze solid.
"Crown Prince Alberion's proposal."
In that atmosphere, Astridje's impassive gaze met Kairen's briefly as she sat there.
"...Is precisely to find that spy."
Likewise meeting his mother's eyes for a moment before looking around at everyone again, Kairen began the tale that would drastically alter the world's fate.