The Foolish Mad Emperor (2)
Emperor Karik Romancia. He is undoubtedly an incompetent ruler. If ignorant outsiders saw only his flashy appearance and talents, they might praise him as remarkable. His golden eyes, proving his imperial bloodline, pierce through valuable talents, while his voice and demeanor sway people's hearts at will. Truly impressive abilities. Each one alone could revive or ruin a nation.
Yet despite possessing such precious gifts, the emperor simply lets them rot. His eye for talent serves only to find slightly better women to sate his lust. His power to stir hearts amounts to no more than self-serving image-making performances. Those who see him only from afar never realize his incompetence. But those who witness his handling of real affairs—or even glance at the common people's lives—see the truth. He has accomplished nothing. He knows nothing of what the nation needs from him.
Everything he touches ends in failure, and countless sites have crumbled into misery from his neglect. That's why the First Princess, Mine Romancia—who understands the people's hardships and pushes upright new policies—enjoys such popularity. And it's inevitable that this incompetent man, who prized his own dignity above all, felt jealousy toward his more popular and capable First Princess.
'...He never imagined a mere daughter—not even a son—could threaten his throne. How incompetent.'
The Melrn Count chewed over these thoughts with a now-calm mind, recalling a certain rumor.
The trigger for the unsavory nickname "Mad Emperor" circulating in whispers: the story that he had killed his own newborn son with his own hands.
True or not, no one could say. It was just a ghostly rumor of unknown origin that had floated around for a time. One account claimed the emperor's golden eyes had detected talent surpassing his own in the infant—and in jealous madness, he had slain the child. That was supposedly why the imperial family had no sons left. The daughters survived because he judged that, even if their talents outshone his, they posed no threat.
Ironically, it was precisely because he had only daughters that the First Princess could reveal her talents and shine so brightly.
"You seem calmer now, Master."
"Yeah. I'm always cool-headed. When have I ever lost my temper?"
"...Ah, yes. Right. Let's say that."
He shot a glare at Mona's suspiciously evasive response, then began summarizing the situation first.
Anyway, he hadn't misheard. The emperor planned to propose to—no, force marriage on—Emilia. Today's incident was likely to prove to everyone that she was the Hero, smoothing the path for an imperial union. In a time when no one yet believed she was the Hero, he had demonstrated an unstoppable threat and Hero's power beyond human might.
...All for that, and who knew how many dozens had died.
'But he can't just do as he pleases.'
There was an ancient pact between the founding emperor and the Hero's house. Its details were mostly lost to time, but the Edenberts had never intermarried with the imperial family despite their status—likely for that reason. Even an incompetent emperor wouldn't ignore it without justification.
He had probably prepared something to address that—
"Mona, did you bring that?"
"Yesss~ This, right~?"
Mona, emerging only from the waist up from the shadows, pulled something else from them with a flourish.
A roll of antique parchment.
Binding magical contract forged without consent of Emilia Edenberts.
Text densely inscribed in arcane magical script.
Signatures: Edgar Edenberts | Emperor Karik Romancia (with imperial seal)
The Melrn Count took it, unrolled it—and there, packed with bizarre magical script, lay the body text. Below were Emilia's father Edgar Edenberts's signature and the emperor's, stamped alongside the family seal.
An Oath Spell drafted without Emilia's consent.
Whoosh!
The Melrn Count incinerated the magical tool forcing marriage between Karik Romancia and Emilia Edenberts right there with magical flames, reducing it to ash in one go.
Flames roared inside the carriage, but they left no scorch marks—burning only the targeted parchment before vanishing.
"...Now that bastard's ace is gone. Once the dimwitted nobles calm down, they'll realize something's off about marrying her off."
"Right, right~."
Mona chimed in with a delighted grin. Though what she'd handed him was an exquisitely forged fake, she gave no hint of it.
"So, what's next? Sticking to the plan?"
She'd been startled by the emperor's sudden outburst, but he was essential to the Melrn Count's plans. Preparations allowed some leeway if he veered off-script...
"Changing the plan."
"How?"
"From Plan #### to Plan ###."
Mona blinked. Those were code names only they knew—nicknames for each plan. He'd merely named them.
But she couldn't help being shocked. It meant skipping a plan that originally spanned over two years and several months in one leap. Bypassing all the intermediate steps and procedures, hurtling straight to the climax—an extreme shortcut.
Mona fell silent, watching anxiously in case he reconsidered. But his resolve seemed firm.
"...Asking again: are you sure?"
"Yes. But it's not just anger. I'm always rational."
The Melrn Count explained calmly, and Mona understood. If things were as he said, this reckless compression wasn't bad. It would increase his burden, but if he was fine with it, a slave shouldn't question him.
Still...
"Um, Master. You're really not mad?"
"..."
"Master? You are mad, right? You're mad, aren't you? Pretending to be cool, but you're just lashing out in a fit?"
"..."
"You are mad. Right? It's okay, I won't get mad. You're mad, right?"
"..."
"Kyaa!"
With an irritated glare, the Melrn Count clamped his mouth shut and pressed down on her head, shoving her back into the shadows. Mona's upper body sank in like submerging in water.
...I said I'm not mad, but she keeps pushing.
Pat pat... pat pat...
'...So, what I have to do...'
And in the imperial palace.
A lone figure moved silently through the corridors, empty save for patrolling guards alert for intruders or suspicious behavior.
Clad in a white dress like thin undergarments, she passed guards without a stir—like flowing water. No one noticed her. No one sensed her.
Like a ghost, but not one.
Mine Romancia.
She, who should roam the palace freely, now borrowed Mona's magic to hide herself and avoid commotion.
For good reason: a princess wandering at this hour would cause a fuss. And with her once-beautiful golden hair now faded to ghostly white like an albino—and her eyes turned red—she couldn't risk being seen like this.
Of course, Mona's magic could conceal the hair and eyes easily. But for today's mission, she'd left them altered on purpose.
Pat pat... pat pat...
Though she had a physical form unlike a true ghost, Mine continued down the halls without a sound. Mona's magic ensured no one would detect her.
Mona's magic ensured no one would realize her presence.
Yet still, like a specter, she crept silently onward.
As if steeling herself before committing an enormous sin. Each cautious step forward carried the weight of a profound resolve.
'The orders... have changed.'
'...I knew it might come to this, but I'm still shaking.'
The Mine Princess advanced.
The Mine Princess advanced.
The Mine Princess—now fully reduced to a tool and slave of the Melrn Count and succubus Mona—advanced down the corridor.
Like a ghost.
Pat pat... pat pat... pat pat...