With a New Heart - 2
The next morning, as soon as day broke, I moved to the mansion in the Imperial Capital. Deep down I would have preferred to dig in at the territory until the New Year's Audience, but with the Academy already on vacation I couldn't afford to take it easy.
If I just lounged around at home, the Emperor would definitely come drag me off. Him working while some subordinate of his was illegally goofing off? Honestly, I'd have kidnapped the guy and dumped every scrap of work on him too. Petty spite is something I can't stand either.
Of course my parents were sad to see me leave after only a day, but since we'd meet again at the New Year's Audience they let me go without fuss. If they'd urged me to stay a few more days my resolve might have wavered, so it was fortunate they didn't.
"Welcome home, Master."
I nodded at the butler's greeting as he came out to the front gate to welcome his master. I'd told him there was no need to drag the other servants out as well, and he'd obliged by coming alone.
"Long time no see, Butler. You've been well?"
"Thanks to Master's prestige growing by the day, I've been living quite happily myself."
I snorted a laugh at the half-joking flattery. It was true—when the master's status rose, the servants under him could hold their heads higher too. There was even a saying that a noble's dog got better treatment than most commoners.
In that sense the butler's influence had probably risen to match that of a decent noble. It was a bit embarrassing, like gilding my own face, but who would dare treat lightly the butler of a dual Count who was also a sitting Minister?
People dealing with him might even have forgotten he was a commoner. Treat him like one carelessly, and if he said something unflattering about you to me, your chances of getting "inspected" would rise ever so slightly.
Status, huh.
I closed my mouth for a moment and looked at the butler. The man who had served Karl the individual longer than Karl the family heir or the civil servant. The one who had superbly managed a mansion whose master was often absent.
And yet a loyal servant who had never used my prestige for private greed, simply doing his work in silence.
It's a waste to leave him just managing the mansion.
Not that mansion management was easy, but given his ability and character he could handle bigger things. He'd even dealt with various nobles as my butler all this time, so assigning him something immediately wouldn't cause friction.
"Butler. Have you ever thought about becoming a noble? I'll give you a barony if you'll take the post of steward in Wiridia."
The butler's eyes went wide. Even for a butler, the mention of a title must have been unexpected; he looked shaken for a moment, but quickly composed himself and burst out laughing.
"I have already received more grace from Master than I could repay if I worked until I died. If you bestow even more, a hundred years wouldn't be enough."
His answer that it was too much and he wouldn't accept left me a little sheepish. Every time the butler talked about grace and the like, it was mortifying.
My relationship with the butler was more of a two-way transaction than one-sided grace. I hired him with money, and he offered me ability equal to that sum. Pure capitalism—hardly something you could call grace.
"I said it because I think a butler like you would handle territory affairs well too. I'm serious, so think it over carefully."
So I urged him once more. He might have been refusing out of courtesy, or thought it was a joke.
"I'm grateful for the words, but I wish to make managing this mansion the final duty of my life."
But at that firm answer I gave up. Pressing further when he put it like that would just be embarrassing.
"Ah, I haven't greeted the prospective Madams yet. Goodness, I must be getting old to be like this."
And as if sensing I'd given up, the butler smoothly changed the subject, making me laugh again.
Yeah, finding someone who manages the mansion and servants as well as the butler would be hard. Let's look for someone else for the steward position.
"May I call them Madam now? I heard the wedding is soon."
"Call them whatever's comfortable."
"Then I shall call them Madam."
With that, the butler approached my lovers with a deep smile, and the way he carried himself was unmistakably that of a servant greeting the mistress of the house, so my lovers smiled gladly as well.
Perfect. No matter how many times I look, he's the perfect talent for steward.
...
Can't I just slip him a title on the side?
The Retired Emperor and the Emperor do that shit all the time.
I'm tempted. Should I just bestow the title while the butler's asleep?
I briefly wrestled between reason and desire, but managed to suppress it magnificently and head to work unscathed. If I forced a title on him and he dark-evolved, I'd only be screwing myself.
Besides, no one knows better than me the rage of someone who's been dumped excessive posts and work. I'm a dark-evolved case myself, aren't I?
"There's a saying that people get promoted until they become incompetent. That butler's ability might well be enough for steward of a count's domain, but stopping at his current position is also a fine method."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. History has proven it."
Still, the regret and frustration wouldn't go away, so when I vented something that wasn't quite a complaint to the Vice Minister, he calmly supported the butler's decision.
It was lonely having no one on my side, but he wasn't wrong. If I forced the butler into steward and he struggled, it'd be sad for me, sad for the butler, and sad for the territory. No need to send him somewhere he didn't want.
"Then if someone becomes incompetent, can they go back down?"
"……."
At my offhand remark, the Vice Minister clamped his mouth shut.
That hurt. Why go silent there? Can't you at least say something empty like "Perhaps it might be possible"?
I've already risen to Minister; there's nowhere higher to promote. So if I prove my incompetence, it shouldn't just block further promotion—I need a demotion at least to make the books balance.
For a Minister, demotion is the highest discipline, right?
Yeah, unless they create a post higher than Minister—
...Higher than Minister.
Just imagining it made my head spin. Something above Minister—an evil that should never exist in this world.
Prime Minister?
The moment that vile word surfaced, I nearly shook my head on instinct.
Even if the sky fell, that would never happen. This is the imperial family that made even the Minister of Palace Affairs first in the ministerial ranking out of wariness of a second-in-command's monopoly. They might allow someone to stand at the head of the Ministers, but standing above the Ministers is absolutely intolerable.
"By the way, is the founding preparation going well?"
So I pushed the word "Prime Minister" into the back of my mind and changed the subject. Thinking negative thoughts at the end of a year that should end cheerfully wouldn't let me welcome the new year beautifully.
"Yes, progressing smoothly. At this rate it should finish by next summer at the earliest."
"Not bad."
I nodded lightly at the positive report.
This was the work of founding an entirely new ministry-level department. Starting it this year and wrapping it up next year meant they'd poured every last scrap of manpower and budget into it as top priority.
"Still, don't overdo it. Even if you finish early, the official launch will be around the New Year's Audience the year after next."
"I'll keep that in mind."
I patted the Vice Minister's shoulder as he bowed. If rushing got them to summer, taking it a bit easier was fine.
"The founding of the Inspectorate Ministry is the final imperial decree issued by His Majesty the Retired Emperor. As his son, I intend to illuminate his will in grand fashion, so know this, Minister."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Emperor had already decided to declare the official launch of the Inspectorate Ministry during the New Year's Audience. That bastard might lack conscience but he had brains, so of course he meant the year after next.
If he started talking about next year's New Year's Audience, he'd better be ready for insubordination. He ought to know that issuing a shitty order could end with him getting screwed.
"Then I'll take my leave."
"Ah, right. Good work."
I nodded and sent him off as the Vice Minister straightened slightly.
I'd kept a man who'd come out for a smoke too long.
The plan to link Ainter with the daughter of Marquis Barandiga.
It had come to me suddenly, but the more I examined it the more attractive it looked. It would reassure the northern nobles who had just been incorporated into the Empire and were still unsettled, and for Marquis Barandiga it would solidify his authority as the sole marquis of the North.
While we should discourage the Marquis from subduing every northern noble by force, we must allow him to reign by authority. If the counts of nomad origin started looking down even on the marquis next door—how would they view the distant Emperor?
So this was best. The Marquis binds himself to the imperial family and solidifies his authority; the Marquis passionately supports the imperial family. Not a bad outcome.
I'll have to be generous with the dowry.
I scanned the imperial family's assets and started listing suitable items one by one. First, bestow the Marquisate of Idrafen on Ainter, and give him a few buildings in the Imperial Capital plus some farms in the capital region.
And better to carve out a suitable parcel of land in the provinces as well. Officially it's a title without territory granted on a single succession, but having the Emperor's younger brother with no land to live off is too harsh. Even commoners can manage land if they have the money.
Gold coins... better to give mostly goods instead.
Yeah, considering trade with the North still isn't smooth, goods would be better than currency. What's the point of gold coins if there's nothing to buy?
The rest I'll discuss with the Empress.
I sighed softly as I scanned the list. I should prepare jewels and dresses for the prospective wife too, but better leave that to the Empress's eye than trust my own aesthetic sense.
That aside, it was a strange feeling. Never thought I'd live to see the day I packed a dowry for my little brother.
Too few imperial family members, that's why.
Normally when an emperor's siblings marry, the late emperor's consorts handle it. It's the final consideration for the imperial family, in case the current emperor bears a grudge and treats them half-heartedly.
But His Majesty the Retired Emperor had only two wives, and those two...
Better stop thinking. Recalling Mother brings fondness, but recalling the other one just burns my insides.
Damn it.
Should I have taken care of that woman too when I dealt with the Second Prince?
If it were the Minister of the Inspectorate Ministry, he'd have handled it cleanly.