Chapter 356

I didn’t really intend to kill him. After all, if I openly murdered Duke Bien, the Emperor’s father-in-law, a prince-elector of the Empire, and the focal point of the capital’s nobility, the repercussions would be enormous.

Sure, my influence has grown. To the point where no one in the Empire would dare to even think of attacking me. But that doesn’t mean I have some kind of free pass to kill whoever I want. If I were to slaughter a noble ranked second in the Empire at a banquet hosted by the Emperor, even I would have to prepare for exile.

If I had planned to kill anyone I didn’t like just because I had the power, I wouldn’t have left Ka’har in the first place. So… I should handle this diplomatically. After stomping out a cigarette that was pitifully puffing out a thin stream of smoke, I lit another one.

“I regret to say that I must decline your proposal. As I’ve said repeatedly, I have no intention of marrying anyone.”

I’ve said this countless times, yet they never seem to get the message. Nobles, I tell you.

“If you’re concerned about the family’s succession… you could always adopt someone from the Landerburg branch, right?”

“…If we do that, the bloodline of the Twelve Knights will be severed. Do you realize how great a loss that would be for the Empire?”

“So what? A few of those families have already fallen, haven’t they?”

Ludwig said that. Even among the families of the Twelve Knights, many have been wiped out in the chaos of the times.

“If you were so concerned about the bloodline of the Twelve Knights being severed, you should have protected them better from the start. The fact that you didn’t suggests that even the Imperial family didn’t value that bloodline much. Am I wrong?”

“……”

Duke Bien didn’t respond. He probably had no rebuttal. He must be well aware that the Imperial family has been wary of the families of the Twelve Knights and has even assassinated them at times.

The lucky ones used their family’s bloodline as a bargaining chip with the Imperial family to become prince-electors, while the unlucky ones barely survived as lower nobles in the provinces or were outright massacred. If Emperor Carolus the Great were watching from the afterlife, he’d probably be smacking his descendants’ heads right about now.

“…Even if that’s the case, that’s all in the past. Look at the world now. Just as they did hundreds of years ago, the demi-humans are beginning to show terrifying power… and the Empire’s military strength, which should be stopping them, has been greatly depleted. In these chaotic times, the bloodline of the Twelve Knights is more important than ever……”

Persistent, isn’t he?

Are you worried that my bloodline might be severed? What a lame excuse. That’s not the real reason.

“Sigh… Duke Bien. I didn’t want to say this, but isn’t your ambition a bit excessive? Not content with being the Emperor’s father-in-law, now you want to swallow up Landerburg and my family too… If you’re not careful, someone might start suspecting that you’re harboring rebellious intentions. Not that I think that, of course.”

If the Duke Bien family, the Marquisate of Landerburg, and the Marquisate of Median were to merge, it would create a massive family that could literally control the Empire. If things went south, they could even replace the Emperor at will. That must be the real reason the Duke proposed a political marriage.

There’s a limit to greed for power, isn’t there? Not satisfied with being the Emperor’s father-in-law?

“Rebellious intentions? That’s an excessively rude remark.”

Duke Bien’s face turned slightly red as he understood my implication.

“You’ve been excessively rude to me as well. Haven’t I told you a hundred times already that I won’t marry? You must know that.”

“If you want to live as an Imperial citizen, shouldn’t you follow the Empire’s customs?”

That’s why I’m sparing your life right now. You’re walking a fine line between good and evil by my standards.

“The Empire’s customs, you say… Well then, shall I follow those customs as you suggested?”

I flicked off some cigarette ash and continued.

“I hear that in the Empire, ladies have their husbands decided by the head of the family… and the head of the Median family happens to be me. What a dilemma. If the head of the Median family tells me not to marry, then according to the Empire’s customs, I can’t go against that, can I? Well, that settles it. If you have nothing more to say, I’ll take my leave now.”

A blatant sarcastic remark. My patience was wearing thin. I came here thinking he had something important to say, but all he did was spout unpleasant nonsense.

Before Duke Bien could respond, I gave a light bow and left him behind, ignoring his huffing and puffing.

This effectively made Duke Bien my enemy, but there was nothing to worry about. A power-hungry man like him wouldn’t risk everything to come at me with a sword. He wouldn’t do something as stupid as assassinating or exiling one of the Empire’s most important military assets, especially after admitting the Empire’s instability. He’s greedy for power, but not that incompetent.

So even if he becomes my enemy, the most he can do is try to politically isolate me or undermine my position… something along those lines.

—

At noble banquets, there’s always dancing and music. This time was no exception. As the court musicians gathered in a corner of the palace and began playing their instruments, pairs of nobles joined hands and started dancing.

Countless noblemen asked me to dance. I refused them all. I’d rather dance with Boris than spin around with those skirt-chasers. It’d be a sword dance, not a waltz, but still.

After repeatedly rejecting them, the men stopped asking me to dance, perhaps noticing my eyebrows lowering more and more.

“Miss, wouldn’t it be better to allow at least one dance? It’s a matter of face for His Majesty, who hosted this banquet for you.”

“…Really? Then I’ll dance with you.”

If I have to dance at least once, I might as well. I grabbed Leonor’s wrist, who had been quietly whispering to me, and headed to the center of the garden where the ball was taking place.

Leonor seemed a bit flustered, her lips trembling, but she soon sighed and took my hand, starting to dance. Despite being called a tomboy, her movements were flawless, befitting a direct descendant of the Imperial family.

Compared to her, my dancing was a bit clumsy, but having danced once before, I could keep up decently. Thanks to Claire, I suppose.

Thanks, Claire. Stay strong in Ophelia’s water tank.

—

After several songs, I finally got a moment alone with Leopold. When I told him about Duke Bien’s proposal, Leopold looked at Duke Bien dancing with his wife, his eyes darkening.

“…So that’s what happened.”

“Yes. Your Majesty should be cautious.”

Unless you want to become a puppet or get assassinated right after Adelaide gives birth to a son. I doubt it would go that far, but you never know.

After that, we discussed the topic I originally wanted to talk to Leopold about.

“An administrator, you say?”

“Yes. Even if I receive a territory, I have no time to manage it as a lord. I don’t even know how to manage it. So it would be reasonable to use a proxy, but I can’t just put anyone in that position…”

Where would I find the time to manage a territory and train bureaucrats? It’s not something that can be resolved in a month or two; it would take years. If I had that kind of time, I’d rather hunt down more monsters.

“Hmm… That’s true. Most of your acquaintances are more skilled in martial arts than in governance. You’re no exception. I understand. I’ll select suitable individuals and send them to the Median territory.”

Leopold nodded. One problem solved, I guess.

—

After the banquet, I went to find Lacey and had a brief conversation.

“You’re thinking of going to the Holy Kingdom? Are you sure about that?”

You said you wouldn’t go before because of the assassination threats.

“I don’t plan to leave right away. If Sir Median can’t join me… I’ll have to wait at least until Sir Bels recovers.”

“If they really try to assassinate you, one high-ranking paladin might not be enough… Do you really have to go?”

To me, it looks like you’re going to your death.

“I have to. The fairies have shown their ambition for the first time in hundreds of years, yet those who should be leading the charge are silent. How can such impiety be tolerated? There must be some evil within the Holy Kingdom connected to Isabella. We must find and cut it out before it’s too late.”

Lacey’s attitude was firm. Even if I tried to stop her, she wouldn’t listen.

At least it’s clear that there’s an enemy within the Holy Kingdom. The fact that the Holy Kingdom’s investigators sent to look into Isabella’s witch accusations were discovered before they even started suggests as much.

I don’t know who it is, but judging by the circumstances, it’s probably one of the Cardinals. So… was the Holy Kingdom’s near-collapse in the original story because of that person?

“Alright. But you’re not planning to leave right now, are you? Can you wait until I get back?”

“…I can’t wait too long, though.”

After some thought, Lacey nodded. She must also feel uneasy about heading to the Holy Kingdom with only Bels as her support.

—

The last place I visited was Ophelia’s hideout.

Given the nature of the matter, I had to come alone, riding a horse instead of taking a carriage. I wore a robe over my clothes and pulled the hood deep over my face to hide it.