Ko-fi shop has been renewed, you can find the link at the end of the chapter.
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For thirteen years since the Empress’s tragic death, Felix’s interest had solely been fixated on corpses. In that sense, it was much better to play with the living. Even if rumors about the maid leaked to the public, it would be easier to handle.
However, there was still no room for complete assurance. No matter how noble his status was or how eccentric his behavior seemed, he was still a man—a man in his prime with a fully functioning body.
Although he wasn’t particularly known to be promiscuous, it was necessary to address the matter nonetheless.
“Do you bring that girl into your bedroom?”
“Do I need to report the details of my sex life to you?”
“Of course not. I only meant to take the necessary precautions in case you did.”
“Ah, right.”
Even though the words were phrased delicately, Felix agreed quickly.
“It would indeed be troublesome if she got pregnant. Handle it as you see fit.”
“As you wish.”
The necessary precautions, of course, referred to contraception. The Crown Prince’s first child absolutely had to be conceived by a noblewoman or a royal. There was no way they could allow a maid of dubious origin to bear the precious seed. Since it would be too late once it happened, it was wise to take preemptive measures—not just for the Crown Prince’s sake but also for the poor maid.
That is, assuming the girl truly was a loyal servant.
Diana Escaliff still harbored doubts. What if the girl, who now even had access to Felix’s private quarters, betrayed him? What if she attempted an assassination in the secluded quarters where even the guards didn’t enter? Could they really guarantee that such a thing wouldn’t happen, no matter how smitten Felix was?
“If you trust that girl to be so loyal, why not use her as a spy?”
“Are you suggesting we use her as a double agent?”
“Precisely.”
The timing was apt, as Prince Aizen’s faction was beginning to show suspicious activity. Noble supporters of Aizen were secretly amassing troops. They had even been purchasing iron ore in large quantities to manufacture weapons.
Felix, however, remained indifferent, even though it was all so obvious.
“Well, it feels like a waste of time to send her out.”
Hugo took a deep breath to suppress the fury surging within him. Yes, he had expected this kind of response when he brought up the subject so abruptly.
“Then, let me ask just in case—do you intend to ascend the throne, Your Highness?”
“Who else could possibly rule this country if not me?”
A smirk played at Felix’s lips.
“The son of a whore?”
Aizen had not been given the surname of Astiano. While he was granted the title of prince, fierce opposition from the nobles, led by Duke Kristen, prevented him from being officially recognized as part of the royal lineage.
Aizen’s mother was a prostitute from Hilde. She concealed this fact, masqueraded as a noblewoman, and approached the Emperor. Aizen was the child born of this union.
At the time, no one knew the Emperor’s mistress was a former prostitute. The reason the Empress tolerated her and her son was that the mistress had Count Montaigne backing her. The mistress’s origins were only revealed after the bloody strife in the royal family claimed the Empress’s life. Felix himself was the one who ultimately killed the mistress.
For this reason, Felix utterly despised brothel workers—those who worked there, those who visited, and anyone remotely connected to the place. Without exception.
“Regrettably, Your Highness, there is a considerable faction of nobles supporting Prince Aizen. Therefore, it would be best for you to return to the main palace soon. You will attend the upcoming birthday banquet, won’t you?”
“I suppose I must.”
It was the very reason Felix had returned from the hunting grounds to the detached palace. The Emperor’s birthday was just around the corner. With the Emperor bedridden and the Crown Prince in seclusion, the noble council was set to oversee the event. Of course, seven of the ten noble families on the council supported Felix.
“As per your instructions, the preparations are complete, but I am unsure if they will meet Your Highness’s standards.”
“I don’t expect artistic flair from you anyway. With low expectations, there’s no room for disappointment. As long as it’s not subpar.”
“I can confidently say it will surpass last year’s event.”
In the process of decorating the palace and preparing for the ceremony, dozens of painters, sculptors, tailors, and craftsmen were summoned. To meet the crown prince’s standards—utterly averse to anything unbalanced or disproportionate, in other words, anything less than beautiful—rare jewels and fabrics were procured from neighboring countries.
There was another reason for the all-out effort put into this year’s banquet. Last year, during the foundation day celebration, preparations were negligently deemed “good enough,” resulting in an unprecedented event: Felix walked out of the hall as soon as he entered.
Hugo shuddered at the memory of the foundation day celebration held without the emperor or the crown prince.
Apparently, Felix himself was deeply affected by the state of the banquet hall that day. A few months ago, he even drew a structural blueprint of the entire palace and sent it to Hugo. It detailed which colors to use where, what types of fabrics to employ, what items to place in the main hall, and even how to tie the curtains.
True to his devotion to aesthetics, Felix’s discerning eye was exceptional. Thanks to him, preparing for this year’s banquet was easier than in previous years.
“The attire you’ll wear on the day of the event only needs final adjustments. The tailor will visit the palace in two days, so you must be here. After all, the star of that day is none other than the crown prince himself.”
Although it was ostensibly a banquet celebrating the emperor’s birthday, the emperor would not attend. The day would effectively serve as a promotional event to solidify the crown prince’s ascension to the throne.
Thirteen years was a long time. Since the emperor’s fall from a horse earlier this year left him bedridden, voices calling for the crown prince’s return had grown louder.
Hugo’s plan was to reintroduce the crown prince to society within the year and proceed quickly enough to hold the coronation ceremony by next year. If possible, boosting public sentiment with a royal marriage would be ideal. Just look at that polished exterior. Once the crown prince made his appearance, the entire empire would be abuzz with speculation about who would become his bride.
Of course, this was a plan with significantly low feasibility.
Convincing that arrogant man to return to the palace was the first obstacle, let alone marriage.
Prince Aizen’s faction likely anticipated the crown prince’s supporters’ intentions early on. That’s why, since last year, they had been persistently sending women to the separate palace.
Though his nephew lived a blood-stained life, he remained surprisingly clean when it came to women, so Hugo hadn’t been overly concerned.
In the end, however, things had come full circle again. Felix, smoking his cigar leisurely, gave an indifferent command.
“Call the tailor to the villa.”
“…Even if Diana isn’t there, would you still do that?”
“What?”
Felix frowned through the haze of smoke. Hugo seized the moment and quickly continued.
“I actually came to present this suggestion to you, Your Highness. There’s a way to utilize that maid to her best potential. Would you care to hear it?”
It was wise to eliminate any sources of uncertainty that could shake Felix. However, if one was going to eliminate something, it was more efficient to extract value from it first.
“According to the employment contract signed by the maid, it appears she is required to report her accomplishments to Prince Aizen once every twenty days. Coincidentally, the regular report date seems to be approaching. How about testing the maid’s loyalty and extracting meaningful information by sending her to the prince?”
“Meaningful information?”
“Didn’t she previously overhear that Prince Aizen’s faction was targeting the birthday banquet?”
“She did.”
“That alone isn’t enough. If we could preemptively learn how many assassins Prince Aizen plans to send, their locations, or even part of their strategy, it would be possible to prevent any uproar in advance.”
Felix, now lost in thought, finished smoking the remainder of the toxic herb.
Though Hugo underestimated Felix’s determination to claim the throne, Felix had no intention of ceding it to his half-brother. His indifference to outside political situations and unseen power struggles stemmed from his unshakable belief that, regardless of what the pawns did, he would ultimately ascend to the throne.
Once the emperor, currently on his deathbed, passed away, Felix would become emperor. However, whether the process of his ascension would be smooth or messy was worth pondering.
“Prince Aizen will send assassins before the birthday banquet. The target may not necessarily be you, Your Highness, but it could be anyone on our side, including myself or your key allies.”
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