I barely managed to avoid spitting, but the tea had already spilled onto my lips.
‘I can’t make a scene here.’
I hurriedly tried to pull out a handkerchief.
At that moment, Erich offered me his handkerchief.
“Huh?”
He handed it over naturally and nonchalantly, staring straight ahead without saying a word.
My heart fluttered again at the sight.
I quickly thought of a reason for his action.
‘It probably doesn’t mean anything. He’s just helping me because he’s worried that I’ll embarrass myself and it’ll reflect poorly on him…’
At that moment, the emperor’s voice broke my thoughts.
“Why are you not responding?”
With a deep sigh, I gazed at the Emperor.
“Your Majesty, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
The emperor then struck his chest with his fist in frustration.
“You foolish child! Do you truly not understand? This is not a test or something. You must ascend the throne to ensure the safety of our family’s lineage!”
“What do you mean…?”
Just as I was about to ask the Emperor to clarify, I suddenly remembered something he had said before.
<Think carefully about who should be the next emperor. Consider who must become emperor for you and your child to be safe.>
I widened my eyes in disbelief and asked, “Your Majesty, are you saying that I should become the Emperor?”
The reason why my father had always favored Fritz and designated him as the heir.
It was because he thought Fritz was the only blood relative who could inherit the throne.
There had never been a case of a woman becoming emperor in Schwanhild.
‘Moreover, my father would never give me the throne. He disliked even the thought of me reading books…’
So I must have misheard him.
Confident in that thought, I asked, but the Emperor nodded.
“Yes, now you’re finally understanding. If you want it, I will give you the throne.”
At those words, my eyes widened.
‘No, suddenly telling me to become the emperor…?’
Honestly, when I was younger, I had wanted to ascend to the throne. The emperor stands at the top of the empire, holding absolute power, so no one would be able to ignore me in that position—such was my childish thinking.
However, now that I was grown up and hearing such unrealistic words, my mind was spinning.
‘If they intend to place me on the throne, the backlash would be tremendous.’
Currently, in the empire, the succession of titles and properties was prioritized for the “firstborn,” meaning the “son” born to the legitimate wife.
If there were no sons, the line of succession would go to the direct bloodline of daughters or to close relatives with a valid claim.
Thus, there were instances where families with only daughters would bring in a son-in-law to inherit the title.
But what if I became the emperor?
Daughters, who had previously had no right to inherit titles, would gain authority.
This would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the nobility’s succession issues, and the nobles would not sit idly by.
‘Would it be just opposition? This would give them justification to incite rebellion.’
I glared at the emperor, who had made such an absurd statement, then sighed.
‘It seems my father’s prolonged illness has affected his sanity.’
If I could, I wanted to call the court physician to examine him.
However, I knew that suggesting such a thing would only provoke his anger, so I decided to awaken him to reality.
“Your Majesty, I’m sorry, but I am not fit to be the emperor…”
However, my attempt was interrupted by my father’s words.
“If you, who have saved a failing territory and developed it into a city, are not fit to be emperor, then who else could possibly take on that role? That reckless Fritz? The petty Duke Hauzen? Or perhaps Reinhardt, who attempted to poison your own father to become emperor?”
Honestly, even I found the list appalling.
Still, I could not easily agree with my father’s words.
“Your Majesty, there are other royals, aren’t there? Surely there must be someone suitable if we look carefully…”
“The state council meeting is only three days away. Are you suggesting that I appoint a new candidate for emperor within that time? While we have someone as capable as you here?”
Honestly, I was pleased by my father’s recognition.
However, I knew the reality well.
“I am a woman. How could I possibly covet the throne? If you are merely testing me…”
I tried to ask my father about his intentions, but he interrupted me, seemingly frustrated.
“Test or whatever; you are the best, so just be the emperor!”
At his roar, I felt his sincerity and sighed.
‘No matter how I look at it, this is beyond my expectations…’
At that moment, Demian spoke to my father.
“Grandpa, you shouldn’t yell like that.”
“Ha, were you surprised?”
“Yes!”
As Demian puffed out his cheeks, my father poked them with his finger and said, “Sorry, little one. But your mother can be quite stubborn.”
Stubborn. I couldn’t help but smile bitterly at those words.
‘Honestly, I know my father is right. If I became the emperor, I could surely protect my child. But…’
<Look at that filthy hair. It looks like something a barbarian would have.>
<How did such a mutant end up in the royal family… tsk.>
Cold sweat naturally began to form on my palms.
I clenched my fists tightly.
My father, unaware of my inner turmoil, spoke as if to persuade me.
“Cornelia, I won’t force you. But as I said before, I believe that an emperor is not someone without weaknesses, but someone who overcomes them. And I am confident that you can do well as emperor…”
At that moment.
Bang!
With a loud crash, the door burst open.
Along with it came a voice.
“Father!”
The intruder was none other than Fritz.
Fritz stormed in, then pointed at me.
“Hey, Crow. What are you doing here… wait, Duke Blant?”
When Fritz noticed Erich, his expression turned blank, and Erich coldly replied.
“It seems the prince does not understand manners. Seeing you behave so rudely to someone of higher status.”
Despite referring to himself as “the prince” instead of “the crown prince,” Fritz didn’t get angry at those words; instead, he was flustered trying to explain.
“I-I didn’t mean to do that; I just didn’t know…”
“Not knowing is not an excuse.”
“Y-yeah, I’ll be more careful from now on.”
His demeanor was almost that of a docile lamb, leaving both my father and me momentarily speechless.
‘Who would have thought that reckless brat could control his anger like that?’
The first to regain composure was my father.
“Crown Prince, if you have nothing to say, you may leave. I have matters to discuss with the princess.”
At my father’s words, Fritz frowned, looking sulky.
“Isn’t it a bit much to dismiss someone while discussing things with another…”
“Grandpa, who is that person?”
At that moment, my child’s voice suddenly cut in, causing Fritz to grimace.
“Uh? That kid is…”
Ignoring Fritz, my father smiled kindly and patted my child’s head.
“That’s your foolish uncle. He’ll be your subordinate from now on, so you can ignore him.”
At those words, Fritz’s eyes widened as he looked at my father.
He then pointed at my child again and said, “That kid, that kid was the one! The next emperor appointed by Father!”
He couldn’t have been more mistaken.
However, my father, even if he was irritated, didn’t bother to correct Fritz’s misunderstanding.
Instead, he only mocked him sharply.
“Ha, it seems you’ve realized that you’re inferior to this little one!”
Whether he took our father’s sarcasm seriously or not, Fritz’s eyes narrowed as he glared at my child.
“Damn it! Does this make any sense? You’re going to make that little brat the emperor? Nonsense!”
“Why? I was going to make a reckless brat like you, the emperor, so what’s wrong with making this cute little one emperor?”
“Damn it! Do you think just saying it will make it happen? People will oppose it! Your position will be in danger!”
As Fritz approached our father and my child, I pulled out the gun from my pocket.
‘I’ll have to fire a warning shot to stop him.’
However, I couldn’t achieve that goal.
Erich’s sword, which he had drawn who knows when, was already pointed at Fritz’s neck, glowing blue.
Seeing the blade aimed at his throat, Fritz turned pale.
However, unlike earlier, Fritz did not act like a meek lamb.
“Erich Blant! How dare you point a sword at royalty in the palace!”
Instead of answering, Erich coldly replied with a smirk, “The one who threatened my child first was you, Fritz Lissen Schwanhild.”
Fritz turned to our father and said, “Did you see that? This is an act that disregards your authority, Father. If that child becomes emperor, they will simply be a puppet of the Duke of Blant! I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see the imperial family shift from Schwanhild to Blant, would you?”
“…….”
Seeing my father’s silence, Fritz grew even more confident and continued to speak. “So, Father, please reconsider. You seem out of your mind because you’re unwell, but honestly, the only rightful heir to the throne is your direct bloodline, which is me!”
Hearing this, my father sighed and addressed Erich, “Duke Blant, this is my office. Lower your sword immediately.”
As Erich sighed and lowered his sword, Fritz’s expression became even more triumphant.
A moment later, the door opened.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?”
As Marquis Philippe burst into the office, Fritz shouted loudly, “Marquis! The Duke of Blant threatened me with a sword! Immediately…!”
At that moment, my father spoke. “Marquis! Take that foolish prince and lock him up in the tower of the abandoned palace!”
