When the Emperor’s sharp eyes turned to him, Count Yuton closed his eyes tightly and spoke in a trembling voice.
“That… the period for that has passed, so it cannot be done. Record deletion due to marriage cancellation is only possible within one year….”
“Why?”
“It is stated in the law that…. once a year has passed after the marriage is recorded in the marriage registry, all objections are considered to be… permanently silenced….”
“….”
“That… it is said that they pour holy water over the names of the couple in the record to seal the marriage….”
“….”
“Your Majesty. We are also looking into the circumstances. However, it is said that once a marriage record has been blessed with holy water, even the temple cannot change it… Also…… It’s been three years….”
At that moment, the blond knight who was the only one with his head held up and standing next to the Emperor added with a sly smile.
“They said that since it was Your Majesty’s marriage register, they blessed it three times more. Seriously. This is hilarious. Haha.”
Except for Count Yuton, who was wiping away his cold sweat and explaining to the Emperor, the remaining aides raised their heads and glared at the knight.
“Whoa. So scary.”
The young knight unconsciously took a step back behind the throne, intimidated by the frightening aura emitting from the aides.
“….”
“So? What are you all doing lying down here right now?”
The Emperor’s cold gaze, reminiscent of a winter lake whose depth is impossible to gauge, turned toward his subjects.
“…Are there any other issues that I’m unaware of?”
“That….”
As all the kneeling aides stared in one direction, Count Duran, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, unable to bear their piercing gazes, reluctantly raised his bent upper body and opened his mouth.
“The Duchies of Castia, Danborough, and Bern have sent their consent to the royal marriage.”
“…Royal marriage?”
Silence descended once again in the Emperor’s office.
Count Duran stammered and continued.
“Well… Previously, didn’t Your Majesty… order to restore the relationship with the countries that had become distant after the territorial war?”
Yuton, who had been observing quietly, intervened.
“Since a royal marriage usually has both a solid justification and a majestic appearance… During the New Year’s celebrations, we sent proposals to various countries through their ambassadors….”
The Emperor leaned back against the chair, touching his aching forehead with his hand.
“And?”
One by one, the aides who had been kneeling behind Count Duran in a line, began to speak.
“The replies have just arrived. It seems that each country has princesses of the right age available.”
“Starting with Castia, other countries have also shown eagerness to send their candidates.”
“Even the regional Duchies that were not previously informed.… Have also sent proposals with portraits attached….”
“….”
When Count Duran gently nudged Count Yuton in the side, Count Yuton slightly raised his head and responded in his stead.
“So, while…. we were in the process of reviewing all the marriage records of the royal relatives, um, well, we…. discovered this….. situation. Since…. overlapping connections by marriage are also not permissible, the situation became apparent….”
A moment of silence, as if hell had descended, flowed through.
The Emperor tilted his head back, as if lost in thought, and muttered after a while.
“This is ridiculous. A marriage that I, the Emperor, doesn’t know about, a proposal of royal marriage that the Emperor isn’t aware of….”
Count Duran and Yuton, who had been observing the Emperor’s expression with cautious eyes, quickly exchanged glances.
Then, after nodding to each other, they bowed their foreheads to the ground more humbly than any other aides.
“…We are ashamed….”
“And you sent proposals for the royal marriage without knowing the fact that the Emperor is already married. What the….”
“….”
The Emperor let out an airy laugh.
It is a well-known story across the continent that the first Emperor of Perza, who was also the Founder of the Perza Empire, banned polygamy despite numerous objections from the nobility.
In this situation, it was ridiculous enough that he, the Emperor, who was already married without him knowing, sent proposals for a royal marriage to another country. What was even more absurd was to excuse it by claiming ignorance of his own marriage.
In short, it was beyond diplomatic mistake. And now if he made a single move, it would be a disgrace to the Royal Family and the Empire.
The honor of the Royal Family was on the verge of becoming a mere snack in the marketplace.
The Emperor clenched his fists a couple of times and sorted out the situation.
“…I will meet with the High Priest myself. Although he is an unpredictable old man, it’d be faster to resolve the situation by speaking to him directly.”
The seven kneeling aides, gradually began to rise at the Emperor’s words, glancing around cautiously.
“We shall approach that way.”
“I believe the High Priest must have a way.”
“Your Majesty has thought of an excellent solution.”
“Your Majesty is wise.”
At that moment, the blond knight Lian, who had been standing next to the Emperor, spoke up brightly.
“However, Your Majesty. Aren’t you curious about who the Empress is?”
All eyes in the office turned to Lian.
Among them, someone muttered, ‘That damned knight….’, ‘We are doomed….’, and even the sound of teeth clenching, like ‘grittt’ was heard.
“Is there…. a reason for me to know that woman’s name?”
Lian gestured to Count Yuton to speak up. Although it was someone else’s business, he acted as if it were truly his own affair.
“Count Yuton, you should speak up. Since you already know who it is, shouldn’t you let His Majesty know?”
When the Emperor turned his head and fixed his gaze on him, Count Yuton, who had been hesitating, sighed and began to speak.
“… Lady Klisha Mezerine. Daughter of Issac Mezerine, the Lord of Schmarin.”
The young Emperor narrowed his eyes.
“Mezerine? The Red Lion of Schmarin?”
“Yes….”
A slight hint of surprise flashed across the Emperor’s expression.
“…There’s nothing we can do. Don’t let the Viscount know for now. Find a solution first, and then explain it to him once you have taken preventive measures.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor walked to the window and spoke calmly.
“You useless fools. If you fail to resolve the situation properly, I’ll have all of your necks.”
“….”
“Everyone get out.”
The aides and knight Lian, who had been observing him, rushed out of the office.
Hair that shone brightly like the sun, eyebrows extending smoothly as if painted with dark gold thread, eyes that shone coldly like a frozen winter lake, and a slight upturn at the corners of the mouth beneath a sharp nose.
The young Emperor of the Empire, who was often said to have been born with the blessing of the Goddess of Beauty, exhaled a deep sigh. Naturally, the handsome Emperor was in a terrible mood right now.
The Emperor leaned against the window, holding his forehead that was somehow feverish for some reason with one hand, and looked at the documents scattered on the desk.
In an instant, the space became quiet.
Only the tension from just a moment ago remained faintly.
* * *
The unusually blue sky was devoid of any fluffy, white clouds.
The cool water of a fountain was falling down between the endless crystal pillars.
In the vast, neatly arranged garden, all kinds of flowers swayed to the rhythm as if respecting each other’s beauty, and the beautiful, meticulously maintained pond mirrored the picturesque sky perfectly.
The glory of the Perza Empire, which occupied two-thirds of the continent of Asha, seemed endless and infinite at the moment.
The elderly priest seated in front of the Emperor, had the ability to make the Emperor yield to him.
This old priest precisely!
Is the one who controls the Emperor’s lifelong authority!
He was none other than the High Priest of the Genesis Temple.
Nevertheless.
The elderly priest poured cold tea into a clear glass cup and offered it to the Emperor.
The young Emperor frowned with his arms crossed.
“Why am I not allowed to?”
The old priest replied with a soft smile, folding his half-lidded eyes.
“Because you aren’t allowed to.”
“But there are exceptions.”
“Haha. The rule is, ‘if you have any objections about the marriage, speak up now or remain silent forever’. Why? A year is quite a long time. We can’t have the temple join in with those who recklessly interfere with the affairs of the people of the Empire. Oh, of course, I wasn’t comparing them to Your Majesty.”
The Emperor held his forehead as he said.
“…The Royal Family wasn’t involved in it intentionally.”
“We weren’t aware.”
The High Priest’s gaze deepened.
“There wasn’t any way to know either. I have no intention to treat someone unjustly for a decision made on a whim over a lifetime contract.”
The young Emperor’s tone turned harsh.
“… Doesn’t the High Priest think that it would be more unjust if you don’t obliterate it?”
The Emperor, who had been engaged in a brief, unseen battle of wills with the High Priest, Norva, who never wiped away the gentle smile from his face, let out a short sigh and suggested.
“How about I bring the other party here and request for the cancellation together? I think we can bring her here within two weeks at least if we’re quick.”
The High Priest slowly shook his head.
“No.”
The Emperor held his chest with one hand to suppress his boiling anger for a moment.
“Why?”
“Time may have passed, and circumstances could have changed. The love from that day might have cooled, or there could be various other reasons. Moreover, considering the special status of both parties….. one could have been pressured into making certain statements.”
The Emperor’s face turned red with anger at the stubborn attitude of the High Priest, which showed no regard for any respect.
“I am the Emperor. I do not engage in such shameless acts concerning state affairs.”
“Well….”
The white-haired old priest continued speaking with a relaxed expression.
“Your Majesty is the supreme being, so of course you would have such integrity. The temple also trusts Your Majesty’s character.”
“Then….”
“However….”
The High Priest Norva cut off the Emperor’s words in a firm tone.
“Forgive my disrespect, Your Majesty. All subordinates have no choice but to infer the will of their superiors. As a lowly citizen, shouldn’t she infer the will of Your Majesty?”
“She is not of lowly status.”
“Regardless of the status, there is no rank higher than Your Majesty in this Empire, or even on the entire continent of Asha. Therefore, even if both of you claim that the marriage was incorrect, the temple does not know the truth of that day. Whether a secret engagement took place or…. if there was some kind of misunderstanding.”
The old priest stared at the young Emperor’s cold, sunken eyes for a moment before continuing.
“Nevertheless, the rules are meant to be followed. We cannot cancel a marriage whenever Your Majesty wills.”
The old priest shook his head firmly.
“No matter how much the world changes, the temple must uphold the law. Canceling a marriage is not allowed.”
