IBMMLLWAM Chapter 058

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As the day of the regular court meeting arrived, the gathered nobles whispered amongst themselves.

This was because Cian, who usually was the first to take his seat, was absent, while Stefan, who usually skipped these meetings, was present.

When Sigar entered the meeting hall, the nobles rose and bowed.

Sigar, who acknowledged their greetings with a nod, frowned as he spotted Stefan.

“…Why are you here?”

“Long live His Majesty the Great Emperor. I plan to take a break from running the merchant group for the time being and stay in the capital for a while. During my stay, I will dutifully attend the court meetings as a loyal servant of Your Majesty.”

“What nonsense.”

Sigar, who seemed to have more to say, closed his mouth, perhaps aware of the many eyes watching him. The noble councils’ scrutiny over the incident with the wasp wine given to Cian had not eased yet.

‘Petty nobles.’

Complaining internally, Sigar took his seat and only then noticed Cian’s absence. It was the first time since Sigar had become emperor.

His lips twisted in a mix of frustration and realization that there was something amiss.

“It seems the Archduke has not arrived yet?”

He asked while looking at Stefan, but Marquis Dyer replied.

“He sent a message to the Noble Council this morning. He said he’s unable to attend due to poor health.”

“Hmph. An obvious lie.”

Cian was meticulous about his health. How could someone who didn’t catch a mild cold even in the middle of winter not feel well in the middle of summer?

However, he couldn’t reprimand someone who was too ill to attend a meeting. Moreover, Cian had even sent word beforehand that he wouldn’t be able to attend.

Though displeased with Cian’s absence and Stefan’s presence, Sigar began the court meeting.

Flooding in the south, temperature changes in the north, locust swarms in the east, drought in the west—the boring and tedious discussions continued.

Sigar waited for the meeting to end, listening to the nobles’ reports and agreeing with the proposed solutions.

Today, he had something he wanted to say before the council.

‘Countess Rachel has not yet started attending social activities. Now is the right time to strip her of her title before anyone can support her.’

Although he failed to ruin Cian, there was still an opportunity to bring down Rachel. If the bishop’s daughter was ruined, this suffocating feeling might ease a bit.

And finally, the time Sigar had been waiting for arrived.

“So, is that all for the agenda?”

“Yes. That concludes the agenda we prepared for today.”

As Marquis Dyer bowed, Sigar grinned.

“Good. Then it’s my turn now. I have a question for my lords today.”

“Please ask.”

“I’m thinking of revising the noble register. What do you all think?”

“Re- revising the noble register?”

The faces of those gathered instantly turned into astonishment.

Joy filled Sigar’s heart.

‘These faces! Just look at them!’

Watching Sigar’s quivering lips, Stefan sneered.

Sigar waved his hands.

“Oh, there’s no need to get so excited. I’m not saying I’ll strip you of your titles.”

“Your Majesty, we cannot dare to understand Your Majesty’s will with our small minds. Please be generous and explain what your intention was when you said that.”

“What would I gain from stripping the titles of those who have faithfully served the Empire? I’m suggesting we clean up those who only seek fame through titles and contribute nothing to the Empire.”

“That means…”

“I intend to revoke the titles of those who habitually skip the court meetings and those who are nobles yet do not belong to the Noble Council and do nothing for the Empire.”

The nobles’ gazes turned to Stefan. He was notorious for frequently skipping the court meetings.

Of course, Rachel, who did not belong to the Noble Council and did nothing for the empire, was also an obvious target. She was still in the process of organizing the estate she was given and had not even been able to enter society, let alone the Noble Council.

Sigar’s plan was to use this as a pretext to rid himself of those he disliked.

Stefan had difficulty hiding the sneer on his face and lowered his head.

‘It’s been less than a month since the title was awarded, but he’s already mentioning achievements and depriving her of the title. What a vile man.’

Sigar spoke as if he felt sorry for Stefan, who bowed his head.

“Yes, Duke Stefan. No matter how much money you make or how much you enjoy doing business, shouldn’t you have still attended the court meeting? How could a noble of the Empire not work for the Empire?”

“Do you think I haven’t done anything for the Empire?”

“That’s right. The Duke Iacobs family is a part of the Empress’s biological family, so I haven’t said anything up to this point.”

Stefan, now composed, slowly raised his head.

“If that’s the case, revoke my title.”

“…What?”

Both Sigar and the nobles were stunned by the reply devoid of regret or greed.

“Oh, Your Excellency the Duke! How can you give up your title so easily? Isn’t the Duke Iacobs family a prestigious family that has led the Noble Council since the empire was first founded?”

“Duke, please hurry and ask His Majesty for forgiveness. If you do, His Majesty will certainly forgive you.”

The nobles around him advised in low voices, but Stefan shook his head.

“No. I’ve worked tirelessly for the empire and the capital. If you don’t recognize my efforts, what’s the point of me maintaining my title here?”

“Effort?”

Sigar scoffed.

“What effort have you made for the Empire and the capital?”

“I ran a business.”

“What’s so big about making money?”

“You clearly don’t understand the importance of commerce and trade. Fine. In return for relinquishing my title, the Iacobs merchant group will withdraw from the Empire and the capital.”

“Do as you please.”

The nobles turned paler than when they heard that their titles might be taken away, but when they heard the Iacobs Merchant Company may leave the empire, their faces turned completely white.

Marquis Dyer spoke urgently.

“No, Your Majesty. You must not allow the Iacobs merchant group to withdraw from the empire and the capital.”

“Why not? I would be pleased not to see the Iacobs family making money here.”

In the end, Stefan couldn’t hide his smile.

It was clear that Sigar did not know what items the Iacobs merchants mainly handled.

The explanation was left to Marquis Dyer.

“The Iacobs merchant group supplies most of the Empire’s sugar and salt. If they withdraw, the Empire will be unable to eat proper food.”

Sugar and salt are not luxuries but essentials. Their shortage could lead to illness and even death, but their low cost and accessibility made most unaware of their true value.

Moreover, if the Iacobs merchant group withdrew, Cian’s group would also withdraw. Their inconspicuous trading of crucial goods with minimal profit would vanish.

The Empire and the capital, deprived of these essentials, would become sick and weaken.

Stefan shook his head.

“No, Marquis Dyer. Other groups sell salt and sugar, so it’s not like they can’t get any at all.”

With such small quantities, prices would skyrocket, though.

It would take years before other groups could supply enough salt and sugar to stabilize prices as they were now.

‘If you’re going to make a move against a trading group, you should at least know what they sell. I really hate how ignorant the Emperor is.’

Sigar trembled.

“…I see. I didn’t realize you were doing such important work. Then we’ll start the revision with nobles who haven’t engaged in social or council activities yet.”

“That’s a wise decision. I’ll prepare a list of nobles needing revision once this social season ends.”

“Damn it! I can’t wait until the end of the social season! We need to start immediately!”

“Why?”

“We must start before that woman can take any action…!”

Realizing his mistake, Sigar stopped speaking, but it was too late.

The nobles’ gazes turned cold.

It was blatantly clear that Sigar’s reason for proposing the revision was personal resentment.

 

* * *

 

Under the hot sun, Cian was standing in light clothes, a sword hanging from his waist.

“It’s been a long time since I last stood in the training ground at this hour.”

This was because he did not attend the court meeting, something he hadn’t missed in six years.

Cian had attended the court meetings diligently to avoid giving Sigar any pretext for criticism, but he’d decided not to worry about that anymore.

He realized that it would be difficult to protect Dolorosa simply by avoiding faults and keeping a low profile.

‘Bishop Lylus warned me to be wary of Sigar. I knew, but I still couldn’t protect Dolly. If Sigar had prepared something else that day, Dolly might have suffered even more.’

Drawing the sword from his waist, Cian held it up straight.

“…Mother, forgive me. I no longer intend to live in hiding. I don’t want this to happen again. I will stand and fight to protect what’s precious to me.”

The sword sliced through the air like a dance. With a soft swish, the scarecrow standing in front of Cian was cleanly cut in half and fell to the ground.

“Wow! Master, you’re amazing!”

“Yeah, my friend is awesome!”

Startled by the sudden voices, Cian turned around.

Rachel, Graham, and Stefan stood outside the training ground.

Sheathing his sword, Cian stepped out through the door.

“Graham, Countess Rachel. What brings you here?”

“I heard you were sick, Master! I came to visit you out of concern.”

“We happened to meet the Duke in front of the mansion. He said it was okay to come in, so we came along… I hope we aren’t intruding?”

Stefan shrugged beside them.

“It wouldn’t be right to send them away after coming to visit a sick friend. I did well, didn’t I?”

“You did well. It’s not an intrusion, so don’t worry about it, Countess Rachel. Thank you for your concern.”

“That’s a relief.”

Cian glanced at Stefan, who was smiling.

“How was the court meeting?”

“It wasn’t bad. Sig… I mean, His Majesty was trying to stir up something, but I managed to stop it, so don’t worry. I’ll tell you the details later.”

“Alright.”

Rachel carefully examined Cian’s complexion.

“But is it okay for you to be out here when you’re unwell?”

“It’s fine. Light exercise helps in recovering strength.”

“I see.”

Though his illness was just an excuse to skip the meeting, he didn’t confess the truth.

Graham suddenly joined the conversation, his eyes sparkling.

“It’s my first time seeing Master wield a sword. It was really impressive! It looked like a light swing, but it was very powerful!”

“That’s right. We were very surprised to see you wield the sword like a feather.”

“Thank you.”

Stefan grinned more happily than Cian at the compliments. He casually draped his arm over Cian’s shoulder.

“Hey, Cian. Since we’re at the training ground, let’s spar.”

“A spar, out of the blue? Now?”

“You owe me, remember? You promised to spar with me in exchange for arranging the party invitations last time. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”

“Does it have to be now?”

“You haven’t come near the training ground lately. Who knows when you’ll be here again? We should do it while we’re here. So, what do you say?”

Cian thought for a moment and nodded.

“…Alright. As long as it’s okay with you.”

“Great! I’ll change my clothes right away, so just wait a moment!”

Stefan grinned as he walked toward the changing room.

‘Cian, you should live your whole life being grateful to me! Who else would care about you this much if not me? I’m even giving you an opportunity to show off in front of the girl you like!’