Episode 2

Thus, I established an agreement with the three beast dukes for a period of “getting to know each other.”

On the 1st and 15th of each month, I would meet with the snake duke, Lian Zernia; on the 5th and 20th, with the eagle duke, Vitren Kidmillan; and on the 10th and 25th, with the dog duke, Aiden Tilender. This arrangement was set to begin in July.

During this time, the throne would remain vacant.

Though Lothania should rightfully succeed her father, the excuse of her youth was used to delay her coronation. The beasts’ intentions were clear.

They aimed to seize the throne before Lothania could awaken and eliminate the binding oath that restrained them.

Without the power of Luminal, the Crown Princess had no authority. Likewise, I, the Empress, was powerless and knew little about the Belpator Empire.

The less competent I appeared, the more the beasts would argue that they deserved to fill the empty throne.

In the days leading up to my first meeting with the snake duke, I learned about Belpator’s governance with the help of Tito, the chamberlain, and the royal secretaries.

I also enrolled in lessons on politics and history. Until Lothania awakened and took the throne, I needed to learn diligently to keep the dukes from ruining the Empire.

Then, on July 1st, I attended my first morning council meeting. However, I barely spoke and was left alone in the conference room at the end.

Duke Lian Zernia, the snake, stayed behind and placed a stack of documents in front of me.

“Our time begins at lunch, Your Majesty. These documents require the Emperor’s seal. Please sign and pass them to the secretaries.”

So, I’m supposed to stamp them without understanding them.

Tired from trying to follow the morning’s discussions, I found his ever-smiling, handsome face annoying.

Ignoring Lian, I stood up.

“I’m tired and need to rest. Wait in the auxiliary palace, Duke Zernia. I’ll join you for lunch.”

I left Lian, who seemed about to say something, and returned to my room, where I had Tito bring me the documents.

Even after carefully rereading them, I still couldn’t understand most of the content.

Why were they imposing special taxes on the southern regions affected by floods every year?

And why were troops being dispatched to the west?

Feeling useless for not understanding these documents, I felt like an incompetent Empress. I wanted to protect Lothania, but I seemed incapable of doing anything.

As I pinched my lips with my fingertips, Tito smiled gently and tried to comfort me.

“Your Majesty, the affairs of the Empire are vast and cannot be mastered in a short time. Do not rush yourself.”

“But Tito, I can’t overlook matters of finance and military. These documents need the Emperor’s seal.”

“You are about to meet the person who knows the Empire’s affairs best. Ask Duke Zernia about them.”

“What if he’s lying?”

“We’ll summon the scribes to review the documents while you’re away. It’ll be a chance to see if the Duke is speaking nonsense.”

I nodded at the chamberlain’s suggestion.

It was worth a try to gauge Lian’s true intentions, even though I doubted that the so-called Serpent of the Empire would be sloppy with his lies.

I crammed the contents of the documents into my mind and headed towards the annex where Lian awaited.

Lian was arranging a stack of papers on the reception room table when he saw me. He stood up with a bright smile and approached me gracefully.

This man, Lian Zernia, the Duke who kissed the back of my hand with elegance.

The Serpent of Belpator. The Empire’s chancellor, who manipulates noble officials like puppets.

At 25 years old, with his deep blonde hair and violet eyes, he was a handsome young man who always wore a smile. But it was said that beneath that dazzling exterior lay something quite different.

When I asked the chamberlain Tito about the three dukes, he warned me to be most cautious of Lian.

Despite being known as the most cold-blooded of the three beasts and lacking empathy, he was also said to be a fool obsessed with his younger brother. Tito sighed deeply, saying that the Empire’s greatest idiot, who believed the world revolved around his younger brother, Young master Melbrid, ended up with a sharp mind and considerable power.

After a long sigh, he cautiously added:

If any of the three dukes found a loophole in the oath with the Luminal imperial family and assassinated the emperor, the most likely suspect would be Lian Zernia.

Was this the man who killed the kind Nerian, ruined my marriage, and threatened the lives of my daughter Lothania and the imperial throne?

I looked at him with suspicious eyes, but Lian simply gazed back at me with an unreadable, radiant smile.

As we began our late lunch in the annex’s dining room, Lian elegantly continued his meal and asked,

“Do you have any questions for me, Your Majesty?”

“I happen to have a few.”

“Please, ask anything.”

“Why are you levying taxes when the south is about to flood?”

“The southern region of Belpator has fertile land that allows for double cropping, thanks to the Gendora River, which floods in late summer. Before the floods, we harvest the spring crops. When the rains start, those crops would rot if not quickly sold off. Therefore, large quantities of southern crops are sold nationwide at low prices before the floods.”

“Isn’t it beneficial to have cheap grain sold across the country?”

“If that happens, grain prices will fluctuate wildly. Merchants will start hoarding. To maintain stable grain prices, we levy taxes in the south during this period. The stored grain is then slowly released until the next harvest to keep prices stable. During winter, we reduce taxes, so the south doesn’t have significant complaints.”

Satisfied with his clear answer, I nodded and continued my questioning.

“Belpator is a vast nation with varying harvests and demands across its regions. Stabilizing grain prices is indeed a crucial issue. I understand. Then, why are we dispatching troops to the west at this time, even before the autumn rains?”

“The west is where Her Highness the Crown Princess’s maternal family resides. In the Belpator Empire, it is forbidden for the relatives of the royal family to involve themselves in politics. Hence, the three ducal houses cannot marry into the royal family. But, Your Majesty is an exception, so you need not worry. The deployment of troops serves as a warning to prevent Her Highness’s maternal family from extending their influence into the royal court.”

“I see. Then about the west—”

“Your Majesty.”

I had more questions, but Lian interrupted me with a bright smile.

“Do you have any questions about me? I wish to spend these precious two days a month, which I dedicate to Your Majesty and myself.”

I had no curiosity about this brilliant but emotionless brother-obsessed fool.

However, there was something I wanted to ask the Serpent of Belpator, not Lian Zernia. I put down my fork and opened my mouth.

“Duke Zernia.”

“Please, call me Lian, Your Majesty.”

“Titles don’t matter, Duke Lian. Did you assassinate His Majesty?”

It was a simple yes or no question, but Lian said nothing, maintaining his smile.

I stared at his smile, waiting for him to speak.

His violet eyes lingered on my face for a long time before his smile widened even more.

“I did not, Your Majesty.”

“Do you intend to assassinate Crown Princess Lothania?”

“That, too, is not my intention, Your Majesty.”

“…I understand.”

I averted my gaze from Lian and picked up my fork again. As I continued eating, he also resumed his meal, having watched me the entire time.

As I chewed the lamb, perfectly braised in a fragrant sauce, Lian spoke again, sounding oddly excited.

“Do you believe me?”

“No.”

“Then why ask?”

“Sometimes you need to ask questions even if you don’t get answers.”

Lian asked with an unreadable bright smile, and I answered calmly.

In truth, I had a small hope.

Even the most shameless person might show some disturbance when asked about the death of someone they served.

Whether he was confident because he told the truth, or whether he was unreadable in this way, I still didn’t know.

In any case, he denied it. There might come a time when I’ll need to question that answer.

After another long silence, Lian finally broke it, this time with a chuckle.

“Belpator has chosen an interesting person as its empress.”

I couldn’t tell if he was teasing or admiring me.

As I spent the afternoon with him after the meal, I began to think Lian himself was quite interesting.

What kind of person can answer anything like a parrot?

I asked questions related to the parts that had puzzled me while studying the Belpator Empire over the past few days, and Lian responded as if he had been waiting, reciting answers fluently.

He didn’t complain about not being asked about himself.

Thanks to this, my first meeting with the Serpent Duke turned out to be more productive than I had anticipated.