Chapter 17
“Lord Samu is in front of the Devita Palace.”
Fortentia Palace.
The only room with lights on was Johannes’s room.
Johannes stood by the window as if it were a habit.
With a gaze unfocused on anything in particular.
But Ern, who had been by his side for a long time, could tell. He was looking at the Devita Palace across the way.
Among them, especially-
The fact that he was watching the only room with the lights off.
Even the servants were violating the palace’s instructions by lighting the fire, but only the owner of the palace was keeping to his beliefs.
It made the owner look even lonelier.
“I understand.”
What could he see? Ern tried hard to discern the scenery beyond Johannes’s shoulders.
But it was night, and with rain falling, nothing could be seen.
“Do I not need to leave?”
Ern never understood why Johannes allowed Samu into the palace in the first place.
Not only allowing entry but even letting him witness the Empress’s coronation. It wasn’t like Johannes.
Not long ago, they had even argued privately.
Even though Ern didn’t know the details of their conversation, he sensed that it wasn’t a casual chat about well-being.
Otherwise, Johannes wouldn’t be contemplating matters concerning Gaius’s territory.
Normally, he would have restricted Johannes from even coming near the imperial palace, let alone venturing beyond the territory.
Ern wondered what wind was blowing to make him act this way.
He longed for the old Johannes, who used to live a constrained life.
“Fine.”
“Do they allow even this?”
Ern added an explanation, wondering if the young emperor still couldn’t grasp the situation.
“You may have met with the Empress.”
Johannes raised the wine glass in his hand to his lips.
“It seems like we just encountered her.”
“!”
Perplexed by the ambiguous response, Ern approached the window.
However, he still couldn’t see anything.
“I don’t see anything, Your Majesty.”
Ern laughed as he filled his glass, thinking that Johannes might be joking.
However, Ern soon reconsidered. Perhaps he didn’t recognize it earlier because he only saw his back, but…
“I also don’t see anything, Ern.”
There was not a hint of laughter on Johannes’s face.
“It seems nothing is visible.”
After finishing the stormy breakfast, Anel began his duties. The imperial court was in disarray, as the transfer of power did not follow the usual procedures. With the help of Minister Sinyang, Anel organized documents and became lost in thought when he came across a particular document.
The most urgent issue at hand was the sharp increase in the price of meat, particularly pork. The rapid surge in the price of livestock products was a result of the conflict with the Kartar Kingdom. Kartar, Samue’s maternal kingdom, strongly protested Johannes’ ascension and immediately severed trade relations.
As Kartar was the major trading partner for livestock products, Stein found itself in a difficult situation. Cows belonged to the nobility, while pigs were for the commoners. Discontent was growing among all social classes. If Johannes were not the emperor and Ern Lars were not the prime minister, riots would have erupted long ago.
Samue. Just thinking about that name made Anel’s chest tighten. Yesterday, Samue inexplicably disappeared at midnight, and Anel could do nothing but let him go.
“Even sending a petition to Johannes indicates that the situation in our territory is not favorable. I must help the country, but how?” Anel rubbed his forehead.
He was a genuinely good person, someone who thought only of Stein until the end. Although asking for help from Kartar could have solved the issue diplomatically…
“… He probably didn’t want to create diplomatic problems knowingly.”
He was a good person until the end, one who only thought of Stein. Anel sighed.
Originally, this issue should have been primarily handled by Prime Minister Ern. “Coming to me means testing my ability to solve diplomatic problems,” Anel thought as he looked at the paper in his hand.
Inside the palace, there was a weak empress, and outside the palace, how would they deal with external issues?
Should he intervene or not?
Anel recalled a few days ago when he faced Ern Lars. Ern Lars, the emperor’s right-hand man. If this was a test of the emperor’s intentions, was it to see how he handled Samue’s maternal family?
If it was that man, even the impossible might not be so. Anel clenched the paper in his hand.
“At that time,’’
‘He treats people as if they were only chess pieces.’
Then,
“Your Majesty, Empress Dowager 1 Hwangbi requests an audience.”
Hwangbi. Flora Rodyan.
The illegitimate daughter of Viscount Rodyan.
She was one of the candidates for empress that Anel had named.
She was now one of the opponents Anel didn’t particularly want to face.
Viscount Rodyan’s family was rapidly rising in status.
Even the emperor, who didn’t care about the nobility, eventually named her as the empress.
Perhaps Viscount Rodyan wanted her to become the empress instead of me.
Anel guessed indifferently.
Flora, too, probably wanted to take on the role of the actual lady in charge in place of the empress whose influence was waning.
She didn’t have any ambition for the position of lady in charge.
Empress’s position? She would rather give it up. She wanted to let go of everything.
But-
“Let her in.”
As soon as she lets it go, a bigger storm will come.
If she can’t escape, she should at least hold on to the empty name.
This name alone was protecting her life.
Yes. ‘’If she couldn’t escape anyway.”
Flora Rodyan never doubted that the world belonged to her.
Viscount Rodyan was one of the prominent nobles in the Stein.
Moreover, the viscount was extremely indulgent towards his daughter.
Thanks to her father, who granted her every wish, Flora had never been denied anything since she was young.
Therefore, she had no greed. Everything came into her hands before she could even feel the emotion of greed.
However, one person changed her world.
‘Johannes Magnun, no, should I now call you Johannes Denege?’
Flora first saw Johannes Magnun at the debutante ball held at the royal palace.
At the boring debutante party, Flora was dealing with boring people.
‘I am Flora Rodyan.’
‘Haha. You are the little flower of Viscount Rodyan. I’ve heard about you.’
‘…You people call me that a lot.’
Cheeky guys. And she herself was making such a cheeky introduction.
Everything was boring.
What broke the monotony was the next statement.
‘Welcome, Lady Rodyan. Let me introduce my friend, Marquis Magnun.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘You came to see him, didn’t you? The ladies here are all saying hello to me just to get an introduction to that guy.’
‘I didn’t intend-‘
She also knew well about Johannes’s notorious reputation.
In Magnun’s estate in Stein, there was said to be a very beautiful solitary spider.
So beautiful that if you stared at it quietly, you would suddenly find yourself caught in its web.
“Hey, Johan! Come over here.”
Flora scoffed at the words. She couldn’t understand why someone would be so desperate for just one person.
It’s not like he’s the only man around.
“Here, Lady Flora Rodian. She’s the flower of the Rodian family. Just entered the social scene.”
If the person is unattainable, well, if the person you can have is problematic, just find someone else. Why do people live with such lingering attachments?
“I’ll say it again, Bill. I told you to go for it.”
But the moment Flora saw Johannes, the moment her eyes met his green ones, she acknowledged him for the first time.
“Pleased to meet you, Lady Rodian.”
There are desires that one simply cannot give up.
She knew that too.
It may not be love, but what does that matter?
Do you need a grand reason to pursue what you want?
“I heard you had breakfast with Her Majesty today.”
“That’s right.”
“Anel Morata.’’
She was a woman I had seen several times.
The fiancée of Prince Samuel, and the porcelain doll of the Morata Ducal House. She wasn’t originally of any interest.
The relationship between Samuel and her was something everyone in the Stein Kingdom knew.
Engaged from birth, they practically grew up together.
Flora was neither pitiful nor particularly disliked by Anel.
After all, Johan chose Anel with the intention of not increasing external enemies.
Instead of erasing the Morata Ducal House, he captured the lady as a hostage.
The power of the ducal house may have been extinguished, but its history and wealth remained intact.
It was a politically strategic move that anyone could see.
Flora, following in the footsteps of her politician father, had learned about the essence of the royal family throughout her life.
She didn’t feel jealousy towards such a strategic decision.
She never expected to tame a venomous man like him all at once.
It was a well-known fact among skilled florists that you had to slowly remove the thorns before getting close.
“Also, unless there’s a significant event in the future.”
However.
‘’This is a different story.”
