Chapter 49
Anel returned to her home office.
She was currently adjusting the budget for the entire imperial household.
The budget allocated to the imperial household was limited.
In other words, it meant that the budget needed to be reallocated overall for Jizel
“Your Majesty, you’re really too much.”
Verdi assisted Anel with paperwork while expressing her frustration.
“To increase the budget for Second Empress Mama, you have to decrease the budget elsewhere!”
Verdi searched every corner of the documents, hoping to find a loophole where money could be spared, But there was none.
“How about asking for an overall increase in the budget for the entire household, Your Majesty? The Grand Chamberlain seems to be someone who can reason with. ”
“Ern Lars? He’s a rational person. If you ask to increase the funds necessary for luxury purchases when the country is in difficulty, he won’t listen. Of course, I think the same.”
“What should we do then? There really isn’t any place to cut. Initially, Your Majesty divided everything fairly…!”
Jizel was receiving exactly the same amount as First Empress Flora.
In fact, even Anel as the Empress only received 6,000 gold per month.
Considering the many social events she had to attend as Empress, it was a budget set at the minimum amount necessary for them.
But suddenly it was 7,000 gold.
Anel sighed.
“Why would Jizelle want such unnecessary things?”
“Of course, it’s obvious, It’s undoubtedly due to jealousy towards Your Majesty.”
“Verdi….”
“If not, it doesn’t make sense, She’s just twisting Empress Your Majesty’s words…! It’s just forced!”
Verdi exploded in anger.
“And on top of that arrogant attitude! In the very palace where the law should prevail…!”
“The Second Empress never had the opportunity to learn the law, We need to understand that.”
“It seems like she doesn’t even have the intention to learn the law.”
Anel remained silent.
She couldn’t disagree either.
“No matter how I think about it, it’s unreasonable. 7,000 gold is too much. Doing that for just one month, we might manage somehow… but doing it every month seems impossible.”
“Even one month is too much, Your Majesty. At this rate, we might have to dip into the budget for public welfare.”
As soon as Anel became Empress, she allocated most of the budget from the Treasury to public welfare.
Thanks to that, the budgets allocated to the Empresses and the Empress Consorts were the smallest since the foundation of the Empire, but there was no other way.
“That won’t work, Especially when the public sentiment is already not favorable, starving the Empire’s citizens for the sake of the Second Empress’s words…”
“I agree!”
“It’s not feasible, I’ll have to talk to the Second Empress.”
“What will you say?”
“I’ll explain the situation with the Treasury and say that 7,000 gold is too much. Instead, I’ll offer to contribute 1,000 gold from my own budget.”
Anel sighed.
“What if she doesn’t listen?”
“….”
At Verdi’s question, Anel put down her fountain pen.
“The Second Empress just wants what I say.”
“Surely not, surely….”
“If you give her a buttercup, she’ll be satisfied.”
“That’s absolutely not possible! Everyone knows how much Your Majesty treasures buttercups!”
“Of course I treasure them, but my heart is not more valuable than the lives of tens of thousands.”
Anel tried her best to speak calmly.
But the more she tried, the more Verdi was losing his temper.
“Your Majesty, What about seeking help from your family?”
Family.
Indeed, the Morata Ducal House was one of the wealthiest families in the Empire.
The problem was that the money wasn’t Anel’s.
Officially, it was Anel’s property.
One of the reasons Johann undermined the Morata Ducal House in the north was to transfer their funds to Anel.
To transfer the Morata Ducal House’s funds to Anel according to his wishes.
Anel thought Johann would want her to use the Morata Ducal House’s property as he intended.
But that man had never asked Anel for money.
It was strange.
“Anel also had no intention of using Morata’s money.’’
There wasn’t any special reason.
It was simply because he didn’t feel that Morata’s fortune belonged to him.
He knew that if the Duke’s finances were exhausted when the Duke fell from power, the outcome would be obvious.
So, the family’s money had to be kept as a last resort.
“I know why I can’t use that money, Verdi. I don’t want to owe anything to my family. I’d rather… just let the buttercup go.”
“Rather!”
Verdi shouted as if screaming.
“Really, as a last resort… why not talk to His Majesty the Emperor? It would only take His command.”
“Verdi….”
“As luck would have it, His Majesty and I are going to the opera at 7 o’clock, There will only be two seats in the box, so it’s a perfect opportunity to speak to him!”
Anel smiled with embarrassment at Verdi’s desperate look.
“That… he must know how irrational and absurd this situation is!”
“He has always been irrational and absurd.”
“Well, that’s true, but… still!”
Anel sighed.
There was no chance that Johan would listen to him.
“Please, Your Majesty, You should at least try. Consider Buttercup’s feelings. If we suddenly get such a master overnight, how disappointed will our Buttercup be!”
“But….”
As Anel was about to say that it wouldn’t work.
Knock, knock.
A knock was heard from outside.
“Your Majesty.”
The was the voice of Sinyang.
“Now it’s time to get ready to go out.”
“I’ll go out.”
Anele got up, brushing off his knees.
“I’ll do as you say, Verdi. But don’t expect too much.”
“…If it doesn’t work out, I’ll steal the buttercup for you!”
“Thanks, Verdi. For saying that.”
Anele smiled warmly at one of his few allies in the palace.
Perhaps this smile would disappear when he met that man again.
He had to smile while he still could.
Sinyang, Lady Sandman, was quite competent.
Judging by the dress she skillfully brought for the opera “Summer Palace.”
The dress she brought was a light blue dress adorned with small sapphires.
It was much more flashy than Anele had anticipated, to the point where he was taken aback.
Of course, Verdi seemed very satisfied.
“Isn’t this a bit too flashy, Sandman?”
“It may seem so, but these are all chosen by Her Majesty the Empress.”
“!”
At the mention of Johan, Anele’s face turned as pale as a sheet.
“I didn’t know Her Majesty paid attention to such trivial matters.”
“It’s the first event showcasing the Emperor and Empress to the people. They will pay special attention.”
He didn’t expect the Emperor to care about the people.
Especially not such external evaluations.
Anele was puzzled but forced himself to accept it.
Johan was not an Emperor who was judged to be incompetent.
Rather, he was closer to being ruthless and cruel in his pursuit of extreme efficiency.
The only aspect where Johan showed concern was his relationship with Kartar.
Apart from that, in fact, nothing could be faulted.
Even the relationship with Kartar was not criticized.
For a long time, Stein had maintained the worst relationship with Kartar.
The only reason that relationship had been repaired was because of a diplomatic marriage during the previous Emperor’s reign.
However, when it became known to the world that Johanes Denaeger, the victim of that marriage, existed, the people of the Empire sympathized with Johan.
And he was angry with Kartar, who forced Sunhwang to break up.
Johan was adept at manipulating public opinion.
He showed great mercy to the imperial people, but maintained a cold attitude towards other countries.
At the same time, he increased military strength to prevent other countries from expressing dissatisfaction.
Meanwhile, Samuel continued to ring the victory bell.
Samuel’s achievements were also Johan’s achievements.
Since Johan sent him.
As a result, all the imperial people could do was praise Johann.
“Today, Your Majesty will be going as the ruler of the empire, wearing military attire. You instructed to prepare a dress that goes well with the white attire.”
“…So you chose Summer Palace.”
Summer Palace was an opera based on the history of the Stein Empire.
Three hundred years ago, during the war with the Kartar-Jorge coalition, Stein was struggling and its capital was taken.
At that time, Prince Bahren DeNegger miraculously recaptured the capital and led the empire to victory.
Of course, it was a victory that left many aftermaths, but to the imperial people, that history was a source of pride.
“I understand what Your Majesty desires.”
The ongoing battles with Jorge and the diplomatic warfare with Kartar must be concerning.
This was akin to sending a message to the public.
The imperial couple will make a resilient Stein.
A Stein that never loses, under any circumstances.
