“That person is…”
It was a face she had seen up close for the first time not long ago at the Marquis’s estate. Golden hair, blue eyes, the tall figure of the Grand Duke Franz.
“Why is the Grand Duke here?”
And at this hour. Laila tilted her head in confusion.
It was strange for a member of the royal family to be in such a slum at this time. Then she thought that to others, she might seem out of place as well.
After confirming that the men had moved far enough, Laila finally moved her hidden body and began walking again. By the way, where on earth was she going to get out of the square?
It had been more than twenty minutes since Laila found the carriage from that moment.
***
He was slightly late for the appointed time. As he entered, Franz scanned the faces of those who had arrived early.
One, two, three, four. A total of five people. It seemed he was the last to arrive. Guided by Stilikov, Franz found his seat and sat down.
“You’re a little late.”
“I thought you wouldn’t come, Your Grace.”
The middle-aged man with red hair greeted Franz first. He was Commander Rodrigo, who commanded the royal army.
“No way. We cannot miss this important meeting to discuss the future affairs of the state.”
Franz sent a mocking smile to Rodrigo, who had the audacity to scold him for being late after summoning the nobility to such a place. He intentionally mocked them by using expressions like state affairs and important meeting to ridicule their secret meeting in the slums.
He took off his cloak. In case someone might see them, Franz quickly flipped over the black cloak he had worn to cover his attire, and Stilikov promptly accepted it.
Franz glanced at each of the men sitting next to Rodrigo. Are these the people who share his intentions?
“I greet Your Grace.”
One man stood up from his seat and offered a greeting. Franz raised his hand in acknowledgment.
“How is the work progressing?”
He immediately asked about the main topic, showing that he was not interested in their well-being. Franz conveyed this attitude with his entire being. Rodrigo, hiding his annoyance, forced a smile.
“We are striving not to revive the doctrine of preemption.”
A gray-haired middle-aged man answered in place of Rodrigo. He was Edward, the Count and husband of Clothilda, cousin sister of Emperor Alexander.
“Striving?”
“The imperial family’s clan gathering held a dinner meeting. Naturally, the discussion was related to the revival of the system of pre-electing the next emperor and the selection of the next emperor.”
The dinner meeting organized by Pulcheria and attended by Monica at the imperial family’s clan gathering was where Earl Edward, who had expressed reservations about the pre-electoral system throughout, was actually being manipulated by Franz’s influence.
“I am curious about the outcome, not the process.”
Franz leaned back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other knee and tapping his foot. It was a clear display of disregard.
There was no respect towards the person he was conversing with. Edward tried to avoid Franz’s gaze fixed on his feet, and then cleared his throat.
“Well… the matter at hand couldn’t be decided in one meeting.”
“Then why did you summon me?”
He spoke while smiling. Anyone over the age of three could tell that it wasn’t a smile born out of happiness. Edward, feeling uneasy about the hidden malice behind the smile, took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
“Firstly, it seems that the vote for the vacant position of Duke Schwaben will proceed without being filled.”
Franz’s piercing gaze felt sharp as it landed on Edward’s face.
Despite being a duke, Edward was also a member of the imperial family. So why was he so fearful of Franz? It was not due to his status but rather because Edward knew very well about Franz’s cruel and ruthless nature.
Franz Toskur, who overcame tremendous discrimination and disrespect from entering the palace, even took revenge on those who subtly disrespected him after he reached adulthood.
Now, no one dared to disrespect Franz Toskur recklessly or send challenging words and glances in front of him, except perhaps Lady Pulcheria and Duke Albrecht. The background of Franz Toskur’s mother, Marina, and her efforts was a well-known fact, as she was as ruthless and relentless as her son.
Edward glanced at Franz and spoke, “The Duke has already secured the support long ago, so even if the pre-electoral vote is revived, there should be no major concerns.”
“Just one vote. Are you telling me to be relieved by just a single, unpredictable vote? It seems a pity that I have come all this way to converse with someone lacking such a sense of reality.”
Franz frowned, feeling pathetic and perplexed. He couldn’t understand why he had been summoned here when there seemed to be no particular reason.
Even if one were to move cautiously, escaping to the slums from the Imperial Palace was fraught with many risks. If he had taken such risks to come here, he should provide corresponding information in return.
“Even the resurrection of preemptive actions couldn’t be stopped. But it’s not like we’ve captured all the preemptive clans… What on earth did I do to make it here, running all the way?”
“I apologize. However, I believe we should together formulate the next plan in case we couldn’t prevent the resurrection of preemptive actions.”
“Do I have to decide everything one by one on what we should do next?”
His voice carried irritation. Edward blushed as he condescended to the Imperial family elder, who was not only much older but also of higher status. Despite receiving such treatment, there were reasons why he sided with Franz rather than Carl.
His wife, Clothilda, who was a cousin of Emperor Alexander, died young due to illness. Luckily, they had a child inheriting the noble bloodline, which allowed Edward to enter the Imperial family circle.
However, the benefits he gained from being the husband of a noblewoman only went so far—earning him membership in the Imperial family circle. Thirty years ago, Edward, having deemed the mines managed by his family no longer profitable, sold them to Count Louisette for a hefty sum. Ironically, magic stones were later discovered in those mines, skyrocketing their value.
Although he invested the profits from the sale of the mines into a business producing wool and fabric, the sudden decline in demand for the elegant and practical dresses resulted in a significant failure.
While accumulating wealth was challenging, losing it happened in an instant. Eventually, Edward and his family became impoverished nobles barely maintaining their lineage.
Seeking financial assistance from Pulcheria, who had a good relationship with Clothilda, Edward was bluntly refused. Pulcheria stated that if the money were essential for Clothilda or her children, she would gladly help, but she had no obligation to cover the losses caused by Edward’s failed business ventures.
At that point, Edward harbored a grudge. It wasn’t that he intended to harm her because of the ill feelings he held. After all, he neither had the power nor the position to harm Mrs. Pulcheria.
However, he was always waiting for an opportunity—a chance to oppose Pulcheria and secure his own safety, ensuring a wealthy and comfortable old age.
The perfect person for all his ambitions was Franz. With the sudden death of the young Emperor Maximilian, the opportunity had come to the Grand Duke of Toskur.
From his perspective, Franz had a fair chance of success. Although, it was probably more wishful thinking than an objective assessment.
“Wouldn’t it be easier to just get rid of all the Elector Princes and take their place?”
His tone was gentle, but the content was ruthlessly cruel.
“Just like what happened to the Duke of Schwaben.”
It was an admission that they were involved in the Duke of Schwaben’s sudden death. Startled, Edward quickly glanced around.
Even though no one else was there, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Such was the impact of Franz’s words.
“Or…”
What could he possibly be thinking this time? Edward swallowed dryly.
“We let the vote happen. And then, when everyone gathers to cast their votes, we swoop in—”
He made a gesture of swinging a sword. Yet, the smile on his face was chilling.
“We kill them all. What do you think? Isn’t it a brilliant plan?”
