🔊 TTS Settings
~Chapter 43~
Leave the Rest to Me
The conflict between the Emperor and the Grand Empress was well-known, but it was usually kept secret. When the matter rose to the surface, the nobles were confused.
Conrad, watching the scene, recalled Regina’s words.
“It would be great if the Grand Empress gave up the financial rights right away, but it won’t be easy. If that happens, leave the rest to me.”
Her smiling face was so beautiful as she said she knew more about society matters, that he leaned in and kissed her cheek, satisfying a personal desire.
‘Hmph.’
It was as he expected, but he was annoyed. How much longer did he have to tolerate Chloe’s unreasonable demands?
Just then, as if reading Conrad’s mind, Count Ulysses continued speaking.
“The Grand Empress’s failures are already clear. How can we just pretend not to notice and move on?”
“How dare you speak such insulting words!”
“Did I say something wrong?”
Count Ulysses barely swallowed the anger boiling inside him.
His daughter also worked as a knight in the Imperial Palace. She was assigned to guard the Grand Empress’s own palace. When she returned to the count’s house after work, she always looked unwell, but he thought she was just tired. He was shocked to learn she was being ignored by mere servants and maids.
“If the Grand Empress had paid even a little attention, the knights would not have been in such a state. Will you stand by silently while our sons and daughters, who wield the sword for honor, suffer this way?”
At his sharp cry, the nobles who supported the Grand Empress fell silent. The eyes of the nobles whose children worked as knights in the palace slowly narrowed in anger.
Chloe, sensing their mood, almost bit her lip again but regained her composure.
She had already accepted that she would have to hand over the financial rights when a new Empress entered the palace, so she was prepared for it.
‘But not right now.’
The ledger manipulation was not finished yet, and she couldn’t immediately replace the money she had already stolen. If Conrad found out where the money had gone, there was a high chance of a much bigger problem. This was why Chloe had tried to delay the handover of the financial rights as much as possible.
“…Since the nobles wish it, I suppose there is no choice.”
Chloe, unable to withstand their pressure, finally spoke.
“I will return the financial rights once the Empress has completed all the necessary education.”
Of course, this was not a complete surrender.
It would take at least half a year to finish the training required to qualify as Empress. The Empress who finished the fastest in history took four months, so Regina would not be different.
Chloe gave a sweet smile and confirmed.
“This way, we can also uphold the law of the Imperial Family. I trust Count Ulysses has no complaints. What are your thoughts, Your Majesty the Emperor?”
At Chloe’s words, Conrad almost let out a cynical laugh.
He knew Regina would easily pass the Empress training, but it would certainly take more time to get the financial rights.
He clearly saw Chloe’s trick to drag things out, but there was no clever way around her mention of the Imperial Family’s law.
‘If I, the Emperor, skip that process, she will certainly find fault again.’
They would accuse him of being blind because of the Empress or say that the Emperor had changed since bringing in a new person, and they would criticize him.
‘If that happens, Regina won’t be able to properly hold power.’
If he stepped in, the problem would be solved easily, but Regina would not gain the respect of the nobles.
Realizing that this was the most important time for her, Conrad, as the Emperor, had no choice but to show more patience.
“Inform the Empress of the Grand Empress’s decision.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Conrad ordered the Head Servant of the Emperor’s palace, and the Head Servant immediately left the meeting room with his command.
“Grand Empress. Do not forget your promise. When the Empress completes all the training, the financial rights will be hers.”
“Of course.”
Chloe’s lips curled up slightly.
Regina smiled lightly when she heard the message from the Head Servant of the Emperor’s palace.
“It didn’t go against my expectations.”
Remutan, who was standing next to her, reviewing documents, opened his mouth with a worried expression.
“The education won’t be finished in just an hour or two, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“I know that.”
When she was studying the laws of the Fredericks Imperial Family, the first thing she checked was the required conditions for the prospective Empress: being from a noble family, not having a fiancé, and so on.
‘They are bringing up a law that is a dead letter.’
It was truly absurd, but she had to accept it.
If she argued with Chloe now and demanded the financial rights, Chloe’s reply would be obvious.
‘She would say I’m sitting on the Empress’s throne and don’t know my place. Or that I’m blinded by money.’
She could not let herself be called that, especially when someone else was actually obsessed with money. Regina was curious not only about the amount Chloe had embezzled but also where the money had gone. The amount was quite large—about 15% of the palace’s annual budget—to have been used only for Chloe’s relatives.
“Go and tell her. Say I will accept the training.”
“Yes, then…”
“However, since I cannot receive the training meant for before I sat on the Empress’s throne, tell her that I will only take an examination and fill in the lacking areas afterwards.”
“Understood.”
The Head Servant’s face brightened at Regina’s answer, and he immediately left the bedroom.
Regina, who had not left the Emperor’s palace for a while, decided it was time to move back to the Empress’s palace.
‘I need to go check the palace condition and gather the noble ladies.’
The Empress’s palace needed to become the center of society. Even though the Grand Empress’s palace filled that role now, since she wore the Empress’s crown, it was right for Chloe to give up the position.
“Remutan.”
“Yes, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“Go and check if the Empress’s palace is suitable for me to live in.”
“Understood.”
“What is the condition of the things the Grand Empress sent as a gift?”
“W-well…”
Remutan’s hesitation confirmed Regina’s suspicions.
‘I thought she would have put out some decent items since I had already kicked out some maids as an example, but are they still terrible?’
It was getting annoying how much Chloe kept testing her like this, as if she thought little of her.
Regina laughed lightly and added to Remutan.
“Go investigate the price of the items she sent.”
“Understood.”
“The Grand Empress promised to gift me furniture and curtains suitable for the Imperial Family’s dignity, so I must check the price first to make sure there are no problems this time.”
Remutan swallowed hard and asked again about Regina’s suggestion of checking the market price.
“If so, what should the price be about…”
“It must be the highest price, of course.”
Regina’s clear voice echoed through the bedroom.
“If the Empress of Fredericks is using it, shouldn’t it be the most precious item in the Empire?”
“That is absolutely correct.”
Even though the items were supposed to be bought within a given budget, if some of that budget was secretly flowing back to Chloe, Regina saw no reason to be forgiving.
‘Rather than letting her fill her own pocket, I might as well make good use of it myself.’
If she just asked her to send the things, Chloe might send expensive but not very elegant items. In that case, Regina could simply show the items to the nobles who visit the Empress’s palace and criticize Chloe’s taste. Either way, Chloe would eventually be forced to send proper items again.
“I’m really looking forward to it.”
After Remutan left, Regina murmured.
Regina clenched and unclenched her fist, then formed a small hand sign with her fingers. Magic flowed, and her earring glowed.
As if he had been waiting for the contact, Schyren answered right away.
[Did you call, Commander?]
“Schyren, thank you for your hard work. What happened to the magic tool I requested before?”
[I found a suitable one, but… it’s a bit awkward to wear on the body, so it needs to be fixed.]
“Awkward? What is it?”
Regina had made so many magic tools that she couldn’t remember all of them properly. She had a booklet recording them in the Permang Empire, but she didn’t have it now.
[It’s a men’s item, not a women’s.]
Schyren answered that the magic tool was made into a cravat.
