When Elector Castana came to visit the Crown Prince, he was in the process of fixing an important looking document.
“You’re here.”
The greeting was half-hearted as well. Matteo didn’t even make eye contact with his maternal grandfather, let alone stand up.
“Since my maternal grandfather is here, I should get up but I have a lot of work to do these days.”
“How could this old man want to see you when you’re so busy?”
Matteo looked at his maternal Grandfather with blue eyes. No good.
He wasn’t as calm on the inside as he seemed.
The Elector of Castana was an elderly great lord. He wasn’t an opponent that Matteo could fool easily.
But Matteo knew one person who could best respond in a situation like this.
‘If it’s Aunt Lily…’
How would she do it?
After thinking for a while, Matteo neatly covered the document he was looking at.
“…it’s awkward for both of us, but when I insisted on meeting the Marquis, there must have been a reason for that, right?”
Marquis Castana’s eyes, which were buried in wrinkles, flashed a different color. Matteo mixed an imitation of Lilian with a drop of Damian’s sarcasm that pissed people off.
“You should have taken it easy, and I shouldn’t have asked you to see me. Isn’t that right?”
“I don’t remember this maternal grandfather doing anything to make the Crown Prince say something like that.”
Such a cunning old man. Matteo inwardly clicked his tongue. Since the situation was unfavorable, he didn’t like the attitude of bringing up blood ties. However, if you think about it differently, he succeeded in pressuring the Elector of Castana.
“What have you done with mother’s alcohol?”
It wasn’t a question. It wasn’t even a confirmation. It was an inquiry with conviction.
“Prince, I…”
“No, I didn’t mean for you to make excuses, but if you have a valid reason, please tell me. The reason why, when the Empress of Rupenwein Empire already has a crown prince under her belt, she has to unknowingly consume a drink containing herbs that are powerful fertility boosters and delirium causing agents. I don’t know if there’s any compelling reason.”
Matteo waited for a while with the tone of ‘try it if you have one’. However, Elector Castana only twitched his lips and said nothing.
“…I guess I have to finish signing this complaint.”
“What do you want from me?”
Matteo replied as he unfolded the document he had covered.
“As you know, my mother is a weak person. She’s easy to wield, and she’s so weak and emotional that she’s far from moral and upright.”
“…”
“But that doesn’t mean Marquis is allowed to drive my mother into a state of delirium and manipulate her to your will.”
Perhaps the Elector of Castana rolled his head. Because Matteo was far out of his influence.
What if another heir was born instead of a prince who was mature enough to start his own family upon accession and had no special bond with his mother?
Claude would be willing to kill Matteo for his son.
“Such nonsense…”
“It’d be impossible to kill Uncle Damian, but it wouldn’t be impossible to kill me at the opportunity. It might not have been possible in the past, but it is now that the Great Feudal Lord Hemenlinna passed away.”
There was something strangely powerful about Matteo who spoke about his own death. Even the Elector of Castana was pushed out in terms of momentum and closed his mouth.
“If you kill Claude after that, the new heir will be left with an unstable mother.”
“…”
“If that’s the case, wielding power as a maternal relative won’t be just a dream.”
Even then, the other six Electors could not bring down the new emperor.
Because the Elector of Castana has one vote of the Elector Council.
That was the only and surest way for the Elector of Castana to obtain power comparable to that of an emperor.
“What do you think? In my opinion, the only way to stop future unreasonable ambitions is for me to file this complaint now.”
The Crown Prince was born as a child of Idoel and grew up under the care of Damian and the Great Feudal Lord Hemenlinna.
And he learned from watching Lilian.
If he did this, wouldn’t he become a person who could manage to become an emperor? Matteo was proud.
“…you asked me what I want, Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
Matteo responded with a laugh.
“Do I really need to hear it?”
The Elector of Castana felt defeated.
***
Shortly after, Aratine’s pregnancy was announced.
“My Empress conceived an heir. I would like to congratulate you on this auspicious occasion.”
Claude’s arrogant declaration had Rachel’s instigation.
“If it’s known that Her Majesty can produce a legitimate heir, even those without a position who are worried about the prince who is in an ambiguous position will try to act wisely.”
A woman who barely saw the Crown Prince even when Idoel was alive had a child of her own despite her late age.
This fact itself inspired Claude’s pride as a man.
Emotionally lifted, Claude took Rachel’s advice really well. It was thrilling to think that his own masculine fertility had given him a political advantage. He had no intention of judging this at all.
‘If only Aratine would give birth to a son!’
Only then will Claude completely surpass his older brother, Idoel.
He’d become more perfect than Idoel, whether as an emperor, as a husband, or as a father!
Claude dreamed of such a rosy future. But people didn’t react to this the way he wanted.
“You said the Empress had a child?”
“Oh my god… That’s….”
Most people who heard the news were puzzled and reluctant, even those who supported Claude rather than Matteo.
“We could have pretended not to know when the Empress was quietly living in seclusion, but this is a bit…”
“When that child is born, what kind of relationship will he and His Highness have?”
During the conversation, people had goosebumps and shook their shoulders several times.
“To be so shameless and even so proud…”
“Oh my God, to make us celebrate. How crazy is that?”
“What kind of face would he make if His Majesty the Sun Emperor saw?”
Aratine’s pregnancy did not bring any significant changes to the succession plan, but only brought about the result of reminding the people of the inappropriate relationship between the two people that they’ve been trying to forget.
Under such circumstances, the meeting of the Electors was held once again.
This meeting of the Electors was a plenary meeting, and not only the seven Electors, but also the main ministers of the palace, nobles above Marquis, and members of the royal family within the third rank in the succession line were designated as participants.
“I thought that if my older brother remained sane to some extent, he would somehow interfere with my attendance at this meeting…”
Of course, it’s not something that could be stopped just because he interfered. Damian was the second in line of succession after Matteo, the Count of Hemenlinna, the Grand Duke of Rupenwein, and the Imperator Leyengrad. He could be said to be the most well-deserved person attending this conference.
As Damian’s wife, Lilian, who was given the status of Imperatrix Leyengrad, also received a separate invitation to attend.
Still, there’s probably no hindrance…
“Madam Rachel perfectly blindfolded him.”
“Yes, but…”
Damian clicked his tongue, but said, “I know.”
He understood.
“I am confident that I would be perfectly fooled if my wife covered my eyes.”
Damian muttered that, of course, if someone else, not his wife, would make such a reckless attempt, not even a single seed would be eaten. Lilian burst out laughing.
“Is that what you would say in this situation….”
“Hng, but it’s true.”
It was Damian who didn’t miss an opportunity and acted cute.
Lilian lightly kissed her husband on the cheek as he rubbed against her countless times.
On the subject of serious lack of affection, Damian was terribly demanding and would not accept affection from anyone other than Lily.
The only person who could fill the void in Damian Rupenwein was Lilian. Lily knew that too well.
So she was trying her best to respond honestly to Damian’s demands for affection.
Damian looked into Lilian’s affectionate eyes and then confided.
“Sometimes I get anxious because I wonder if I’m bothering you too much.”
“Oh my, Your Highness.”
Damian said it like it was nothing. However, Lilian realized at once that this was a deep truth Damian confessed after long contemplation.
“Why do you think that?”
“Since I always ask for you, I wonder if you think of me as a nuisance at least once…”
It was half intentionally pretending to be pitiful, and half sincere.
“It’s not like that. I’m not naturally affectionate, so it just takes effort.”
Like Cedric, the members of the Islar family were people who expressed their affection through silent trust, unwavering support, and calm conversation. They didn’t have the habit of frequently expressing affection through small touches.
“How can I keep Your Highness from worrying? Please tell me.”
Damian expressed his true feelings at Lilian’s friendly tone.
“I want you to express yourself a little more.”
Express. It’s also a pleasure for Lily that Damian became the object of her affection so it wasn’t too difficult.
She only needed some effort since it’s out of her habit.
“I see, then…”
“For example, being late for today’s meeting because we’re like a newlywed couple.”
“…are you saying that thinking it will work?”
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