"The greetings have been made."
Medea raised Kensington with a light wave of her white hand.
The Princess, looking down on Kensington, exuded an unwavering majesty. It was enough to make one wonder for a moment whether the seat she was sitting in was not the Princess's reception room but her throne.
Her eyes were so clean and straight that they could almost be seen as arrogant. Her silver hair like moonlight and her beautiful facial features gave off a subtle nobility that only the royal family possessed.
"Sir, you returned safely."
But her slightly curved green eyes were filled with goodwill and joy toward Kensington.
Even the delicate facial features that still had a youthful air about them showed the fragility of a fawn.
"Yes, I hope you've been well."
Kensington smiled.
He knows how sharply the princess cuts the necks of her enemies, holding her peaceful appearance as a shield. But every time he sees the Princess, he feels a strange sense of pity.
Even Kensington, who has been through a lot as the head of an intelligence agency, sometimes gets swayed by her.
'I wonder how the enemies who will greet the lord in the future will be swayed.'
"Once Valdina finishes the Imperial Proclamation Ceremony, the continent's various countries will begin to exert full-scale restraint."
Kensington continued.
"Among them, Katzen and their supporter will be the worst. Katzen will be especially worse. They will no longer even show the courtesy they used to show as a brother nation."
Kensington was once a high-ranking nobleman in Katzen and a confidant of Perdiccas II, so he knew better than anyone how petty the Empire could become.
The Princess nodded as if in agreement.
"We still have a bit of a hard time standing up to Katzen on equal terms.".
"But at the same time, only Valdina has developed to the point of living on the border of Katzen. Now there will be two empires on the continent."
On the one hand, he was deeply moved.
A small country on the outskirts of the continent that had been neglected has developed rapidly and has now risen to the ranks of an empire that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Katzen.
Kensington imagined how distressing this news must have been to his former master, the Emperor of Katzen.
'I guess there's no more furniture left in the office.'
Perhaps, unable to contain his anger, Perdiccas II tried to cut out several hearts with his golden staff.
When he imagined that sight, an uncontrollable joy welled up from the depths of his heart.
He thought he had left everything behind when he left Katzen, but it seems Kensington is just an ordinary person who cannot let go of a small favor.
"The Emperor is looking for a delegation to send to the proclamation ceremony. Originally, he wanted to send the Third Prince, the son of Empress Dowager, but the First Prince used his veto power in the Senate to block the dispatch of the delegation."
"..."
Medea listened quietly to Kensington's report.
There have been some very big changes in the Katzen Imperial Family in the meantime.
Three years ago, Prince Cesare, who had been given a terminal diagnosis, miraculously came back to life.
And then the whole situation changed.
The first Prince, who was resurrected from the dead, returned safely as if all the suspicions and rumors surrounding him up until now were false.
Just like in his prime, he would cut off the enemy's necks and chill the livers of his allies.
And he pointed his sword at his enemies who had been waiting for his death.
Those who ridiculed the First Prince's illness and persecuted the First Prince faction all paid the price.
His father, Perdiccas II, who cut off his son's hands and feet and tried to swallow up his power before his son could even breathe, was no exception.
First, all of the 'observers' based on who supported the Emperor were killed under suspicious circumstances. It was as if they were paying the price for coveting something they shouldn't have.
It was a disaster that occurred shortly after the first Prince returned.
"Cesare! It is his doing! He is taking revenge on me for coveting his lands. Romagna and Alfannon! That wicked man is challenging his father!"
The Emperor was furious, but there was no evidence.
The Senate also sided with Cesare, although it was unclear whether this was due to their antipathy toward the increasingly mad Emperor or their fear of the first Prince.
Everyone was suspicious. Could it be that the First Prince was behind the assassination of the observers who had suddenly been struck by misfortune?
Because he had a track record of cruelly and cleverly eliminating his opponents.
But no one could point him out as the culprit. Cesare's sword had no hesitation, and not many brave souls dared open their mouths in front of a fallen corn tree.
The behavior of his subjects, who feared his son, the First Prince, more than Perdiccas II, was a disgrace to the Emperor's reputation.
"Cesare! Have you forgotten that I have not yet chosen a successor?"
The Emperor tried to use the vacant position of the Crown Prince as an excuse to suppress the First Prince as before.
"That's not possible. If Your Majesty cannot choose, I will narrow down your choices."
However, the first Prince also made fun of his brothers as if he was mocking his father.
Starting with the 4th Princess, the 6th Princess, the 7th Prince, and the 8th Prince all fell in succession.
In the end, only the Third Prince remained. Even he was barely saved by the help of his mother, Empress Dowager.
"How is it, Father? Is your choice easier now?"
After he got up from his sickbed, the Emperor began to be truly wary of his eldest son, who had even thrown away nominal obedience.
From then on, the relationship between the rich and the poor gradually deteriorated towards ruin.
Perdiccas II now treated the First Prince not as his son, but as a traitor seeking his throne.
The first Prince also showed off his power by blocking his father's every move.
The same was true of this Valdina Empire proclamation ceremony.
"The Emperor will send a high-ranking official who can cause trouble at the Valdina proclamation ceremony and return without any problems.
The fight between the Katzen family, with neither side giving an inch of support, was still ongoing.
"However, the First Prince faction will not stay still, so they will send someone who can suppress the Emperor's greetings. As of now, I have been told that Marquis Renier is the most likely candidate."
Marquis Renier was a key figure who could be said to be the center of the First Prince's faction.
Kensington let out a small sigh of relief.
"Then, even if the Emperor's people cause trouble, it can be stopped."
Marquis Renier is the father of the late Empress and one of the three great retainers of the empire belonging to the First Prince faction.
The fact that a person who rarely moves his body came all the way to Valdina clearly means that he was under the First Prince's orders.
"Anyway, it's a good thing for us. The more the First Prince opposes the Emperor, the more it will benefit Valdina."
"..."
"However, I don't know why the First Prince is so friendly to Valdina, so it's hard to like him."
Kensington frowned as if something was bothering him.
"The last time we were clearing out the pirates around the strait, the First Prince gave us weapons through the Facade. When we were trading Mithril, we were able to avoid Katzen's eyes through the First Prince's greeting."
"..."
"They are the royal family of Katzen, but they give us supplies without holding back as if we were on the same side."
"What do you mean, side? It's just that our interests coincide."
Medea shrugged, but Kensington still looked like he needed an answer.
'Conflict of interest... Your Highness, the First Prince is not the type to show such petty kindness.'
As a nobleman of Katzen, he has personally seen and experienced the First Prince.
'A person who seems to have blue blood flowing through his body.'
Wasn't he a cruel and cold-blooded man who cut down even those who raised and supported him without hesitation?
Kensington was concerned about why such a person would show such kindness to a rival country, and especially to Valdina, who was coming up behind Katzen's chin.
"My lord, you must be very careful. The first Prince is not a leopard. If you let your guard down, he will bite your neck."
Medea just smiled faintly.
Kensington doesn't know that three years ago, Medea's dawn's goblet saved the life of the first Prince who was terminally ill.
The gentle perks he's offering now are the price of that indulgence.
Just as Medea had hoped, the first Prince was like a whirlwind, shaking up the Katzen royal family as he pleased. No matter how much Jason struggled, he could not regain his former position.
Even the Emperor was so preoccupied with fighting with his son for three years that he couldn't even pay attention to Valdina for a moment.
And that was all Medea had hoped for from the beginning.
"Yes, it is a relationship with a clear ending. Sir, I am aware of it too, so don't worry."
Medea did not forget. Valdina was a rising power that fiercely threatened Kazen, and the first Prince was clearly a member of the Katzen royal family.
After all, this friendly relationship will only last for a short while.
At that moment, urgent footsteps were heard. Then, the door opened with a bang and Neril appeared.
"Your Highness, His Majesty has returned!"
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