Of course, even if Atelgadis had shown his fatherly love and said a few words to Tenek, Tenek would not have taken it at face value.
In that respect, the two were unnecessarily well-matched.
Atelgadis, who was as cunning as an old rat, and Tenek, who was like a vicious raccoon.
They were both skilled at exploiting the subtle gaps that others would often overlook, ruining houses and fields, and leaving terrible teeth marks.
The front of Tenek’s gown was half-open, revealing his pale upper body.
Atelgadis glanced at him as he waited for his answer.
“Of the three of them, Aiman is the dullest.”
“I guess so.”
“Tie him a tail. Find out exactly what he’s doing.”
Yes, Atelgadis bowed and glanced at Tenek’s face again.
“Then what shall we do with Thelma and Merton, Your Majesty?”
“I will watch them myself. I will keep Merton close by in particular. Thelma and Merton, they have been Erdene’s advisers since long ago, but Thelma is reckless, but Merton is not. He looks like a bear, but he thinks like an old fox.”
Tenek scratched his exposed thigh with his fingertips and shouted in a hoarse voice.
“Is anyone there?”
Tenek said as the servant approached.
“Go and summon Captain Thelma and Merton to the palace. Tell them I am summoning them, and tell them that I will not let them off easy if they delay.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
The servant could not convey his words verbatim... Thelma could cut off Merton’s head, if not... but the Emperor’s will would be conveyed.
Tenek smirked, pulling the ankle of his mistress who was sitting with a sullen expression.
The Emperor's seat, the Emperor's crown.
With this, no one could oppose him.
What would have happened if Erdene had taken all this glory? He would have probably died young with his clothes turned inside out.
But now he didn't have to worry about that.
The golden castle of Hirschsten was his.
Leaving Tenek behind to start a squabble with his mistress, Atelgadis ran into her daughter, the Empress of the empire, Roelica in the hallway.
Roelica, who had been walking with her head held high, accompanied by only one trusted maid, didn't even glance at him, even though she knew that her father was approaching her from the other side.
"Your Majesty."
Roelica, who had pretended not to see Atelgadis, stopped walking.
When she turned her head, her face crumpled as if she had seen a disgusting bug, Atelgadis openly scolded her.
“Stop being so stupid. How long are you going to walk around the Golden Castle with that worm-bitten face? Even though you’re currently the Empress, do you think that’ll last forever?”
Roelica didn’t say anything, but placed her hand on her swollen belly and looked at her father.
Watching his bloated body rise and fall with his rasping breaths over the past few months made her feel nauseous.
When she had forced herself to sleep with Tenek, seeing his pale skin against her body was just as disgusting as seeing her father’s face.
Atelgadis said,
“I wouldn’t mind clinging to His Majesty, but tsk tsk...”
Roelica frowned and her brows furrowed.
However, Atelgadis’s attitude did not change.
Even the obvious fact that he was meeting the Empress of the empire before being his daughter was something he didn’t know.
“What can you do if you glare at your father like that? Just wait until the child in your womb is a useless girl. Then I will personally drive you out with my own hands and put Obilica on the throne of the Empress to see my son.”
Obilica was one of her cousins who was currently in Tenek’s government.
Unlike Roelica, who was quiet, reserved, and disliked socializing, Obilica invited young nobles every day and threw loud parties.
In Obilica’s living room and reception room, there were always competitions over who could laugh at Roelica more fiercely and who could pour more dirty filth on her name.
Roelica knew all about this, but she never showed up there.
Of course, she never called Obilica aside to scold or warn her.
“If you thought you could live like a noble island in this golden castle, you were very mistaken.”
As Atelgadis spoke, driving a wedge in, Roelica, whose lips had been tightly shut and trembling, finally opened her mouth and retorted.
“Since when has the imperial throne gone only to men? Even if this child is a daughter, it doesn’t matter. If she has the same spirit as Princess Erdene, she will surely inherit the throne.”
In that respect, the two were unnecessarily well-matched.
Atelgadis, who was as cunning as an old rat, and Tenek, who was like a vicious raccoon.
They were both skilled at exploiting the subtle gaps that others would often overlook, ruining houses and fields, and leaving terrible teeth marks.
The front of Tenek’s gown was half-open, revealing his pale upper body.
Atelgadis glanced at him as he waited for his answer.
“Of the three of them, Aiman is the dullest.”
“I guess so.”
“Tie him a tail. Find out exactly what he’s doing.”
Yes, Atelgadis bowed and glanced at Tenek’s face again.
“Then what shall we do with Thelma and Merton, Your Majesty?”
“I will watch them myself. I will keep Merton close by in particular. Thelma and Merton, they have been Erdene’s advisers since long ago, but Thelma is reckless, but Merton is not. He looks like a bear, but he thinks like an old fox.”
Tenek scratched his exposed thigh with his fingertips and shouted in a hoarse voice.
“Is anyone there?”
Tenek said as the servant approached.
“Go and summon Captain Thelma and Merton to the palace. Tell them I am summoning them, and tell them that I will not let them off easy if they delay.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
The servant could not convey his words verbatim... Thelma could cut off Merton’s head, if not... but the Emperor’s will would be conveyed.
Tenek smirked, pulling the ankle of his mistress who was sitting with a sullen expression.
The Emperor's seat, the Emperor's crown.
With this, no one could oppose him.
What would have happened if Erdene had taken all this glory? He would have probably died young with his clothes turned inside out.
But now he didn't have to worry about that.
The golden castle of Hirschsten was his.
Leaving Tenek behind to start a squabble with his mistress, Atelgadis ran into her daughter, the Empress of the empire, Roelica in the hallway.
Roelica, who had been walking with her head held high, accompanied by only one trusted maid, didn't even glance at him, even though she knew that her father was approaching her from the other side.
"Your Majesty."
Roelica, who had pretended not to see Atelgadis, stopped walking.
When she turned her head, her face crumpled as if she had seen a disgusting bug, Atelgadis openly scolded her.
“Stop being so stupid. How long are you going to walk around the Golden Castle with that worm-bitten face? Even though you’re currently the Empress, do you think that’ll last forever?”
Roelica didn’t say anything, but placed her hand on her swollen belly and looked at her father.
Watching his bloated body rise and fall with his rasping breaths over the past few months made her feel nauseous.
When she had forced herself to sleep with Tenek, seeing his pale skin against her body was just as disgusting as seeing her father’s face.
Atelgadis said,
“I wouldn’t mind clinging to His Majesty, but tsk tsk...”
Roelica frowned and her brows furrowed.
However, Atelgadis’s attitude did not change.
Even the obvious fact that he was meeting the Empress of the empire before being his daughter was something he didn’t know.
“What can you do if you glare at your father like that? Just wait until the child in your womb is a useless girl. Then I will personally drive you out with my own hands and put Obilica on the throne of the Empress to see my son.”
Obilica was one of her cousins who was currently in Tenek’s government.
Unlike Roelica, who was quiet, reserved, and disliked socializing, Obilica invited young nobles every day and threw loud parties.
In Obilica’s living room and reception room, there were always competitions over who could laugh at Roelica more fiercely and who could pour more dirty filth on her name.
Roelica knew all about this, but she never showed up there.
Of course, she never called Obilica aside to scold or warn her.
“If you thought you could live like a noble island in this golden castle, you were very mistaken.”
As Atelgadis spoke, driving a wedge in, Roelica, whose lips had been tightly shut and trembling, finally opened her mouth and retorted.
“Since when has the imperial throne gone only to men? Even if this child is a daughter, it doesn’t matter. If she has the same spirit as Princess Erdene, she will surely inherit the throne.”
Atelgadis laughed loudly enough to rattle the hallway, retorting.
“When did we talk about Princess Erdene? Haven’t you heard that she was banished by His Majesty and treated like an old woman in the back room among the inland children?”
Roelica’s lips closed again. As if she had been insulted, her cheeks turned pale and a sickly blush appeared.
“Anyway, you seem stupid... You’re just messing around with a piece of trash and making your father suffer. I don’t know how you came to be such an idiot.”
Atelgadis snorted, tugged at the collar of her silk shirt that was flowing with luster, and left as if he were abandoning Roelica.
As the heavy, thumping footsteps faded away down the hallway, Roelica tightly shut her eyes.
Her head was spinning, and her feet felt like they were floating off the floor, making it hard to keep her balance.
“Your Majesty.”
The maid standing next to her quickly supported her. Roelica bit her pale lips and pushed her hand away.
“It’s okay.”
“Your Majesty, wouldn’t it be better to think seriously about what Director Merton said? If we continue like this..."
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Roelica cut off the maid’s worried words and straightened her disheveled jewelry and dress.
Then she slowly walked away. As if nothing had happened. Her gestures were indifferent as if she hadn’t seen or heard anything.
The eyes that stared straight ahead without moving at all flashed fiercely for a moment, but no one saw it.
Viscount Kellerhan, who had been promoted from a low-ranking official in the Privy Council to the position of Royal Recorder, began his duties as the Recorder the next day.
The archivists were very flustered because the previous director had been dismissed and the personnel had been assigned in a hurry, but the young Viscount Kellerhan seemed to know exactly what he had to do.
He started by carefully checking the existing records again to make sure there were no errors, omissions, or incorrect entries.
Most of the archivists were older than Viscount Kellerhan and had worked as officials for a long time, but they followed his instructions without question.
Above all, unlike the original Recorder, Viscount Kellerhan was not an easygoing person.
Knowing that he was not someone who would just let things slide, he avoided getting caught from the start.
“His Majesty has arrived.”
As the archivist’s attendant spoke, Viscount Kellerhan stood up from his seat. Arkan, accompanied by Plat, approached him, avoiding the piled-up documents here and there.
“Are you here, Your Majesty?”
“I have something to say to you. I would appreciate it if you could leave your seat for a moment.”
Viscount Kellerhan said.
“I must speak to Your Majesty, so please leave your seat for a moment.”
“When did we talk about Princess Erdene? Haven’t you heard that she was banished by His Majesty and treated like an old woman in the back room among the inland children?”
Roelica’s lips closed again. As if she had been insulted, her cheeks turned pale and a sickly blush appeared.
“Anyway, you seem stupid... You’re just messing around with a piece of trash and making your father suffer. I don’t know how you came to be such an idiot.”
Atelgadis snorted, tugged at the collar of her silk shirt that was flowing with luster, and left as if he were abandoning Roelica.
As the heavy, thumping footsteps faded away down the hallway, Roelica tightly shut her eyes.
Her head was spinning, and her feet felt like they were floating off the floor, making it hard to keep her balance.
“Your Majesty.”
The maid standing next to her quickly supported her. Roelica bit her pale lips and pushed her hand away.
“It’s okay.”
“Your Majesty, wouldn’t it be better to think seriously about what Director Merton said? If we continue like this..."
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
Roelica cut off the maid’s worried words and straightened her disheveled jewelry and dress.
Then she slowly walked away. As if nothing had happened. Her gestures were indifferent as if she hadn’t seen or heard anything.
The eyes that stared straight ahead without moving at all flashed fiercely for a moment, but no one saw it.
***
Viscount Kellerhan, who had been promoted from a low-ranking official in the Privy Council to the position of Royal Recorder, began his duties as the Recorder the next day.
The archivists were very flustered because the previous director had been dismissed and the personnel had been assigned in a hurry, but the young Viscount Kellerhan seemed to know exactly what he had to do.
He started by carefully checking the existing records again to make sure there were no errors, omissions, or incorrect entries.
Most of the archivists were older than Viscount Kellerhan and had worked as officials for a long time, but they followed his instructions without question.
Above all, unlike the original Recorder, Viscount Kellerhan was not an easygoing person.
Knowing that he was not someone who would just let things slide, he avoided getting caught from the start.
“His Majesty has arrived.”
As the archivist’s attendant spoke, Viscount Kellerhan stood up from his seat. Arkan, accompanied by Plat, approached him, avoiding the piled-up documents here and there.
“Are you here, Your Majesty?”
“I have something to say to you. I would appreciate it if you could leave your seat for a moment.”
Viscount Kellerhan said.
“I must speak to Your Majesty, so please leave your seat for a moment.”
The archivists took the documents they were looking at and disappeared somewhere else. Arkan smiled as he watched the archivists moving in unison.
“It seems like you are doing well for the first day.”
“It is a duty given by Your Majesty, so I cannot be careless.”
Arkan let out a short sigh and nodded.
As if that was a signal, Plat, who was standing behind him, also left his seat.
When Viscount Kellerhan and Arkan were finally left alone, Arkan opened his mouth with a somewhat troubled expression.
“Viscount, do you understand why I have put you here?”
Viscount Kellerhan tilted his head for a moment, and a strange smile appeared on his young-looking face.
“That’s right. I wondered about that too.”
Arkan stared blankly at the Viscount. He continued.
“I have never... sided with Your Majesty.”
Arkan burst into laughter and shook his head.
“That’s right. The reason I put you in this position was because I knew you were very stubborn.”
Viscount Kellerhan habitually rubbed his bare nose and answered.
“I am a bit stubborn. Ever since I was little, the elders of my family have always clicked their tongues at the sight of me. If I continue to live like that, I will be stabbed in the back someday. However, thanks to Your Majesty putting me in this position, I have the excuse to shut their mouths.”
Arkan’s eyebrows slightly rose.
He looked as if he didn't know whether to laugh or scold him for being frivolous, but he chose neither.
Then he said,
"Of course, I won't tell you to keep only favorable records about the Queen. If that were necessary, I wouldn't have appointed you as the archivist."
“It seems like you are doing well for the first day.”
“It is a duty given by Your Majesty, so I cannot be careless.”
Arkan let out a short sigh and nodded.
As if that was a signal, Plat, who was standing behind him, also left his seat.
When Viscount Kellerhan and Arkan were finally left alone, Arkan opened his mouth with a somewhat troubled expression.
“Viscount, do you understand why I have put you here?”
Viscount Kellerhan tilted his head for a moment, and a strange smile appeared on his young-looking face.
“That’s right. I wondered about that too.”
Arkan stared blankly at the Viscount. He continued.
“I have never... sided with Your Majesty.”
Arkan burst into laughter and shook his head.
“That’s right. The reason I put you in this position was because I knew you were very stubborn.”
Viscount Kellerhan habitually rubbed his bare nose and answered.
“I am a bit stubborn. Ever since I was little, the elders of my family have always clicked their tongues at the sight of me. If I continue to live like that, I will be stabbed in the back someday. However, thanks to Your Majesty putting me in this position, I have the excuse to shut their mouths.”
Arkan’s eyebrows slightly rose.
He looked as if he didn't know whether to laugh or scold him for being frivolous, but he chose neither.
Then he said,
"Of course, I won't tell you to keep only favorable records about the Queen. If that were necessary, I wouldn't have appointed you as the archivist."
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