The Duke of Russell's feet, which had paused in front of the main palace, began to move again. This was because he had discovered an unexpected person.
“It’s been a while, Count Clark.”
The person he pretended to know was rather unexpected: Margrave Clarke. Margrave Clarke, who rarely attended the noble council because he had to guard the border, was almost the opposite of the Duke of Russell. As a subject, he always lowered himself below the Emperor.
“It’s been a while, Duke.”
Count Clarke returned the greeting, adjusting his attire. Perhaps aware that he would soon become the Emperor's father-in-law, he seemed more careful than usual, wearing only what he had.
“It must have been rewarding to raise your daughter as a single father.”
“I’m living my life.”
But he was still cold to the Duke of Russell. As if he didn't want to talk any more, Margrave Clarke gave a short bow and began walking ahead of the Duke of Russell.
“What a boring person. Still the same.”
Viscount Brown, who had been waiting for the Duke of Russell to arrive, had moved close to him and was whispering. Normally, the Duke of Russell would have shown some displeasure, but he did not want to do so now.
“Many ears are listening, so be careful what you say.”
His true intentions were, in fact, quite obvious.
“I was foolish.”
Even if that daughter becomes Empress tomorrow, how long will she live?
It wasn't just the Duke of Russell who was talking. Viscount Brown also understood the Duke of Russell's meaning and laughed.
“Just listen.”
The Duke of Russell strode forward. The nobles who had come to the meeting were seated along a long table. The Duke of Russell naturally passed them and headed for the highest table. As a noble among nobles, he had the right to do so.
“...”
The soon-to-be Emperor's father-in-law, Count Clark, was standing opposite him. The Duke of Russell smiled at his face, which seemed subtly unpleasant. Perhaps he realized that it was a mockery pretending to be a good-natured smile, and Count Clark's eyebrows were furrowed.
“I'm late.”
At that moment, the door to the conference room opened and Ivan entered. The man’s face, with his back to the pouring light, was as innocent as ever. The nobles, including the Duke of Russell, stood up and saluted the Emperor.
“See the sun at Escliffe.”
He was the main character and the last to appear, but he pretended to be late. As always, he hid his true feelings well.
“It seems like it’s been almost half a year since we last met.”
Everyone nodded to Ivan's words. The nobles' council was held only two or three times a year at most. They were like Kings in their own territories. Unless they were from a family close to the imperial family, they would not have been willing to come to the Emperor and bow down to him.
In addition, there were never any cases where the opinions of the Emperor and the meeting were immediately agreed upon. The imperial family was trying to suppress the power of the great nobles, and the great nobles were trying to suppress the imperial family, so the conflict was severe. Naturally, they could not return to their respective territories for at least two days from the day the meeting was held.
“It’s been a long time, Count Clark.”
Count Clark nodded curtly at Ivan's knowing. His face was devoid of a smile, but he seemed to be wary of Ivan. Perhaps it was because he was soon to become his son-in-law.
“I don’t want to waste your time, so let’s get straight to the point. Who is the first person to make the motion?”
At Ivan's words, Rodan raised his hand and stood up from his seat. Everyone paid attention to Rodan's mouth, as no one knew that Rodan was Ivan's confidant. Every word he uttered would be closely related to Ivan's intentions.
“We need to increase the number of members of the Imperial Knights. Originally, only His Majesty the Emperor was present, but now there are distinguished guests staying here. Furthermore, after His Majesty holds his Holy Wedding, the number of members of the Imperial Family will increase, but with the current number of members, it will only be a burden to the existing knights.”
The Imperial Knights were divided into three divisions, with an absolute number of members: the 1st Division, which consisted of hereditary nobles; the 2nd Division, which was a collateral branch without a title but was in charge of protecting the Imperial Family and was given the rank of knight; and the 3rd Division, which included the Imperial Palace guards.
The argument was that not just anyone could be placed by the Emperor's side, but in reality, this was a way to prevent the Imperial power from growing any further. This was because the size of the nobles belonging to the Imperial Knights' Order increased, which meant the expansion of the Emperor's power.
“In addition, judging from the events that have occurred in various places recently, the current personnel are not enough to protect the security inside and outside the Imperial City in the event of an emergency. Therefore, we need to increase and deploy additional personnel to the outer city and to work closely with the capital city guards in the event of a problem. To do so, reinforcements are essential.”
Perhaps because he knew that, Rodan even brought Amelia and Ian into the effort to reduce opposition. The Duke of Russell stroked his beard and laughed silently at the sight of the clear-cut number.
“The second is the establishment of the Imperial Academy. Unlike the humanities, Escliffe is somewhat lacking in science, technology, and geography. To advance technology, we must establish the Imperial Academy and cultivate talent.”
Rodan, who had spoken thus far, straightened his back and lifted his chin. His cocky posture seemed to remind him of whose words he was speaking for.
“But who will bear the cost? Where will the new knights’ estates come from?”
The Duke of Russell raised his hand and expressed his opinion. The knights, except for the third division, which consisted of commoners, should receive land. But there was no land left for them unless they were given land by noble families, and the lands were torn apart and divided. And no one wanted their land taken away.
“...”
He spoke to Rodan, but his eyes were fixed on Ivan, who was leaning back in his chair. It was a clear expression of opposition.
“Your Majesty, the Duke of Russell has requested an audience.”
It was just as they had finished their meal and returned. Ivan thought of the Duke of Russell's sullen face as he had opposed the motion Rodan had raised, and for a moment, he held back his answer.
"Your Majesty."
Then Rodan urged Ivan to answer.
“Tell them to listen.”
Ivan couldn't keep pretending not to know, even though he had been staring at her face all the way until dinner.
“Enough with the greetings.”
Just as the Duke of Russell was about to bow to Ivan, Ivan coldly cut him off, as if he had had enough of forced courtesy.
“What’s going on?”
At Ivan's question, the Duke of Russell raised his half-bowed head.
“Because it seems like there is a story that hasn’t ended yet.”
If they had anything to talk about today, it was a meeting where they only expressed their disagreement with each other's opinions and ended without achieving anything.
“Does your strong opposition mean that this is not all you have expressed?”
Ivan asked sarcastically. In fact, he had not thought that the agenda Rodan had proposed at today’s meeting would face difficulties, as he had first leaked the story to Amelia and asked her to persuade him.
"Yes."
The Duke of Russell answered meekly in the affirmative. Ivan frowned quietly.
“Speak.”
At Ivan's command, the Duke of Russell's gaze turned to Rodan, who was guarding Ivan's side.
“Is Lord Rodan someone whom Your Majesty can trust?”
He was going to tell a huge secret, so if Rodan wasn't someone he could trust, he should just ignore him. Ivan and Rodan's faces simultaneously showed irritation.
“Rodan is trustworthy, so you can speak in his presence.”
Ivan clearly named Rodan's position. A slight sense of relief appeared on Rodan's face. Duke Russell looked at him with a mocking look before turning his gaze to Ivan.
“I heard a shocking story from the High Priest. An apprentice priest named Ricky went astray and was dismissed, but the apprentice priest who had been visiting the temple until recently was not the real Ricky.”
Ivan stared at the Duke of Russell with a calm face. It was difficult to find any sign of agitation in his appearance. The only sign of agitation was the brief flash of agitation in Rodan's blue eyes.
“And what he did was nothing other than harassing a Priestess.”
The Duke of Russell spoke emphatically, as if there were no such tragedy in the world.
“Do I have to know every single dirty thing that happened in the temple?”
Naturally, there was a note of displeasure in Ivan's voice. Of course, he would have been displeased with whatever the Duke of Russell had said, but his voice seemed to be asking, "What do you want me to do about it?"
“So I earnestly requested the Priestess to tell me the culprit so that I could find the real sinner and punish him...”
But the Duke of Russell continued to speak without wavering. He seemed not to be listening to Ivan at all.
“She said, ‘The culprit is Your Majesty the Emperor.’”
The Duke of Russell, who had run his hand over his dry face, spoke in a grave voice as if he had been greatly shocked.
“How, how is that possible? How many times have I asked...”
“...”
“She told me that His Majesty was angry and asked why she was trying to threaten him without any evidence.”
Of course, it was amazing acting.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Ivan calmly denied it, as if he had heard something strange.
“I wondered why an oracle suddenly came down telling me to make a child who was no different from an orphan on the streets the Crown Prince.”
“...”
“There was a reason for everything.”
Of course, the Duke of Russell pretended not to hear that either. Ivan now looked genuinely annoyed.
“Are you even trying to abandon your own children?”
“If that nonsense is true, then the Priestess has already lost her virginity and can no longer exist as a priestess. That oracle is a fake.”
Ivan grumbled, one corner of his mouth raised.
“How about we just give up acting for now?”
“I wonder.”
A relaxed smile appeared on the Duke of Russell's lips. He did not ask how he could say such a thing or evade his question. In the first place, he had not brought this matter to the surface to pretend not to know.
“There is nothing to gain from either.”
Anyway, Ivan knows that Amelia's oracle was fake. And the Duke of Russell knew that Ivan was Ian's biological father.
Both facts could have caused a great stir in the world. But the two secrets were so closely related that the moment one revealed the truth, the other would also be destroyed. That was why they could not reveal the truth.
“I would like to make a deal.”
But then, why don't we just exchange our secrets? We're about to end up together anyway.
“It’s been a while, Count Clark.”
The person he pretended to know was rather unexpected: Margrave Clarke. Margrave Clarke, who rarely attended the noble council because he had to guard the border, was almost the opposite of the Duke of Russell. As a subject, he always lowered himself below the Emperor.
“It’s been a while, Duke.”
Count Clarke returned the greeting, adjusting his attire. Perhaps aware that he would soon become the Emperor's father-in-law, he seemed more careful than usual, wearing only what he had.
“It must have been rewarding to raise your daughter as a single father.”
“I’m living my life.”
But he was still cold to the Duke of Russell. As if he didn't want to talk any more, Margrave Clarke gave a short bow and began walking ahead of the Duke of Russell.
“What a boring person. Still the same.”
Viscount Brown, who had been waiting for the Duke of Russell to arrive, had moved close to him and was whispering. Normally, the Duke of Russell would have shown some displeasure, but he did not want to do so now.
“Many ears are listening, so be careful what you say.”
His true intentions were, in fact, quite obvious.
“I was foolish.”
Even if that daughter becomes Empress tomorrow, how long will she live?
It wasn't just the Duke of Russell who was talking. Viscount Brown also understood the Duke of Russell's meaning and laughed.
“Just listen.”
The Duke of Russell strode forward. The nobles who had come to the meeting were seated along a long table. The Duke of Russell naturally passed them and headed for the highest table. As a noble among nobles, he had the right to do so.
“...”
The soon-to-be Emperor's father-in-law, Count Clark, was standing opposite him. The Duke of Russell smiled at his face, which seemed subtly unpleasant. Perhaps he realized that it was a mockery pretending to be a good-natured smile, and Count Clark's eyebrows were furrowed.
“I'm late.”
At that moment, the door to the conference room opened and Ivan entered. The man’s face, with his back to the pouring light, was as innocent as ever. The nobles, including the Duke of Russell, stood up and saluted the Emperor.
“See the sun at Escliffe.”
He was the main character and the last to appear, but he pretended to be late. As always, he hid his true feelings well.
“It seems like it’s been almost half a year since we last met.”
Everyone nodded to Ivan's words. The nobles' council was held only two or three times a year at most. They were like Kings in their own territories. Unless they were from a family close to the imperial family, they would not have been willing to come to the Emperor and bow down to him.
In addition, there were never any cases where the opinions of the Emperor and the meeting were immediately agreed upon. The imperial family was trying to suppress the power of the great nobles, and the great nobles were trying to suppress the imperial family, so the conflict was severe. Naturally, they could not return to their respective territories for at least two days from the day the meeting was held.
“It’s been a long time, Count Clark.”
Count Clark nodded curtly at Ivan's knowing. His face was devoid of a smile, but he seemed to be wary of Ivan. Perhaps it was because he was soon to become his son-in-law.
“I don’t want to waste your time, so let’s get straight to the point. Who is the first person to make the motion?”
At Ivan's words, Rodan raised his hand and stood up from his seat. Everyone paid attention to Rodan's mouth, as no one knew that Rodan was Ivan's confidant. Every word he uttered would be closely related to Ivan's intentions.
“We need to increase the number of members of the Imperial Knights. Originally, only His Majesty the Emperor was present, but now there are distinguished guests staying here. Furthermore, after His Majesty holds his Holy Wedding, the number of members of the Imperial Family will increase, but with the current number of members, it will only be a burden to the existing knights.”
The Imperial Knights were divided into three divisions, with an absolute number of members: the 1st Division, which consisted of hereditary nobles; the 2nd Division, which was a collateral branch without a title but was in charge of protecting the Imperial Family and was given the rank of knight; and the 3rd Division, which included the Imperial Palace guards.
The argument was that not just anyone could be placed by the Emperor's side, but in reality, this was a way to prevent the Imperial power from growing any further. This was because the size of the nobles belonging to the Imperial Knights' Order increased, which meant the expansion of the Emperor's power.
“In addition, judging from the events that have occurred in various places recently, the current personnel are not enough to protect the security inside and outside the Imperial City in the event of an emergency. Therefore, we need to increase and deploy additional personnel to the outer city and to work closely with the capital city guards in the event of a problem. To do so, reinforcements are essential.”
Perhaps because he knew that, Rodan even brought Amelia and Ian into the effort to reduce opposition. The Duke of Russell stroked his beard and laughed silently at the sight of the clear-cut number.
“The second is the establishment of the Imperial Academy. Unlike the humanities, Escliffe is somewhat lacking in science, technology, and geography. To advance technology, we must establish the Imperial Academy and cultivate talent.”
Rodan, who had spoken thus far, straightened his back and lifted his chin. His cocky posture seemed to remind him of whose words he was speaking for.
“But who will bear the cost? Where will the new knights’ estates come from?”
The Duke of Russell raised his hand and expressed his opinion. The knights, except for the third division, which consisted of commoners, should receive land. But there was no land left for them unless they were given land by noble families, and the lands were torn apart and divided. And no one wanted their land taken away.
“...”
He spoke to Rodan, but his eyes were fixed on Ivan, who was leaning back in his chair. It was a clear expression of opposition.
***
“Your Majesty, the Duke of Russell has requested an audience.”
It was just as they had finished their meal and returned. Ivan thought of the Duke of Russell's sullen face as he had opposed the motion Rodan had raised, and for a moment, he held back his answer.
"Your Majesty."
Then Rodan urged Ivan to answer.
“Tell them to listen.”
Ivan couldn't keep pretending not to know, even though he had been staring at her face all the way until dinner.
“Enough with the greetings.”
Just as the Duke of Russell was about to bow to Ivan, Ivan coldly cut him off, as if he had had enough of forced courtesy.
“What’s going on?”
At Ivan's question, the Duke of Russell raised his half-bowed head.
“Because it seems like there is a story that hasn’t ended yet.”
If they had anything to talk about today, it was a meeting where they only expressed their disagreement with each other's opinions and ended without achieving anything.
“Does your strong opposition mean that this is not all you have expressed?”
Ivan asked sarcastically. In fact, he had not thought that the agenda Rodan had proposed at today’s meeting would face difficulties, as he had first leaked the story to Amelia and asked her to persuade him.
"Yes."
The Duke of Russell answered meekly in the affirmative. Ivan frowned quietly.
“Speak.”
At Ivan's command, the Duke of Russell's gaze turned to Rodan, who was guarding Ivan's side.
“Is Lord Rodan someone whom Your Majesty can trust?”
He was going to tell a huge secret, so if Rodan wasn't someone he could trust, he should just ignore him. Ivan and Rodan's faces simultaneously showed irritation.
“Rodan is trustworthy, so you can speak in his presence.”
Ivan clearly named Rodan's position. A slight sense of relief appeared on Rodan's face. Duke Russell looked at him with a mocking look before turning his gaze to Ivan.
“I heard a shocking story from the High Priest. An apprentice priest named Ricky went astray and was dismissed, but the apprentice priest who had been visiting the temple until recently was not the real Ricky.”
Ivan stared at the Duke of Russell with a calm face. It was difficult to find any sign of agitation in his appearance. The only sign of agitation was the brief flash of agitation in Rodan's blue eyes.
“And what he did was nothing other than harassing a Priestess.”
The Duke of Russell spoke emphatically, as if there were no such tragedy in the world.
“Do I have to know every single dirty thing that happened in the temple?”
Naturally, there was a note of displeasure in Ivan's voice. Of course, he would have been displeased with whatever the Duke of Russell had said, but his voice seemed to be asking, "What do you want me to do about it?"
“So I earnestly requested the Priestess to tell me the culprit so that I could find the real sinner and punish him...”
But the Duke of Russell continued to speak without wavering. He seemed not to be listening to Ivan at all.
“She said, ‘The culprit is Your Majesty the Emperor.’”
The Duke of Russell, who had run his hand over his dry face, spoke in a grave voice as if he had been greatly shocked.
“How, how is that possible? How many times have I asked...”
“...”
“She told me that His Majesty was angry and asked why she was trying to threaten him without any evidence.”
Of course, it was amazing acting.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Ivan calmly denied it, as if he had heard something strange.
“I wondered why an oracle suddenly came down telling me to make a child who was no different from an orphan on the streets the Crown Prince.”
“...”
“There was a reason for everything.”
Of course, the Duke of Russell pretended not to hear that either. Ivan now looked genuinely annoyed.
“Are you even trying to abandon your own children?”
“If that nonsense is true, then the Priestess has already lost her virginity and can no longer exist as a priestess. That oracle is a fake.”
Ivan grumbled, one corner of his mouth raised.
“How about we just give up acting for now?”
“I wonder.”
A relaxed smile appeared on the Duke of Russell's lips. He did not ask how he could say such a thing or evade his question. In the first place, he had not brought this matter to the surface to pretend not to know.
“There is nothing to gain from either.”
Anyway, Ivan knows that Amelia's oracle was fake. And the Duke of Russell knew that Ivan was Ian's biological father.
Both facts could have caused a great stir in the world. But the two secrets were so closely related that the moment one revealed the truth, the other would also be destroyed. That was why they could not reveal the truth.
“I would like to make a deal.”
But then, why don't we just exchange our secrets? We're about to end up together anyway.
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