The nobles froze with dumbfounded expressions, unable to recover from their shock at the princess’s declaration that came without warning.

The golden eyes that had been leisurely observing those dazed faces flinched when they met a man standing at the entrance of the banquet hall.

She could see the blue eyes revealed beneath his black hair rippling ominously. Sure enough, Ashar’s face had turned colder than ever before.

It was only natural.

This wasn’t part of the plan they’d arranged beforehand.

Literally, this situation was purely Laurencia’s plan alone.

The man’s bright blue eyes, filled with anger like someone who’d been betrayed, bothered her, but even so, she had no intention of stopping here.

No, she couldn’t stop now even if she wanted to.

After letting out a short sigh, she soon turned her gaze away and executed her plan without hesitation.

“The next emperor of Armazé that I have chosen is… Lokan, Jedrian Lyenne.”

“Your Highness!”

Marquis Eckartmann’s shocked voice rang throughout the banquet hall. Simultaneously, voices of varying pitches began flowing from both camps.

The expressions of the nobles divided on both sides were polar opposites.

The emperor faction nobles poured out anger and laments, while the noble faction clapped their hands and shouted in celebration.

However, Jedrian himself, the person in question, showed no expression at all.

Far from being pleased, his eyes held even more suspicion than when she’d clumsily attempted to seduce him.

Sure enough, she raised her hand once more, seemingly indicating this wasn’t the end yet.

The noisy crowd quickly quieted down.

After staring at Marquis Eckartmann for a moment, she soon looked around at the nobles and spoke calmly.

“However, there are two conditions.”

When the smile disappeared from Laurencia’s face as she slowly turned around, Jedrian’s face, which had been wearing a hollow laugh seemingly expecting this, gradually contorted.

“The first condition is that you swear an oath to the temple that you will make me empress.”

“Your Highness! You wish to become empress!”

An angry shout came from the emperor faction camp, but Laurencia only looked directly at Jedrian.

The red eyes, unable to grasp her intentions, also looked down at Laurencia with a cold gaze.

Even though the nobles’ voices grew louder in succession at her astounding consecutive statements, the two only stared at each other.

After a moment, Jedrian, who looked away first, glanced at the nobles and snorted.

Whatever her scheme was, shouldn’t he seize the opportunity that had come to him?

It was probably just a pathetic trick anyway, so there was no reason to hesitate.

Jedrian willingly played along with her scheme, striking an exaggerated pose for all to see.

“It would be my honor.”

Looking down coldly at the man who bowed like a gentleman asking for a dance, she immediately stated her next condition.

“I hope you’ll grant my second request as well.”

Jedrian’s eyes immediately filled with wariness at the word change from “condition” to “request.”

Staring directly at that expression, Laurencia revealed the true purpose of this dangerous gambit she’d set up—one that could potentially lose her everything, or perhaps lead her to an even more hellish life.

“Let me see His Majesty.”

Only then did Jedrian realize what Laurencia was scheming.

As expected, it was a pathetic trick. Not even stinging.

Ridiculous enough to make his momentary worry seem absurd.

Yet he couldn’t laugh because regrettably, there was no way out.

If it had been just the two of them, he could have deceived her easily, but in front of numerous nobles, he couldn’t casually dismiss the “request” of a princess who had chosen him, staking the succession rights.

Above all, when that request was merely to let her see her own father, what excuse could he use to refuse?

A bitter laugh escaped at her recklessness in using such important succession rights just to meet her father. Yet his irritation surged because of her foolish heart that still threw caution to the wind when it came to her father.

‘Cunning Laurencia.’

The woman who had lost her fear again in the brief time he’d been away was laughable.

What could she accomplish by meeting her unconscious father? He couldn’t understand why she kept forgetting that this would only provoke his temper and bring suffering to herself.

Naturally bending his upper body, he whispered while deceiving the nobles’ eyes with an affectionate smile.

“Is this all?”

Despite the man’s mockery asking if this was really it, Laurencia stubbornly raised the corners of her mouth and raised her voice.

“Will you grant it?”

When her intention to have witnesses became obvious, Jedrian chuckled and straightened up, answering politely once more.

“Anyone would think I’ve been preventing you from meeting him, Your Highness. I was actually planning to arrange it soon anyway.”

“I see. Then since we’re on the topic, let me see him tomorrow.”

“That’s—”

“I know you’re busy with state affairs, but please understand this earnest heart of mine that wants to form marital ties with Lokan as soon as possible.”

Jedrian’s brow furrowed slightly at her brazen behavior, not giving him a chance to speak.

At her whining like a demanding child, even laments no longer came from the emperor faction nobles.

Only a few were looking at her actions with suspicion.

Of course, Jedrian didn’t believe Laurencia’s words one bit.

Her eyes looking at him were full of false smiles.

Chuckling, he slowly raised his hand. Then, caressing her beautifully adorned red hair, he spoke affectionately, seemingly soothing the immature princess.

“I also want to be with Your Highness as soon as possible. However, everything requires preparation. So if you could just wait a little—”

“I said it for Lokan’s sake, but you don’t seem to understand.”

She immediately cut off his uncharacteristically repulsive manner of speaking and turned away coldly.

As her red hair slipped away smoothly, his large hand left in the air clenched tightly.

Meanwhile, Laurencia coldly observed the confused nobles and recalled her second move, which might inevitably be a double-edged sword.

The die was already cast. There was no turning back now.

She could only entrust her ill-fated destiny to God.

“There’s no need for such surprise. While there’s no precedent, a princess can certainly become empress. Of course, it requires the approval of His Majesty, the foundation of the empire.”

Jedrian’s eyes widened.

Flustered by this information he was hearing for the first time, he quickly turned toward the noble faction.

Having already anticipated Jedrian’s reaction, Laurencia watched him with a calm face.

‘They don’t know either, Jedrian. This is a forbidden law known only to the imperial family and the heads of houses that have sworn oaths with the imperial house.’

No matter how much he’d seized the throne using the position of Lokan, unless he was imperial blood, he couldn’t know the imperial family’s secret laws.

However, the cunning man immediately found an escape route and objected.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing. Are there laws that don’t exist in imperial law? Who can prove it?”

As the nobles murmured at his rebuttal, Laurencia’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

A law known only to the imperial family. That’s why this move was a double-edged sword.

While it was a good method to corner Jedrian, conversely, if she couldn’t prove it, it could become poison to her instead.

Laurencia’s gaze turned toward Marquis Eckartmann.

However, seeing the man’s hardened expression, seemingly having already turned his heart away, she couldn’t easily open her mouth.

But she couldn’t back down like this. She forced away the mounting tension and raised the corners of her mouth.

“Are my words false, Marquis?”

At her question, all eyes turned toward Marquis Eckartmann this time.

However, despite Laurencia’s desperate gaze, the marquis only stared back with an angry face, giving no answer.

Her mouth went completely dry.

If he didn’t help her, Jedrian would dismiss those words as lies and escape this situation.

No, he would rather use this situation she’d created as an opportunity.

Sure enough, Jedrian put on airs and pressed Laurencia.

“Why are you creating nonexistent words to trouble the marquis, Your Highness? Even without resorting to such tricks, you can become empress. Solely by my will.”

Then, a stern voice immediately rebuked his words.

“No. That’s only possible solely by His Majesty’s will. As Her Highness said, that law is a forbidden law passed down only to the imperial family. It’s not for Lokan to decide. Isn’t that right, Count Anthony?”

When Marquis Eckartmann pointed him out, all eyes turned to the elderly noble sitting at the very center of the noble faction.