Chapter 6

Irene Daian

“This lady….”

Diana reacted as she saw where Sophia was pointing.

“She’s the lady of the Daian Dukedom.”

“Objectively speaking, she’s currently the top candidate for Empress in the Empire.”

“That’s true.”

The prestigious Daian Dukedom. Naturally, it was one of the most prominent families in the Empire. And Irene, the daughter of that family, was also influential in social circles.

“But the Dukedom probably won’t put Irene forward as Empress. If they do, it’ll likely be someone from a collateral branch.”

“Why?”

“The Daian family values marriage between families with long histories, meaning they place great importance on bloodlines. Even the Imperial Family isn’t an exception.”

“Ah….”

In their eyes, Evan, born of a low-ranking concubine, wouldn’t be considered worthy.

“They probably don’t like it even now. But they can’t complain openly. He is the Emperor, after all. And there aren’t any other princes to put forward as Emperor.”

“Still, the person herself might think differently, right?”

That was only the family’s opinion—maybe the lady herself felt differently. At the very least, Diana wanted to hear her thoughts.

“What do you think? Do you think Lady Irene would like His Majesty?”

“Who knows. I’ve never talked about that with her. Why would I bring up the Emperor in that setting unless I was crazy?”

Sophia smiled and shook her head, as if it was absolutely impossible.

“Or how about you come to a social gathering?”

“Me?”

“It’d be better for you to meet the ladies yourself than just hear what I say, right?”

“That’s true, but….”

It was certainly different to hear about things secondhand than to experience them directly. But Diana hesitated.

“Um… Would I be okay? You know how awkward I am at those social gatherings.”

Diana was much more comfortable with her work as an aide than having tea and chatting with ladies. Even though she was a noble lady, she’d rarely attended such events.

“Don’t worry. I’ll help you. I can set things up for you. It might be a good opportunity. You’d be surprised how useful the gossip from the ladies can be.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You might even quit your job as an aide and join me in social activities.”

“…That sounds more like your goal.”

She really couldn’t let her guard down. Even so, Diana thought for a moment before answering.

“I’ll think about it and let you know.”

It was clear that just looking at the ladies’ basic information wasn’t enough to make a decision. After all, this was about choosing the Empress—the woman who would live at Evan’s side for the rest of her life. She needed to be very careful.

*   *   *

Nobles were gathered in a spacious conference hall. Each sat in their seats, watching each other warily. A meeting with the Emperor and the nobles. Usually, this wasn’t unusual, but today was different.

“Why did His Majesty call us all of a sudden…?”

“I’m not sure, but I suppose he has something to say?”

It wasn’t a regular meeting, but one called unexpectedly. The Emperor’s words had brought the members together.

“Isn’t this the first time? For His Majesty to summon us so suddenly.”

“Exactly. That’s why everyone’s so curious. Why is he doing this?”

The Emperor’s seat in the center of the table was still empty. The nobles kept whispering among themselves.

“Even so, this is too sudden.”

At a man’s words, everyone fell silent. The man with silver hair sat closest to the Emperor’s seat—Arthur, Duke of Daian.

“To call such busy people together like this—makes me wonder what urgent matter will be discussed.”

His obvious displeasure chilled the atmosphere in the conference hall. But no one dared to say anything to Arthur.

“Still, it could be a very important matter, so it’s best to wait and see.”

A pink-haired man sitting directly in front of Arthur, Philip, changed the mood with a smile. Arthur raised his eyebrows at him.

“Marquis Christine. You must not be very busy. If you can be so relaxed.”

“Of course not. But I have such capable subordinates that I can leave things suddenly. Seems the Dukedom isn’t so fortunate. If you want, our family could help you?”

“No need for that.”

The Daian Dukedom and the Christine Marquisate—the two leading families of the Empire—exchanged subtle tension, and the others just watched nervously. At that moment, someone broke the mood and entered. It was Evan.

“I didn’t expect you all to be chatting so energetically already.”

At Evan’s voice, everyone stood to greet him. Evan gestured.

“Skip the greetings, everyone sit.”

Evan took his seat at the center. With him seated, everyone was finally gathered. Evan’s gaze first turned to Arthur and Philip at the front.

“Seems you were having an interesting conversation.”

“…….”

“Especially you, Marquis Christine. The more I look, the more you resemble your daughter.”

“Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty.”

Philip smiled, but Arthur’s face remained chilly. Soon, Arthur spoke.

“So. Why did you call us here so suddenly?”

Arthur immediately asked for the reason. His expression left no doubt about his feelings toward Evan.

“I assume you called us because there’s something important to discuss.”

“Yes, it’s brief, but I felt this should be said face to face.”

Evan replied without delay.

“Recently, assassins came to my room.”

At Evan’s words, everyone stirred. Assassins in the Emperor’s bedroom—this was serious.

“Of course, they failed, which is why I’m here now.”

“Did you find out who was behind it?”

“No. There are always people after me.”

At Evan’s words, the nobles fell silent. It was a well-known fact—Evan hadn’t become Emperor through peaceful succession. The Prince’s Rebellion had ended not long ago. The palace was slowly stabilizing, but the atmosphere wasn’t entirely bright. There were surely those with grievances, big and small.

But this was the first time Evan had openly admitted there were people targeting him. He was the one who’d climbed over the corpses of princes, the successor whose path was marked by blood. Many names had been given to him. Yet, once he became Emperor, Evan had simply done his job as Emperor, as if nothing had happened—as if the Prince’s Rebellion and all the rest had never occurred.

He was still facing threats of assassination, yet remained so calm. The nobles realized once again who the true victor of the Prince’s Rebellion was.

“So I plan to take care of it.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m forming a special squad in the Imperial Knights to root out the remaining anti-Emperor factions. No matter how small or large, not a single one will be left—they’ll all disappear from the world.”

Evan raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at everyone.

“So I hope as loyal ministers here, you will join me.”

It was both a request for cooperation and a warning. The Emperor had openly declared he would root out the enemy factions. He was also speaking to any anti-Emperor members who might be present.

“Duke Daian, what do you think?”

At Evan’s question, all eyes turned to Arthur. Arthur, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke.

“It’s certainly a good idea.”

“…….”

“How long can those who scramble for a seat they don’t deserve hope to last? They should be cast out.”

“That’s a relief. I agree with you, Duke.”

Tension lingered between Evan and Arthur as the meeting continued.