86. Count Winters’s Intentions

The Empress Dowager slammed the desk and abruptly stood up. Edward rested his chin on his hand, looking up at her with indifferent eyes. The Empress Dowager’s arm was trembling slightly with anger.

“The ‘true’ owner of the Heart of Kazel, you say?”

She glared at Dean and spoke in a harsh tone. His words sounded as if she was not the true owner of the Heart of Kazel. Dean looked at her with a faint smile. When their eyes met, Dean gave a slight bow.

“I understand why Your Majesty the Empress Dowager is so upset. I believe you misunderstood my words. I would never dare suggest that Your Majesty is not the true owner of the Heart of Kazel.”

With an elegant gesture, Dean swept his gaze around the tense hall.

“The selection test for the Empress has long since become a mere formality. The Third Eye, the divine gift to the Kazel Empire, is now considered nothing more than a legend. So, unlike in the past, when any woman of the Kazel Empire who met the qualifications could become Empress, now only daughters of powerful houses become Empress to maintain their family’s influence. What I am proposing is this: let us return to tradition and allow anyone, regardless of status, to take the test, and select the Empress with the Third Eye through the traditional method. Since Your Majesty has delayed appointing an Empress, if a true Empress with the Third Eye appears, you will have no choice but to accept her, even if you are reluctant.”

Traditionally, the Kazel Empire held a test to identify the woman with the Third Eye when appointing an Empress. The imperial family, the temple, and the magic tower jointly administered this test. Over time, as the Third Eye faded into legend, the test was reduced to a series of etiquette exams for candidates from prestigious noble houses. In reality, it had become a test for those already predetermined to win.

Edward frowned slightly.

‘What is Count Winters really after?’

No matter how much he thought about it, Edward could not grasp Dean’s intentions. At first, he thought Dean had made an absurd suggestion just to help him, but that wasn’t the case. In the end, there was no way to know his true intentions except to call him aside and ask directly.

As Dean spoke, the murmurs in the hall grew louder. The Empress Dowager continued to glare at Dean, fuming. She believed that she herself was the prime example of a woman who became Empress solely to maintain her family’s power—a clear target of Dean’s words.

“That’s enough! This meeting ends here.”

Edward spoke in a low, firm voice and stood up from his seat.

“And Count Winters, come to my office.”

Edward gave a brief nod to the Empress Dowager, then left the hall for his office. The Marquis of Argen followed behind him.

“Do you understand Count Winters’s intentions?”

To the Marquis’s question, Edward simply shook his head. This was not something he had discussed with Dean in advance, and he had no idea what Dean was thinking.

Meanwhile, after the Emperor left the hall, the Empress Dowager also stormed out, glaring at Dean. She had plenty to say, but even responding would feel like admitting the truth of his words. Once the Emperor and Empress Dowager had left, everyone in the hall let out the breaths they’d been holding and leaned back in their chairs.

“Count Winters, you should have just kept quiet. You must be feeling pretty high and mighty these days, now that the Emperor favors you a little.”

“Isn’t it interesting?”

A noble clicked his tongue and scolded him, but Dean only gave a faint smile as he stood up. Lately, quite a few nobles were displeased with Dean. He used to never show up at council meetings, but recently he attended every one, seeming quite close to the Emperor. That had put him out of favor with many nobles.

There had been a time when many nobles looked after him. In his youth, he was rumored to be a genius. But at some point, he lost his sense of purpose and lived idly, following only his instincts. Those who once saw him as a rival now enjoyed gossiping about his downfall, saying that looks alone aren’t enough. They spoke passionately about how hard they worked compared to him, taking satisfaction in the belief that they were better people than Dean. They felt a subtle sense of superiority by pretending to look after him.

In truth, Dean enjoyed their gazes. When he caught a glimpse of their true faces, pretending to care for him but actually enjoying his misery, he secretly laughed at them. But now, nobles who openly resented Dean for gaining the Emperor’s favor had appeared. It was an annoying and unwelcome development.

“It really is easier being a good-for-nothing.”

Dean muttered as he hurried toward Edward’s office.

Dean, who had inherited his title at a young age, was deeply shocked to learn that those he thought were friends actually regarded him with suspicion and slandered him behind his back. Then, just before his mother died, he accidentally overheard the secret of his birth—he was the illegitimate child of his mother and a servant from her family home. Those two incidents planted a deep hatred of nobles and people in his heart, leading him to give up on everything and step into the world of the back alleys.

But now, things were different. He was beginning to understand his mother, who had found love through forbidden means, and that “servant.” He tried to deny those feelings, vowing to prove that he was different. He wanted to show that he could satisfy his burning desires simply by watching “her” be happy.

When Dean arrived at Edward’s office, he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. Then, opening his eyes wide, he nodded at the attendant standing by the door. The attendant knocked and announced Dean’s arrival to Edward.

Edward was waiting for Dean in the empty office. Dean greeted him and sat down across from him. As Dean took his seat, Edward straightened up from where he had been leaning back in his chair.

“As a count, you must have an ulterior motive, don’t you?”

Dean couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Nobles always spoke in circles to hide their intentions, and Dean hated nothing more than that kind of roundabout talk. Yet, ironically, he realized that he must have seemed that way to Edward now.

Edward, however, didn’t appreciate his laughter. His discomfort was clear on his face. Dean met Edward’s gaze, then stopped smiling. Suddenly, he remembered King Rasman of Hashiya. A chill ran through him, and he shivered slightly before clearing his throat.

“I apologize. I always disliked nobles who hid their intentions behind roundabout words, but I must have come across the same way to Your Majesty, so I laughed without meaning to.”

“I understand.”

Despite his words, Edward’s expression remained sour.

Dean exhaled deeply, organizing his thoughts before speaking. The man before him was the Emperor of the Kazel Empire. Dean, who was rarely nervous, found himself tense in Edward’s presence.

Especially since this matter involved the Empress Consort, whom the Emperor cherished most.

‘Larael…’

Dean silently called her name in his heart. As soon as he thought of her, a strong resentment toward Edward surged up. Dean had spoken up for someone who had no interest in political power, all because of her…

‘You… you have the person I want most right by your side.’

At the same time, a deep sense of despair spread through him.

“I… said what I did because I truly hope Her Highness the Empress Consort will become Empress. And I believe that if she is given the chance, she will surely become Empress.”

Edward felt a wave of nausea and a throbbing headache at Dean’s words. Something about them was oddly grating. The way Dean spoke, as if he knew Larael better than Edward did. Their gazes met and clashed in the air.

“When you first brought it up, I thought you were just saying something outrageous to put off the appointment of an Empress altogether.”

“To be honest, Your Majesty, how long do you think you can keep the Empress’s seat vacant?”