Mess 138

138.

When Loony returned, she was utterly exhausted.

She flopped down flat on the palace sofa with little regard for decorum, groaning in discomfort.

“Ugh…”

Perhaps her stomach had grown weak again, for she dry-heaved repeatedly.

“What on earth did you do in there?”

At last, Seraphie couldn’t hold back and asked.

“Ugh, I hate the Emperor…”

“That wasn’t me talking!” Seraphie hastily protested as the attendant, about to escort Orkis, paused with a dubious look.

The attendant sent a brief warning glance at Loony, splayed out, and the flustered Seraphie, then left.

After Orkis had gone in third,

“…His Majesty,”

Loony slowly pushed herself upright and began to speak. Carl instinctively moved to steady her.

“He asked what should be done with the Mars family.”

Ah, as expected.

Seraphie blinked slowly, as though she’d seen this coming.

It seemed the Emperor was finally ready to act. There was no other reason to call the four of them together at once.

“But…”

Loony glanced aside, ruffling her hair in distress.

“It was harder than I thought.”

“Ah…”

Seraphie held her tongue.

She’d sensed as much in Iris—Loony was deeply troubled, her family’s fate weighing heavily on her heart, even if their lives were in danger as well.

“I told him I didn’t care if they were executed…”

“But they’re still your blood, so shouldn’t their deaths—”

Huh?

Seraphie, ready to console her with all the understanding she could muster, stopped short.

“…You don’t actually think I still care about those bastards living, do you, Seraphie?”

Wide-eyed, Seraphie shook her head at once. The hard, scornful look in Loony’s eyes was utterly sincere; if anything, she only regretted she couldn’t be the one to finish them herself.

“After everything they put me through…!”

Her teeth clenched, grinding with barely restrained fury.

“Um, by the way.”

Seraphie hesitated, then asked what she’d long wondered.

“Back in Iris, why did you cry?”

The day it was confirmed the Mars family had participated in the crime at Iris, Loony had openly wept in a display that had startled everyone.

“Out of sheer frustration, obviously.”

Loony replied with absolute finality, as if there could be no other reason.

“Those lunatics truly never intend to let go of my ankle…!”

In her heart, she would have gladly placed them on the executioner’s block herself.

And so she asked the Emperor for precisely that.

“You know what’s even more absurd? His Majesty seems intent on their fortune, too.”

The reason Loony spent a whole hour alone with the Emperor was because they’d been discussing the handling and management of the Mars family’s property after their extinction.

“How laughable.”

She crossed her arms in disgust.

“They should just fine them for their crimes and leave it at that—why go after their entire estate, too?”

“……”

“All that misery from living there, I deserve their fortune for myself.”

I see… so that’s your thinking.

“Haha…”

A faint, dry laugh escaped Seraphie’s lips.

Still, she was relieved to see that Loony’s spirit remained unbroken. She had never before met anyone so thoroughly unmoved by her own blood.

From that day forward, Seraphie resolved never again to worry over Loony’s family.

As their conversation wound down, Orkis—the third to go in—returned.

“Count Validus.”

Next, Seraphie’s name was called.

“Good luck.”

Orkis brushed Seraphie’s hand lightly as she passed.

“…Thanks.”

She quickly glanced at Orkis’s face, sensing something amiss beneath his calm exterior.

“I will tell you everything once you’re back.”

Catching her concern, Orkis saw her off with a bittersweet smile. Only then did Seraphie’s hesitant steps regain their usual pace.

She found herself led to the Emperor’s study.

‘This isn’t the same place as before.’

The room radiated a heavy authority. The empty chamber in which she’d once spoken with him during the banquet seemed strangely alien in comparison.

How odd that, in a palace famed for its lavish grandeur, there should be that one room devoid of even a single piece of furniture or ornament.

“You’re here.”

The Emperor, seated at the highest place on the receiving sofa, gestured to the empty seat nearby. Formalities were dismissed; he wanted to get straight to business.

Still, Seraphie bowed respectfully before taking her seat.

“Ever so proper,”

the Emperor remarked with a short, dry laugh.

“You handled the Iris matter well.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“There is just one thing that displeased me.”

The Emperor’s twisting lip reminded Seraphie of the Crown Prince, and suddenly she felt a twinge of guilt.

“Why did you do that in Iris territory?”

“Do you mean, spreading the truth, Your Majesty?”

“Yes. Because of that, my plan to grant you Iris as your domain was nearly thwarted.”

‘Nearly thwarted,’ he said.

Seraphie offered him a coy smile.

The Emperor shot her a withering glance, then let out a weary sigh.

“Just earlier, Lord Iris made a request.”

“……”

“If it’s Count Validus, he’d willingly cede the Iris lands to you.”

“But isn’t it legally impossible to transfer land attached to a title?”

Seraphie thought of Viscount Akashi, who had coveted the Validus estate so foolishly that he’d ended up losing his own out of sheer greed.

“Yes, it’s ordinarily impossible,”

the Emperor said, stifling a yawn with his hand. After interviewing the others, he clearly felt some fatigue.

“But I can arrange it nonetheless.”

Seraphie’s expression made her hesitation plain.

The Emperor found her adorable, her forthrightness appealing. He’d noticed before—this child seemed to lack even a shred of ambition.

And yet here she was, risen so high as to command respect.

He finally got to the point.

“I am granting you the right to hold multiple fiefs and retainers as Count Validus.”

“…Did I not have that right?”

I already have the Kiah estate and merchant company from Viscount Kiah, don’t I?

“You did not.”

Strictly speaking, Seraphie still had no real authority over the Kiah lands.

The true owner remained Viscount Kiah; Seraphie was only the designated heir to inherit everything upon the Viscountess’s death.

The Kiah Company, being independent from the estate, was hers to take over at any time.

“Before she left for her rest cure, Viscount Kiah made a personal request.”

“Grandmother did…?”

Seraphie was surprised by this revelation.

And a little touched.

“……”

In truth, deeply moved.

It was the first time an adult with the standing of a guardian had done anything just for her.

It should have been that way by rights, but Seraphie had never dared expect such a thing.

“She said, ‘I wish to pass everything to my granddaughter, but I can’t do so yet by law—is there any way to help her?’”

The Emperor watched Seraphie, who blushed with embarrassment. Though she always carried herself as though shouldering the world’s burdens, he saw now that she still was very much a child.

And he felt a sudden stab of pity.

It was unfortunate that, given the circumstances, that was all he could offer her.

“And, since the necessary legal procedures for the Akashi estate have been completed…”

It too would be bestowed upon her.

Now, Seraphie held Validus, Akashi, Kiah, and Iris: four estates in all. She’d joined the ranks of the great nobles.

But inwardly, she felt the weight of those responsibilities. There was simply too much to bear now.

“Is there no way to refuse?”

She ventured to ask.

“Do you wish to commit the treason of defying an imperial command?”

She should have known.

‘Treason, over something as trivial as this—seriously.’

Seraphie grumbled inwardly.

But she knew the Emperor was taking care of her in his own way.

However much a relationship of mutual need this might be, it wasn’t as if the Emperor had to look out for her so.

‘Is this what it means to be in favor…’

Though, it was far from the sort of affection she would have chosen.

Their conversation continued for some time, mostly about the punishment following the Iris affair and future plans.

The topic of the Crown Prince was conspicuously absent.

‘So, punishing him immediately is impossible for now.’

Seraphie made a rough guess. The Empress herself had said that with no direct evidence tying the prince to the incident, nothing could yet be done.

‘That’s going to be trouble.’

If the Crown Prince managed to completely hide his guilt and kept up his façade of virtue, then the new contender, X, would have to pull off extraordinary feats to gain traction.

Seraphie’s support alone would never be enough.

“By the way, I hear you’ve taken on a guard from Glake.”

Seraphie, caught in thought, looked up.

“Yes, a worthy acquaintance.”

“Did you bring him with you, by any chance?”

“He’s at the house. It seemed too risky to bring a bodyguard to the palace.”

“Count, you’re becoming adept at saying all the right things.”

It seemed the Emperor had secretly hoped to meet Glake.

Seraphie, in truth, had wanted to bring Pura with her. But he refused.

‘Dad—no, Father—told me guards shouldn’t be brought along on such visits.’

‘Bringing a bodyguard to the palace would ruffle the feathers of those at the top.’

There was much to criticize about his word choice, but Pura’s reasoning was, if anything, unexpectedly sensible.

“With your permission, I’ll bring him next time.”

“I look forward to it.”

They exchanged words on various topics after that.

As they spoke, Seraphie realized she was gradually growing more deeply involved with affairs of state, even without noticing it.

“Have you given any thought to the currency reform I ordered a while ago?”

“My apologies, Your Majesty.”

“Well, that matter can wait a little longer. But the Poor Law…”

The Emperor sighed, sounding troubled. Sensing something was amiss, Seraphie was about to speak—

“Your Majesty,”

came an urgent voice, knocking at the door.

The Emperor frowned, displeased. He’d already ordered not to be disturbed unless it was absolutely necessary.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty! But I have an urgent message to deliver.”

It was the chief attendant’s voice; even from outside, it sounded harried.

“What is it?”

Given leave to enter, the chief attendant hesitated to speak, glancing uneasily at Seraphie.

“……”

Seraphie’s eyes narrowed.

The Emperor, too, sensed something was off.

“J-Just now, word came from the temple.”

“The temple?”

“The temple, about Count Validus’s….”