Chapter 39

***

“Welcome, Secretary Rosaline!” Hui greeted her happily, hugging her as if she was an angel of salvation.

Rosaline limped into her room, which was in the middle of being organized. Hui approached her.

“What happened?”

Hui smiled awkwardly.

“Which family did His Majesty order to oust?”

She shook her head.

“Who was sent to the border?”

Once again, that wasn’t the case.

“Then, is it about the Margove Bank…!?”

Truthfully, Rosaline had mixed feelings about them getting investigated, but that shouldn’t have been serious enough to…

“While it’s true that the president of the bank is currently locked in the dungeons, there’s something even more important!”

“What’s wrong?”

“The empress dowager has made her move regarding the empress selection, so a lot of last-minute changes are being made! Because of that, His Majesty…”

“I’ll take it from here,” interrupted Cahir, who came in suddenly. “Hui, can you give me a seat?”

Rosaline’s heart pounded as his eyes remained on her.

Hui quickly picked up the mop, excused herself, then escaped from the room.

“Your Majesty, I apologize for my late greetings.” She curtseyed.

“No more greetings, Rosaline.” Cahir laughed, prompting her own to bubble forth.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Do you have any orders for me?”

“Be my empress.”

Everything stopped. Rosaline, Cahir, even the air.

She blinked.

‘What in the world? Just what has the empress dowager done?’

***

Four days ago, Duke Magnis had gone to the palace.

After that, Azela had sauntered into Cahir’s office, and despite his hatred of her, he couldn’t very well chase her out.

Obviously, this was a development that Rosaline didn’t like.

***

“Dear Empress Dowager, what brings you here?”

Azela unblinkingly laughed, revealing a practiced smile meant to be applauded by others.

“Your Majesty is struggling with the issue of choosing the empress, so how can a mother rest in peace?”

She meant that she didn’t like the plan for the selection.

“This is all quite different from tradition.”

She really, really didn’t like it.

Cahir slowly walked from his desk, gesturing to a couch on one side of the office. “Let’s sit down and talk. Derek, please.”

Derek bowed and went outside.

“Ah, you guys should take a break too,” he told his guards. “I have a long conversation to share with the empress dowager. Please, go ahead and sit.”

The guards followed Derek out of the room.

Cahir wasn’t doing this out of politeness or respect, but rather an unwillingness to be troubled by Azela’s nitpicky attitude.

‘There’s no one listening here, so please put away that pretentious smile and say what you want.’

His own smile dropped.

The silence was almost deafening, and Azela never did stop smiling. The atmosphere made him even more impatient, but he knew that nothing that witch would ever say would be beneficial to him, so he didn’t rush her.

“Of course, I’m here about the empress selection.”

Cahir frowned. The noble council had already agreed, so any vetoes from him would necessitate another meeting. On the other hand, the empress dowager generally didn’t attend such meetings, so she wasn’t in a good position to make demands.

“The empress will be the mother of the empire. We can’t let young and inexperienced nobles decide who she will be.”

Basically, she was indignant that she was being excluded from the process.

“It’s already been decided,” Cahir said, annoyed.

“But the authority of the empress’ appointment rests with me, not the emperor. These are the laws of Aetheus.”

“I know that.”

‘Damn it. I should have gotten rid of that first, but I let myself get pushed into this by Pasita and those damned aristocrats who only ever care about their own safety. Stability, my foot…’

In any case, Azela was telling the truth.

But again, the council had already approved of the revised empress selection. Was it too much to hope that the empress dowager would move on?

“Oh my, oh my… Your Majesty, I am not trying to interfere with your work. Please proceed according to the plan.”

What was it this time? Didn’t she just say that it couldn’t be left to young and inexperienced nobles?

‘This sly woman… Maybe I should have watched her more closely.’

“What do you want, then?”

“Please pick three.”

“Three?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I would like you to choose three from those presented at the nobles’ meeting, and leave the final selection to the hands of the elders.” 

‘This is ridiculous. You’re just going to recommend Duke Magnis as an elder.’

What are you going to do if I say no?”

“Then we’ll have to get back on track. Aren’t you a nobleman who values tradition?” Azela looked relaxed, as if she had already built a force that could shape public opinion. 

“Very well. However, I have a condition.”

“…?” One of her eyebrows rose significantly. “What is it?”

“I hope we can have one more person to help make the final decision. How about the priest of the new temple so that we can ensure fairness?”

Azela considered it. The priest from Berlos? Fine. She only needed to know who he was and she’d be able to buy him off.

“Alright, Your Majesty. Then, I’ll be leaving.” She beamed, then stood and ran into a maid.

“Empress Dowager… The…”

“No need. I’ll have tea in my palace. I’ve heard some suspicious stories about strange drugs in their drink.”

“Ah… This servant wouldn’t dare…” The maid’s hand trembled.

“I’m just kidding. His Majesty’s maid would never do such a thing to me, his mother.” Azela turned to look at Cahir, as if to say that he would never be free of her.

He grinned as he saw through her childish intentions.

***

“Why did she come here?” Derek approached Cahir, who was laying on the sofa and staring sullenly at the ceiling. His own expression was dark, likely because the maids explained what had happened, and it grew even darker after a brief explanation. “Will it be faster to just convince the elders and nobles?”

“No. I need a candidate who will definitely be on our side.” Cahir sat up, eyes glimmering. 

***

That night, Cahir stood on the balcony under a moonless night. He cringed whenever he heard the patrolling guards’ armor clank, an uncomfortable side effect of his heightened alertness that had always served him well.

“Someone on my side… Definitely on my side…”

He reflected on his conversation with Azela. Three candidates. That meant she was confident that her pick would be one of the finalists.

His head hurt.

‘I have a hunch on who it is. Azela wouldn’t leave this matter to chance.’

On his end, that meant that he needed at least one candidate who was fully one of his own.

“Delia?”

But Hamburg’s daughter was already married. Besides, she wasn’t exactly the best person to win over the nobility. She once ran around with a knife and refused to even touch an embroidery hoop.

Cahir didn’t want to marry her either.

And so he was back to his original problem, as no other family completely loyal to him came to mind.

“Intelligent, unconditionally on my side, like… Ah?”

It was as if a bright star shone on his head. Like a flash.

“Rosaline!”

‘Why did I think of her just now!?’

She was the perfect empress candidate, so much that he felt a bit pathetic for only realizing it that late. She was the perfect partner for him.

If it was Rosaline, it was possible. She looked as good as him, was even wiser than him on some occasions. She was one of the best people he had ever brought to his side.

“If it’s Rosaline, no one has a problem.”

He suddenly felt so much better. Cahir grinned as he walked to his bed. He hadn’t been able to sleep well for the past few days, but now he felt like he could contentedly fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

***

Three days later, Rosaline was brought back into the palace.

Cahir had made a long speech to Derek that she was the answer to everything.

“She’s just the perfect woman.”

As soon as she arrived, Cahir went to her bedroom to talk about the plan in person.

***

Rosaline looked even prettier than usual after their long time apart. Cahir wondered if it was the food at the Verite estate. Perhaps he should ask what it was so that he could have her eat it every day.

Her greeting was so elegant as well.

‘If anyone in the world could be better than me, it would have to be her.’

Cahir was confident that she would play the role of the empress excellently. She would be the type to be praised for future generations to come.

“Be my empress.”