Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Berthas’ actions stopped at Isilis’ words. She also didn’t say anything to his cold hardened face. Leaving him, who kept his gaze on her, she cast a spell. It seemed that she had spent too much time since as came back to her office, the sun had already gone down.

“Where did you go?”

“Marquis.”

Pillaire was waiting for her.

“I was tired for a while, so I took a break.”

“Were you in the bedroom?”

“No.”

He quietly opened his mouth to Isilis, who kept quiet after that.

“Your ornaments are in a mess.”

“I lay down on the bed for a while, and it became like that.”

“I will call the maid.”

“That’s enough. I’m going back to bed anyway.”

“Understood.”

Isilis asked again as she glanced at Pillaire, who still kept his gaze on her disheveled hair.

“What is it, Marquis Cyrka?”

“Ah, envoys from different countries are requesting an audience.”

“Audience…?”

“Since the New Year celebrations are over and Your Majesty has appeared, it seems that they should continue the negotiations.”

“Negotiations?”

“The negotiation to sell magic tools.”

There was only one reason why Larchen always had the upper hand in trade negotiations. It was because of the magic tool. Those who produced magic tools were wizards, and those wizards moved only at her command.

Even if Faylos was sitting as acting Emperor, he couldn’t move the wizards. They only acted on orders from the Imperial Family, and the only Imperial Family in this country was Isilis. The wizards were her greatest friend and source of strength.

“Who are they?”

“The countries who requested an audience are the Khalifa Empire and Hillenton, and the other countries are weak countries, so they can’t even ask for an audience from Your Majesty.”

“I see.”

Isilis asked him as he flipped through the papers Pillaire was handing over one by one.

“What do you think?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean the Princess.”

“Your Majesty, I dare not mention it.”

“If I don’t ask you, whom can I ask? Tell me.”

Isilis asked Marquis Cyrka for a reason. He was the head of the noble faction and the one who studied with her at the academy. While she still didn’t know exactly about Cyrka, she was confident that he wouldn’t betray her… It was also because he loved her.

Knowing this, she had a strange belief.

“You’d better welcome a consort.”

“Do you think so, too?”

“You have to buy time… You wouldn’t be able to wait for the Princess?”

“….”

Marquis Cyrka was right.

Isilis knew that was the best way, but she couldn’t do it. It was difficult for her to accept Berthas as her consort. And even if she did, he would abandon his empire and come to her. She could not persuade a person who devoted himself to his country to abandon that country and stand by her side.

“Is something the matter?”

Pillaire asked when she was lost in her thoughts and said nothing.

“Marquis. Do you remember?”

“What…”

“As a child, when I was kidnapped.”

“Your Majesty, it has already passed.”

“I will speak. I still often dream of that time.”

When she was young, like the current Princess, she was kidnapped. Being six years old, it was quite a shock to her. She couldn’t have gotten out of the situation had it not been for her magic skills. It felt like all her magic was being pulled out.

The previous Empress never told her anything at the time, but now, she knew. It was an act committed by those who tried to usurp the imperial throne by kidnapping the Imperial Family.

“The horror of being filled with restraints. And…”

“Your Majesty.”

“How old were you then?”

“Your Majesty was six, so I was eight.”

“It must have been around that time. I treated you who were injured in the imperial castle.”

“Did you remember?”

“There is no way I can forget.”

After that happened, she was kidnapped. There was no way she could forget it. It was the most terrible memory of her life.

“Your Majesty.”

“Let me speak. If possible, I don’t want to have an imperial wedding.”

“Why so… If I may ask?”

“Those who were targeting me at that time were never caught. As long as they exist, kidnapping attempts against the Imperial Family will continue… the same goes for the Princess. I thought it was a relief that the Princess wasn’t born with magic. At least that child doesn’t have to have those memories like mine.”

“Your Majesty.”

Isilis smiled faintly at Marquis Cyrka’s wary call.

“Still, I’m glad the Marquis is by my side.”

“I am glad to have been of help to Your Majesty.”

“Is the Margrave doing well?”

“It is.”

“Tell them to come to the Imperial Palace. We need to discuss this imperial wedding.”

“Have you made up your mind?”

“I cannot decide the path of the Empire by myself. I’ll have to listen to Margrave, Duke Verus, and Marquis Miller’s opinion.”

“You are wise.”

“You are dismissed.”

Isilis’s eyes lit up as she looked at Marquis Cyrka, who bowed to greet her and backed away.

Believing and confirming were separate things. She believed in Marquis Cyrka, but power was a monster who made people unable to be trusted. She had to check since she couldn’t leave the person nominated for her consort unchecked.

“It will be clear when they all arrive… which one is the problem.”

Duke Verus was looking for a communication device at the Duke’s residence.

“Where did this disappear to?”

The communication device was ringing somewhere.

The important thing disappeared without a trace, and Verus, who was searching here and there. After searching for a while, he put his hand into the gap between the books. He completely forgot what he had hidden to avoid prying eyes from someone who had visited the other day.

“Here you are.”

“I almost lost it.”

He sighed quietly.

“Let’s see. Today, Her Majesty…”

The paper that was handed into the communication device was a report.

“That person too. If he is worried, he can come directly.”

Duke Verus sighed in relief when he saw that the communication device, which had been ringing continuously for a while, finally became quiet. While looking at the communication device, he put it in his drawer and drew a magic spell.

He whispered as he looked into the locked drawer.

“Don’t make me wait too long.”

After reading the documents, her head hurt.

“What is this…”

Even those who had no interest in it were encouraged to come forward and welcome a consort. Due to the kidnapping of the princess and the near destruction of the barrier, the nobility of the empire rose up.

The content varied. Those who heard her condition each nominated a different person. Among them, those who supported Marquis Cyrka were the most, followed by the Crown Prince of the Khalifa Empire.

“Are they insane? To marry the Crown Prince of an enemy country…!”

Duke Verus, who was listening beside her, spoke to Isilis as she screamed and threw the papers away.

“Because he is the Crown Prince of an enemy country, it might be better off, Your Majesty.”

“Do you think so, too?”

“It won’t give the nobles a chance.”

“What if he plots something in this country?”

“You say that while knowing the nobles of Larchen.”

Hearing Duke Verus’ words, Isilis nodded as well.

He was right. The nobles of Larchen were proud. They would rather die than see another Imperial citizen rise above them. That was probably why they pushed Marquis Cyrka. Among the nobles, if he, a noble of Larchen, became the consort, the nobles would be able to line up without any problems.

However, Usman’s case was different.

It was clear that he would be discriminated against because he was from the desert. Besides, it was clear that those who were concerned that the status of wizards would be narrowed due to the nature of the Khalifa Empire, which worshiped martial arts, would not leave Usman alone.

“If he becomes the consort, he will try to train knights.”

“It may be, but first of all, we will suffer a lot because of the force.”

“I’m not one to care about that.”

“Your Majesty, that’s something you don’t know. No one knows what will happen if a person falls alone with no one.”

“….”

Isilis was unable to say anything when Duke Verus assertively spoke. It was a matter of culture. In a desert empire with few wizards, warriors were the most powerful people. They were the so-called knights.

Among them, Usman Khalifa was a man with enough strength to be called the pillar of the empire. He didn’t know what would happen to him.

“Then, the options are reduced again.”

“Do you have any Lords in mind?”

“No way.”

It was not easy to welcome Usman as her consort. It was clear that it would be hard work even if she wanted to. There was a limit to accepting everything with love, she wanted to delay welcoming a consort as long as possible.

‘If it wasn’t for Berthas…’

There was no one she wanted to welcome as her husband. Berthas’ name was not mentioned in the appeal. It was only natural because he was not known on the outside as a sword master.

“Your Majesty.”

“Why are you calling me?”

Duke Verus called out to her with a serious look.

“I don’t think it’s right to welcome a consort.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I can see that Your Majesty doesn’t want it, so how can I force you as a servant?”

“I didn’t know you were thinking like that.”

“Anyone would think that. So, Your Majesty, if you don’t want to, don’t.”

“Your son here is also a candidate?”

“That child is not in the right place to become Your Majesty’s consort.”

“Do you think so?”

“It is.”

“Are you afraid that you might lose your heir to me?”

“I can’t believe you would say that? It’s unlike Your Majesty.”

“What is like me?”

As Isilis spoke in a fit of rage at Duke Verus’s words, the Duke, who was staring at her face, immediately lowered his head and said,

“Your Majesty… You have lost your composure.”

—