Chapter 233
Chapter 233
The Emperor moved his seat to the parlor.
After a brief pause and a sip of tea, he realized he was overly agitated.
The advice of the chief attendant, who had been serving him for decades, was hardly ever wrong.
But the headache did not go away. A cold sweat broke out on his back, and he lightly slammed the armrest with his hand.
“Bring honey water.”
He was advised not to drink, but he was prepared.
Soon the honey water came. A light refreshment was prepared along with it.
Cedric passed the parlor door after he gulped down the honey water.
It seemed he wanted to have a lot more when sweets were added.
“Secretary of State Evron greets Your Majesty.”
Cedric knelt down on one of his knees.
The Emperor beckoned to him.
“Get up and sit down.”
“I’m grateful for your grace.”
“I was just about to drink tea.”
The Emperor offered him a seat.
Cedric sat down on the sofa without being too awkward.
Soon the teacup was placed and fragrant tea was poured. A milk bottle and a sugar bowl came out.
The Emperor looked at it with a new feeling.
“Yes?”
“I envy you. Being young. Now, the servants seldom give me a bowl of sugar.”
“If there was a meaningful recommendation, wouldn’t it be unavoidable? You have to take care of your body.”
Cedric said in an awkward mood. Talking like this with the Emperor itself was unfamiliar.
The Emperor sighed.
As sugar began to flow through his body, his condition improved. The Emperor relaxed his body and said,
“Did you come here because of the foolishness that Roygar did?”
“Yes.”
“I have nothing to say to you. When you have finished drinking the tea, go back and do what you have to do.”
“Please reconsider Aunt’s execution.”
“Treason is the law that annihilates one’s entire family and relatives. There are no exceptions. Besides, the Grand Duchess is a self-proclaimed Empress.”
“Don’t you know that it wasn’t something Aunt did out of her heart? Since Uncle committed suicide, the dynasty of Grand Duke Roygar is already over.”
Cedric said, keeping his complexion and speech soft.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you spare their life and spread Your Majesty’s mercy?”
“Cedric, you probably aren’t old enough to be dreaming anymore.”
The Emperor said, as if spitting it out.
“Don’t you know that the Grand Duchess is innocent and has no other intentions, and that she is determined only to save her husband and children? But the Grand Duchess alone is not a problem.”
In order to spare Garnet, he must follow it and spare all those who dared to challenge the Emperor.
This was not something he would deal with mercy.
“Authority is like a wall. You must’ve known that since you have ruled the land of Evron. If you save one who was to be killed for the sake of cheap sympathy, and your authority is overthrown, it will take an infinite amount of blood and time to rebuild it.”
“Even if you execute Aunt, you will not be able to defeat the Eastern nobles. From the beginning, they are the ones who will claim to have stood up before His Majesty to the end by death.”
The Emperor slightly raised his body, which had been buried deep on the sofa.
“Anyway, your aunt is just a symbol. A symbol can function more strongly with death.”
Cedric said without hesitation.
“If Uncle is still alive, you might be able to make the fight between the supporters and the resentful of him by spreading the rumors that he abandoned Aunt to death.”
The East tried to hold the Emperor’s crown through Grand Duke Roygar.
As long as Grand Duke Roygar is alive, there will be those who consider the goal to be valid. There were also those whom Grand Duke Roygar himself could take over and place in power under his command.
But it all failed.
The East has now lost the means to fight according to the rules of politics over the Emperor’s crown.
Then, they will resist in a different way.
“Whether she is alive or dead, there is no difference in that she becomes a vehicle for inciting hostility toward His Majesty.”
“She will be a hindrance.”
“Aunt has no ability to become a descendant. She will be unable to voluntarily organize the East nor be able to resist.”
Cedric said,
“Even alienation will not actually help solve the problem in the East.”
If Grand Duke Roygar was alive, he might have been able to exercise his influence indirectly.
But as long as he’s dead, it’s impossible. Both the Emperor and Cedric were outsiders.
And even if the Eastern nobles were fighting with each other, if an external force tried to stretch out, they would immediately unite and face it.
To restore eastern administration to normal, the large farms must be dismantled and the central government must take control of the land and the people.
It was something that could not be solved by conspiracy.
Even if there was a justification for confiscating the family’s property due to treason like this time, they could not achieve practical results without projecting military power.
“Even conspiracies and slanderous schemes are only auxiliary means. Rather, I think the opposite.”
“The opposite?”
“It’s not just the nobility in the East, is it? Your Majesty must rule over the people.”
“…….”
“It is an area where the authority of the imperial family has not yet reached. Symbols are needed to stabilize public sentiment and earn the trust of lower-ranking officials. Aunt has no desire for power, so it would be a good choice for Your Majesty.”
“You’re looking into the distance and talking. I thought you were only concerned with the Northern affairs, but it seems like you were devising a way to rule the country.”
At the Emperor’s words, Cedric tried not to show tension.
The Emperor looked right through it.
“I will not rebuke you. You struggled to come up with a reason to save the Grand Duchess.”
“Your Majesty…….”
“But that is no reason to have to spare the traitor mother and children. How could it be simply a matter of policy to annihilate the traitor’s entire family and relatives? We have to have the will to establish the authority of the throne and to be wary of the world.”
He said in a cold voice.
“It’s not just about this time, my reign, it’s about the unity of the Empire and the future of the imperial family. If you want to convince me, tell another story.”
“I ask of you.”
Cedric bowed his head honestly.
The Emperor narrowed his eyes.
Cedric said,
“The pistol that Uncle used to commit suicide was a gift from me.”
“…….”
“If there’s something we’re going to do against each other, we said to only do it to the person concerned and take care of the family.”
The story was told in a salon, an open space.
He doesn’t know if the Emperor had heard of it, but he didn’t have to hide it.
“Even though Uncle’s death is said to have been suicide because he had committed a blasphemous act, he must have wanted something from me when using that pistol.”
“Hmm.”
“I know it’s stupid. But that is what I promised first.”
Cedric clasped his hand, which was resting on his lap.
“Since Uncle has asked me to keep my promise by dying, I know it is my duty to try my best.”
The Emperor looked at Cedric.
It was a foolish hope that Cedric could keep it. Even if it was blood and flesh, there would not be enough justification to cross the dangerous bridge for Grand Duke Roygar’s sake.
But it strangely relieved the Emperor’s heart.
The Emperor picked up a teacup. And he said in a more relaxed voice.
“As long as Roygar has become like that, you are the only legitimate successor left to me. Leticia exists, but after all, she belongs to you.”
“…… Yes.”
“You must have guessed it when I gave Leticia her name.”
Cedric didn’t answer.
“Even if the Grand Duchess is a threat to none, the Princesses and Prince will become a threat to you and Leticia in the future. But will you still protect them?”
“Because it is not right to kill a child who has to be protected to eliminate a danger that has not yet arisen.”
“Cedric.”
“It is about treason. How can I pay the price? All I can do is ask you to save their lives, and even if you cannot do that, release the youngest child and save it.”
Cedric lowered his head again.
“Like you saved me.”
The Emperor drank the tea again in silence.
Then, he looked at Cedric’s teacup, which had cooled untouched, and said,
“Empty that cup.”
“…….”
Cedric looked at the Emperor once, then looked down at the teacup.
And the cold tea was emptied at once.
The tea was just tea. It did not taste bitter, nor was it poisonous.
Although it was cold, it was very fragrant, and there was a floral scent in the aftertaste.
The Emperor said,
“Go away. This is not appropriate to talk to you.”
Cedric took a deep breath.
He had a thought that it wouldn’t go well. He was determined.
Today is not the only day. The Emperor apparently seemed to have a slight change of heart.
Execution does not happen all at once. There will be another chance.
“I will come back again.”
He stood up, knelt down on one of his knees, bowed, and then stepped back.
The Emperor watched the scene silently and gestured to the chief attendant.
The chief attendant served hot new tea and snacks to fill the stomach.
The Emperor was hungry, so he reached out to the plate. And he said,
“Send someone to Grand Duchess Evron to tell her to enter the palace quietly.”
“Yes.”
“Tell everybody to stop and take a break. I need to rest, too.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The chief attendant withdrew and gave instructions to others at the doorway.
For Artizea to enter the palace, it will take a couple of hours.
The Emperor stood up from his seat. He was going to close his eyes for a while in the break room next to the study.
His cold sweat stopped, but he was so tired that his eyes were closed. As the chief attendant said, he needed a break.
He intended to close his eyes for a moment until Artizea came.