Chapter 73
The murmurs among the nobles grew louder in an instant, but Duke Monclair ignored them and continued reading the rest of the letter.
“Marquis Penel wishes Serena to be honored as royalty. Furthermore, since Serena was the 30th Emperor, I, Cassius de Valois, personally guarantee that her descendants are also heirs to the throne.”
When the letter ended, the Emperor pressed two fingers against his temples and looked at the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince appeared outwardly calm, but his eyes glanced sharply at Duke Monclair.
“The original is held by Marquis Penel.”
“Marquis Penel, if the contents of that letter are true, why was it not made public?”
“Serena Penel, my grandmother and Serena ‘de’ Valois, did not wish for her descendants to be caught up in the royal power struggles.”
Indeed, even if I were Serena, I would have found the throne tiring amid such a storm of bloodshed.
Marquis Penel, standing to answer the Emperor’s question, turned his gaze to the Crown Prince.
“First, I thought it improper to diminish my grandmother’s authority, so I consulted Duke Monclair. I did not expect the Crown Prince to react this way.”
He added that the original bore Emperor Cassius’s mana signature, so its authenticity could be verified, then he sat down.
The Emperor frowned, closed his eyes briefly, and then spoke solemnly:
“As for me being the 32nd Emperor, both in reality and on paper, it is clear. In that case, I should abolish the title of Imperial Consort in my reign.”
Seizing the opportunity, it seemed he intended to abolish the system, and Count Lonsbleur raised his hand.
“Count Lonsbleur, do you have an opinion?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The wishes of the 29th Emperor were merely intentions and not documented. Therefore, restoring the title of Imperial Consort should not present major issues. Emperor Cassius merely sought to prevent power struggles and financial strain, so can we not enact a law to address this?”
The Emperor let out a low groan and nodded several times.
It was the perfect example of someone stubbornly standing their ground.
Having secured the nobles on his side, the Count could argue so confidently.
The Duke quietly observed Count Lonsbleur, then raised his hand again.
“Your Majesty, Count Lonsbleur’s argument holds merit. Shall we have the nobles present here vote, according to legal procedure?”
“Very well. Everyone, please express your opinion on the ‘Restoration of the Imperial Consort System.’”
At the Emperor’s command, the nobles placed their hands on the white spheres in front of them.
At the same time, holographic-like letters appeared in midair in the center of the hall.
[For: 1 / Against: 1]
Under “For” appeared ‘Lonsbleur,’ and under “Against” appeared ‘Monclair.’
It seemed to display both the number of votes and the names of the noble houses that cast them.
The numbers gradually rose.
[For: 11 / Against: 7]
As our side fell behind, I instinctively clenched my front paws.
Count Lonsbleur’s triumphant expression was highly irritating.
The numbers continued to fluctuate, with the “Against” votes increasing unusually quickly.
[For: 18 / Against: 32]
The voting seemed to have ended as the numbers stabilized after blinking three times.
Everyone in the hall stared at the numbers intently.
“Out of 50 noble houses, 18 voted in favor and 32 against. The proposal to restore the Imperial Consort system is hereby rejected.”
The chairperson announced the results and struck the gavel three times.
Count Lonsbleur jumped to his feet, disbelief written on his face, and examined the list of names below the numbers.
Many nobles avoided his gaze and coughed awkwardly.
“Thus, following the wishes of the 29th Emperor, the Imperial Consort system shall remain abolished.”
The Emperor proclaimed solemnly, and no one dared to voice opposition.
The Crown Prince said nothing, glaring in turn at me, the Duke, and Marcel.
“If there are no further matters, we shall end the meeting here.”
“Your Majesty. I have something to say before the nobles.”
“Duke Monclair.”
Despite the Emperor’s annoyed gaze, the Duke stood and looked at the Crown Prince and Count Lonsbleur.
“I believe everyone here understands why the Crown Prince and Count Lonsbleur are so obsessed with the Imperial Consort system. In that case, why not consider granting the Crown Princess title instead?”
“Duke, what is the meaning of this?”
The Crown Prince’s voice rose, but the nobles’ murmurs grew even louder.
The sudden statement threw the meeting into chaos.
“There was an issue with the marriage process between the royal family and Monclair. Eloise’s mana signature was supposed to be included, but since my daughter did not awaken, I forcibly reported the marriage without her signature. This is my fault, so I wish to nullify the engagement according to the law. I will also pay the fine for this transgression.”
By taking responsibility and confessing his wrongdoing, the Duke left the Emperor with no way to stop him.
Everyone present was stunned, only able to gape.
I too looked up at him in surprise, not expecting him to go this far.
The Emperor pressed his forehead, grimaced, and sighed before speaking:
“Haah. Duke, proceed according to procedure.”
“By procedure, I admit my wrongdoing.”
Eloise had likely not intended for the confession to be made so publicly.
The Emperor stood, glaring down at the Duke.
“I acknowledge Duke Monclair’s wrongdoing. He is sentenced to a fine of 150,000 gold. The engagement between Arno de Valois and Eloise Monclair is nullified. No Monclair shall be betrothed to Arno de Valois henceforth. Furthermore, for insulting the royal family, Duke Monclair shall be confined to his residence for one year.”
The Duke’s attendance at noble meetings was being restricted to limit his power.
The Emperor was petty to the very end, despite knowing Eloise’s signature had not been included.
“That will be all.”
The Emperor left after dictating his decree.
The nobles remaining in the hall exchanged glances, then stood as the Duke rose.
Count Lonsbleur approached the Duke, who was carrying me out.
“What have you done?”
“Count, a noble fears losing what is in hand more than desiring more.”
The Duke did not ignore the obvious question.
A violent aura, almost murderous, radiated from him, enough that I could feel it while being held. Yet Count Lonsbleur did not flinch.
“Thanks to you, I’ve learned a valuable lesson. I will repay this favor in due time.”
“We shall see. I have more to repay to you, Count. Just wait.”
“I look forward to it. But… is that cat a banner?”
His dark blue eyes looked down at me with menace.
The Duke raised me to his shoulder, bringing my eyes level with his.
Due to the Duke’s larger build compared to Count Lonsbleur, I now looked down at the Count.
“Lizette.”
“Yes.”
“You are a Monclair. No one should dare look down on you.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Duke spoke to me, but it was clearly meant for Count Lonsbleur.
I could feel the other nobles slowly gathering nearby, watching us with interest.
Following the disdainful gaze that Eloise or the Duchess would give, I spoke:
“Count Lonsbleur, are you aware that your esteemed adopted daughter is imprisoned in the Crown Prince’s palace?”
When I told him to check on Marianne instead of quarreling with us, he looked somewhat shocked.
Really? He didn’t know at all?
His face, strangely resembling Marianne’s, was very unsettling.
If Marianne and I stood side by side, one might believe he was our biological father, not just an adoptive one.
“Duke, let’s return to the Monclair residence quickly. You are to serve your house arrest.”
“Very well.”
As I urged the Duke, the nobles made way for us.
Glancing back, Count Lonsbleur was still watching me.
