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As soon as Edwin brought up the Emperor, the Marquess’s expression changed. He spoke in a low voice.
“Are you trying to say that I’m using His Highness as a front to reclaim my former position?”
“Aren’t you? It seems you’re not only trying to reclaim what you once gained with difficulty, but that you’re aiming for even more.”
“Duke!”
“How could you say such a thing!”
The nobles seated on either side of the Marquess stood up in protest, but Edwin’s gaze remained fixed solely on the Marquess. The Marquess’s lips curled slightly as he clenched his hands atop the table.
“You go too far. It’s as if you’re accusing me of coveting His Majesty’s throne… That’s what it sounds like. Your leap in logic is excessive, Duke. How could you so gravely misunderstand my desire to achieve His Highness’s noble ideals in his stead?”
“Noble ideals… Are you truly saying that His Highness’s ideals lie on the throne?”
“If not the throne, what else could they be? He was born the son of an emperor and already possesses the power to conquer the world. He can do what the current Emperor cannot. Isn’t that why you follow him as well?”
“His Highness’s ideals are for him to determine—not something we can define. Though he possesses power, he has never once used it for his own benefit. I believe it’s our duty to watch over him and help him find what he truly wants.”
The Marquess silently observed Edwin, who stood his ground and expressed his beliefs clearly. With a short sigh, the Marquess muttered:
“You really are impossible to reason with. I’ve thought that from the beginning.”
“……I feel the same.”
The Calvino and Celeste families had long been locked in a generational feud, and the rift had only widened under the leadership of the current heads—Marquess Calvino and Duke Edwin Celeste. Though both were part of the noble faction, their aims were vastly different.
Marquess Calvino led the radical nobles, who sought to replace the tyrannical emperor, while Duke Celeste led the moderates, who tried to find a point of harmony between the nobles, the Emperor, and the Grand Duke.
Though disagreements were frequent, this was the first time tensions had escalated so fiercely. The nobles caught between the two could only glance around nervously.
“At this rate, it seems we can’t continue this discussion. And on the eve of a joyous occasion, no less. Must you really be like this, Duke? For a man with such a wise daughter, you lack quite a bit of foresight.”
“This has nothing to do with my daughter.”
“Your daughter will become His Highness’s consort—my future granddaughter-in-law. How can it have nothing to do with her? Or are you saying you’re fine with canceling the engagement?”
“Are you capable of canceling it?”
“……”
The Marquess was at a loss for words as Edwin calmly replied. Calling off the engagement was certainly possible, but from the Marquess’s perspective, there was no better candidate than the Celeste heiress.
Among the radical faction, there were no young ladies of appropriate age and status. Among the moderates, most were of lower status. And picking someone from the neutral faction was out of the question.
Though he could bluff, actually calling off the engagement would put the Marquess in a difficult position. Clicking his tongue inwardly, he forced a composed expression and cautiously shifted topics.
“Think about it. If our great endeavor succeeds, His Highness will ascend the throne, and your daughter will become Empress. It’s a far more prestigious position than Grand Duchess—she’d be the mother of the Empire. Wouldn’t that be a great honor for the young lady?”
“Well. Even if it were a great honor, I believe my daughter would still refuse. Above all, she would insist on putting His Highness’s wishes first.”
“And how would you know that?”
“Because she is my daughter.”
Edwin answered more swiftly and confidently than ever. He held back the rest of what he wanted to say.
He knew all too well how glorious and honorable the title of Empress was. However, the current Tiana likely had no interest in that title.
Before the accident, things might have been different. As a noble daughter, Tiana had understood her duties—but she’d always said she wished for a simple, happy family with a good partner.
He suddenly recalled her once saying that she wanted to become a couple like her mother and father. The shy smile she wore then overlapped with how she looked at the Grand Duke today.
Edwin was convinced. That girl would think of His Highness before herself. Perhaps she was better suited than Edwin himself to judge what was best for him.
Seeing the Marquess struggling to refute, Edwin smiled lightly and spoke.
“Well then, would you like to hear my daughter’s opinion directly? As it happens, she entered the palace with me today. Ah, she’s probably in an audience with His Majesty by now.”
“……”
“Shall I summon her here when she’s finished?”
“……No need.”
The Marquess shook his head heavily, his mouth tightly shut. Edwin’s relaxed smile irritated him deeply, but he could find no more arguments.
From what he’d seen of Lady Celeste, she wasn’t likely to eagerly desire the Empress’s seat.
Her closeness to His Highness was also unexpected, and the way His Highness treated her continued to defy his expectations.
Now, he couldn’t even call off the engagement. The Marquess, his frustration peaking, tried to calm himself.
Edwin, quietly observing, said lightly:
“And from now on, I believe there will be no further need for your involvement in His Highness and my daughter’s marriage.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean you’ve played your part, Marquess. From here on, matters will be handled directly between our family, the Crown Princess, and the Grand Duke. Please step back and observe.”
“Why, you…!”
“You’ve been a helpful bridge as His Highness’s maternal grandfather. But now, leave the rest to us—and as his grandfather, simply enjoy his future marriage.”
“……”
Edwin’s words were a clear warning: back off. Though the Marquess had contributed to the engagement, Edwin would allow no more interference.
The Marquess bit his lip, realizing Edwin intended to limit his future involvement to that of a passive ‘grandfather.’
As silence fell, the two men stared each other down. The Marquess didn’t avert his gaze—but he had nothing more to say.
*
When the meeting ended, Marquess Calvino and the radical nobles left the chamber quickly. The moderate nobles lingered, watching Edwin cautiously until he gestured for them to go.
Once they left, Edwin leaned back comfortably in his chair and closed his eyes. Count Russell approached and asked:
“Why are you moving so suddenly?”
“……”
“Weren’t you planning to take things more slowly? Especially with the lady’s upcoming wedding…”
Count Russell, puzzled, waited patiently as Edwin remained silent with his eyes closed. Eventually, Edwin opened his eyes and spoke.
“Because the time has come.”
“…Is now really the best time? Things seem unstable…”
“No. It has to be now. We must begin the preparations.”
“……”
“…Yes. Originally, I planned to wait a little longer. I wanted to observe the situation and move cautiously. But an unexpected variable appeared. A major one.”
After Tiana’s accident, Edwin had intended to delay his plans. But her recovery, and the successful engagement, had shifted everything.
Those became the very variables that sped things up again.
“Do you remember the late Emperor’s final words?”
“Pardon? Yes… I do…”
“He said, ‘I entrust you with all that remains.’ Who do you think he meant by ‘all’?”
“Well… the current Emperor, the Grand Duke, and the citizens of the Empire, of course.”
“That’s right. But we must take a broader view. The Emperor isn’t the only one left in the palace. The Crown Princess remains, and the Empire isn’t made up of only commoners. Nobles like us are part of it too.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, he meant different things for each of us.”
The late Emperor, who died from a long illness, had left a private will to Edwin and the moderate nobles. Edwin never forgot how the Emperor held his hand until the very end.
He knew what the Emperor worried about and what he hoped for. He’d spent enough time with the Emperor to understand his heart.
Among those the Emperor entrusted were the Crown Princess, the Marquess, Lucius, and the current Emperor, Rayel.
Unless something unforeseen happened, Tiana would continue recovering, get married, and soon begin formal social activities.
Naturally, her interactions with the Emperor and the Crown Princess would increase. Edwin’s interactions with Lucius and the Crown Princess would grow as well. That made now the perfect time.
“As his subject, I must fulfill the will he left behind.”
Even if that will was stained in blood—Edwin saw it as his duty.
*
“Father, is something wrong?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You don’t look well. Did something happen during the meeting?”
On the way back, Lucius and I happened to meet Edwin as he exited the meeting room. We shared a carriage out of the palace.
He remained quiet and troubled the entire ride. I cautiously asked, and he shook his head.
“No. The meeting ended without issue. Don’t worry.”
“But… are you feeling unwell?”
“It’s nothing like that.”
Though he smiled faintly, there was no strength in his expression. It didn’t seem like the face of someone with no worries.
As I looked at him with concern, Lucius gently held my hand. The warmth reassured me, and when I smiled at him, he smiled back.
“…Tiana. And Your Highness.”
Edwin, who had been silently watching us, spoke.
“You two must be happy.”
“…Pardon?”
“I will ensure it happens… You must be happy.”
“…What?”
Lucius and I blinked in confusion at his sudden words, but Edwin fell silent once more.
Even after I called out to him several more times, he remained with his eyes closed until we arrived home.
Watching his back as he quietly returned to his room, I felt—somehow—that he had made a resolute decision.
