Chapter 35
Originally, Marin mainly monitored my palace.
But ever since Gobard disappeared, I had Marin transferred to the Crown Prince’s palace.
Marin could only monitor one palace at a time, so she couldn’t keep watch over both mine and the Crown Prince’s palace simultaneously.
‘Right now, it’s more important to keep an eye on the Crown Prince’s palace than mine.’
The scene Marin had just shared with me was a secret meeting of Gobard’s closest aides.
They were helplessly wringing their hands, unable to stop Gobard’s rampage.
‘And now, even Gobard’s intelligence network and the nobles who support him are starting to clash.’
Well, I suppose it was inevitable—when the one holding the balance disappears, things start to unravel.
Moreover, Gobard’s troubles weren’t limited to internal strife.
The real and more imminent danger for him came from outside.
While I was momentarily lost in thought, I heard a knock at the door.
“Come in~.”
At my permission, someone opened the door and entered.
A woman with neatly coiled deep brown hair.
It was Hidia Eoghal, the daughter of the Minister of Finance.
“A letter has arrived from my father, Your Highness.”
“A letter from Marquis Eoghal?”
Hidia respectfully handed me the letter.
I casually opened it while glancing at her.
“So, Hidia? Does the handmaiden life suit you?”
“Yes, Your Highness. I cannot express how honored I am to be serving by your side.”
She gave a proper and courteous bow.
I smiled brightly at her gesture.
“Hehe, really? I’m glad you came too~. I liked how you confidently disagreed with me during that tea time, and how you immediately came to apologize afterward~.”
At my praise, a faint blush rose on Hidia’s cheeks.
‘Well, to be honest, I didn’t choose Hidia as my new handmaiden just because I liked her.’
Liking someone and finding them easy to manipulate are entirely different matters.
The courage she showed in openly opposing a royal like me during tea time stemmed from her ambition and envy.
And that was more than enough material to manipulate someone.
‘Sometimes, that kind of material can move not just a person—but an entire noble house.’
I paused while reading the letter and tilted my head slightly.
“Hmm, still, I’m a bit worried. Maybe it was too sudden to appoint you as a handmaiden right before your wedding?”
“Not at all!”
Hidia answered quickly.
“My family and my fiancé were absolutely delighted by the news! For nobles, there is no greater honor than to serve royalty!”
“Wow, it’s reassuring to hear you say that! But if the job gets too overwhelming, let me know~. I can still hire more handmaidens!”
“I will serve you with all my heart so that Your Highness never feels a lack of support.”
A polite way of saying, “Please don’t get another handmaiden.”
I nodded with a smile.
‘Where do you think Hidia got that fiery temperament from?’
Obviously, from her parents.
With that thought, I continued reading the letter from her father, Marquis Eoghal, the Minister of Finance.
“To Her Highness Neroli Miban Lornod, the radiant sunshine of the Empire,
Greetings once again.
I am Rot Eoghal, head of House Eoghal and father of Hidia.
It would be discourteous not to express my gratitude in writing, considering the honor Your Highness has bestowed upon our family by selecting Hidia as your handmaiden.
It brings me immense joy, both as her father and a loyal servant of the Empire, to know that my daughter may be of assistance to Your Highness.
Should you ever face difficulty or doubt, please do not hesitate to make use of our Hidia.
As your handmaiden, she will gladly accept her role in your service.
May Your Highness always shine brightly.
Rot Eoghal”
Many noble daughters had vied for the position of my handmaiden.
Princess Kinia, also a royal, had five handmaidens, whereas I had only ever kept one—Brillint.
‘Even though I was the child the Emperor cherished the most…’
That only made the position more desirable to the noble families.
But I had politely declined all their advances.
My modest image helped, but more than that, Brillint was enough. I didn’t really feel any inconvenience.
‘But now that Brillint is gone, the position is vacant.’
Even the most modest princess needs at least one handmaiden.
Despite the chaos surrounding Gobard, nobles were still scheming behind the scenes for this opportunity.
Of course, I wasn’t just standing by—I had everything planned from the start.
‘We can’t let attention drift away from Gobard.’
And so I quickly chose Hidia Eoghal.
The ambitious Eoghal family naturally accepted my offer.
‘Still…’
This letter was laughably transparent.
The Minister of Finance clearly had an agenda.
‘After all, I’ve been feeding Hidia some interesting tidbits under the pretense of confiding my worries.’
Only a handful in the Empire had the privilege of speaking privately with the Emperor on a regular basis.
And people knew I was one of them.
‘The Emperor meets with me for tea three or four times a week, no matter how busy he is.’
Rumors spread that I picked up important information during those tea times.
‘Though in truth, that man simply drinks the tea I blend and admires my face.’
But what does it matter?
As long as I can gather intel myself—and more importantly, maintain this image I’ve cultivated.
Using that image, I whispered a careful mix of lies and truths to Hidia, who dutifully reported them to her father.
This ridiculous letter was simply the result.
‘Hehe. “Use my daughter if you ever feel troubled or in need…”’
He’s basically asking me to feed him more information.
As I folded the marquis’s letter, I looked at Hidia, who was sitting beside me, preparing tea with care.
Every one of her movements screamed eagerness to please.
‘But Marquis… are you sure you want me to use your daughter?’
The moment she entered this palace, she essentially became my hostage.
Does he really think it’s safe to be so carefree?
‘Well, there’s no need for him to realize that just yet.’
Right now, the noble most opposed to Gobard was undoubtedly the Minister of Finance.
Which made him the perfect puppet to use against Gobard.
As long as he worked hard, he would serve his purpose.
“Today’s tea—I brewed it myself. Do you like the aroma?”
Hidia asked politely, unaware of my inner thoughts.
“…Really? It tastes the same as usual! Hidia, you must really know your tea!”
“You flatter me, Your Highness. I’m nowhere near your level of blending tea leaves myself.”
“Still, impressive! Oh, let’s drink together!”
I smiled sweetly and waited for Hidia to take the first sip.
I never touched food or drink prepared by others until I saw it was safe.
***
The Grand Conference Room in the central palace, where the Emperor resided.
From early morning, it was filled with heated discussions.
“This can’t go on!”
Seated around the massive round table were heads of the Empire’s most prestigious houses.
Among them, Marquis Eoghal, the Minister of Finance, raised his voice.
“We can no longer sit idly by and wait for His Highness the Crown Prince! The national agenda is piling up—everything’s in disarray, Your Majesty!”
Some nobles nodded in agreement.
“He speaks the truth. Foreign envoys who witnessed His Highness storm out during the wedding are openly mocking our Empire!”
“And the guards who tried to stop him returned as patients! The Empire is facing internal and external turmoil!”
These were all nobles Marquis Eoghal had drawn to his side in recent days.
It had been easier to persuade them thanks to Hidia being appointed as Princess Neroli’s handmaiden.
‘Our Hidia taking that spot once held so firmly by Lady Sandrine—it was a true stroke of luck.’
Hidia’s status had soared, and the small crumbs of information she shared from Princess Neroli were valuable.
–According to Her Highness, His Majesty has recently shown more interest in Princes Darian and Brindel!
–Is that true?
–Yes! And he even asked about Prince Moren’s well-being!
–Is that so…?
Did Princess Neroli even realize what a critical clue she was offering to the anti-Crown Prince faction?
‘No, she must be completely clueless—why else would she tell Hidia everything so freely?’
So pure and innocent—truly worthy of the title “Sunshine of the Empire.”
‘For me, it’s the perfect opportunity!’
Marquis Eoghal glanced at the Emperor sitting on the throne in the center of the round table.
Why would a monarch known for being distant from his other sons suddenly show interest in them?
What could it mean?
‘Even behind that expressionless face, surely he’s planning something.’
Just as Eoghal opened his mouth to continue, someone else beat him to it.
“And now, the palace is abuzz with rumors about the handmaiden His Majesty allegedly kept hidden.”
It was Count Jellaur, adjusting his monocle.
“As soon as his secret lover disappeared, His Majesty bolted from his wedding to go after her… If that story gets out, the damage to the Empire will be immense.”
Shevers Jellaur—distant cousin of the third Empress. After losing all his immediate family in an accident, he’d inherited his title by luck.
He was also the skilled businessman who had brought the Jellaur Daily to the top of the Empire’s news media.
When such a man spoke in his cool, sharp voice, everyone listened.
