episode_0109

One week after concluding the National Foundation Day ceremony and engaging in a heartfelt argument with Count Hume.

I remained in the audience chamber late into the night, shrouded in darkness, to await the ‘Owl’ and observe the reactions of the nobles to the show put on by Count Hume and myself.

“Lady Shannon, what time is it?”

“Ten minutes to 23:00, Your Majesty.”

“Tsk…”

These damned Owls never break their appointments.

They always appear precisely on time, neither early nor late, delivering their reports and disappearing.

Wouldn’t it hurt them to come a little early for me?

“Haa…”

I sighed and leaned back against the throne.

How should I kill this boredom…

I squinted and looked around, desperately searching for something to alleviate my boredom.

But there was nothing to be found in the dark room, so I could only stare blankly at the Marchioness, who stood silently beside me with a face that seemed about to die of boredom.

“Hmm?”

“Is something the matter, Your Majesty?”

“Marchioness, has anything happened recently?”

“What do you mean by that…”

“Your figure… seems to have changed somewhat.”

I don’t know if it’s an illusion, but she seems fuller overall compared to a few weeks ago.

I could particularly feel the increased volume in her once slender waist and somewhat gentle chest.

“Ah, that’s because of the underwear I recently changed. I’ve reached an age where it’s difficult to stand by Your Majesty’s side all day while wearing a corset, so I had new ones made.”

The Marchioness, looking at me, made a bitter expression and lowered her head slightly.

Fine lines around her eyes, deepened nasolabial folds compared to her younger days, and the slowly increasing flab on her once perfect figure.

She tried her best to conceal these changes with adornments, but she was now at an age where she could no longer completely hide the traces of time.

“Indeed, you’ll be forty-four next year.”

“That’s right, and thanks to that, I’m keenly aware that my body isn’t what it used to be.”

“Tsk, tsk…”

I should bestow some tonic on the Marchioness later.

If I want her to assist me for a long time, I need to take good care of her from now on.

I liked the Marchioness so much that I was determined not to let her retire before she turned 60.

“So, what are these newly fitted undergarments?”

“They were made by an atelier run by Count Hume’s son, a bra and a girdle…? I believe that’s what they were called.”

“William’s? That’s quite unexpected.”

That was the freshest sound I’d heard lately.

I never imagined that the Marchioness, the epitome of a lady, would visit William’s atelier, which, to put it kindly, is the epitome of obscenity.

“My daughter gave them to me as a gift, feeling sorry for my hardship. I was a little uncomfortable, but I couldn’t just throw away what my daughter gave me…”

“Ah- I see.”

As expected.

There’s no way the Marchioness would have visited that place on her own.

“How do they feel when you wear them?”

“The finish, design, fit, and function are all perfect, to the point where it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say so. If I had to find fault, I would say the outer fabric of the girdle is a bit rough.”

“Hoo… Is that so?”

“I could clearly understand what he meant by ‘comfortable yet beautiful,’ which he kept repeating until his mouth hurt. I don’t like his behavior, but I reluctantly have to admit the care he puts into his clothes.”

“Hearing you say that makes me curious too.”

And it’s the Marchioness who’s saying it.

Someone who wears tinted glasses and draws a line at libertines, saying she reluctantly admits it means the weight of her words is different.

I’ll have to ask Elizabeth to get me some of each type someday.

“What time is it now?”

Thinking that, and feeling like some time had passed, I asked the Marchioness for the time once more.

The Marchioness, who had been standing with a sullen face, immediately took out her pocket watch from her bosom and glanced at it upon hearing my words.

“It’s… just now 23:00, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty.”

As soon as the Marchioness confirmed that it was 23:00, the audience chamber door opened, and a knight standing outside entered and knelt.

“The head of the Intelligence Department has arrived to see Your Majesty.”

“Huh…”

As always, they’re truly like ghosts.

The time on clocks varies slightly from person to person and place to place, so how can they appear exactly on time with the time on the Marchioness’s clock…

Suppressing the eerie feeling, I lightly beckoned, and the knight nodded and stepped back outside.

“Oliver George Smith of the Intelligence Department greets His Imperial Majesty.”

And not long after, a middle-aged man, ordinary yet leaving a lasting impression, entered the audience chamber, knelt, bowed his head, and greeted me.

“Yes, do you know why I have summoned you?”

“I heard that you have questions regarding the matter Your Majesty has planned.”

“That’s right, there are many things in the report you submitted that I find difficult to understand.”

“Please ask anything, I will answer everything to the best of my knowledge.”

“Hmm.”

I nodded and picked up the report that the head of the Intelligence Department had submitted this morning, shaking it slightly.

“It has only been a week since I and Count Hume hatched and executed a sinister plan, but this report you submitted states that dozens of nobles have already taken action, is that true?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“I am well aware that your abilities are outstanding, but I find it difficult to believe this result. Because of this, I am concerned that you are being swayed by the false rumors spread by the nobles.”

Nobles backstabbing each other to gain power is as natural as breathing, but it’s only been a week.

It was too fast and too rushed to grasp the Emperor’s sudden, strange behavior and take action.

“I fully understand the concerns you have, Your Majesty, but the conclusions in that report were all reached after two cross-examinations.”

“Huh…”

It was hard to believe, but I had no choice but to believe it.

The Intelligence Department doesn’t usually state something as ‘fact’ with ordinary certainty.

I felt like the strength was draining from my body.

I merely intended to secretly weed out the lukewarm bats, but I never imagined that so many foolish moths would be caught.

Has 20 years of peace been too long for the nobles?

Or have I become too lenient over time?

Or perhaps the ones with any brains left died together when I beheaded my brother?

“That the nobles who lead the country would be such chicken-brained fools, it is a lamentable thing.”

My head throbbed at the feast of idiots, so I clutched my head and closed my eyes.

“Still, nearly 90% of them are normal.”

“I already blew away 20% of them 20 years ago, and again?”

“Wherever people gather, there is bound to be trash, wouldn’t you agree?”

“……”

The head of the Intelligence Department spoke as if it were nothing, with a joke-like tone, but it wasn’t comforting.

Rather, it only reminded me of those damned mongrels who seduced my brother with sweet talk, killed him, and raised an army, making me feel worse.

“Then, what about the Devonshire Ducal House? Their name wasn’t on the report, but is there anything suspicious?”

I continued the questioning, not hiding my discomfort.

Many nobles’ names were on the report, but what really mattered was Devonshire.

Even with its teeth pulled, it was one of the few nobles that could raise enough troops to bother me.

“That side seems to have complicated circumstances, we estimate that opinions are divided among the influential figures within the family.”

“Opinions are divided?”

“There is information that there are differing opinions between observing the situation and supporting the First Imperial Princess.”

“Supporting the First Imperial Princess is unexpected… Is that the Duke’s opinion?”

“Yes, there is no particular reason, we are simply assuming that he intends to follow the succession law.”

“That guy saw some blood because of the previous Duke.”

The previous Duke and the current Duke were the same in their bat-like attitude in politics, but the current Duke and the previous Duke had sharply differing opinions on the issue of succession.

It was because the previous Duke’s bat-like nature had also appeared in the succession of his own child.

Succession law is originally closer to a recommendation than a coercive measure, but making candidates compete until 3 months before the succession was insane even to me.

The current Duke has had enough of doing the same thing that the late Emperor did that turned the country into a war.

“Then there’s nothing more to see.”

I succeeded in weeding out the sinister guys, and I was able to gain unexpected benefits.

It’s a little early, but it’s time to end this shabby and pathetic show.

“Head of the Intelligence Department.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I opened my eyes, straightened my posture, and called the head of the Intelligence Department.

“Based on the information so far, divide the nobles into three categories.”

“Yes.”

“Immediately send away those who have crossed the line, and watch the suspicious ones and deal with them as soon as their tails are caught.”

“Yes, then Your Majesty, to what extent should the level of punishment be?”

“Punish them according to exactly two criteria.”

Pausing for a moment and wearing a vile smile, I stared at the head of the Intelligence Department and continued with a voice full of strength.

“Make it so sure that it sets an example for others, so cruel that they can never have vain thoughts again.”