episode_0155

A reception room packed with dozens of people lined up.

I, fiddling with my tie knot and scanning the interior, raised my eyebrows and muttered quietly.

“I’m screwed…”

The layout of the reception room, with the emperor’s faction and the noble faction divided by the center of the carpet.

I didn’t realize it at first, but I noticed after seeing Duke Devonshire and some others I met in prison across from me.

It’s not impossible that it’s a coincidence.

The Earl and Countess of Albemarle, my mother’s friends, were waving lightly at me from the line opposite me.

It could have been a near coincidence that this divided arrangement came about.

It’s not a typical banquet where people take seats freely, but an imperial event where even servants accompanying nobles are thoroughly managed.

A world of paranoid people who put meaning into every movement and every action.

That Empress Frederica and Elizabeth are standing side by side on my left, and nobles who are close to my parents are lined up on my right, wasn’t intentional?

That’s ridiculous.

“……”

Dizzying.

No one denies that there are emperor and noble factions, but this is the first time the imperial family, which officially pretends not to know while claiming that everyone is a subject loyal to the empire, has been so blatant.

Less than two months after His Majesty the Emperor gave the noble faction a taste of real-world compressed prison experience, issuing a stern warning.

And it happens when I’m alone, not when my father or mother are present.

I don’t know why this is happening.

I did resolve to live a more active life this year, but our God listened to my resolution too meticulously.

“Haa…”

I roughly straightened my tie and collar, which were slightly misshapen from being touched too much, and made eye contact with Duke Devonshire, who was standing directly in front of me.

He resembles the previous duke a lot, and he’s young.

But the emotions in his eyes are a little more sinister and sharp.

In many ways, it seemed like he had a lot of negative feelings towards me.

I was a bit of a jerk to the previous duke and his children, but I was wronged because I was the one who got hit first.

He was prickly first, so I acted the same way, and now he’s getting mad…

“Tsk.”

The Duke and I clicked our tongues and frowned at the same time.

It was easy to tell what each other’s feelings were, even from a distance, so it wasn’t easy to manage our expressions.

Well… thanks to that, I felt like I was relieved of some tension.

It’s ridiculous that he doesn’t seem to have learned his lesson even after being scolded so much by His Majesty the Emperor.

It’s annoying, but it’s only been a month since his faction members went on a prison tour and barely got out, so it’s not good to act so venomously.

“Everyone, kneel!”

As the Duke and I were exchanging heated glances, the silence inside the audience chamber was broken by the chief chamberlain’s shout, and the door burst open.

At that voice, all the nobles knelt and bowed their heads, and the fierce psychological warfare that had been going on for nearly a dozen minutes was temporarily subdued.

“The Empire’s radiant sun, Empress Frederica, and her consort, His Royal Highness Prince Leonard, are entering!”

Followed by the appearance of His Majesty the Emperor and His Royal Highness the Prince Consort.

Now the quiet and gloomy skirmish was over, and it was the moment to announce the start of the fierce and heated political maneuvering that was scheduled to last all day.

_

When do you think is the most intense moment of psychological warfare at a celebration for dignitaries?

Before the event starts?

Or when the event is in full swing and the banquet is underway?

We commonly think that that moment is when the most intense political maneuvering will take place, but unfortunately, there was rarely any squabbling before banquets or events.

No matter how bad the relationship is due to political strife, they are working together and running the country, and if they openly show their animosity, His Majesty the Emperor will intervene, so they pretend to be friendly with each other while laughing.

What happened on National Foundation Day when the late Duke Devonshire openly gave me a hard time was unusual.

He came out confidently to fix a young pup’s habits, but he probably didn’t know he would get hit by the Princess’s one-two punch.

“Next, we will have a time to present gifts to His Royal Highness the Prince Consort! Those who are called will come forward and present what they have prepared to His Royal Highness the Prince Consort.”

Rather, the most sordid and fierce political battle occurs when presenting gifts to the protagonist of the event.

At that moment, all the nobles use all means and methods to determine superiority in various factors, such as which side presented a better gift, how useful the presented gift is to the recipient, and how strongly the recipient reacted to the gift.

Starting with belittling the other party’s gift, they gild their faction’s gift as much as possible and attach all sorts of flowery words to the gift to give it a very touching meaning.

Therefore, the time for presenting gifts is when everyone does not let go of their tension and rushes in with their eyes lit up to take the lead in the atmosphere.

And at such an important moment, I am the very first to present a gift to His Royal Highness the Prince Consort.

Originally, it is absurd for a baron or count to present a gift before a member of the royal family or a foreign dignitary.

But I am none other than the Earl of Hume’s representative, a friend of the Prince Consort and the Emperor.

It was possible because I was the representative of a loyalist who supported the Emperor and the Prince Consort more than anyone else and rushed to their side first.

“……”

Everyone in this place knows that, so regardless of faction, everyone focused their attention on me, waiting for my name to be called.

“Hmm…”

Therefore, in order not to show the nobles any sign of weakness, I maintained the most confident posture possible and wore a slightly brazen and arrogant expression that felt almost haughty.

“Hehe…”

“Tch…”

Even though they are seeing the same action, it is seen as a young man’s impetuosity to some and the spirit of a young rising star to others, and contrasting reactions flow out.

“First, Her Imperial Highness Princess Alexandrine, please come forward and present a gift to His Royal Highness the Prince Consort!”

“Hmm?”

“What…?”

However, breaking everyone’s expectations, the first name called was that of the Princess.

Everyone, unable to hide their bewilderment at the sudden variable, watched to see how I, and Their Majesties the Emperor and Prince Consort, would react.

“……”

I was just as embarrassed, but if I showed that I was embarrassed, the momentum would pass as it was, so I smiled gently as if I had expected it and shifted my gaze to Her Imperial Highness the Princess.

“Hmph, hmm… This Alexandrine, as the daughter of His Majesty and the Empire’s father…”

Her Imperial Highness the Princess also glanced at His Majesty with her eyes shaking for a moment as if she had not heard of this, but soon regained her composure, came to the center, and knelt.

It was touch and go, but I was able to overcome the first crisis.

The problem is that no one knows when my turn is.

I waited for my turn, which I had prepared myself to be pushed back to the very end, with a smile on my face.

“The Cardinal of the Imperial Archdiocese…”

“Duke Devonshire…”

“Marquess of Bath…”

“Earl of Tigris…”

From royalty to dignitaries, from dignitaries to dukes, from dukes to marquesses and earls.

My name does not come out even though the status is gradually decreasing.

As those who have not presented gifts disappear one by one, anxiety slowly rises.

“Lastly, William Henry Howard, Baron Howard, please come forward and present a gift to His Royal Highness the Prince Consort!”

As everyone in the audience hall presented their gifts and there was no one left who could not present a gift, and they were trembling with anxiety that my name might not be called, my turn came.

In some ways, it was a slight.

And in other ways, it was a preference.

I suffered the humiliation of being pushed back to the very end, but I was given the opportunity to leave a strong impression at the very end.

“Hoo-”

Taking a light breath, I strode forward and knelt in the center.

Then, the imperial chamberlain carried several boxes and placed them one by one in front of me.

“William Henry Howard, Baron Howard, as the Earl of Hume’s representative and as a noble, presents the gifts prepared by the Earl of Hume and his vassal to His Royal Highness the Prince Consort.”

The chamberlains who had placed the boxes stepped back, and when the view in front of me was clear, I bowed my head deeply and offered a ceremonial greeting.

“Baron Howard, raise your head and explain the gifts you are presenting.”

“Yes.”

With the permission of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, I raised my head and immediately opened the lid of the leftmost box prepared by my father and began to explain.

“This is a pure white fox fur prepared by the Earl of Hume, which resides in the permanent permafrost. The pure white fur can only be obtained in the dark winter of the north where the sun does not rise, so even skilled elven hunters have to risk their lives to barely obtain it. It is a rare item.”

I immediately opened the box in the center, which was prepared by my brother.

“And this is a craft made from reindeer antlers, prepared by the Earl of Hume’s heir-designate and eldest son, the Viscount of Hume. The appearance of the Holy Spirit is copied by carving antlers that are 1m long.”

I finished explaining the gifts prepared by my father and brother and paused for a moment.

Up to this point, it was a gift prepared as a member of the Hume family.

My gift was prepared by Baron Howard, not the Hume family, so I deliberately distinguished it.

“Hmm, please give them my thanks for giving such precious gifts to those who could not be here with us.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Noticing this, His Royal Highness the Prince Consort nodded and thanked my father and brother, and then fixed his gaze on the box surrounded by an ivory-colored wrapping cloth on the far right.

“But, what is in the box that you haven’t opened yet?”

“This is a gift prepared by Baron Howard, who has newly enjoyed the glory of becoming a nobleman. The box is wrapped in the highest quality silk woven from fabric, and the box containing the contents is made of the highest quality mahogany wood that can also be used for musical instruments.”

Responding immediately to the words of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, who was setting the stage, I carefully unwrapped the wrapping cloth.

“Hmm…”

“Kuh…”

As the unique color of mahogany was revealed to the world, the noble faction members who were watching this groaned and frowned.

Silk and mahogany.

They must be feeling a sense of crisis because they used things that can be gifts in themselves, even if they are not processed and only the materials are prepared, just for packaging.

I had properly suppressed the momentum.

Now all that’s left is for Their Majesties the Prince Consort and the Emperor to like the necktie.

“Gulp…”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding as if it would burst, and opened the box with trembling hands.

And I turned the box and tilted it slightly so that the two of them could see the contents easily.

“This is a piece of clothing called a necktie that I designed and made myself. It is worn by wrapping it around the neck like a cravat and tying a knot. It was made in four types so that it can be combined with various dress codes, and it was made with the best materials by the best craftsmen in our atelier for three days.”

“Hoo…”

An exclamation that anyone could tell was full of interest.

However, this time it was not His Royal Highness the Prince Consort who reacted, but His Majesty the Emperor.

His Majesty the Emperor, with a satisfied smile on his face as he looked into the box with a burning gaze, suddenly jumped up from the throne and fluttered his golden dress hem as he approached me.

“Each one is an ornament that looks very good on my consort.”

“Thank you for seeing it favorably.”

“Baron Howard, which of these four neckties do you think would suit my consort the most?”

His Majesty, who nodded and made positive remarks about the necktie, pointed to the contents of the box and asked a question that was truly difficult to answer.

This was a question I had expected enough, so I glanced at His Royal Highness the Prince Consort’s clothes and pointed to one of the neckties with my hand.

“The one that would suit His Royal Highness the Prince Consort the best is this, a plain necktie with a gold stripe pattern on a navy blue fabric.”

“Why? Why did you make that judgment? I think this one is the best.”

“……”

With a mischievous smile, His Majesty pointed to the skinny tie next to him and continued with a question that was truly difficult to answer.

If I agreed with the Emperor’s words, I would be told that I didn’t see it properly at first, and if I said no, I would be going against the Emperor’s judgment.

I took a moment to organize my thoughts and calmly opened my mouth.

“… First of all, the outfit that His Royal Highness the Prince Consort is wearing now is a dark burgundy color with a strong feel. This is because this necktie, which has a navy blue color and a stripe pattern for emphasis, is the best match in terms of color.”

“Hmm.”

“The brown skinny tie that His Majesty is pointing to is attractive as a standalone design, but unfortunately, it does not match His Royal Highness the Prince Consort’s current outfit, and it also feels too light for a place that requires formality, so it does not match the place. Therefore, it is a necktie that is recommended to be worn in a somewhat… light or private place.”

I affirm the Emperor’s choice, but also reinforce the reason why I didn’t choose the skinny tie by saying that it doesn’t match the dress code.

And at the end, I told the story of what my intentions were when I made this, and gave a meaningful smile.

It’s a slightly risky act, but His Majesty the Emperor directly laid the groundwork, so I couldn’t just sit still and foolishly, so I stepped on it a little boldly.

“Haha! This cheeky thing, its actions are gradually starting to resemble its mother.”

“……”

“Good, I will follow your opinion.”

At my appearance, His Majesty the Emperor laughed heartily as if he was not in a bad mood, and bent down and picked up the navy blue necktie.

“Haa…”

His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, with a sullen smile on his face at the sight, let out a light sigh and got up from his seat.

And after taking off the cravat wrapped around his neck and handing it to the chamberlain standing next to him, he stiffened his collar and raised his head rigidly for His Majesty the Emperor, who was approaching him.

“Hehe…”

His Majesty, who stopped one step in front of His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, wrapped the necktie around His Royal Highness the Prince Consort’s neck with a pleasant smile, tied the necktie knot, and then straightened the collar and necktie around his neck.

And as he slowly stroked the necktie from the knot as if sweeping it down, His Majesty, as if pulling on a leash, grabbed the end of the necktie and stared intently into His Royal Highness the Prince Consort’s eyes.

“Hmm, as Baron Howard said, it suits you so well.”

3 seconds of silence and 3 seconds of exchanging glances ended with His Majesty the Emperor’s satisfied voice.

“Baron Howard, thank you for giving such a beautiful and precious gift to the Consort.”

“Thank you for making the Emperor happy, Baron Howard.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you, Your Highness.”

A sizzling performance and unlimited positive reviews.

The fact that I witnessed both of those at the same time from none other than Their Majesties the Emperor and Prince Consort.

The first battle, the gift presentation, ended with my complete victory.