* * *

With a creak, the grand yet chilling sound of the doors opening revealed the throne where the Emperor sat.

The long carpet stretched before him was so lengthy it seemed to impose its authority on anyone who beheld it.

“Come closer.”

The Emperor’s voice, though soft, carried clearly as if by some magical means, making it feel as though he was whispering right in front of us.

After a brief bow alongside Duchess Velesa, I stepped forward slowly toward the throne.

“So, what is it?”

The Emperor’s words were, of course, not directed at me.

His sharp gaze locked onto Duchess Velesa, who raised her head calmly in response.

“It has been a while, Your Majesty.”

“Indeed, it has. There aren’t many matters that would prompt you to seek me out.”

The Emperor, who despised Duchess Velesa as much as she despised him, was clearly impatient for her to reveal her intentions.

Yet, Duchess Velesa retained her composure as she began to speak.

“I’ve come as an old friend of Your Majesty’s to introduce a young man who might offer counsel on certain recent affairs.”

Her tone was graceful and polite, yet a subtle edge could be felt beneath her words.

It was as though she was saying, “I’ve come because you’ve been acting foolishly, and it’s time someone set you straight.”

“Counsel, you say…”

The Emperor chuckled dismissively, his gaze shifting to me.

His eyes scanned me from head to toe, a scrutiny so intense it sent a chill down my spine.

But I couldn’t afford to flinch. Bowing my head, I waited patiently for him to speak again.

“Very well, let’s hear this introduction. Who are you to offer me counsel?”

He knew perfectly well who I was.

Unless his memory was as short as a goldfish’s, there was no way he had forgotten Nirvan, the territory recently elevated to a countship.

Especially considering that I, paired with Hernan, had already been branded as an annoyance to both his pride and his daughter’s dignity.

His feigned ignorance was clearly a tactic to unnerve me.

“I am Jurgen Nil Everdeen, Viscount of Nirvan, and heir to House Everdeen. Upon my father’s passing, I am to inherit Nirvan.”

The Emperor’s smile grew colder, as if to say, “Spare me the obvious.”

“And what counsel do you presume to offer me?”

I hadn’t come to offer counsel but to make a plea, though his choice of words twisted the meaning.

Suppressing a sigh, I began the speech I had prepared.

“As Your Majesty is aware, Nirvan’s main enterprise is the operation of hot spring resorts. We owe everything to Your Majesty’s great favor and are ever grateful.”

“No need for lengthy preambles. Get to the point.”

So much for setting the stage.

The Emperor cut me off immediately, but I couldn’t complain; I hadn’t meant it sincerely anyway.

“Yes, then I will be direct. Please halt the conquest of Haftis. The region is currently under joint development by Nirvan and Velon for the benefit of all citizens of the Empire.”

“Your logic is absurd. I ordered the purge of Haftis to root out traitors plotting treachery, yet you ask me to stop because it’s under development for the Empire’s benefit?”

Of course, it was all just a pretext.

Though the situation was maddening, losing my temper would only hurt my case.

“Treachery, Your Majesty? That is nothing but a baseless accusation concocted by malign forces. The people of Haftis have long suffered under a lord who failed to fulfill his duties to the Empire. They lack the means to plot rebellion.”

My calm response seemed to irritate the Emperor further.

His hand twitched on the armrest of the throne.

“All the more reason to crush them completely. If they lack the power to rebel, someone must be instigating them. To prove it isn’t the lord of Velon, Grand Duke Iudainet will have to demonstrate his loyalty.”

Hearing the words firsthand, I found them even more absurd than the rumors.

Still, I had succeeded in drawing out the Emperor’s intentions. Half the battle was won.

“If there is another way for Grand Duke Iudainet to prove his loyalty, must it be through immediate conquest? Ordering the slaughter of defenseless citizens without clear evidence, based solely on unsubstantiated claims, seems… premature.”

Persuading the Emperor in a friendly tone was out of the question.

I struck at the heart of the matter, and he sneered in response.

“Another way to prove loyalty? How could a Grand Duke who refused an alliance with the imperial family prove anything?”

The Emperor had all but admitted this was petty retaliation for the Grand Duke rejecting a political marriage.

At that moment, Duchess Velesa stepped forward, her fan snapping shut as she positioned herself between me and the Emperor.

“Then would it suffice if I vouch for his loyalty?”

“What?”

The Emperor’s expression twisted into a look of incredulous anger.

“Why would you vouch for him? This is unlike you, Velesa.”

Raising her chin high, Duchess Velesa answered with unwavering confidence.

“Just as Your Majesty enjoys the services of Hotel Paradise, I am also a long-time patron. Before the Viscount began his ventures in Velon, he sought my counsel. We discussed how marvelous it would be for citizens to enjoy open-air baths amidst snowy landscapes. I introduced him to Velon as an ideal location, and if there has been any misunderstanding, it is my responsibility to clarify.”

It was all a lie.

We had concocted the story in the carriage ride to the palace.

Yet Duchess Velesa spoke as though recalling a cherished memory, her poise impeccable.

“Just as I have watched Viscount Everdeen grow from a young age, so too have I observed Grand Duke Iudainet. As a representative of the Council of Elders, I can vouch that he is not one to engage in treachery.”

This too was a lie. Admiring her composure, I bowed again, concealing my respect.

“Furthermore, Grand Duke Iudainet has been a steadfast defender of the Empire’s northern borders, eliminating monsters year after year. To doubt the loyalty of a man who has spent years in frozen lands ensuring the safety of the Empire’s people would discourage other nobles from sending their sons to the frontlines. Please rescind the order for conquest.”

It was a heavy blow, implying the Emperor’s actions undermined trust in the nobility.

The Council of Elders’ endorsement left the Emperor with little room to argue unless he could produce a stronger counterpoint.

As the saying goes, without proper evidence to justify his orders for the massacre of citizens, the Emperor was powerless when the Council of Elders stepped in to oppose him.

If he had a meticulous and cunning nature, he could have fabricated evidence on the spot, brazenly declaring, “See? They were plotting treason all along,” and stubbornly insisted on his point.

‘But it’s already too late for that.’

The fearless expression of Duchess Velesa proved that fact.

The Emperor, unable to hide his unease, clenched his teeth in frustration and muttered under his breath.

“Ha. To think she claimed she was too frail with age to make it to the palace—what a bluff. So she came all this way just to coddle a bunch of greenhorns?”

Duchess Velesa was quick to retort, unfazed.

“I am merely fulfilling the responsibilities befitting an adult. You should stop your pointless obstinacy.”

It was the kind of remark that only someone wielding power second only to the Emperor himself could dare to make.

The contemptuous glare from Duchess Velesa seemed to pierce through the Emperor’s chest, leaving him clenching his teeth and clutching his forehead in frustration.

The Emperor knew that any further resistance would only lead to the campaign against Haftis being submitted to the Council as an agenda item, which would undoubtedly be rejected.

Yet, conceding to Duchess Velesa felt like admitting defeat, something he could not stomach.

After agonizing for a long moment, he finally let out a groan and opened his mouth again.

“Summon Princess Evelyn and the Grand Duke.”

With his head bowed, the Emperor gestured, and the chamberlain nearest to him bowed deeply before rushing out.

If Hernan had reached the Heskin fortress on time, he would likely have arrived at the palace by now.

I prayed fervently that nothing had happened to Hernan in the meantime, and that nothing would derail our plans.

* * *