Stepmothers Are Not Always Evil

Chapter 84



Chapter 84  “A favor…?”“Nothing fancy, just the crown prince eligibility report that Count Turner is working on.”“I see.”“Count Turner will be sending the report to the nobility sometime next week, and I would like the Duke to review it first and give his opinion if it is acceptable.”Helios’ face hardened visibly at the Emperor’s suggestion.I wonder why he bothered to summon us to this meeting of the Imperial family.Since the Duke of Eaton was overthrown, there were no nobles to look after Prince Frederick, so it seems he had called Helios to convince him.Helios cautiously opened his mouth.“My remarks are not very important as the Prince’s report is reviewed by the aristocrats at the aristocracy and gathered opinions.”“I know. But if you express your opinion first, wouldn’t it be easier for other nobles to express their opinion as well?”The Emperor urged Helios to consent with a soft tone.In fact, the report would be accepted even without Helios’ input.The Duke of Eton’s affairs may have tarnished the Empress’s authority, but they have nothing to do with the Prince, and opposing his ascension to the throne is not an alternative.Rather, it may be strange for Helios, who had directly captured the Duke of Eaton, to take the lead and vote in favor.One might even say that Helios is humbling himself for fear of incurring the Crown Prince’s wrath for the Duke of Eton’s actions.“As you know, Your Majesty, my trust has been shattered by my dealings with the Marquis of Melks, and it is difficult for me to take the lead in speaking out, so I think it would be better to stick to the principles.”“Duke Anthemion, that problem is already-”“The only legitimate heir to the empire is His Imperial Highness anyway, so it shouldn’t be a problem if it’s not me.”Helios said euphemistically.The Emperor’s face hardened slightly at being denied a favor right in front of him.“But he didn’t force it twice.“I see your point, Duke, and it is reassuring to know that you are so principled.”“Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty.”Helios bowed his head, and the Emperor tapped him on the shoulder and continued.“As the Duke has seen, the prince has many shortcomings, so even if I am not there, you will take care of it.”“Your Majesty is still strong, so why do you need to worry about the distant future already?”“Who knows what people do. I’m worried because he looks like me and has a weak heart.”The Emperor’s gaze turned to the window. The children were wandering around the garden, not sure what to do.“The Duke’s son is intelligent, so I hope the Duke’s son will be Fred’s faithful adviser, just like the Duke does.”“I’m afraid you’re thinking too much of a child.”“Aren’t children growing up quickly? If the Duke is okay with it, I wish we could be closer.”No, it’s not okay at all.My heart clenched in my chest, wondering what I would do if the word honor came out of Helios’ mouth.Fortunately, Helios only bowed his head instead of answering.The Empress frowned at the sight of avoiding an answer, but the Emperor quietly rose from his seat.“I’ve stayed too long, my sister.”“Thank you for coming, Your Majesty, even though you are busy with your affairs.”“I’ll come whenever you call, my sister, and I’ll see you again soon.”After greeting Grand Duchess Crawford, the Emperor and the Empress left the mansion.“Fred, let’s go back.”The carriage was drawn by the servants who had been waiting anxiously for the Empress to call for the children.Climbing into the carriage, the Emperor waved goodbye to Sirius.“Before you leave, stop by the Imperial Palace.”“I will.”Helios politely bowed.“Ride safely, Your Majesty.”“See you at the Imperial Palace.”The carriage soon left the country house. ***** The mansion was eerily quiet after the Emperor left.I let out the breath I had been holding, fearing I might say something.Just as I was about to say we should leave, Grand Duchess Crawford stopped me.“If you’re not busy, let’s talk for a while.”“… Yes, Grand Duchess.”The Emperor has persuaded Helios, so it must be my turn this time.Helios seemed reluctant, but I readily accepted the Grand Duchess’s proposal.Grand Duchess Crawford, who returned to the drawing room, spoke first.“You must have noticed why I invited you to dinner today.”“I know.”“I see. What do you think?”I chose my words carefully.Although she has built trust with Grand Duchess Crawford over the years, she is the Emperor’s sister and the oldest of the royal family.I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle it if her expectations were dashed.“I am so grateful that Your Majesty has taken good care of our family.”“Is that all?”“… My husband and I are vassals of His Majesty, even if we are not connected by a special relationship.”“Are you satisfied with that?”Hearing the careful answer, the Grand Duchess asked with a deeper look.She is an old-fashioned person who cannot be compared to an Emperor, so she will not be able to deal with her with clumsy puns.“I am not sure what other interests could be between the Emperor and the Duke. Your Majesty the Grand Duchess.”The Grand Duchess’ lips slowly rose.“As you know, Duke Anthemion is a man with many enemies.”“…….”“It was only when Duke Eaton was present that his tyranny was so severe that less attention was paid to Duke Anthemion, but you know that is not the case now.”“…….”“Because of the Academy, even you have begun to attract attention, so the forces of containment will grow more and more.”“If we become a burden to Your Majesty, we are willing to go down to the territory.”“I don’t know if people will look at you with pure intentions because of you.”The Grand Duchess’s tone was like a calm sea, but the content was as fierce as a storm in the middle of winter.“If we do it wrong, His Majesty might think the Duke is biding his time.”“Intentions and interpretations can never be the same, but time will tell, won’t it?”“Will you not regret it?”Grand Duchess Crawford asked again.My heart was touched by the meaningful question.“Escal is still six years old, and the child’s future is up to him to decide. I don’t want to sacrifice a child for the interests of adults.”“Even if it means sacrificing the family name?”“I’m sure Your Majesty and the Grand Duchess will take care of that.”“Is that so?”“Yes. I apologize for not being able to give you the answer you wanted.”“Very well. I know you have no other desires, and I can’t blame you.”My heart was relaxed a little at the more mellow tone of voice. I finally smiled faintly.“Thank you for your understanding, Grand Duchess.” ***** “What did the Grand Duchess say?”Helios opened his mouth right after the carriage had left the country house.I was immersed in my thoughts as I watched the setting sun set, and I slowly opened my mouth.“It’s just like what Your Majesty said earlier.”“They must be in a hurry.”“Is Prince Frederick’s situation so bad?”“It’s not enough to threaten the throne, but it’s hard to say it’s good. He doesn’t have a reliable family, and he doesn’t have any outstanding qualities.”“So that’s why they do it to us.”“Hm.”It was hard to tell that he was wrong to ask for Frederick’s safety, since the Duke of Anthemion was the most powerful of all the nobles in existence.The problem was…“Escal, what did you do in the garden?”“We didn’t do anything, we just talked.”“What are you talking about?”“I’m sorry about last time…”“Princess Adela?”Escal nodded quietly.“Sister Viola made her apologize.”“Sister?”“That’s what older sister and older brother told me….”As I tilted my head at the unfamiliar title, Escal gave a small answer.Helios, who was listening to the conversation, laughed bitterly.“You even talked to the children.”“Obviously, I am the opposite.”“I know, I hate it too. Your Majesty won’t force it right away, so let’s wait and see.”“If Your Majesty speaks directly to you, can you refuse?”“……”Helios lowered his gaze and fell into thought. After a brief but deep thought, he opened his mouth.“Princess Adela is third in line, and neither of them is engaged, so it won’t be until two or three years from now that we’ll be able to talk about it in earnest, unless Escal can find a fiance before them.”As expected, I should get him engaged to Tiaris as soon as possible…“Sirius Peterson said there was a two-year-old princess in the royal family. I wonder if I should ask her to marry him.”No, we can’t do that.I grabbed Escal’s hand and shook my head.“Helios, think carefully about Escal’s marriage.”“Yes.”The conversation ended there.As Helios said, there was no need to overthink it, since Escal was still his age and nothing concrete had been discussed.While I was trying to clear my head and organize my thoughts, Helios looked out the window and raised an eyebrow.“Hm?”“Why?”“That carriage… It looks like the carriage of the Marquis Melks.”“The Marquis of Melks?”I poked my head out the window and stared at where Helios was pointing.An unfamiliar carriage crossed the middle of the boulevard at high speed. However, since the coat of arms was not visible, they could not be sure that it was the carriage of the Marquis Melks.“Didn’t you say that he went down to the estate because he was not in good health? That’s why he didn’t attend the Empress’s birthday party.”“I heard that too…”Helios, who had been watching the carriage moving away, finally shook his head.“No, I must be mistaken, don’t mind it.”


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