Chapter 18 looks good
Chapter 18 looks good
The weekend really went by in the blink of an eye.
I walked around the shopping district with Flora on Saturday, so even so, I only stayed at the imperial palace on Sunday.
I tried to imagine what happened in the past between my father and Cecilia.
I went to the library of the imperial palace to investigate which country to escape to on this vast continent of Arsenia.
Then, there was a book that caught my eye, so I grabbed hold of it and read it…….
Ah, I wasted all my time reading.
Still, it was quite useful, so the time was not wasted. So that’s it, what?
“Let’s see…….”
Before going to the office, I checked my appearance in front of a full-length mirror.
Head. There is no place where there is a swallow’s nest, and there is no place where it is gathered.
Beard. Well shaved.
Staff Conquest. Thanks to the ironing done by the maids yesterday, the angles are very good.
Finally, cravat. It’s a little blurry.
I carefully tidied up the messy parts by hand. Now everything is ready to go to work.
Looking at the grandfather clock, it was 8:40 am.
“Let’s do our best today as well.”
I left the room after blowing a breath.
* * *
“Did everyone have a good weekend?”
Before starting work, Cecilia looked at me and her ladies-in-waiting. Mulia and Flora answered first.
“Yes! I had a good time, Your Majesty.”
“Thanks to Your Majesty, I had a good time.”
It’s my turn next.
“Yes. Looking back on the past week, I had time to reflect on how to do my job better this week.”
“Hmm… ….”
Did you really do that?
No, it can’t be.
But it sounds better to pay lip service than just say you had a good time.
“Didn’t you go out with Flora on Saturday?”
“Yes. Thanks to the Lady of Simonion, I was able to choose gifts for my family and friends.”
“That means you had a fulfilling weekend in your own way.”
Cecilia nodded her head once in agreement.
“Luke. What is your morning work schedule?”
The expression on her face as she asked me was dignified like an emperor.
“There will be a meeting at 9:20 in the conference room.”
“… ….”
Cecilia quietly closed her eyes with a low moan. It seemed to me that he was anticipating how stressful he would be in the future.
She could understand it enough because she had seen her struggles not once or twice in her conference room.
“About 30 minutes. I’ll have to work until I go. Everyone have a seat.”
Following Cecilia’s instructions, her maids and I were seated almost simultaneously. Right after that, today’s paperwork rushed in from various departments.
Um. As expected, there will be at least 500 copies today.
It has been almost two months since I entered the imperial palace. It is a familiar and normal daily life.
It’s familiar and natural, but…… I hate to do it.
I don’t want to hold a noble meeting.
Really administrative work is a series of things I don’t want to do.
Today, the paperwork I was supposed to be in charge of was handling the expenses of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which is in charge of facilities and furnishings in the imperial palace, and drafting the next month’s budget.
‘Ah, these days, I keep taking only documents related to numbers… ….’
I took out the abacus and started checking to see if the billing had been done properly. But it wasn’t long before it was time to leave for the conference room.
After taking the papers containing today’s agenda, I approached Cecilia’s desk.
“Your Majesty. It is time to depart.”
“…… Okay.”
Cecilia struggled to get herself up like wet cotton. Anyone could see that he didn’t want to go, but there wasn’t a single crazy person here who could point that out.
“Eggplant.”
I followed Cecilia to the conference room.
* * *
“Meet Her Majesty Emperor Cecilia, the mother of the Eckhart Empire.”
As Cecilia sat on the throne in the Great Council Room, the nobles greeted her in unison.
“Everyone take your seats.”
Aristocrats took their seats at the dignified voice that did not sound like a 19-year-old. I handed in the documents containing today’s agenda that I had prepared in advance to Cecilia.
Cecilia looked through her papers with her chin up.
“The first agenda is related to the appearance of monsters in the northern region.”
Taking her eyes off the papers, Cecilia looked around at the nobles sitting on either side of her.
“Is the Marquis Hans seated here?”
At her question, nobles looked around and murmured. You see, it doesn’t look like it’s there?
Just as I was thinking that, a man who was standing up in the farthest corner came into my field of vision.
“Your Majesty. I am Baron Ringel, who has come here in place of Marquis Hans.”
“Come here. I would like to hear more about it.”
For reference, the agenda related to subjugation of monsters was added in a hurry this morning. Carrying a letter from Margrave Hans, Baron Ringel personally came to Cecilia and requested reinforcements to subdue the monsters.
From noble mtl dot com
I heard about this from Cecilia on the way to the conference room.
This was the only thing that came to my mind as I watched Cecilia from the sidelines all the time.
Living as an emperor is hard in many ways.
‘How could such an emperor turn into a tyrant?’
Have you become a tyrant due to an explosion of stress after being too overwhelmed with work?
While thinking for a while, Baron Ringel approached Cecilia. He got down on one knee and bowed his head.
“How is the war situation?”
“The Margrave’s soldiers are still fighting back as much as possible, but I think the war of attrition will only continue at this rate…….”
There was a hint of despair in Baron Ringel’s voice.
Cecilia asked him another question. The number of casualties, the weapon stock, and the number of supplies and reinforcements needed.
“There is no problem in supplying food, but the shortage of arrows is severe. This monster is the size of a house, and there are even four of them. We need at least 2,500 more soldiers to stop them, Your Majesty.”
At the word of 2,500 people started to buzz here and there. This was a fairly large scale for a monster subjugation.
“That means the situation is not so good… ….”
Cecilia muttered in a low voice.
I really had to do that. If the northern provinces are penetrated, it is only a matter of time before the other provinces are devastated.
So I had to deal with them at the Margrave’s Castle.
“First of all, I will dispatch the Imperial Knights, but there are 2,000 in total, which is not the number you want. Unfortunately.”
Having said that, Cecilia slowly rose from her throne.
“So I need your support.”
This was an order from the emperor. However, not a single aristocrat willingly raised his hand.
…… How could this be?
Is the fate of the empire at stake?
It’s understandable that the aristocrats keep their mouths shut. Those guys are the kind of people who are busy arguing about anything Cecilia says.
But I never really thought that even the emperor’s aristocrats would be swaying.
What can I say? Should I say that disappointment and betrayal come at the same time?
“… ….”
I checked Cecilia’s expression with a sidelong glance, just in case. Seeing his expression more firm than usual, he seemed quite upset.
What should I do with this?
Then someone asked for a say. It was the Duke of Montersen, an elder of the aristocratic faction.
What else can I say…….
“Yunheohaji.”
“Your Majesty. This time, we will recruit 500 knights from our family.”
Huh? Why is that duke trying to help Cecilia?
But in the next moment, Duke Montersen showed his sword without hesitation.
“Instead of that, I would like you to consider my son, Theorod Montersen, as a candidate for the position when the monster subjugation is over.”
“Duke.”
“If you don’t do God’s favor, there is no borrowing.”
To come out like this even before the crisis of the empire.
What’s more, it’s mean.
I took a closer look at the Duke’s face. Because it’s a face that always looks greedy.
“… ….”
Cecilia only let out a heavy moan instead of answering. I looked at her, wondering if she was in her heart, and I caught her eyes with her fists tightly clenched.
Cecilia using her imperial name would be a way to suppress it, but…….
‘I might face a backlash later.’
Her imperial authority is still not firm. So nobles who have sons are eager to get their son to sit next to Cecilia somehow.
South Korea was like sh*t in many ways, but there was nothing different here either.
‘It’s hard to say no… ….’
It would be fortunate if Cecilia dispatched 2,000 imperial knights and won. But if she loses, it’s a getaway plan and whatever it is, it’s just doomed!
It’s like we’re in a situation where we have to somehow stop the invasion of monsters.
“Your Majesty. The sooner you decide, the better.”
“Yes. If we can’t stop the monsters like this, there will be a big disaster for the empire.”
“Please make a decision.”
The members of the noble faction raised their voices in unison.
If the atmosphere was like this, the emperor’s aristocrats would have to step in, but I didn’t see anyone stepping out, just whispering to each other.
If you send a soldier for no reason and get damaged, it’s your own loss, so you don’t want to take it.
How could it be that there are only so many selfish people?
At that time, Count Hula, one of the Imperial nobles, raised his hand. Cecilia silenced the aristocrats before allowing her to speak.
“You can send up to 200 knights of our family.”
“If that happens, a total of 2,200 people? Baron Ringel.”
Ringel, who had been lowering his head the whole time, replied.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Is this enough?”
“I’m sorry, but 2,500 people were the minimum… ….”
When this happened, the aristocrats raised their voices again asking for a decision.
Mistress, this is a headache.
I am grateful that Count Hula stepped up…… The imperial faction was no longer in the mood for applicants to come out.
At that time, an idea crossed my mind.
There are a total of 2,500 knights stationed in the imperial family.
Cecilia intended to send all but the minimum number of 500 people required to protect the imperial family to the Marquis.
But if we can send all the Imperial Knights, there’s no reason to accept the Duke of Montersen’s offer.
Then, all you have to do is decide who will be in charge of the imperial guard.
“Your Majesty. God has an idea. May I speak?”
“Yunheohaji.”
I straightened her bent back and told her.
“It would be better to dispatch all 2,500 members of the Imperial Knights.”
“If that happens, there will be a gap in the imperial family’s security.”
“How about filling that gap through borrowing?”
“!”
Cecilia opened her eyes wide for an instant. Like I never thought of it this way.
“How dare a baron’s Yeongsik speak carelessly!”
“Quiet. It’s too noisy.”
As Cecilia rose from her throne, the Duke of Montersen shut her mouth.
“I will send all 2,500 members of the Imperial Knights to the Marquis. Instead, let’s temporarily fill the gap in the security with Count Hula’s knights. If this is the case, there will be little loss to your troops.”
After a brief pause, Cecilia turned her head towards the Imperial nobles.
“This time, I will try to repay those who helped me with the imperial family’s security.”
Cecilia tossed her carrot at the Emperor Parr.
Then, she said, several of those who were watching raised her hands and promised to send her troops.
I quickly went back to my seat and wrote down their names and the number of troops to dispatch on a piece of paper.
Then he looked at the Duke of Montersen, and he looked quite resentful.
You look good, old man.
-Continued