Chapter 13
There is a crude expression that goes, “to test the waters.” Whenever someone enters a new group for the first time, they usually hold back while figuring out that group’s culture and ecosystem.
Adel intended to do the same. No matter that she was a princess of Gotthorp, Ehremont was an entirely different world. She had planned to lie low for at least half a year to a year. But as of yesterday, Adel discarded that plan.
“Who is currently the chief administrator of the imperial palace?”
“Pardon?”
“The chief administrator. I was told that is the term used.”
“The position of chief administrator is currently vacant.”
“Vacant?”
“Yes.”
“Even so, there must have been an acting administrator. …Was it Countess Dian Poitiers?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Then who was the chief administrator before her?”
When the maids hesitated and failed to give a proper answer, Adel smiled faintly and leaned toward them.
“Do you think I’m asking something I don’t already know?”
“…It was Countess Hanna Giggs.”
At the immediate reply, Adel nodded.
“Summon her at once. Convey politely that I wish to meet her.”
At those words, the maids’ faces turned pale. The person who had dismissed Hanna Giggs was none other than Dian Poitiers, backed by the emperor himself. Nevertheless, the empress did not rescind her order, and they had no choice but to send someone to the Giggs household.
Like a rhinoceros charging straight ahead, the empress issued another command without hesitation.
“Bring me the Compendium of Imperial Palace Law. The latest edition.”
A short while later.
Adel stopped reading the compendium and flipped through the imperial chronology.
The timeline printed at the front of the book was packed with laws that had been enacted or amended during each reign, but one individual stood out for having revised and established so many laws that they alone filled an entire page.
“Who on earth is the bastard who got into this kind of dogfight?”
The laws governing the management of the Ehremont imperial palace were so convoluted that they were nicknamed “patchwork laws.” This was said to be the result of endless power struggles between an emperor and empress who had been on bad terms, fighting over authority over palace administration.
For example, the empress held the authority to issue personnel appointments, but the emperor’s approval was required to terminate employment; matters concerning residence within the palace required the empress’s authorization, and so on.
The provisions were so detailed that there was even a clause stating that the emperor alone had the right to choose the wallpaper in the palace where he resided. It was said that the previous empress, upon reading the related booklet, had flown into a rage, shouting, “There’s a limit to fighting—what kind of nuisance is this!”
Given the circumstances, successive emperors had delegated their internal palace approval authority to the empress, ensuring that most power ultimately rested with her.
“So the current emperor delegated his authority not to me, but to Dian Poitiers.”
Muttering sharply, Adel clicked her tongue and turned the page.
“Still, at least the empress’s inherent authority is granted upon appointment.”
The empress had countless duties. Since it was practically impossible to handle them all alone, successive empresses had appointed a close confidant as chief administrator of the imperial palace to manage things efficiently. The Hanna Giggs whom Adel had summoned was precisely the chief administrator appointed by the previous empress.
A moment later, a maid entered the room to announce a visitor. Adel naturally assumed it was Countess Hanna Giggs—but the visitor was someone unexpected.
“It has been since the wedding, Your Majesty the Empress.”
At the greeting delivered in a strikingly distinctive tone, Adel smiled and welcomed her.
“Welcome, Grand Duchess. I was hoping to meet with you privately as well.”
The unexpected visitor was Grand Duchess Elizabeta Ulrich. The emperor’s half-sister, she was a woman who exuded a formidable presence. With the Ulrich imperial family’s characteristic purplish eyes tinged with red and her blonde hair, Elizabeta resembled the emperor yet was different. Where the emperor had a sharp, sensitive air, Elizabeta possessed a cold, overbearing aura.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As the two sat facing each other, the maids naturally brought out refreshments. Watching the teacups being set down, Elizabeta asked Adel for a private audience.
“Would you dismiss the others?”
Adel readily agreed.
“Leave us for a moment.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Once the maids hurried out of the room, Adel fixed her gaze squarely on Elizabeta.
Elizabeta looked at the clear steam rising from the warm teacup, then quietly studied the golden eyes gleaming beyond it. It was a season of bright sunlight, which poured in even past the window. She looked like someone who had captured a slice of that intense sunlight and held it in her eyes.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Oh, forgive me, Your Majesty. It’s just that your eyes are truly striking.”
“My eye color is unusual. In my homeland, they even called me the ‘Black Panther of Gotthorp.’ Of course, only behind my back.”
“A black panther, huh… I’ve never seen one, but somehow it feels as though I have.”
Adel smiled faintly and lifted her teacup. Elizabeta observed the empress again, as though measuring her. When that peculiar gaze continued, Adel set down her cup and met Elizabeta’s eyes directly.
The two stared at each other for a long while, both faces devoid of any hint of a smile. Only after gazing at the empress long enough to border on rudeness did Elizabeta realize how small the empress’s frame was. She seemed so petite that her crown might barely reach Elizabeta’s shoulder. And yet, the word fragile never came to mind. The empress was someone who could pressure others through sheer presence alone. Elizabeta had seen it at the wedding—and now she confirmed it again.
“I like you, Your Majesty the Empress.”
At the abrupt statement, Adel narrowed her eyes.
Unfortunately, she had almost no information about Ehremont. Aside from the fact that the woman before her was the emperor’s half-sister, she knew nothing about the grand duchess. Adel wondered why she had come to see her.
Then Elizabeta spoke again.
“I heard you summoned Countess Hanna Giggs.”
“……”
“She was my wet nurse.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Isn’t bringing Countess Hanna Giggs back a declaration that you intend to solidify your position as empress within the palace?”
“Isn’t it only natural for the empress to restore discipline within the imperial palace?”
“Yes. That is exactly what you must do.”
“……”
“But it won’t be easy. At Dian Poitiers’s side is the emperor’s favor, and behind her stands Duke August Ulrich Despone.”
After moistening her lips with tea, Elizabeta continued carefully.
“Amidst that, Your Majesty must protect your standing as empress. You cannot trust the people currently in the palace. They are all men of Duke Despone and Dian Poitiers.”
Adel listened to Elizabeta’s words in silence. After a brief moment of contemplation, the empress looked at her calmly and asked:
“What benefit is there to you, Grand Duchess, in my solidifying my position within the palace?”
Her voice was low, her eyes blazing without retreat. Like a jungle predator lowering its body and baring razor-sharp claws, Adel’s presence made Elizabeta hold her breath for a moment.
Elizabeta, too, was a princess of Ehremont and now a duke ruling over vast lands. The question was so blunt it felt like being struck outright, yet strangely, Elizabeta felt refreshed. And so she answered honestly, revealing her true feelings.
“His Majesty the Emperor is caught between those two and is failing to walk the proper imperial path. That is why I earnestly hope Your Majesty will sever the connection between Dian Poitiers and Duke Despone.”
“By securing my position within the palace as empress?”
“Exactly. Bringing in Countess Hanna Giggs will surely help. However, since she is someone the emperor personally dismissed, granting her the post of chief administrator would only escalate the conflict. Keeping her close and consulting her should suffice.”
“……”
“And one more piece of advice—post a notice to recruit an aide.”
“An aide?”
“The position of empress’s aide has always existed. It is someone who directly coordinates the empress’s schedule and duties, and at times even approves matters on her behalf. How that role functions depends entirely on how the empress defines it.”
“Is that the solution? I heard the chief administrator is often used as a sort of secretary.”
“The chief administrator handles the internal affairs of the palace, as the name suggests—usually a woman. The empress’s aide, on the other hand, is usually a man. Whenever my mother saw my father, the previous emperor, replace his mistress, she made a show of increasing the number of her aides.”
At that, Adel let out a dry laugh.
“So you’re saying that since the emperor keeps mistresses, I should openly keep some of my own as well—is that it?”
