Chapter 16
After quietly observing the situation for a while, Lionel drew a deep breath and finally broke the silence.
“Your Majesty, if flying-type magical beasts have appeared in the territory of Count Calvain, then the proper course of action is to prioritize magical support. It’s not as though we lack manpower—aren’t there mage corps stationed at the Imperial Palace?!”
At those words, Lennox immediately protested.
“Do you think we’re just sitting around doing nothing?!”
At once, several nobles who had remained silent until now sprang to their feet and shouted.
“Then why does the Mage Corps even exist?! Why do they remain stationed only at the Imperial Palace and refuse to go where they’re actually needed?!!!”
“What if, while we’re off destroying a mere Grade-4 tower, a Grade-1 tower descends upon the Imperial Palace?! Huh?!”
“Stop making ridiculous arguments!!”
As another fight was about to break out, the emperor—clearly fed up with the meeting itself—slammed his hand hard against the table.
“Enough! This will never end.”
Leaning back into his chair, the emperor made it clear that he intended to adjourn the meeting for now. Many protested, as the atmosphere was far from one in which the meeting could reasonably end, but Duke Despone and Count Poitiers actively supported the decision and stood up from their seats. Once they rose, the meeting immediately took on the air of dissolution.
Lionel and Theseus, their expressions stiff, looked toward Count Calvain. He stared blankly into the air, his face drained of all color. For him, this meeting had been his last hope.
At that moment, an attendant approached the emperor and delivered a message.
“Your Majesty. Her Majesty the Empress is waiting.”
“The Empress?”
The ministers who had been preparing to leave froze and looked at the emperor and the attendant.
“Yes. She is waiting for the meeting to end in the antechamber outside the hall. Where shall we escort her?”
Karl, who had been frowning, sat back down and gave his order.
“Why go far? Once the ministers leave, bring her here.”
“Understood.”
Watching his reaction closely, Lennox Poitiers slowly curled his lips into a smile.
＊ ＊ ＊
Meanwhile, while the council meeting was still in full swing, the empress stood in the antechamber outside the hall, her ears pricked. She had stopped moving entirely, focusing intently as though trying to catch the conversation inside.
When the raised voices of the ministers carried all the way through the heavy doors into the antechamber, the two attendants guarding the room looked at the empress with awkward expressions. As expected, the moment the shouting reached her ears, the empress sharply furrowed her brow.
“Who was that who just raised his voice?”
“It seemed to be Count Lennox Poitiers, Your Majesty.”
The empress nodded and once again focused on the sounds coming from beyond the door.
How long had she been listening? Soon, the noise of chairs scraping echoed noisily—signaling the end of the meeting. As if nothing had happened, the empress relaxed back against the sofa. She lifted the teacup she had not touched at all, tilted her head back slightly, and gazed at the council chamber doors with an arrogant expression. It was such a sudden change in demeanor that the watching attendants nearly gaped in astonishment.
Moments later, the heavy doors opened, and the ministers began to pour out in a rush. Due to the structure of the hall, they had to pass through the antechamber to exit, meaning they inevitably met the empress’s gaze as they emerged. Those who made eye contact hurried to offer their greetings. With so many people, it was difficult to receive each greeting individually, so Adel simply set down her teacup and gave a slight nod.
And just as she thought, Shall I rise gracefully now and return their greetings?—
“Niece-in-law!”
A call so absurd that Adel doubted her own ears rang out. Even the Baldur brothers, who had just crossed the threshold of the hall, widened their eyes and turned around. In an instant, everyone’s attention converged on one point.
Pushing through the crowd, Duke Despone burst into a hearty laugh and called out to the empress again.
“Niece-in-law! It’s a pleasure to see you in a place like this.”
Lionel and Theseus reflexively looked toward Adel.
How would the empress respond to such a rude and outrageous form of address?
Not only those two, but all the nobles gathered there watched the empress with curious eyes. Duke Despone himself, who had thrown out the provocation, was no exception.
However, rather than returning the duke’s greeting, the empress merely looked at him with a calm, silent gaze. Her delicate features were so inorganic that she resembled a porcelain doll.
“……”
Have you ever stared quietly into the night sea? It is serene and peaceful—until, at some point, a strange fear begins to stir. The empress’s silence transformed into an uncanny unease that rippled through the air of the antechamber.
A chill like thin ice, an anxious stillness broken only by the loud ticking of a clock’s second hand, the sound of someone swallowing nervously. The empress stared straight at the duke with eyes utterly devoid of warmth. Red lips, a pale complexion, black hair draped over her shoulders, and vivid golden eyes. Drawn in by the strange atmosphere, the nobles who had fixed their gazes on the empress suddenly felt a cold dread settle in their chests. The eerie aura emanating from her entire being sent shivers down their spines.
Adel was keenly aware of the atmosphere she herself exuded. She also sensed, almost instinctively, the subtle fear rising in her opponent. The moment the antechamber’s mood turned uncanny, Adel broke into a bright smile, as if nothing had happened. At the empress’s blooming smile, breaths were released here and there. Having flipped the atmosphere as easily as turning a hand over, Adel asked Duke Despone in a near whisper.
“Forgive me, as this is not my native tongue and I am still unfamiliar with the Ehmonte language—but does ‘niece-in-law’ mean ‘empress,’ Duke August Ulrich Despone?”
But Duke Despone was no easy opponent. Putting on a deliberately wounded expression, he replied in an affable tone.
“If I offended you, my apologies, Your Majesty the Empress. As an elder of the Ulrich imperial family, I merely wished to express familiarity. I thought you would receive it generously… please forgive me.”
“Even if you wished to show familiarity, it seems it was not a wise choice. Please be more cautious in the future.”
Speaking lightly, the empress rose from her seat. Before Duke Despone could add anything further, she turned her gaze to the other nobles.
“It is an honor to meet you all.”
Adel slowly swept her eyes over the ministers standing in overlapping rows. Between the wedding and the banquet, everything had been so hectic that many of them seemed almost like strangers.
Her gaze lingered briefly on the Baldur brothers. As it moved from Theseus to Lionel, Adel met Lionel’s eyes head-on. In bright light, his eyes looked blue, but indoors they appeared nearly black. He stared at the empress as though entranced, then lowered his gaze slightly in a silent bow. Adel returned a smile so faint it was almost imperceptible.
She then shifted her gaze to Count Calvain, who stood pale and shaken. Judging by his haggard appearance, he was clearly the one who had exchanged shouts with Lennox Poitiers.
“Count Cal—”
“…Yes?”
Startled by the empress suddenly calling him, Count Calvain replied. Though they had never met, the empress fixed her gaze on him and asked a question no one had expected.
“Did you say that even flying-type magical beasts have appeared?”
Still dazed, Count Calvain hurriedly nodded and answered.
“Yes, that is correct, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“Are there no mages assigned by region?”
Lennox Poitiers, standing nearby, interjected before anyone else could respond.
“Mages are managed centrally, Your Majesty.”
When Adel turned her head to look at Lennox, he met her gaze and smiled pleasantly.
At that moment, an attendant approached and respectfully bowed to the empress.
“Welcome, Your Majesty the Empress. His Majesty the Emperor is waiting.”
At the attendant’s words, people stepped aside all at once, clearing a path for the empress. However, Adel did not move.
“Are you the head of the mage order?”
“Ah, I am the deputy commander.”
Lennox replied with an exaggerated bow. Adel gazed quietly at his smooth forehead, then asked in a curious tone.
“In Ehmonte, is a tower that produces flying-type magical beasts classified as intermediate? I heard you decided not to dispatch mages. Ah, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop—it simply carried over.”
At the empress’s question, Lennox furrowed his brow for a moment, then smoothed it out. Internally grumbling that she seemed to be pretending to know things she didn’t, he answered casually.
“It may sound concerning, but please don’t worry too much. I ensure that no magical beasts or towers ever come near the Imperial Palace. I am a striker, after all.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
The empress gave a faint smile, then immediately passed him with a cold expression.
“I see.”
“……”
Lennox and the other ministers watched the empress’s back as she entered the council chamber. Feeling an inexplicable unease, Lennox tilted his head and quietly asked Duke Despone.
“Did I… do something wrong?”
“Well.”
Duke Despone cast a strange look toward the spot where the empress had disappeared. Watching the scene, Theseus stepped forward.
“Lionel, let’s go.”
Lionel, who had been staring at the door through which the empress vanished, turned and followed after Theseus.
