Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 26
The courtiers were already abuzz about the new Empress, hailing her as the most successful woman in history as a former courtesan. Even if you removed the factor of her background as a courtesan, an Empress who bore an Emperor as her son was undeniably a successful woman, regardless of what anyone might say. She was the most powerful woman in the world, ruling over an empire that was over 900 years old.
“Have you received the gifts? Were they not to your liking?” she asked.
“No, Your Majesty. What you’ve given is more than sufficient.”
Whether the courtesan considered me pure or naive didn’t matter. It was better not to let my guard down. In principle, it would have been appropriate for the Empress to be the mother of Teiles I, but after his death, the courtesan was forcibly enshrined as Empress. The staunch support from the formidable ‘reformists,’ who forcefully asserted her position as the birth mother of the Sixth Prince, played a significant role. Of course, if other noble factions had opposed it, it might have been slightly more challenging.
‘During the Sixth Prince’s ascension to the throne, Lecan was excessively quiet. His acquiescence ultimately silenced all opposition from other noble factions.’
Though I hadn’t directly dealt with Lecan, I had benefited from his silence and I wasn’t going to pretend otherwise. Because the courtesan was nearly ignorant of politics, the political appointments of the new royal administration were largely in my hands. I empowered the ‘reformist’ faction more in the redraft than in the first, but I didn’t make any appointments that upset the balance. I also granted authority to Lecan’s ‘neutral’ faction and Alfred ‘elitists’ to prevent the Abel Empire from becoming too influential. Moreover, attempting to overturn the political situation all at once might have caused a backlash. Incrementally consolidating power was safer.
“Here is the revised proposal for the personnel reformation you ordered.”
As I handed over the documents, the Empress nodded without bothering to read it.
“You’ve done well. Proceed with its implementation as is.”
“…”
“More importantly, are you pleased with your newly acquired status?”
Her slightly creased eyes were genuinely clear, almost disarming. But knowing how much cruelty lurked behind that childlike smile, I complied with her.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I was pleased to learn that you had given me a new name.”
“For how long will you confine yourself within these narrow walls, considering your significance?”
“Thank you as always for your concern.”
“In the future, half of the allocated budget for the palace will be under your jurisdiction.”
Her words reminded me of the ‘Disaster Prevention Donations’ that amounted to 50 billion zennen. It seemed that she didn’t bother about the purpose of that budget. At some point, I vowed to hand over a doomed white elephant to one of the ‘elitists.’
“I’ll work as hard as you put your faith in me.”
“And you must never forget that I will always come first, even before the Emperor.”
I paused, unable to respond to those words.
A long time ago, in an Eastern empire, there’s a case of a palace maid who rose to become Empress. She eventually killed her own son, declaring herself the Emperor, claiming to be the first female ruler. Although she governed the country better than anyone else, she lost favor with the people and was forced to hand it over to her descendants in her later years. A humble end for such a powerful woman.
Observing the Empress Regent, rather than sensing maternal affection for her son, I felt a cruelty that used even family ties as a tool. However… unless she aimed to kill her son, akin to those historical figures, it wasn’t my place to judge.
“I will keep that in mind.”
“You are dismissed then.”
I was well aware that the power given to me could be withdrawn with a single word. Just like how she commanded me to overturn drafts without reviewing, she could easily execute an order without my review. She always sought to satisfy her ambition for power.
First and foremost, I know that my first reorganization was a test for the Empress. Thus, I meticulously crafted a comprehensive personnel reform that was impeccably clean and obvious to anyone, except for one person—someone whom I had deliberately omitted, someone for whom my personal feelings were too strong.
Benedict, the son of Chancellor Alfred.
Revenge was an area I couldn’t compromise on.
‘You don’t extinguish my family’s lineage and expect yours to survive.’
Benedict had a different disposition from the ‘Elite Faction’ and was closer to Lecan’s ‘Neutral Faction.’ But I didn’t know for sure. What mattered most was that Benedict was the beloved son of Chancellor Alfred.
It was not a hatred that would end with the death of Teiles I. My revenge had yet to truly begin. I was determined to slowly but surely bring them all to ruin.
***
“Cleaner than I expected.”
The librarian marveled at the efficient handling of tasks. All the nobles who weren’t part of the ‘reformists’ had been waiting with bated breath to see what the new reshuffle would look like.
The significance was evident. Five generations of Emperors, including the last, Teiles I, had been chosen by Chancellor Alfred. It marked the first time in six generations that an emperor supported by a different noble faction had ascended to the throne. Hence, the new emperor’s personnel reform served as an excellent basis to gauge his future actions.
Even if they desired more, they would have to somewhat concede. The balanced appointments weren’t overly inclined towards the ‘elitists’ that supported the emperor, nor were they biased towards the ‘reformists’ or the ‘neutral’ faction. They were meticulously distributed.
‘It’s all decisions from that woman’s mind.’
Lecan remembered the report he had received the previous day. Unlike when she was disguised as the Sixth Prince, her acting as a palace maid made it somewhat easier to gather information. Even her chambers weren’t heavily secured, so Lecan could easily receive both the first draft and the redraft of the political reshuffle. The information presented was flawless, identical to the details he had received. This competency was entirely the woman’s doing. Disguised as a distant relative of the Empress, aged twenty-four in the summer, born under the name…
‘Leyesha.’
Though it was likely an alias, it lingered in his mind all day. The name seemed indelibly etched in his brain. The vivid sensation of the delicate wrist he briefly held still felt tangible in his grasp, from the faint lavender scent to the overly smooth and elegant neck.
