Emperor's Alternate - Chapter 28
‘Excluding only the son of the Chancellor…’
Lecan delved deep into his thoughts, casually disregarding the chatter around him. Currently, the power didn’t lean toward the ‘reformist’ faction or the Abel Empire, nor did it favor the young Emperor or his mother, the Empress Regent. Instead, it tilted in favor of that woman. Her incorruptible integrity was matched by a face that looked like it could have been twenty years old.
Lecan had been tracing the dynamics of the noble society for some time, and she had made choices that wouldn’t cause dissatisfaction. In fact, this required an impossibly intricate level of calculated thinking. The exclusion of only Benedict, showing such thoroughness, undoubtedly signified intent.
‘If he has made an enemy, then that enemy isn’t the Emperor—it’s Leyesha.’
Lecan witnessed Leyesha orchestrate Teiles I’s death to be more cruel and terrible than anything else. The Benedict he knew was a decent man who despised his own family for its ‘elitism’ and was at odds with his own father, the Chancellor.
He wasn’t someone to bear grudges.
“Brother, I feel unfairly treated.”
Exhausted by the nobles’ words, Benedict, like a child seeking sympathy, confided in Lecan.
Although Benedict was biologically older than Lecan, no one in the hall paid it any mind. Perhaps stemming from a rebellious streak against the oppressive environment in which he was raised, Benedict disregarded the authority and hypocritical language of the nobility. He even occasionally used the language of the commoners, sometimes rebelling against the strict etiquette of Chancellor Alfred.
“Perhaps you don’t realize your own faults.”
“What fault do I have? I feel so wronged. If there is any fault in me, it’s merely being born as that damned old geezer’s child.”
“…That’s not something you’d say, being born an Archduke with a silver spoon in your mouth.” Lecan leaned in close and nonchalantly blew a puff of cigar smoke in Benedict’s face.
Benedict grimaced and waved his arms vehemently.
“No, isn’t this strange? Am I the only one feeling this? From my perspective, Your Majesty’s decision is out of the ordinary. This could be the beginning of interference in our brotherly bond. Or perhaps an attempt to tame you. Asking you to stick with yourself instead of following your brother. Because I want you for myself.”
“Why would he want such a thing?”
“Well, because I have influence, Brother!”
It had been a while since Lecan felt the urge to strike someone.
“…Those with excessive self-esteem tend to exhaust those around them.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll reflect on it,” Benedict replied without any intention of reflecting at all.
“You’re not going to ask for a correction?”
“Not unless you…”
He intended to go to Leyesha to apologize or compromise, but he realized he was the only one aware of Leyesha’s power. Demands for correction usually had to be made within a month to keep things running smoothly.
He heard that Leyesha would attend a ball for the Abel Empire’s envoys soon. It might have been to act as the Empress’s chief handmaiden, but it provided a good excuse to run into her.
“I should attend the royal ball next week.”
“…?! Didn’t you say not too long ago that you were too busy to even consider attending the ball I invited you to?”
“Not anymore.”
“Excuse me? I am truly hurt.”
The other nobles interpreted the situation politically, leaving Benedict in the lurch.
“Are you trying to recruit the ‘reformists’ as well?”
“Even if you attend, being part of the ‘neutral’ faction, it won’t seem out of place.”
“…”
Lecan didn’t bother explaining his reasons to the nobles’ questions. He had no intention of revealing the real reason for meeting Leyesha, and besides, his attendants would naturally come up with suitable justifications.
Yet, for a moment, a different kind of silence swept through the hall.
“…”
There wasn’t a noble in the hall who hadn’t attempted what Benedict proposed to Lecan not too long ago. Despite Lecan’s firm refusals, no one gave up. There’s an Eastern saying that even a slight brush of clothing creates a bond, yet Lecan had never given anyone a chance for even a fleeting encounter. Given Lecan’s general disinterest in social gatherings, orchestrating a chance meeting was akin to capturing stars in the sky. Perhaps this was an opportunity after all.
This realization caused a strange tension among the nobles. Each was contemplating how to dress their daughters or sisters. Despite grumbling aloud, even Benedict wasn’t an exception.
‘I wonder what face she’ll wear this time.’
Lecan, however, merely thought of Leyesha.
