Chapter 39
#039. The Emperor's Dog Begins to Break Free
It was late at night, darkness swirling beyond the large glass window.
Olivia, exhausted from the endless line of jewelers and shoemakers since early morning, was filled with awe, forgetting her fatigue.
"…You arranged all this in a single day?"
The dressing room, reminiscent of a high-end boutique, was perfectly organized.
Dresses delivered from Madam Pluto's boutique hung on racks, and delicately crafted glass display cases were perfect for filling with the jewelry and shoes purchased today.
"I told you, Sobel is capable."
Edwin, sitting on a velvet sofa, said as if it were obvious.
Olivia recalled Edwin saying the same thing earlier when she jokingly asked where all these items would go.
She thought it was a joke, but he was serious. The scale of the Grand Duke's Residence was extraordinary, making Olivia chuckle.
Sobel nodded with an impassive face.
"I wish we had more time, but considering you will soon be departing for the Territory of Vikander, I hurried as much as possible."
Ah. Olivia blinked.
The obvious fact that she would leave for the Territory of Vikander once she received the Emperor's permission for the marriage felt strangely new. She seemed to have grown fond of this Grand Duke's Residence in just a few days.
The thought of leaving the Grand Duke's Residence brought a strange sense of regret. Olivia sat down on the opposite side of Edwin and changed the subject.
"But really, was it alright not to go to the Imperial Palace today?"
"Even if I contact them and go, they won't open the door. Instead, I sent a letter saying I would visit tomorrow afternoon, so let's go tomorrow afternoon."
Tomorrow. Olivia calculated the date.
It was the day of the noble council from the morning. It was widely known that the Emperor refrained from official duties to rest in the afternoon on council days.
"You chose a good da—"
Olivia stopped speaking and looked at Edwin, a thought suddenly occurring to her.
As their gazes locked in the air for a long moment, Edwin's eyes curved mischievously.
"Why are you staring at me like that? It makes me flutter."
"I was suddenly wondering why Edwin doesn't attend the noble council."
Even with his suggestive tone, Olivia answered nonchalantly, and disappointment flashed across Edwin's face. But Olivia thought,
Many nobles had difficulty attending due to their distant territories, but high-ranking nobles were obligated to attend the noble council. For the only Grand Duke in the empire not to attend the noble council was strange.
As she thought about it, Edwin shrugged as if it were nothing.
"Well, it's because I'm always off fighting wars."
"That might have been true before, but the war is over now."
Edwin's reputation as a war hero soared. Now would be a good time to establish a foothold in the capital. Olivia, who had been speaking freely, bit her lip, realizing her mistake.
"If you know so well, why don't you step up yourself, Madeleine."
Leopold's voice, laced with annoyance, echoed vividly in her mind.
It was ridiculous. Her former fiancé. Now nothing more than a stranger. But Leopold's words still seemed to linger deeply in Olivia's mind.
Even if Edwin was kind to her, he wouldn't like it. Olivia, unconsciously looking at Edwin's expression, widened her eyes.
His red eyes were seriously looking at her.
"Would you like me to attend the noble council?"
"I was just curious. Don't take it so seriously, okay?"
Olivia tried to brush off her words as a joke. She was used to working behind the scenes, but expressing her opinions like this felt unfamiliar. But Edwin carefully and persistently looked at Olivia and asked again.
"Don't do that, tell me. If I attend the noble council, what can Vikander gain?"
What Vikander could gain.
Instantly, Olivia thought of the annually increasing taxes. The taxes, which had increased sharply under the guise of gemstone mining, were one of the sources that supported the empire's wealth.
"…You could speak about the mineral taxes. Edwin has been offering all the spoils of war to His Majesty."
Olivia's heart pounded. She couldn't help but keep glancing at Edwin's expression. Would her words sound completely absurd? Just as she was feeling anxious,
"Actually, I've never thought about taxes. Vikander is too wealthy."
Olivia's heart sank at Edwin's quiet voice. Just as she was thinking she shouldn't have said anything, Edwin exaggeratedly looked around the dressing room.
When his gaze reached the empty display cases, Edwin added nonchalantly.
"…Well, unless Olivia's ambition grows."
Olivia's green eyes sparkled. This was a clear provocation and a deal. And Olivia was fully prepared to accept this deal.
"How did you know I haven't been able to indulge in extravagance because I'm worried about the taxes I'll have to pay when I leave the Grand Duke's Residence?"
"Then that changes things, doesn't it? Now I should consider attending the council."
At the word "consider," Olivia lowered her head. The corners of her mouth kept rising, and her pulse quickened.
A sense of accomplishment greater than when she first solved the Princess's orders washed over Olivia. It felt like she had encountered a new world beyond dresses, shoes, or conversations about emotions.
Edwin, seeing the triumphant look spreading across her flushed face, smiled slightly without Olivia noticing. Then, his keen eyes looked through the glass window as if piercing through it.
"Is something there?"
Olivia followed Edwin's gaze beyond the glass window, looking curious. There was nothing special in the garden where the flowers had faded.
"No. The moonlight just seems too cold. Shall we go to bed for tomorrow?"
It was a welcome invitation.
Olivia smiled and placed her hand on Edwin's. At the same time, Sobel silently drew the curtains, so tightly that the Madeleine carriage standing in front of the gate far away would never be seen.
* * *
"You're considering attending the noble council this time?"
In the reception room of the Grand Duke's Residence, the Grand Duke nodded with a "what's the problem?" look on his face.
Winston hadn't believed it when he heard the story from Sobel. He looked at the Grand Duke with a disappointed expression.
The vassals of the Grand Duke's family, who wanted him to be more proactive and confront the Emperor, had been persuading him to attend the council, but he hadn't even listened.
The Grand Duke smiled languidly.
"When I think about it, it's not good to let the Emperor fatten his belly with the money we earned by toiling."
Winston nodded vigorously. Howard, who was next to him, said with a worried face.
"It may be a decision that distances us from the White Crystal Mine."
"So I'm going to try to win over the Princess again."
The corners of the Grand Duke's mouth turned up diagonally.
"Keep an eye on the mine, but also reinvestigate the Princess's activities. The Imperial Family will never know its value, so it will eventually become Vikander's share again."
Howard's mind raced. Until now, the Princess's activities had been generally smooth. The Princess's assets and managed territories were clean.
But since the Grand Duke had ordered him to pay special attention, the Princess's activities would be dissected again in his hands.
As always, Grand Duke Bikander would snatch victory.
* * *
The pleasant feeling from going to bed happily continued into the morning. Olivia thought the whole day would be wonderful.
If it hadn't been for the letter of attendance that suddenly flew in from the Imperial Palace.
"They're telling me about the marriage at the morning council. The notification of the council is so quick."
Olivia's eyes, which had been smiling at Edwin's languid voice, widened. There was barely an hour left until the council's start time.
Even if she hurriedly prepared from now and took a carriage, it would be impossible to make it to the start of the council.
Unlike Olivia, whose heart was sinking, Edwin shook the letter and acted as if it were someone else's problem. Olivia was the only one who was getting anxious.
"Edwin, hurry and get ready. It's our first time attending the council, what if we're late?"
"Doesn't it take a while for Olivia to get ready?"
"Huh?"
Olivia blinked. Edwin pointed to a part of the letter.
Olivia's mind went blank at the order for Madeleine to attend as well. The dress, the makeup, it would take Edwin twice as long. What to do, she was getting anxious,
"Don't worry, Olivia. What if we're late?"
"Still."
"If we're late, it's the Emperor's fault for notifying us late."
Edwin nonchalantly blamed the Emperor. Olivia couldn't help but smile at Edwin's nonchalant attitude, even as he said words that could be considered insulting to the Imperial Family.
Edwin, who was casually holding the letter, smiled and looked at Olivia.
"And the main character is always the last to appear."
Olivia didn't understand what Edwin meant by speaking so boastfully.
"So Olivia, finish your tea. You don't like cold tea, do you?"
Strangely, there was a strange power in Edwin's voice.
A wind-like power that made everything seem like it would be alright.
"…Then I'll just drink my tea and get ready."
In the end, Olivia sat down in front of Edwin again. Edwin's eyes curved sweetly as if to say she had done well.
* * *
Meanwhile, at that time, a strange atmosphere was circulating in the Grand Conference Hall of the Emperor's Palace.
"He hasn't arrived yet."
Of course. The notification of attendance had only been sent a little while ago. But the Emperor looked at the empty seat with a regretful face and said to Duke Madeleine.
"It seems the conversation with Madeleine didn't go well."
"…I apologize, Your Majesty."
As Duke Madeleine lowered his head, someone from the noble faction on the left spoke boastfully.
"It seems Madeleine is excited. I couldn't believe the rumors that she was shamelessly at the Grand Duke's Residence. To be late for a council that His Majesty personally invited her to. Oh my."
It was Marquis Etel. The Emperor looked at him with amused eyes.
He hadn't yet announced the engagement between the Crown Prince and Maria Etel, but Marquis Etel was already stiff as if his daughter was the Crown Princess Consort.
Duke Elkin, the leader of the noble faction next to him, didn't stop him either. Duke Elkin, the Empress's brother, might have had a grand plan in his head to promote a noble faction's daughter as the Crown Princess Consort.
The noble faction was too greedy.
So the best young lady to put up as the Crown Princess Consort was still Madeleine's eldest Madeleine.
She was easy for the noble faction to find fault with because of the bastard label, and she was the only one who could give strength to the Emperor's faction.
At the same time, the woman his dog so desired.
The Emperor swallowed his laughter and nodded.
"Let's postpone the discussion on the one-year grace period to the end and start the council first."
"Yes. Then I will start with the first agenda. The agreement with Heferti is next month…"
While listening to the minister's words, the Emperor waited for that door to open with joyful eyes.
The Grand Duke had sent dozens of letters saying he wanted to hear a clear answer about the marriage. He had used the marriage he so desired as bait, so he would surely come running in a hurry.
If he ordered a one-year grace period over his face expecting to be allowed to marry, how would the Grand Duke's splendid face be distorted?
Just imagining it was exhilarating.
.
.
.
But the Grand Duke did not appear until all the agenda items of the council had been discussed.
The Emperor, who had been looking at the door that wouldn't open, frowned slightly.
That couldn't be.
Had the Grand Duke, who wanted the marriage more than anyone else, suddenly changed his mind?
Taking advantage of the Emperor's silence, the nobles began to murmur. The person at the forefront was, of course, Marquis Etel.
"The busy Grand Duke may not have a sense of time, but I think Madeleine, who is next to him, should have kept the time."
"Lady Etel would never do that."
Words that subtly put down Madeleine continued. At the same time, the number of nobles praising Lady Etel increased. It was ridiculous how Marquis Etel was puffing up his chest like a rooster.
The Emperor clicked his tongue. He seemed to be in for a lot of trouble because of Marquis Etel for the next year.
The Emperor, whose stomach was boiling just because the Grand Duke didn't come, eventually slammed his fist on the armrest of the throne. It was a rather loud noise, and just as the nobles' gazes were all directed at the Emperor,
"We greet the Supreme Sun, His Majesty the Emperor."
The handsome voice instantly stole the attention that had been focused on the Emperor. The Emperor forced a smile and looked at the door.
Grand Duke Bikander.
The guy he had expected to come running in a hurry was facing him with an all too relaxed face. Even his outfit was matched with Madeleine's like partners.
"…You're late, Grand Duke. I've been waiting for you since long before the council started, and you're only coming now."
"That's right. The attendance notification Your Majesty sent only arrived a little while ago. Your Majesty wouldn't have sent it late on purpose, so please understand."
The sarcastic tone was blaming the Emperor instead. The Emperor, who had been hit in the heart in front of the nobles, let out an angry voice.
"So Grand Duke, what do you want to say now? Don't tell me you're blaming me?"
"How could that be, Your Majesty. It's just that the first council was so late, so I'm saying that I want to receive the notification properly so that I can arrive early from the next council."
The next council.
The Emperor exhaled a cloudy breath and laughed to avoid revealing his flinch.
It was the Emperor who had been preventing the Grand Duke from attending the council by having him wander around the battlefields. It was the most effective way to prevent the Grand Duke from building a power base in the capital.
Even today, he had only hoped that the Grand Duke would come anxiously to hear about the marriage.
"…I can't call the busy Grand Duke to every council."
"What could be busy in a situation where the war is over? Now, as the head of Vikander, I will protect Your Majesty's side."
The head of Vikander.
It was the first time the Grand Duke had called himself the head of Vikander.
While the nobles were buzzing at the situation unfolding before their eyes, the Emperor gritted his teeth and looked at the Grand Duke with sharp eyes.
Now, his dog was baring his teeth at him. He would no longer live as the Emperor's dog, but as the Grand Duke.
"…What the Grand Duke wants so much wouldn't be to attend the noble council."
This was a warning.
A warning that he would never be able to obtain the White Crystal Mine if he continued to act like this. This warning had never failed to work.
But.
"…I think the start of my official duties would be the negotiation with Heferti. Your Majesty."
A dangerous smile hung on the Grand Duke's lips.
Instantly, the Emperor looked down at his hand. He thought the leash of his dog was eternal. He thought he always had it in his grasp, but the guy was slipping out like grains of sand pouring between his fingers.
The White Crystal Mine didn't work. What was going on? He should have tied him down firmly with the marriage to the Princess no matter what.
A bitter taste rose in his mouth at the belated regret. But the Emperor knew that this was not the end.
"…Let's do that problem later. What's urgent today is the issue of the marriage between the Grand Duke and Madeleine."
The Emperor's voice fell quietly. At the same time, Marquis Etel's eyes also flashed ominously and turned to Olivia.
Now was the chance.
The perfect opportunity to put his precious youngest daughter in the position of Crown Princess Consort.
