Chapter 173

"You made me use this method!"

I checked my clothes in front of the mirror before going out.

I don't like to rush into anything.

But today is an exception.

A meeting of the aristocracy will be held tomorrow morning, where the law of succession to the eldest son will be rejected or approved.

I have only one day left today.

"I hope Perez is there now."

It was when I opened the door with the intention of visiting the Monak top.

"Oh, Perez?"

Perez was at the door with one hand raised, perhaps just about to knock on my door.

"Where are you going?"

Perez asked me.

The smell of wind smeared from the man who came in a hurry.

"...To see you."

"I thought so, so I came."

"Come on in."

I took Perez to the drawing-room, putting my purse down on the table.

Normally, I'd have served him a cup of tea, but today I got to the point as soon as I sat down.

"Have you heard the news too, the law of succession to the eldest son?"

"This was the trick the Empress had prepared."

Perez nodded with a stiff face and continued.

"If it approved at the noble council, it will take effect immediately for the nobles. Then Tia, Lombardy..."

Perez seemed to be worried about me first when he heard the news about the law.

The only one who knows my goal of becoming the Matriarch.

Of course, this law, issued by the Empress, is not aimed at me.

At best, it was an attempt to tie my grandfather's hands and feet.

She can put Viese as the next Lord, or she can mate Larane, Viese's daughter, with Astana.

The Empress was trying to make my grandfather choose between the two.

However, it is my side that the empress hit directly without even realizing it.

So I understand that Perez is worried about me.

I shook my head and said.

"Once it has been proposed to the nobility meeting, it will affect the throne as well. This law is also aimed at you, Perez."

In other words, it is not the time to care about others.

But Perez said with a slightly expressionless face.

"Fortunately, it's just me and Astana who are His Majesty's sons."

...Just two?

"There is also a way for me to become the firstborn and the only son." (Savage)7

"Ah..."

How to be the eldest and the only son.

That is, getting rid of Astana.1

I forgot for a moment.

How Perez rose to the throne in my previous life.

"But Tia, you wouldn't want to use that method. Of course, I'm worried about you."

Perez said, pulling back my slightly drooped bangs.

"First of all, 'the eldest son' means blocking a woman from becoming a successor."

Even if there is a family that sometimes considers passing the family to the capable daughter, like my grandfather, under the first-born succession law, it is not possible to do so.

Women are not sons and therefore are completely excluded from the line of succession.

Only the 'first son' is the right successor.

"For now, my grandfathers should be able to attend the aristocratic conference."

The nobility council without my grandfather, Lord of Lombardy, is the wits of the lowly Angenas.

Basically, it is a place where the majority vote is the rule, and the most influential person in the nobility society without my grandfathers was the Lord of Angenas, Duigi.

Perhaps by now he is meeting with other nobles for tomorrow's vote and persuading them.

Of course, the most effective way is money.

“In this situation where I don’t know when my grandfather’s Golden Order will be lifted, the families that usually followed Lombardy will have no choice but to be warry of Angenas.”

So I have to send my grandfather to the nobility council.

Perez was listening to me calmly.

I looked at his black hair, his face, and his red eyes one by one.

I have a way to water the Empress.

But I can't do it alone.

It's only possible with Perez's help.

I took a big deep breath and said to the guy looking at me as quietly as if waiting.

"Perez, you told me to use you before."

Perez nodded slowly.

It's just that his black hair is slightly falling forward.

Suddenly my heart started beating.

It's not even real. What's wrong with you?

Calm down, my heart!

"Why don't we use each other?"

"Use each other?"

I opened my purse.

And I took out what I was talking to Perez and handed it to him.

"...this is."

Perez frowned slightly.

Am I being rejected?1

I grabbed my heart and said nothing.

"It's a diamond."

"I know."

Perez touched with his finger a few times at what I gave him and put it down.+

Then he took the same small box out of his arms and showed it to me.

"It's a red diamond."

Red diamonds as red as a ruby, shining in small light.

"Maybe we were thinking the same thing."

Perez said with a slight smile on his face.

"No, isn't that a different idea?"

Eyes as red as a red diamond stared at my swaying gaze.

"Then I'd be a little disappointed."

Perez said, putting two small boxes side by side in front of me.

"It's your choice, Tia. Your way and mine. Which way you're going."

* * *

The day when the nobility meeting is held.

The Empress burst into laughter at the news brought by Seral and Viese, whose faces were pale.

"What? Ahaha!"

Empress Rabini looked really amused.

"Empress?"

Seral and Viese, who thought it was all over, looked at Rabini in confusion.

"Ahahaha! Larane, that kid? You said that kid ran away?"

Now Seral was even more terrified by Rabini's smile, tears run down from the corners of her eyes.

It was because she thought Rabini was so angry at the news of Larane, who dared to refuse the marriage with the Prince and secretly ran away at night.

"Did you let Duigi know about this, Seral?"

"I, I told him before the nobility council began. But I think we should tell the Empress ourselves and apologize..."

Inevitably, Seral's voice trembled.

Since childhood, she has been afraid as she knows Rabini's cruel personality.

"We, we're releasing people and chasing where she's going, so we'll find it quickly. She couldn't go far because she didn't know how to go..."

"Yeah, sure. But even if you find it, you have to hide her somewhere, Seral."

"Yes..."

Empress Rabini said with an uncharacteristically wide smile.

"Maybe heaven is trying to help my son."

The winner's smile smudged over Rabini's beautiful face.

"Now that Larane has escaped, there is no way for Lombardy to break the Golden Order."

"Ah...!"

Realizing the meaning of the word, Viese hit his knee.

"Then the law of succession to the eldest son could be passed at today's nobility council!"

That's right. It's funny that we have to make what we have to do separately by law. What can I do?"

Rabini said in a drowsy voice.

"Congratulations, Lord Lombardy. After today, You will be able to become a formal successor."

"Th, thank you! Thank you, Empress!"

"And Seral. If you find Larane, as I said earlier, keep it hidden away from people's eyes. Once this is over, shouldn't we try to marry her to Astana again?"

"Yes, Empress."

Seral smiled with a sigh of relief.

"It is only a matter of time before the law of succession of the eldest son to pass through the nobility council, and the consent of the representative families of each region will now be obtained upon approval by His Majesty. There is only one heir to the throne permitted by law, so what can they do?”

Empress Rabini was surprised herself to come up with such a trick.

The things that worried her and blocked Astana's way would all fly away at once.

"But Her Majesty, the Empress."

Asked Seral, who was well aware of Jovannes's greed, with a little concern.

"I'll give him what he wants."

There would be a lot of bleeding, but if Astana became Crown Prince, nothing was irreparable.

"Now, f you can just relax and wait..."

It was when Rabini said, opening the lid of the teapot.

"Empress!"

One of the Empress's aides jumped in contemplating.

And when she saw teapot in Rabini's hand, he closed his eyes and shouted.

"It, it is said that the Golden Order of the Lord of Lombardy has been lifted, Empress!"6

* * *

The hall of the nobility council of the Imperial Palace.

Duigi Angenas was successfully driving the conference as planned.

“The ‘law of succession to the eldest son’ is an agenda to once again correct the law of succession of the Empire that has been disturbed.”

From the legitimacy of the law.

"Then the reason for disqualification of the eldest son, as discussed, is as follows. If the mother's bloodline is low, if he is involved in a felony, such as treason, and..."

Even setting the reasons for disqualification in the narrowest sense with the nobles who had been bribed.

It was going as fast as the Empress ordered.

Duigi Angenas looked at the members of the aristocracy sitting on the other side with a satisfied face.

Originally, they were sticking to the Lulak Lombardy's and chasing his tail.

However, the momentum was completely dampened when the ban on Lombardy was issued and his return became unclear.

Duigi Angenas had a fishy laugh.

Some of them, who are quick to change their positions, have already met yesterday and succeeded in recruiting them to vote today.

Of course, he didn't give them any money.

They had to come on their own feet to win Angenas in the future.

"Besides, Larane Lombardy ran away at night. Lulak is over now."

Remembering his father, Fredrik Angenas, who was always pressed down by Lulak Lombardy.

Duigi Angenas clenched his fist.

"Then you start voting, Mr. Chairman."

Duigi Angenas said to the noble council chairman, who was sitting blankly holding a gavel.

"...Hmm."

The chairman was also one of Lulak Lombardy's tail chasers.

Duigi planned he would sit in the chairman's seat after the law was put together.

"Well, then..."

It was a moment when the chairman was about to say, sweating uncomfortably at the gaze of Duigi Angenas.

Bump!

The large doors of the conference hall, which had been closed, opened on both sides.

"Lo, Lombardy...!"

The pro-Lombardy nobles, who were looking like porridge, sprang up from their seats.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Duigi Angenas also woke up in surprise, kicking his chair.

The inside of the conference hall quickly became chaos.

But the cause of the disturbance, Lord Lulak Lombardy, strode to the center of the conference without saying a word.

And he looked back at the nobles who filled both sides with a stiff face.

One by one with his hands behind his back.

After looking at it with sharp eyes, Lulak opened his mouth.

"It is an inherent right of nobles to decide on succession."

A low, echoing voice spread throughout the conference hall.

"When the Empire was founded, it was the tradition of the eldest succeeding the family that was recommended to prevent excessive competition for succession. But!"

Lulak said, staring precisely at Duigi Angenas.

"Nobody can meddle in identifying successors and inheriting the family to continue the great responsibilities and duties of the householder!"

And he yelled at the nobles sitting around Duigi Angenas.

"Who is the fool who wants to approve of this law that violates the rights of the divine aristocracy!"

The sound of Lulak's shouts, followed with a sour eye, echoed in the conference room.

"Huh?..."

At that moment, Duigi Angenas closed his eyes tightly, foreboding the failure of the First-born Succession Law.2

* * *

"Hmmm"

Emperor Jovannes stared at me and Perez, sitting side by side, touching his chin.

Then he asked in a suspicious voice.

"So, you two are engaged?"23

"Yes, Your Majesty."2

I smiled and replied.

Deliberately twisting my body slightly so that the ring on my fourth finger can be seen better.

The transparent diamond sparkled in the bright light coming in from outside.