Chapter 25

“So the 2nd Empress is this knowledgeable. I’m really surprised.”

The one who appeared with a smile was an ordinary-looking young woman who had just passed her twenties.

But the background of someone who has the guts to act in such a conspicuous way at this point of time must be anything but ordinary.

Besides, that face.

She was wondering if they could meet here, but it really happened.

“Rozenin.”

“Do you know me, Your Majesty?”

“Is there anyone in the Empire who doesn’t know Count Gotham?”

“People must have heard about the eldest son of Count Gotham, who is good at his hands, and the second son, who is quick at calculation, as for the youngest daughter, who is neither here nor there, most people may not know.”

“That’s not true. You are so smart that there are rumors in the Empire that you know everything. When you show up, everyone’s eyes are shining to ask you if what I’m talking about is true. Besides.”

Elisha approached her face and slipped a strand of Rozenin’s flowing brown hair to her ear.

“You, who are secretly aiming for the position of the owner of the top run by Count Gotham, can only be the youngest daughter of such a noble family.”

Rozenin answered Elisha without losing her smile, even though she was startled.

“How did you, the one who is imprisoned in Barossa, where the sky is blocked on all sides, do not have large ears to hear the whispers of heaven and earth, nor do you have wings to jump over the wall, know that?”

Instead of making clumsy excuses or turning away in front of a certain opponent, Rozenin, whose eyes twinkled with curiosity, felt a fresh vitality.

The Rozenin whom Elisha knew, was so shy that she blushed and couldn’t speak properly, but when she was young, she wasn’t anything like that.

“Are you curious? If so, in the test to select the top owner, get the Ballon area where the gem mine is located.”

Rozenin was astonished by the 2nd Empress, who calmly talked about top secret matters belonging only to insiders.

Seeing that her question of how Elisha knew was ignored once, Rozenin did not repeat the same question stupidly.

Instead.

“There’s nothing left in that mine!”

She chose a reality that she could face right away.

Elisha immediately accepted the answer as expected.

“Of course, you probably think that the leather deal with the Santiano Empire, which your older brother is aiming for, or the wine supply right with the Kingdom of Phenomin, which your second brother is viciously defending while claiming to be his own, is good.”

Elisha patted Rozenin’s cheek lightly with the outside of her index and middle fingers.

“No. They’re both wrong. So, Rozenin, if you want to find the answer you want, do as I tell you.”

Rozenin’s brown eyes fluttered wildly.

Elisha made eye contact with her before stepping back a little.

The conversation was spoken in a volume that could only be heard by the two of them, but it was difficult for them to keep sticking together because there were other heads all over the place.

Above all, the Count Gotham family, where Rozenin is located, is a family under Duke Cherkah, the head of the Eastern nobility and the father of the 1st Empress.

She couldn’t help thinking about Rozenin’s position.

For the same reason.

“Rozenin, don’t you have work to do? How long are you going to be like that?”

She had to get Rozenin to come to her senses quickly.

Rozenin, who had blinked at Elisha’s cool call, swallowed with her dry throat.

It was then that Rozenin realized why Elisha, who had always been indifferent, had reacted differently to the noble women who tried to mock her.

The 2nd Empress called Rozenin.

The subject who happily sold Royden’s wine at a high price.

And the fact that she even made a booklet in case of a headwind when this fact became known in the future.

Goosebumps rose from Rozenin’s back.

She tried to say something to her several times, knowing it would be of no use, but no sound came out in the end.

With a small sigh, Rozenin rolled her lips up to make a smile, then she cut into the aristocratic women she had been talking to a while ago.

Then, she glanced at Elisha’s fingertips, which suddenly caught her eye, and put the back of her hand on the cheek where the fingertips touched.

It’s cold, but hot at the same time.

What a weird feeling.

When Rozenin’s face suddenly flushed, Elisha frowned as she wondered if she had become shy again.

Rozenin quickly went into the ranks of the Eastern noble women and confirmed that all the stories about wine the 2nd Empress had just talked about were true.

She began to lead the atmosphere, saying that according to her ‘knowledge’, the top, which had nothing to do with her, did not increase the value by simply selling Royden’s wine at a high price.

The climax is that Rozenin said a portion of the sales profit was donated. When she asked if the women had never heard about it, someone said that they had heard it, too.

Someone even said that they intentionally added more money to the report of the butler who bought the wine to increase the donation.

With friendly laughter and compliments towards each other, one incident that would have been quite annoying to Count Gotham’s secret was resolved without much noise.

Elisha had wondered if it would be alright because she was still lacking in age and experience, but again, Rozenin was still the same Rozenin.

In her previous life, the three treasures that the Silver Flame Witch had.

A dog that protects the witch, the golden key that opens the door to wherever the witch wants, and the high iron wall surrounding the witch’s castle.

For the second time, Rozenin put a red carpet under Elisha’s feet so that she could move forward without stopping.

There was a little problem though.

The thing that popped out of the edge of the rug that was vigorously unraveling the rolled up part…

Of course, the ending wasn’t good either.

In the past lifetime, Elisha did not forgive the mistake made by Count Gotham, who survived the fall of the 1st Empress and the Eastern nobility…

And in this lifetime, she wasn’t going to do anything to annihilate the whole clan with her own hands, rejecting Rozenin’s plea that it’s a misunderstanding, asking her to look at her one more time, so the same result won’t happen again.

At first she thought it might be better for her not to get involved with Rozenin at all. But a period of confusion will begin.

There is no one who can be comfortable alone with the enemies in the Imperial Palace.

So what should be done?

The answers are mostly concise and intuitive.

Because there is only one way to survive the chaos in the first place.

The ones who can put others under their feet and climb to the top, or the ones who kneel and swear allegiance before the victor who stands at the top!

Among the two options, the former is something Elisha is very good at and has already succeeded once.

Even though the method was wrong and she tore everything down and built it up again, it worked out in the end.

But this time, not using the wrong method, but the right one… Elisha will be the winner again!

Only then can we protect our children, right?

Not to mention, after all, the safest place for Rozenin is under Elisha’s shadow.

However, unlike before, Elisha will not show her ideals and force loyalty in return for sharing profits and wielding Rozenin.

What they’re going to do is a deal.

Let’s share something delicious.

As much as possible, if it’s something we both like, let’s have a mouthful each.

Like today, how would it have been if Rozenin wished someone had told her that in the past? The things that were talked about…

A few pieces of information about what’s going to happen with Rozenin are well remembered in Elisha’s mind.

Elisha lightly lifted the glass of wine in her hand to Rosenin, who was glancing at her in the crowd.

Rozenin turned her face away in a hurry.

For some reason, Rozenin’s actions like that caused a tumult around her.

The air that had been entrenched loosened a bit, and more and more people followed Rozenin and turned to Elisha.

The enmity in their eyes was still vivid, but the colors that shone in them were somehow diversified.

Whatever.

Elisha, who didn’t care how they looked at her, focused on the rest of the chores as the scolding people disappeared.

It wasn’t long before she was able to find the hostess of Viscount Cain.

The Viscountess’s complexion, who had lost her husband, Viscount Cain, a few months earlier, was still haggard.

If she hadn’t had a reason to attend, she wouldn’t have come, even if it’s the 2nd Prince birthday party.

Elisha did not have even a speck of social skill, so she was thinking about how to say it, but surprisingly, the problem was solved at once.

Also thanks to the unexpected.

“2nd Empress, this is Timothy Cain. We met a few times at the banquets held in the past, and I liked it so much that I wanted to introduce him to you someday, but I just got the opportunity today, so I brought him here.”

Ascencio, who had been away for a while, did not return alone.

How can you create a situation like this naturally after reading the signs that Elisha showed just for a moment?

“Well done, Your Highness.”

It was an ambiguous compliment, but how could Ascencio not understand.

After exchanging glances with the brightly smiling boy, Elisha turned her face to the short boy who was standing next to Ascencio.

“I see the 2nd Empress.”

Timothy greeted her quickly.

He was a boy with curly hair and drooping eyes.

Even though there can’t be no one around you if you’re a successor to a wealthy manor, seeing that he was picked up by Ascencio and came here after being alone, means that there is a big problem with the position of the Viscountess and her only son Timothy.

“It is because of the lost will.”

Timothy was startled by Elisha’s murmuring and lowered his eyes.

It was not uncommon for a woman who had been married to an older viscount and a father who was particularly fond of the youngest whom she gave birth to, to abandon his ex-wife’s child and adopt the child as his successor.

Viscount Cain didn’t suddenly become ill, but he had prepared all the preparations for the post-mortem conflict.

After Viscount Cain’s death, the release of the will was delayed.

After the ex-wife’s child, the eldest son became suspicious and overturned the testator, it was revealed that the will had disappeared.

After that, in a muddy fight, the eldest son said that his stepmother hid the will to conceal his father’s last minute change of mind and nomination of his successor as himself…

The Viscountess, on the other hand, argued that her stepson, the eldest son, was trying his best not to lose the successor position to Timothy.

In the beginning, the power was put on the side of the Viscountess, who had been in power.

However, the Viscount’s eldest son attacked the Viscountess with all his might, as if he could never miss the last chance he had, and in the end he found himself in an advantageous position.

The Viscountess, who thought that she could win by simply finding a will that was sealed with a magical treatment and could not be forged or manipulated, regretted it later.

She could have easily won if she had the will.

However, if she had persevered and supported her vassals even without it, at least she wouldn’t have been defeated, but she had not.

Elisha looked around to see if she was looking for her son, checking the Viscountess, then bent over to Timothy and whispered in his ear.

Timothy’s gentle, round eyes widened.

Timothy, who heard Elisha, alternately looked at her and his mother…

He nodded at Elisha and bowed his head.

Even when young, he is the son of an aristocrat, and even if he has a weak personality, the education he received from the aristocratic family does not go away in vain.

Timothy did not forget how to act in this situation.

“If I have something to repay, I will go to greet Your Majesty with my mother.”

“Yes, the 2nd Empress Palace is always open.”

Compared to the eldest son, who is an Eastern noble to the bone, Timothy would be better off taking over the title in many ways, and a gift from a wealthy Viscount would surely please Marie.

Timothy greeted the Crown Prince and the 3rd Prince Leon with his eyes, and then disappeared towards his mother with a quick step.

The Viscountess, who found Timothy, greeted her son with her heart pounding. Timothy licked his lips and tiptoed to the Viscountess.

After a while, the Viscountess straight up raised her face to look at Elisha. Elisha also felt her gaze, looked at her, and waved her hand outward.

The Viscountess, who hesitated if she correctly interpreted her meaning as “hurry up and go”, quickly grabbed the hem of her dress and disappeared with Timothy.

“There is a lot of talk about Viscount Cain’s will. From speculation that the Viscountess and one of the sons had the hand, to the fact that the Viscount changed his mind and got rid of the will. Does the 2nd Empress know where the will is?”

Ascencio, who had a puzzled expression on his face the whole time, asked.

“Have you heard of Viscount Cain, Your Highness?”

Regarding the will, Ascencio answered without hesitation.

“I’ve heard that he was an exciting and nice guy. And… They said he was incredibly playful.”

To purify it, he was a jokester. Even if there is no bad intention, he was very mischievous and not many people took his jokes pleasantly.

As a result, it has been a while since he received a harsh return, but the Viscount couldn’t change his habits until the end.

Until the moment of his death.

“It was the Viscount himself who touched the will.”

At the revealed truth, Ascencio’s eyes widened.

Translator’s note:

Hello, hello, it’s me again and a short explanation.

Basically, Elisha baits Rozenin to show up by talking about Royden’s wine. Elisha points out that Royden’s wine isn’t actually expensive, but the price is increased just to make it more popular because nobles like expensive stuff, Rozenin, as the one who ‘increased the price’ has to show up to clarify the matter.

No one knows yet that Rozenin is the one responsible, but just in case it comes to light in the future, she clarifies it by saying “a part of the sales profit is donated”. It is not said whether this is a lie or not, although I assume it is a lie.

In the past, Rozenin was the ‘the golden key that opens the door to wherever the witch wants’, which means she is the biggest fund provider to Elisha’s faction. Although, once the 1st Empress and her Eastern faction fell, Elisha showed no mercy and slaughtered Count Gotham and his whole clan, including Rozenin.

And, I think, Rozenin was and is now gay for Elisha. It is said that Elisha knew her as “a woman who was so shy that she blushed and couldn’t speak properly,” but when they just meet in this chapter, Rozenin isn’t anything like that, and she only starts to blush after Elisha brushes her cheek.

Moving on to Viscountess Cain although I think it’s pretty self-explanatory, the late Viscount Cain had an ex-wife, this ex-wife gave birth to a son (the eldest son in the chapter).

Viscount Cain loved the youngest son born by his new, young wife, the current Viscountess Cain.

And as he died, so began the competition for the viscount position between the eldest son and Timothy because the will is missing. The eldest son said the Viscountess is hiding it because before his death, the late Viscount changed his will to make the eldest son his successor, while the Viscountess said the eldest son is hiding it because Timothy is supposed to be the successor.

In the end, it is mentioned that the late Viscount made it ‘missing’ himself.

I have a guess that the Viscount made it something like “Whoever finds it first will be the successor” or something like that, but we will see in the future, yeah?

And as always, the extremely political chapter always took me 4 hours+… God bless my eyes.