Chapter 240

There were a total of four types of meetings leading the Empire.

The first is a bureaucratic meeting held by officials from various ministries.

The second is the aristocratic council, which is held by aristocrats, and the third is the conference where aristocrats and Emperor gather in one place to discuss important issues of the Empire.

However, it is what is called the Parliamentary Assembly meeting, which is held most often than the three meetings mentioned, and to discuss detailed agendas.

Seven representatives of the aristocracy attended the meeting to collect the results of the bureaucratic meeting and make some kind of business report to the Emperor.

And today was Perez's first parliamentary meeting as an acting emperor.

Chairman Killian and the others, who attended as representatives of the aristocracy, were sitting and waiting for Perez, the Second Prince and soon-to-be Crown Prince, to arrive with bureaucrats. (A/N: Guys, I'm telling you, there 'name position' are getting longer and longer. Then it'll become short once they finally succeeded. Haha!)

"The Deputy Patriarch of Lombardi is also a little late too."

Chairman Killian said, looking at the still empty chair.

Then Lord Maimbert, who sat next to him, told Chairman Killian.

"Don't you think today's meeting will end soon?"

"That's what I was thinking. Let's have a meal together after the meeting, huh?"

"Let's do it! Why don't you all join us?"

"That's a good idea, hahaha!"

The nobles laughed leisurely and talked lightly.

Even at the last meeting held by Emperor Yovanes, this situation was unimaginable.

There was a reason why they were so relaxed.

"Your Highness the Second Prince is proficient in his work, isn't he?"

"That's what they say. And isn't my third child working in the finance department now?"

"Ah, I heard he's been promoted recently! Congratulations!"

"Yes, thank you. But that's not the point. Well, since Your Highness the Second Prince began to serve as Your Majesty's agent, the faces of the bureaucrats have grown."

"You mean that much?"

Chairman Killian intervened with his eyes wide open.

"It is said that the burden of the work has been cut in half."

"Ah, it really is cut in half!"

Then the person who brought it up said as if he was frustrated.

"Then it means that it's easy enough to work for you to say that!"

Then he lowered his voice a little and said.

"My child went into the bureaucracy a few days ago, and he said that it was as if His Highness the Prince was seeing through everything."

"Seeing through?"

"Most of the original bureaucratic meetings explained and persuaded the agenda to His Majesty the Emperor. However, even before the bureaucrats told him, he was not only familiar with all the issues, but he was capable enough to also offer solutions that the officials could not come up with."

"Oh, that's incredible."

"And most of the things are already resolved when Your Highness gives separate instructions before even coming up to the meeting agenda, so everyone sweeps their hearts out saying that their work has become easier."

Upon hearing the story, Chairman Killian leaned over to the nobleman next to him.

"Did we not feel that way yesterday?"

"Come to think of it..."

Yesterday there was a meeting of the nobility.

It was the first meeting in a long time, so everyone attended the meeting with a determination that the meeting would be prolonged.

However, the meeting time was shorter than the usual.

"Isn't it because the Deputy Patriarch of Lombardi organized the meeting well?"

Chairman Killian spoke honestly.

Then everyone nodded and agreed.

"I felt that way too. Would it have seemed like the Deputy Patriarch of Lombardi intervened at the right time, said a word or two and then immediately solved the problem?"

"Yes, of course, it seems like that because there are no Angenas that used to be so cloudy anymore."

"Hmm."

When the word Angenas came out, each of the nobles coughed and made strange faces.

Angenas, one of the families that lead the Empire not long ago, has now become one of the forbidden words that should not be mentioned.

"Anyway, today's meeting is expected to end without a hitch, Chairman."

"Yes, His Highness the Prince will be present and the Deputy Patriarch of Lombardi will also attend. Oh, here she is."

After entering the conference hall, seeing Florentia, Chairman Killian stood up and said.

"Everyone was here first."

"Sit here, Deputy Patriarch of Lombardi."

"The venue is a little far from the Lombardi mansion. Thank you for your hard work, Deputy Patriarch."

The attitudes of the nobles were completely different from when Florentia first became the representative of Patriarch.

Whether she is young or a female.

It didn't matter already.

The Empire couldn't exist without Lombardi, and Florentia was perfectly fulfilling the role of Lombardi's deputy.

After a while.

"Your Highness the Prince has arrived."

Perez arrived at the conference room and the parliamentary meeting began.

'As expected, our prediction was correct.'

The nobles nodded with satisfaction as the meeting flowed quickly and easily as if it were sailing in a fair wind.

But as time went by, the satisfaction began to turn into surprise.

It was because the same pattern was repeated on every agenda.

First, the bureaucracy talks about what's going on.

"In other words..."

The Second Prince grasped the problems that emerged more clearly than the bureaucrats who were experts in the field.

"That's the point in the ministry..."

"No, it's better to seek advice from the superiors who actually do business rather than the related ministries..."

There is a quick conversation between Perez and Florentia.

After that, the official who brought out the agenda said, nodding his head with a face that had gone down in the old congestion.

"I can really do that! I'll apply it quickly and post a report!"

So it hasn't been a few hours, but the meeting has already ended.

Chairman Killian and the other aristocrats were simply done without a single word coming out of their mouth.

"Oh, my God."

"That's why I'm embarrassed..."

The nobles laughed as if they were happy and embarrassed.

Everyone has years of experience as a central aristocrat.

I knew you'd take that much notice.

"I have a previous engagement, so I'll get up now."

Having said that, the Prince immediately got up and left the conference room.

Before leaving, Perez glanced at Florentia to say hello, but she did not see it because Chairman Killian spoke to her.

"Deputy Patriarch of Lombardi, do you have a schedule now?"

"No, not yet."

"Then why don't you join us for a meal? We sometimes get together after a parliamentary meeting."

Although she was on the same age of some of the aristocrats' granddaughter or child that gathered here, the aristocrats listened and waited for her answer.

"Ah..."

However, everyone was sullen by the sight of Florentia blurring the words for a while.

They wondered if she didn't want to share a table with the older ones.

"Did you already choose a place?"

When asked instead of answering, Chairman Killian shook his head a little embarrassed.

"Then let's go somewhere I know. The owner of Caramel Avenue opened a new restaurant this time, and it's good."

"I've heard the news, too. But I heard I have to wait a few weeks before I can get a seat..."

"It'll be fine because it's a place I'm close to personally. Let's go there."

"Oh, as expected!"

The aristocrats, who were influential enough to attend the parliamentary meeting on behalf of the aristocrats, moved after Florentia.

No one had yet realized that the herd's initiative had already taken over by Florentia.

****

(Florentia's POV)

"I'm looking forward to it!"

"The person who suggested it told me about the place a few days ago. This.. I'm going to be hated for being there first! Hahaha!"

As I slowly exited the conference hall and walked through the Imperial Palace, I heard such a conversation behind me.

Even if they look like that, they are still the people who rushed to kill each other at yesterday's aristocratic meeting.

Each family is thus completely at odds in public, but in private, they are quite close together.

Again, Bate's information has excellent accuracy.

Anyway, there wasn't a good place to collect information like a place operated by Bate, so I asked to go first.

Since the main customers of Caramel Avenue are aristocratic women, there was a limit to the type of information collected.

So this time, I rented another building to open a room-style restaurant that also sells alcohol.

I gave them free rent for life again, but don't tell me you're going to be kicked out of the door just because I'm busy.

As I was walking with that thought in mind, Chairman Killian spoke to me.

"I was really relieved."

"What do you mean?"

"The Deputy Patriarch of Lombardi and His Highness the Second Prince."

I had a rough idea of what he was going to talk about.

I smiled adroitly and looked forward again, pretending to listen to Chairman Killian.

"It's not easy to leave a public relationship again when you're once engaged."

"Right."

I answered mechanically.

"So, I was worried about whether the two of you would be able to work hand-to-hand as the Patriarch of Lombardi and the Crown Prince in the future. Today, that worries have completely disappeared."

I haven't seen it that way.

Chairman Killian, you were a talkative man.

He nodded his head roughly and replied in moderation.

And as soon as I saw a pair of man and woman in the distance.

My heart sank.

Chairman Killian asked me like that.

"You probably ended your engagement well, right?"

Yeah.

Have we cleared up the engagement?

At that time, people walking behind me found the man and woman I was looking at and said in amazement.

"Isn't that the Second Prince and Lady Brown?"

----------

A/N: Ohhh~ Perez run! lmao

Since my class will start by Monday (till Saturday) and there's only 16 chapters left, I will try to update the chapters whenever I can. I don't want to make any definite promises but I will assure you that I will try to update every week. I hope you understand. 🥺😊 Take care everyone!!