*
In the conference room, which would normally be filled with high-ranking aristocrats, there were only two people today, Carl and Count Ferrer. Count Ferrer never thought it was such a large space, but he felt it was too large to be talking to just one person.
Normally, an exclusive meeting with the emperor would be held in the emperor’s office, but Carl insisted on the conference room here. It was because of the position of the seat. The throne of the political affairs conference hall was located higher than other seats, which was effective because it gave the aristocrats a sense of intimidation. It should have been a place where Carl could look down at Count Ferrer and put pressure on him because Carl wasn’t here today to be nice to the Count.
“If you have something to say, please say it.”
Carl was the one who called Count Ferrer today, but Carl didn’t speak up first. Count Ferrer hesitated to speak out, checking Carl’s expressions.
Although Bluebell’s nanny admitted all the charges and was executed, no one thought it was her sole crime. Everyone thought it was at least Bluebell’s plan, and furthermore, the Ferrer family was involved in this.
“Your Majesty, please kill me. Bluebell’s nanny… No, the Empress’s nanny did it all by herself, but it was a mistake of mine who had not been able to detect it in advance and restrain it. So please punish me for the incident.”
Carl burst out laughing at his words. Although he cried out, “I did something wrong, please kill me.” He stressed that the matter was only about the nanny. He was claiming that he and Bluebell had nothing to do with it.
But Carl didn’t want to listen to his excuses.
“I’ll kill you if you want.”
Carl drew the sword first. Then, with his sword hanging low, he got up from the throne and slowly went down the stairs.
“How can I easily forgive you, the one who could not even manage his subordinate, who tried to poison my First Empress? Moreover, I don’t believe it. The saying that the nanny committed the crime alone.”
Carl approached Count Ferrer and thrust his face into him and said, “The nanny alone somehow got hold of that rare poison? And went near the First Empress’s cup and poisoned her? Without Bluebell realizing anything?”
He spoke emphatically of the word ‘poison’. For Carl, the plant called Depenhy was certainly poison.
Carl knew that objectively, Depenhy was not classified as a poison. Although Sienna said that she ended up with stomach pains because she had an unusual condition, it worked as a poison anyway.
“But, but Your Majesty…”
Count Ferrer trembled his lips and his face went pale. Even if he said it with his mouth, he did not really want to die. Carl looked at him with a face that he would listen to whatever the excuse was.
It was his first time being threatened with a sword, so Count Ferrer trembled, unable to find his composure. The emperor’s sword would surely strike him in the neck if he said anything wrong. Because the Emperor never spoke in vain.
“Empress Bluebell… She has the imperial heir. Do you intend to accuse your future crown prince of treason?”
Carl managed to resist trying to laugh loudly. As expected, he was a wicked old man. However, it was clear that he still did not understand the situation.
Historically, whenever the family of an empress made a big mistake, the position of the imperial heir was in jeopardy. Because the other nobles tried to lay the blame on the next heir’s hands.
‘And that’s only if the heir actually exists.’
Carl withdrew his sword and went back to his seat.
“Your Majesty, think of the imperial heir.”
Then the count’s voice grew. He seemed to think that his mentioning of the heir was working. Carl laughed at the greedy and clever old man.
“Imperial heir…”
Then he sat down and pretended to look worried.
After the Depenhy incident, he wanted to punish Bluebell and Count Ferrer strongly, but Sienna stopped him. It was because Bluebell’s nanny was already sentenced to prison for all responsibility, and she speculated that his competition with Arya would become stronger if he stood at odds with Count Ferrer.
In fact, it was obvious that it would not be easy to proceed with Bluebell’s punishment. Because while Sienna was in a coma, Count Ferrer has been running around sweating his feet, forming a public opinion that it was the single act of the nanny.
Carl could put pressure on Ferrer, but that was all. Sienna persuaded Carl, saying, “I would rather threaten him properly and gain other political gains.”
Carl accepted the opinion because he thought it made sense, but he didn’t entirely agree with it. Even though it was not possible to punish the Peer family perfectly, it was possible for Bluebell to be abolished.
He accepted Sienna’s opinion because Count Ferrer didn’t seem to know yet that his daughter’s pregnancy was a lie. A greedy old man, he would surely try to revolt when he finds out about Bluebell’s lies. Carl was planning to take care of everything then.
Of course, Carl might give him a chance if he knelt before him and asked for forgiveness, but Carl knew well that Count Ferrer was not a man like that.
“Well, that’s true, too.”
When Carl said something positive, Count Ferrer, who had turned pale, returned to his normal complexion.
“But I can’t let it go like it never happened, can I?”
But Carl didn’t intend to just wait for Count Ferrer to revolt. He decided to use him to solve a troublesome problem.
“What would you want…”
Count Ferrer responded belatedly when he realized Carl’s intention.
“The Central Army’s deployment of local territories is taking longer than I thought. I’m sure I gave the message right…”
Count Ferrer’s face was distorted. Carl didn’t miss that moment but didn’t scold him. The old man was more troubled than anyone else over the deployment of the Central Army to the territory.
Count Ferrer had rallied the nobles to reduce the Central Army and to build up their own power, but Carl reversed it and turned his policy toward strengthening the Central Army and reducing the military power of the lords. The number of aristocrats who turned their backs on Count Ferrer was quite large because of this incident.
“You’ll have to solve that problem.”
“…”
It was not an easy question to answer. But he couldn’t refuse the emperor’s offer. It was certain that he would immediately offend the other nobles, but he was the grandfather of the soon-to-be-born imperial heir.
‘Just until the heir is born…’
Count Ferrer gritted his teeth and said, “I will.”
Carl watched him with a satisfied face.