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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kie]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
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Chapter 31: Let Her Out
Flora was enjoying the best time of her life.
She hadn't felt this good even when she luckily married Count Arsene.
'All of this is ours.'
Her heart raced every time she flipped through the ledgers.
Today this, tomorrow that. Every time she identified an item, she could almost hear the clinking of gold coins and her eyes turned into money signs.
Not stopping there, she would enter the Count's office, which had been off-limits to anyone but Selina and Count Arsene, at least three times a day, leaving the lingering scent of her perfume.
'Yes, this is how I should have lived all along. We should have locked that girl away and enjoyed all of this, living in luxury. It's so refreshing.'
Today, as Flora was roaming around the mansion checking on assets, she heard that Brandon had returned from the Imperial Palace and ran to him excitedly.
"Son!"
Brandon, who had a bright and cheerful face that matched Flora's, said, "Mother! You'll be surprised to hear what happened at the Imperial Palace today."
"There's no rush. Have you eaten dinner?"
"Mother, you haven't eaten yet? I already ate. His Majesty even granted me an Imperial banquet."
"What? Does that mean you had dinner with His Majesty?"
"Unfortunately, His Majesty was too busy to have dinner with me. The Empire is vast, you know. His Majesty has so many things to take care of that he had to eat dinner separately."
Brandon, who was briefly downcast, continued speaking in a bright and cheerful voice as if everything was okay.
"Instead of having dinner together, he invited me to the Imperial Palace again tomorrow. He said we should chat more about what we couldn't talk about today."
Surprised by his words, Flora asked, "What? Again tomorrow? Did His Majesty really invite you? Personally?"
Shortly after the mother and son joined the Arsene family, Brandon visited the Imperial Palace a few times with Selina.
A child who used to be cautious and reserved in a rural village, going to the Imperial Palace to meet His Majesty and play with the Crown Prince.
The thought alone made Flora's heart swell with pride.
However, Brandon came back from the Imperial Palace crying, telling Flora, "The Crown Prince doesn't even talk to me. He ignores me because I'm a commoner and only plays with Selina. I don't want to go there again!"
Flora tried to console him, saying he was no less than Selina and that the Crown Prince just didn't know him well yet, but it was no use.
Eventually, only Selina was allowed to visit the Imperial Palace.
It was a stark contrast to today's Brandon, who was smiling from ear to ear, chattering about the Imperial dinner, how many dishes there were, and which one was the most delicious.
Flora was deeply moved.
'My son received an invitation from the Emperor. Becoming the Acting Head of the family has brought us this day. He has finally found his rightful place.'
Brandon, unaware that Flora was wiping away tears beside him, continued to talk about how magnificent the Emperor's audience chamber was.
* * *
"His table manners were atrocious."
The Emperor swirled his whiskey glass as he spoke.
Known for his strict adherence to bloodlines, the Emperor would never sit down for a meal with Brandon, regardless of his position as Acting Head of the Arsene family.
He had secretly observed Brandon's behavior during the Imperial banquet for a short time, frowning before leaving.
"At this rate, won't he bankrupt the family fortune before it even comes to us?"
"There haven't been any signs of him squandering money yet, nor has he tried to invest it secretly without the vassals' knowledge. The Arsene family isn't easily swayed. Even if a commoner takes that position, it'll be difficult for him to make decisions, so it'll take time for him to embezzle any funds."
The Emperor nodded at Ruth's words.
"Indeed. Earlier, I saw that commoner practically worshipping Janus like a hero. And he dared to do so right in front of me, without any fear."
"Don't be angry, Your Majesty. Commoners don't know what kind of person the Grand Duke is, so they speak ignorantly."
"How can someone like that be the Acting Head of the Arsene family?"
Ruth nodded at the Emperor's outburst and said, "It seems right to return him to his proper place as soon as possible."
"Indeed. But it's quite vexing. She had the audacity to reject my decree in my very presence and even resorted to force to escape. Should we really return the position of Acting Head to someone who has shown such defiance?"
"But he's... a commoner, isn't he? It's a position too good for a commoner."
The Emperor, who valued noble lineage above all else, didn't refute Ruth's words.
Reading the Emperor's mind, Ruth spoke again.
"It's time for him to know his place. And returning the position of Acting Head to Lady Arsene will provide a justification if she later brings the merchant group as a dowry."
The Emperor agreed with that statement.
If someone who was ousted from the position of Acting Head and couldn't touch the merchant group suddenly brought it as a dowry, it would inevitably lead to accusations of the Emperor's greed.
The Emperor had already shed the blood of countless siblings to ascend to his current position. Therefore, he valued justification more than anyone else now.
Justification was necessary to persuade the nobles.
The nobles weren't a foolish group.
To gain their support, even the Emperor had to temporarily set aside his own desires.
Especially now, when the nobles were divided into the Grand Duke faction and the Emperor faction, instead of being united.
'If only I had that power.'
The Emperor believed that if he possessed the power of the dragon, everyone would kneel before him.
The thought made him resent Selina even more.
She dared to defy the Emperor's order, running away with the Grand Duke to marry him.
She was offered the chance to become the Crown Princess, an opportunity unheard of for someone from a humble family.
Ungrateful, she chose to flee. Selina's current confinement seemed fitting for her actions.
"In any case, it's their family matter. It's not a good look for me to interfere too much. Let's observe a little longer."
Since that was the Emperor's will, Ruth had nothing more to say.
'It seems the time isn't right yet. Dale, it looks like your daughter will have to suffer a bit longer.'
Ruth simply bowed his head and followed the Emperor's wishes.
"What?"
Just two days later, the Emperor regretted his words.
The golden cup recently presented by Count Arsene's merchant group had been smashed to the floor with a loud crash.
"How dare they, at a time like this! She's confined as punishment by her own family, yet she doesn't show any restraint! Ha! What did she do now?"
The Emperor's curses didn't stop.
"Does Selina not even know the meaning of shame? I can't believe I kept such a child as Eric's friend all this time! What on earth did Count Arsene teach his daughter?"
"It seems they're no longer concerned about public opinion since bad rumors are already circulating."
"Even so, how can they be so brazen! Are they truly unaware of how many eyes are on them now? At this point, isn’t Selina practically begging me to destroy her family?"
Ruth didn't dare to soothe the Emperor, who was raging over the report he had given.
[Selina Arsene's maid from the Grand Duke's residence climbed over the wall of the Arsene mansion. She delivered a gift to the east wing where Selina Arsene is confined. Multiple witnesses. The maid returned to the Grand Duke's residence.]
There was no way to soften the report he had received from the subordinate in charge of monitoring Selina.
"If this continues, it won't be good. If people find out that the Grand Duke and Lady Arsene are close, bringing her into the Imperial family could backfire."
"I know, who doesn't know that!"
Unable to contain his rising anger, the Emperor pounded his fist on the armrest several times.
Ruth waited for the Emperor to calm down before quietly saying, "There might be... a way."
Without hiding his cheeks trembling in anger, the Emperor gritted his teeth and ordered,
"Go and let her out."
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kie]
[Proofreader - Starfall ]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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