Chapter 7
Lucian was utterly captivated by Asteria. He believed her power to be genuine, but more than that, his heart was being drawn to her, helplessly, irresistibly.
Asteria had dismissed the Emperor, a man no one else could command, telling him he could ask no more questions today. That gentle strength burrowed deep into Lucian’s heart with a great force.
“Your Majesty, the engagement ceremony with the princess of the Bellotien royal house is approaching.”
Lucian sat upon the throne in the audience chamber. But ever since meeting Asteria, nothing else held his interest.
“Before that, it would be prudent to abolish the Saintess system.”
“Indeed. Even if the Saintess’s power were genuine, our Empire has no need of it.”
The Orbien Empire held supremacy over the continent. No enemy dared challenge it.
And so, even if the Saintess’s power happened to be real, it would have no meaningful bearing on the fate of the nation. What was truly dangerous was the prospect of the Saintess’s words swaying the Emperor’s judgment, or her very existence beguiling him.
“The Lumines clan has always been inscrutable in their intentions. This is the perfect opportunity to abolish the Saintess system and distance ourselves from them.”
Lucian’s blue eyes swept across the ministers of the parliament.
“The Saintess’s power is genuine. I personally guarantee it.”
Asteria had seemed to know everything. Her calm, still demeanor bordered on the divine.
“The Saintess will serve as my guide. Therefore, I will not abolish the Saintess system.”
Lucian was, like the late Emperor before him, an unyielding sovereign. His gaze was unwavering, his words absolute.
“However, the Bellotien royal house has expressed strong opposition to the Saintess system.”
“If they don’t like it, they can annul the royal wedding.”
“Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Bellotien has shown nothing but loyalty to our Empire. You must not treat them so dismissively.”
“I have no intention of abandoning our imperial traditions. If the Bellotien royal house refuses to accept that, it amounts to refusing the royal wedding itself.”
Lucian had a tendency to be stubborn once he made up his mind. Once his mind was set, nothing could sway him.
“I will leave the engagement ceremony to the Minister of Rites.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
He crossed his long legs.
“Are there further matters to report?”
The chamber fell silent. Everyone was still gauging their new Emperor’s temperament, learning how to tread carefully under his reign.
“If there is nothing else, that will be all for today.”
Lucian rose from the throne and disappeared through the corridor behind it. Only then could the remaining ministers and nobles let out a collective breath.
“His Majesty truly resembles the late Emperor.”
“No, he may be even more formidable than the late Emperor.”
“That unyielding, iron-willed demeanor of his…”
The ministers gathered in clusters, murmuring among themselves.
Judging by Lucian’s stance, it seemed unlikely that the Saintess system would be abolished.The only option left was to persuade the Kingdom of Bellotien.
* * *
The news soon reached the Kingdom of Bellotien. Rosalyn, with her rich golden-blonde hair and blue eyes, sprang to her feet in outrage.
“I refuse! The Saintess is no better than the Emperor’s w***e!”
“There is nothing to be done. It is a custom dating back to the founding ancestor of the Orbien imperial house. It is not something we have the power to change.”
King Arthur of Bellotien spoke with solemnity.
“How am I supposed to accept that my husband will have another woman?”
“His Majesty the Emperor has acknowledged the Saintess’s power as genuine. If that is so, he will not treat the Saintess as a woman.”
Queen Maribel gently reasoned with her daughter.
“An Empress must have great magnanimity. The Saintess custom is simply another burden you must bear. Unless… you no longer wish to become Empress?”
Rosalyn shook her head fiercely.
She recalled the strikingly handsome appearance of Lucian Lucian when she first met him at eighteen. A princess’s station made her nothing more than a tool of political marriage, but the sight of him had set her heart racing. More than anything, becoming Empress of the empire that commanded the entire continent was a tremendous honor.
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