Chapter 28
“It’s been a while!”
“It always seems to be a while when we meet.”
Elysia gave him a small smile, pulling a thick book from the shelf at shoulder height. Several books from the opposite side slid out along with it.
Through the gap, a gloved hand suddenly extended. Given the dimming skies, the sight of that large hand could send chills down anyone’s spine, but Elysia calmly grasped it and gave it a brief shake.
“There’s been some terrible gossip about the Duke, but… ahem.”
As a customer entered the bookstore, Péius cleared his throat dramatically and raised his voice.
“Look at the way that fool parades around claiming he’s getting married! Even my brothers were left speechless!”
Elysia covered her mouth with her hand, chuckling at Péius’s imitation of a nouveau riche provincial accent. Those ‘brothers’ referred to the ministers, of course.
“Such remarks are actually comforting to me. It’s kind of you to be concerned,” she replied.
Péius’s dark eyes widened as he realized how resolute she was.
“Are you seriously planning to go through with this ridiculous arrangement with that fool? Neither I nor my brothers can understand it.”
Elysia simply smiled, and Péius’s tension slowly melted away like a well-worn violin bow finally at rest. He had always had a habit of saying: I can’t stand kids pretending to be adults.
Initially, Péius had harbored his own prejudices against omegas. As an alpha, understanding their struggles wasn’t easy. Alphas, born with everything, knew little of what those born with less had to endure. They were ignorant of the inferiority, the losses, and even the harm inflicted upon omegas.
It wasn’t until he witnessed the everyday life of Viscount Brillen and Elysia that he began to grasp their struggles.
“So, how can I help? If you’d like, I could slit that fool’s throat for you!”
“There’s no one around. You don’t need to speak so dramatically,” Elysia reassured him.
Péius looked disappointed. His playful offer, however, had actually put her at ease. As another customer entered, his expression quickly brightened again.
“How about persuading your brothers to cooperate?”
Andreas needed the ministers’ support to ascend the throne. Though he was focused on building a public reputation, he seemed indifferent to actually winning over the ministers. His ambition to be seen as a great emperor was obvious. However, if even one of the six imperial ministers opposed him, his ascension could be blocked entirely.
The ministers of Ozéol were prohibited from becoming emperor. The first emperor, wary of the ministers’ potential power, had confiscated all their personal wealth and placed strict financial oversight on them. Over generations, those controls had loosened, but the ministers, having dedicated everything to the state, still held significant influence over the monarch.
“Especially the wealthiest of your brothers,” Elysia added.
Unlike the six ministers, the chancellor was allowed to retain private wealth. In his youth, the chancellor had been favored by the late empress due to his striking looks, and she had granted him land. That land was Clocène, the maritime trade city where Karmaut was based.
Karmaut paid a considerable amount in taxes each month—enough to cover the Brillen family’s annual living expenses several times over.
“His Lord… Well, that old fart isn’t much of a concern.”
The chancellor was older than the emperor and had publicly declared his disinterest in the throne when the emperor first fell ill.
But Elysia thought differently.
“If your brothers set their minds to it, they will surely go to him.”
If the next heir to the throne were to act in a manner deemed unsatisfactory, the ministers would undoubtedly approach the chancellor and persuade him to ascend the throne.
“Please.”
Péius met her steady blue eyes, and after a moment, sighed deeply.
“Is there a reason it has to be him? You’re more than capable without a fool like that by your side.”
Elysia simply smiled silently, and Péius let out another sigh.
“All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
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