Chapter 146 (2/2)

My father slowly opened his mouth, “… Well, I never thought about it. Why didn’t you ask me early on? ”

“Your daughter was certain to be the next empress. Who was going to adopt Jiun as his foster daughter to compete with your daughter at the risk of antagonizing you? Well, I thought I could undermine the noble faction even without taking that risk. Who would have ever thought that stubborn Duke Jena offered to adopt her as his foster daughter?”

After Duke Verita finished talking, Duke Lars opened his mouth. Looking at me in a pensive mood, he said to my father in a soft voice, “Well, we let our guard down too much. We need your answer. What are you going to do with her? Are you going to promote her as the crown prince’s wife or your family’s successor?”

“I am planning to install her as my successor.”

Duke Lars sighed at my father’s resolute answer and said, “Privately, I’m glad to hear that. But from the point of our faction, I think it’s a great pity. Got it. With your consent granted, let me officially propose to the emperor that I want to adopt her as my foster daughter.”

“Well, I agree with Duke Lars. I feel uncomfortable about it, but we have to stop Duke Jena from adopting her as his foster daughter by all means.”

“Hmm, I think I know why you called me here. In case of an emergency, do you want me to be ready to accept her?” said the golden-haired young man, who had been silently listening to their conversation.

Duke Verita pulled up the glasses and said with a smile, “I’m glad we’re on the same page, Marquis Enesil. I think you can be our strong partner in the future. ”

“Thank you. By the way. How about the Monique family accepting her?”

“Oh, that’s a good way. I didn’t think about it because I was preoccupied with Lady Monique. I think Marquis Enesil is right. Kairan, this matter can be solved easily if you decide to accept her.”

“Hmm, yes, but…” My father was lost in thought for a moment.

He had never thought about it.

‘Adopting Jiun as our family’s foster daughter?’

I remembered her words in the past that she always wanted to get along with me like a sister.

If she becomes the empress and I become the successor to my family, will things like what I experienced in the past not happen anymore? Perhaps her adoption was the most rational way to keep the interests of the pro-emperor faction while avoiding the repetition of my past.

After getting his head together, my father turned to me as if he asked for my opinion.

“Okay. Let me propose it to the emperor first.”

“That’s good thinking. Then let’s go back. It’s time to resume the meeting.”

“Let’s move.”

When we were about to go back to the conference hall, we bumped into the noble faction members including Duke Jena in front of the door.

We argued with them about who should go in first, but in terms of hierarchy, it was our group who included Duke Lars. Leaving the angry Duke Jena and his followers behind, we stepped in and sat in the same seats as before.

“Now, let me resume the meeting.”

Right after Duke Verita announced, Duke Lars immediately asked for a say.

“Your Majesty. As you said, I don’t think we need to discuss Lady Monique because her qualifications have already been verified, but if we end the meeting like this, I’m sure there will be people who will continue to raise the issue of Jiun Graspe. So, if we have to give her the so-called ‘equal qualifications’, I would like to adopt her as my foster daughter. Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for that woman to be my foster daughter than Duke Jenna, who is only No. 4 in the noble ranks in the empire?”

“What nonsense!” Earl Larnier stood up, screaming at him.

However, Duke Verita said, stopping him, “My family is also willing to accept her as our foster daughter.”

“The Enesil family also wants to adopt her as our foster daughter, Your Majesty.”

“… Well, the Monique family is also ready to accept her as our family’s foster daughter.”