Chapter 196 (1/2)

Chapter 196: Chapter 196

“As both sides are now locked in fierce bickering, I think I have to tell you that you should come prepared for the summons.”

“…Got it. Thank you.”

When I expressed gratitude, he stood up with a worried expression. After seeing him off, who looked back over and over again as if he wasn’t relieved, I went to bed with a heavy heart.

Two days after the marquee visited my house, I received two letters. One was a summons to attend the cabinet meeting in the afternoon, and the other one was sent by the emperor, asking me to stay at home instead of coming to the palace because he would handle the matter.

I spent time pacing up and down in my house in the morning. If I were to attend the meeting now, it was clear that they would put an end to the long controversy over the vacant position of the empress.

It was the moment I had been waiting for, but when its resolution was around the corner, I had a lot on my mind. At the same time, I was scared because there would be a fierce collision between the two rival factions in the process of making the conclusion.

I opened the blue-colored letter from the emperor once again with my cold hand. He obviously asked me not to come because he would solve the matter somehow. The fact that he sent me the letter suggested that the noble faction’s offensive was very strong.

However, I couldn’t avoid it, so I bit my lips to pull myself together. Even if I was faced with some difficulties and trials, I had to end this controversy that had been going on for almost six years.

“Lina, bring me the formal dress and the crest brooch. ”

Ignoring her who looked at me with a worried expression, I wore a new black dress.

After stroking the brooch on the collar once, I headed for the Imperial Palace, holding the cufflinks my father gave me.

“The Sun of the Empire, His Excellency, is entering.”

As soon as I raised my head, my eyes met his navy blue eyes. His cold look seemed to ask me why I attended the meeting. When I turned my eyes with an awkward smile, Earl Hamel said, as if he was waiting for the moment, “Although the Monique family has been silent on this issue until now, I hope you can express your opinion, Lady Monique. I think it’s time to put an end to this controversy. I can’t understand why your family can be so disloyal as the most loyal family in this empire.”

“Earl Hamel, watch your language!”

“Well, I would like to speak out today. To be honest, isn’t it an agenda we don’t have to discuss? Lady Jena has demonstrated her qualities as the next empress for the past six months while Lady Monique was absent. On the other hand, despite her position as the emperor’s fiancee, Lady Monique has joined the knights, or she has been attending this meeting in her capacity as the head of her family, which is very strange. She is acting as if she is more interested in being the successor of her family. If you have given up the goal of being the next empress, why are you wielding the sword and learning military strategy or tactics instead of learning to quietly help His Excellency the Emperor?”

“He is right. It is clear that she has already given up, realizing she doesn’t have the qualifications.”

I closed my lips because I had nothing to say. It is true that he thought I would seek to be the successor of my family, and that I was refusing the position of the empress.

When both me and the pro-emperor faction kept silent, Earl Hamel said with a triumphant air, “I would like to hear Lady Monique’s opinion at this point. Please tell us whether you have given up on the position of the empress on your own or if you have any other reason.”

Regardless of the noble faction or the pro-emperor faction, they turned their eyes toward me

The future of their faction would depend on what kind of position I would take.

The moment I closed and opened my eyes, my eyes met his, who was looking at me quietly. As if he read my mind, I saw his blue eyes trembling a bit.

“I am…”

When I just opened my mouth, suddenly someone interrupted, saying coldly, “Well, I think I have to take issue with something before she answers.”

They looked away from me and focused on the man at the head table. Looking around as if he was very displeased, the emperor said coldly, “Earl Hamel, you mentioned something about the qualifications of the empress. What about Lady Jena? It has been almost a year since she suddenly appeared in the empire. Has she ever shown better qualities than Lady Monique? Let me remind you that Lady Jena was never recognized by the late emperor.”