But Ilarid was smiling. That ‘gentle and warm’ smile, no different from usual, was spread across her face.

It would be less frightening if she threw things and raised her voice in anger. At the expression that didn’t fit the situation at all, all the servants, including Lynette, froze.

“It’s done. Bring them in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The servants began to move the luxury goods again with hurried steps. Ilarid silently followed the packing boxes towards the inner part of the imperial palace where Cledius would be.

“Your Imperial Majesty. Her Majesty the Empress has arrived.”

Though it was in the office, Cledius was dressed casually. Naturally, Selina was by his side.

Did they spend the night together and stay together until now? Between the loose folds of their clothes, the skin of the two was blatantly visible.

Though it was clearly an official place to check and sign official business, proper discretion seemed to have been thrown in the trash. Ilarid walked towards where Cledius and Selina were, paying no heed.

He glanced at the entering empress and smiled faintly.

“Good morning, Empress.”

“An uncomfortable morning, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“Why, is this sight unpleasant to you?”

What is the psychology of someone asking such an obvious thing? Confirming the kill? Or does he want to see a distorted face filled with anger? Ilarid changed the topic entirely and went straight to the main point.

“I heard you are preparing for war.”

“… You’re quick. Has the news already reached the empress?”

Cledius glanced at the document he was reading indifferently while stroking Selina’s nape with his free hand. At his touch, Selina trembled lightly and burrowed into Cledius’s embrace.

Despite their blatant behavior that could have changed her expression, Ilarid continued speaking without a change in her face.

“Thanks to that, I had to rewrite the budget proposal for the empress’s palace. Due to the rather inconvenient trouble you bestowed, I had no time to rest my hands.”

Lynette forcibly suppressed the goosebumps that had spread to the back of her hands. Ilarid, whom she glanced up at, was clearly smiling, but her words were pointed.

It was clearly a sarcastic remark about Cledius’s behavior, but he just kept smiling as if something was so amusing.

“Therefore, I would like to report the reduced budget of the empress’s palace in advance.”

Whether the emperor laughed or not. Ilarid thrust the organized documents right in front of Cledius’s nose.

Cledius looked up at Ilarid, standing neatly in front of him. As always, she was calm and dazzling.

“I’ll check it.”

“And I have one suggestion.”

“Seeing as the empress has come here in person to speak, it must be an important matter. Selina, would you mind leaving for a moment?”

Despite Cledius’s gentle request, Selina shook her head with her lips tightly closed. She even showed a firm resolve to stay by the emperor’s side no matter what.

Ilarid looked at Selina with a cool smile mixed with a drop of kindness.

“No. As it’s related to Miss Selina, I’d like her to listen together.”

The two people stuck together wore puzzled expressions. I wonder what kind of expression Cledius will make in response.

“I propose officially appointing Miss Selina as the imperial consort.”

That was a statement no one had expected.

For a moment, as if time had stopped, everyone in the room focused on Ilarid. The very person who had uttered such an incredible statement stood calmly, looking at the emperor and his mistress.

Cledius, who had been relaxing his body, suddenly crumpled his face and sat up straight. Selina beside him, still not seeming to realize it, just blinked her eyes blankly, staring in the direction where the empress stood.

“Empress, what sudden…”

“I’m surprised. I thought Your Imperial Majesty would be the most pleased to hear this.”

Ilarid deliberately showed the leisure of tilting her head. It was the composure that one who had gained the upper hand first could show.

The face of Cledius, bewildered by the empress’s unexpected proposal, was quite a sight to see.

“As Your Majesty’s affection deepens day by day, I couldn’t be more fortunate. It’s also an excellent opportunity to produce an heir. But there are too many watching eyes to keep Miss Selina in the palace without any official position.”

As Ilarid’s words continued, Selina’s eyes sparkled with life. She suppressed her excitement and watched the empress and emperor’s reactions.

The position of imperial consort, which she had only heard about and imagined, was about to be placed right in front of her.

Now she can truly, officially be by Cledius’s side.

Ilarid didn’t miss the smile leaking from Selina’s mouth. She drove in a wedge disguised as kindness.

“And if Miss Selina ascends to the position of ‘imperial consort’, she will be able to enjoy many more privileges than now.”

It was clearly a remark directed at Selina to hear. At this point, Selina would probably cling to Cledius’s leg.

No one would just watch as status, privileges, and honor slipped away helplessly. At least, that’s how Selina had been in Ilarid’s observations so far.

“Your Majesty the Empress!”

Selina knelt before Ilarid, breaking away from Cledius. It was the most polite attitude Selina had shown towards Ilarid so far.

“For me to dare… to be the imperial consort. I’m so moved I don’t know what to do with myself. From now on, by Your Majesty’s side, even more…”

“I haven’t given permission.”

Selina’s body, which had been trembling with excitement and joy while prostrated on the floor, suddenly stopped. Her eyes, which had been servile, instantly changed to resentment.

Cledius walked slowly forward, meeting Ilarid’s gaze without looking at Selina who was glaring at him.

The gazes of the two met in mid-air. If gazes had temperature, it would have frozen with a clang.

‘My prediction was right.’

Cledius’s eyes were filled with bewilderment disguised as composure. Ilarid struggled to suppress the sneer rising to her lips as she watched Cledius helplessly shaken.

She had guessed the reason why he was especially protective of Selina, but hadn’t been certain.

Either he truly loved her, or he was using her to provoke Ilarid.

Of course, he must have had some feelings for Selina, but Cledius’s current reaction was clearly the latter.

He probably hoped that Ilarid would become angry, wail, and despair using Selina.

‘When I’m exhausted and collapsed… when there’s no one left around me, are you planning to appear at the right time and play the savior?’

Ilarid’s neatly folded hands involuntarily tightened.

This incident made it certain. Cledius was hoping for Ilarid’s despair.

To think he’d resort to a jealousy strategy. For a tactic that came from the head of an emperor, it was so childish it made her want to laugh hollowly.

Ilarid glared at Cledius’s red eyes as he stepped forward.

She had not the slightest intention of crumbling as he wished.

Cledius glanced at Selina, who was still kneeling and sending resentful glances. Then he came close to Ilarid and began to whisper in her ear.

“It’s still premature.”

“I think it’s appropriate. If she ascends to the position of imperial consort and even conceives, the child born by Miss Selina will soon become the heir to the empire. What could be better than this?”

“… Isn’t it the empress’s duty to produce an heir?”

“I’m always thinking about it. But in the current situation, Miss Selina seems to have a higher possibility. If not that… is the position of imperial consort too insignificant? Should I give up my position as empress?”

“There are certain protocols in the palace.”

“I didn’t expect Your Imperial Majesty to mention protocols first. Just yesterday, you showed quite a shameful spectacle.”

“… Empress.”

“Ah, regarding the empress position, let’s consider it after Miss Selina produces an heir. I will gladly give it up and step down.”

Ilarid heard the sound of teeth grinding near her ear.

It was a casually thrown remark just in case, but Cledius was gradually losing his composure. As quite an interesting reaction burst out from him, a gentle smile spread across Ilarid’s lips.

Cledius’s voice came quietly, breaking each word.

“Empress. Do you really… not care at all?”

“For the stability of the Astrid Empire, what is there to consider and weigh?”

It was truly the attitude befitting an empress of a country.

Not being jealous of the emperor’s woman and being filled only with thoughts of the imperial family’s safety and succession.

Cledius bit his lip hard. Then he looked down at Selina, who was still kneeling on the floor and whimpering.

No matter how much Selina wanted it and Ilarid proposed it, she couldn’t become the imperial consort without the emperor’s final permission.

Cledius’s red eyes, which had maintained silence all along, pierced coldly towards her.

“Fine. I allow it.”

It was closer to ‘Do as you please’ than permission.

Cledius left the room without giving a glance to anyone. Behind his retreating back, Selina was shouting words of gratitude that sounded almost like a scream.

In fact, it would have been much better to ignore Ilarid’s proposal. The budget going to the ‘shadow’ could have been handled secretly.

But once Selina becomes the imperial consort, she officially becomes part of the empress’s palace. It becomes easier to put restrictions on the budget and all her actions from the empress’s palace.

‘She intends to grasp the source and flow of all funds.’

Cledius’s steps stopped as he walked down the corridor. In fact, what upset him was Ilarid’s attitude of talking so nonchalantly.

What wife in the world would first suggest to her husband to officially take a concubine? And with such an indifferent tone.

‘I will gladly give it up and step down.’

Ilarid’s words kept ringing in his head. That composed attitude, showing not even a hint of lingering attachment to the empress position. The confidence that she could leave his side at any time.

Bang!

Cledius struck the wall beside him with his fist. With a loud noise, the inner wall vibrated.

The face of Ilarid he wanted was not such a composed one.

He wanted her to pour out resentment and anger, to glare at him with eyes full of jealousy. He wanted her to collapse in despair and fall into his arms with an empty face.

But Ilarid was too strong to crumble over mere woman troubles of Cledius.

**

“Your Majesty the Empress. What on earth are you thinking?”

As soon as they entered the empress’s office, Lynette closed the door and asked urgently. The question marks she had been suppressing since the imperial palace were mixed with frustration and anger.

“I’m going to appoint Selina as the imperial consort.”

“That will only make Your Majesty the Empress’s position more difficult. Already all the nobles are lining up to side with Viscount Diobe… If you fall into crisis later, no one will stand up for Your Majesty the Empress.”

Not chasing her out or dealing with her secretly, but officially bringing her in. Lynette felt like even the meal she ate the day before was coming back up.

“Then what should I do… Should I leave the palace?”

“Your Majesty. Are you telling me to become unemployed?”

“You think I can’t feed just one person?”

“Somehow I feel like I should be the one saying that…”

Finally, a deep sigh burst from Lynette’s lips. It’s not that she didn’t understand Ilarid’s feelings.

Rather than enduring the insults committed by Cledius’s ‘shadow’, wasn’t it her intention to bring her in as an imperial consort and keep her under her feet?

Of course, judging by the emperor’s behavior, he might prevent Ilarid from directly managing Selina. Lynette’s clenched hands tightened.

“But just leaving it like this… somehow feels frustrating.”

“Lynette.”

At Ilarid’s stern and low voice, Lynette’s mind, which had been drooping dejectedly, snapped back to attention.

The Ilarid she looked up at again was the same empress that Lynette had always seen.

“I didn’t say I would make Selina the empress.”

Ilarid recalled the things she was carefully preparing. As she gripped the back of the chair in front of her firmly, the contours of the decorations dug into her palm.

“I have no intention of giving up this position for a while. What I just did was putting on a bit of a bluff to His Imperial Majesty.”

From the enthronement ceremony onwards, all funds flowing into the imperial consort’s palace had to be recorded and monitored without fail. From the moment Selina becomes the imperial consort, that place would clearly be used as a channel for money laundering and distribution for Cledius or Viscount Diobe.

Although Cledius had put restrictions, there were still things that could only be done from the empress’s position. It was still too early to step down quietly like this.

She had stayed as quiet as possible to survive so far. She tried to appear like a virtuous and wise empress who did nothing and mechanically carried out given tasks. Thanks to that, Cledius’s surveillance had become somewhat lax.

Now Ilarid needed to create her own forces. She needed people who could stand against Cledius and the nobles surrounding him.

She recalled the letters in her drawer. The nobles in the provinces and the newly rich had responded positively to Ilarid’s secret requests for cooperation.

‘… It seems the time has come to repay the grace received from the Countess Melpiram in the past…’

Ilarid’s mother and the Countess Melpiram. A woman better known to people by the name ‘Keira Rowen Melpiram’.

A person who showed great interest in charity work and mingled freely with figures of common origin. The reason for the rise in Melpiram’s reputation among the people, and the behavior that drew the antipathy of the nobles.

And even after her death, she was still moving people. If it weren’t for Keira’s movements, Ilarid would be in an even more isolated state now.

But it was lacking in the military aspect. There were private soldiers of those who promised cooperation, but they were easy to notice. A force that moved secretly was desperately needed.

Ilarid composed herself and sat down at her desk. They would soon enter the capital. The rest would have to be left to luck. As she forcibly put strength into her cold hands, the tips of her nails left a dull pain.

The festival will begin in a few days.