The Duke's Flower is Precarious (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 102

An old acquaintance arrived at the Emperor’s audience chamber.

They were Count Refenser and Viscount Desen, who had accompanied the Grand Duke during the Lisandro delegation. As Pascal listened to their impassioned speech, his expression grew increasingly cold.

“So what you’re suggesting is… that Grand Duke Elyos is preparing to seize the throne by leveraging the power of the Lisandro Empire?”

“With all due humility, Your Majesty, the possibility is very real—much like the ‘rebellion’ two hundred years ago, when the Duke of the Lebeta Empire allied with the Lisandro Empire to depose his own nephew, the Emperor.”

“A rebellion…? But don’t you lack concrete evidence?”

“Isn’t the Grand Duke’s conduct during his visit to the Lisandro Empire evidence enough? His actions toward the Grand Duchess’s cause—and especially what he did to the First and Second Princes—were excessive. It’s nearly impossible to believe such behavior came from the normally composed Grand Duke.”

“Indeed. Moreover, by damaging the First and Second Princes, the Grand Duke has effectively made the Third Prince the strongest candidate for succession. If this was all part of a premeditated plan, it’s deeply alarming. There must be some mutual benefit exchanged between the Grand Duke and the Third Prince.”

“…”

Pascal’s brows tensed sharply as he sank into deep thought. Just as he had anticipated when sending the delegation, the Grand Duke had achieved a remarkable diplomatic success—securing a customs alliance through the delegation talks.

While Pascal had fully expected the Grand Duke to accomplish something significant… he had never foreseen that the Grand Duke would directly intervene to reshape the Lisandro imperial succession—especially in a manner so uncharacteristically bold.

‘This, too, must be the Grand Duchess’s influence.’

If these nobles’ suspicions were correct—that the Grand Duke had aided the Third Prince in gaining power—it was highly likely the Grand Duchess had played a role. After all, she had long shared a close friendship with the Third Prince.

Pascal’s blue eyes darkened as he thought of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess. Seeing his somber, troubled expression, Count Refenser and Viscount Desen exchanged meaningful glances. It was time to heighten the Emperor’s anxiety to its peak and press him for a decisive move.

“Recently, factions supporting the Third Prince in the Lisandro Empire have gained dominance and begun seizing central power. They are steadily ousting the previously strong factions of the First and Second Princes, who had flourished under Empress Lisandro’s protection. Power can shift so swiftly—sometimes overnight.”

“Our Imperial faction strives to ensure Your Majesty’s stable governance and secure authority, yet we face growing difficulty as the Grand Duke’s supporters gain momentum among the nobility. If their influence is already this strong now, imagine if they gain the backing of the Lisandro Empire as well…”

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