Even commoners could enjoy a luxurious life that they might never experience in a lifetime if their faces were just decent, so the story went, which circulated all week.

“If only I were ten years younger, I’d give it a try!”

“Yeoki, my friend. Your face is an entrance cut, an entrance cut.”

“What kind of new slang is that?”

“It means you won’t even get in, but you’ll be cut off!”

Most commoners heard this news in taverns, on the streets, in parks, and at their regular vegetable shops. Every one of them found it intriguing because it was a well-known story, even among rural bachelors, that there was no heir due to the Emperor and Empress’s strained relationship.

In the midst of all this, such an incident that everyone would say, “Serves him right,” occurred. It was as if someone spat in the face of the Emperor, in a truly magnificent and extravagant manner, with an enormous budget, nationwide.

“We may not know much about the affairs of noble ladies… but… even the saint had a secret affair.”

“Hmm, this is a private conversation, you know? Well, even if my husband had an affair with a priest…”

“It’s not enough to tear out your hair! Who believes in a god when there’s no one to have an affair with?”

Old women carrying laundry from the well laughed aloud.

What was interesting was that none of them cursed the Empress. Instead, they sympathized with her pain and considered her to have endured a lot until now.

Some even found it refreshing.

“Heh. You should appreciate your main wife. It’s fun.”

“I went to the temple a while ago, and the priest did it again during the service. They say the saint cannot submit to her husband. It seems she’s becoming more outspoken.”

“Isn’t that saint the one who played around with a man who already had a wife first? Saying demonic things. It’s ridiculous.”

“Slowly, the money we offer at the temple becomes a waste. I’m hesitant to go. Nonsense is increasing. So wives are told to endure whether their husbands have affairs or not, you know.”

Thwack, thwack!

The old women teased with sticks, hitting the laundry.

People suffering from the slander of both high and low-ranking women were always there.

To them, the Empress’s appearance was quite splendid.

Of course, there were those who were upset, claiming that it was a public insult to the Emperor, but their number was small.

Especially people in the capital were more supportive of the Empress, especially since life had become much tougher since the Holy Knights took charge of the capital’s security.

The stern and rigidly principled Holy Knights, who were strict and unapproachable, couldn’t get close to ordinary people and punished them severely for even minor mistakes.

Naturally, they failed to win the hearts of the commoners. It seemed they had no intention of doing so in the first place.

Although the Holy Knights were remarkable, those who remembered the excessively humane Valquier appreciated them, and that affection extended to the owner of the Astaloth Knights, the Empress.
Above all, isn’t it the Empress’s work to care for and pity the poor commoners who are pitiful and unfortunate every time she lends a helping hand?

When the Empress began accepting the children of maids at the Empress’s Palace, many noble families followed suit without hesitation. Now, it had become a daily routine for noble ladies to boast about how many children they had in their mansions and how they were taking care of them.

The scene had changed drastically from the past when one would be kicked out for getting pregnant with improper behavior.

“How handsome they are! I should go on a trip to Heartman to see the Empress’s candidates!”

“Yes, me too.”

“Our Empress! May you achieve whatever you desire!”

The voices of many citizens were compiled into a report and placed on the Emperor’s table.

The atmosphere in the study was extremely tense.

The study was so quiet that even the sound of falling hair could be heard.

The Emperor silently tapped on the report without saying a word.

As the Emperor’s silence lingered, the discomfort among the nobles grew.

In these days, the influence of the Empress’s Palace was becoming stronger day by day.

What was terrifying was that this influence came from the people.

“Even with such an incident, the people are still on the Empress’s side.”

“I-I have nothing to say. No previous Empress has done such a thing….”

At the bluntly spoken words, the contemplative nobles exchanged glances cautiously.

The Emperor, Enrique, pressed his lips together, squeezing his eyebrows.

“I heard that the Astaloth Knights of the Empress are popular among the people. Meanwhile, the Holy Knights have been losing popularity every year. Do you know the reason?”

In this study, there were the Emperor’s advisors, the Emperor’s loyalists, the commander of the guards, and the leader of the Crusaders sitting together.