“Compared to the previous two, this one has quite an ordinary face.”

“That’s right. It seems like one you’d forget as soon as you turn away… with such a weak presence.”

“Perhaps he has talents in the lower regions?”

Some nobles laughed, making crude jokes. At the sound of their laughter, the brown-haired man hunched his shoulders even more.

His personality doesn’t seem very lively either, and he appears to be overly cautious… How did such a person become a consort?

The ministers surveyed the empress and the consorts standing behind her with interested expressions.

The emperor had not yet arrived.

He surely wouldn’t be pleased to see this sight.

But what could be done?

It was the emperor himself who had allowed the saint to attend state council meetings all this time.

‘How could such madness exist!’

While most ministers were thinking this, the foreign minister Galehan arrived at his seat.

He was shocked to see the consorts standing behind the empress.

‘How dare she! Without even having an heir yet, to so boldly bring consorts!’

Galehan’s beard trembled, seemingly carrying his anger, as his eyes widened.

He actually thought the emperor was quite foolish.

If he had forcibly taken the empress as he had advised, they wouldn’t be in this situation.

‘Bringing them as if to show off. Tsk. When a woman behaves so disgracefully, it’s because the husband failed to properly control his wife.’

Galehan shook his head.

Such a thing would never happen in his household.

Aren’t women emotional and prone to crying at the slightest thing?

Weak women were beings that must necessarily receive the protection of men.

When rational men held the real power in the household and gave directions, women just needed to follow without thinking too much.

After all, even if they did think, it would likely be useless anyway.

‘They say when a hen crows loudly, the country is doomed.’

Trying hard not to frown, Galehan sat down. At that moment, the empress addressed the ministers with a smiling face.

“This morning, when I looked at the documents, I saw that quite a lot of flounder have been caught in the West Sea lately.”

“Yes, that’s correct. It’s a tasty fish, and they say enough has been caught to export.”

Duke Ahilo responded gently to the empress’s words.

The empress patted the back of the hand of the consort massaging her shoulders, and asked in a casual tone.

“But does everyone know that this fish’s eyes are shifted to one side?”

What does it matter where a fish’s eyes are attached?

When it comes to the table, it’s all prepared anyway.

So the empress’s words shouldn’t be taken at face value.

“Even if one eats a lot of fish, human eyes wouldn’t become like that……”

Suddenly, the empress turned her gaze sharply towards Galehan.

Uncomfortable with her leisurely yet intimidating gaze, like a predator circling its prey, Galehan shifted in his seat.

“Just in case, it might be better to reduce fish dishes from now on.”

Since when did the empress become so forceful?

Speechless, Galehan could only bow his head to the smiling empress.

“……Yes, Your Majesty.”

To embarrass someone like this just for one glare.

His insides were boiling.

But adding anything more here would only disadvantage himself.

As the tension heightened, the emperor finally appeared.

“Your Majesty.”

Everyone except the empress stood up and bowed.

However, the empress didn’t move an inch from her seat.

She just stared blankly at the emperor, resting her chin on her hand with her elbow on the table.

“You’re late, emperor.”

Emperor?

Emperor???

For a moment, the atmosphere in the meeting room froze.

Galehan too was so angry he could barely breathe.

The emperor is the parent of all people, so even just saying ’empress’ to address the empress is fine. But while the empress is the mother of all people, she is still below the emperor.

Even if the positions of emperor and empress were equal, one must always add ‘Your Majesty’ when addressing the emperor.

Yet how dare she simply say ’emperor’!

Everyone looked to the emperor’s reaction to this shocking event.

“Let’s start the state council meeting.”

But what was this?

The emperor didn’t say anything to the empress. He didn’t even give her a look about bringing consorts.

Seeing this, Galehan almost struck his own chest.

‘Indeed, the empress must be removed. If she won’t have an heir, what reason is there for her to be in that position?’

Foreign Minister Galehan considered himself a truly loyal subject who cared for this country.

If only the ministers were as loyal as him, the empress wouldn’t be acting up like this.

‘When the empress is gone, naturally a new empress will be chosen.’

Then… then at that time!

He could put forward his daughter as a candidate for empress.

The reason Galehan hadn’t married off his daughter even though she was well past marriageable age was because of his great ambition.

In fact, it’s a secret, but Galehan had tried several times to arrange a marriage with the Silverrose Grand Ducal family, who were no different from the king of the North. But each time, the answer was rejection.

Yet sending her to a family below that felt like it wouldn’t do justice to her value, raised with only the best and cherished all this time, so he hesitated and time just passed.

But if it was for empress….

‘If I became the father of the empress!’

He always had ambition to rise in the world, but lately his heart had been pounding strangely.

Whether lying down, standing, or sitting, the thought kept coming to mind.

‘I need to resolve this before my daughter gets any older.’

Galehan continued the meeting while trying hard to hide his desires.

It felt as if some part of his soul was burning black.

‘It worked.’

As I examined Galehan closely, I raised an eyebrow.

I didn’t notice at first, but when I scrutinized deep into his pupils, I saw something that wasn’t visible before.

‘His soul has already been eaten away. No doubt it’s Belliphor’s doing.’

Belliphor had a nasty and strange habit of eating the souls of humans he had his eye on.

He decorated it with the fancy term ‘devouring’, but my sisters and I just found it strange.

What on earth was the use of eating souls?

My second older sister treated Belliphor as somewhat lacking and said to leave him be.

Apparently it was like marking his territory, she said.

‘What to do….’

From the circumstances, it seemed the foreign minister might be backed by one of my consorts.

I’m not sure what desires he has, but Belliphor would have amplified the foreign minister’s desires several times over… and that might be why he wants to kill me.

After pondering for a while, I waited for the right moment during the meeting and threw out a proposal.

“I wish to hold a palace banquet to welcome the bountiful season.”

“That’s a good idea. There wasn’t a separate banquet this summer, so everyone will be looking forward to it.”

As there was no particular reason not to hold one, the atmosphere was generally agreeable.

I looked around at the ministers with a small smile on my lips.

“Moreover, I was thinking it could be an occasion for young people to socialize and build harmony. It could also be a place for new couples to form.”

The older ministers would likely have unfavorable thoughts about young people meeting and dating at the banquet.

It was amusing to see their thin lips quivering, wanting to lecture that one shouldn’t meet the opposite sex carelessly.

‘But young people in their prime will be desperate to find lovers.’

No matter how much the parent generation insists that marriage should only be with the man or woman they’ve arranged, and that free love is absolutely forbidden, it’s useless.

‘Since I’ve taken in consorts, young nobles will also be stirred up, so I should let them relieve their thirst like this. That way my popularity will rise too.’

The imperial faction nobles, who were particularly old-fashioned among the aristocrats, voiced their opposition.

They said something about it needing to be a modest banquet to thank the gods for the bountiful autumn.

After listening halfheartedly to their opinions, I opened my mouth, pretending to give in.

“Then, I’ll entrust this banquet to the saint.”

“What?!”

“Hearing your opinions makes me think it would be good for the saint to oversee the banquet. However… I still want it to be an occasion for young people to get to know each other. I don’t think even the gods would say forming relationships is wrong.”

On the surface, it might seem like I was compromising by offering an inclusive solution, but my true intentions were different.

I was planning to give Helene the authority to hold the banquet at this point, pretending to be merciful.

But would the nobles who have enjoyed the banquets I’ve held so far be satisfied with a banquet held by Helene?

“Ahem, I think Her Majesty the Empress’s words are correct.”

“I agree as well.”

Not knowing my dark intentions, nobles who maintained close relations with the temple wagged their tongues one after another.

On the other hand, the aristocratic faction nobles looked displeased, but since Duke Ahilo didn’t say anything, they all kept their mouths shut.

“What does the emperor think?”

Ignoring such nobles, I turned towards Enrique.

Helene no longer has Enrique’s favor.

Yet she still occupies the Lily Palace.

I was very displeased about that.

“The banquet is under the empress’s purview, so do as you wish.”

“Then I won’t decline. As my health hasn’t been good lately, the saint can take over my duties.”

It was then.

“You’re not feeling well? Have you seen a doctor?”

Enrique suddenly showed interest in me.

It was the first time in years.