Chapter 130: Live to Sienna Pt.130
“I think it’s you that’s not quite understanding. Before I spoke to your Majesty, I asked Lady Ferrer, who welcomed this idea. She said she still loved the emperor, and she was disappointed that her engagement was broken, and she even thought about living alone for the rest of her life. Knowing that she was invited to be a second empress, she agreed with a smile. And the Empress will surely agree.”
Carl looked incredulous.
“Lady Ferrer met the Empress before. Lady Ferrer asked if the empress could allow her to attend the ceremony with the Emperor.”
Arya bent her knees as if she were the mother of Bluebell and asked Carl for forgiveness.
“I apologize for that on behalf of her. I know it’s not polite, but she did so blinded by love. I ask your majesty to be generous. Fortunately, the empress seemed to have accepted it with broad generosity. Lady Ferrer said the empress granted the ridiculous request so easily.”
CRACK! Carl’s fingers dug into the handle of the chair. Surprised by the noise, the officials shrugged.
They saw Carl’s skill in the Knights of the Order. Seeing his monstrous power as an intermediate expert level, they couldn’t help but be afraid.
But Arya was not at all frightened by the scene. She still spoke with her smile.
“I’m sure the empress will be happy to hear about it. Because she thinks of the imperial family all the time.”
“Even if the Empress has given me permission, my thoughts will not change! I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you.”
Carl leaped up and escaped from the meeting room. He yelled at his officials, but in fact, he knew. The fact that Bluebell will soon be the second queen as they wanted it to be.
Although he sat on the throne, he did not regain all the emperor’s power.
In the meantime, most of Carl’s powers have been outside. He was supported by soldiers guarding the border area and by local aristocrats scattered throughout the empire. On the other hand, his supporters among the high-ranking aristocrats in the capital city were not large in numbers.
Meetings with important decision-making power in the imperial palace included political affairs meetings held once a week and regular meetings held once a month. It was the high-ranking aristocrats who can attend here, among whom Carl’s influence was not great.
Being emperor, Carl could not cut their throats and unconditionally recommend his own people. Still, in the early days of the administration, he had to slowly build up his power by appeasing Arya’s figures and putting his figures in key posts one by one.
It was by no means a pleasure that Kenyon Ferrer, who was the main pillar of this work, to voice up with Arya. Carl clenched his fist in frustration.
Carl left the meeting room trying to get to Sienna’s palace, but he stopped. Then he looked up at her window in the garden where he could see the Queen’s room.
He couldn’t visit her in such a state of anger. He didn’t have a good conversation a week ago, and he thought he would make a mistake if he met her this angry. He’ll be mad at himself for being powerless, and hurt her by pouring out his anger onto innocent Sienna.
He sighed deeply and headed for his office. From behind, Pavenik followed him without a word.
Carl leaned against the desk in the Oval Office and swept his face with his dry hands. He was relieved that he had reduced the power of Arya’s forces to some extent, but now they are stabbing him in the back.
“I can’t believe she’s holding hands with Ferrer. A foxy woman!”
It was true that he had become estranged from the Ferrer family by marriage with Sienna. It was natural that the Ferrer family was favorable to Carl, not because they were related, but because of their interests that they would become the maternal relatives of the imperial family.
“What we’ve prepared for the Ferrer family has become useless.”
Pavenik murmured in a somber voice.
“It wouldn’t be enough for them. They now have a chance to turn their daughter into an empress.”
“Count Ferrer might think it was taken away from him. As is the case with Lady Ferrer, Count Ferrer must have thought for a long time that his family would be releasing empress.”
“People’s greed is endless…”
Originally, the Ferrer family was not as politically influential as it was now. They were able to establish an early friendship with the family of Isabel Harbourno, Carl’s biological mother, and make Bluebell his fiancée.
Carl, who needed his power in the capital, helped them gain political ground by driving his credit toward the Ferrer family.
“Let’s find out what kind of agreement the empress Arya and Ferrer’s family had. Whether you want it or not, I think we need a realignment of political forces.”
Carl nodded.
“I’m afraid we need a new plan.”
Pavenik nodded at Carl’s words. In the meantime, he had a plan to expand the imperial power by balancing it with aristocratic forces, but the two forces that had to be checked had joined hands, so he had to find another way.
But what filled his mind now was not the balance of power to strengthen the imperial power.
“Why don’t you, your Majesty go home early today?”
Pavenik read such a mind and said. Carl rubbed his fingers at the temple as if he were tired.
Carl’s maternal grandfather, Marquis Harbourno, would give him a boost, but now that the Ferrer family and Arya have joined hands, the opinion leading the political conference would be to make Bluebell the empress. Carl was going to actively express his opposition to their opinions, so he had to start a fight with them from tomorrow. It will never be easy.
“Your Majesty the Empress has come.”
At the sound of the servant’s announcement, Carl and Pavenik looked surprised, making eye contact with each other.
“I don’t think the news is known already…”
The contents of the meeting will be dealt with in strict confidence. The second empress was a big deal, so the aristocrats who participated in the political affairs meeting were extremely cautious, and Carl also ordered them to keep their mouths shut.
Carl looked nervous. Pavenik said with a shrug.
“You haven’t seen her Majesty for a week, so please tell her. Then you two can talk. I don’t think I’m going home today, so I’ll come back after a proper meal.”
Carl wanted to catch Pavenik, who was leaving as if he were running away. Now Carl had no energy to face Sienna.
As he walked into the room, he looked at Sienna and swallowed his dry saliva. She looked very tired unlike a week ago. He regretted that he should have visited first, as Pavenik said.
“Long time no see.”
“Yes. How have you been?”
It was quite an awkward greeting. Even though it was only for a week, there was an awkward atmosphere between the two.
“I’m busy with my work…”
Said Carl, looking around at the documents piled up in the Oval Office. It felt like an excuse for not stopping in her room for a week. He coughed in embarrassment.
“What brings you all the way here?”
“I’m here to ask you something.”
Carl nodded and asked her to take a walk outside. The office air felt stuffy and dirty to be with Sienna.
He led Sienna to the garden. Sellum flowers were all gone, but new flowers have filled the spot.
Sienna didn’t bring up the main point easily and Carl didn’t speak as well. She touched the blooming red flower with her fingertips as if she hesitated to speak out. As she kept her mouth shut, Carl couldn’t stand the awkwardness and asked her.
“Didn’t you say you had a favor to ask?”
“That’s… …about Queen Marie.”
After Marie returned with a shocking confession, Sienna thought about what she could do for her.
Most married female aristocrats were bound to be forgotten like dusty decorations in their families when their husbands died.
After listening to Marie’s story, Sienna felt sorry for her. Marie’s life was dominated by others for political reasons. The form of love was different, but even Valore whom she could rely on died suddenly.
As far as Sienna knows, Marie’s family hasn’t been looking for her since Valore’s funeral. To put it mildly, it was because she had already become part of the imperial family, but in fact, it was clear that she had run out of use. Because she’s already married, she can’t be used as a material for a political marriage, nor does she have any political power.
Marie, who was only twenty-six years old, has to count the days while stuck in the corner of this palace until she dies.
Life was unfortunate. Sienna seemed to be responsible for her unfortunate life. Valore died faster than in the past because of her behavior. So she thought she had to do something for Marie to ease his guilt.
Sienna asked Carl to bestow Marie her last name and title so that she could escape the imperial family.
“Marie the Queen? Do you mean Valore’s wife? Marie Panacio?”
Carl frowned as he said her last name ‘Panacio’. Though well aware of his feelings for the Panacio family, Sienna kept trying to persuade Carl.
“Her Majesty Marie is too young. Instead of letting her stay in the palace, you could give her a small estate and let her live there… Marie is from the Panacio family, but she has no political influence…”
The more Siena continued to speak on behalf of Mary, the more distorted Carl’s face was. It bothered him that she looked fine when Carl didn’t find her for a week, but most of all, Sienna didn’t know what situation she was in and only cared about Queen Marie.
Perhaps after hearing what came out of the political meeting, he was more upset because she didn’t seem to care. He was anxious and nervous that Sienna would leave the palace without any regret after the promised period.
“Is that all you want to say to me in a week?”
Sienna shrank at his voice, which sounded to hold back his anger. She bit her lower lip.
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