As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover Chapter 210

“The issue lies in the hereditary succession system based solely on bloodlines. That’s why it was so easy for someone to seize the throne in such a way. Although it’s difficult to address this issue in the current generation, I plan to enact laws that will gradually change it.”

 

“…Many people will oppose it, so it will be a difficult path.”

 

“I think so too.”

 

Luize looked at Edward and smiled softly. “Even so, I believe it’s the right path. The right path is often the most difficult one.” She then took Edward’s hand in hers.

 

No matter how difficult the road ahead, they could move forward together because they trusted each other. If one of them fell, the other would help them up.

 

Edward lifted her hand and kissed the back of it.

 

* * *

The emperor’s decree reached the four nobles. It was delivered by magic to the distant Count Kalliod in the north and by messengers to the other nobles. Due to his illness, a representative would convey Kalliod’s decision. Servenia received the decree first, followed by Edvin. The last one, Cloette…

 

Chirp chirp. Tweet tweet. Chirp chirp!

 

“Mmm…”

 

Reiad slowly opened his eyes and sat up like an empty doll. He had become quite used to waking up to the sound of the canary’s chirping.

 

A vase of flowers, placed by a servant, sat by his bedside. As he came to his senses, he realized it was now the season when Luize’s favorite flowers were in full bloom. The scent of roses filled the air wherever he went. The roses that Luize loved the most had a long blooming period, lasting well into the heart of summer. It seemed this particular rose had become a trend as they were planted everywhere.

 

He reached out and poured himself some water from the cup on the nightstand. The water was lukewarm. But lukewarm water no longer fully woke him up.

 

Frowning, Reiad pulled the bell cord. “Bring me some cold water.”

 

“Yes.”

 

He leaned back against the headboard, staring into space.

 

The deposed crown prince had been reinstated. Luize had become the crown prince’s fiancée, and the emperor kept pressuring him to find Edward’s weaknesses. Of course, the princess gave him no information. He was nothing but a fiancé in name, and there was no love between them. Reiad was merely a pawn in the princess’s collection, a convenient piece to use.

 

If the crown prince overthrows the emperor and takes the throne, it’ll all be over.

 

If everything Reiad had done under the emperor’s orders reached Edward’s ears, he would lose his lands and his title as a count. That would be the best-case scenario. Normally, he would be executed as a public example. He was, after all, the emperor’s right-hand man. However, even if Luize had come to hate him, she wouldn’t let him die. Not because she loved him but out of pity. Reiad was sure of that.

 

Luize was a kind woman who would even offer a different life to a bug that nibbled on rose petals. He learned from the gardener after Luize left that she used to release the bugs she caught into the bushes outside the city.

 

Love… Had it ended? The heart that once beat fervently during his dreams of love had long since worn out and faded away. Yet, whenever he recalled his memories with Luize, it felt as if a heavy weight settled near his heart. Was that weight guilt? Or regret? His heart felt heavy, cold, and stifled.

 

“Before winter comes, I plan to return to Pendel. I intend to take you with me then. You’ll come, won’t you?”

 

A few days ago, Diana’s words echoed in his mind. Coincidentally, it was the same day the crown prince summoned the emperor to a meeting. That meeting had taken place the day before.

 

Knock, knock. A maid knocked on the door. It seemed they had brought the cold water. When he told her to come in, she handed him a cup of cold water and informed him that the emperor’s messenger had arrived. It had been a long time since the emperor had sent an official messenger.

 

Reiad, roughly wrapping a robe around himself, went downstairs to meet the messenger.

 

“…Thus, Count Reiad di Cloette is ordered to enter the palace in seven days.”

 

“Wait.” A faint focus returned to Reiad’s eyes. He looked directly at the messenger and spoke again. “What is the proposal?”

 

“The emperor is to confirm his legitimate bloodline before all the people and nobles of the empire using the imperial magic stone.”

 

“…The deposed, I mean, the crown prince proposed this?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Reiad’s face turned pale. He ran a hand over his face, staggering. What could the crown prince be planning?

 

The emperor had passed the magic stone test every year at the founding festival without issue, proving his legitimacy as a member of the imperial family. He had even passed it at the recent festival. So why now?

 

“But that pretty bird can’t come with us. If the cage door accidentally opens, won’t it escape?”

 

Diana’s voice echoed in his mind again. Reiad felt the time for a decision was approaching.

 

* * *

The imperial palace appeared calm, like the calm before a storm, but beneath the surface, chaos was brewing. Those who first heard Edward’s proposal wore puzzled expressions.

 

“Why propose something like that?”

 

“Exactly. The emperor passed the bloodline verification during the recent founding festival.”

 

“It’s strange…”

 

A servant, deep in thought, spoke up.

 

“But what if, just hypothetically… If he fails to pass this time, doesn’t that mean the emperor isn’t a legitimate imperial?”

 

“That’s… true?”

 

“…!”

 

The servants exchanged glances in the air. They hadn’t said it aloud, but they all understood the implication of those words.

 

“S-Still, he’s passed it every year. There’s no way.”

 

“Right?”

 

Sweat trickled down their faces as they continued sweeping the corridor.

 

Meanwhile, Maxion, who found himself among the family representatives voting on the proposal, was even more troubled. Another message from Count Kalliod had just arrived. It seemed the count had immediately spent a large sum to contact his men by magic as soon as he heard the news.

 

“That… If Young Master doesn’t accept the title, he will cast a vote against it.”

 

Maxion sat at the desk in his office, designated for the crown prince’s aide, struggling with the title succession document. Edward had decided to quickly wrap up all ongoing matters until the situation with the emperor was resolved and temporarily suspend anything that would take longer. As a result, Maxion had already finished his work as his aide by the morning, leaving him with too much time to think.

 

“Sigh…”

 

Knock, knock. He pushed the document aside at the sound of a knock on the door.

 

“Come in.”

 

The door opened, and a familiar face entered. It was Edward. As Maxion stood up to greet him, Edward gestured for him to sit.

 

“I didn’t think I gave you that much work, but I heard you haven’t left your office, so I came to check.”

 

“Where is Luize? Why are you here alone?”

 

“Marquess Edvin requested a duel. The date is set for the day before the vote results are announced. I sent her to train, so I’ll be staying quietly with you.”

 

“…”

 

“Are you pondering the title inheritance?”

 

“…Yes. I trust that everything will work out favorably as Your Highness assured me, but…”

 

“Then why the hesitation?”

 

Maxion stared at the title succession document he had pushed aside. After a brief silence, he spoke slowly. “… I’m afraid of making the wrong choice and regretting it.”

 

Maxion pulled the title succession document back to the center of the desk.

 

“As Your Highness knows, after the death of Viscount Berg, Count Kalliod took direct control of the estate. He had such a knack for management that he revived Kalliod, which was on the brink of collapse after the plague, without ever stepping foot outside the estate.”

 

“…”

 

“He’s also politically savvy, holding influence as one of the three great northern nobles, even without directly participating in politics.”

 

“Hmm, I acknowledge his abilities.”

 

Count Kalliod had truly become the lord he was meant to be after Viscount Berg’s demise. Although his hypochondria and obsession with bloodlines persisted, he was likely a decent lord in the eyes of the people of Kalliod.

 

“Today, one of the count’s men conveyed that if I don’t accept the title, he will cast a vote against. I’ve thought it over, and I believe Count Kalliod has already grasped the significance of that vote. Although he may not have been a good person as a father, he is certainly capable in this area.”

 

“That’s probably true.”

 

“The fact that he went so far as to hire an expensive wizard to deliver such a message suggests he’s in a desperate situation. At first, I thought he might be lying just to transfer the title to me. But if it’s true that he’s on the verge of death…”

 

Maxion lowered his gaze. His dark eyes trembled slightly.

 

“I don’t know how to make a decision I won’t regret. Despite my resentment toward my father, I wonder if it’s right to turn away from him until his last breath. The threads between him and me have become too tangled and twisted to unravel, and I’m not sure if ignoring him until the end is the right thing to do.” He fell silent, lost in deep thought.

 

Edward broke the silence. “There’s something I haven’t told you.”