Chapter 11 The Prime Minister who schemes

 The Prime Minister scheming

 He clears away the papers on his desk and lets out a small breath.

"...Hmm. It's reduced quite a bit."

 What was once two light piles of papers is now less than half a pile.

 Normally, I should be happy that my workload has decreased, but the reason why I can only feel displeasure is because all the documents that Felix Cyril used to handle have been delivered to the emperor.

"After all this time... what are you trying to do..."

 With eyes downcast and a slight shake of his head, he rang one of the bells he had selected from the several lined up on the table.

 Coming down from the ceiling without a sound was one of Cyril's shadow clan.

"How's your sama's child?"

"Well. She's chatting in the princess-sama's room."

Oh, no...

 The emperor, who was supposed to have been sincere but not enthusiastic about his work, took care of his paperwork in the morning, had a few hours of elegant tea time with the princess, and after that, only selected people were granted an audience.

 The Prime Minister is not among those carefully selected persons.

"Did he mention anything of interest to you?"

"Not particularly."

Are you sure?

Do you want me to call someone else?

No, no.

 He's the closest thing to the next head of the Shadow Clan.

 He wouldn't betray Cyril easily, but there was a possibility that the emperor, who wore the same imperial air as when Queen Eleonora was still alive, would be swayed by him.

"Are you two the only ones chatting?"

"No, sir. Edeltraut-sama and Boniface-sama are with us."

"What? I've heard no such report!"

"You said it was unnecessary. He said no report was necessary until I was asked."

What do you mean?

 Boniface was obedient to both his ostensible father, the Emperor, and his real father, Cyril, except when it came to women.

 I don't know if the emperor complained about Cyril's relations with women or not, but Boniface stubbornly refused to listen to Cyril's countless warnings and outbursts, but other than that, he responded to all of Cyril's reckless requests.

 Boniface is an excellent son of Cyril.

 Even though he became the emperor, he did not show that he valued Cyril, and he had a flexible mind to give him the best treatment.

 Above all, you never doubted that blood ties are absolute and that he would never betray you.

"If I don't understand it, it would be better to ask Boniface-sama directly."

"Then go get him at once!"

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't. At Boniface-sama's insistence, I've been instructed not to interfere with your meeting with Alexandra-sama."

"Huh! Did you get lost in Alexandra's sexuality? You're such a sama!"

 Alexandra, who was dressed in clothes that were too poor to be worn by a member of the royal family, and who was forced to wear a boorish hood, had long been ridiculed as an ugly woman who bore no resemblance to the late Princess Eleonora.

 But.

 However, after she began to wear the attire befitting a member of the royal family and to keep her face uncovered, she was praised for her beauty, which, although different in nature from that of her own mother Eleonora, was no less beautiful.

 Since they had crossed paths several times, he had observed her intently so that she would not be mistaken for her mother, and had recognized that she had the kind of beauty that could drive a man crazy, but she was not to Cyril's liking.

 Although he appreciates her to the extent that he would be willing to give her the position of the glorious Prime Minister's wife, even though he has no fault in her.

"...It seems to me that the day will never come when Boniface-sama will be seduced by the lust of women. Not if you don't like women."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I shouldn't have said that. I'll have a word with him as soon as our meeting is over."

 I tried to ask him what kind of a riddle it was that Boniface, the womanizing maniac, did not like women, but I could not do so because of the person who opened the door roughly and came in.

 The man, who should have been able to detect the presence of the shadow that had quickly disappeared into the ceiling, was as distraught as if he were a different person.

"Prime Minister! Please hide me!"

 He was a man of little taste, but he was certainly capable.

 However, he was too arrogant for his abilities to be legitimately evaluated.

 Nikolaus Bot, who was so foolish that he snickered at the idea that he deserved this attitude, clung to Cyril with a pale face.

"Hide me, you say?"

"Yes! I've been stripped of my positions as head of the Mage Training Academy and head of the Court Mage, and all of my assets, including my house, have been seized by Bachell!"

"By Bachell, huh?"

 The name of the man who had been manipulated by Cyril into having a child with Carla Ziege, but who was still trusted by the Emperor, came up, and I clicked my tongue loudly in my chest.

"You may go wherever you wish! But nowhere! I can't go anywhere! I couldn't even flee the country."

"Why would I flee the country?"

You'll only be ruined if you stay in this country. You will be condemned more fearlessly than death for disrespecting the Empress... for disrespecting the Empress-sama! That's why I tried to move out of the country, thinking that its power would not reach me! I tried!"

 The bot threw the contents of the bag hanging from his waist onto the table.

 It was a large number of spent transfer rocks.

"I've used the transfer stones I've acquired by scrounging up assets, but no matter how powerful they are, I've been unable to transfer to the country of my fate. The stone is working properly. But! But!"

 The bot, shaking its head and scratching its hair, stared at Cyril.

 The bloodshot eyes are very frightened.

"It's not going to the destination, it's going to the source..."

"...How is that even possible?"

 Either the bots are trapped and couldn't detect it, or they misread it.

 Either way, I can only assume it's the bot's fault.

 Even Cyril, who wasn't familiar with magic, could point out that this was an anomaly that defied the concept of magic.

"Normally, this would be impossible. But if it's divine punishment, it's possible... it's possible, Prime Minister..."

 The bot clutched at Cyril's leg and repeated his plea.

"Please help me! I'm begging the Prime Minister!"

 It would be a waste of time to argue with a confused bot.

 That said, I don't know how they got in here, but I don't want them to stay in the Prime Minister's office in the palace.

"Why don't you go to the temple?"

"How can the temple shelter me when I'm being punished by the gods!"

"You're right. If you are really being punished by God, there is no way I can hide you.  I think temples are temples because they help those who are punished by the gods. Temple Chief Gottfold is there. Isn't it best to pray to the gods now to lessen the punishment?"

 If there is divine punishment, then something should happen to Cyril.

 If it was divine punishment for his reduced workload, it had nothing to do with the emperor's intentions.

 I'd rather be grateful.

"Well, is that acceptable?"

"I don't know what God's will is. But I think it's better than continuing to run."

Then take me to the temple!

 Go alone! I would say, "Go alone!" but there is a possibility that you will be pulled away as soon as you leave the Prime Minister's office.

 If that happened, it would be even more confusing, and he could not deny the possibility that he would confess to the disrespect of Cyril and Gotthold.

"...I'll call someone over. You can sit there and calm down a bit."

"Ah, yes."

 He looked around the room and, without saying a word, cut the seal of the wine in the corner and slurped it down in one gulp.

 The bot, uninterested in taste, probably had no idea how good and expensive the wine in his hand was.

 I thought it was a waste of money, but I was foolish to be angry.

 I dismissed it as a necessary expense and pondered who I should call... but it was not necessary.

"Excuse me, sir. Is the Prime Minister here?"

"Ferdinand-sama!"

 After an awkward knock, Gottfried's son entered, shaking his huge body.

 Ferdinand, one half of the twins.

"My wife, sama, is going into the temple. I wanted to say hello."

"Felix-sama!"

 From behind a huge figure, Ziege jumped out.

 Her body was full and heavily made up.

 She's wearing an overly ornate costume and the royal family's most prized possession, jewelry.

 For whatever reason, she was not dressed to go to the temple.

"...Hmm? Nikolaus is here too..."

"Yes, yes! I, along with Carla-sama, intend to go to the temple to pray to the gods!"

"Carla, I hope you don't call me that. The impious one who ran away alone without helping me!"

"I'm sorry!"

 Tweedledee, smiling with satisfaction at the sight of the bot's apology, crawls down to the floor, breaking the glass and spilling the wine on the carpet.

"Yes, Felix. Will you escort me to the temple?"

"That will be difficult. The head of the temple said that if the Prime Minister comes to the temple now, it will cause unnecessary misunderstandings, so he doesn't want him to come."

"My dear son. Ferdinand. Don't be so coy. I want to go to the temple with Felix."

"Not possible, sama."

 Ferdinand, who seemed to feel no emotion for Ziege, who had no shame in flirting with his son, stood there in a nonchalant refusal.

 Although Ferdinand seemed to be completely uninterested in anyone other than his twin sister Sylvia.

"Ka! If you anger the Emperor any further, he may immediately condemn you... so please understand..."

"Shut up! Shut up! You can do something with your magic!"

"...I'm honored by your offer, but it's almost time for Boniface to report in. You'll have to go with Bot. Leave it to Ferdinand-sama to lead the way."

 I don't feel the need to waste my time on a lover's quarrel, and it's depressing.

 When Ziege mentioned the name of Boniface, whom he hated like a scorpion, Ziege, who was particularly good at shelving his own abominations, pressed his chest and clutched Ferdinand's back.

"Oh, that's not right! That can't be my son! I'm not so shameless as to bear my son's child! Come on, Ferdinand. Quickly, now, let's go to the temple!"

 If he really fell in love with Ziege and made love to him, he would indulge in pleasures regardless of his own son and repeat the abomination to the extent of conceiving a child, he would say only in his mind.

"Well then, Prime Minister-sama, excuse me, excuse me."

"Please take me with you! Ferdinand-sama!"

 The all-white robe worn by the priests.

 Despite the fact that his loose-fitting garment was almost bursting with flesh, Ferdinand bowed gracefully, as if he were a thoroughly disciplined member of the temple, and left the room with the zuge clutched to his back.

 Bot followed suit.

 He didn't even say good-bye to Tsige and Sama.

"We're just like each other!"

 This is a much more stupid action than Ferdinand's, who is derided for his poor intelligence.

 He was the only one in the country with no wife, and a court mage who was supposed to be the best in the country.

"Prime Minister-sama..."

"What's wrong?"

 At the same time that the three of them had completely disappeared, a shadowy figure called out to them.

"I have sent word that Boniface-sama has nothing to report. If you want to talk to him, he told me to come to his room."

"What?"

"He also said that since the Princess-sama recognized him as her brother, he had nothing to bow to her."

"Nonsense!"

 I can't believe that Boniface respected Alexandra.

 It's impossible that he would betray Cyril just because he was recognized as her brother.

 Unlike Cyril, Alexandra is not related to him by blood.

"His Majesty said that he would not deny it if the Princess-sama acknowledged it as such... but..."

"What more do you want from me? !"

"...about the next emperor, only after all is revealed. The preparations for that have already been completed, so they say."

"You-sama! No way! Did you just reveal yourself to His Majesty?

"You called me by name. It gave me a chill down my spine and more than that an unparalleled joy."

 Cyril didn't know the man's name.

 He didn't think he needed to know.

 He knew that the only way to gain the trust of the Shadow Clan was to have him give his name.

"...The Shadow Clan is allowed to see you only once, when a child is born. There are many of them and only a few grow up to be active. I never dreamed that you would remember the name of a mere shadow child."

 It was the first time I had heard such a joyful sound.

 It made me realize that shadows had feelings of joy too.

"As of this moment, I have become a shadow whose first priority is you. If you still wish, you may call upon me at any time, as you have in the past."

 How do you expect me to use a shadow that can leak information to the emperor?

 To give him false information?

 This shadow is not foolish enough to allow that.

"Wherever you go, I'm there!"

 Of course, the shadow disappeared without saying goodbye.

"Damn you, damn you!"

 Cyril shouts, pounding on the desk with his clenched fist.

 A few papers came up and slid down to the carpet.

"If we go to Boniface like this, it won't matter but we don't have enough information."

 I'm just a frog in a well.

 Even if he suddenly asserts himself, it's Boniface's fate to be manipulated by the crafty Cyril.

 There is no need to be hasty.

"I'm not Boniface, but I'll relieve my sorrows with a woman and then meet him... I might be able to get an audience with you through Boniface."

 Quickly changing his mind, Cyril called the maid at the bell to clean up his room and then headed for the mansion he hadn't been to in a long time.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

 Cyril shouts at his wife, Gabriele, as the butler maid continues to bow to him.

"What are you doing? Please stop shouting. It's vulgar and it will frighten everyone."

"Aah!"

 Gabriele had always been obedient to Cyril, but this was outrageous.

 Gabriele had never once said a word against Cyril.

"I need to talk to you. Come to the coffee room."

"I don't want to talk!"

"I'm not talking!" "That's why I've asked you not to shout... I'm sick of being raped by people who take it out on me. I mean, I don't want to be raped again!"

 It was Cyril's hobby to dress her up in lewd outfits despite her innocent looks.

 But when Gabriele came out to meet her, she was wearing a costume that hid everything but her face.

 Her face looks different, so she may not have worn much makeup.

 The costume was like a chaste noblewoman, but the makeup was not.

 Even if she was planning something, it was so inconsistent that Cyril had no idea what Gabriele was thinking.

 It was the first time he had ever guessed what Gabriele was thinking, so perhaps it was understandable.

 He didn't need to, because Gabriele had always behaved the way Cyril wanted her to.

"Coffee, huh?"

"Yes. Me. I like my caffè without sugar, with lots of milk."

"Where's my coffee?

"Why don't you order whatever you like?"

 The distinctive smell of coffee pervaded my nose.

 The rich scent of tea would not mask it.

 Cyril has some wine ready.

"What are you drinking at this hour? I'm worried about your work."

"A woman shouldn't interfere in business!"

"Well! I'm scared."

 I gulped down the wine in one gulp, my head boiling at the ridiculous comment about children's pranks.

 The fragrant aroma slightly comforted Cyril.

"Please take this, sir."

"This, what?"

"It's a copy of the letter of divorce. The original has already been submitted."

 A letter of divorce is basically an agreement between a husband and wife, and is only valid if it is signed by both of them.

 There are exceptions, of course, and if either party has significant marital problems, a third party may be consulted.

 In addition, if a person was branded a criminal, the temple would determine whether or not he was falsely accused, and if he was not, he could unilaterally divorce himself.

 In this case, people would have thought that Cyril was a criminal and that's why he issued the letter of divorce without permission.

"What crime have I committed?"

"Treason."

"Idiot!"

"Isn't Boniface-sama the son of Tsige and Cyril?"

 I'm sure they took every precaution to keep their secret from being discovered, using the sophisticated magic tools that they had the bots inspect.

 Even Gotthold, who was skilled in mental magic, had assured him that there was no problem at all.

"My family, the Boksbergs, have been loyal for generations. There's no way they could have overlooked the information about someone who would do you harm."

 Gabriele smiled sweetly.

 It was the kind of smile he usually wore after an act.

 It was a smile that could only be admired, and it was beautiful.

"I heard that you've made up your mind. So there's no need for you to stay with Cyril anymore. Of course I'll take the children with me. They're my beautiful little children."

"If you want to get rid of me, then you can leave by yourself! None of my children are yours!"

 I was blessed with three sons and three daughters, led by my eldest son.

 Despite their different personalities, they are all of unquestionable excellence.

 Due to the fact that the family was famous for its many children, the competition to marry a daughter of the Boksberg family was high, but somehow I managed to get my hands on the second daughter, Gabriele.

 Originally, I had hoped to marry the eldest daughter, who had a childhood friend as her fiancé, but she rejected me out of hand, and when I was about to make a further offensive move, the second daughter herself asked me, "Can't you marry me? I was about to make a further offensive move when the second daughter herself asked me, "Can't it be me?

 Although the eldest daughter was famous for her beauty, I preferred the second daughter in appearance and character.

 She was not known in the social circles because of her reserved nature, but when I asked her to look into it, she told me that she was a great helper to her father and brother.

 Some of her tutors told me in person that she was a wonderful woman who was modest and skilled at winning people's hearts, and that she was always thinking of others and doing her best to be true to them. I had nothing but praise for her, so I decided to make her my wife.

 As a nobleman, he had a number of mistresses, but because he did not want to get into trouble over his successor, he made sure that they were sterilized.

 There were some who thought it would be foolish, but somehow Gabriele managed to prevent them from conceiving a child.

 It was only because of her love for Cyril, not to mention her pride as a proper wife, that she raised her voice to marry him, despite her reserved nature, and eliminated her mistress, albeit by persuasion.

"Cyril's only child is Boniface-sama. My children are all children of the one I love with all my heart. I have everything ready to be with Cyril-dono in no time after we are separated!"

"What kind of nonsense are you talking? You've been baptized as my child in the temple!"

"Do you think that only Cyril-dono can have the highest level of magic tools? It seems you didn't know that people skilled in brainwashing magic are not allowed to appear on the stage. If it's a high-ranking nobleman, he will usually make a connection with you."

"...Are you sure it's not my child?"

 I was busy with my work as Prime Minister, and when Gabriele said, "Please, praise me," I repeatedly told her to work harder! I gave him many words.

 He was proud of his children, who, though young, were very active in various fields.

 By the way, the children called Cyril "Prime Minister-sama" instead of "Father-sama" or "Father".

 Gabriele had said that it was to make them respect him as a noble man who could serve His Majesty the closest.

 But wasn't it really just that you didn't want him to call you father?

"No. No, sir. Everyone who needs to know knows, don't they? Even the children know."

"What?"

 He shouts the loudest he's ever shouted and then is shocked.

 She's just like the shameless Ziege.

 She, too, was quick to reveal to her unwanted children the secret that their father was not the emperor.

"Please don't lump me in with your wife! All of my children said that they don't want to think of you as their father because you never give them a single word of praise no matter how hard they work or how well they do!"

 Do you not like me, Prime Minister-sama? That's what my eldest son said.

 How hard can I work before you praise me? said the second daughter.

 Come to think of it, I remember being asked a similar question by all of them.

 What did Cyril say then?

"How do you feel? How does it feel to be told that you were being made to dance like a sama in the hands of a woman who looked down upon you? It must be an unimaginable humiliation. A fitting end for one who has disrespected the Emperor, don't you think?"

 He raises his trembling fist and tries to hit Gabriele, but the butler stops him.

"All the servants, including myself, will follow Gabriele-sama. We will start moving tomorrow, so please understand."

"If I were you, I would tell you to move immediately, but I have to consider everyone's convenience. It's a waste of time for Cyril-dono to be bothering with us. Since you're a good Prime Minister, why don't you arrange for a new servant? You will be expelled from the Prime Minister's office in the not-too-distant future."

 It was a natural response if the disrespect became public, but I hadn't thought about it even once until now.

 I had assumed that everything was going according to Cyril's plan, and that I would always be able to get what I wanted.

"Because of my unshakable loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor and the Imperial Family, my time as Cyril's wife was nothing but a hardship, even though my loved ones all understood that I could not leave behind any more disloyal blood. My bedroom was the worst. In case you didn't know, I never had the pleasure of being a woman with Cyril-dono."

 I never thought I'd be cut off from my pride as a man.

 What if the panting and writhing sama was all an act?

 How ridiculous Gabriele must have thought it was that Gabriele in his bedroom was perfectly proud of being Cyril's favorite, and that he had even said so.

"Good luck with your poor scheme. Since Cyril-dono's life was over when he decided to disrespect the Emperor, nothing will ever go his way now. The Boksberg family will be relieved if you keep up your efforts until the very end."

 Gabriele, who seemed to be enjoying her tea time in an elegant manner, had a luxurious dolce vault brought in.

 I ate only a few sweets in front of Cyril, but I guess I don't need to pretend anything anymore.

"...If you don't want to face the children who don't think of you as their father, please hurry up and leave."

 There was probably not a lot of information that he could get out of Gabriele, but Cyril, who had been subjected to unimaginable shocks, was not sure that he could bear to be treated so coldly by the children whom he thought loved and were loved by him.

 There were so many things he wanted to say, but he could not say any of them. He bit his lip so hard that it bled, and left the house quickly.

 He knew that he had to make arrangements quickly if there was any disadvantage to him.

 Cyril knew that and that's why he had to act quickly.

 For the first time in a situation beyond his control, he couldn't be the usual Prime Minister.

 And because he couldn't.

 He would never be able to do what he wanted again, and he would have lost everything he wanted.


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