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I calmed the corners of my twitching lips while recalling the words of the Minister of the Imperial Household. The Emperor had held onto the essential titles of king and duke, as expected. He couldn’t possibly give those up unless he abdicated, so there was no helping it.

“—The Protector of the Sacred Lands, the Father of the People, His Majesty Corvus Amanca Livnoman of Kefellofen approaches for the sake of the noble lords! All nobles who follow the Mandate of Heaven, bow your heads and welcome the great Emperor!”

The Minister of the Imperial Household’s proclamation had felt long and tiresome last year, but it was quite enjoyable this time. Perhaps it was because I was mentally calculating the new roles the Crown Prince had assumed.

In any case, the nobles who had already bowed their heads lowered them even further at the minister’s words. The sound of doors opening came soon after and was followed by the steady rhythm of footsteps.

“Raise your heads.”

The emperor’s voice rang out. It was low, yet heavy; it wasn’t loud, but it was as clear as if he were speaking right beside you. That voice carried an overwhelming authority befitting the title of emperor.

Actually, it didn’t matter whether the Emperor spoke loudly or softly. If anyone failed to hear him, they’d have no choice but to declare, ‘I must be deaf!’ and cut off their own ears.

“The pillars that uphold the empire have gathered in one place. How commendable.”

Thankfully, the nobles chose to raise their heads instead of their knives, and the Emperor spoke briefly while looking down at them.

I glanced behind the Emperor to see the Minister of the Imperial Household kneeling, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess who seemed to have entered with the Emperor, and finally, Ainter standing at the end.

Oh.

I nearly gasped in admiration at the sight.

I had heard that Ainter would be attending the New Year’s Ball, but I hadn’t expected him to stand there so confidently. Typically, only the Crown Prince and a favored child would be permitted to stand beside the emperor on such an occasion.

Although the current emperor had only two children— the Crown Prince and Ainter—having just two children didn’t mean that they both automatically earned a spot beside him. Some emperors had appeared alone simply because they didn’t favor any of their children.

There’s no reason to stir up competition at this point.

Unless the emperor had lost his senses, he wouldn’t use Ainter to provoke another succession dispute. The Crown Prince’s expression was calm—no, it was faintly weary, but there was no sign of displeasure.

So, it wasn’t a succession conflict, and the Crown Prince had accepted it. This meant that Ainter, who had lived under the constant threat of being purged simply because he was the Crown Prince’s younger brother, had returned to the fold as an ordinary member of the imperial family.

As Ainter’s advisor, I couldn’t be happier. After all, there was no longer any reason to kill him due to unforeseen complications.

“The empire has endured many disturbances, but those too are just another page in our endless history. The legacy passed down from our ancestors, combined with your loyalty, has become the bridge that allows the empire to move forward.”

There was no way the other nobles hadn’t noticed the changes in the imperial family that I had picked up on. The emperor continued speaking as if nothing was wrong even as a subtle murmur spread through the room.

“The empire is steadfast. Even if we pause momentarily or look elsewhere, the empire will not fall. And even if we momentarily stray from the path, we will quickly find the right one again.”

The Emperor’s New Year’s speech was short but direct. The brief stirring among the nobles quickly subsided, as the emperor’s words carried both unshakable confidence and a subtle warning.

It was a declaration that the Empire had already recovered despite the devastating losses caused by the Rebel and the second prince’s reckless behavior. Even though the Rebel’s offspring remained in the north, the emperor was confident that there would be no further issues.

However, all of this had only been possible because the empire stood united. Should anyone, like the second prince’s faction in the past, hesitate or harbor disloyal thoughts, they would be utterly crushed.

This is intense.

The nobles were so moved by the emperor’s fiery speech that they couldn’t even move a finger.

For a politician known for his indirect speech, the emperor’s bluntness made it clear that he meant business. Any noble who displayed the slightest sign of opposition would find themselves swiftly dealt with.

“I have said all that needs to be said. Crown Prince, remain here to honor the loyal subjects who have made time to attend.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

With that, the Emperor concluded his New Year’s speech and handed the reins over to the Crown Prince before turning to leave, causing the nobles to begin to murmur among themselves once more.

Everyone knew that the emperor had been stepping back from frontline duties. The fact that he’d just handed over many titles was something the Minister of the Imperial Household had just revealed.

However, leaving after giving a New Year’s speech and not staying for the rest of the ceremony was a different matter entirely. This was the one event of the year where every titled noble gathered. The fact that the Emperor chose to leave it in the Crown Prince’s hands and depart signaled that he felt no need to stay.

“…Three years at most, don’t you think?”

No matter how you looked at it, this was a clear sign of an imminent abdication, likely within the next three years. Or perhaps, even sooner.

“It could be as soon as next year.”

I wasn’t the only one thinking along these lines. The Minister responded with a grim expression when I asked him.

This was a headache. While some had speculated that the Emperor might pass on some of his duties and titles to lessen the shock of a sudden abdication, many had dismissed the idea as a mere precaution.

But after today’s performance, even those skeptics would have to reconsider. This was a clear signal that his abdication was on the horizon.

Well, this is a disaster.

What am I supposed to do now? Once the Emperor declared his abdication, all civil servants at my level and above would be expected to beg him to reconsider even if he had already made up his mind. It was just one of those strange customs in this absurd world.

This was driving me insane. I swear, the original author of this novel must’ve had some Confucian influence because traces of it kept popping up in the most unexpected places…

***The nobles split into three groups after the emperor dropped three consecutive bombshells and made his exit.

One group hurried to the Crown Prince, eager to curry favor with the imminent heir to the throne. Another group sought to forge connections with Ainter, who had now evolved from just having the title of ‘the Third Prince’ to actually being one in practice. The last group, to which I belonged, consisted of nobles mingling only with their peers.

“Nephewww~ Long time no see!”

“Yes, it has. It’s good to see you.”

“Hehehe, right? Isn’t it nice?”

Not in the least.

I swallowed the words that rose to the tip of my tongue and looked at the Drunkard Duchess in front of me. No one would complain if the dukes left after the New Year’s speech was over, but why did she have to stick to me of all people?

I uneasily glanced at the visibly drunk Wise Duchess, then shifted my gaze to the man standing beside her.

“It’s been a while, Uncle.”

“Indeed, it has.”

Unlike the wildly intoxicated duchess beside him, my uncle, the Duke of Salon, greeted me with a gentle smile. He had the same light brown hair and blue eyes as Mother, but I noticed a few streaks of gray in his hair. That was likely from all the stress he was under.

What a pity. Even though their marriage was based on love rather than political interests, it seemed that not even that abundant love could keep her drinking in check. Or maybe he felt even more pained by her drinking because he loved her so much.

Who’s going to stop her?

The Wise Duchess was chugging whiskey straight from the bottle. From the looks of it, she had been like this even before the New Year’s speech. It was hard to imagine that someone of her rank would show up in such a state, especially since she was supposed to be at the front and center during the speech.

However, what could anyone do? Not even the emperor could stop her drinking.

There had been an incident in the past where the emperor, fed up with her excessive drinking, had gifted her a goblet while suggesting that she limit herself to just one drink a day. Knowing that she’d simply use a larger goblet, he had given her one of decent size, thinking she’d drink less if she stuck to it.

But from that day on, the Wise Duchess began drinking straight from the bottle. Of course, the emperor was so shocked that he said, ‘Have you finally pickled your brain in alcohol?’ Though he phrased it more politely, of course.

“My body is the goblet, and I am just filling it!”

She declared, clearing her mind and stating it boldly. At that moment, the emperor realized there was no stopping this endless cycle of drinking.

“Hmmm~? Why are you looking at me like that, dear nephewww?”

The drunkard, whom even the emperor had given up on, seemed to notice my gaze and tilted her head in curiosity.

“He seems worried about his aunt. Maybe you should drink less in front of your nephew.”

“Eeeeh~ But you were the one who said it’s not good to hold back when you like somethingggg~”

“I didn’t expect you to take it this far…”

My uncle smiled as he gently patted the Wise Duchess’s shoulder, while she, already slurring her words, responded with exaggerated affection. So it was my uncle who had encouraged her drinking in the first place… In the end, it was a disaster of his own making.

I think I might be going crazy. Why did I have to witness this…?

And of course, they’re nowhere to be found.

My growing frustration turned into resentment toward the senior directors of the Ministry of Finance.

My back felt cold. With no one behind me, it felt empty and barren. They were stuck to me like glue when Count Flanbell, the Iron-blooded Duke, and Baron Artini had shown up earlier, but they vanished like ghosts when I could really use their presence. Was this… the camaraderie of the Ministry of Finance? Disgusting.

“Wise Duchess, it’s wonderful that you and your husband share such a close bond, but flaunting it so openly is a bit embarrassing.”

But then, an unexpected savior appeared, and suddenly my back felt much warmer.

“Oh! Iron-blooded Duke!”

The Wise Duchess giggled and waved at the sudden entrance of the Iron-blooded Duke, while my uncle nodded in greeting.

I was touched. My father-in-law had come to rescue me just when my colleagues abandoned me. Was this… the loyalty of the Valenti family? It was downright beautiful.

“You seem to have plenty of free time. Shouldn’t you be visiting your in-laws right after the New Year’s speech?”

After acknowledging my uncle’s nod with a brief one of his own, the Iron-blooded Duke spoke gruffly to me.

But I knew better. Even though his tone was curt and it sounded like he was scolding me, I could tell that it was just his way of helping me escape from the Wise Duchess’s clutches.

“My apologies.”

“As long as you understand.”

See? I just gave a simple apology, and the matter was settled just like that.

“Mind if I take him away? He’s as busy as his fingers are, and I can’t leave him idle.”

At those words, the Wise Duchess’s gaze fell on my hand—or rather, on the rings adorning my fingers. She let out a snorting laugh when she saw the six rings, which made my blood boil. It was an honest laugh, and that only made it worse.

“So we have been bothering this busy nephew of mineee!”

What a strange thing to say. She had always been a bother.

Of course, I didn’t say that out loud. If I did, she’d probably whine about how her nephew didn’t love her anymore.

“Goodbye, nephew~! Go play with those lovely wives of yours instead of boring old me!”

“Yes, Aunt. Thank you.”

Still, it was fortunate that the Wise Duchess was more of a nuisance than someone who clung constantly.