CHAPTER 448: PUPPETEER

The next day, after grooming and washing up in their chambers, Astrid and Amalia arrived punctually at the Emperor’s residence to have a meal together with Hibbort.

Although Amalia’s identity was already completely transparent to Hibbort, considering the two princes had just been imprisoned and the current political instability, Astrid decided not to have Amalia remove the plant-based iris film or wash out the ink-dyed hair to reveal her golden hair and blue eyes, the imperial family’s distinct traits, before public audiences, at least not until the situation stabilized and the Emperor’s evaluation concluded.

If she did so now, it would appear as though she were coercing Hibbort.

Arriving at the Emperor’s chambers, Trin was already present. Astrid greeted and bowed to Hibbort, then they all took their seats and waited for the servants to serve breakfast.

Aside from seafood, which triggered Astrid’s allergies, the breakfast included a variety of dishes ranging from mushroom cream soup to baked cheese tomatoes. However, compared to the highest imperial standards, today’s meal resembled more of a noble family’s casual household breakfast.

Astrid glanced sideways at the food on Amalia’s plate, noting the chef hadn’t prepared anything according to her sweet-tooth preferences. Fluttering her eyelashes slightly, she gently grasped her fork and knife, her crimson eyes flickering. She scanned the entire table and found not a single trace of seafood, not even in the condiments.

Although she knew this was a habit Hibbort had cultivated over years, thinking back to the neglect Amalia had once endured, Astrid still felt a complicated tangle of emotions deep inside.

They were both daughters, yet faced completely different fates.

As Hibbort sliced into the fruit pie before him, the pale green jam coated the blade, Trin beside him began his daily morning report.

"Regarding the temporary confinement of Vorelter Redgrave, Duke Thomas Redgrave has expressed some dissatisfaction."

With the Royal Guard strictly sealing Vorelter’s residence, it was inevitably a blow to the face of a noble of such high rank.

However, considering it was by Hibbort’s direct order, Duke Thomas couldn’t help but associate it with Alistair, suspecting the Emperor intended to weaken the Second Prince’s faction, a clear act of intimidation.

"Transfer some of the collected evidence to Duke Thomas. Let him see clearly what his beloved son has been secretly doing."

Hibbort slowly moved his knife, speaking coldly.

"Assassinating a prince? How audacious."

To eliminate unstable elements, evidence was indispensable, especially with someone as high-ranking as Vorelter, the son of a Grand Duke. Even as Emperor, Hibbort needed a legitimate reason to act, to avoid stirring discontent among the nobles.

Aiding in the assassination of the Crown Prince could easily be classified as treason.

"Also, send a warning to this Grand Duke, I’m not dead yet."

Hibbort cut off a small piece of pie, his emerald-green eyes radiating stern authority.

Vorelter was already on a death sentence. If Duke Thomas insists on protecting him, the cost would be immense.

The wisest course now would be to disown his unworthy son and distance himself from the remnants of the Second Prince’s faction. Although this has fewer benefits and is still facing Hibbort’s reckoning, at least it could prevent the entire family from being dragged into the assassination scandal.

Losing some blood was better than losing an entire limb. It was already certain that the Redgrave family would lose priority in many legislative matters due to Vorelter’s involvement. Clever people knew exactly what to do.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Trin’s voice echoed amid the clinking of cutlery. Amalia listened quietly, her hands never stopping as she raised her glass for a small sip.

With the faction’s leader punished, the Second Prince’s faction was rapidly collapsing. The ugly deeds some nobles had committed, now stripped of protection, were fully exposed to the light, giving Hibbort the perfect opportunity for a purge.

Since the current Emperor clearly intended to clear the thorns before the throne’s succession, such actions will only increase over the coming weeks.

"News of Prince Lucas’s imprisonment remained sealed by the Royal Guard. Meanwhile, per Your Majesty’s instructions, we’ve already sent word to the outside world that the Eldest Prince is unwell and receiving treatment within the palace."

At these words, Astrid’s cutlery paused briefly. She raised her eyes to look at Hibbort.

The elderly man with golden hair and blue eyes looked at her in return.

The Eldest Prince receiving treatment at the palace was, in reality, the Emperor imprisoning him. During this time when Lucas couldn’t be seen, the core of the political faction would temporarily shift from Lucas himself to the secondary figure, namely, the Third Princess, Astrid Calliste.

This was an excellent opportunity, for Hibbort, who wished to erase the empire’s parasites before his passing, and for Astrid, who aimed to inherit Lucas’s political resources.

"Father, I will personally calm the emotions of these nobles," Astrid said softly.

The news of her being summoned by the Emperor for dinner had probably already spread. At this critical juncture when both princes had disappeared, the Emperor summoning a rarely seen princess carries obvious implications.

Perhaps it was a signal of how Astrid should assist the next Emperor. After all, the current Third Princess possesses both the capability to participate in politics and sufficient political capital.

As for deeper possibilities, no one would suspect them before Lucas’s true situation was revealed. Although Astrid was indeed a princess, she absolutely could not become Emperor.

Legend had it that the Imperial Scepter could only be wielded by a royal member of the "Varelis" bloodline, and only such a person could rule the Empire, balance the Four Grand Dukes, and prevent the Empire from fracturing.

Immediately after speaking, Astrid continued.

"If possible, I’ll bring Amalia along."

Using herself as Amalia’s backing, she’d let the latter handle most of the actual speaking and negotiations, just as they had done during the trial, with Amalia sitting on her lap, pretending to be the Third Princess’s puppet.

In truth, it wasn’t the silver-haired girl behind Amalia who was pulling the strings, but the white-stockinged little girl nestled in Astrid’s arms, seemingly soft and harmless, yet every word she spoke was sharp and incisive.

Hearing Astrid’s words, Hibbort nodded, then signaled Trin to continue his report. Besides him, Amalia remained expressionless, continuing to sip her juice in small mouthfuls.

"Besides Vorelter, all other nobles closely associated with the Second Prince are now fully under investigation, as per Your Majesty’s orders."

"Most conservative nobles who heard of the Royal Guard’s actions have collectively fallen silent, choosing not to oppose."

"Duke Cassian has shown no movement, but his son sent a servant to the palace to inquire after Prince Lucas’s health. The request has already been rejected by the Royal Guard."

"Additionally, after the Grain Economy Act was enacted, the tax payments from the Velmont family’s territory in the last quarter decreased. Tristian Velmont intends to transfer the rights to sell beer in the Cass region to the local merchant guild, in exchange for cheaper mineral transportation routes..."

"..."

From the assassination case near the capital to the real-world effects of various enacted laws, breakfast was essentially a brief imperial court session. Trin emphasizes all matters requiring Hibbort’s attention.

After the meal, just as Astrid expected, Hibbort invited them to wait in his study, then ordered Trin to deliver various proposals requiring imperial approval to Amalia for review.

Amalia and Astrid will first conduct a preliminary assessment, then submit their decisions to Hibbort for confirmation before considering implementation.

He had said he would give Amalia a chance to showcase her talents, this was one step of it.

Cleaning up the aftermath of the assassination case, properly dealing with the opportunists he had marked, testing just how firm the future Emperor and her assistant truly were.

Of course, this wasn’t the entire evaluation. Merely understanding what should be done was far from enough. A qualified Emperor must ensure top-down orders are effectively executed and bottom-up concerns are properly conveyed.

In the warm, dry Emperor’s study, Astrid and Amalia sat side by side. Their murmured discussion was soft and steady, occasionally punctuated by the faint rustling of pen tips on paper.

"If we proceed this way, it might easily provoke resentment among the lower nobles..."

"Let’s take it step by step. Rushing too hard could shake the entire foundation."

"Mm, sister is right. But on this point here, I think we absolutely cannot yield."

"It concerns the royal family. The best choice is still making Lord Rosst the one exposed in the light as the guilty party, letting them know noble blood isn’t especially hard to spill."

Amalia sat upright, her slender legs, sheathed in delicate white stockings, lightly touching Astrid’s. Her cold crimson eyes focused on the parchment before her, and on the slender, ivory-white finger resting upon it.

Astrid leaned forward, her waterfall of silver hair spilling onto the desk, shimmering like polished metal in the light. The faint, cool fragrance of her hair drifted into Amalia’s nose, mingling with the accidental brush of Astrid’s handback as she wrote, seemingly weaving through every delicate thread.

Meanwhile, Hibbort lightly gripped the Imperial Scepter, sitting by the window in the sunlight, eyes closed in quiet rest.

.............

In June, several major events occurred in the imperial capital. The most notable was Emperor Hibbort reappearing in public, actively announcing war policies against the Kingdom of Velys and organizing strategic supplies for the frontlines.

His hands-on involvement confirmed that the rumor of his critical illness was nothing more than street gossip. Besides the Emperor’s reappearance, several other pieces of news also attracted attention.

The two Imperial Heirs had not been seen for a long time. Regarding the Second Prince Alistair, Hibbort’s actions were particularly severe.

Publicly, he had directly stripped Alistair of his succession rights and imprisoned him in the Imperial Jail, forbidding any visits.

This further boosted the credibility of another piece of intelligence, namely, the assassination attempt on the Eldest Prince, a rumor previously circulating only among a few noble circles.

With the Second Prince Alistair arrested, and his trusted aide Vorelter, son of Grand Duke Thomas, disowned by his own father and now missing, combined with the two’s close relationship and the Eldest Prince’s sudden disappearance, along with the intense light that illuminates the night sky that night, everything could be pieced together like fratricidal assassination.

After all, unless it was a grave crime such as prince assassination, why would Alistair be treated so harshly? And why would Grand Duke Thomas be so ruthless towards his own youngest son?

With Alistair’s downfall, the Second Prince’s faction lost its core support. Many defected to the Eldest Prince’s faction. As the Empire’s sole remaining heir, aligning with Lucas was ideal. Even if one couldn’t enter the inner circle, at least one shouldn’t incur Lucas’s hatred and risk future retaliation.

Nobles like Vorelter, whose interests were deeply tied to Alistair and needed his support to achieve anything, were ultimately few in number. Most were fence-sitters, leaning whichever way the wind blew. Now that the direction was clear, they had no reason to resist.

But with Lucas currently unavailable, their only target for favor became the Third Princess Astrid, known as the Empire’s Gem, who frequently entered and exited the palace every day.

The only odd thing was that Astrid seemed to prefer letting that girl by her side, Livia Calliste, speak on her behalf.

Perhaps she had become addicted to the puppet-show game, or perhaps Astrid simply enjoyed the sense of control from manipulating another’s words. After all, she had once been a haughty, aloof Imperial Princess, with deeply ingrained pride.

As for Livia, despite being of commoner origin, her outward demeanor was remarkable. To the nobles, it might seem she had absorbed some nobility from being constantly with Astrid, eating together, sleeping together, inseparable companions. Even a common sparrow, seen everywhere, had somehow acquired a touch of refinement.

Except for Hibbort’s few inner servants and the rare few aware of Astrid’s plan, no one can imagine that the girl in white, always holding her sister’s hand, might actually be the most likely successor to the throne, the future Emperor.

Mid-June, news from the border arrived. The Church Knight Order’s entry into battle confirmed Hibbort’s earlier predictions. After all, soldiers under a Duke’s command had their own ambitions. Prolonged failure to breach a fortress easily damaged morale. Without replacing them with more powerful and fanatically driven religious zealots, the Kingdom of Velys’ offensive would likely be halted at the border.

"If nothing unexpected happens, His Majesty’s earlier arrangements were likely all for this moment."

Amalia held her quill, gazing at the casualty reports from the frontline, speaking softly.

"It seems Lord Charles has been waiting for this opportunity."

On the other side of the study, Hibbort sat bathed in sunlight, his hair snow-white, face lined with wrinkles, his figure no longer as robust as he had been just half a month ago.

He gave a faint reply, his eyes tinged with weariness.

Seeing this, Astrid’s mood darkened slightly. She spoke quietly.

"Father, please go rest."

At this point, according to the original story, the Emperor’s death was only a week or two away.