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Chapter 264: 1st Princess Charlia (1)

Being liked by someone was easier than one might think. Human relationships were also not as difficult as most people thought.

Of course, it was also important for us to have a meal together and head to the sauna at least once.

However, the important thing was how much you could suit others’ needs. What they liked, what stories they wanted, and what they wanted to hear. It was important to think through the conversation and suited them as much as possible.

I didn’t have to resist at first. I didn’t even need to claim my beliefs.

If the other person was a conservative type, I listened to the story from the conservative standpoint and just agreed with it.

If the other person is standing in a progressive position, I also listen to the story from a progressive standpoint and just agreed with it.

That was all, really.

It was even simpler if one were to think about the death penalty.

If the subject was in a position in favor of the death penalty, one could just prepare information and stories that the subject wanted to hear.

It would be even better if it sounded a little more professional. I would raise my voice, discuss the death penalty’s necessity, and actively agree with the subject’s words.

Naturally, the subject had no choice but to think, ‘Oh! We fit better than I thought! We have the same thoughts!’

Of course, I had beliefs, but that didn’t matter. Just because I was in the opposite position didn’t mean I had to shout it out. Most of them would get upset, or try their best to escape from the conversation if I did.

If I wanted to show my position to the other person, I couldn’t just get angry right away. I needed to take a little more time. From the moment I recognized that the subject was a good friend and a colleague expressing the same position, I could add my opinion, little by little.

This was the way to get close to the subject, and the way for a vassal to handle the powerful.

‘Cardinal Basel…’

In Cardinal Basel’s case, this had been done for a very long time.

As we spent time together, I kept in tune and nodded happily. It was also essential to study in advance to have a conversation.

I had to be fluent in theology and knew well about hearsays and demons. I even took longer studying to keep up with his knowledge level than talking to him, so there would be no need for other words.

It only took me several months to build a relationship that couldn’t be broken.

Naturally, I was also thinking about the amount of time I would spend with the Emperor and was working on it. However, the effect was more than I could imagine.

Sometimes, there was this case.

No matter how much you’d try to be liked by the other person, you couldn’t get close to them if your fire point didn’t match, leaving the conversation’s topic and the disposition aside.

Of course, the old Emperor was the opposite. It felt like our fire points fit perfectly.

This Emperor was looking for a perfect form, and I was 100 percent compliant with that condition.

‘Whoa…’

He was a different type of soulmate from Lee Jihye. He kept talking to me, even making me feel uncomfortable.

Even as the party began after the Eight Seats of the Empire parade was over, I noticed that he wanted to keep talking. I bet this Emperor would have been stuck here if he hadn’t been aware of the other nobles.

This old man also had a lot to do. He had to talk to the influential nobles and build relationships with the people of the Pope’s side. He was naturally busy.

Of course, the eight foreigners newly appointed as the Eight Seats of the Empire were also busy.

Every time there was a meeting like this, we got a lot of attention, but it was the first time we received attention to this extent.

Although the Free Cities of Lindel, Celia, and Dawan were in the Holy Empire’s arms, they were always recognized as independent regions.

The same went for the strong people in the cities that controlled them.

Indirectly, they had a lot of influence on the Empire, but it was impossible to engage in direct activities. Since the situation had completely changed, it was reasonable for the influential nobles to stick to us.

In the name of the Eight Imperial Seats, it was possible to empower the Holy Empire’s politics.

I didn’t know for sure, but the aristocrats who stood in the anti-emperor group and those sensitive to changes in the situation were likely to be more sensitive to today’s affairs.

“Hahaha. The cheers of the imperialists seem to keep ringing in my ears.”

“Of course they would. Was the fame of adventurers who settled in the Holy Empire created overnight?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“I heard that every kid these days have read the adventurer’s journal. It was as if I was seeing the stories of heroes and warriors that I had only seen in children’s books.”

“Hahaha. What’s different from a hero or a warrior? The Eight Seats of the Empire proclaimed directly by Your Majesty are already heroes of the Empire.”

“Absolutely!”

I could hear these types of talk all around me. When I saw the nobles who rushed in to talk about these kinds of things, it made me want to laugh.

It had not been long since the party started, but many people were already tired.

Cha Hee-ra was talking as numerous nobles surrounded her. A smile was painted on her lips, but I knew best than anyone else that she was on the verge of reaching her limit.

Park Yeon-joo was leading her own conversation quite skillfully, and in Yuno Kasugano’s case, she was the kind who listened to the stories around her calmly.

The same went for the lovely returner.

‘Has he learned the nobility etiquette?’

Certainly, it felt like he had the etiquette in his gestures. It was visible that he was paying more attention than usual.

I had also learned many things by flocking with noble wives so far, but I couldn’t behave as naturally as Kim Hyunsung.

‘He must have put some effort in the first round…’

As I thought about it and turned my head, one of the nobles I was talking with, one with blond hair, continued.

“My daughter is furiously asking me to buy the adventurer’s journal where Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung was introduced. She is a spoiled kid who only causes trouble, but curiously, she becomes quiet if you hand over a book that’s related to you… Hahaha.”

‘He’s pretty good at lying.’

Still, he had said that to win my favor. It wouldn’t be bad if I accepted it in moderation.

“That’s such an honor, Baron Naboth. Haha. Whenever I have the time, is it okay for me to visit the estate? Of course, I don’t know when that will be.”

I didn’t have any plans to visit, but it was still good to pretend to take him up on his offer.

“Ohh! I’ll be thankful if you do that! I will be ready and waiting.”

“If I remember correctly, the territory that Baron Naboth rule is… perhaps Garcia near the east-west…”

“It’s an honor that you know, Honorary Bishop Lee Kiyoung. In fact, it’s a trivial little manor, but it has a beautiful lake called Mirror Lake, which makes it a nice place to go for boating in the fall. Perhaps if you come with your lover, you will be able to make good memories.”

“Ah. Is that so?”

He said that, conscious of Jung Hayan sticking to my side.

Seeing that Jung Hayan’s hand, who only had a business smile without saying anything, was clenched, it seemed like she was telling me to actually take him up on his offer.

“Ah… I’ve been there. The lake was a very attractive place as if it was reflected in a mirror. When my husband was still healthy, it was a place we visited every year.”

“You’ve also been there, Duchess Catherine.”

“Yes, Lee Kiyoung. You probably won’t regret it.”

“Since other people also have said this, I will have to visit next year right away. Hahaha.”

“Hahahahahaha.”

Of course, I had no intention of going. Perhaps it would be different if there were a treasure hidden in that mirror lake, but I didn’t have enough time to go to that distant place for some simple sightseeing.

‘By the way, this atmosphere is great.’

It seemed like a lie that I talked about the war with the Eight Seats of the continent just a day ago.

Seeing the nobles enjoying their leisure, things like war felt like a story of a distant country.

I had to think that people in power were like this everywhere.

Not only did everyone raise their glasses, but the sound of laughter filled the banquet hall, and the ladies continually tried to show off all their luxury.

Some of them talked about the Empire’s future, but seeing that their faces had turned red, it seemed like they had already consumed quite a few glasses.

‘Empty talk.’

Rather, empty talk was better. It was an irony to talk about the future of the Empire whilst being drunk.

‘But I don’t really care about it.’

I had a lot of things to care about besides the future of the Empire. Princess Charlotte, who kept on guarding me at this point, bothered me the most.

‘Did I behave too much as a vassal?’

I bought her vigilance when I increased the tempo, wanting to look good to the Emperor right away. However, the Emperor had ended up liking me too much.

‘I don’t think I could even get close to her…’

Apart from her disposition, I had the impression that Charlotte was the kind of human I could not get close to, for some reason.

As she was someone close to being the next Empress, I would have to work hard, but it would consume so much time.

‘After some time, I’ll try to get close to her again…’

When I was busy thinking about it, something unexpected happened.

Slap!

Along with the sound, a loud voice came from somewhere.

“I-I’m sorry. I-I’m sorry.”

‘What is that again?’

It was an incident not far away from where I was.

One of the maids bowed her head and continued to squeeze her head, and the woman in front of her was panting as if she couldn’t relieve her anger.

Even if I don’t hear what happened, I knew.

‘The First Princess.’

It was the First Princess Charlia.

Seeing that wine was spilled on the white dress she was wearing, it seemed that the maid had caused the most unfortunate accident in her life.

The appearance of her slapping a handmaid’s cheek once again with a reddish face after being drunk was definitely the standard scene of a vicious villain.

‘Whoa…’

“You bitch… How dare you? You bitch!”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. K-Kill me, please.”

“Bring the sword. I don’t think my anger will be relieved without cutting the bitch’s neck right now. Hurry! Can’t you hear me?!”

‘That’s a completely crazy bitch.’

Even if it wasn’t her mistake, and even if she was drunk, showing that attitude was definitely a negative factor. Now I knew why the nobles didn’t want to be anywhere near her.

‘Does she have an anger control disorder? Does she have no conscience?’

Looking at her disposition and characteristic, I thought she was a lost cause, and seeing what she was doing now, really did make me feel that way.

Some knights and nobles tried to calm her down, but she was already out of control.

The appearance of the princess, who was already properly sunk in alcohol, was a drunkard itself.

The Emperor shook his head from side to side and clicked his tongue, and the Second Princess Charlotte did her best to try and fix the case.

It was then that something interesting caught my eye.

“This one is peculiar. This…”

As the maid repeatedly apologized to the First Princess, I appraised her with Mind’s Eye.

It was no big deal. I just thought it was definitely strange. All her stats were more than 60.

‘You said that such a woman stumbled and fell?’

I bet it was impossible even if the sky collapsed. I could only think that the wine was spilled as part of it for some purpose.

For example, the purpose of lowering the image of First Princess Charlia.

Someone probably wanted to make a crazy bitch look even crazier. It was almost obvious as to who the culprit was.

‘Charlotte.’

The reason was also simple.

‘She’s much greedier than I thought.’

The invisible fight for the Empress title had already begun a long time ago.