I Wasn't Trying to Seduce with the Male Lead - Episode 106

“Have you decided what you’re going to do now?” Sky asked again, seeing Eleanor remain silent.

Eleanor was about to say something, but she became aware of her surroundings and spoke in a low voice. “…Let’s talk about this outside.”

There was no shortage of knights and maids guarding the hallways.

Sky must have come only because he was worried about her confrontation with the princess, not to seriously suggest they run away.

Eleanor left Rosagrande with Sky. As they began to walk, every knight and maid they met bowed respectfully.

“The maids of the imperial palace are bowing their heads to you,” Sky murmured.

Eleanor let out a deep sigh. Even though the imperial family had changed, Eleanor was now just a commoner. That fact was already widely known, but she was receiving much better treatment now than when she was a noble.

“Perhaps it’s natural, since you might soon become the mistress of this palace.”

Rosagrande was the palace where the highest-ranking woman in the empire resided. Eleanor flinched and wanted to yell at him not to joke, but she couldn’t. The atmosphere suggested it might not be a joke at all.

“Welcome back.”

As soon as they entered the count’s mansion, leaving the imperial palace, Crennia greeted them with a polite bow.

“You must be tired. Shall I prepare some tea?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Crennia, who had previously ignored Eleanor and urged her to leave, had completely changed. Not only her, but the maids who had subtly discriminated against her in the mansion also became very respectful. Even high-ranking nobles couldn’t call her by her name carelessly. There was no proper title for her, so they referred to her as ‘her’ or ‘that person’ and showed respect.

“You don’t look well.”

Sky, who entered the drawing-room with Eleanor, tilted his head, seeing her stiff face.

“I’ve heard you say we should run away countless times, but this is the first time you’ve truly wavered.”

At Eleanor’s words, he raised his handsome eyebrows.

“You didn’t run away when the princess and the emperor tried to kill you, but you want to run away now because you might become empress?”

Eleanor The word ‘empress’ coming directly from Sky’s mouth made her flinch. Since the topic had come up, Eleanor finally spoke the words she had been deliberately avoiding.

“Is the count… really going to become emperor?”

“Probably.”

Eleanor sat down on the sofa, clutching her face with both hands as if she had lost all her strength.

Seeing her, Sky asked in a tone of disbelief, “You… you really don’t want to become empress?”

It wasn’t a matter of wanting to or not. It was a situation so far removed from the life she had lived that she couldn’t even begin to imagine it.

“This is ridiculous,” Eleanor murmured softly. It truly was ridiculous. A woman who lost her commoner husband and was now alone. She was just a popular fiction writer, no longer a noble or anything, and now an empress? The thought of even wanting or not wanting it felt impossible.

“I mean, seriously… who prepares this much just to date someone?” she said, feeling like she needed to complain to someone. She had thought he would give up after facing the harsh reality of her parents’ opposition. But he had instigated a rebellion and even succeeded. Based on what she had witnessed up close, Eleanor’s conclusion was this: “I’m not ready.”

If she became empress, she would have to live in the imperial palace, meeting diplomats and attending the boring charity parties that the Duchess of Floyd had called “old-lady gatherings.” No, that was a problem for later. She hadn’t even been on a proper date yet. They hadn’t even exchanged a single love letter, and now she was suddenly supposed to be an empress? The preparation was excessive. Way too excessive. She wasn’t even mentally prepared to settle down with one man, let alone become an empress. Honestly, while she appreciated wealth and glory, she also didn’t want to give up her free life of writing, giving lectures, and going to parties she wanted to attend.

“Does your head hurt?” Sky asked Eleanor, who was clutching her head and groaning. She rubbed her face and stood up. And she said, trying to push away the complex thoughts filling her mind, “I don’t need to think about it yet.”

Eleanor said something significant, and then, looking tired, she sank into the sofa. “Anyway, by now, other people are probably finding hundreds of reasons why I can’t become empress instead of me.”

And they would probably make the decision for her. She didn’t want to rack her brain over a problem for which she might not even have a choice. Eleanor changed the subject to Sky.

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“Are you going back to the Grand Duchy of Phaedra now?”

Honestly, she would feel a little sad if he left her side. But holding him back would be selfish and irresponsible. So, she waited for Sky’s answer, not showing her emotions.

“I…” Sky trailed off, thought for a moment, and then shook his head slightly. “Let’s see what conclusion they come to first.” He seemed to have swallowed what he was about to say. He tilted his head toward Eleanor, who was staring at him, and whispered softly, “I won’t leave your side.”

His slightly winking sea-colored eyes held even more charm than before. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of welcome at his words. To hide it, Eleanor lowered her head.

At the same time, in Aogainos’s office.

As Eleanor had predicted, a heated debate was taking place. The massive desk was covered with thick law books, and the empire’s greatest scholars were poring over legal texts and precedents with a fervent look in their eyes. However, the direction they were looking in was different from her prediction.

“So there’s no way?”

“It’s impossible for now.” A scholar, asked by Minaz, answered with a blank expression. “According to imperial law, a commoner can never become empress. After searching through all the books, there is no precedent for a single exception.”

Even if there were no political marriages, in a class-based society, it was taboo for a commoner to become empress. A commoner who had a relationship with the emperor could only ever be a mistress. After searching through hundreds of years of precedents, there was no history of a commoner becoming a royal consort, let alone an empress. That was why Eileen had been accepted, but her mother had to leave the imperial palace.

“So what do we do? What are we going to tell Lian when he comes back?” Minaz said, pounding her chest as if frustrated. Lian was currently in a meeting with the Duchess of Floyd. Fortunately, it was taking longer than expected, but he would return soon, and they had to reach a conclusion by then.

“We have to announce the new emperor’s ascension today, somehow.” To prevent the empire from falling into chaos, the best option was to announce the succession at the same time as the abdication. And no one disagreed that Lian would be the next emperor. He had the qualities of a natural-born king and the highest legitimacy. According to imperial law, the five ducal houses had the right of succession, and his lineage, born from the union of two ducal families, was not inferior to the emperor’s illegitimate daughter, the princess. However, the huge obstacle of the empress issue was holding them back.

“The emperor should not show disregard for imperial law from the very beginning of his reign. The beginning is the most important step for future rule.”

“I know that, but we have to try something! You don’t think Lian will just accept it and give up if we throw imperial law at him, do you?”

“That’s not what I mean, but…”

At her words, the people around her sighed with worried expressions. Contrary to Eleanora’s expectation that there would be a wave of opposition, the high-ranking nobles were in a position to accept that she would have to become empress. After all, while the imperial family had brought this situation upon themselves, it had fundamentally started because they had opposed his marriage to her. No one thought Lian would back down after having already driven out the emperor.

“We also don’t want to make the empire a bloodbath again. But for things to go smoothly, it is best to follow the proper legal procedures. Wouldn’t it be better to amend the law first and then welcome the empress?”

A somewhat compromising suggestion was made, but the furrow in Minaz’s brow did not disappear. “I wonder if Lian will accept that…”

Claude, who had been silent, shook his head. “Count Calabria won’t want to leave Elenoa in such an unstable position for years.”

“Please, try to persuade him. Isn’t that the duke’s specialty?” The scholars grabbed at Minaz’s pants, pleading. As they were making a fairly reasonable argument, she had no grounds to bluntly refuse.

“Ah, alright. I’ll try, but don’t blame me if it doesn’t work out.”

As soon as she reluctantly answered, as if on cue, the chief steward came to call them. “Count Calabria is looking for both dukes.”

Nodding, Minaz pointed to the pile of documents stacked on the other side of the desk. “I’ll take on the persuasion for now, so you guys properly prepare the new legislation. I’ve summarized the key issues in the documents over there.”

After giving the scholars their orders, the two left the office.

“Do you think we can persuade Lian?”

“I don’t know. I think the problem is before that.”

“Before that?”

“Do you think Elenoa will just accept it unconditionally?”

At Claude’s words, Minaz looked taken aback. Normally, there would be no need to assume she wouldn’t accept the empress position, but for some reason, she felt that woman was capable of it.

“She’s a problem too. I can’t predict anything with that couple.” Minaz scratched her head with a troubled expression. “First, let’s try to persuade Lian and buy some time. Let’s try to trick him by saying we’ll handle the legal process as quickly as possible.”

After saying that, she added subtly, “While we’re at it, let’s slip in some laws we want to pass. I want to more thoroughly prohibit witchcraft and strengthen the punishment for murder between nobles. And most importantly…”

“The bill to prohibit marriage between dukes?” Claude interrupted and finished her sentence.

Minaz’s eyes widened as she looked at him as if asking how he knew.

“What? Did you bring that document?” A draft of the ‘Bill to Prohibit Marriage Between Dukes’ was in Claude’s hand. She reached out her hand to take it, saying, “It’s still being drafted, so if you take it, it’ll be missing. You have to put it back right away…”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t agree to that.” Claude swished the document behind him. When Minaz tried to grab it again, he raised it above his head so she couldn’t reach it. She stood on her toes and jumped, but humiliatingly, her hand didn’t reach.

‘When did this guy get so tall?’ She had raised him herself, and it felt like just yesterday, but he had grown up to be so insolent. Minaz grumbled inwardly and shot back, “You know it’s a necessary bill! Why are you being so stubborn?”

At Minaz’s discontented question, Claude cleared his throat and answered in a low voice, “Because I want to marry a duchess.”

What was he talking about now? At the unexpected words, Minaz’s voluptuous face went blank.

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