Adela stepped out from the shadows of the alley and hurried toward me.
"Master, His Majesty has gone as far as sending one of his personal guards after you. When he finds out that a Seventh Circle has died…" She trailed off, her voice filled with concern.
"I know, Adela. But I couldn't let him keep lurking around and put my sisters' lives at risk."
"You really care about them," she murmured.
"Isn't it obvious?" I replied, brushing it off. "Five years is more than enough to see them as family. Besides, I still retain some of this body's memories."
"That's not it… it's just that sometimes, you seem like you don't care about anything."
"You matter to me, Adela."
She lowered her head at once, unable to stop a small, fleeting smile from lighting up her face.
"I know, Master," she whispered, her spirits lifted by his words.
"Get rid of the body and make sure it isn't found. That should buy us some time. I'm starting to think Elara may be more valuable than I first thought."
My words seemed to catch her off guard.
"You really think so, Master?"
"A new emperor would be the simplest path. Make sure Elizabeth is informed about my plans, and connect her with Elara. If the throne changes hands, she'll need solid backing."
Adela nodded, though a hint of strategic doubt lingered in her expression.
"Master, I understand your plan, but what about the Valois and the Vitalis? I'm certain they'll be the most opposed. The Astaford won't react well either."
"That's why we need a reasonable pretext," I said coldly. "And if they still oppose us, then we'll deal with them too. I'm tired of these pointless intrigues, Adela."
…
"So the Master has finally decided to involve himself in the affairs of the kingdom," Elizabeth remarked with interest.
"I don't think he wants to get too involved, Elizabeth. That's what we're here for—we need to make sure he doesn't have to bother with these matters."
"You're right. Still, I wonder what the princess will think about this."
"Her opinion doesn't matter," Adela said flatly. "She'll do it whether she wants to or not."
Elizabeth frowned, mentally going over the political landscape.
"But I'm not sure this is the right moment. The princess doesn't have much support, and bringing down Leonardo won't be easy. There's a reason he was chosen as crown prince."
"I know. He has the full backing of the Vitalis and the Valois, along with the southern and eastern marquessates. The northern and western ones remain neutral, but they don't oppose him either. Still, Marquis Windsteel shouldn't be a problem if it means saving his daughter. Do you think the Master is doing this for her?"
"Hmm… I'm not sure," Elizabeth said after a pause. "I think he was simply annoyed that the emperor went after him while he was spending time with his sisters. Besides, even if Elara takes the throne, I'm afraid it might already be too late for Cassane by then."
"Where do you think we should start?" Adela asked, breaking the silence.
"With the western marquessate—the Beaumont," Elizabeth replied without hesitation.
"And why them?" Adela asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Not long ago, they approached Nexus seeking a trade agreement. It seems they're suffering from a severe drought, and for some reason, attacks from corrupted beasts have them begging for help everywhere. If there's anyone who'll accept our offer quickly, it's them."
"I see," Adela nodded, processing the information. "I'll gather some of the Shadows and inform the Master."
Elizabeth nodded, her mind already mapping out the lines of influence that would bring the Beaumont under her control.
…
"Brother, the Beaumont are at their limit," Morgana said with a satisfied smile. "It won't be long before they hand over their mines just to catch a breath."
"Just as the Duke of Vitalis predicted," he replied with a nod.
"Cutting off their grain supply in advance and driving up the prices worked perfectly."
"What surprises me is the emperor. He doesn't seem to care in the slightest that we're crippling one of his own marquessates."
"He's far too occupied, Morgana. I'm afraid he has far more serious problems to deal with…"
"It seems Elizabeth has turned her back on them as well," she added, inspecting her nails with disdain.
"That woman is far too clever. She knows that if she intervenes, she'll lose more than she could gain. Considering that Nexus has already grown into a giant that spans multiple continents, I suppose she's decided to leave us this small 'crumb.'"
"Do you think Leonardo will succeed Alric soon?" Morgana asked, lowering her voice.
"Things are moving in that direction," her brother replied, fingers interlaced. "The emperor keeps disappointing his most loyal supporters and showing weakness. His time is running out."
"So it's true… he yielded to Lucratis," Morgana murmured, processing the information.
"It's not just that," her brother said, his expression darkening. "The clergy has lost much of its influence recently, and they're desperate to regain it."
Morgana fell silent for a moment, playing with a strand of her hair before changing the subject.
"Should I keep investigating Cassian? I feel like we're overestimating his importance to Elizabeth. They haven't been seen together again."
Her brother didn't answer right away. The silence stretched through the room, heavy with uncertainty, leaving the question hanging in the air.
…
When I left Adela in the alley and returned to the restaurant, my mind kept turning over what lay ahead. If I want Elara to take the throne without any of this coming back to haunt me, I need to make sure no one suspects my involvement.
If I speak with Sylvia, Sterling will likely support Elara. That would leave the other three dukes as unknowns, though Sylvia's relationship with the duchess might be used to influence Astaford.
As for the other two… once Elara sits on the throne, they won't have much of a choice but to accept it.
The crown prince has solid backing from them. It doesn't help that his mother was the best friend of the Valois heir's mother, and the clergy always seems suspiciously close to him.
…Guess I'll have to take this one step at a time. The marquessates hold influence too, and I'm not sure whether the true powers behind the emperor would allow a woman to ascend the throne. If we can't persuade them, we'll have to find a way to leave them with no choice but to accept it.
"At last, you're back," Margery said, letting out a small sigh of relief as she adjusted the cutlery. "We were about to send Elric to look for you—we thought you got lost on the way to the bathroom."
"It was crowded. Took me a bit longer than expected," I replied casually as I took my seat.
Elric looked me up and down, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.
But he said nothing. The noise of the restaurant and the laughter of Bethany and Rosalind soon filled the space, washing away any doubt.
I remained silent for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the family conversation.
For now, this was all that mattered. I didn't want to know how they would treat me if they ever discovered how I truly am.