[Chapter 31] - A Promise with the Council of Elders (2)
Two hours before Vivian entered the conference room.
The ministers and the Queen Dowager, who had already gathered, had been continuing their “meeting” for hours without the Second Queen. The main topic was none other than “Regarding the Treatment of the Second Queen.” The ministers continued their discussion with grave expressions.
Vinchaud, seated as the Minister of Finance, raised his hand to obtain the right to speak, then shouted as if appealing to the ministers. As though worn down by the hours-long war of words, he was now practically appealing to their emotions.
“Did the other ministers not see it at His Majesty’s funeral! The sight of the Princess shedding tears in Her Highness the Second Queen’s arms! How can you see that and still try to drive Her Highness the Queen out this instant!”
However, the other ministers’ reactions were cold. To begin with, everyone, including Vinchaud, knew that she was not suited to the position of Second Queen.
She had not even inherited the royal family’s “surname.”
She had not even received His Majesty’s “affection.”
Why on earth should they serve such a Second Queen? That was the opinion of the other ministers. From the very moment they had elevated the Second Queen to the position of queen, the Council of Elders had earnestly implored Vivian.
“Please, grant this nation a small sun.”
It was not that they were dissatisfied with a princess. It was simply that the royal family was always a place where danger lurked. They had been afraid that, with only one princess, the royal bloodline might be severed.
That was why they had selected a queen candidate as quickly as possible and elevated Vivian, chosen from among them, to the position of Second Queen. However, far from a small sun, she had not even received His Majesty’s affection, nor had she received the royal surname.
The Council of Elders’ dissatisfaction was no small thing.
And on top of that, there were even rumors that she was a witch.
Vinchaud slammed the round table again and shouted.
“It has not even been long since His Majesty passed away...! If, in this situation, we drive out the one person the Princess can at least rely on, would that not be taking ‘family’ away from the Princess all over again! Is that not so! Minister of Foreign Affairs!”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs groaned under Vinchaud’s roar. However, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was also in no position to back down. He merely resented the Minister of the Royal Household for having assigned the Second Queen as the Princess’s “education supervisor” in the first place.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs raised his hand, received the right to speak, and stood up as he continued in a calm voice. It was a markedly different sight from when he had shouted at Vivian.
“That is precisely why I am saying that, while she is still young, we must distance the Princess from Her Highness the Queen. Would not a wound suffered in childhood heal more quickly?”
At those words, the Minister of Education rose from his seat and thundered.
“Do you not know that wounds suffered in childhood can remain as even greater wounds into adulthood! Minister of Foreign Affairs!! And this from a man who is so traumatized by his childhood that he is even afraid of puppies!!”
“Why is that being brought up now!!”
“Is it not the same thing!! You coward, terrified even of a puppy’s little fangs!! Resign your ministerial post!”
In an instant, the conference hall became a scene of chaos.
The ministers split into two factions in the blink of an eye.
“To begin with, Her Highness the Queen is even suspected of being a witch! How could anyone have thought to entrust the Princess’s education to such a person! If the Princess has now been bewitched by a witch...!”
“Mind your words! That is nothing more than a ‘rumor’! How can you attempt to judge her by words that are not even fact! And you call yourself a minister! No, to begin with, is it acceptable for someone afraid of puppies to hold the post of minister!”
“I asked why the hell that keeps coming up now!!”
One faction argued that, as they had seen at the funeral, the Princess still needed someone by her side whom she could trust and rely on, and that at the very least, she must not be driven out “now.”
The other faction argued that the rules of the royal family were not some joke, and that there had already been two cases in history of queens being driven out after failing to receive the royal surname, so it did not matter.
Looking over the conference room, which had been divided exactly in half, the Queen Dowager let out a deep sigh. Originally, the Queen Dowager had also intended to give Vivian a certain amount of property and send her down to her “family home,” but...
The scene she had witnessed at the funeral kept flickering before her eyes.
Was it truly the right choice to take the Second Queen away from the Princess like this...? The Queen Dowager could give no answer to the question she had asked herself. If she considered only her feelings, she had never wanted to drive her out in the first place, but—
“The problem is that there have already been such precedents in history. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the other ministers can seize upon that. They will say we must uphold the kingdom’s rules and whatnot...”
Such incidents had already existed several times throughout history.
A second queen who failed to receive the king’s love and was eventually driven out of the royal palace. It was a common story, and one that had only an obvious ending. That obvious story was now holding the Princess and the Second Queen by the ankles.
The Queen Dowager rubbed her throbbing forehead and finally raised her hand, forcing the ministers to close their mouths. Upon seeing the Queen Dowager’s signal to shut up, the ministers instantly clamped their mouths shut and sat down.
“First, those ministers who believe it is too early to drive out the Second Queen, raise your hands.”
At that, the ministers of the Royal Household, Finance, Industry, Culture, Education, and Agriculture raised their hands. Faced with a situation divided exactly in half, the Queen Dowager once again rubbed her face as if exhausted.
“First, if I am to state my own thoughts, I too believe it is still too early to drive out the Second Queen.”
“But, Your Highness...!”
“Hear me to the end. The fact that she will be driven out remains unchanged. There is no helping it. If only that child had at least received the royal family’s surname, this would not be such a headache...”
At those words, everyone let out a groan. It was true. If she had at least been “Vivian Snow White” instead of “Vivian Liliensol,” there would have been no need to continue such an absurd meeting.
Resting her chin on the round table, the Queen Dowager glanced aside and asked the Minister of the Royal Household.
“How long do you think the Second Queen should remain in the royal palace?”
“Yes! Your Highness! At the very least, until the Princess’s mind and body have stabilized! However, Her Highness the Queen is under suspicion of being a witch! Therefore, I believe it would be best to strip her of her position as queen within two years!”
At that, the Minister of Education raised his hand high and shouted.
“I object! I believe she should stay with the Princess at least until the age when the Princess’s adolescence ends! To begin with, is it not laughable that people who are ministers believe in the imaginary existence of witches!”
“What did you say?!”
“And childhood trauma is not something that can be healed so easily! Just like the Minister of Foreign Affairs over there!”
“Hey!!!”
Because the Minister of Education kept needling the Minister of Foreign Affairs until the very end, the Minister of Foreign Affairs clutched the back of his neck. The Queen Dowager judged that the Minister of Education’s words also had merit.
Thus, the Queen Dowager asked the ministers how long they thought it would be best for the Second Queen to remain here. The ministers who opposed the Second Queen being here in the first place said that she should leave the royal palace within at least one year.
Even among the ministers who believed the Second Queen should not yet be driven out, opinions continued to differ as to when she should be driven out. Three years, five years, ten years. As they now began to fight among themselves, the Queen Dowager let out a sigh.
Then Vinchaud, the Minister of Finance, raised his hand and made a suggestion to the Queen Dowager.
“How about asking Her Highness the Queen herself?”
“Did your intelligence fall out along with your hair! If we ask her like that, of course she will say she does not wish to leave!”
“Minister of Foreign Affairs. If you do not shut your mouth this instant, I will release dogs into your office.”
As the Queen Dowager watched Vinchaud and the Minister of Foreign Affairs growl and quarrel, it suddenly occurred to her that Vinchaud’s suggestion was not a bad one. If they pressured the Second Queen without asking her directly—
Would they not also be able to hear the Second Queen’s true feelings?
The Queen Dowager raised her hand, drawing the gazes of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vinchaud, who had been fighting as if they truly meant to bite each other, toward herself. Then, with a gentle smile, she began preparing a single “plan” that had come to mind.
“Tell me, are any of you capable of acting?”
“A-acting, you say...?”
“Yes. Let us put on a play with the Second Queen as the protagonist. First—Minister of Foreign Affairs, I believe I shall have you take the role of the ‘wicked stepmother.’”
“Y-yes?”
And so, the Queen Dowager began explaining the “play” she had thought of to the ministers. They would pass over the first agenda item quickly, then discuss “Regarding the Treatment of the Second Queen” as the second item.
And during that agenda item, the Minister of Foreign Affairs was to pressure the Second Queen with words. The other ministers were to do whatever they could to unsettle the Second Queen’s mind. If they did so, would they not be able to hear the Second Queen’s true feelings?
At that, the Minister of Foreign Affairs gave a vile smile and said that such things were his specialty.
The rest of the ministers also agreed with the Queen Dowager’s words and waited only for the Second Queen to enter.
As they waited like that—
Beyond the door, the chamberlain announced the Second Queen’s arrival.
“Her Highness the Second Queen! Her Highness Queen Vivian Liliensol enters!”
*
In the end, the meeting concluded with me remaining in the royal castle until the Princess’s Academy “graduation ceremony.” I could only be grateful to the Queen Dowager for extending it from the entrance ceremony to the graduation ceremony.
...It was only a guess, but the meeting had probably already ended before I arrived. It seemed the Queen Dowager had secretly discussed with the nobles of the Council of Elders what to do with me, who had not received the royal family’s “surname.”
But even the Queen Dowager must not have been able to stop the Council of Elders’ opposition.
Out of thirteen people, including the Queen Dowager, only four. Only four people had taken my side. Even if she was the Queen Dowager, perhaps she could not ignore the majority beyond them.
Rather than feeling hatred toward the Council of Elders for hating me, I found myself wondering just what Vivian had done for the Council of Elders to dislike her so much that they wanted to reject me immediately.
And at times like this, if Ainsel had been here...
The thought that perhaps I could have made a better choice kept circling in my head. Though there was no earring hanging from my ear, I uselessly touched the earlobe on the side where Ainsel had been.
“When is that damn Franken Stein coming... I’m worried about Sylphy too...”
I let out a small sigh and looked at the wine bottle in my hand. Holding a bottle of wine in one hand and two wine glasses in the other, I was now at the detached palace where the Queen Dowager resided.
Wanting to express my gratitude to the Queen Dowager, I had brought along a wine she was said to like and arrived at the detached palace. Once I had actually brought it and come all this way, I wondered if perhaps she might already be asleep since the night was deep, but—
As soon as I arrived at the detached palace, the Queen Dowager’s maid greeted me. Guided by the maid, I headed to where the Queen Dowager was, and saw her sitting on the terrace, already enjoying a drink.
I tapped the glass and bottle together, producing a clear sound to let the Queen Dowager know I had come. Looking at the Queen Dowager as she turned her head at the crisp sound of glass striking glass, I held out the wine and the glasses and smiled brightly.
“Have a drink with your daughter-in-law, Your Highness.”
“...Have you gone mad?”