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"End of report. Then, I shall take my leave."
After finishing a report that lasted about ten minutes, Achilles greeted them in a voice that sounded as though he were gritting his teeth, and left the room.
Watching his retreating figure, Matthias smirked faintly and muttered.
"He looked like he wanted to kill me with his eyes, yet he managed to keep his mouth shut."
"When I said I would move up the audience schedule with his elder brother, Sir Averil, the Chancellor's aide, he accepted it."
"He rushed over here all anxious, but if we gagged him instead, the least I could do was allow that. Put him in the earliest slot."
After granting permission, Matthias leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Ezkhiel, noticing that he still looked displeased, called for an attendant to bring some tea.
"Peppermint tea, Your Highness. You have about thirty minutes of free time, so please take a short rest. If any reports come in, I will receive them first."
"…You're always working so hard for me."
Soothed a little by the peppermint aroma, Matthias lifted the cup and inhaled the scent deeply. Whenever he had breakfast with the Emperor, his stomach always felt heavy afterward, so even a brief moment of rest was desperately needed.
But today, there was another report to deal with during that rest.
"What did the society paper published today say?"
"The front page of the Lucinella is all about how Lord Jarvis was disgraced yesterday at House Averil. The article about Your Highness inviting Lady Averil to dance is on the second page, but it wasn't given much detail."
Ezkhiel answered smoothly, handing over the copy of Lucinella he had already prepared.
Normally, Matthias didn't bother reading the society paper before work, but if an article was big enough to warrant an extra edition, he would at least skim it. And more importantly, since the incident at yesterday's banquet was bound to become news, Ezkhiel had made sure to bring it.
As he skimmed the front page, Matthias's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. He clearly did not like the way the article was written.
"They gave more coverage to that fool's disgrace than to me and Lady Averil? The reaction is weaker than I expected."
"Until the spring season, Lord Jarvis was considered one of the most eligible bachelors in society, just as popular as Lord Sharon and Lord Averil. His humiliation would be juicy gossip for a society paper."
"Well, it doesn't matter. My goal this time was simply to let the duke's family and high society know that I intend to get closer to Lady Averil. And that fool, he should be banished from the capital entirely, unable to step foot here again."
Startled, Ezkhiel glanced at Matthias's face, then calmly replied.
"From my standpoint, Your Highness need not worry. Whatever Lord Jarvis says about me now, it can't harm me anymore."
"Perhaps, but the fact that some insolent brat like him is still roaming the capital after treating my chief aide that way is intolerable. And on top of that, after pulling that ridiculous stunt with Lady Sharon not long ago, he now dares to spout nonsense about being 'serious' toward Lady Averil…"
The word "fool" came from Matthias's lips in a voice laced with killing intent, something very unlike his usual self. Seeing this unfamiliar side of him, Ezkhiel felt both alarm and fear, and hurriedly tried to dissuade him.
"Lord Jarvis has already been cast out of the capital's social circles. And even if he returns to his home in the east, House Averil will not leave him be. So I believe, Your Highness, there's no need for you to dirty your own hands, just leaving him alone will be enough."
"Isn't it merciful enough that I let him walk away with his limbs intact? I'm barely restraining myself from ripping out that oily tongue of his."
"Your Highness!"
Ezkhiel was horrified. He had never heard such cruel words come from Matthias's mouth before.
At his chief aide's reaction, Matthias clicked his tongue and finally pulled back his murderous aura, but Ezkhiel's face was still pale.
"Your Highness, though Lord Jarvis has indeed committed a wrong, it's not to the extent that he deserves such a brutal punishment! To tear out the tongue of a marquess's heir over such a matter, that would be the act of a tyrant, don't you agree?"
"…I only said that's what I felt like doing. Surely you don't think I'd actually rip it out."
Matthias's calmer tone suggested he had regained his composure, and Ezkhiel let out a breath of relief. Yet unease still lingered in his chest, and with a slightly trembling voice, he asked,
"Your Highness, has Lord Jarvis offended you to the point that you would even think of such things?"
"…Yesterday was the first time in my life I ever felt the urge to tear someone to pieces with my bare hands."
Matthias replied with a cold sneer. Ezkhiel took a deep breath, then spoke with grave seriousness.
"Even so, Your Highness, what you did yesterday to Lady Averil was not so different from what Lord Jarvis did."
"…What did you just say?"
Matthias's eyes flashed dangerously as he glared at Ezkhiel, but the aide raised his head unflinchingly and pressed on.
"Your Highness knew full well that Lady Averil had not yet made her debut, and yet you insisted on asking her to dance. Then, when you realized she truly had not debuted, you asked her instead to be your conversational partner."
"You're saying that was the same as what that fool did? Lady Averil did not refuse my proposal!"
"Your Highness, aside from His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress, there is no one in this world who could openly refuse your command. And no one understands that better than you do."
The command of the Crown Prince, sitting at the very top of the social hierarchy, was not something even a high noble could easily defy. When Ezkhiel pointed out that reality, Matthias fell silent, as if at a loss for words.
It seemed that today was a day when frank advice could no longer be avoided. Ezkhiel took another deep breath, then asked firmly, his face resolute.
"Was Your Highness so intent on conversing with Lady Averil because you have resolved to take a great noble of the Neutral Faction as your crown princess?"
"…You know as well as I do. The times may be changing, but the newly risen nobility still cannot stand as a full counterweight to the old nobility. Yet at the same time, we cannot allow the new nobles to grow unchecked either. In the end, we need to raise a third power. Strengthening the Neutrals is, for now, the best choice available."
When the question turned to politics, Matthias opened his mouth again, speaking fluently and without hesitation.
Hearing the cool-headed, logical reasoning of the Crown Prince he usually trusted, Ezkhiel's stern expression eased. He then offered another piece of counsel.
"However, the old nobility is still very sensitive over the issue of hereditary office that was raised not long ago. Even if Your Highness intends to keep them in check, in the long term it may be wiser, at least for now, to pursue a conciliatory approach first. Don't you think so?"
"So this 'conciliatory approach' you speak of, are you suggesting I take Lady Eskis as my crown princess?"
Matthias's gaze turned icy as he fixed it on Ezkhiel, but the aide stood firm and voiced his opinion.
"She may be a noblewoman of the west, but she is the eldest daughter of a great lordly house with a history older than even the imperial family. She was even selected as a Diamond, so in terms of lineage, family, and capability, there is no grounds for objection. And in truth, among the old nobles currently in the capital, there is no debutante who can compare to Lady Eskis. Thus, as a conciliatory measure, she is the most fitting choice."
"Weren't you also present at the charity concert? The higher the rank, the more troublesome it is when someone insists on giving opinions without understanding reality. Doesn't it only encourage others to act foolishly, trying to curry her favor?"
"I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but regardless of that, it was still unjust for you to humiliate her in public. Not only was it an insult to the dignity of the Marquess of Eskis's household, but it also served as a means of silencing anyone who might wish to offer you advice. I earnestly ask that Your Highness show at least a fraction of the tolerance you extend to junior officials, here in society as well."
"Hah. Do you really think those people, whose only interests are gossip and marriage, are capable of offering any sound opinions?"
"Society may exist for the sake of marriage, but each person there has their own interests and views. And they, too, are subjects of the Empire that Your Highness must rule."
When it came to the world of high society, Matthias harbored an unusually strong hostility and contempt. Ezkhiel had held his tongue until now, since Matthias never acted on it, but letting this bias fester any further seemed dangerous.
Yet, at Ezkhiel's last words, Matthias's expression froze, colder than ice.
"…You speak the exact same words as His Majesty. Not a syllable different."
The moment the Emperor's name entered the conversation, Ezkhiel broke into a cold sweat, wondering if he had gone too far.
Fortunately, Matthias merely stared at him for a while before slamming his cup down hard on the table. He did not shout or lash out.
"…Your words have merit. They are my subjects as well, so what choice do I have? Whatever nonsense they spout, I suppose I must at least pretend to listen."
"Your Highness…"
"My rest is over. You may go now. I will call you if needed."
The unspoken dismissal in Matthias's voice, as he picked up his documents, left Ezkhiel with no choice but to retreat.
Whether Matthias was angered because the words were something he could not accept, or simply because they had been the exact same as the Emperor's, Ezkhiel could not tell.
But he hoped that, once time had passed and Matthias's emotions cooled, as had always been the case before, the Crown Prince would reflect on his words and truly take them to heart.
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