Chapter 53
Tiana and the three others moved into the next room.
“Whoa… that’s a lot.”
A mountain of gifts was piled high before them.
“Allow me to explain. This section here is from Lord Gilbert, and this one is from Lord Liam.”
That many—just from the two of them?
The sheer amount was overwhelming.
Tiana was speechless at the towering stacks of presents before her.
“And over here are the gifts sent by the guests who will be attending today’s event.”
Judging by the number of presents, if everyone brought just one gift each, then there must be an incredible number of guests attending.
“Call Vice here.”
“Understood.”
“Tell Vice to bring today’s guest list—the one with their names and notes about their personalities.”
“Yes, at once.”
I want to match the gifts to their senders.
And also identify any potentially dangerous individuals.
After a short while, Vice appeared, carrying a thick file.
“Here is the guest list, along with notes about each person’s character.”
“Thank you. Before we start, I’d like to ask—are there any nobles I should be especially careful around?”
Vice hesitated for a moment, then dismissed the attendants.
Once only the two of them remained, he spoke quietly.
“Please consider this as just me thinking out loud.”
“Alright.”
Vice’s expression grew serious as he began to speak.
“First of all, members of the royal family will also be attending today.”
“What—the royal family!?”
Could it be that my sister and Prince Felid might meet earlier than they did in the original story?
I’d be happy to witness their first encounter, but if it risks interfering with the future storyline—even slightly—it might be better to prevent them from meeting.
Though realistically, that might not be possible.
“Why would the royal family come to my birthday party?”
“As you know, the Asteor family is neutral—we align neither with the noble faction nor the royal faction. However, lately, the noble faction’s activities have become suspicious, and their influence appears to be growing.”
This country had long been at war.
And those who went to fight were mostly nobles with military power.
To the common people, it may have looked as though His Majesty did nothing.
But in truth, that wasn’t the case.
Even without going to the battlefield himself, the Emperor personally traveled to other nations, forming alliances and engaging in information warfare.
He compensated for his lack of military might with intelligence.
However, those in the noble faction—who had gone to war themselves—saw things differently.
It was, in a sense, “Intelligence vs. Military Power.”
The Emperor couldn’t afford to alienate the nobles who had contributed so greatly to the nation.
So, eleven years ago, the Empress was chosen from among the noble faction—from the prestigious Duke Clarice family, known for their unparalleled magic within the Empire.
From that house, Flare Clarice was selected as the Empress.
