Chapter 64
As soon as the Second Prince’s consort entered, warmth spread through the room. Her mana gently enveloped the Second Princeās own, instantly thawing the frozen atmosphere of the council chamber.
The nobles, coughing and gasping for air, collapsed in front of their tables.
Those who had come close to death now gazed up at their savior in awe.
“Your Highness, the Second Prince’s Consort!”
“We greet Your Highness. May the glory of the sun shine upon you!”
What was normally a perfunctory greeting now brimmed with sincerity.
The Second Princeās consort stood composed amid the flurry of greetings, as though it was only natural for the nobles to bow to her.
Though she was from a low-ranking noble family, she carried the dignity of someone born into royalty.
Standing beside Franz, she surveyed the room.
Then, her gaze locked on two individuals who kept their mouths shut amid the sycophantic greetings.
“Are Duke Elion and Duke Danil unable to see me?”
“ā¦May the glory of the sun shine upon Your Highness, the Second Prince’s Consort.”
“We greet Your Highness.”
The Second Princeās consort calmly looked down at the two nobles who had knelt.
Their bodies trembled as the chill still lingered in the air. Just as they were about to collapse, the consort finally spoke.
“Rise.”
Elion and Danil got up, humiliation clear on their faces. The consort, however, ignored their emotions.
The Second Prince gently took her hand and said,
“What brings you here?”
“I heard you were storming into the noble council chamber in anger.”
She answered calmly with a small sigh.
The Second Prince looked troubled at her sigh, as though facing the most urgent issue in the world.
“Please donāt worry.”
He took her hand in his, unhesitatingly seeking forgiveness. And all the nobles were watching this scene.
The Second Prince, who had remained unbending even when the nobles pleaded, now melted in front of his consort.
As if she were the only one he could see, he hung on her every emotion.
No one needed to explain that the rumors of her deposition were falseāthis scene was truth enough.
The Second Prince needed her. Without her, he was a ticking time bomb.
The Second Princeās consort, her hand in his, soothed him with a gentle voice.
“How could I not worry? It is improper for Your Highness to attend a noble council meeting.”
“But I couldnāt stay still after hearing todayās agenda.”
“And what is that?”
She blinked as she spoke, and when her gaze swept across the round table, the nobles she locked eyes with visibly paled.
She singled out one noble whose expression was especially stiff.
“What was todayās agenda, Duke Elion?”
“ā¦That isā¦”
“Y-Your Highness!”
“It was nothing important!”
Before Elion could answer, voices shouted from all sides. At the chaotic response, the consort narrowed her brows and asked again.
“Nothing important? Are you dismissing both His Highness and me? Speak properly.”
“This isnāt something Your Highness should concern yourself with.”
“I’ll be the judge of that. Speak.”
Her voice, calm until now, turned firm. The nobles stammered before finally confessing the truth.
“We were discussing the deposition of the Second Princeās consort.”
“Deposition?”
“Yes, because of rumors spreading in the palaceā¦”
“Pfft.”
A chuckle escaped her lips. The Second Prince’s consort laughed in disbelief, holding her stomach as if it was too absurd.
The louder her laughter grew, the more the nobles shrank into themselves. Wiping tears from her eyes, she spoke again.
“Rumors? Are you saying a mere rumor was made an agenda item at a noble council meeting?”
Are you people stupid?
Her underlying meaning was obvious, and the nobles’ faces flushed red.
They began to cast resentful glances toward Elion and Danil, who had proposed the topic.
āSo Elion and Danilās faction isnāt that strong yet.ā
Alaisia quickly grasped the situation, gauging the chilled atmosphere in the room.
After this incident, Elion and Danil would no longer dare bring up the topic of her deposition. If they did, they’d be ostracized from noble society.
āGood thing I let the rumor spread.ā
Alaisia hadnāt started the rumorāGlena had. But it was Alaisia who chose to turn it to her advantage.
In her past life, Glena and Niris had crushed her with their combined efforts. Not this time.
Anyone who came for her would suffer twice the blow.
Revenge must be returned in full.
If someone tried to make her fall, she would ensure they couldnāt stand again.
Petty revenge wouldnāt do.
If this was to bring even a sliver of comfort for the child she had lostā
She quietly held Franzās hand.
As her hand touched his still-cold one, his body stiffened. Alaisia tightened her grip and whispered,
“Letās leave now.”
Franz gave a faint nod. Then, sternly scanning the room, he declared,
“The crime of mocking royalty based on mere rumors will not go unpunished. Thoroughly investigate the source of the rumors. And those who insulted the Second Princeās consortā¦”
He paused, then glared at Elion and Danil. His murderous gaze made them tremble as they hurriedly spoke.
“We accept punishment for daring to bring up such an agenda at a noble meeting.”
“We will abide by Your Highnessās judgment.”
Franz shifted his gaze to Alaisia. His expression said clearly: Whatever you want, Iāll do it.
Now, all the nobles stared at her. Their gazes were filled with awe.
No one dared look down on her as some rural consort anymore.
But this was only a temporary effect.
They were reacting positively only because she had withdrawn Franzās mana and calmed him.
That reverence would vanish the moment the chill faded.
That was why Alaisia had to leave a lasting impressionāsomething theyād still talk about even after leaving this chamber.
She smiled sweetly.
“First, Duke Elion, youāll work to stabilize the abnormally rising prices. I hear Astraia silk now costs whatever the seller asks?”
“B-but, Your Highness. The silk isā”
“Isnāt that silk only available through your merchant group? Isnāt that suspicious?”
She furrowed her brows, feigning incomprehension.
“Thatās why people accuse you of hoarding. Starting today, lower the price.”
“ā¦”
“Well? Your answer?”
Elion clenched his teeth and bowed his head deeply. Grinding his teeth, he finally forced out a reply.
“Understood.”
News of the price drop instantly brightened the faces of the other nobles. They, too, had been upset by the skyrocketing price of silk.
“And Duke Danil.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Danil Roshanak looked at her with anxious eyes.
He clearly sensed he was about to suffer a loss equivalent to Elionās.
But Alaisia didnāt bring up property.
“Lady Roshanak barged in uninvited and demanded to see His Highness Franz. At the recent ball, she even touched and clung to him without permission.”
Danilās face turned beet red as his daughterās disgraceful behavior was exposed before the entire noble council.
He had always proudly boasted about Niris, making this humiliation all the worse.
According to Alaisia, Niris was nothing short of vulgar.
Danil wanted to refute herābut he couldnāt.
Exaggerated as it may have been, everything she said was true.
Arguing would only dig his grave deeper.
“Moreoverā¦”
Alaisia paused, pressing a hand to her forehead like it was embarrassing to even speak of it.
“She clung to him in front of me, claiming she met him four years ago.”
She let out a long sigh. After giving Danil time to stew in shame, she finally continued.
“Iām not here to criticize your familyās liberal customs. But please ensure she shows proper respect to the royal family.”
“I will.”
Danil answered with a flushed face. Alaisia then added sharply,
“Rumor has it that your daughter was considered as the next consort for His Highness. You werenāt involved in that, were you?”
“Of course not! Never!”
Just moments ago, Danil had openly supported Niris as the next consortānow he denied it.
The nobles looked at him with disgust.
Seeing the eyes surrounding him, Alaisia gave a gentle, serene smile.
“Iāll be watching. To see whether thatās true or not.”
“Please believe me, Your Highness.”
Believe him?
Alaisia gave him a cold look.
How could she believe someone who would even abandon his own family?
His shamelessness disgusted her.
But in the next instant, she completely changed her expression. The shift was so swift, like the passing of wind, that no one noticed her momentary glare.
She gripped Franzās hand tighter. At her signal, he spoke in a firm tone.
“This time, we will let it pass, as the Second Princeās consort wishes. But if it happens againāanyone who spreads rumors about her will have their tongue cut out.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The nobles all replied in unison. With every eye in the room on her, Alaisia walked out of the chamber with Franz by her side.
resa raised a golden retriever lol
This if just the beginning