chapter 8
The Emperor could not hide his confusion.
“A proposal?”
“The North is a region where undead monsters frequently swarm, so it has never been possible to open a gate directly connected to the capital, right?”
Freya finished speaking with a meaningful smile, as if inviting him to imagine the rest.
The Emperor, who had been about to take a sip of tea, unconsciously set down his cup.
Could she be thinking of creating a direct gate from the North to the capital?
Because undead monsters erupted unpredictably, the North had never maintained a permanent gate connected to the capital.
If monsters crossed through the gate and attacked the capital, the entire nation would be endangered.
It was a problem caused by the fact that the sacred power possessed by the Grand Dukes of Praus was not as strong as the imperial bloodline’s.
Without a gate, exchange is difficult, which is why the North has developed more slowly than other regions.
But what if Freya, who had inherited the imperial family's sacred power, went to the Grand Duchy of the North?
The Emperor naturally imagined it.
How much the Grand Duchy could prosper after opening a direct gate to the capital.
The North was rich in natural resources and also produced many rare specialties unavailable elsewhere.
Just selling those goods at fair prices to other regions would generate immense wealth.
Perhaps a merchant guild larger than the one owned by Duke Zelon’s family—the most powerful in the Empire—might even emerge.
After quickly calculating the possibilities, the Emperor carefully asked his daughter:
“Freya. It sounds as though you intend to protect the Grand Duchy alongside Grand Duke Praus and open a direct gate.”
“Yes. That’s how I plan to begin.”
Begin?
The Emperor’s eyes wavered.
“Freya, you must have considered how difficult it would be to open a direct gate to the North. First, you would need to raise your sacred power to a very high level.”
At his worried tone, the corners of Freya’s lips lifted slightly.
She had expected this question and had spent days digging through ancient books, barely bothering with proper meals.
She answered confidently.
“Yes. I’ve researched it thoroughly, and I believe my sacred power is enough to assist the Grand Duke in opening the gate.”
To be honest, Freya’s sacred power was not especially strong at the moment.
But I know the fastest way to strengthen it.
If she steadily developed it over time, she would be able to use it effectively in real combat.
As her father said, she still could not handle the endless waves of undead monsters that invaded the North.
However, preventing them from entering specific areas was entirely possible.
Using the method she had learned from the original story.
As long as I can get to the North, I can make use of the limitless applications of sacred power I remembered from my previous life.
She simply could not tell anyone about it yet.
I wish I could explain it clearly to Father, too.
Suppressing her regret, she continued.
“I’ll suppress the undead monsters and open a direct gate to the capital. After that, I’ll establish a merchant guild and grow it.”
“A merchant guild?”
“Yes. The Zelon family’s power comes from their guild. Even the Mage Tower supports them because it receives their financial backing, doesn’t it?”
“That’s true, but...”
“Which is why my goal is to surpass the Zelon Merchant Guild.”
A flicker of anger burned in Freya’s crimson eyes.
The Empress and the Crown Prince’s family had used the guild’s wealth and information network to assassinate her mother, then humiliate her memory with the White Chrysanthemum Party.
If she followed her emotions, she would march to the guild master’s mansion right now, pour oil over it, and set it ablaze.
But I won’t do that anymore. A simple, one-dimensional revenge like that wouldn’t comfort Mother.
Her fists clenched tightly on her lap.
The Emperor stared silently at his daughter’s trembling hands.
So she isn’t merely asking me to support a childish crush. She’s already thought as far as crushing Zelon’s merchant guild...
Beneath her thick eyelashes, her red eyes shone with fierce determination.
Freya desired something.
And whenever his daughter looked like that, she always obtained what she wanted.
Even while shrinking away from political struggles she wanted no part in.
Roselia. Our daughter is aiming for something enormous this time.
I wish I could discuss this with you.
Clink.
The Emperor smiled bitterly as he set down his teacup.
“Freya. I understand that this is not a reckless whim.”
“Father...”
“This is not a decision I can make immediately. Return for today.”
It seemed he needed time to think.
Freya quietly straightened her seat and stood.
“Yes, Father. I hope you’ll consider it favorably.”
“Very well. I’m glad you’re withdrawing so obediently—”
“Either way, if you don’t use the Absolute Obedience Right now, it will expire with this generation. Tahar, the next Emperor, can’t use it because he has no sacred power.”
“...I was wondering why you hadn’t brought that up.”
“If you use the Absolute Obedience Right for my sake, it won’t be a waste.”
After giving a respectful bow, Freya returned to her room.
The moment she flopped onto her bed, her thoughts multiplied.
It’s a shame I couldn’t tell Father the one condition Daniel Praus would desire most.
According to her investigation, every Grand Duke of Praus wanted, somehow, to eliminate the Absolute Obedience Right tied to their generation.
They hated living under the possibility that the Emperor could issue any command at any time.
Daniel Praus was undoubtedly the same.
In the original story, the Grand Duke is assassinated. The children who lose their guardian go berserk and attack the Imperial Palace.
That assassination would occur roughly two years and seven months after Tahar became Emperor.
So all I have to do is promise him a divorce in two years and seven months.
From the Grand Duke’s perspective, enduring a short-lived political marriage would allow him to erase the Absolute Obedience Right tied to his generation.
A profitable deal.
From Freya’s perspective, she could use her position as Grand Duchess to build her merchant guild during the marriage and then divorce him afterward.
Also profitable.
Dragons live for such a long time that lending me the title of Grand Duchess for just three years probably wouldn’t seem like much of a sacrifice to him.
After all, he was a man who never intended to find a true mate and fall in love.
Hoping her father would make a wise decision, Freya gradually drifted off to sleep.
“Your Majesty, it is time to retire to your chambers.”
The Emperor’s secretary bowed respectfully.
He was genuinely worried about the Emperor’s health.
Since losing Lady Roselia, he has barely slept at all.
Fighting undead monsters alone had left the Emperor physically and mentally exhausted.
Recently, after losing his beloved and failing to sleep properly, his condition had become terrible.
Already suppressed by the influence of the Empress and the Zelon family, he had deteriorated both physically and emotionally.
“Your Majesty, your health—”
“Freya made me a proposal.”
In a calm voice, the Emperor recounted the conversation he had had with his daughter earlier that evening.
Not only the secretary, but several nobles aligned with the Emperor who had come to persuade him, were visibly shaken.
The Princess asked for the Absolute Obedience Right?
We expected something to happen when she visited the Grand Temple, but...
Is she planning to oppose the Zelon family with the help of Grand Duke Praus?
The princess had certainly changed after losing her mother.
But no one expected her to move this quickly or decisively.
And this was Princess Freya they were talking about.
She may have come to her senses after her mother’s death, but how exactly is the princess who used to spend all her time buying things through servants supposed to accomplish this?
Sooner or later she’ll back down under pressure from the Empress.
His Majesty must be emotionally shaken after losing Lady Roselia.
The Emperor glanced at their expressions.
He could practically read their thoughts.
“I know exactly what all of you are thinking.”
“Your Majesty... are you truly considering using the Absolute Obedience Right to order Grand Duke Praus to marry the Princess?”
“...”
The Emperor rose with his hands clasped behind his back and gazed out the window.
“Do you remember? Freya was born on a night like this.”
Because of the Empress’s interference with the physicians and midwives, Roselia had suffered an unexpected and difficult labor.
Yet Freya had been born healthy.
“No matter how many lamps we lit, the room felt dark. But the moment she cried for the first time, it felt as though the entire world brightened.”
A gentle smile appeared on the Emperor’s lips.
“Ironically, she grew up to be the opposite. Timid, immature, and a source of much trouble for all of you.”
“Your Majesty...”
The secretary suddenly recalled all the years spent catering to the princess’s demands.
“Then perhaps the matter of the Absolute Obedience Right should be forgotten—”
“But I know a side of that child that none of you do.”
At the Emperor’s words, the ministers exchanged glances.
In other words...
“She may appear to you as a spoiled princess raised in a greenhouse, sensitive and troublesome. But inside, she is strong.”
“...!”
“So I ask all of you to examine how feasible her plans truly are.”
“Your Majesty...”
“Even if everyone else says it’s impossible, I want to believe in her.”
Besides... I don’t think I have much time left.
The Emperor swallowed both the agonizing chest pain that had plagued him for months and the thoughts hidden in his heart.
Before death’s shadow reached him, he needed to send his daughter somewhere safe.
A place where she could survive even after the Zelon family completely seized control of the Empire.
“Because I am Freya’s father.”
The Emperor smiled as he pictured the smiling face of his daughter, who looked exactly like the woman he had loved and lost.