Chapter 95

Chapter 95: The Empress’s Test (7)

The Empress immediately noticed the journalists who were secretly watching.

She gave a discreet signal to the guards who had also caught on.

To be ready to deal with the press at once.

And so, they immediately began to step back to a distance.

As if they did not want to disturb the people’s meal.

Thanks to that, under the parasol, it looked as though only the Empress, the Minister of Finance, and the Captain of the Guard sat together in harmony—an elegant scene.

The journalists of Gold Morning watched from afar.

They glanced in my direction, and when I gave the signal, they pressed down their hunting caps in acknowledgment.

To capture the Empress’s common touch to their heart’s content from now on.

“Let’s see……”

The Empress, in her early forties, removed the beautiful lace gloves she was wearing.

Then, with hands white as snowflakes, she picked up a sandwich.

And as soon as she lightly bit into it with her red lips—

“……”

The world seemed to fall silent, as if time itself had stopped.

Everyone on Haman Street held their breath, awaiting the Empress’s reaction.

“Mmm.”

Margaret, the Empire’s Second Princess and the woman who alone managed her three sons, gracefully wiped the sauce with her finger and savored the taste.

“It’s delicious.”

It was a short, ordinary remark.

But since it came from the most powerful woman in the Empire, it was enough to make everyone sigh in relief.

“May I see the chef?”

“T-the chef…? You mean me…?”

The shop owner, Miss Remy, approached timidly.

Before the Empress, even plump Miss Remy became like a girl.

“The food is truly excellent. It has a taste one can only experience here in Haman.”

“Thank you, Your Highness…”

Miss Remy never imagined she would live to see the day she received praise from Her Majesty the Empress.

It was a deeply moving moment for her.

“Fresh ingredients from each region have come together to create a unique food culture. The people knew this, and that’s why they flocked to Haman.”

The Empress turned and gazed at me steadily.

And this time, it wasn’t for the sake of the journalists, but with sincere green eyes, she spoke.

“Surely, was all of this led by you, Roger?”

At her question, the attendants all turned to look at me.

Yet, I neither boasted nor confidently claimed it to be true.

“I merely thought about what Haman should do to capture the people’s attention.”

I only listed the possibilities I had envisioned and the actions taken to bring them about.

“Haman is a place where countless merchants from various regions gather. Because it is a place where people from different cultures and environments come to trade, it can sometimes appear rough.”

I pointed toward the crowd that had come to see the Imperial visit.

Among them were the foremen who had once scowled at me, yet kindly treated me to food.

“But not everyone living here spends their time only keeping each other in check.”

I gave the foremen a light bow.

Then, as Miss Remy brought over the coffee, I personally set it down politely on the outdoor table and said,

“Just like the sandwiches placed here, people gathered together, living while respecting one another.”

The Empress looked down at the steaming coffee.

On that dark surface, both my reflection and her noble visage appeared side by side.

“On the surface, it might seem like an ordinary street food. But when I see this, I imagine the merchants who must have gathered with their ingredients from their own warehouses just to make and share it.”

Hearing my words, even the out-of-town visitors who had arrived earlier all looked down at their sandwiches at once.

“I learned that when people come together, the very first thing they do is share a meal.”

The Empress gently agreed, saying it was true.

For even in the Imperial Palace, it was customary to greet first-time guests with a banquet.

“So, I believe this unique food culture of Haman symbolizes the affection and warmth of its merchants.”

I walked over to a propaganda poster attached to the wall of the street.

Thanks to the journalists’ retouching, the drawings of the sandwich and coffee were even more refined. I tore it down and brought it before the Empress.

“And because of that, this kind of food was born—one that you can eat every morning, leaving you full and healthy.”

The Empress accepted the poster.

On it was a phrase—smaller than my own slogan, yet far more trustworthy because of who it came from.

“Sandwiches are good for your health. They are an excellent choice for breakfast.”

A line written by none other than the Empire’s greatest physician, who practiced in the Imperial Palace itself—Sir Mikhail.

“I see……”

The Empress had already found this breakfast campaign interesting, but now her curiosity had grown into genuine interest.

For my plan carried the kind of meticulous strategy she favored.

On the surface, it looked like propaganda for the sake of the people’s health.

But at the same time, the picture drawn on it was of none other than Haman’s sandwich and a steaming cup of coffee.

At first glance, it might have seemed like an unfamiliar dish.

But once in the hands of the journalists, the illustration made it look irresistibly delicious, drawing even more attention.

And to crown it all, it received high praise at the Gourmet Society and was awarded the Red Ribbon certification mark.

With the endorsement of the Imperial physician, and even secret visits from celebrities like Bennet and Gehenna.

“I didn’t notice it before, hidden under the art exhibition, but this really was a brilliant plan.”

The Empress let out a small laugh as she gazed at me.

In that moment, I pressed my fist against my left chest and, with a resolute expression, declared,

“Propaganda is supposed to etch itself into people’s minds without them even realizing it.”

Just like in the old days, when I was Chief Secretary, and no matter which lord I served, I always received their satisfied approval.

In the past, I had scattered money across various newspapers for the newly appointed Archduke Eric.

Every time he merely walked through the marketplace, I made sure it was introduced as a public inspection.

But now, the tables had turned.

The actions I was taking at this very moment would instead strike him with fatal wounds.

“Very well, Roger. Then let me ask you one last thing.”

Margaret looked toward the carriages entering Haman.

The gentlemen and ladies stepping down from them were smiling brightly, exploring the restaurants without prejudice.

“This project—what was its budget?”

She asked about the budget.

Which meant the Empress was ready to give her final evaluation.

She had already confirmed the results of Tobang, mine, and Lucun’s. Now she would combine it with the budget to assign the final score.

“Yes, the budget must be the issue.”

“Surely, to host the Gourmet Society, persuade a physician, and even bring the press to his side, he must have spent a fortune……”

The attendants began murmuring, each with their own guesses.

“Besides, that fellow is from a fallen baron’s house.”

“If he isn’t from a prestigious family, the cost of persuasion must have been even greater.”

They assumed that because I wasn’t a noble, it must have cost me far more.

And so, I opened my mouth deliberately for them to hear.

“With respect, Your Highness, I have not received a single coin of budget from the Imperial Palace.”

Margaret blinked her green eyes calmly, as though she already knew.

“I know. I’m asking how much of your own money you spent.”

She was already aware that none of the three secretaries had used Imperial funds.

She must have also considered that spending too much could lead to poor evaluation.

What Margaret was truly curious about was different.

Tobang had opened his art exhibition with the full backing of Archduke Eric and a massive flow of capital.

But in my case, it was obvious at a glance—I had not spent much at all.

So she wanted to know.

How much money I had actually used to achieve such promotional impact.

“I…”

I spread my palm wide open.

Margaret rested her chin on her hand, her expression showing genuine curiosity.

“Was it five hundred million gold? That’s about what I expected.”

“No, it was not.”

When her prediction was off, Margaret tilted her head slightly.

“Then… fifty million gold?”

“Not that either.”

Not even fifty million.

At those words, the attendants began to murmur more loudly.

Soon, their whispers turned into outright shock.

“I only spent fifty thousand gold.”

The Empress looked at me with a puzzled expression.

Then, she let out an elegant laugh and asked,

“Then you’re saying you only paid for the paper to print the posters?”

“Yes. Beyond that, I didn’t spend a single coin.”

I brushed the back of my head like an innocent youth.

“As for the Gourmet Society, Lucun Fern helped me thanks to a personal acquaintance. The newspaper and the physician also stepped forward willingly after hearing my purpose.”

A clear justification.

Nothing was better than that when it came to drawing people in.

“Roger, you seem to be blessed with many good connections.”

The Empress nodded as if she understood.

Then, rising from under the parasol, she said,

“Just one piece of propaganda has brought about a greater shock than dozens of paintings by a great master like Descent.”

What a curious thing.

A sandwich sketched on a napkin had triumphed over an artist’s canvas.

“I must be going now.”

The Empress rose from her seat under the parasol, as if having already made up her mind.

Her attendants also began preparing to depart.

“Roger, come to the detached palace tomorrow with Lucun.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I gave her a deep bow as she walked away.

At my side, Echina also stood straight, paying her knightly respects.

“Ah, Lady Echina.”

The Empress glanced back at her, as if remembering something.

Echina immediately raised her head.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“What did you say Roger’s relation to the Luton family was?”

At the Empress’s pointed question, the Grand Duke’s daughter faltered briefly.

Then she calmly told the truth.

“We are preparing him to be our house’s strategist.”

“Preparing him…”

Upon hearing that, the Empress narrowed her seductive eyes—just as one might expect from the woman who had won the Emperor’s hand.

“So, he doesn’t officially belong anywhere yet?”

Echina’s red lips parted slightly.

No matter how cold a knight she was, as a woman she instinctively understood what the Empress meant.

“He is practically already accepted, in all but name.”

“Hmm. I see.”

The Empress gestured for her attendants to return.

At a single graceful motion of her hand, not only her attendants but also the knights keeping watch from a distance all moved together.

I silently watched as they walked away with Echina.

Then, turning to her, I let my satisfaction show at having finally settled the matter.

“It seems things turned out very well.”

“……”

Yet for some reason, Echina’s expression did not look pleased at all.

“Indeed.”

The Grand Duke’s daughter crossed her arms, slightly turning her head away.

She seemed lost in thought, faintly restless.

“Is something wrong?”

I asked curiously, wondering why she looked so troubled on such a good day.

But the Grand Duke’s daughter quietly shook her head, blinking her long, beautiful lashes.

“No. It’s just a vague sense of unease.”

It seemed she did not wish to tell me what was on her mind.

Instead, she urged us to return quickly, taking the lead.

「―――――」

The following day arrived.

From the morning, the Empress summoned all the secretaries who had participated in the Haman project.

I immediately dressed in formal attire and made my way to the detached palace hall.

But today, there seemed to be far more attendants gathered than usual.

Normally, such projects were matters the Empress arranged privately, with only her closest aides present.

It felt almost like an official Imperial event, with quite a large crowd gathered.

‘The Commander of the Imperial Knights… and even the Third Prince is here…?’

The Third Prince.

A man who secretly ran a casino, squeezing pocket money out of nobles.

Like his mother, the Second Empress, he had radiant golden hair, but his green eyes—like mine—seemed devoid of life.

Much like Echina, who had lost her shine after being pushed aside in the struggle for succession.

But he was not the one who mattered now.

“Everyone has gathered.”

The throne of the detached palace stood empty.

Seated instead upon the Empress’s chair beside it was Margaret.

She greeted the long rows of attendants on either side with a gentle smile.

“I must also thank the lords and knights who made time in their busy schedules to be here.”

As expected, it was she who had called them directly.

‘But for what reason…?’

Echina and I stood in line among the attendants.

Soon after, Lucun, having returned from Nord, gave me a discreet signal with his eyes.

I raised my thumb in response, letting him know everything must have gone well.

“The reason I summoned you here today is to celebrate the flawless completion of this ‘Haman Project.’”

The Empress rose from her seat.

“Tobang Arman, Lucun Fern, Roger Julius—step forward.”

The three of us advanced at once, lowering one knee to the ground.

“Come to think of it, I never told you what reward I would bestow upon the best performer of this project.”

Margaret slowly descended from the steps of the Empress’s seat.

Walking gracefully down the red carpet, she came to stand before us.

“The best performer this time is…”

The Empress turned her eyes toward the black-haired Grand Duke’s daughter standing among the courtiers.

Then, with a smile that seemed meant to be seen by all, she said,

“I intend to personally recommend him to His Majesty the Emperor as an Imperial Advisor.”

Imperial Advisor.

A position within the Imperial Palace itself, serving as the Emperor’s closest aide.

At those words, Echina’s eyes widened like a black lion’s.

For what that meant was clear—

She was trying to take me away from her.

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