The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path - Chapter 202
Chapter 202
Translator: Yonnee
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Olivier nodded as he wiped his lips with a napkin.
“It’s exactly as you say, Your Highness.”
“In my perspective, I’d rather take the side of House Ciere. This is obviously Gabriel’s doing. He might want to build a boring academy or a relief shelter or whatever, but I’m more worried about him damaging the aesthetics of our traditional and formal boulevards.”
Olivier took a sip of wine and concealed his ambiguous expression.
Second Prince Gabriel was someone well aware of his place.
Above all, in the imperial family that prioritized lineage. The chances of someone with a birth mother from a lowly background ascending to the throne were negligible.
Therefore, no noble faction showed particular loyalty to him.
Fully aware of this fact, Gabriel didn’t align himself with any one faction but rather walked a middle path, working on gathering the general public’s support through his efforts for the empire.
In that sense, his recent move was quite bold. The Ciere family was one of the major noble families in the Iziad faction, and it was supposedly a household fervently supporting the first prince.
‘Is it because of His Majesty?’
Olivier mused, savoring the beautiful color of the wine in his crystal goblet, which was steadily condensing on the walls.
‘If Gabriel is being this assertive, it might mean the Emperor’s influence is at play. I’ve observed the Emperor using Gabriel in such a manner before.’
Just then, a voice from outside the open door reached them.
Soon, an attendant rushed in and whispered something to Charles.
Flinching, the startled Charles muttered.
“Zozoth?”
Charles looked at Olivier as if he didn’t know what to do, rolling his large eyes in various directions.
Contemplating Charles’s indecision, Olivier inwardly thought of how pathetic he was, unable to even make such a small decision.
“Your Highness, it’s alright with me.”
“In that case, let her in.”
A short while later, a woman with flowing, wavy golden hair, wearing a low-cut light blue dress that accentuated her deeply carved cleavage, entered the banquet hall.
She elegantly curtsied according to the imperial etiquette.
“Greetings to Your Highness the First Prince and Your Highness the Third Prince.”
Charles hesitated for a moment, then nodded as if allowing her.
“Zozoth, please take a seat.”
“Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.”
The noble lady who had entered was Elizabeth Ruthwell, one of the candidates for the First Prince’s consort.
She was the beloved daughter of Duke Ruthwell, and for that matter, the only daughter of five children. She had been in and out of the imperial palace since her childhood, mingling with the imperial princes and imperial princesses, so she had close connections with them.
Elizabeth’s actions were as polished as those of a seasoned noblewoman, leaving no room for error.
“Your Highness the First Prince, I heard you didn’t officiate the offering again today.”
But whenever she displayed her thoughts in this way, Olivier would realize that the confident girl he had seen in her younger days still lingered within her.
Charles shrugged.
“I wasn’t feeling well.”
An air of displeasure appeared in Elizabeth’s sparkling green eyes. She glanced at the goblet filled with the strong drink placed before Charles and then turned to Olivier.
“Your Highness the Third Prince, while sibling camaraderie is a beautiful thing, the duty of officiating the offering belongs to His Highness the First Prince.”
Her voice was seductive yet tinged with a touch of sharpness. She continued speaking in a measured manner.
“If this matter reaches His Majesty’s ears, he will surely be disappointed.”
“Elizabeth!”
Charles snapped in anger.
“I told you already—I wasn’t feeling well!”
“Oh, it’s probably just because you were hungover.”
“Enough of this!”
Charles grumbled with annoyance and waved his hand.
“Elizabeth, if you don’t want me taking in more lovers, then stop it now! You’re acting like my mother!”
Elizabeth’s lips quivered at Charles’s words.
However, she didn’t flare up or storm out of the room.
She simply lowered her gaze and stayed in her seat.
Despite experiencing this many times before, Charles was at a loss for what to do.
In the presence of this couple, Olivier savored his meal as if he were completely oblivious to their presence.
After a while, unable to bear the silence, Charles spoke.
“I… I may have been too harsh.”
Elizabeth replied with a subtle attitude that matched his somewhat feeble apology.
She barely moved, merely tilting her head slightly, then rose from her seat.
“Haa…”
After she left, Charles sighed and rubbed his temples.
“I made Zozoth again.”
Olivier spoke gently.
“Your Highness, Lady Ruthwell loves you deeply.”
“I know that. But look at what she said. Wasn’t she just trying to provoke my temper?”
Olivier offered a kind response.
“Lady Ruthwell is still young. She may not yet realize that the man in front of her is the future Emperor. Perhaps she treats you more as an appointed fiancé who she grew up with than a future monarch of this land.”
Charles burst into a nervous laugh.
“You’re right, you’re right. Zozoth treats me like an ordinary man. Ah, I really have no confidence that I should give her the Empress’s crown.”
Instead of replying, Olivier offered Charles another glass of the same hard liquor.
Charles had several lovers, but he still lacked a legal wife.
That’s because the empress, Adrianne, had yet to decide.
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