Chapter 17: The Elder Council - (3)

Lincia glanced around.

The meeting was growing more heated by the minute. Voices were raised, icy stares clashed, and each participant began expressing their own opinions, spurred on by a single shout.

“A dynasty that has lasted a thousand years! And now you’re saying we should scrap the Airen Dynasty and build something new? At a time like this? What utter nonsense!”

A bearded old man dressed in ornate robes spat with fury as he shouted. If Lincia remembered correctly, he had once taught imperial statecraft to both her father and older brother.

He had always been strict and rigid in his thinking, and he often scolded them. Perhaps that was why she remembered being afraid of him since childhood.

“Precisely because of the current crisis, it’s more reason to push forward with change. It seems, sir, that you are still shackled by outdated ideals.”

The man who countered him was relatively young. He was the Council Chairman of Elvendel, one of the empire’s six great cities—renowned for his pragmatic leadership. Lincia had heard whispers that he had recently joined the Elder Council with overwhelming support.

“What was that?! Are you out of your mind?!”

“I believe everyone here knows who’s truly being absurd and who’s raising their voice in this sacred chamber—everyone, except perhaps you.”

“How dare you, you arrogant brat! Who was foolish enough to let someone like you onto the council?!”

“Please reflect on that yourself—a relic of a bygone era.”

Their argument quickly escalated, with factions forming on either side. As nearly dozens of people began shouting differing opinions all at once, the council chamber descended into chaos.

This wasn’t what the official had described at all. The meeting was far more intense than anyone had anticipated.

“...Why?”

Lincia murmured blankly.

It hit her with sudden clarity.

Not a single person here was looking at her.

What was the purpose of convening the Elder Council? Was it not to decide the future of the crumbling empire—to formally name her as the next empress?

Yet Lincia, who should have been at the center of it all, was standing alone.

She wasn’t a participant. She was a symbol—nothing more than the statue placed in the center of the hall.

A castaway on a remote island. A commodity placed on a display shelf. People observed her, set a price, haggled, and discussed her like a product.

She might as well have been a fish laid bare on the chopping block.

It felt as if she’d been stripped bare and thrown into the street with not a thread of clothing on.

There was a crushing loneliness.

Even though she was surrounded by people, Lincia felt utterly alone.

Gulp.

She swallowed hard. Her mouth was parched. She tried to move her tongue, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Hhh...”

She forced her lips open.

“E-Excuse me...!”

But—

“……”

The moment she did, cold, indifferent eyes swept over her—and she froze, words dying in her throat.

None of those gazes held even the faintest shred of kindness.

Even the old man who’d shouted for the preservation of the Airen Dynasty looked at her as if she were a decorative statue in a garden.

Her body trembled. She hadn’t even felt this way during the National Founding Day, when she’d walked through dangers to reach the ceremony. Not even when a stone monument had nearly crushed her.

But now, in this very moment, Lincia realized something chilling.

She was nothing more than a coin without an owner—everyone wanted to claim that coin for themselves.

There was no one in this room who would speak out for her—truly for her sake.

Those sharp eyes... they scanned her greedily from head to toe.

This wasn’t a council meeting.

It was a battlefield.

And Lincia stood unarmed.

Overwhelmed by fatigue, isolation, and the sensation of being pushed to the very edge—

She shut her eyes tightly.

And then—

“Your Highness, please steady yourself.”

A hand touched her back.

Rough hands—but they carried unmistakable warmth.

The low voice that followed held concern.

Even without opening her eyes, Lincia knew who it was.

“...Sir Freud.”

“They won’t try to understand. Please don’t say anything more. Staying silent is the best course for now.”

“...Alright.”

Only then did Lincia understand.

The reason she hadn’t lost her composure amidst the danger—

It was simple.

Because he was here. Because Freud would handle everything.

That realization filled her with an almost eerie calm. Like warming oneself by a fireplace in the heart of winter, the tension drained from her body.

“Are you feeling better now?”

As her trembling ceased, Freud pulled his hand away.

And oddly, Lincia felt a tinge of disappointment at the loss of that warmth.

“Thanks to you.”

She opened her eyes and turned around.

A knight clad in ash-grey. His armor and hair were nearly colorless, but his eyes shone with brilliant silver.

When their eyes met, he gave her a small smile. His lips twisted awkwardly—clearly not used to smiling—but that awkwardness only made it feel more genuine.

“I’m alright now.”

She turned back to face the council.

Those hostile gazes still bore down on her.

But she was no longer afraid.

Knock. Knock.

At that moment, Edwin, seated at the head of the chamber, tapped his gavel.

All eyes shifted toward him.

“This discussion is getting out of hand. I believe a short recess is in order.”

With a sly grin, Edwin glanced toward Lincia.

It was a chilling expression.

“More importantly, it seems Princess Lincia is quite exhausted. Let’s adjourn today’s meeting here.”

With that, the tumultuous session was suspended.

****

After the meeting ended, Lincia’s guards, led by the administrative officer, escorted her back to her chambers. Thankfully, no outsiders were allowed in, for safety.

Lincia sat silently by the window while her handmaidens, including Melina, hovered nearby in uncertainty.

“To think they’d be this defiant...”

“It must be someone’s scheme.”

The Elder Council, which had seemed so likely to proceed without issue, had hit an unexpected wall.

Even the once-confident official was nervously adjusting his glasses and wiping sweat from his brow.

He likely hadn’t expected talk of dismantling the dynasty or overhauling the imperial system to gain so much support.

Given the history of the Empire, such ideas were absurd—impossible to realize.

And yet, these discussions were exactly what Edwin had intended.

“Whoever it is, their goal is to stall for time—introducing ludicrous proposals just to cloud the meeting’s true purpose.”

I finally spoke.

“That man likely intends to harm Her Highness in the confusion.”

“That’s outrageous!”

The official snapped.

But to my surprise, Rowan nodded.

“There’s logic in that. But what would his motive be?”

“That...”

The ambition of Edwin Faylid.

He was a man with vast aspirations.

His ultimate goal was to raise the status of the elves—who had been oppressed for centuries since the founding of the Empire—and establish a new, elf-centered regime.

He likely hadn’t planned such a treacherous move from the start.

But with the death of the powerful late Emperor, and the sudden convening of the Elder Council—opportunities had aligned.

Still, I couldn’t reveal everything.

For now, I had to trust Millia and follow the original timeline.

“I can’t say for sure. But what I do know is this—someone is targeting Her Highness. Everyone saw the Spellstone.”

“Tch.”

“Tomorrow’s meeting will probably yield similar results. We need to protect Her Highness as discreetly as possible while searching for clues to uncover the culprit.”

The official sighed and crossed his arms.

“You’re saying the traitor is inside the council.”

“Yes.”

“Freud. You’re surprisingly calculating. I hadn’t expected that.”

“Ah... well...”

“But couldn’t the traitor be among us as well? How can we be sure it’s not you?”

“……”

I glanced toward the official, gauging his intentions.

Was I out of line for speaking up like that?

Or… am I just being paranoid?

An awkward silence hung in the air. Just as the administrative officer seemed ready to speak again—

“Everyone.”

A soft, clear voice cut through the tension.

Lincia was sitting on the window ledge, looking toward us.

“Please… just leave. All of you.”

Her face was pale.

Never before had she worn such a severe expression.

It was clear—Lincia was deeply displeased.

“...As you command.”

No matter how high their rank, no one could defy a princess’s order.

The administrative officer quickly bowed and left. Following his lead, the attendants, including Rowan and the palace guards, trickled out one by one.

“Melina, you too. Please leave.”

“Huh? M-Me? But…”

“I’m sorry. But right now… I don’t even want to see you, Head Maid.”

“...Understood.”

Melina was clearly flustered by the blunt dismissal, but she couldn’t defy Lincia’s will. Shoulders hunched, she quietly slipped out.

She probably needed time alone. Today’s meeting must’ve been incredibly traumatic.

I also turned to leave, intending to follow Melina out of the room—

But then a voice stopped me.

“Sir Freud, please stay.”

When I turned back, Lincia wore a pleading expression.

“...May I ask why?”

“I just… want to be with you tonight. Is that… not okay?”

...Excuse me?

****

And just like that, we were alone in the room.

I cautiously lifted my gaze.

Lincia leaned against the window frame, staring up at the moon.

Bathed in soft silver light, her silvery hair shimmered like a dream.

But with neither of us speaking, only an uncertain silence stretched between us.

Five minutes passed.

She said nothing. And I wasn’t exactly the social type to start a conversation either.

Finally, Lincia broke the silence.

“The moon’s bright tonight.”

“Yes… it is.”

At last, Lincia turned her eyes from the moon and looked at me.

Sensing the moment, I spoke the words I’d been holding in.

“If I’m the only one who stayed behind, people will get the wrong idea.”

“I don’t care.”

“Wouldn’t someone like Melina be a better person to have by your side right now?”

“Did the Head Maid seem shocked?”

“Yes. Quite a bit.”

I still remembered her expression from earlier—when Lincia told her to leave, but asked me to stay.

It looked as though her whole world had collapsed.

“I heard the Head Maid said something harsh to you.”

“...You could say that.”

It was a misunderstanding, but I was still a knight.

There was a limit to what kind of insults I could accept.

I knew it came from a place of concern for Lincia—but still.

“Let me apologize on her behalf. She’s looked after me since I was a child… so she’s still overly protective. And more importantly, she comes from a powerful noble house. It’s only natural for her to be cautious.”

“I understand.”

“But still… if she heard what I’m about to say, she’d probably faint.”

I tilted my head, not grasping her meaning.

Instead of answering, Lincia turned her eyes toward the direction of the council chamber.

Then, she quietly began to speak.

“Among those who called for my dethronement today… there was one elder who used to be so kind to me when I was little.”

“...I see.”

“He glared at me with bloodshot eyes… it was shocking.”

I could only imagine.

It must’ve felt like betrayal.

“More than that though… I realized something tonight.”

“...?”

“I’m… completely powerless.”

Even with the grand title of ‘Princess,’ the royal court was a brutal battlefield.

And without a strong sponsor, surviving was nearly impossible.

It was no wonder she felt helpless.

“So I’ve been thinking. About what I should do.”

“I see.”

“Sir Freud, what do you think I should do?”

Of course, I hoped she would become the Empress.

No—she had to become the Empress.

But I didn’t want to pressure her.

How should I answer?

As I hesitated, I opened my mouth—

“You don’t have to say anything.”

Lincia chuckled softly and stepped down from the window.

“You were trying to answer for my sake, weren’t you? You always think so carefully.”

“...”

She clapped her hands, a playful smile tugging at her lips.

Then, she said—

“I still want to become Empress.”

Her voice was resolute.

“After all, you’ve saved my life more than once, haven’t you? I can’t just throw that away. Besides, if I don’t become Empress… I know death is the only other path.”

She raised her head.

Her face was flushed, her posture tall and firm.

Despite her small frame, she looked larger than life.

Everyone said she was immature. That she wasn’t ready.

But they were all wrong.

That wasn’t the face of a foolish girl.

That was the face of a true ruler. Regal. Powerful.

Lincia placed her hand gently on my shoulder.

“That’s why… I want to make a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

Bathed in moonlight, her radiant smile looked like something out of a painting.

“Please… become my Guardian Knight.”

My eyes widened in shock.

-- The End OF The Chapter --

 

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