How to Live as a Tyrant’s Spoiled Brat Chapter 191

(191)

A maid, whether she likes it or not, is in a position where she cannot help but know all of her employer's secrets, and this was also the case for Binea, the direct maid of Jaylilith.

There were times when I felt like I was going crazy, having to unintentionally peek into all sorts of secrets every day, one of which would cause a storm to blow over the empire's political situation if just one were to break.

The most shocking secret I've learned so far is that the explosions that are occurring now are not the work of a mad wizard, but of an Encroacher, and that Archduke Valencian is covering it up so that the Oath of Allegiance can proceed as scheduled.

'Oh, God of Light.'

Of course, the emperor she served was no ordinary person either.

In the first place, it was not the normal thought of a person to use the maid of the former emperor whom he had killed with his own hands.

But when I looked at the vividly shining Jaylilith, like an elaborate oil painting drawn on charcoal sketch, I thought that none of that mattered.

Jaylilith had an aura surrounding her that made people think, 'She deserves it' no matter what she did.

Valencian, on the other hand, had an aura surrounding him that made people think, 'There must have been another way,' no matter what he did.

Binea, a court noble among the court nobles, discovered that the aura was artificially created.

The last time I realized it was when I learned that Valencian had killed Margrave Gremorius and installed his granddaughter in the Marquisate.

Valencian reported gloomily, as if he was suffering from guilt, and Jaerilis comforted him with a bright smile.

'If Jim had gone, he would have reduced the capital's population by two-thirds and then started talking.'

Vinea did not believe that everything in this world was relative.

There is a line in this world that must not be crossed.

It is difficult to explain in words, but it is clear that the God of Light discerned between good and evil in this world.

Giving a big loaf of bread is better than giving a small loaf of bread, but giving a small loaf of bread is not worse than giving a big loaf of bread.

Giving a small knife was no better than giving a big knife.

But if something that would have cost an arm a blow ends up with just a little bit of flesh on the tip of a finger, then that's a good thing, because that's what humans do.

Even in front of the new Marquis of Gremorius, Binea was able to calmly serve the Emperor.

'That person is Grace.'

He was of average height, but his black hair, which reached down to his waist, had a sheen like ebony.

The candlelight reflected so much that it sparkled with an orange glow.

The eyes were brown, wise and kind, but somehow had a strange, incomprehensible air about them.

Obviously, this would be the case since Binea herself was a noble of mixed race.

This strange atmosphere that I cannot understand is what makes me, like my predecessor Gremorius, value the happiness of the people more than gold, black iron, and a huge fortress.

His face was pale and he looked a bit timid, but he had the dignity of a nobleman.

She was wearing a crown made of black iron, and Grace was the first to appear in front of Jaylilith wearing a crown.

With that arrogant and confident attitude, I thought his clothes would be very flashy, but they were unexpectedly neat.

Grace wore a restrained dress with no embellishments, jewels, or lace, and a gradient that started out black at the top and faded to white as it went down.

She fiddled with her sleeve out of habit, and seeing the faint scar left behind, she wondered if something bad had happened in the past.

Binea hoped that the bad news had nothing to do with Valencianus.

* * *

“The Marquis of Gremorius sends greetings to His Majesty the Emperor of Soletaras.”

Grace Kimelion Gremorius bowed his head to Jaylilith.

The Emperor offered her a chair, and the two sat facing each other at opposite ends of a rectangular table.

The conversation flowed like a conversation between an emperor and a great nobleman.

“If we build a free trade city, we will have to use the canal for transportation, but if the imperial family charges a toll at this gate, it will be a loss for our family. Since the imperial family has abolished the tariff, please exempt the gate toll as well.”

“Yes. I will allow it.”

Grace made demands that could be made without being rude, and Jaylilith nodded as she asked the administrators.

Neither of them looked comfortable in their seats.

The Emperor did not like anyone who did not bow down before him, and Grace knew that it was the Emperor who had ordered Valencian to kill her grandfather.

Binea saw the Minister of the Palace and the Minister of Foreign Affairs fidgeting even more than yesterday, watching the two of them closely.

Elderly officials who had served the imperial court for decades and made the elite bureaucrats tremble at the mere gesture of their hands were biting their fingernails, stamping their feet, and shaking their shoulders.

The meal went on in such a stiff atmosphere that it felt like we were going to get sick, and eventually Jaylilith let out a sadistic laugh.

"your majesty!"

“Oh my goodness.”

Vinea saw the two ministers with blank expressions.

Until now, the only one who could stop the emperor with those eyes was Valencian, who was pleading and begging.

“Your Majesty, I heard that the Emperor spoke rudely to you.”

A bright voice echoed through the garden.

Grace nodded, her face hardening.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Regardless of whether it is true or not, it was truly rude.”

“I can hear the details and maybe I can apologize on your behalf. Would you like to tell me?”

Grace looked at Jaylilith.

As her gaze swept down from his platinum hair to the Emperor's long, ring-ringed fingers, Grace opened her mouth.

“Your Majesty, do you also try to control and hide your emotions?”

“No. Jim always did what he felt like doing.”

“I want to do that too.”

“Is that so?”

Jaylilith narrowed her eyes as if in surprise.

For the nobility, 'whatever they want' usually meant luxury and pleasure.

However, Grace's attire was not extravagant, but rather closer to the neatness of a widow.

“If I live only doing what I have to do, if I suppress my emotions and desires and just endure and endure, what is the point of my distinguished lineage, authority, and talent?”

“Hmm.”

“I think the biggest difference between the serfs down there and our royal nobles is that we can live with the utmost respect for our feelings.”

But Grace's dry voice was slowly becoming more and more heated.

“To me, that feeling was just sadness.”

Jaylilith exhaled as if she had been hit with a bullet.

“I want to be sad, I want to cry so hard I collapse, I want to scream so loud that the castle will shake. I want to know how sad I am, and I want everyone to acknowledge it.”

However, the great noble of Heukcheolgwan continued speaking, saying,

“Sadness is not a bad emotion, but it only changes to anger in an instant. Even if a great nobleman starts a war, it should be done out of self-interest, not anger. So how can I cry?”

“… … .”

“Hwang Hyung… … was a person who controlled his emotions well. He got angry when he needed to and was happy when he wanted to. I think he was also brutally honest in a way.”

* * *

Vinea interpreted the cowardly smile on Grace's face in two ways.

freedom.

Her words just now applied both to Valencian's loyalty and to Valencian's wickedness.

It was said that neither one is inherently the other, but that one's nature changes according to need.

“Your Majesty, you always do as you please… … I envy you for being able to feel sad.”

There wasn't the slightest hint of sarcasm in Grace's voice.

“There was almost no mention of Hwang Hyung. Please forgive me for digressing.”

But it was too rude to dare say that to the emperor.

As the Foreign Minister's expression changed in an instant, Jaylilith smiled proudly and answered.

“Yes. I forgive you. You seem to be already going crazy with self-loathing, so what more can I say?”

Vinea doubted her ears.

'What did you just say?'

Even for an emperor, it was too rude to say this to a vassal who had come to pledge allegiance.

“Marquis Grace. Grief… … is not something you feel all the time. It stabs your heart like an invisible dagger while you are enjoying a meal, swinging a sword, discussing state affairs, or just before you go to bed. It is painful in the moment… … but it will eventually pass.”

The Emperor smiled alone in the black and white sketch, like a completed oil painting.

“I heard about the report. He purged all his brothers and sisters. It’s not easy to purge all of your blood relatives after your grandfather’s death. But it’s not impossible. I know because I tried it.”

"your majesty."

“Even if you suffer from sadness for about an hour a day, your heart will beat for the glory and dreams of your family for the remaining 23 hours. And during that one hour, you will hate yourself for the 23 hours.”

“You know that too… … because you tried it?”

The emperor did not answer and continued speaking.

“I want to feel sadness completely. That’s a good thing. But humans are complicated… … If you eat snake horn leaves, you’ll laugh even while cutting off your arm, and if you drink black-spotted thorn tree juice, you’ll be connected to someone you like in the morning, and if you find gold in the evening, you’ll be so depressed that you’ll want to die.”

That's what her better half once said.

“Act like a nobleman. Control your emotions and enjoy the food as if you were tasting it at a banquet hall. Don’t blame yourself. You are a great nobleman, and you are only responsible to me and the God of Light. You too… … are not qualified to judge yourself.”

There was a heavy silence after that.

Vinea waited for the dinner to end, shivering with the two ministers.

To interpret the emperor's words somewhat roughly, what he ultimately meant was, 'Be loyal.'

Time passed, and Grace paused for a moment before she stood up.

“This too shall pass, right?”

“That’s right. It’s bound to disappear, it’s bound to change, it’s bound to transform.”

“But there are some things that don’t pass.”

“Then I guess I can just cut it in half.”

The emperor answered with a languid smile.

Grace turned around and nodded.

Vinea felt that expression was strangely carefree.

As if he had made up his mind.

* * *

In Bishop Hong's office, the saint and Argos had a long conversation.

“Argos. We have no need to interfere in worldly politics. This is something we must do out of indignation before the God of Light.”

Although Mateos's face twisted into a stern expression and he showed his opposition, the stern-looking old man did not back down easily.

“Saint, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

“I consider Archduke Valencian, not the Imperial Family, as a threat. And I do not consider him an enemy who must be destroyed.”

“I don’t know what Archduke Valencian will think of you, saint.”

The reason the two highest ranking clergy in the church were arguing was because of a letter.

[Saint. Grand Duke Valencian is hiding the presence of the Encroacher.]

[He is blinding His Majesty the Emperor for his own power, and controlling all information to cover up my mistakes. Even the newspapers and the parliamentarians have already fallen into his hands.]

[I, Marcus, a faithful follower, will not stand by and watch as the local nobles and half a million citizens of the capital city are put at risk.]

[When I come out, the church should issue a statement condemning Archduke Valencian and supporting us. We need the support of the citizens of the capital.]

Marcus reached out to the Gwangmyeong Church, and the church faced a moment where it had to make a decision.

Argos pleaded with the saint.

“The members of parliament who were threatened by that scoundrel are regaining their composure. My lord, we must pass the bill. We cannot allow the secular monarchs to continue to exercise their power of erosion.”

"that……."

“I also know what kind of person the Iron Blood Lord is. There is no need for the saint to take his hand. It’s just that two are better than one.”

Mateos' eyes wavered at Argos's passionate speech.

“Even with this power… … if you want to change the world, you have to compromise.”

“… … .”

Soon, his face hardened like a 'black saint'.

“Yes, I will. Please call him to Mass.”