“This is not as easy as it seems.”
Ilian furrowed his eyebrows, recalling Prince Franz's behavior in their last meeting.
“The Second Prince did not show any interest in meeting Mrs.
Roshanak.”
Rather, he said things that suggested he wanted to protect Lady Ambrose, thus humiliating Ilian.
“You know, soul bonds don't break easily.”
“Yes, right.
But I'm sure he'll change his mind once he sees Naerys.”
Glenna smiled captivatingly, but Ilian remained skeptical.
The Second Prince was suffering from the pain of mana.
For someone like him, a 'soul bond' is like a lifeline.
His choice of a noble woman from a remote area as his fiancée meant a lot.
Even her invitation to the ceremony to present his mana stone showed the desperation of the imperial family.
In the empire, royal marriages were not built on a political basis only, but rather their priority was compatibility in mana.
However, candidates were usually chosen from ancient noble families.
Not everyone can enter the imperial family.
Only high-ranking nobles and residents of Capital Calibis had access to the Royal Mana Stones.
As for a collective call like the one made by the Second Prince, it had no precedent.
'I thought it was just a rush...'
Ilian grimaced as he sipped his tea.
He was still disturbed by Franz's reaction when he mentioned Naerys' name to him.
They had not yet had a wedding, and yet the Prince seemed quite attached to Mrs.
Ambrose.
'I heard she has a beautiful face.
'Is that all there is to it?'
It was said that Mrs.
Ambrose had nothing but her beauty.
She was not even of the blood of the current Baron Ambrose.
Therefore, it is unlikely that she will have any support from her family.
From what Ilian knew, the Dowager Baroness was trying to marry her off to a rich old nobleman as a second wife.
It was just a discarded piece, to be disposed of.
Therefore, the Second Prince should not be so attached to her.
'Is it because of the soul bond then?'
Ilian tilted his head in confusion.
But this did not convince him either.
Soul bonds were often maintained only formally.
Many nobles would only keep their guild partner for the sake of mana stability, while taking a mistress alongside her.
Taking mistresses was not frowned upon in the imperial family.
Indeed, if the mistress gains favor, she may be treated better than the official wife.
“It's really weird.”
“Not that complicated.
If the Second Prince finds another woman, Lady Ambrose will be excluded.”
“Do you think this will really work?”
"Why this sudden hesitation, father?
Do you doubt Naerys's competence?"
"I'm not sure.
Even if it wasn't Lady Roshanak, I don't know if the Second Prince would accept another.
You should have seen for yourself how he raised his voice at me when I mentioned Naerys's name to him, saying that he already had a fiancée."
“…hmmm”
Glenna bit her lip as she tapped the sofa armrest.
Crichton gently stroked Glenna's hair as he studied her face alone.
Ilian was watching the First Prince showering his daughter with pampering, so he smiled contentedly.
They were connected by a soul bond, and made a perfect couple.
Crichton fell in love with Glenna at first sight, and never took a mistress.
Were it not for this loyalty, Ilian would not have striven to raise his position above the Crown Prince.
The glory of Crichton is the glory of Glenna, and therefore the glory of the Corney family.
Ilian was ready to do anything to achieve this.
“That village girl Ambrose must have captured the Second Prince well.”
Glenna stopped tapping, and her eyes sparkled.
With a meaningful smile, she added:
“We need a decisive step”
“Because of the compatibility in mana, it will not be easy to best Lady Ambrose.”
“That's right, Glenna.
And if Franz is really in love with her, we may have no choice.”
“Trust me, Crichton.
And trust me, Father.”
Glenna spoke softly, calming the two anxious men.
Then she glanced at the empty hall and lowered her voice.
“I can do anything.
You haven’t forgotten how I found His Majesty the Emperor’s Mana Stone, have you?”
At her calm words, the eyes of both men darkened.
Crichton took her hand as if it were a rare jewel, and whispered:
“Of course not, my love.”
Crichton had many reasons to appreciate Glenna.
First, the power of the Corneille family was enormous.
Secondly, they were connected by a soul bond.
Her beauty was unparalleled in the empire, and even before her official appearance, she was setting fashion trends in Calibis.
But the most important reason was her extreme cleverness.
Glenna was willing to walk through fire to get what she wanted.
Murder did not frighten her.
The Emperor realized her cruelty early.
In one of his interviews with her, she ordered the immediate execution of a maid due to a simple mistake.
Therefore, he was worried when she married Crichton, and even warned him not to get too close to her.
Later, he tried to exclude the Corneille family from politics entirely because of it.
From here, Glenna began to see the Emperor as her enemy.
As long as he is alive, she will not be able to live as you want.
Her ambitions could be destroyed with one word from him.
But no one survived long and was an enemy of the Emperor.
So she tried to win him over by crying and coddling, but he remained resentful.
Then she decided to take another path: get rid of him.
The idea of treason, but for Glenna it was merely removing an obstacle in the way.
Once she decided, she shared the plan with Crichton and Ilian.
The two were shocked by her boldness.
But it was also in their interests, as Crichton and Ilian were colluding to evade taxes.
The taxes collected by Ilian from his territory were three times the imperial rate.
Not only that, Ilian was manipulating society through Glenna to raise salt prices.
Now that Glenna is the first wife of the princess, she is able to influence society as she pleases.
All she had to do was wave her decorated fan and comment, “It’s hard to find salt these days.”
Once people rush out to buy, Elian will have bought most of it.
Then he sells it for ten times its price.
Then came the turn of coal.
Then silk from Mount Batash.
People did not understand why prices fluctuated, but they continued to buy.
Thus his business grew rapidly.
The Emperor noticed these abnormal swellings and began an investigation.
It was only a matter of time before Ilian and Crichton's tricks were exposed.
Then Glenna intervened.
She suggested finding the Emperor's Mana Stone.
Ilian and Crichton were skeptical.
The mana stone associated with a royal spirit is hidden in a place known only to its owner.
Breaking it could end the owner's life.
However, Glenna succeeded.
She won the loyalty of the emperor's servants and the courtier.
She found the Mana Stone—and then smashed it using her own Mana.
The Emperor collapsed, his heart damaged by the rupture.
While the empire sank into panic, the First Prince's palace remained calm—they had expected it.
The Empress quietly took over the reins and announced that the Crown Prince would be appointed within a year.
Crichton pretended to be sad, but deep down he was cheerful.
Thanks to Glenna's cunning, the once distrustful Emperor was now powerless, and the once elusive title of Crown Prince was within reach.
From that moment on, Crichton swore eternal love for Glenna.
He was able to expose his darkest ambitions to her—she was created to fulfill them.
If she wants the diamond necklace, she'll get it.
And if she wants that village girl to disappear, she will disappear.
'And while we're at this, if only Franz would disappear too.'
“Don't be in a hurry.
We have plenty of time.”
Crichton kissed Glenna's forehead with a meaningful smile.
He had abandoned his sick father, and destroying his half-brother would not be more difficult—it would be more desirable.