# Chapter 84
Chapter 84
“I only increased the dosage of the poison a little,” Rezef replied, nonchalantly.
“Your victory has not been confirmed.
Don't you know how cunning Archduke Heinrich is?
“Should I be considerate of an insect without royal blood?
Zenon closed his eyes for a moment to appease his anger.
The prince was not stupid.
The prince was not stupid.
Zenon repeated these words to himself in his head.
But soon, he stopped those thoughts.
The prince was desperate.
He knew nothing about moderation or patience and was violent and barbaric.
How was he different from Heinrich, who was famous for not being a gentleman?
“You can say that a person who cannot read a situation and is from the countryside is “inferior” to you.
But do you know how many bandits he brought from the field?
I'm asking if you know how many mercenaries that man has!
“Do you think mercenaries or bandits can defeat the central army?
“The central army is the emperor's army, not Your Highness's!
— Rezef threw the cup in his hand at Zenon.
“You are only the second son of a marquis.
You dare lecture me?!
—Rezef exploded in anger.
After a while, his anger subsided.
He clicked his tongue.
“It's a trivial problem that will be resolved once I'm on the throne.
Once I gain control over the central army, it won't matter.
Otherwise, I just need the cooperation of a military family.
Cayena had chosen the daughter of a frontier family to be one of her ladies-in-waiting.
She also maintained good relations with Raphael.
Rezef didn't like this fact, but it was something that could help him.
KNOW KNOW.
At that moment, a deaf servant entered carrying an envelope on a tray.
The letter obviously brought news from outside.
Rezef took the card out of the envelope, read it, and threw it in front of Zenon.
Zenon took it and read it.
The handwriting was by Chancellor Debussy.
「It is temporary, but Her Highness the Princess has been given the same authority as the chancellor as His Majesty's proxy.
It appears that the next actions should be taken soon.
」
All the rights and authority of a crown prince went to Cayena.
“I gained a chancellor, Zenon Evans.
Rezef smiled, not doubting Cayena in the slightest.
Zenon clenched his fist.
“Now my sister will defend the military government.
It would be nice if you could win over the knight commander at this time, wouldn't it?
Rezef knew well that most of his power came from Marquis Evans' status.
Marquis Evans had sent his second son, who could not take control of the east, to Rezef so that he would not give up any imperial power.
If Julia became the empress, they would reach the Hill dynasty and become the new masters of the Eldaim empire.
But everything went off course because of Cayena.
“As long as I have my sister around, imperial prestige will remain safe.
“Gaining control of Cayena has become an important game.”
Everything Zenon contributed under the Evans name came to nothing.
Since things happened this way, it was difficult for him to prevent Rezef from poisoning the emperor in large quantities.
If the emperor died, it would cause a win-win situation for him where Cayena's authority would be revoked and everything would be in chaos.
One way or another, Rezef's actions were beneficial.
At least for Zenon.
Rezef mocked him, pretending to be sorry.
“You should be the next chancellor.
What should we do?
This could be the case if Cayena was truly loyal to Rezef.
However, Zenon didn't think the situation was that comfortable.
"Damn royalty.
The entire family is as confused as can be, and they are controlling the central army...!"
The lack of an army was a problem for Rezef, but it was also a problem for the Evans family.
They also wanted an army.
They had some soldiers, but they were not at a level where they could wage war with another territory.
When they needed fighters, they always hired mercenaries, who cost a lot of money.
Furthermore, the mercenaries had to be recruited very carefully because of Archduke Heinrich.
He was known in the underbelly of society for having control over most of them.
“When our family researched, we discovered that most of the homes under contract belong to Heinrich.”
The mercenaries and contractors in the capital belonged to Yester as well.
If Zenon hired these mercsyears, he could be stabbed in the back.
Thus, the Marquis of Evans won over Chancellor Debussy.
Chancellor Debussy's niece, Viscountess Meryl Winston, was Duchess Noa Kedrey's dearest friend.
Whether the Evanses sent Julia to the Kedrey Duchy or the imperial family, they only needed one bond to gain an army.
It would have been easy and profitable for them to take control of the imperial family with the current emperor.
However, Cayena's sudden change was a hindrance in her course.
Zenon controlled his rising anger and regained his coolness.
He couldn't let his efforts all these years go down the drain.
“… certainly, if His Highness helped you with his current powers, there would be nothing better.
“In other words, I am a powerful successor to the throne that Heinrich cannot compare to.
“You are sure.
Rezef looked at Zenon with searching eyes, then smiled.
“Didn't the Evans family support me solidly?
Your younger sister came as my sister's court lady, right?
“Correct, but… — Zenon looked at him suspiciously.
Rezef picked up another book.
It was a travelogue of the western regions.
“It's about time I started looking for a wife.
Zenon fell silent at the unexpected comment.
Rezef raised his head and looked at him.
“What are you doing?
Why aren't you leaving?
“I'm going to leave.
When Zenon left the room, Rezef stopped pretending to be calm and wrinkled his face demonically.
“If you know the truth, you will probably be worried.”
Before Henverton Gillian was murdered, he mocked Rezef who visited him in prison with these words.
“My accomplice is Zenon Evans.
That bastard betrayed me and tried to steal the princess from me.
“He dares…!
— Rezef almost drew his sword, unable to contain his fury, when Zenon entered his room.
Not cutting Zenon's throat immediately took all of Rezef's patience for today.
He couldn't touch Zenon now.
“Not a single one of those who deceive me will remain alive.”
Rezef's eyes flashed with murderous intent.
Scene 15.
Council Meeting
Cayena's eyes seemed strangely rigid.
Was it because she was reading by lamplight?
She briefly looked up from the documents.
She pressed the tops of her eyelids with her hand and rubbed her head.
“Why does my head hurt again…?”
She was as tired as she usually was when she continually worked overtime to prepare a project at her job.
His throat seemed to hurt too.
She picked up a cup of tea that was far away from her with her magical power and placed it in her palm.
She took a sip, but the tea that was hot before was now cold.
Cayena noticed that a white light was shining between the thick curtains.
She had been up all night.
She sighed.
“I still have a lot, though.
She tirelessly pored over the material, but there was still a lot to sift through.
Her learning process was slower as she could not call a certain man for advice on military law at dawn.
She found out roughly how the administration was run, but that was about it.
“It’s obviously impossible to figure all this out in one day.”
However, there would be people – including Chancellor Debussy – eager to prove his lack of ability.
Either way, his goal was to understand enough to provoke a reaction from the knight commander and other officers.
Cayena got up from the couch and gently relaxed her overworked body.
The door opened and Vera entered.
“You woke up- Oh, Your Highness?
Vera looked at the bed as usual, then hurriedly looked at the table.
The scene with lamps and documents placed all over the table was unfamiliar, but it was very clear what it was about.
“Your Highness, didn't you sleep at all?
Vera was about to complain more when Cayena waved her hand.
“No.
I slept a little.
Vera checked the bed.
Cayena also naturally turned her gaze to the bed.
It was made with care, without any wrinkles, just as it was yesterday.
Hmm.
She hadn't been very careful.