# Chapter 87
Chapter 87
Chancellor Debussy never expected the princess to handle things this way.
He gritted his teeth and shook with anger.
“If so, let's end today's meeting here — Cayena said, smiling brightly.
“…we will fulfill your request.
When the princess stood up from her seat, the completely exhausted councilors followed her and bowed to her.
Slowly, she left the conference room.
“Fortunately, the things I prepared were useful.”
She had focused on the fact that the chancellor and the knight commander did not get along.
The knight commander was the one she had to bring to her side.
Therefore, it was very useful to seriously study the data about the central army.
“Your Highness!
— At that moment, Zenon ran after her.
“What is it, Sir Evans?
The man stopped in front of Cayena and said: — I have something to tell you.
His face was serious.
Cayena said to her assistants, including Vera: — I'll be back soon.
Zenon took Cayena to a place where no eyes hovered over them.
He bared his fangs at her once they reached a distance away from his followers.
“What the hell are you thinking?
His eyes glowed with an almost murderous rage.
“How rude,” Cayena replied coldly.
Since Rezef could not face Heinrich without the Evans family, Zenon was unconsciously taking the imperial family lightly.
“Are you planning to become the chancellor like this?
Or,” he approached Cayena menacingly while grinning like a shark, “do you really intend to become a successor?”
His attitude was threatening, as if he was going to attack her.
Cayena focused on her magic with the intention of knocking him down if necessary.
She felt her control spread across the area.
“Speak honestly, Your Highness.
If you don't do this, I won't understand anything!
“If I say I don't need all this, will you believe me?
Zenon's face contorted in a horrible manner.
“I didn't bring Your Highness here to play with words.
Don't you understand the current situation?
“I think you're the one who doesn't understand.
“…what did you say?
Cayena sneered, “Why don't you just take care of your younger sister, who has become my exclusive lady-in-waiting?”
Zenon was momentarily speechless at the mention of Julia.
“Is this important now?
Of course it was important.
As Cayena thought, Zenon had no idea how Julia's presence affected him.
“You're angry that I've gained some influence, but you can't understand what kind of consequences this will bring.
“What are you…
Cayena woke him up to reality.
“If I'm for Julia, I wonder if the Evans family will support you or Julia more.
“…!
— Zenon looked shocked.
He finally understood what she meant.
The head of the Evans family was not Zenon's father, but his older brother.
Marquis Evans would rather have his younger sister, who was easy to manipulate, in the empress's place than his cunning brother in the chancellor's chair.
Zenon bit his lips.
He never imagined there was this level of calculation involved in hiring Julia.
How could that stupid princess do this?
“Unfortunately, it doesn't look like Sir Evans is a good vessel to hold me.
Saying this, Cayena left him without hesitation and returned to her entourage.
Zenon, who was left alone, stood there dumbfounded.
Slowly, he started to laugh.
“Ha, haha…
Then, holding his face, he had a nervous breakdown.
Even Rezef, who looked down on him without knowing his place, was better.
Rezef was ridiculous, as he would be a potential heir in name only if it weren't for the power of the Evans family.
But Cayena was different.
Zenon thought the princess might be a decent trophy to win for taking over the empire.
She was beautiful enough for him to take her as his wife.
This trophy revealed its claws and provoked him.
“She dares to act so arrogantly towards me?!”
Zenon should keep a low profile because of the botched kidnapping, but it was more dangerous to leave Cayena alone.
“…it would be better to kill her.”
Zenon's eyes turned dark.
Cayena looked down at her hands.
They were shaking a little.
Was it because of fear?
But his mind was empty of so much emotion.
So, this was a reflexive movement that had no relation to her will?
"I don't know why.
I felt threatened, but I didn'tI wasn’t afraid of Zenon…”
She had to experiment more to see how powerful her magic was, but from using it so far, she knew it was capable of lifting people.
She pondered her situation, position, and why her hands were shaking.
Maybe then his hands would stop shaking.
But the shaking didn't stop.
“Could this be a side effect of the magical contract?”
Previously, Zenon had warned her and prepared his magic.
However, it was a bit troublesome if your hands shook like this.
Confirming with his own eyes that his body was indeed weakened, his head grew cold.
Cayena clenched her fist to stop the tremors.
“Your Highness?
— Vera called.
“Are you okay?
Sir Evans...
It was only then that Cayena realized that she had forgotten to hide her expression.
Cayena interrupted Vera before she could say more.
“Nothing happened.
We just talked about the meeting agenda items.
“I see…
Vera didn't look convinced, but she nodded.
While Cayena and her entourage stopped briefly, the councilors began to leave the conference room one by one.
Locating Cayena, they quickly bowed and disappeared.
It seemed her first board meeting implanted the impression that she was not to be messed with.
Soon, Commander Jed also left the room.
It was when Cayena was about to return to her palace after waving to him.
“Your Highness.
Cayena turned to him with a perplexed look.
“I won't forget the favor.
— Commander Jed bowed deeply to Cayena.
She could guess why he was being so polite.
The atmosphere in the central army would obviously have been bad because of the continuous budget cuts.
But today, soldiers could recover their rightful compensation.
Jed would never have imagined that the princess would help him like this.
Cayena replied nonchalantly: — It's nothing.
Ah, but since we're talking, can you send me a summary of what the central army needs to improve?
I'll start working on it as soon as you do.
“Excuse me?
So fast…?
Isn't it too much?
“I have already decided to support the central army.
What reason do I have to hesitate?
We must do things before someone annoying tries to scold us.
Jed smiled bitterly, understanding that the “annoying someone” was referring to Chancellor Debussy.
Then, he looked at Cayena with a strangely admiring face.
When the emperor initially appointed her deputy for state affairs, he was internally worried.
But looking at the results of today's board meeting, it was a decisive victory for Cayena.
Additionally, she stopped the abhorrent budget cuts.
In reality, the budget cuts were the same thing as pressuring Jed to resign.
Jed was sincerely grateful to Cayena.
“Then bye.
Cayena started to head back to the princess's palace once again.
“With this, the knight commander will be friendlier to me.”
Building trust in this way was crucial.
“This is how I’m going to stop Rezef from getting rid of me when he starts to find me unpleasant.”
As Cayena had already established a friendly relationship with Commander Jed, Rezef and his forces did not act hastily.
“Zenon seemed very nervous.
He must feel a lot of pressure for not kidnapping me.”
It seemed that Zenon and Rezef were further apart than Cayena thought.
This must clearly be because Rezef valued Cayena over Zenon as she made plans that suited his tastes.
“Rezef will try to read my intentions with the snacks I always give him.”
Although she was tired and busy, she had to keep making him snacks for a simple reason.
She needed to look like she still supported him.
It was a simple and transparent act, but there was a clear difference between doing it and not doing it.
She had to live properly.