章 86: Distribution Of Territory
The Karsten family made their entrance into the palace.
Eugene glanced around and spotted Casimin waving at him. His brother Euric simply nodded and smiled. Kaizer placed his arm around Eugene's waist and glanced at the two brothers. Currently, Kaizer, Casimin, and Euric were to accept the emperor's distribution of territories, signifying that the three would become the heads of their families, and a cede ceremony was soon to follow.
One reason the Marquis and the Duke hadn't been exiled yet was that they needed to transfer their titles to their sons. In short, they had to attend the cede ceremony and then be banished from the Empire to fend for themselves.
The nobles invited to witness the ceremony observed the four pillar families.
The Catharis family only sent a subordinate to accept the emperor's decree, not appearing themselves, which piqued the curiosity of the other nobles.
Chancellor Seronico stepped forward and greeted the grand duke.
It was a great opportunity for congratulations, especially since the runaway male wife had been recaptured. Chancellor Seronico, a male fox, dared not conspire against the Karsten family due to the influence of the Catharis family, who favored their adoptive son, Grand Duke Katnier. It was no surprise that Kaizer and Khalil were also highly regarded by the Catharis brothers.
Truly, what luck.
Many people had once thought that the Dela Vallier family would fall into ruin after the previous grand duke's death. However, the seemingly meek and gloomy young master, whom they had underestimated, swiftly rose to take the head seat, adopting the surname Karsten. Even so, the former duke's forces remained strong, making it impossible for Katnier to entirely shed the Dela Vallier surname.
He could only accept that he could never fully escape his roots.
Therefore, he utilized the forces of the Dela Vallier to his advantage and established his own faction under the Karsten name. Katnier's actions not only deterred the nobles who intended to scheme against him but also surprised many when the Catharis family declared him their adoptive son and condemned the previous grand duke.
The emperor bestowed his blessings upon Katnier as the new grand duke.
The Catharis family was satisfied, but Katnier still sought more recognition. He didn't want others to think that he became a grand duke merely because of the backing of the Catharis family. Consequently, he actively joined and led his soldiers in wars, earning countless merits that made the other nobles step back and acknowledge his abilities.
Katnier proved to be even more ruthless than his own father.
It wasn't until Khalil and Kaizer were born that the grand duke began to mellow down.
"Your grace, why didn't you bring your youngest son?"
Katnier pursed his lips. "He's been staying in the Catharis dukedom for a few days."
Chancellor Seronico chuckled. "Seems like the patriarch loves the youngest dearly. Well, it's no wonder because there is no longer a young master in the Catharis family. It's hard for the patriarch since his sons still haven't impregnated their spouses. Even the emperor likes young master Khalil and wants him to become the crown prince's playmate."
Grand Duke Karsten snorted, his chest held high with pride.
"It's different from my sulky eldest, who is grumpy every day and can't respect his father."
Chancellor Seronico glanced at Kaizer's expressionless face and laughed.
Kaizer merely glanced at his father coldly and grunted.
Khalil was currently enjoying life in the Catharis dukedom and almost never returned to the grand dukedom, thanks to the pampering he received from his brothers and uncles. Instead of facing his grumpy brother and overly affectionate father who kept holding onto his mother, he preferred to stay in the Catharis territory and enjoy the feeling of retirement. He didn't want to think about work even before graduating; just the thought of it made him feel sluggish, causing him to lie flat on the floor.
"Is the baby bored?"
Khalil opened his eyes when someone pulled him.
"Brother Ran---" Khalil paused when he noticed someone behind his brother and became curious, "Brother Rancis, who is he?" It was the first time he had seen the man, and he knew every single brother and uncle he had, so this unfamiliar face intrigued him. He wasn't suspecting that the man didn't belong to the Catharis family, as no outsider could enter their territory. He simply wondered who this unknown person was.
"This is Uncle Sanvielle, the youngest brother of my father. He just returned to the empire after being an exchange student in the neighboring Kingdom."
"Uncle?" Khalil looked at the man and called out, "Uncle~"
Sanvielle simply nodded his head and looked at his nephew. "I need to leave. Tell your father I have gone back to Vilhram county and will visit again next time."
"So soon?"
Sanvielle hummed. "I need to meet a friend. I've been gone for long."
Rancis raised his eyebrow. "A friend? Is it Uncle Euric? Brother, did you hear what happened to the Shradinza Household? You've been gone for so long; are you sure Uncle Euric will meet you? Also, you have already graduated; isn't it time to go back to the Catharis? You are not a Vilhram; why do you still insist on staying with the count's family?"
Sanvielle glanced at his niece with sharp eyes and said, "Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong."
Rancis shrugged.
At the palace, the ceremony commenced as the emperor presented himself. The speech wasn't lengthy; the emperor emphasized the reason behind dividing the empire's territory among the four pillar families. During the speech, many felt anxious, especially the nobles from the crown prince's faction. They loathed the emperor's decisions, as the four pillar families were not easily swayed.
They couldn't simply request their support for the crown prince.
After all, it was evident that the second prince had achieved military merits, while the crown prince seemed useless and only excelled at paperwork.
This was troublesome.
Eugene watched the foxes from the corner of his eye and chuckled.
These greedy nobles never knew when to give up. Didn't they recognize the influence of the second prince? Even Kaizer showed favor to Maxmilian, indicating his support for the second prince, but no one seemed to notice, as they believed the four pillar families remained neutral. However, he knew the empress was different; she would soon realize the problem.
Kaizer hadn't taken overt action. Because he [Eugene] believed that the crown prince shouldn't be left at the mercy of the second prince. Eugene could sense that Lincoln didn't plan to fight his brother, as the crown prince's position was never originally intended for him.
But if Lincoln didn't fight, he would die.
The second prince wouldn't spare him, and just like in his past life, Lincoln wouldn't see the sunrise and would be tortured until he died.
What a pitiful situation.
Eugene sighed, contemplating whether he should help his former enemy.
However, he wasn't a saint, and what Lincoln had done to him in the past was something he couldn't easily forgive. There was a part of him that wished to see Lincoln suffer as compensation for his own suffering. Yet, there was also a feeling pushing him to sympathize with the poor crown prince.
What a troublesome dilemma.
In his previous life, when he was beheaded, it was Lincoln who wrote the decree; it was also Lincoln who watched him lose his head to the guillotine with a smile, uttering words that made him hate the royal family. In his second life, Kaizer contributed to the fire by announcing his public execution for his alleged crime. At that time, both Lincoln and Kaizer stood side by side and watched him being hanged.
From any perspective, wasn't it reasonable enough for him not to forgive Lincoln?
Everyone had a pitiful background, so why was it only he who deserved death? Didn't he become evil because of his parents and the people around him? Why did Lincoln, who should have understood him, contribute to his suffering?
How ironic.
"Now, I will call each representative to receive the decree from the emperor,"
Chancellor Seronico announced, "Stella of the South, Euric of the South Stella of Shradinza."
Euric stepped forward and bowed before the emperor, raising both hands to receive the decree. He wasn't overly enthusiastic, as it was a weighty responsibility. Casimin was also gritting his teeth, wondering what was going on inside the emperor's mind. Only Kaizer appeared bored and uninterested, eager to finish the ceremony so he could spend more time with Eugene.
The emperor handed over the decree and whispered to Euric...
"You can do it! Work hard!"
Euric's expression turned ugly. Was the emperor being sarcastic? What was with that cheerful face? Was he so pleased to pass on his responsibilities to others? Didn't he fear rebellion? Who? Who could explain why the emperor seemed so foolish?!
Chancellor Seronico pretended to cough and glanced at the emperor.
"Sidus of the North, the North Sidus of Karsten."
Kaizer stepped forward, offering a slight bow, swiftly received the decree without allowing the emperor to speak, and hurried back to Eugene, placing the decree in his [Eugene] hand, causing the others to widen their eyes in surprise. Even the emperor was left speechless, while the grand duke seemed unfazed. Chancellor Seronico was also taken aback but quickly regained composure.
"Astrum of the West, the West Astrum of Del Viltaria."
Eugene pinched Kaizer's waist and handed back the decree angrily, whispering, "Do you intend to make me work? Tell me, Kaizer, if you want a beating, I'd be more than happy to oblige!"
Kaizer's face twisted in pain from the pinch and looked visibly wronged.
"Wife, don't be like this. I'm sorry—ouch!"
Casimin received the decree and returned to his position, ignoring the emperor and feeling displeased with the whole situation. He wondered if he could slap the decree on the emperor's face and then retreat to the dukedom to enjoy his current life and wealth.
The emperor, despised by his subordinate: "..."
"Aureus of the East, the East Aureus of Catharis."
The ceremony concluded shortly after. Once everything was over, Eugene pulled Kaizer's ear and scolded him severely. Grand Duke Karsten and Keerto kept their distance and entered the carriage, waiting for the two to finish. Keerto observed his son getting reprimanded and sighed, wondering whom he took after since his husband appeared responsible and obedient to him.
Keerto had never had a chance to argue, as whenever he got angry, Katnier would immediately kneel and apologize to him, avoiding any further anger.
How could this be? His son seemed unreliable.
"Dear, ignore them. Your son has a thick skin; he won't die."
Keerto hummed and leaned into his husband's arms. "I'm tired."
"Well, it's been a while since you attended such formal events. You'll get used to it soon. Also, let's fetch Khalil from the Catharis dukedom tomorrow. I will be busy these days, and I want Khalil to accompany you so you won't get bored." It was also a way to ensure his wife wouldn't have an opportunity to escape again. He needed his son to be with his mother while he worked.
It was time to prevent the empress from causing any more trouble.
The second prince was also preparing for rebellion, so before chaos erupted, he needed to make his son the grand duke, have the emperor denounce the empress, and restrain any traitors lurking in the shadows to ensure the empire's peace.
"Are you finished?"
Eugene and Kaizer entered the carriage, and Eugene nodded at the grand duke.
Grand Duke Karsten snorted and regarded his son with disdain. Kaizer ignored his father's contempt and tried to coax Eugene into forgiving him during the ride. For him, nothing was more important than Eugene, so he considered the land title from the emperor as a gift for Eugene to make his beloved happy. He hadn't expected Eugene to misunderstand, leading to Kaizer getting punished.
Well, who would want to deal with extra workloads?
Eugene felt that simply swinging his sword was enough for him.
"Be good."
Kaizer hummed.
Eugene allowed Kaizer to embrace him while they discussed military deployment with the grand duke. Eugene knew that the second prince's rebellion was approaching, and he understood why the grand duke wanted to confront the empress—to pave the way for Maxmillian's smooth ascension to the throne.
Why hadn't they thought of it before? Why could the second prince rebel without facing the might of the four pillar families? It was because, from the beginning, the four pillar families had stood by the side of the second prince, protecting the rightful heir from the empress's schemes.
So, what would Lincoln, the false crown prince, do now?
Once the empress was defeated, his own downfall would follow.
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