Chapter 54: Palace Intrigue
In the grand audience hall of the palace, a tense and charged atmosphere hung heavy as ministers and higher authorities voiced their grievances and concerns about the Duchess’s behavior.
"Your Majesty! How could you ignore all the disrespect that the Duchess has shown to you?! She clearly displayed no respect, even though it was the first meeting when people usually try to present their best selves to you and get closer to you," one of the ministers spoke, his voice laced with frustration.
The room buzzed with whispered agreements, and the emperor, seated on his imposing throne, listened intently, his expression unreadable.
"Yes, Your Majesty! The Duke, who is your nephew, has always shown you respect. But this time, he didn’t even speak in your favor and clearly disrespected you in front of everyone. How could you consider that woman suitable for the role of Duchess when she doesn’t even care about the significance of being a Holy Knight?" another minister chimed in, echoing the sentiments of many in the room.
The tension continued to escalate as the ministers voiced their concerns, and the emperor remained silent, his gaze focused on the intricately designed patterns of the hall’s marble floor.
"Yes, Your Majesty, please do something. I know you are the most devoted to the Supreme God, and the Duchess is not showing any respect to the divine. It goes against our culture. How can a person be the Duchess when she clearly lacks the characteristics of a good Duchess? Please, do something! Make her return to the temple. I am certain that if the Supreme God has chosen her, then she surely belongs to the temple, not the dukedom," the High Priest implored, his words drawing the attention of everyone present.
"High Priest!" Finally, the emperor broke his silence, his deep voice reverberating through the hall.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the High Priest responded, his voice respectful and attentive.
"Do you think that the Duchess possesses some kind of power?" the emperor inquired, causing surprise to ripple through the assembly.
"Power? I don’t quite understand what you’re getting at, Your Majesty," the priest replied, his expression perplexed.