The Tyrant Empress is Obsessed with Me

47 – Minister’s Inauguration Ceremony

Late at night.

Ria was left alone in the office, dealing with the remaining work.

She checked the formal attire to be worn at the Minister’s inauguration ceremony and reviewed the inaugural address for any inadequacies.

The venue for the inauguration ceremony was the imperial palace’s grand ballroom. As most of the central nobles, senior officials, and royal family members would attend, even more attention needed to be paid.

“What would he do without me…”

A small sigh escaped Ria’s lips as she rolled her pen. Sometimes, he was surprisingly irresponsible, like attending a dinner party until late when the inauguration ceremony was just around the corner.

Ria stretched her weary body. Anyway, since he was fundamentally a diligent person, there wouldn’t be any issues.

But then it actually happened.

Her lips were stolen in an instant.

Ascal saw it.

Despite her messy, disheveled hair and panting breath, her face looked happier than anyone else’s.

She always schemed and planned several steps ahead, but not now.

She just wanted to savor this moment, even if only for a short while.

Her small lips moved silently.

One more time?

“Kyaa! The Minister had a lover!”

Ascal came to his senses at Susia’s shrill voice.

The girl in front of him was none other than the lesser-known Second Princess Serena Barbada.

If he didn’t quickly resolve this, he would end up causing a stir as the empire’s top playboy, appearing on the front page of tomorrow’s imperial magazine.

Ascal desperately racked his brain.

“Is everyone surprised? This is the talent show I prepared. I will undoubtedly be the first place in today’s talent show.”

Then he sent a glance at Serena.

Please play along. Please, I beg you.

Serena smiled triumphantly, as if asking, “What will you do for me if I play along?”

Ascal hesitated for a moment, then took off his coat (top quality, wool) and draped it over Serena, whose shoulders shivered slightly from the cold. It was a bribe.

Startled, Serena wore the oversized coat tightly, turning it inside out. Satisfied, she spoke.

“I’m Seli from the Breeze Theater Troupe. If you enjoyed the show today, please come see one of our performances next time.”

Serena grabbed the hem of her skirt and gracefully bowed like an actress. Only then did the tense atmosphere loosen, and applause sounded.

“Wow, I was really surprised. I thought it was real, not acting.”

“Breeze Theater Troupe? I’ll definitely look forward to seeing them later.”

The drinking party became noisy once again.

Ascal, who had escaped the crisis, sighed in relief.

Then, Serena took a big step towards Ascal and whispered in his ear.

“I’m relying on you from now on, lying prince.”

As if an actress exiting after a performance, she disappeared under the stairs.

“…I’m sorry, but could I borrow a carriage?”

Serena came back up the stairs. Her face was flushed.

Even she couldn’t walk the long distance back in this cold night.

She slept soundly.

Though she thought she wouldn’t sleep, as soon as she laid down in bed, she time-warped.

Ascal, who had gotten to work in full condition for the first time in a while, saw the documents on his desk in the empty office.

-Pay special attention to the pronunciation of this part.

-Emphasize important words.

It was Liah’s handwriting style.

Like taking notes during exam periods, she checked important parts of the inauguration speech and added footnotes.

In addition, the items on the messy, unorganized desk were neatly sorted by use.

…Somehow, he felt guilty.

“You’ve arrived earlier than usual, Mr. Ascal.”

Liah, with her hair tied neatly, greeted him with a bow.

“Good morning.”

“Today, the custom dress for the minister’s inauguration ceremony arrived. Would you like to try it on?”

“I suppose I should.”

Although the dress had already been half-fitted, it was still worth a try. The deep blue velvet and gold-threaded decorations made it clear it was of high quality.

He couldn’t help but feel apologetic for daring to wear such clothing.

“I will help you take off your outerwear…”

As Lia approached, her face hardened.

“What’s wrong?”

“…There seems to be something on your shoulder.”

Lia brushed something off with the back of her hand.

At that moment, familiar footsteps were heard, and the office door opened.

“Minister! Yesterday was fun!”

It was Shushia.

Wearing a face that seemed to be stamped with ‘exciting’, Shushia dropped a bombshell as soon as she entered.

“You two are a couple, right? Yesterday, that thing? You can’t fool this Shushia even if you fool others.”

“You said it was a pre-made play.”

“A couple? A play? What does that mean?”

Lia questioned. True to her chatterbox nature, Shushia spilled all the details about the situation.

Lia, who had been silent for a while, quietly spoke.

“Looking back, I think I’ve been quite deficient as Assistant Aescal lately. Even in a private setting, I should have been cautious as you never know what could happen.”

“No, you are perfect.”

“From now on, I will accompany you to drinking parties or whatever they are.”

“Well, there’s no need… but it will be beneficial.”

Seeing Lia about to let her hair down, Aescal hurriedly nodded.

On the day of the inauguration ceremony.

The royal carriage had already arrived in front of the house. Upon being promoted, Aescal moved to a larger house, and naturally knowing his address gave him chills.

Lia was in the carriage.

Shouldn’t she be preparing for the inauguration ceremony as a princess in the palace by now?

“Please get on quickly.”

“Alright.”

Aescal climbed into the carriage. The royal carriage was indeed soft and more comfortable than others.

Lia sighed and said.

“I’m really worried about leaving you alone, but due to circumstances, I have to get off at the entrance.”

“Because you have to let your hair down?”

“How about I let it down here?”

“It was a joke.”

Though it was a busy hour, the carriage continued smoothly along the main road. This was because people had been controlled ahead of the big event. This was the power of authority.

Even the path leading to the heavily guarded palace was opened up like a highway pass upon seeing the carriage with the royal emblem.

“Please read the inauguration speech once more, stand straight with your back, and always keep your gaze straight ahead.”

“Understood.”

When they arrived at the entrance of the palace, Lia got off the carriage first. As she walked away, she couldn’t help but look back at Ascal with a worried expression.

At that time, there was another carriage running parallel to Ascal’s.

It was also adorned with the same royal emblem.

Ascal locked eyes with Bernstein through the carriage window.

‘Save me.’

‘Save you? I’ve been captured too.’

There were two people appointed as ministers this time. Perhaps even the wealthy empire found it too much to have separate inaugurations, so it was a joint inauguration ceremony.

Thanks to that, people’s gazes were slightly less focused on just one of them.

Having a comrade to share the burden with was a good thing indeed.

“Please come this way, Minister.”

Upon getting off the carriage, a palace attendant was already prepared to guide Ascal.

Following the attendant, Ascal finished his final check in the waiting room and headed towards the banquet hall.

As he stepped onto the red carpet, the sound of grand trumpet fanfare filled the air.

Clap clap clap clap.

Noble aristocrats with rather high authority clapped their hands for Ascal.

It was at this moment that he truly felt like a minister.

“Oh, our minister! The empire’s sleeping dragon has arrived!”

At the top of the stairs, there were the emperor, who had difficulty walking and sat in an elegant chair, and the crown prince, who led the event in his stead.

The emperor was seen coughing. He used to look quite authoritative when surrounded by courtiers, but now, his shoulders were slumped, and he resembled the backroom elderly.

‘It’s like a husband who lost his authority after retiring and became dependent on his children…’

Ascal ascended the stairs and first paid homage to the emperor.

“I have the honor of meeting Your Majesty, the Emperor.”

“With someone like you, cough, the prosperity of the empire is ensured.”

The crown prince subtly glanced at the emperor and spoke.

“Your Majesty, if you’re not feeling well, why don’t you retire to your chamber? Health should always come first, shouldn’t it?”

Though he appeared to look like a filial son who worried about his father just by listening, the interpretation changed when combining expression and gestures. ‘Old man in the back room, go in and take a nap in the warm space, and leave this place to me.’

“Ku-leuk, I’m, ku-leuk, still fine.”

Indeed, listening to the coughing sound, today, the emperor’s condition did not seem bad.

“It’s time to step aside for the future of the Empire.”

The time had come.

Ascal recited the inaugural speech that Lia had prepared in front of the magical stone amplifier. The content was overall safe and clean.

Pat, pat, pat, pat.

As soon as Bernstein’s inaugural speech was over, the crown prince brought something himself. It was a minister’s badge.

In the Empire, the shape of the badge was different for each minister, mainly in the shape of animals. In the case of the newly created Development Innovation Department, it was a monkey, and in the case of Ascal, it was a dragon.

‘Isn’t that a bit much?’

The Crown Prince said.

From No ble mt L dot c om

“In the dream, a dragon appeared and said that your symbol, in other words, the badge of the Evaluation Minister must be a dragon.”

“……”

Ascal was at a loss for words.

Upon finishing the badge award ceremony and the Crown Prince’s proxy closing ceremony declaration, the atmosphere of the banquet hall changed. Now that the official event was over, there was a feeling of inviting everyone to have fun together.

When the servants were trying to bring wine and food, Ascal suddenly removed the badge on his chest.

“What’s going on?”

It was a sudden action.

The Crown Prince could feel the panic in his voice.

In the imperial palace’s official events, every gesture was politically subtle. Now, Ascal’s action was tantamount to ‘refusing the minister’s position.’

And Ascal, holding the badge in his palm, approached the Crown Prince.

“No way, Ascal, you!”

The Crown Prince’s face brightened rapidly.

Removing the badge expressed refusing the minister’s position, but giving the badge to someone else meant pledging loyalty to that person.

In front of so many nobles and royals who were watching, it was an indomitable pledge of allegiance.

How had he been in and out of the Evaluation Bureau all this time?

The Crown Prince was immersed in the feeling of being rewarded for all those efforts.

“Of course, I am not ashamed of your loyalty…”

“Your Highness, please accept my badge.”

“?”

Ascal bowed at the waist.

His subject was the emperor, who sat in a chair coughing, having become a mere puppet after losing his faithful followers.

But it was not an issue.

If there were no followers left, Ascal would become one.

Ascal offered his badge to the emperor.

A single tear rolled down the emperor’s cheek.