“Excellent.”

Seeing everyone express their determination so firmly, Marquis Nick finally relaxed slightly inside.

No matter what kind of parasites these people had once been, the most important thing now was unity.

Only united could they possibly contend with that Imperial Empress!

For the sake of the Kingdom, they absolutely could not retreat!

“She’s coming.”

Watching the pocket watch in his hand, Marquis Nick silently counted down the approaching moment.

The others all straightened as well, waiting in tense readiness.

Inside this specially prepared banquet hall, they had arrived long ago and taken their positions. Yet not a single one of them dared sit before the banquet officially began. Like servants waiting at the side, they simply stood in silence.

All of them remained standing.

Even Grand Duke Tebokri, already more than a hundred years old.

And at this moment, every gaze bypassed the empty seat at the head of the hall and locked firmly onto the entrance.

“Ten... nine... eight...”

As the appointed time drew closer, even Marquis Nick found himself unconsciously holding his breath.

“Three... two... one!”

Snap!

The pocket watch closed shut.

Marquis Nick straightened his back. The opening speech he had rehearsed countless times surged directly into his throat, waiting only for the Empress’s arrival so he could seize the initiative immediately.

“......”

The countdown ended.

Silence filled the hall.

Yet the person they had expected—

never appeared.

The entrance remained empty.

The seat at the head of the banquet likewise remained vacant.

“......”

Under the puzzled gazes of the others, Marquis Nick—who nearly suffocated from holding his breath—quietly reopened his pocket watch to verify whether the time was correct.

Perhaps he had been too nervous and miscounted?

No.

After checking again, he arrived at the answer.

He had not counted wrong.

Rather—

the Imperial Empress herself was late.

Late?

How could she possibly be late?

For such an important occasion.

Such an important banquet...

This concerned the future of the entire Kingdom—even the Empire itself—and yet she...

“Perhaps everyone is simply too nervous.”

As Marquis Nick and the others exchanged bewildered looks, the composed Grand Duke Tebokri lightly tapped his cane.

“Though this matter is indeed extremely important to both us and that Empress, no one could realistically arrive with timing accurate down to the second. Being slightly late is perfectly normal, is it not?”

“But... according to our intelligence, that Imperial Empress is cold by nature and extremely strict, both toward others and herself... she shouldn’t make this sort of small mistake...” Marquis Nick said instinctively.

“Is there any reason to believe intelligence deliberately beautified by the Empire? According to our own newspapers, Saint Peron V was the greatest King in the Kingdom’s history.”

Grand Duke Tebokri snorted coldly.

“Do you truly believe someone sitting upon an Emperor’s throne would continue strictly disciplining herself? Don’t forget the Empire also has rumors about Muen Campbell corrupting the entire imperial harem.”

“...That... actually makes sense.”

It seemed he truly had been too tense, pulling himself tighter and tighter. If this continued, they might instead appear weak and pathetic.

Marquis Nick took a deep breath, calmed himself, and resumed waiting patiently.

It was only a discrepancy of a few minutes.

If they could not even endure that, they would become a laughingstock to the Empire.

Then they would wait.

A mere five minutes...

“......”

A mere ten minutes...

“......”

A mere thirty minutes...

“......”

A mere... one hour... two hours!

“......”

Merely two hours...

“This is obviously strange!”

After two full hours, staring at the still-empty seat at the head of the banquet, even Marquis Nick’s self-control finally began to crack.

Outside, the night had already deepened. Even the old stray dogs by the roadside had returned to their kennels to escape the late-autumn chill.

Yet they—the Kingdom’s highest ministers, the very foundation beneath the foundation itself—were still standing here hungry, waiting endlessly!

And throughout all this time, not even a single messenger had arrived to explain anything.

Some among them had lost patience and attempted to question the Imperial soldiers guarding the hall, but the soldiers were unbelievably rude and refused to answer at all.

At this point, everyone understood clearly—

this was no “timing discrepancy.”

The Imperial Empress was doing this deliberately.

“Does that Imperial Empress not want negotiations anymore? Does she truly think she can control this country without us? Arrogant... absolutely arrogant!”

Count Carter burned with fury, while even the usually cold Count Harlet showed traces of anger across his face.

The Imperial Empress had gone too far.

She clearly did not regard them seriously whatsoever!

“No!”

Grand Duke Tebokri suddenly raised a hand, signaling for silence.

“You are mistaken. This actually proves she values us greatly!”

“Oh? What do you mean by that, Your Grace?” Marquis Nick narrowed his eyes.

“Delay... isolation... cold treatment... these are merely negotiation tactics.”

Grand Duke Tebokri spoke coldly.

“Everything the Imperial Empress is doing now is simply laying groundwork for the negotiations to come. Before talks even begin, she intends to break our mental defenses and secure the dominant position for herself.”

He paused before continuing gravely:

“And at the same time... she is also declaring something to the outside world!”

“W-what?” Marquis Nick swallowed nervously.

“The Empress is announcing publicly... that she is punishing us, the sinful ministers of an enemy nation!”

“She intends to use this to establish her authority!”

“......”

Silence fell across the hall once more, as heavy as everyone’s hearts.

Only the sharp tapping of the cane against the floor remained audible, echoing like thunder.

“Punishing us?”

And after thunder—

came anger.

Marquis Nick clenched his fists furiously.

“What right does she have? She’s merely an outsider from the Empire—”

“And that is precisely what makes her cunning.”

Grand Duke Tebokri adjusted his tie and sneered.

“Suppressing opponents while elevating oneself—such methods never become outdated regardless of the era.”

“But the fact she’s resorting to such tactics only proves our importance. Therefore, there is no need for panic. The calmer we remain, the more useless her strategy becomes.”

“After all...”

“If we never reveal any disgraceful weakness, then how can this be called punishment?”

The eyes of Marquis Nick and the others lit up simultaneously.

“Brilliantly said, Your Grace!”

“Remain at ease.”

Faced with their praise, Grand Duke Tebokri merely stroked his beard calmly.

“No trick will work against us. After tonight, that Imperial Empress...”

“...will surely remember our great names.”

......

......

“Muen! Muen! Muen!”

“So beautiful... I’m so beautiful... I’m about to float away...”

Inside a certain bedroom.

The bed was already in complete disarray, covered everywhere in spilled fragrant liquids and traces of indulgence.

The maid who had just experienced bliss beyond the clouds now lay quietly nearby, her delicate body still trembling faintly as she savored the lingering afterglow of happiness.

The pure Saintess who had taken over afterward had likewise reached the most critical stage. She shoved Muen down onto the bed and began actively rocking her waist, endless waves crashing against the shore with sounds resembling the applause of ten thousand cheering spectators.

Almost intentionally, she displayed her blissful expression openly. Her two soft white breasts bounced freely like rabbits racing across a meadow, lively, adorable, and utterly charming.

Meanwhile, nearby, the little devil who had enjoyed herself first had already recovered considerably. Leaning lazily against the bedside, she gently swirled a bottle of casually opened royal reserve wine while extending a jade-like foot for a certain yellow-haired villain to taste.

What a beautiful, harmonious, utterly happy scene.

Yet opposite them, seated in the chair, the Empress trembled violently—whether from rage or something else, no one could say.

Using the positions she once had.

Enjoying her man.

They had even opened her wine!

Anna Kaplin!

Liya Angel!

An!

This grudge...

she, Celicia Leopold—

would remember it well.