Chapter 88

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 88

Chapter Title: The Platinum Key

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Chief Maid Countess Epial composed her expression without a hint of wavering and replied immediately.

"Her Majesty is in the best of health. I shall return and inform Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess that the Empress is concerned for you."

She must be someone the Empress could trust as her chief maid.

I smiled brightly and nodded.

"Very well. See to it."

The chief maid rose to her feet, clearly eager to make her escape.

"In that case, I shall take my leave and convey Her Imperial Highness's sentiments."

Where do you think you're going?

I waved my hand, blocking her path.

"No, we're not done here yet. Once our business is concluded, then you may go and share my concern with the Empress."

"......"

The chief maid simply bowed her head in silence. She wouldn't even ask what the matter was.

She must have already guessed.

I cut straight to the chase. Needling the Empress's pride or engaging in a battle of wills could come later.

"You're the one managing the Platinum Key, aren't you?"

The Platinum Key, symbol of imperial household affairs.

It granted access to the imperial treasury and all storehouses.

Engraved upon it was a silver dragon cradling the moon, the Empress's emblem.

Yet it ill suited a noble lady to carry such keys for vaults and storehouses herself.

Thus, by custom, the Empress's most trusted confidante always kept the key close at hand.

Currently, the keeper of the Platinum Key was Chief Maid Countess Epial of the Empress's palace.

She couldn't claim not to have it or be unable to hand it over.

It was the chief maid's duty never to let it leave her side.

After a moment's hesitation, the chief maid had no choice but to nod.

"Yes, that is correct."

I smiled gently and turned to Annie.

"Good. Then take the Platinum Key from the chief maid, Annie."

"Yes, Your Imperial Highness."

As we'd discussed beforehand, Annie boldly stepped forward.

She extended both hands and said,

"You are aware of the imperial decree, are you not? Present the Platinum Key to Her Imperial Highness the Crown Princess."

The chief maid, unable to even glance at me, glared at Annie and furrowed her brow.

"Surely Your Imperial Highness doesn't intend to entrust the Platinum Key to this maid?"

"And why would that concern you?"

The chief maid stepped forward with a venomous expression, protesting to me.

"Your Imperial Highness, the Platinum Key symbolizes imperial household affairs. Do you not know how exalted its authority is?"

I silently crossed my legs the other way.

The chief maid's protests continued unabated.

"Yet you would entrust its care to someone so young and of lowly station? I absolutely cannot hand the Platinum Key to the likes of her!"

I asked calmly,

"Is that the Empress's will?"

As soon as I implied whether the Empress intended to defy the Emperor, she backpedaled.

"Of course not. This is solely my judgment as the current keeper of the Platinum Key."

"A mere keeper dares judge for herself and defy an imperial decree?"

The chief maid let out a scoff.

"Would I ever? It is an imperial decree, after all. I merely wish to pass the Platinum Key to a keeper worthy of it."

She spoke in a suddenly conciliatory tone.

"If Your Imperial Highness has not found a suitable keeper, I am more than willing to continue managing it on your behalf. You will have to return it to the Empress soon enough anyway."

I had anticipated her using my maid's insufficient status and youth as an excuse.

She had surely coordinated this with the Empress beforehand.

'It's true that my palace staff and inner circle aren't fully staffed yet. That's my weakness.'

She had struck right at it.

'But I can't just take it myself.'

That was likely one of the options they hoped I'd choose.

Taking the Platinum Key personally right now would undermine my authority.

Down to the level of the Empress's chief maid.

'Not so easy after all, Empress.'

To block my smooth takeover of power, she'd calculated this in that short time.

Even if I put forward Isepin, my highest-ranking maid, I'd get a similar reaction.

'They'd claim she's unmarried or too young to entrust it to.'

Imperial chief maids were typically noblewomen of considerable age.

In that sense, I truly didn't have a suitable candidate yet.

Until now.

I let out a long sigh.

"You're not wrong, certainly."

The Empress's chief maid brightened.

"Thank you for understanding. In that case, I shall continue managing the Platinum Key as before......"

"No, that's not necessary."

I clapped my hands, summoning the one waiting in the side chamber.

"Bring in my chief maid."

"Yes, Your Imperial Highness."

Annie and Isepin bowed and withdrew.

The Empress's chief maid looked puzzled.

She had known I had no chief maid yet, so this was her gambit.

No wonder she was surprised at my sudden mention of one.

The side chamber door opened, and as someone entered flanked by Annie and Isepin, her surprise turned to shock.

For a moment, I worried about Countess Epial's jaw joint.

"G-G-Grand Duchess Axion?! Surely not......!"

Indeed.

The one who had been waiting in the side chamber and now entered escorted by Annie and Isepin was none other than Grand Duchess Martine of Axion.

She approached me and knelt gracefully.

"Martine has come at Your Imperial Highness's summons."

"Thank you so much for taking on the role of chief maid. Even if temporary, I never dreamed you'd accept."

Of course.

Grand Duchess Axion was imperial blood, no less the mother of the late Empress.

No matter that I was Crown Princess, it was absurd for her to serve as my chief maid.

Not a violation of etiquette, but unprecedented.

'Well, to be precise, not entirely without precedent. One former Empress did have one.'

The third Empress had once appointed her own younger sister—also imperial by marriage—as chief maid.

She had entrusted her with palace affairs during pregnancy, when she couldn't manage them herself.

Invoking that precedent made it defensible.

I did so now.

"The third Empress, Lady Ureynia, once appointed Grand Duchess Luden as her maid to manage the Platinum Key. I intend to follow that precedent."

This left her no room to dodge by claiming my maid unqualified.

Countess Epial protested in a trembling voice.

"B-But... that precedent applies when the Empress selects her chief maid. It does not suit the Crown Princess!"

In other words, don't presume to equate yourself with the Empress.

'But that's exactly what I intend to do.'

Naturally, I had no intention of returning the key to the Empress.

The Grand Duchess lifted her head proudly and looked down at Countess Epial.

"Indeed. The 'owner of the Platinum Key' designated the keeper. What difference does it make now?"

Empress or Crown Princess, the owner of the Platinum Key was the same.

That was our claim.

And without deploying a figure like the Grand Duchess to overpower her, she would drag this out with endless excuses.

'I can't waste time on this.'

Thus, I'd called one of my strongest cards.

The Grand Duchess played her part perfectly.

She pressed the Empress's chief maid hard.

"Now, Your Imperial Highness's chief maid has arrived—age and station beyond reproach. Hand it over at once."

"Y-Your Grace! How can imperial blood debase itself so?!"

Countess Epial was in her death throes of resistance.

Resentment laced her voice.

'Of course. The Grand Duchess has never acknowledged the Empress, so this must gall her.'

As her confidante, seeing the Grand Duchess—who had ignored the Empress all this time—bow to me must fill her with injustice and rage.

"Her Majesty the Empress is the rightful lady of the empire! How can you subject her to such insult......"

I tilted my head and asked,

"How does Grand Duchess Axion becoming my chief maid insult the Empress?"

"Quite so. I'm curious myself."

The Grand Duchess was openly mocking the Empress's chief maid.

"Not that I'd ever serve as the Empress's chief maid."

"Mind your tongue, Your Grace!"

The Grand Duchess hardened her expression and swung her hand.

Slap—!

Countess Epial's head snapped to the side.

A clear handprint bloomed on her face.

The Grand Duchess fixed her with an icy glare and commanded,

"On your knees."

"Yes, Your Grace!"

As if they'd been waiting, burly maids rushed in and forced the Empress's chief maid to kneel before me.

Only then did she realize this was all my design, and she cried out in a shrill voice.

"I am the Empress's proxy! This treatment is unjust!"

The Grand Duchess's voice, colder than ice, cut sharply through the air.

"This has nothing to do with the Crown Princess. I am merely punishing your personal insolence toward me."

"Your Grace!"

"If you feel wronged, go appeal to His Imperial Majesty."

The Grand Duchess personally untied the red sash from Countess Epial's waist.

The long sash, embroidered with a silver dragon cradling the moon, had an ornate case dangling like a decoration.

She opened the case, revealing the Platinum Key gleaming within.

She presented it to me.

"Your Imperial Highness, the Platinum Key."

With this, authority over imperial household affairs fell into my hands.