When I was a bit puzzled, I saw a man with familiar golden hair.
Nero, dressed in a black uniform, was approaching Navia.
The nobles recognized Nero and flinched, stepping back.
Although some time had passed, the false rumors maliciously spread by Nero's family home, namely that he had antisocial tendencies, were still circulating.
Navia had already easily crushed the Silas family and tried to clamp down on the rumors about Nero, but that was the end of it.
This was because he had been on the battlefield until recently, before he could use a dramatic device to change the deeply rooted prejudice.
Nero, however, no longer concerned himself with such malicious rumors.
"I've come to protect you, my lady."
Navia asked playfully, "Aren't you here to see Dad instead of me?"
At that, Nero chuckled awkwardly.
How immature he had been at the age of eighteen, feeling jealous of Navia. Thinking about it still made him blush.
"Am I not your lady's knight? I will be by your side."
"Stop looking so glum. You make it seem like I've been tormenting you."
Nero stood beside Navia, scratching his cheek lightly.
His appearance still had a boyish charm, and the sight of him shyly smiling as if embarrassed was as sweet as honey.
People looked at Nero with peculiar glances.
"He seems different from what I've heard..."
Contrary to the chilling rumors of his attempts to kill his half-brothers, Nero appeared calm and dignified.
Especially towards Navia, who was much smaller than him, his actions, while awkward, were delicately attentive, almost like a caring older brother.
Navia sharply sensed the change in the atmosphere around them. The cold stares directed at Nero seemed to have softened considerably.
'That's a relief.'
There were many ways to quell the rumors and transform Nero's image, but ideally, she hoped that his inherently decent nature would naturally turn antipathy into favor.
"Welcome, Nero."
"...? Yes."
Nero, slightly puzzled at being praised so suddenly, nodded his head anyway.
He was so focused on Navia's safety that he completely ignored any unnecessary concerns about himself.
Thus, Navia was able to reach the council chamber, where the family heads were engaged in a heated dispute, accompanied by Nero during the momentary lull in people's attentions.
Click.
As soon as the door opened, a sharply raised voice was heard.
"How can the Prime Minister remain the same when the imperial authority has changed? We must immediately dismiss Prime Minister Bonard and elect someone new!"
The current topic of their argument seemed to be the position of the Prime Minister.
Navia stood firmly in a spot where everyone could see her.
Soon, the commotion subsided, and all eyes turned to Navia.
Among them, Lord Harold, twirling his mustache, asked,
"…What brings the Lady here? This is a place where only family heads with the right to speak are allowed."
He was a supporter of Ares. Fortunately for him, he had survived because he didn't partake in the incident involving a deal with the devil.
But what could he do now? The successor he supported was now in a precarious situation with his foundation shaken due to a beheading.
Even the Prime Minister had to emerge from the faction that originally supported Ares to continue living in the capital.
Navia was well aware of these circumstances. She also knew the man who openly expressed his dissatisfaction towards her.
‘He's one of Agnes's underlings.’
"Of course, I am aware of that, Lord Harold."
"Then, would you mind leaving now? This is not a place for a young lady, akin to a saintess, to come and go as she pleases."
"I am not here to partake in your sordid power struggles."
The atmosphere turned chilly at Navia's words, accompanied by a faint smile.
Like Lord Harold, another noble, whose ties had been severed because of Navia, opened his mouth with dissatisfaction.
"Saintess, are you here to turn us into your enemies? I recognize that you possess remarkable abilities, but..."
"Remarkable abilities?"
Navia looked puzzled, as if she didn't understand what he was talking about.
"What remarkable abilities do I supposedly have?"
Navia had clearly warned not to speak of her power at the banquet.
Recalling this fact, the man unwittingly closed his mouth, overwhelmed by his own momentum.
Navia still had a smile on her face as she spoke.
"I am here to fulfill a mission in accordance with Her Highness the Princess's will."
It wasn't exactly what Monica had ordered, but still.
"I have discovered that Lord Harold is suspected of manipulating tariffs."
"What are you talking about!"
"Are you also dealing with drugs that are banned within the empire? You'll have to talk about that part too."
"Are you threatening me without any evidence now!"
Navia chuckled. Erkin must already be diligently gathering the evidence.
"Then prove your innocence."
"That's utterly nonsensical...!"
"I'm not only calling out you."
Navia, as if this was just the beginning, named each of the nobles involved in the crimes, exposing their misdeeds one by one.
All of them were people on Agnes's side.
By this point, the nobles had caught on and showed various reactions, some intrigued, others turning pale.
Navia was attempting to completely uproot the traces of Agnes entrenched in the political world.
This was a clear declaration of war.
Lord Harold grinded his teeth.
"Young and impulsive, not thinking about the consequences! Instead of uniting to overcome the crisis our nation faces, you fuss over such trivial matters?"
People agreeing with Lord Harold's words started pouring criticism towards Navia.
What they were advocating for was the 'greater good.'
"Just yesterday, many were imprisoned. Their crimes are clear, but it's also true that their vacancies need to be filled! Do you know how many jobs they generated? What about us? If we are all removed, who will take responsibility for the livelihood of the people?"
Lord Harold believed his logic was flawless. After all, the jobs they provided to the people were an undeniable fact.
Navia looked at him with a bored expression.
"Are you done with your nonsense?"
"What, what?"
"Your businesses will be managed and operated by Eseled in your stead, and I will take care of the expenses. Or you can sell them to me. I'll buy them all. Are we done now?"
"Countess! Speak sense...!"
Navia cut him off mercilessly.
"How much do you think Eseled's estate is worth, Your Grace?"
Lord Harold was at a loss for words.
"My family is rich, so don't worry and just go through the investigation with ease."
Suddenly, Erkin appeared behind Navia in the conference room, standing tall.
He was fluttering a bundle of documents in his hand.
"The evidence is right here."
Click! Click! Click!
Erkin had apparently gone to report to the royal court and was on his way back as knights entered the conference room.
Navia watched them being tied up one by one and turned around without a second thought.
"I'll leave the rest to you, Uncle."
"Don't worry. I have no intention of overlooking yesterday's matter."
Erkin smiled faintly, his smooth smile dripping with a chilling coldness.
Just then, a maid approached.
"Lady Sara Lucia has arrived."
"Let's go there."
Their next destination was Monica's private reception room, isolated from outside attention.
Navia stopped in front of the door, pretending to adjust the hem of her dress while internally sighing.
"…It seems Sara really is my friend."
The thought of the impending misfortune that would befall her friend's family and the sentence she had to pronounce weighed heavily on her heart.
Still, it was necessary to extinguish a fire while it was small.
Navia, waiting in front of the parlor door, spoke to the maid.
"Please inform them inside."
The maid nodded deeply and then announced Navia's arrival inside the parlor.
"You may enter."
As she entered the parlor, Monica and Sara came into view.
"Navia."
Sara's face had become slightly rougher in the meantime.
It stung Navia's heart like a thorn.
The act of forming a bond with someone often included this kind of variable – a hesitant problem that could instantly make both parties uncomfortable.
Navia, despite having lived many lives, had never truly formed a bond, so she was unsure how to offer comfort in such situations.
So, she offered the best comfort she knew.
Navia approached Sara and hugged her tightly.
"...What's this, it's ticklish."
Sara made an awkward expression, but soon bit her lip, sealing it shut.
Her heart, which she thought was fine, quickly crumbled in Navia's embrace, bringing tears to her eyes.
"I had decided to become the family head, but I didn't expect it to be so sudden..."
Pat, pat.
Navia gently patted her back, comforting her slowly.
Then, she awkwardly beckoned Monica, who was fidgeting with her hands.
Monica approached them with an awkward expression. Navia, seeing her hesitation, found a reflection of her younger self and smiled slightly.
Soon, the three of them were hugging each other.
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