Celebrity Lady - Chapter 157

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Celebrity Lady
Chapter 157
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Autumn in the peaceful Deccard Empire.
In the office of Lark, the Crown Prince and heir-apparent to the throne, just one month away from his abdication ceremony.
Four months into his marriage and buried under relentless work, Lark bore shadows under his eyes that reached down to his jaw as he scratched away at documents today as well.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Urgent footsteps sounded from beyond the door, and Lark flinched.
“Lark!”
The one who burst through the door was Len, his aide.
Len came rushing in with an ashen face, biting his lip in distress.
“I’ve let you down, my lord. This time I couldn’t hold back the enemy’s advance…….”
“I, is that so.”
Lark took a deep breath, his face tense, then tapped the mountain of documents stacked on the table.
“Still, I’ve already prepared for the decisive day to come. Three times is plenty of defense. You did your best, Len.”
“Ugh……. I entrust the rest to you. Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
Len fled the office, and Lark rose from his seat with eyes full of resolve.
At the same moment, three Noble Bureaucratic Council members entered through the open door.
They were the heads of the most prominent noble families, namely Dukes Raizer, Merlin, and Ferdi.
Their stern expressions made it clear they had come with their minds made up.
“Your Highness, we have urgent matters to discuss concerning the Crown Princess.”
Duke Raizer opened with a piercing gaze sharp enough to make beasts weep—a “straight to business” first strike!
“……Is that so? But why hasn’t Duke Diolus come?”
The Crown Prince parried smoothly with his first defense!
“That traitor-”
“Duke Raizer.”
Duke Merlin poked Raizer in the ribs as he was about to flare up, giving him a cautionary look.
“-is not a traitor, but rather it seems Duke Diolus holds different views from us and chose not to come.”
“Ah, I see. But did you see the weather today? The autumn sun is quite pleasant.”
His gaze drifted toward the window, melancholic.
The Crown Prince had deployed his Topic Deflection skill!
“I suppose. I just find it cold. Your Highness, when exactly will the Crown Princess arrive?”
But inferior deflection tactics were useless against seasoned hunters.
“Hmm.”
Lark spoke with the most pitiful expression he could muster.
“You’re aware that the first branch of Belcan Kingdom opened yesterday, aren’t you? As the representative, of course she had to attend the opening ceremony personally.”
“Yes. So when will she return?”
“Um.”
Lark stroked his chin thoughtfully, deliberately dragging out time.
“Well.”
“I heard she was boarding a ship the day after tomorrow? So she’ll probably be back in four days, I’d think?”
“Four days-”
“-would be?”
Lark smoothly picked up where Duke Raizer’s murmuring had trailed off, then grinned and continued.
“You’re worried about the Noble Bureaucratic Council audience on September 26th, aren’t you? She’ll have more than enough time to attend, so don’t worry too much.”
Though he played it off, cold sweat ran down Lark’s back.
“Very well. Next.”
“The fiscal plan for Asto Palace should have been submitted long ago.”
A second attack from Duke Merlin!
Drawing up the imperial princesses’ palace budget in advance was traditionally the Empress’s duty.
But with the abdication scheduled for this year, it had become Rubetria’s responsibility…….
“Here.”
Lark quickly handed over a prepared document.
“Rubetria is so thorough by nature. She finished it all and left before her departure.”
“Ha.”
All three nobles gasped at Lark’s blatant lie.
Preparing an entire year’s budget in advance was no small feat—it took days of serious work.
Especially for someone like Rubetria, who had had to start from the beginning learning everything.
“Your Highness, the shadows under your eyes extend all the way to your jaw. Surely the Crown Princess’s duties should come first, yet Your Highness has-”
“Ah, no, no. You don’t actually think I did this myself, do you? Got proof?”
Duke Ferdi, who had begun to object, trembled and shut his mouth, backing down.
‘Good, let’s keep this up!’
Lark exulted inwardly, thinking he’d seized victory.
But the problem was Duke Raizer.
Unlike the two lesser opponents flanking him, the expression of his sharpest adversary remained calm.
“If you mean to respond this way.”
He withdrew a scroll of documents from his robes and unrolled it—quite lengthy as it cascaded down.
It undoubtedly listed all the ‘duties’ that had fallen to Rubetria as Crown Princess.
“The budget proposal for the Third Princess’s Imperial Marriage scheduled for year-end-”
“Here.”
Lark quickly rustled through documents and produced the result.
“The opening address to be delivered at the Imperial Court Welfare Foundation autumn banquet-”
“That’s here.”
“The invitation schedule and planning for the royal daughters of Karta Kingdom-”
“It’s here.”
Producing answers before the questions even finished, the model student Lark grinned widely.
“Heh heh.”
“Ha ha ha.”
Duke Raizer, who had been laughing emptily in return, suddenly hardened his expression.
Looking at the mountain of stacked documents, it was clear the Crown Princess’s ‘duties’ had been completed without flaw.
There was no point in further argument.
“This cannot be allowed, Your Highness.”
“What cannot?”
When Lark played innocent, Duke Raizer produced something else from his robes.
“This is the Crown Princess’s schedule from August.”
“……? What, my goodness. How suffocating. You’re reading other people’s schedules at will like this?”
“The Noble Bureaucratic Council is authorized to review your schedules at any time.”
“Well, that may be…….”
Duke Raizer thrust the schedule, covered with countless circles, right in front of Lark’s face.
“Ugh.”
“Accounting for the days she was away for her departure alone—more than two weeks—how exactly did she manage to complete this enormous workload? Did she perhaps contract a spirit capable of Body Multiplication Technique?”
“…….”
Finally unable to defend himself, Lark lost his words.
Duke Raizer, who had been staring sharply at Lark as he averted his gaze, let out a heavy sigh.
“I am well aware of the Crown Princess’s demanding situation, but now that she has become a member of the Imperial House, the duties of Crown Princess must naturally take priority.”
“…….”
“Because His Majesty discussed an early abdication, the Imperial Marriage was conducted hastily, and as a result the Crown Princess entered the palace inadequately trained, did she not? Surely learning and adjustment must be more urgent for her than for anyone else.”
Duke Raizer suddenly leaned his face closer.
“Surely Your Highness thinks the same way?”
“…….”
The Dukes Merlin and Ferdi standing behind him nodded vigorously in agreement.
“There aren’t even other Empress consorts to share the duties with.”
“Duke.”
“We’ve told you several times to place a proxy at your business locations, yet you haven’t even feigned to listen.”
“Duke…….”
“You’ll have noticed, but we have come to Your Highness prepared to lose our heads in offering this counsel.”
Duke Raizer added respectfully.
“Though it is overstepping, we have no choice but to point out the negligence of the one we serve, so we ask your understanding for this discourtesy of loyal servants.”
“Ah, yes.”
Though Lark finally received his turn to speak, he remained silent with an odd expression for some time.
Then, resting his chin on his hand over the documents on the table, he spoke.
“First, more than half the work was indeed handled directly by the Crown Princess herself. If that’s a lie, strike me with lightning.”
“Is that so.”
“She said she could do it all on just two hours of sleep a day, but I talked her out of it. Would you have a person work themselves to death?”
“That’s right. Of course that cannot be. So didn’t we petition you to let the Crown Princess slowly settle her business affairs from before she entered the palace?”
“That’s not possible.”
Lark, who had been leaning crookedly against the table, straightened up and shook his head.
“There are two reasons here. First, because I’ve already made her a promise.”
“What promise?”
“That even as a member of the Imperial House, her original business would never be hindered—that was the condition under which I courted her earnestly and barely secured her consent to marriage.”
“Then does Your Highness mean to have the Crown Princess fulfill not a single one of her duties as the Imperial House’s mistress?”
“No, you. What were you listening to just now? Didn’t I say half of it was done by Rubetria?”
Lark tapped the mountain of documents again and continued.
“And second, because her continued dual role as a business representative directly contributes to the Empire’s prosperity.”
“How could that-”
“She already has four business locations in other countries. One of them is Karta Kingdom.”
At the mention of Karta Kingdom, all three nobles flinched simultaneously.
“Karta Kingdom—the one that fell into diplomatic ruin starting from Emperor Deccard the Ninth’s reign and hasn’t had contact in decades. You know it, right?”
“That, that is…….”
“I gave up on that country too because it seemed hopeless, but they’re the ones who said they’d come visit first. You know that, don’t you?”
Lark thrust his face close to Duke Raizer’s, whose words had failed.
“Who was it whose mouth stretched from ear to ear saying that with the Karta princesses’ visit, a true window of diplomatic friendship is finally opening? Who was that?”
“Cough.”
“Is that all?”
Lark, riding high on his advantage, spread both arms wide.
“You all remember the headline that occupied the front page of the Imperial Court newspaper for an entire month after the Imperial Marriage, right?”
“That, well…….”
“Duke, don’t pretend not to remember. Say it quickly.”
Duke Raizer, after hesitating, finally spoke through gritted teeth.
“……Rubetria Diolus, Crown Princess, brings unprecedented extravagant dowry. Imperial House welcomes wealthy bride, achieves ‘inexhaustible imperial treasury’…….”
At the fluent recitation, Lark grinned.
“Right. Rubetria didn’t come here empty-handed, did she? Without my even hinting that she should give anything, she voluntarily transferred half her business profits as a dowry to the imperial treasury—!”
“Ugh.”
“Mmm.”
“Ahem, ahem.”
“-That’s what it means to be a member of the Imperial House. Understand?”
Lark stepped directly in front of the three nobles again after pacing back and forth.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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