Everyone Was Obsessed With Me After I Became the Youngest Princess Favourite - Chapter 160

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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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At that moment, inside the carriage heading toward the Imperial Palace.
Nicholas barely restrained the urge to sigh at his discomfort.
〈Nicholas, ride in my carriage.〉
After concluding the opening ceremony of the Founding Festival, the Emperor unexpectedly commanded Nicholas to accompany him as he boarded his carriage to return to the palace.
Nicholas’s initial bewilderment quickly gave way to a bright smile and a respectful bow as he caught the sharp, piercing gaze of Serphin.
〈I shall obey your command with pleasure, Your Majesty.〉
And so Nicholas found himself in the same carriage as the Emperor, thoroughly tense.
Recently, he had been making his presence felt without restraint—successfully resolving disputes in the Border Territory and achieving diplomatic victories.
His influence had expanded to the point where he could rival Serphin, the First Imperial Princess and the Empress’s favored daughter, whose maternal family was House Fayerunt, and no one dared dismiss him as merely a figurehead prince.
In such circumstances, having a private audience with the Emperor naturally made him tense.
“….”
“….”
Yet something was amiss.
He had assumed the Emperor summoned him separately because he had something to say.
As they drew ever closer to the Imperial Palace, the Emperor said nothing, merely staring intently at Nicholas’s face.
Unable to discern the Emperor’s true intentions, Nicholas sighed inwardly.
‘He seemed displeased with Serphin for abandoning her duties as the delegation’s representative and returning early.’
Was he using Nicholas to rebuke her and instill a sense of crisis?
Yet the Emperor had not yet given serious thought to the matter of succession, and frankly, he did not regard either Serphin or Nicholas with such weight.
Above all, the Emperor’s attention was entirely fixed upon the Grand Duchess Bellus.
Nicholas was aware that the Grand Duchess was the Emperor’s first love, but the sight of him unable to tear his gaze from her even during his speech had been rather disconcerting.
The Empress, for her part, seemed utterly unbothered, yet the memory of sitting uncomfortably, as if on pins and needles, surfaced in that moment.
“So, what was your impression? She was adorable, wasn’t she?”
“…I beg your pardon?”
When had the Emperor begun speaking?
Nicholas was so startled he nearly bit his tongue.
To lose his composure in such a situation was utterly absurd.
The Emperor’s eyebrows twitched, as if he had noticed Nicholas’s lapse.
Nicholas braced himself for a sharp rebuke, yet surprisingly, the Emperor continued speaking in a gentle tone.
“The Grand Duchess, I mean. With that soft, fluffy appearance, she looks like a baby rabbit—quite lovely, wouldn’t you say?”
“Ah….”
“There’s no need to be embarrassed. You’ve reached the age of marriage yourself, haven’t you? Your eyes must have wandered.”
Nicholas nearly lost his composure as he watched the Emperor nod to himself, lost in his own assumptions.
“Truth be told, you and Serphin should have married twice over by now. Young people these days are nothing like they used to be. In the old days, most people would establish families immediately after coming of age.”
The Emperor proceeded to recount ancient history—how betrothals before adulthood were customary, how marriage after reaching maturity was the norm—and Nicholas’s eyes grew cold.
In fact, neither at the recent welcoming banquet nor today had Nicholas properly faced the Grand Duchess Bellus or the Grand Duchess.
Inevitably, the memory of his mother—pink-haired, whom he had never properly seen, long dead—surfaced, leaving a corner of his heart uncomfortable.
It was a feeling similar to what he experienced when glimpsing his half-sisters, whom he could not help but encounter while living in the Imperial Palace.
And so Nicholas found the Emperor’s words at this moment utterly absurd and laughable.
But I could roughly guess what the Emperor was thinking.
He was probably wondering if he could establish an in-law relationship with the Grand Duchess through me.
‘And he made me board the carriage just to say this…’
It was absurd, but Serphin didn’t know what the Emperor was truly thinking.
For him, it wasn’t a bad situation.
Nicholas forced the corners of his mouth upward to appease the Emperor.
“Yes. The Grand Duchess bears a striking resemblance to the Grand Duchess Bellus—she is quite beautiful indeed.”
As expected. The Emperor’s expression visibly softened.
Delighted, the Emperor displayed a smile he hadn’t even shown when Nicholas resolved diplomatic issues.
And that demeanor persisted until they arrived at the Imperial Palace and descended from the carriage.
The moment the Emperor departed, Serphin fixed Nicholas with a murderous glare.
Nicholas pretended not to notice Serphin and bowed his head to the Empress beside her.
The Empress had never shown particular interest in him as a bastard until now, nor had she ever spoken to him with veiled hostility.
She had even been generous to the Imperial Princesses who dwelt only in the Separate Palace, ensuring they lacked for nothing.
Therefore, even though Nicholas stood in opposition to Serphin over the throne, he harbored no resentment toward the Empress.
The problem, however, was.
“What cunning scheme did you employ to make the Emperor behave that way? Confess truthfully!”
The moment the Empress left, Serphin pressed him sharply, as if she had been waiting.
Nicholas tilted his head and laughed playfully.
“I couldn’t say. I merely served His Majesty with utmost sincerity. Perhaps he was satisfied to see me fulfill my duties without forgetting my responsibilities and doing my best?”
“Can’t you shut that mouth of yours?”
Deliberately provoking her further, Serphin’s hand trembled and rose immediately.
With a sharp crack, her hand grazed his cheek.
“Haven’t I always told you? If you mistake yourself for true imperial blood simply because imperial blood flows through your veins, you’ll come to ruin.”
“…”
“No matter what scheme you employ, don’t think things will flow according to your cunning designs forever!”
Serphin spoke coldly and turned away.
Nicholas casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
Serphin despised him.
Even before he came into prominence.
The Imperial Princesses dwelling in the Separate Palace felt the same.
If she were to become Emperor, she would surely kill him and all the others like him.
From the beginning, the throne was a matter of survival for Nicholas. Not a choice.
So he couldn’t be satisfied with merely pushing Serphin into a corner to this extent.
〈I will make you Emperor.〉
But he wasn’t afraid. His steadfast ally had said so.
Nicholas suddenly recalled Lucio, whom he had first met at age twelve.
At that time, Nicholas was the only imperial prince and, because of his distinctive crimson hair characteristic of the imperial family, was given a separate small palace unlike the Imperial Princesses in the Separate Palace.
Yet he lived like a dead man, scarcely different from them.
Then, a boy appeared—the same age as him, a promising heir of House Elrad, and despite his youth, renowned for his brilliance and exceptional talent.
The Noble Boy had suddenly offered to make him Emperor, but instead set a condition—when he became Emperor, he asked that I grant him one request.
Lucio said that what he desired was something only the Emperor could accomplish.
〈…Do you want to gain independence from the Empire? Or do you need a puppet Emperor?〉
When I asked if he perhaps hoped to transfer the imperial throne itself, Lucio laughed coldly, saying it was none of those things.
In truth, it mattered little what it was.
Better to do anything than live like a fool and die ignorant.
To Nicholas, Lucio was his savior.
And their cooperation had proceeded smoothly, bringing them to the present day.
Lucio spared neither money nor power for my sake.
He secretly established the Information Guild, founded a Trading Company, and entered the Foreign Ministry of the Imperial Palace.
I simply needed to enter the Academy, study diligently, and build connections with those Lucio had carefully selected.
Before long, I had risen from an Imperial Prince of no consequence to a name among the successors to the throne.
Nicholas still could not discern what Lucio desired from him, but a certain trust had taken root.
At the same time, my ambitions had grown proportionally.
I wished for Lucio to become completely mine.
Nicholas, who had returned to his own palace, tapped lightly on his desk.
“The Grand Duchess Bellus, then.”
Though I had seen her only in passing, she was certainly a beauty who captivated the eye.
But that was all there was to it.
Mere prettiness would not allow her to dominate society against Serphin, and she would likely fall naively into traps and create difficulties.
“Still, Lady Elrad seems more suitable.”
She was already being called the flower of society, and her presence was evident not only among her peers but also among the discerning noblewomen.
If I were to form a marriage alliance with House Elrad, perhaps even Serphin would cease her relentless pursuit of Lucio.
Nicholas admitted honestly that he greatly desired to strike a blow against Serphin while making it clear that House Elrad had sided with him.
“Since the Lady is young, we could proceed with the betrothal first, and after I become Emperor, we could hold the wedding….”
Nicholas trailed off, about to say it would be perfect.
In truth, I had been entertaining such thoughts for quite some time, but it was something I had never dared broach with Lucio.
‘Because he is indifferent to others, but terrible to family.’
When I had once tentatively asked who would be suitable as Empress, Lucio had responded apathetically, telling me to decide for myself.
“There must surely be families that would help or hinder the struggle for the throne.”
Nicholas’s expression grew displeased.
In truth, Lucio had been respecting Nicholas’s free will, but Nicholas had interpreted it as indifference.
Yet inwardly, he wondered if Lucio would not readily consent if his younger sister could ascend to such a lofty position.
Perhaps the favor Lucio intended to ask was related to this very matter.
If that were truly the case, I could make Lucio completely mine.
Nicholas, who had been contemplating with a serious expression, furrowed his brow.
“But still….”
Since the Emperor himself had broached the subject first, Grand Duchess Bellus might well be the finest choice to win his heart.
Nicholas decided lightly that he should consult with Lucio as soon as he returned.

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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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