It’s Been 500 Years as an Extra, and the Original Story Still Hasn’t Begun - Chapter 199

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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500 Years as Just an Extra,

The Original Story Still Won’t Begin

Episode 199

“You really bought it?”

“They said it’s the most famous bakery in the Imperial Capital. It was my first time going there too.”

“Hmm.”

The bakery owner must have been quite surprised. What would they have thought when such a big man suddenly appeared asking for apple pie to go?

Ailesia briefly imagined that scene and chuckled softly as she turned her head.

‘…It looks delicious.’

Between the pie crust baked to a perfect golden-brown color, how could those apple pieces embedded like gold look so tempting?

It hadn’t been long since dinner, yet she found herself automatically swallowing at the sight.

“I’ll enjoy this.”

“Yes.”

Ailesia first took a sip of tea, then stopped her hand midway as she reached toward the table.

Termion, sitting across from her, had his gaze lowered and seemed to be pondering something.

It would be a bit awkward to enjoy dessert alone while he’s like that, wouldn’t it?

“Who is it? Who’s been bothering you?”

“Pardon?”

“You’ve had a bad expression ever since returning from the Imperial Palace. Even Elly was worried.”

“…I’ve caused trouble.”

“Did the Emperor act annoying? Should I flip him over?”

“It’s not that serious.”

“Then shall I at least curse him out with you?”

“Ha…”

Such a characteristically her way of showing empathy made him let out a hollow laugh. Termion touched his teacup with a slightly more relaxed expression.

“It’s actually not a big problem, but I can’t figure out the answer on my own.”

“What is it?”

“Why would the Emperor specifically try to pair me with the Princess of the Melantia Kingdom?”

“Pair you? Don’t tell me… he wants you to marry her?”

“Something like that. To be precise, it’s a suggestion to seriously consider it.”

So the main episode has already started. I thought there would be about a month’s leeway left.

Ailesia adjusted her posture slightly. It seemed like a somewhat serious conversation was about to unfold.

“The representative of the Melantia Kingdom’s delegation is apparently the princess. They say she’s coming to find a husband.”

“Is that so?”

This was information she already knew. She was just waiting since she couldn’t tell him in advance or intervene directly.

“She’s twenty-two years old this year.”

“That’s just the right age.”

“If it were a simple political marriage, it would be better to push for the First Prince or Kalior, who are of appropriate age. Especially if the First Prince marries the princess, his appointment as crown prince would become a foregone conclusion.”

“Maybe that’s exactly why? Because the Emperor doesn’t want to pass the throne to the First Prince?”

“That’s what puzzles me.”

When comparing the three princes, the First Prince was undoubtedly the one with the most solid standing publicly.

His mother, the First Imperial Consort, had long held control over the Imperial Palace affairs, and his maternal grandfather, Duke Kaif, wielded enormous political influence in the Empire.

For the Empire’s stability, it would naturally be right for the First Prince to inherit the throne. Even Termion, who gritted his teeth at the First Imperial Consort and Duke Kaif, acknowledged this fact.

“As you said, the Emperor seems to have no intention of passing the throne to the First Prince. Even though Duke Kaif isn’t hostile toward him.”

“But he’s not supporting Kalior or the Third Prince either.”

“It’s something he could easily do if he set his mind to it. He could immediately rally the moderate faction and attach them to either side. Marquis Havir wouldn’t refuse the Emperor’s request.”

“Yet he remains idle…?”

Even the youngest prince, the Third Prince, is already sixteen. That’s old enough to receive the crown prince appointment.

In the original work, the Emperor never designated a crown prince with his own hands until the end.

To be precise, it would be more accurate to say he couldn’t do so.

‘The Emperor collapsed from illness around autumn.’

The First Prince, backed by Duke Kaif, framed Kalior and the Third Prince to eliminate them, and eventually that incident escalated into a civil war.

During that process, a fire broke out in the Imperial Palace, and the Emperor, who had been in a coma, ended up dying.

Kalior, who had finally won the civil war, also met his end in Elenora’s arms due to a curse.

Though there was no proper description, it was a natural progression for the Third Prince, who survived alone, to ascend to the throne.

‘Why didn’t the Emperor appoint a crown prince until the very end? It was always a mystery even when I was reading the original work.’

One could speculate it was the Original Author’s design for the chaos in the latter half, but well.

The comment section had burned with criticism that the author’s capability was just that level, ruining plausibility and everything else.

“Can I ask one somewhat random question?”

“Yes.”

“Could the Emperor suddenly designate a specific person and abdicate the throne to them? Without appointing a crown prince.”

“There’s no precedent, but procedurally it’s not impossible. However, that person must have succession rights to the throne.”

“Why is it difficult in reality?”

“Because the other princes wouldn’t just stand by and watch.”

Wouldn’t that be the same even if a crown prince were appointed? There are plenty of such cases in history.

Of course, there are realistic differences as Termion explained.

Once a crown prince is decided, all the remaining princes receive ducal titles and become independent from the Imperial Palace.

This is to reduce friction related to succession and maintain political stability.

“Then what happens if the Emperor dies suddenly? Do the nobles select an emperor on their own?”

“That’s right for now. The problem is no one can guarantee how long it would take.”

That’s true too. Just looking at the current situation, it would be chaos if such a thing happened.

Even if the Emperor’s faction nominated the First Prince, with the moderate and noble factions joining forces to form a majority, it wouldn’t pass.

“Then who serves as regent during the selection period? The First Prince in order of age?”

“I do. Since I’m the current Grand Duke Retis.”

“Ah, come to think of it, you nominally have succession rights, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

Upon hearing the answer, Ailesia suddenly widened her eyes. Termion also looked at her with a startled expression.

“No way?”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

Ailesia and Termion were thinking the exact same absurd thought.

“Why would the Emperor choose me when he has perfectly fine sons?”

“Either way, the circumstances roughly fit. Is there a better bride in the Empire than the Princess of the Melantia Kingdom?”

“That’s not something I can rashly assert.”

“I’m talking purely from a political landscape perspective.”

“Tsk.”

Termion clicked his tongue briefly and turned his head away sharply. For some reason, he seemed reluctant to answer with his own mouth.

“If you marry the princess, Retis would become more prosperous than any other family in the Empire. Maybe even more than the Imperial Family.”

“…I can’t deny that.”

“Knowing such risks, why would the Emperor recommend the marriage? Because he’s stupid? Because he’s bored? Or purely because he genuinely cares for you?”

If the Emperor had planned to pass the throne to Termion from the beginning, all the puzzle pieces would fit together.

To be precise, to the current Grand Duke Retis.

If this speculation were true, she could also guess why the Emperor had so thoroughly ignored Retis in the original work.

‘He wouldn’t have wanted his true intentions discovered. The moment he gave anyone reason to suspect, the entire foundation of the Empire would shake.’

While he was carefully preparing step by step, the Grand Duke and his wife suddenly had an accident.

Fortunately, just when it seemed stability was restored with Termion inheriting the Grand Duke position, this time the heir, the Grand Duchess, left her post for recuperation.

If only Termion had brought in a Grand Duchess and had children, there would have been no need to worry. But he showed no interest in marriage even after coming of age.

Naturally, the Emperor watching this must have felt his heart burning with anxiety.

But then Elenora returned in good health, and coincidentally, the perfect bride candidate walked into the Empire on her own feet.

“The Emperor is planning to seal the deal this time. A definitive seal that no one notices, but even if they do, they can’t do anything about it.”

“…Ha, this is absolutely ridiculous.”

What a completely arbitrary and strange novel he’s written. Termion, swallowing a hollow laugh, pressed his hand to his forehead.

Let’s say Ailesia’s words were true. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand the Emperor’s true intentions.

‘Why on earth?’

He had never done anything particularly noteworthy in the Emperor’s eyes, and there was even less justification for Retis to inherit the throne.

It was only natural that whichever prince was put forward would pale in comparison to himself. Ask any noble in the Empire and they’d give the same answer.

So was it simply because his children showed no promise? When even the First Prince, the eldest, had only just turned twenty?

Thinking about it logically, it would be a much better choice to give the princes a chance and observe them a bit longer before appointing a crown prince.

“The Emperor is still in good health. He could easily manage another fifteen years, so there’s plenty of time to groom a successor.”

But what if that time wasn’t enough? Ailesia could naturally arrive at one conclusion.

“Is that really the case? Perhaps he has a serious chronic illness.”

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