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He turned to Geoffrey Kinsley.

Nero and the representatives of the Twelve Golden Families also turned to the Paladin who bowed to him before leaving the conference room.

When Geoffrey Kinsley returned, he brought the Royal Archmage with him.

Nero was the only one who obviously didn’t care.

The representatives, on the other hand, looked really surprised to see the Royal Archmage. This might even be the first time for the younger representatives to see the Royal Archmage in person. After all, Abigail Barlowe rarely appeared in public events.

If he remembered it correctly, the last time Abigail Barlowe officially left the Tower was during his coronation when he became the emperor.

.....

That was how elusive the Royal Archmage was.

Thus, everyone (except for Nero) looked surprised to see her now.

“Abigail Barlowe, the Royal Archmage, is here to explain the modification that she made to the video under my command,” Nikolai said, snapping the representatives from their trance. Was that really mesmerizing for them to see the Royal Archamage? “It’s a grave sin to see and touch the naked body of a monarch without permission, hence the video had to be changed a little.”

Abigail Barlowe nodded in agreement with his explanation, then she faced Nero and the representatives.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the Royal Archmage went ahead to explain.

“I, the Royal Archmage, have verified the authenticity of the video,” Abigail Barlow said in a firm voice. “I swear it on my name.”

The representatives looked satisfied.

Making an oath like that meant that the Royal Archmage couldn’t lie or else she would die on the spot.

“But like what His Majesty said earlier, it’s a sin to see and touch the naked body of a monarch without permission,” Abigail Barlowe explained. “Thus, I had to blur the part where Empress Juliet’s exposed body parts were exposed. I also cut the video short, since His Majesty and I believe that a mother giving birth to her child wasn’t something that we should be watching in the first place. You’ll just see what you needed to see to confirm Empress Juliet’s identity, along with the child’s identity as a prince.”

“You heard us,” Nikolai said. “Is there anyone who’s not happy that we modified the video?”

As expected, no one raised an objection.

After all, even though the Royal Archmage served the Royal Family, everyone in the empire knew that Abigail Barlowe was a righteous person. The Royal Archmage was also one of the few people that led the rebellion with Nikolai after the previous emperor lost his mind.

“I would like to express my gratitude to Your Majesty and Royal Archmage Barlowe,” Marquis Vincent Lennox said politely. “I know that watching the video is necessary, but I’m not happy that my granddaughter’s intimate moment while giving birth would be witnessed by a bunch of noblemen. However, my heart is now at ease after hearing that the video was modified to protect Empress Juliet’s privacy.”

The other noblemen, even the ones that Marquis Lennox was in dispute with, nodded in agreement.

[After all, they highly respected Juliet as the empress.]

“Then can we start now?” Nero asked in a bored voice. “Father, let’s get this done and over with.”

Nikolai suppressed a sigh.

[Nero, can you at least pretend to be interested in things not related to Neoma?]

***

NIKOLAI thought that the crows couldn’t shock him anymore- but they still succeeded.

This time, even the always calm and indifferent Nero looked shocked.

It was already his second time watching the video.

When he saw it the first time, he wasn’t able to watch properly because he wanted to respect Juliet’s privacy. But now that Abigail Barlowe had modified the video to only show them the things that they needed to see, the realization had finally hit him.

[How?] Nikolai thought to himself in disbelief. [How did Juliet give birth to a de Moonasterio?]

The bluish light that covered the newborn’s body was the divine power unique to them.

[Now I have no choice but to declare Calyx Dalton as a royal prince.]

He turned to Nero.

The shocked look on his son’s face earlier was now gone. He could tell that Nero’s brain was working overtime at the moment.

[Nero and Neoma are the same.]

Both his children were quick to adapt to whatever ball was thrown their way.

[“It’s alright, Father,”] Nero said to him using mind telepathy. It was easy for him and his children to talk mentally because their Soul Beasts served as the link to their minds. [“I’m just shocked that the crows used this brain this time.”]

He suppressed the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.

[Nero could be harsher than Neoma sometimes.]

[“Father, congratulations. You just gained a new son.”]

He turned to his son with a cold look on his face.

To be honest, he already knew from the start that he couldn’t deny Calyx Dalton of his right as a de Moonasterio. But it meant the young crow would also be acknowledged as his son with Juliet. Even if he denied that, people wouldn’t listen to him.

[“I’m just joking, Father.”]

[“Jokes are supposed to be funny, Nero de Moonasterio.”]

[“It was funny to me, though.”]

Nikolai suddenly missed Neoma. He’d rather get cursed at by his daughter than hear his son’s savage “jokes.”

[“Father, let’s proceed with our plan.”]

[“The plan where you want me to become a traitor to our own empire?”]

[“No need to be sarcastic, Father,”] Nero said, then he turned to him with an expectant look on his face. [“I know that you love our family more than the empire anyway.”]

Yes, Nikolai really missed Neoma.

***

“NOW THAT we know that Lady Juliet Dalton is the Empress Juliet that we thought was already dead, I’d like to discuss what we must do next.”

Nikolai already expected that Marquis Vincent Lennox would raise that issue immediately.

Right now, they were in the conference hall.

He sat on a fancy and comfortable chair on the podium.

Nero, the Crown Prince, was seated on the less fancy chair beside him. The two of them were facing the twelve representatives that occupied the seats in front of the long table. Six noblemen on the left side, six on the right side.

As expected, they sat according to their factions: the Noble Faction on the left, the Royal Faction on the right.

The Neutral Faction was scattered.

“I strongly suggest that Empress Juliet be reinstated as the empress now that she has returned alive,” Marquis Vincent Lennox said, then his eyes wandered to Nero. “Moreover, the empress returned with a son.”

Nero, who looked bored earlier, suddenly smiled brightly.

Nikolai was startled a bit.

[Nero looks exactly like how Neoma did while disguised as him. And that smile. That smile means danger.]

“Congratulations, Marquis Lennox,” Nero said cheerfully. “You now have a great-grandson. Do you want me to throw a party for you?”

Marquis Lennox glared at the Crown Prince.

Nikolai, on the other hand, realized what Nero was doing.

[He’s imitating how Neoma would interact with the nobles. Neoma probably taught Nero how to act around certain people.]

He didn’t want to say this, but the royal twins were indeed scary.

[They can burn the world if they want to once they work together.]

“I don’t appreciate your sarcasm during this important time, Your Royal Highness,” Marquis Lennox said.

“Then don’t beat around the bush, Marquis Lennox,” Nero said, smirking like how Neoma would when being provoked. “Do you think I do not know how to read between the lines? You’re implying that a candidate to be the Crown Prince has appeared because of LADY JULIET SLOANE’s return, aren’t you?”

Marquis Lennox looked really pissed when Nero addressed Juliet as ‘lady’ and not as ’empress.’

But the Crown Prince wasn’t wrong, thus the marquis ended up getting tongue-tied.

“I agree with Marquis Lennox’s proposition to reinstate Empress Juliet as the Mother of the Empire.”

It was Marquis Russell Spencer who said that.

Now everyone’s attention was on him.

Nikolai had a hard time maintaining a poker face.

Marquis Russell Spencer was a part of the Noble Faction. It was rare for him to agree with Marquis Vincent Lennox who was a part of the Royal Faction.

But he knew what the bastard was doing.

.....

[Russell Spencer... he’s doing this because he knows Mona is back.]

“Empress Juliet was and will always be the only woman who deserves to be the empress,” Marquis Russell Spencer said. “But I understand that it must be difficult for His Majesty to reinstate Empress Juliet. After all, once it happens, His Majesty’s marriage with Empress Juliet will also automatically get renewed.”

“Ah, I see,” Duke Arman Winchester said while nodding. “Your Majesty, does your hesitation have something to do with Lady Mona Roseheart’s return? Is that the reason why you do not want Empress Juliet to be reinstated?”

“Duke Winchester,” Rufus Quinzel said sternly. “You’re being disrespectful to His Majesty.”

“I’m only speaking the truth, though,” Duke Winchester said. “Moreover, once Empress Juliet is reinstated, Prince Nero’s position as the Crown Prince might get revoked with the appearance of an older prince.”

Nikolai had to clench the armrests of his seat tight.

But since he and Nero already predicted the course of this meeting, he immediately soothed himself down. Moreover, he was amazed by his son’s mind.

[Nero’s prediction is correct.]

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Nero said casually. “I actually talked to Father about stepping down as the Crown Prince.”

Now the entire conference room became quiet.

He heard that Nero had already announced his resignation to some of the nobles here. But they may have been still shocked to hear it from the Crown Prince again, which only meant that he was being serious.

[Now it’s my turn to shock them.]

“I didn’t say that I will not reinstate Juliet as the empress.”

Now the representatives were even more shocked.

“I will reinstate Juliet as the empress,” Nikolai declared firmly. “Then I will file for a divorce.”

***

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