Chapter 99
The Privy Council meetings take place early in the morning.
Before parliament begins, the King meets with the Privy Council. Then he meets with the Council of Elders, and parliament convenes. The meetings with the Privy Council and Council of Elders come last. The King sometimes attends these meetings and sometimes doesn’t.
One thing was certain: since meeting with those who could be called his allies was essential, he never missed the Privy Council meetings.
While the King’s late arrival was customary, the Privy Council elders had to arrive early at the meeting room. The same applied to Yuls.
The Privy Council’s meeting room consisted of two levels. Bookshelves covering the walls supported the ground floor gallery above, which was filled with sunlight that didn’t reach the bookshelves below.
The shelves were packed with volumes containing Privy Council meeting records from Dalkatir’s founding to the present. Some were so old they seemed they might crumble at the mere opening.
The rectangular table with twelve chairs was arranged so that five seats faced each other on each side, excluding two seats that could be called the highest positions.
And on the left, in the last seat, sat Spencer Grimaldi. As Privy Council advisors arrived one by one in the meeting room, they startled at seeing Count Grimaldi. They regarded Spencer with wary expressions that suggested they wouldn’t look so shocked even seeing a ghost returned from hell.
Among them, Spencer Grimaldi maintained a composed face. Yuls, sitting beside him, was the same.
The situation at the Privy Council meeting announcing parliament’s start flowed similarly to last year. Without fail, Claude was late. The King would arrive even later than Claude.
Yuls looked around carefully. Nothing had changed. Young nobles were rare. At best, only himself and Baron Carver. If Claude came, that would add one more. If Luigi had lived, young members might have been added to the Privy Council, but that couldn’t happen now. Rather, the vacancy that had changed hands several times was ultimately filled by Count Grimaldi, who had previously held that position.
“…”
If Adi – if the Count had let her continue living as Adrian, could they have shared this seat later?
Yuls had such an absurd thought. But Adrina wouldn’t have suited this place. They were different from the stagnant, rotting figures here.
“His Highness is late.”
Someone spoke then. It was Count Montague. House Montague was one of the central-western houses belonging to the Council of Elders.
The Count, who had been placed in the Privy Council by the previous King, was on bad terms with everyone here. While the Council of Elders generally aligned with the noble faction, the Privy Council was royalist. Count Montague had been royalist but turned to the noble faction after the previous King’s death.
Grimaldi too had long belonged to the Council of Elders. Spencer Grimaldi’s entry to the Privy Council, like Count Montague’s, had come through royal authority. Both were exceptional cases.
Though the meeting time had arrived, two seats remained empty. Three scribes standing in the second-floor gallery were writing meeting minutes. What they wrote now would likely just note that the King and Crown Prince were late to the meeting.
While sounds from below naturally rose up and were easily heard, sounds from above didn’t easily reach below, yet in this silence, the scratching of dip pens could be heard with each movement. The only noise in the silent chamber was quite threatening, even if it was just pen sounds.
Fortunately, not long after, an announcement of the Crown Prince’s arrival sounded from outside. Along with the sound of the door opening, the silence broke as Claude entered. Claude ordered his guard knight, who tried to follow him in, to wait outside. Seeing he could read the situation, he seemed to have his wits about him.
Claude sat in the high seat near the entrance. Being an important position, he didn’t behave as usual.
Claude not engaging in behavior that violated etiquette, such as loosening his clothes or yawning, could be seen very rarely, once or twice a year.
If only that appearance could be maintained…
Spencer thought. Seeing him properly composed like this, he somewhat resembled the current King. It was just that he was usually a mess.
“Is His Majesty late?”
At someone’s sharp voice, Claude raised his eyebrows. While he wasn’t particularly on good terms with the Privy Council, he wasn’t on bad terms either, but today there seemed to be hostility.
“It seems so.”
Claude answered, looking up. The scribes could be seen moving their pens. Then Count Montague spoke. Having one of the highest titles in the Privy Council, he had speaking rights in such settings.
“Was bringing Count Grimaldi back Your Highness’s decision?”
“Yes, what of it?”
Claude answered. Others’ faces twisted at his expression that asked what the problem was.
“You look as if I’ve committed some impropriety.”
“No matter how vacant the position, isn’t it against propriety to bring in someone who was expelled? Moreover, that seat was meant for Lord Francovan.”
Claude smiled slightly at these words.
“Yes, it would take someone of Luigi Francovan’s caliber to enter. How many people in Ionad do you think could fill that position? Among them, how many match Count Grimaldi’s capability?”
None. Beyond Grimaldi’s ability, the Count had shown exceptional loyalty to the King. It was natural, having put the prince on the throne with his own hands. No matter how excellent, without loyalty to the King, one couldn’t be nominated to the Privy Council. The reason they had specifically put Luigi in that long-vacant position was the guarantee that, being the King’s nephew, he at least wouldn’t betray them.
It was laughable. Luigi not betraying?
Claude didn’t believe it. When even he, the King’s son, watched for his father’s weaknesses, what about Luigi?
“Moreover, that seat originally belonged to the Count.”
When the Count first killed Luigi, it hadn’t made sense, but looking now, it had been the most effective choice for the Count. And that benefited Claude too.
“But the Count was stripped of his qualifications. He couldn’t return to court.”
Count Montague said. Were they on bad terms? Claude couldn’t understand why he was pushing so hard.
“There was no lifetime condition, was there?”
Yuls spoke then. Everyone’s attention focused on him.
“At most, he lost his court position. Did His Majesty revoke his territorial ownership? Or his qualification to hold public office?”
Yuls’s face showed an inexplicable composure as he smiled while speaking. Spencer Grimaldi’s expression suggested he couldn’t understand why Yuls was taking his side.
Claude felt similarly. Specifically, he was confused whether Yuls was siding with Count Grimaldi or helping him. Then Yuls’s gaze turned to Claude.
…Must be helping me.
“He is still Count Grimaldi, and this was originally Count Grimaldi’s seat.”
Claude continued.
“Is there a problem with my nominating him?”
Though everyone seemed to have much to say, no one spoke. The man who had elevated the third prince to the throne and was once the King’s closest confidant now occupied a place beside that son.
The nobles couldn’t fail to understand what this meant.
Count Grimaldi was dangerous.
However, he had recently lost all his children. Meaning this influence wouldn’t continue but would end with the Count. Looking at the results, was this acceptable?
Strange glances were exchanged within the Privy Council. They might discuss this matter separately later. And the Crown Prince, Duke Woodpecker, and Count Grimaldi would not be part of that conversation.
“No one is answering.”
Claude continued.
“Then may I take it there are no objections?”
Several people opened their mouths to speak but didn’t continue, because the door opened behind them just as Claude finished speaking. Everyone’s attention turned to the door.
The Privy Council seats were all filled. Except for the highest seat.
The King always arrived last.
“Objections, you say.”
He said as he entered. Attendants and knights stood behind the King. The King was also the only one who could bring others into the Privy Council. The King, who had entered, glanced once at the nearby Count, once at Claude sitting in the high seat, and smiled.
“If we’re talking about original positions and legitimacy, many others could enter besides the Count. Because there were others in the Privy Council before Grimaldi.”
The King then turned his gaze to Spencer and continued.
“Though most were beheaded.”
Spencer had cut those heads. Even if he hadn’t done it directly, many elders had been removed one by one according to his plans.
“We greet Your Majesty.”
Everyone called out in unison. Their voices echoed slightly in the meeting room. The King walked slowly to sit in the high seat opposite Claude at the table.
“Count.”
Then he gave his attention.
“Welcome back.”
The King had officially approved it. That Grimaldi could set foot in court again. With this, no one could deny Grimaldi’s presence.
And the Count smiled.
