A Stepmother’s Marchen

Chapter 20

When I went downstairs after getting ready, I tried to go straight to the main gate, but I changed my mind and turned to the dining room. And there is, of course, a lot of noise.

“I don’t like eggs!”

“I heard eggs are good for beauty. I don’t know, maybe your pig’s hair will get better.”

“What? What about big brother?!”

“He doest know how to take care of himself anyway.”

“No, but his red beet hair has been pissing me off ever since.”

“Would you like to be beaten with a fork?”

“……Kids.”

As I let out a sigh, all four of them, sitting around the sacred table, looked back at me in unison. Leon, who was taking his twin sister’s omelet plate instead, opened his eyes wide and shouted, “Mom, are you running away from home?”

“……No.”

“Leon, stop talking nonsense. But you look less ugly in that outfit.”

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Everyone giggled at the sound of Jeremy turning toward me instead of trying to hit Elias with a fork

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Why? That’s enough praise for mother.”

“Big brother, you are so mean. Why do you keep teasing mom? It’s your fault if she runs away from home!”

“No, what are you talking about…”

Well, it’s amazing! Sure enough, only my daughter took my side!

The twins have changed since the last incident. They stopped calling me “fake”, and their attitudes have changed a bit for their own reasons that I don’t understand.

… It’s not that they’ve become obedient. Instead of pranks, the pampering doubled.

“Anyway, I’ll be back, so don’t make trouble.””

“Who’s going to… oh, where are you going?”

“The Parliament.”

“So when are you coming back?”

“I’ll be back after lunch. Why, do you want me to buy sweets?”

Everyone followed me to the main gate, including Elias, who was furious, saying, “Do you think I’m Leon?”

The driver, who was waiting, looked at us in an unusual way.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Come back soon, Mom! Bring candies on your way!”

“Get home quickly, don’t meet a robber!”

“Then the robber would be dangerous.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

I went on my way to the long-awaited Parliament. While I was being sent off by the twins who raised their hands side by side, exchanging such nonsense words.

—–

The parliament, composed of seven prominent cardinals from Kaiserreich’s capital Wittelsbach, as well as six heads of prestigious aristocrats among the resident nobles, debates various laws and discusses major national affairs.

At first glance, the two sides seem to represent the royal power and the religious power, respectively, but in reality, they were entangled and rolled closely like spider webs with their respective interests.

Just because you sit in the noble seat doesn’t necessarily mean you’re on the side of the imperial power, and sitting in the cardinal’s seat doesn’t show up your religious authority.

While the imperial family and the Vatican repeatedly kept each other in check, it was the ultimate purpose of lawmakers to cleverly take care of their own interests.

we were entering the palace.

The white Bavenberg Palace wrapped in the refreshing and cold morning air, and the appearance of nobles entering the parliament hall one by one seemed unfamiliar. They looked much younger than in my recent memories.

Whoa. There is no tension that makes my body paralyzed as much as it did in the past. It’s a little bit exciting. I hope everything goes as I planned.

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

When I was about to enter the aisle with my hat over my head, I bumped my shoulder with someone who was passing by with a fast pace.

Sometimes, there were people who deliberately did that to approach me, so I lowered my eyes and was about to take the hat that fell on the floor, but the person picked it up and handed it to me.

“……..Thanks….”

I stood in a black clerical robe and blinked for a moment, facing a cardinal in his early twenties staring into my face with a similarly dark gaze.

It wasn’t because I was confused who he was. He was an awfully familiar man.

I couldn’t help but notice. Cardinal Richelieu, a promising young priest.

As for this priest, he used to stare at me like this in the past, but he was a person who always didn’t say more than two words other than prayers even when he talked to me.

He was silent that he was given the nickname “the silent bell”. Even at my hearing, he just stared at me without saying a word.

He was the only one who was there. By the way…

“Good morning, Yeha. Lady Neuwanstein? You’re here. Welcome.”

The familiar voice popping up from behind made me escape from the uncomfortable situation. The next moment, upon turning my head, I immediately encountered a solid but deep blue eye.

“Duke Nurembert, long time no see.”

“I’m glad your complexion looks better.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

The younger brother of the current Empress. Duke of Nurembert, the head of the Nurembert family. He was the man who, for some reason, defended me aggressively with his Majesty the Emperor on the day of that hearing in the past.

Now that I look back, it was really strange.

Empress Elizabeth always seemed to be hostile to me because she didn’t like me, so why is her brother so friendly to me?

While we were greeting each other, the silent bell had already gone in.

The Duke of Nurembert, who looked at me with a warm look that was hard to describe, soon reached out, “Let’s go in.”

We were the last one to enter the parliament hall.

On the left side of the huge rectangular table were the Duke Heinrich, the Marquis Schweig, Count Bayern, and Count Hardenstein, all sitting gently staring at me with piercing eyes.

To the right, seven cardinals in black capital suits with Cardinal Richley in the center are sat with a face that seems hard to read.