Noble Reincarnation: Born Blessed, So I'll Obtain Ultimate Power

And so, I heard all of that from Audrey.

From the middle of the story onward, I clearly started feeling sick.

Regarding the man—my nephew—I felt sorry for him at first.

I could sympathize up to the point where he had fallen to becoming a thug and a hoodlum.

Although my sympathy waned somewhat due to his multiple imprisonments for assault and other crimes, having seen many people who, as the minister of legal affairs, have fallen into crime, I could understand that pattern logically.

It’s not uncommon for people to be forced into a life of downfall due to the families they were born into; so I couldn’t entirely withhold my sympathy.

However, the recent matters—

Trying to sell his own daughter to a brothel, and worse, behaving as if he was deliberately aiming for that—there was absolutely no room left for sympathy.

“That child is the cousin of Sem, Your Majesty Noah Alarate treated Albert in that manner, so by logic, that male-line child is still a member of the royal family. That royal family member, the de facto crown prince Sem’s cousin…”

Audrey stopped speaking there, not continuing.

Even without her saying it, I understood.

If the de facto crown prince’s cousin were to be involved with his own daughter—that would be a disgrace.

The empire prohibits marriage with “direct descendants.” Naturally, the prohibition also extends to sexual relations.

While in the past, marriages with a younger sister occurred to preserve bloodlines, those were collateral siblings and thus permitted.

But direct descendants are forbidden.

Relations with one’s own daughter are unthinkable both legally under imperial law and ethically.

If such a fear were to become a reality and be exposed—

It would literally be the empire’s, the royal family’s “shame.”

“…Thank you for letting me know.”

While organizing the sequence of events in my mind, I expressed my appreciation to Audrey.

“You are most kind. Furthermore, since this concerns a delicate ‘internal matter,’ it is right that you have come to report.”

“Yes, that’s true. Rather, it should be resolved as an internal matter.”

“What will you do?”

“…”

I paused to think a moment.

“I want a little more information… but more than that, I want to know what kind of person Albert’s son truly is.”

“It’s not a direct personality assessment, but—”

Audrey said as she took out a folded piece of paper and handed it to me.

I took it, unfolded it, and looked inside.

It was a record of the man’s imprisonments—his criminal history.

“…Looks like he’s involved in quite a lot.”

I said half in disbelief.

The various “records” noted there left me no choice but to be stunned.

“Judging by this, if you count those not recorded through imprisonment or exposure, it would be even more.”

“Is that how it is?”

“Yes. From what I see here, aside from murder, he seems to have done just about everything else.”

“I see… Should we investigate those? If we judge him based on unjust accusations, it would tarnish Your Majesty Noah’s name.”

“You care that much? You are a good wife.”

“I am humbled.”

Audrey blushed slightly and looked down modestly when praised.

She always strives to be a virtuous empress, suppressing showing any emotions such as joy, anger, sadness or happiness. This was her fullest display of emotion.

The empress is said to hold power second only to the emperor—it’s only a formal system.

Most men are weak before women they love; they tend to grant every wish and whim of the woman they adore. Considering that, the empress sometimes wields power exceeding even the emperor’s.

Of course, those who seek to curry favor find it easier to approach the woman’s side—the empress’s side—and can expect results surpassing their desires.

Hence, there is no shortage of people attempting to ingratiate themselves with the empress or the current favorite concubine.

To ingratiate themselves, one must grasp the likes and dislikes of the target meticulously.