Chapter 96:  The Empress’s Test (8)

"Then, we shall begin the evaluation."

At Empress Margaret's voice, the annex hall fell into a solemn silence.

Everyone waited in tense anticipation for the final winner of the 'Haman Project.'

This time's winner would gain the opportunity to become a close aide to the Emperor.

Moreover, they would receive recognition from the Second Empress, who held sway over all the imperial in-laws.

Of course, that alone wouldn't guarantee the position.

However, just receiving this opportunity would allow them to make their name proudly known within the Imperial Court.

"Let’s begin with Tobang Arman."

Most of the retainers who hadn't personally been to Haman assumed he would be the winner.

Indeed, the performance he had presented was no small feat.

『Descent Special Art Exhibition.』

『Support from the Haman Art Association and a public lecture personally led by Descent.』

『Visited multiple stables in Haman and issued car wash vouchers.』

It was a distinctive approach that had never been implemented by the Imperial Court or Nord.

By using the theme of art, he had drawn in numerous upper-class citizens living in the capital.

Furthermore, he had elevated the name of Descent, a representative artist of Nord, making it a praiseworthy project even from the perspective of the Grand Duke’s house.

"According to our research, the number of people who moved into Haman due to Lord Tobang’s events totaled 3,820, Your Majesty."

"The number of carriages that used the car wash vouchers reached 850, and many aspiring artists living in Haman received valuable instruction from Lord Descent."

The Minister of Finance and the official responsible for compiling various statistics from the capital supported the report.

"Thanks to the event, during its duration, the people began to perceive that a wind of change was blowing through Haman. That it is becoming a city that supports the arts."

The other retainers and royals invited personally by the Empress nodded in satisfaction.

However, the Third Prince’s expression remained as fierce and venomous as ever.

He was well aware that Archduke Eric, whom Tobang served, was closely allied with the Second Prince.

This would only expand the Second Prince’s inner circle of influence.

It meant one of his people might be placed among the Emperor's closest advisors, which visibly displeased him.

On the other hand, among the line of retainers, there was one who looked particularly pleased.

It was none other than Tobang’s father, Baron Mikel Arman.

Seemingly satisfied with his son’s achievements, he stroked his chin with an arrogant expression.

"Baron, you must be pleased. Your eldest son has grown up to be so outstanding."

"If things go well, we may see the youngest Imperial advisor in history born today—"

The blond man waved his hand with a humble smile.

"Born, you say? We poured enough money into him that he ought to have done at least this much."

"How modest. As expected of the Arman family. A truly loyal knightly house."

Amid the nobles' praise, Baron Arman held his head high with pride.

And then, he looked at the son he had raised so tenaciously with a cold gaze, as if he were nothing more than a tool.

“Thank you, everyone.”

However—

If the award ceremony were going to end this blandly, the Empress wouldn’t have gathered so many people here.

“Then, next, let us proceed with the evaluation of Lucun Fern.”

With her hands clasped behind her back, Margaret pointed toward Lucun, who stood at the center.

To be honest, he had spent far more time in cities other than Haman, including the capital.

Even the retainers of Haman didn’t clearly know what accomplishments he had achieved during that time.

Because of that, they weren’t exactly sure what Lucun had done.

“I’m sure many of you aren’t familiar with Lord Lucun’s contributions.”

But—

The Second Empress of the Empire knew.

“He spent most of his time in cities outside of Haman, building his own track record.”

She was someone who had access to all sources of information within the Imperial Court.

As such, she was receiving real-time reports on the participants’ activities.

“To promote Haman’s food culture, he personally visited various gourmet societies throughout the capital.”

There was a general sense of agreement as people slowly nodded their heads.

Still, perhaps because they had just heard of Tobang’s impressive accomplishments—

“But isn’t that a bit… underwhelming?”

“Compared to organizing an art exhibition and taking the lead in culture, it does seem weaker.”

“Yes, promotion is something even an attendant could handle, after all.”

Baron Arman and several other officials whispered to each other with puzzled expressions.

Amidst that murmur, Lucun only bowed his head in silence, his expression reverent.

However, Empress Margaret thought differently.

“Is that so? Do you really believe that?”

With an intellectual gleam in her eyes, the Second Empress of the Empire opened her fan.

And then, covering her lips with it, she spoke with elegant composure.

“From what I’ve discovered, Lord Lucun is the eldest son of the Fern Pawnshop.”

The Fern Pawnshop.

A rather well-known establishment with branches throughout the Empire.

“Though not a noble, he lives a fairly affluent life. And yet, he visited each regional gourmet society personally, sincerely promoting Haman’s food culture.”

There was nothing she didn’t know.

She was proving firsthand just how much wisdom one needed to become the Empress of the Empire.

“Gourmet culture, by nature, must be experienced with an understanding of food’s history and traditions. One must be guided in how to eat to truly savor its best flavors.”

“That’s why the fact that every regional gourmet society praised him means Lord Lucun personally led those efforts with great care.”

Margaret folded her fan, revealing her noble face.

At the same time, she posed a question to all.

“Could any of you, within just one week, travel through every city, promoting Haman’s culture without showing a single sign of fatigue?”

The capital was vast.

Some cities were so far that it took an entire day of nonstop travel by carriage just to reach them.

And yet he had visited all of those widely scattered cities on his own.

“……”

The retainers could no longer afford to underestimate Lucun’s achievements.

Satisfied with that, he, too, slowly closed his eyes.

“Therefore, I place a very high value on Lord Lucun’s performance.”

All the retainers bowed their heads in unison.

At the same time, they placed their hands over their left breasts to show respect.

“Your words are perfectly just.”

Seeing their acceptance, the Empress gave a slow nod.

Then, she took a few steps forward...

And finally stopped right in front of me.

“Lastly, let us evaluate Roger Julius.”

The Arman family held enough prestige to attend such an event at the annex without question.

The Fern family, too, as the Empress had mentioned, was wealthy enough that most officials knew of them.

But the Julius family...

“Julius...? Which family is that? Are they from the Southern Kingdom?”

“I believe they’re from a mercenary knight lineage.”

Most of the retainers had no idea.

“All of you must have heard this phrase recently.”

『Even if you're busy, eat breakfast.』

Most people, now familiar with the phrase, looked at one another and nodded in agreement.

“When you hear that campaign slogan, what comes to mind?”

At the Empress’s question, retainers hoping to gain favor quickly raised their hands.

Among them was Baron Arman.

However, Margaret did not call on any of the officials.

Instead, she pointed to one of the guards stationed throughout the hall and asked,

“You there—tell me. Did you eat breakfast today?”

The guard, a commoner, lifted his head with a nervous expression.

“Y-Yes, I did!!”

“What did you have?”

In a booming voice, the guard replied,

“I had a hot Haman sandwich and coffee!!”

The Empress closed her eyes gently, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

Then, like a conductor leading a soft melody, she asked again with a graceful hand motion.

“Why did you choose that menu?”

“These days, it’s a trend among the soldiers to grab those in the morning. They’re fast to prepare and easy to eat.”

Margaret nodded, smiling brightly from a distance as if to say, I see.

She then pointed to a young accountant who had been quietly raising his hand.

“What did you have for breakfast?”

“I-I also had a sandwich…!!”

There were still some nobles who hadn’t yet tried it.

However, the vast middle class—who made up most of the capital’s population—was all enjoying the same food.

“Why?”

“Because my favorite dancer, Miss Gehenna, eats it often, so I naturally started eating it too!!”

The Black Swan, Gehenna’s favorite food.

“Come to think of it, my wife’s also been eating that every morning lately...”

“Because Bennet Tolkien likes it?”

『How to be a husband loved by your wife.』

With that slogan, Bennet Tolkien eating a sandwich with a deep, dignified expression.

His eyes, heavy with stories and the kind that made you want to protect him, paired with a single bite of a sandwich—

『Try the convenient Haman sandwich.』

That image…

It melted the hearts not only of commoner women but also noblewomen overflowing with maternal affection.

‘Sir Bennet is divorced, but… even I couldn’t help falling for those soulful eyes of his.’

“We’re currently in a completely different city, and yet we’re already eating Haman’s signature sandwich.”

The Empress spoke leisurely, spreading her hands.

“Even though the food itself didn’t actually originate in Haman.”

The officials blinked in confusion.

“The sandwich wasn’t a Haman dish?”

“This is the first I’ve heard of it. I assumed it was something the workers there came up with.”

As I bowed my head, I let a sly smile tug at the corners of my lips.

Then, I looked over at the assembled officials—and at Echina, who stood among them—and smiled.

“……”

The Grand Duke’s daughter must have thought I looked like a cunning fox showing off tricks, because the corners of her mouth twitched slightly.

But soon, in an effort to maintain her dignity, she bit down lightly on her smooth lips.

On the other hand, Tobang’s expression was far from pleasant.

“That kind of food… really…”

He had gone to the trouble of hosting a large-scale art exhibition.

And yet all his efforts had been overshadowed by a mere piece of bread. It was infuriating.

“……”

His father, Baron Arman, was no different.

Just moments ago, the room had been filled with praise for his son.

Now, some random commoner had taken over the palace atmosphere with nothing more than food. It was deeply unsettling.

“In this way, Lord Roger engraved the association between Haman and sandwiches into the minds of the capital’s people. He led a trend encouraging many to eat a healthy breakfast.”

With that, the Empress concluded her commentary on the efforts of her retainers.

Then, she gently sat back down in her seat and spoke.

“Since everyone made impressive contributions, we’ll now conclude by assigning the final scores.”

This time, the Minister of Finance stepped forward.

Holding a report estimating the spending of each candidate, he began the announcement.

“Tobang Arman spent 100 million gold from the imperial budget.”

At that, Tobang nodded in satisfaction.

Even the officials appeared pleased at the idea that, despite renting a city hall and securing a renowned painter, he had only used that amount.

But his face quickly turned pale.

“However, including estimated expenditures from his own family and the Luton family, the total comes to approximately 400 million gold.”

The Minister of Finance had thoroughly investigated not only the imperial budget but also the funds borrowed from his family.

“Lucun Fern used 3 million gold for arranging the gourmet events. There was no additional spending from his family.”

From 100 million gold down to 3 million—an air of unease swept through the retainers.

However, this was only the beginning.

"Roger Julius."

When it was finally my turn.

"Imperial budget: 50,000 gold."

Every pair of lips in the hall fell open in disbelief.

"There were no additional personal expenses."

The Minister of Finance adjusted the metal-framed glasses he had been wearing.

Then, he read out the breakdown of what I had spent with the imperial funds.

"What he used the 50,000 gold for was… 500,000 sheets of paper. And one cup of coffee."

I lifted my head slightly.

Then, with a sheepish smile and narrowed eyes, I looked at the Minister and made a gentle plea for understanding.

"Ah… the coffee, I was told the staff gave it to me for free."

"So I’ve heard. Then, the full amount went solely toward the 500,000 sheets of paper."

The retainers were all visibly stunned.

They had been ready to make excuses to push Tobang forward in some way or another.

But the budget difference was so overwhelming that it left them utterly speechless.

In contrast, the Empress—who already knew this information—remained composed.

On behalf of everyone else, she calmly opened her mouth.

"Then it seems the winner has been decided."

She rose once more from her seat.

Then, walking down the steps with noble grace, she extended her hand to me.

"Lift your head, Lord Roger."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

When the moment for the official announcement arrived, the Empress’s voice changed.

Unlike her usual tone, she proclaimed in a solemn and formal manner to all in attendance.

『Roger Julius. You improved the conditions of several underdeveloped cities, including Old Luton.』

『And you helped restore the public image of Haman, which had long suffered from negative perceptions, thus aiding the livelihood of its people.』

『Therefore, in recognition of your achievements, I, the Second Empress of the Empire, hereby declare—』

『The winner of the First Urban Renewal Project is…』

From a distance, the Captain of the Guard approached with the ceremonial sword.

Soon, the Empress drew the blade and gently laid it upon my shoulder.

『Roger of the Julius family. It is you.』

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