MPO

LXlX-70

The people of the Este household, having entered the imperial palace, looked out the window with tense faces. Even though they attended palace banquets once or twice a year, they felt strangely nervous.

“It’s strange there are no other carriages in the palace, Mom.”

At Amelie’s muttering, Timo added,

“Yeah. We always had to wait when coming in, and it was really annoying.”

“We’re not here for a banquet today, so naturally there wouldn’t be people around. Don’t cling to the window like that.”

Sarah scolded the children in a refined voice. Seeing her like this, Benjamin smiled contentedly and lightly tapped the back of her hand.

“You’ve become the perfect Countess now.”

It was a casual comment, but it made Sarah so happy that her expression almost broke.

“Truly?”

“Yes, truly. For a moment, I thought I saw my late mother.”

“Oh my, saying I resemble Mother! That’s such a lovely thing to say.”

“Haha, do you like that so much?”

The people of the Este family, immersed in a cheerful atmosphere, tensed up as soon as the carriage stopped. They all knew whom they were about to meet.

As the Count cleared his throat, the coachman opened the door.

“We have arrived, Master.”

“Ahem, prepare the steps.”

“Yes!”

Today, riding in a very large, luxurious, and splendid carriage that the family didn’t usually use, the Count needed steps to disembark. He got out first and extended his hand to help Sarah down.

Once everyone, including Amelie, had disembarked, a palace attendant who had been waiting nearby approached.

“Excuse me, but may I have your names?”

“Ahem, Benjamin von Este. We’ve come to seek an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Yes, we’ve been expecting you. Please follow me.”

Just being greeted and guided by a palace attendant was enough to lift Benjamin’s spirits. It made him understand why the Emperor’s faction nobles could not be swayed by the aristocracy—the treatment received at the palace was enough to elevate his mood.

It wasn’t just him. Sarah, Amelie, and Timo also felt their spirits lift. They walked through the ornate and antique hallways towards the Emperor’s palace.

Though the walk was long, just admiring the statues and paintings lining the corridor made it feel like they were in an art gallery. They followed the attendant to the audience chamber.

“The Count and Countess of Este and their children have arrived for their scheduled audience.”

At the attendant’s words, the knight and lady knight at the entrance to the audience chamber scrutinized them with sharp eyes.

“Please excuse us for a moment.”

The male knight thoroughly inspected the Count and Timo for weapons, while a lady knight carefully examined the insides of Sarah and Amelie’s dresses.

“This is just a formal procedure, so we ask for your understanding.”

Having finished their inspection, the two knights stepped back and gave a brief salute. Although the Count felt somewhat bewildered by the sudden inspection, he nodded, understanding that it was a necessary procedure for an audience with none other than the Emperor himself.