novelraw Chapter 18
Chapter 18
18~ Craftsman~
Not long after, the Empress announced preparations to implement the "Favor Promotion Decree." Almost all noble family heads and eldest legitimate sons who heard the news were furious beyond measure.
What do you mean fairly distributing family assets to benefit future descendants? That was purely an open stratagem! Clearly meant to weaken their power, not even bothering to pretend!
What a "Favor Promotion Decree"! What an Empress! Really wrote the targeting directly on her face!
They were angry, but when the other legitimate sons and illegitimate sons heard about it, they became excited. This "Favor Promotion Decree" was a good thing for them! Originally, they who could only become family vassals in the future could now divide the property and use this family fortune to go out and establish their own businesses!
This was truly wonderful! Thanks for nature's gift!
In short, they absolutely couldn't miss this godsend opportunity falling from the sky. The Empress wanted to promote the "Favor Promotion Decree" nationwide? Support! Must support!
"It's quite lively down there. What happened?"
"This..."
She didn't dare tell her young master, afraid she'd be—
"Don't hem and haw. Speak quickly."
"You should ask the master yourself."
"Hem and haw..."
He was too lazy to continue wasting words with this maid and directly went to find his father.
As soon as he entered the study, he saw his father sitting in a chair with a worried expression, drinking large gulps of heart-calming tea.
"What's wrong? Father."
His father didn't utter a word, only pushed a piece of paper in front of him.
Picking up the paper and glancing at it, he nearly rolled his eyes back and fainted on the spot.
He, a noble's eldest legitimate son, just a few more years away from inheriting the family property and becoming the new family head, was actually backstabbed by this "Favor Promotion Decree"?
"Ahhhhh! Damn it!"
These next few days, he was destined not to sleep. Even if he fell asleep, his dreams would probably be full of his other siblings' provocative expressions!
...
...
"Looks like those nobles are quite anxious."
"You directly cut off other families' futures. How could they not be anxious?"
"But the person who proposed this 'Favor Promotion Decree' is you."
The corner of the Empress's mouth couldn't stop rising.
Originally, her attention only needed to focus on external warfare and she didn't have much time to handle domestic internal issues. Now this problem had been resolved because of Mo.
"..."
She couldn't deny it. Although the person implementing this system was the Empress, the proposer was indeed her. But if you don't say and I don't say, who would know she proposed it?
Anyway, with her appearance, she'd probably already been considered a mascot beside the Empress, right?
So she wasn't worried about being resented by the nobles. It was all the Empress who did it! If they want to resent, resent the Empress!
"Mo, think of another reward."
"...Didn't you say before that you'd let me go out after a while?"
The little Princess's face immediately darkened again. So you're playing with me?
"I keep my word. This time counts as an extra reward."
Well... Since the Empress already guaranteed she'd keep her word, there was no need to be suspicious anymore.
As a nation's monarch, she disdained lying.
"Anything is fine?"
"Depends on what you want."
Freedom, of course, she couldn't possibly give. This was her bottom line. Mo must be firmly grasped in her own hands.
"Mm..."
This made things a bit difficult for her. After the last experience, she'd roughly figured out the Empress's bottom line regarding her, but aside from that, she didn't know what else to ask for.
After careful thought, she finally decided to have the Empress give her a craftsman, a craftsman who mainly excelled at manufacturing metal implements.
"Is Mo interested in this area?"
"Not really. Just bored."
Of course, the Empress fundamentally didn't believe her words.
Once, a small military unit from Glaze Nation successfully resisted forces several times larger than themselves. One reason was relying on some equipment never seen before.
Could that equipment also have been designed by Mo?
This thought arose in her heart and became increasingly certain. Otherwise, which nation's princess would be interested in this area?
She guessed right, but wasn't completely certain yet, so she planned to wait and see for a while.
After getting the Empress's agreement, the little Princess was slightly happy for a little while.
Being able to get a craftsman meant she could create some useful things according to her own ideas. This could greatly improve her future life in the palace, so she wouldn't be this bored anymore. If the time was ripe and she was tired of everything here, she might even take the opportunity to escape...
As for escaping, although the probability was very small, it wasn't impossible.
As soon as the craftsman arrived, the little Princess's curiosity was instantly piqued.
This craftsman was actually a girl? And quite pretty too? Couldn't you Scarlet Phoenix Nation find a single man...
What? You say Scarlet Phoenix Nation's former great general was male? Then never mind.
Speaking of which... the new general the Empress appointed seemed to have previously been a fringe garrison commander.
Well, that was understandable. Easy to control.
"Mo, satisfied?"
"Satisfied, satisfied."
Anyway, a pretty craftsman young lady didn't seem bad at all. Useful while also pleasing to the eye. Killing two birds with one stone!
After the craftsman young lady withdrew, the Empress pinched her cheeks.
"I've satisfied you so much. Shouldn't you also make some response?"
"Huh?"
Under her puzzled gaze, the Empress pulled out a rope from who knows where and tied it to the collar around her neck.
This so-called response was this???
"Are you sexually frustrated?"
"If you say so."
Mo: "..."
Damn!
Then she was pushed onto the bed. Without the ability to resist, she could only close her eyes and let the Empress do as she pleased, even too lazy to put her hands in front for defense.
But after a while, what she imagined didn't happen. Opening her eyes, she saw the Empress staring at her with a face full of twisted amusement.
"Could Mo be anticipating something?"
In an instant, her brain exploded. She realized the Empress was just toying with her. As expected, if you cut this Empress open, she'd definitely be all black inside!
"Tch... Who would anticipate anything?"
The little Princess pouted.
But she really hadn't expected the Empress wouldn't actually make a move...
The next moment, the Empress pinched her face, making her only able to look at her. Then a suffocating feeling came. She was already firmly locked, unable to break free.
"Mmph mmph..."
About to wash...
Just before she really suffocated, the Empress finally released her. Large amounts of air surged into her lungs.
"Hah... hah..."
"Not bad. Quite sweet."
The Empress wiped her mouth and commented.
Nearly being brought to the point of suffocation again, this feeling really wasn't pleasant, just like being smothered by a pillow.
"You...!"
The little Princess was about to explode with anger. Actually doing this while she was completely off guard! Even giving a provocative comment after finishing.
If it weren't for considering that her strength wouldn't even tickle the Empress, she would have definitely swung her fist already!