After Defeat, the Empress’s Negotiating Chip Turns Out to Be Me

Chapter 225

225~ Interested~

"So you're saying you think I have mental problems?"

"No, I wouldn't dare."

Cecilia knew everyone thought she had mental problems, but Cecilia pretended not to know.

At least those who knew her all knew...

However, she could state clearly that compared to the Empress, she was truly a normal person.

"Senior Cecilia, can you please give me a definite answer?"

Red Leaf pushed the oral edict in front of Cecilia.

If Cecilia didn't give a response today, she wouldn't leave here.

"You all handle this matter yourselves. I don't dare do this. If Fei removes my position in a moment, I won't be able to slack off anymore!"

"Is slacking off all you have in your brain?"

"Yeah, is there a problem? Isn't this human nature?"

"..."

Left speechless by Cecilia's retort, Red Leaf could only temporarily give up her plan to have Cecilia give an answer right now. Better to plan for the long term.

Cecilia, Scarlet Phoenix Nation's only Great Archmage besides the Empress, an absolute genius, but she completely didn't want to work hard, single-mindedly only thinking about slacking off.

In terms of talent, she completely didn't lose to the Empress, yet she was willing to be only a Guardian Great Archmage, never interfering in government affairs. Only when the Empress needed her would she muster a bit of energy to work. Normally, she'd stay at home if she could stay at home.

She remembered the last time Cecilia had acted was several years ago, and this time was during the Eastern Region's chaotic war. During these years, aside from occasionally going out to buy some necessary supplies, Cecilia had completely stayed home slacking off, even unwilling to continue learning magic.

Being this lazy yet still able to mix to Great Archmage level, in the entire world there was probably only this one person.

Cecilia was someone the Empress had met during her most destitute time. What specifically happened between the two of them, she didn't quite understand. However, after ascending to the throne as Scarlet Phoenix Nation's highest ruler, the Empress had reduced much of her contact with Cecilia, mainly because she had much less free time.

As for where Cecilia came from? This question probably only the Empress, Ling, and Cecilia herself knew clearly.

Anyway, she, a little maid who'd only started following the Empress midway through, completely didn't know.

"Alright, alright, hurry back. If there's nothing else, don't come disturb my rest! Go out quickly!"

Cecilia urged.

"..."

Seeing Red Leaf unmoved, Cecilia could only personally take action, planning to push Red Leaf out the door. But apparently because of years of staying at home, her muscles had deteriorated quite a bit. Without calling upon magic power, her strength simply couldn't compare to Red Leaf's.

"Senior Cecilia, please hear me out first. This won't cause you to lose your current position. On the contrary, it can let you slack off even better."

"Oh? Elaborate!"

Hearing she could slack off even more thoroughly, Cecilia immediately became interested.

Of course she hoped she could slack off more thoroughly! It would be best if there was completely nothing to do. Let her stay home every day, don't mention how great that would be!

"Senior Cecilia, it's like this..."

Red Leaf told Cecilia the entire plan, along with all the love-hate entanglements regarding the Little Princess.

"That First Princess of Glaze Nation, Mo?"

"Yes, Her Highness Mo is the current Imperial Consort of Scarlet Phoenix Nation, an undisputed Empress. Her Majesty also values her very highly."

"Mm, it's her."

Cecilia nodded thoughtfully and stretched lazily.

Speaking of which, she also hadn't properly been active for quite a while. During the Eastern Region's chaotic war, she'd only acted to suppress an enemy nation's Great Archmage. For someone like her who'd already reached the pinnacle of Great Archmages, the difficulty naturally wasn't particularly high. To put it in one sentence: "Even among Great Archmages, there are differences!"

"Alright then, since it's her, then I'll go take a look."

"Uh... You're interested in Her Highness Mo?"

"Mm."

She'd also been completely out of contact with the outside world for quite a while, and wasn't particularly clear about the outside world's developments.

For an old woman like her who'd lived this long, she probably already counted among the forgotten category, right?

She only looked young on the surface. The reality was that because a Great Archmage's lifespan was very long, she looked very young.

However, to achieve immortality, she could only say it was very difficult.

Senior Cecilia was actually interested in Her Highness Mo!? It wasn't that kind of interest she was thinking of, the same "interest" as the Empress, right?

The instant she had this thought, Cecilia apparently detected that what she'd said might be misinterpreted and added another sentence:

"Rest assured, the interest I'm interested in is proper interest, not the same as Fei's."

Then she was relieved...

If Cecilia really had that same kind of "interest" in the Little Princess as the Empress, she truly wouldn't know how to explain it to the Empress.

"Before that, please first open and look at this oral edict."

Red Leaf once again handed the oral edict that Ling had privately fabricated to Cecilia.

"Mm hmm."

Receiving the so-called oral edict and quickly skimming through the contents, she suddenly discovered this oral edict was completely and utterly thinking of shifting all the responsibility on her shoulders away.

This oral edict could be seen by anyone with eyes to have problems, but it also had the Empress's fingerprint and official seal. Under normal circumstances, she couldn't refuse. Although even if this really was the Empress's oral edict, even if she refused, the Empress wouldn't do anything to her. She should slack off as usual.

Precisely because of this point, as long as she acted according to this so-called oral edict, she had absolutely no responsibility at all. After all, she was just an old homebody who'd stayed home for over a decade too lazy to even go out and move around!

"Good! Very good! I'll do it!"

As long as it could be achieved, the Empress would definitely arrange for her to stay in the Imperial Palace. Then she wouldn't need to guard the borders anymore, wouldn't need to intimidate other countries anymore. In the Imperial Palace, she could enjoy the highest treatment without worries. Even not leaving her room for over a decade would be completely fine. Someone would deliver food and daily necessities to her. She could even never get out of bed!

"Let's go. First let me understand what the outside world is like right now, and what situation that First Princess of Glaze Nation is currently in."

She was truly interested now. This time, one very large factor for going out was because of the Little Princess. She wanted to see what kind of person could make today's Scarlet Phoenix Nation once again reproduce some of the former Scarlet Radiance Nation's glory.

Hopefully she wouldn't be disappointed. After all, this was the first time in nearly a hundred years she'd been this full of energy, wanting to properly engage with the world.

...

...

...

"Your Highness Mo!"

"Huff... Xiyan! That's enough. You rest for now. Leave the rest to me."

Even if it would cause permanent irreversible damage to her body, she still had to exterminate this Prince Brother of hers with blood relations, the First Prince of Glaze Nation, right here and now! The kind where not even ashes remained!