Since the Minister of Finance, Florence, had left the capital to diate between the two major lords, there were only three ministers left in the capital.
At night, Gregor sat in his office reading through the compiled reports on the empire’s public safety.
The refreshing tea brought by the servants had cooled at so point, leaving a slight bitterness when he drank it.
Besides the recent assassination case, Gregor had also investigated all records of injuries or deaths possibly caused by magical devices since their inception.
Over the past decade, including both accidental and intentional incidents, the empire had recorded over a thousand cases of injuries caused by magical devices.
And this was just the recorded number; many more incidents lay hidden beneath the surface.
Considering that magical devices were only popular among the nobility, this number was not insignificant.
Cases as severe as the assassination, resulting in the death of upper-class individuals, totaled two.
The first was not strongly linked to magical devices, so it didn’t attract much attention at the ti, while the second was entirely due to the elental fluctuations of the crystal shard breaking through the frost defense, leading to the tragedy.
Magical devices must be strictly controlled. Compared to developnt and innovation, Gregor was more concerned with their safety and confidentiality.
If these two couldn’t be ensured, he would rather not see any breakthroughs made by the mages in the field of magical devices.
Safety ensured that potentially dangerous magical devices wouldn’t be used by commoners as weapons to breach the nobles’ barriers.
Confidentiality ant they could maximize the prevention of knowledge leakage.
Only by keeping magic out of the hands of commoners and achieving a monopoly by the nobility and the crown could the empire’s foundation remain stable.
Gregor didn’t deny that the limited circulation of magical books among the commoners had indeed nurtured geniuses like Fanya, but more often they were unstable elents, like the rebellion that had occurred within the empire years before he beca the Minister of Internal Affairs.
The Valeria Empire didn’t explicitly forbid commoners from learning magic, but there were regulations prohibiting commoners from organizing private gatherings to promote and exchange magical knowledge, except in major magical academies and under the official auspices of noble lords.
Once discovered, the organizers would be executed on the spot, and the rest would be either executed or imprisoned depending on the circumstances.
The rebellion had been initiated by an early stage Magnus level mage who was discovered by city guards during an illegal magical gathering. After killing several knights alongside other core mbers, he was executed on the spot by elite mages who arrived.
If the developnt of magical devices was left unchecked, they would undoubtedly beco a new cradle for rebellion, and the resulting turmoil might not be as simple as the last ti.
The primary purpose of establishing the Minister of Internal Affairs in the empire was to maintain public order, combat cri, and manage and restrain the citizens under their governance. Gregor couldn’t stand by and watch the internal order gradually collapse.
Ti passed quietly, and when the clock in the capital struck twelve, Gregor put down his pen and paper, looking at the annotations he had made on these cases, nodding in satisfaction.
It was just a pity that the empire’s monthly publication was firmly in the hands of Astrid Calliste, and the emperor refused to take a clear stance.
Otherwise, rely publishing these articles would have been enough to deal a significant blow to the reformists.
No noble wanted their cake to be taken away by others, especially by the commoners they despised the most.
By stating the pros and cons, anyone with a clear mind wouldn’t side with Charlotte.
The nobles’ stance tended to be conservative, striving to maintain the status quo, so he had a natural advantage in this matter.
He didn’t even need to do much; the voices opposing the popularization of magical devices would drown out the few scattered rocks.
Upon reflection, those who hoped for the accelerated developnt of magical devices were the short-sighted noble sons and daughters who only cared about montary convenience and couldn’t see the future.
The true power holders would know that these things ant hidden dangers, and they would one day take away what was originally theirs.
Power was like sand, slipping through one’s fingers if not careful.
After packing up, Gregor washed up and lay down on the bed, thinking as he waited for the next day’s sunlight.
The next morning, Gregor had breakfast served by the servants. It had been over a week since the discussion eting on restricting the developnt of magical devices, and the emperor had yet to take any action regarding his statents during the eting.
The new issue of the empire’s monthly publication was set to be released today.
As a noble of the empire, Gregor also had the habit of reading the biweekly publication. It was precisely because he had a deep understanding of this form of propaganda that he knew how much help Astrid’s empire monthly publication was in implanting and disseminating information.
Young and spirited, with parents of commoner origins, and with no noble backing except the emperor, at most, plus the crown prince Lucas, her faction could lean either conservative or reformist.
Though Gregor had never interacted with the third princess, he knew she would likely side with Charlotte, who was close to her, which was why he chose to bypass Astrid and discuss directly with Hibbort.
It was just a pity that the result was still as expected; Hibbort still refused to take a clear stance, and Gregor ultimately gave up on using the publication to propagate the dangers of magical devices.
Reading line by line, Gregor entered his office, and upon seeing the new template, his brows furrowed, his hand gripping the armrest, hesitating to sit down.
This article... is about magical devices...
Reading carefully, Gregor’s displeasure grew stronger. After finishing the last sentence, he sat down, clenching his fist tightly.
A flying ship that can soar into the sky? If this thing ca out, it might indeed shut so nobles’ mouths.
After a mont, Gregor put down the newspaper, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
What was he thinking? Such a massive project couldn’t be easily accomplished.
Charlotte was just putting on a brave face.
-------
One week later, on a certain afternoon, Astrid received an invitation to visit the Florence residence.
"Are you Miss Livia? It’s a pleasure to have afternoon tea with you. I’m Lydia Rossa, the daughter of the Minister of Finance. You can call Lydia for convenience."
Looking at the black-haired girl across the table with her hair draped over her back, wearing a white princess dress, white stockings and black shoes, Lydia spoke gently, a faint smile on her face.
As a true beauty enthusiast, she now truly understood why Princess Astrid doted so much on Livia.
Aside from those red eyes nearly identical to her own, the latter’s petite figure, delicate features, and charming deanor were simply endearing at first glance.
If she had been the one to encounter Livia in the capital back then, she probably would have made the sa decision as Astrid.
"I heard Miss Livia has been staying in Princess Astrid’s palace. Seeing you in person today, you’re even more adorable than the rumors say."
Who could resist a cute, holess wandering girl? Thinking of Livia shivering alone in the cold wind without even a warm quilt, Lydia’s maternal instincts were instantly triggered, her gaze toward Amalia softening with tenderness.
Noticing Lydia’s enthusiasm, Amalia lowered her eyes, hands resting on her knees.
The next mont, she felt a warm touch on the back of her hand. Looking up, she saw Astrid silently staring at her. After a mont, those crimson eyes turned to Lydia beside them.
"Livia had a hard childhood, so she’s a bit introverted," Astrid explained softly.
This was both Amalia and the outward personality of the "Livia" persona.
From the very beginning of setting up the backstory of the wandering girl, Astrid had considered this. In so aspects, Livia and Amalia actually shared many similarities – introverted, not talkative, and wary.
This made it easier for the latter to slip into the role and ensured she wouldn’t have to worry about severe dissonance caused by personality inconsistencies when making friends.
"Oh... I see..."
A hint of apology appeared in Lydia’s eyes, as if regretting her earlier over-enthusiasm.
"I’m sorry, Miss Livia. Was I too blunt earlier? Did I scare you?"
Hearing the girl not much older than herself apologizing so gracefully, Amalia’s red eyes lowered slightly. After a mont, she spoke very softly.
"No... Lydia is very good..."
"It’s just... I’m still not used to it."
This noble lady nad Lydia was her sister’s friend. She didn’t seem too hard to get along with.
Amalia recalled the previous night when she asked Astrid why she wanted her to et Lydia.
The latter’s answer had been quite simple, she wanted Amalia to et more people and broaden her horizons.
Perhaps... sister wanted her to start interacting with people of potential political value, preparing her for future succession...
Years of confinent had indeed subtly changed Amalia in many ways, most obviously reflected in her mindset.
She hadn’t considered that Astrid bringing her to et Lydia might not just be because of the latter’s status as the Minister of Finance’s daughter.
It could also be because the young lady had a gentle personality, was well-educated and polite, soone very suitable as a friend.
Hearing this, Lydia covered her mouth with a light laugh and instructed the servants to start serving tea and snacks.
Her gaze shifted to the two maids behind Astrid, a tall, cold beauty with black hair and dark eyes, and a petite, pure-looking girl. Both were exceptionally beautiful.
Do beautiful people naturally attract each other? Or is high beauty a prerequisite to becoming Princess Astrid’s friend?
Thinking this, Lydia couldn’t help but glance at the dishes on the table, making sure she wasn’t dragging down the overall beauty level of the pavilion.
##
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