Marriage Alliance.
No matter the era, country, or culture, this was an extremely common occurrence.
To gain another's assistance, or to eliminate mutual hatred, both parties would choose to become relatives, forming a blood-bound alliance.
Even though Esdeath was a battle-hungry maniac, she still understood these matters.
Originally, when the minister brought up the topic of romance, she instinctively thought the other party wanted to use a marriage alliance to bind her completely to their chariot, solidifying their cooperative relationship.
But what she didn't expect was that this Champeless guy had already anticipated her rejection.
So, his true target… turned out to be her younger sister.
A cold glint flashed in Esdeath eyes, though she suppressed the urge to erupt in anger.
Yoshino was her only reverse scale — her untouchable bottom line. She would never allow anyone to lay a hand on her little sister.
However, this was the imperial palace, and more importantly, it was in front of His Majesty the Emperor. If she turned hostile here, the image she had carefully built of a loyal and virtuous general in the emperor's eyes would probably collapse.
Maintaining a good image before the emperor was crucial for her to be able to fight freely without restraint.
Having made up her mind to personally visit the minister's residence after returning, Esdeath took a deep breath and maintained a calm tone as she said,
"I appreciate the minister's kind intentions on behalf of my sister. However, due to certain incidents in the past, Yoshino body and mind have remained at the level of a twelve-year-old. Though her actual age is the same as mine, internally, she is not suited for marriage."
"Is that so? Hmph… no wonder she looks so small."
Although Esdeath had always kept a tight watch over Yoshino and never let her attend any noble banquets, with Honest intelligence-gathering capabilities, it was only natural that he had long since dug up quite a bit of information.
He had indeed heard that Esdeath sister was very petite. When standing beside Esdeath, rather than looking like sisters, the two appeared more like a mother and daughter.
He had previously suspected it was due to malnutrition or developmental issues, but now it seemed otherwise.
Still, this was merely Esdeath side of the story, and her reason was rather vague. Honest remained somewhat skeptical.
"A phenomenon like this actually exists in the world?"
The young emperor, who had been secluded deep in the palace for a long time, heard this for the first time and showed a look of interest.
He shifted his gaze to Yoshino, wanting to see her true face beneath the hood. However, the girl kept her head bowed so deeply that her face was entirely obscured by the hood.
"Raise your head. Let Us take a look at you."
Hearing this, Yoshino trembled as if frightened.
Just as Esdeath was about to come up with an excuse to refuse, Yoshino actually reached up and removed her hood, slowly lifting her head.
And so, a doll-like, childishly tender face appeared before their eyes.
It was undoubtedly the face of a child, not an underdeveloped adult.
"…What a pity."
Seeing this, Honest sighed in disappointment.
If it were just a matter of mental age, that wouldn't have mattered much. But now that her physical development had clearly stopped, she was indeed unsuitable as a marriage candidate.
Not to mention the public backlash it might provoke — even if the marriage went ahead, the possibility of producing offspring was uncertain.
Syrah was his only son in name and the heir he had carefully groomed over the years. He was a crucial piece in Honest plan to seize imperial authority.
It seemed that the plan to tie Esdeath to his camp via a marriage alliance might no longer be feasible.
"So adorable…"
Just as Honest was brooding with a furrowed brow, a whisper came from beside him.
He turned to look — the speaker was actually the emperor on the throne.
At that moment, the young emperor was staring straight at Yoshino exposed face, not even blinking.
Honest was momentarily stunned.
But as he observed the emperor's expression, he quickly understood something and couldn't suppress a smile creeping across his face.
"Hehe… come to think of it, His Majesty is at just that age now," Honest said with deliberate meaning, chuckling.
"Although she hasn't yet matured, as His Majesty said, the general's sister is indeed an extremely adorable child… and she would suit His Majesty very well."
Truly, the heavens never seal off all paths.
Although the plan to tie Esdeath to him via a marriage alliance with Syrah had failed, he hadn't expected that this little emperor would take quite an interest in Yoshino.
This was fantastic news for Honest — killing two birds with one stone.
Though the emperor had been led to make many foolish decisions under Honest deceit, it wasn't just due to blind trust. The emperor was also still very young and naturally needed someone to rely on.
But Honest knew full well that during his free time, the young emperor was diligently studying the arts of governance and kingship, aspiring to become a wise ruler like his father.
That was bad news for someone like Honest, who wanted to control the empire.
Still, he wasn't in a hurry.
There were countless ways to corrupt someone.
He had originally planned to wait a bit longer and then send his concubine-born daughters to the emperor — using beauty to seduce and corrupt his will, trapping him in pleasure and indulgence.
Although they were born of concubines, they still carried his Honest bloodline. Once they bore children of royal blood, Honest would become the emperor's in-law and gain unshakable power in the court.
However, promoting such a plan in the court would certainly face resistance.
Although the court was now more or less a one-man show under Honest control, and most of the loyal ministers had either been exiled, suppressed, or buried long ago, there were still a few senior officials from the previous dynasty he dared not touch lightly.
One example was the empire's other Grand General, Budo.
If Honest allowed the emperor to taste the pleasures of women too early, Budo and his traditionalist faction would undoubtedly pose great resistance.
Given Budo extremely conservative beliefs, if Honest insisted on pushing forward, the man might just show up at his doorstep for tea and a "chat."
But if it were an engagement, that would be another matter entirely.
It was both traditional and proper. And the emperor's fiancée was none other than General Esdeath sister. Aside from a princess from another nation, who could be more fitting?
This way, Budo would have nothing to complain about.
If he could secure an engagement between Yoshino and the emperor, he could both tie Esdeath firmly to his side and keep the emperor obedient for a while.
Wasn't this killing two birds with one stone?
Honest grew increasingly pleased with his own plan.
"Your Majesty…"
He leaned down slightly and asked with a smile,
"Are you interested in General Esdeath sister, Yoshino?"
"In… interested?!"
Startled out of his daze by Honest words, the emperor quickly waved his hands in panic.
Though he was denying it, everyone could tell he was bluffing.
Whether it was his stammering or the blush rising on his face, it all clearly revealed that his words didn't match his heart.
"Hehe, no need for Your Majesty to hide it—"
Honest rubbed his hands together and made a tempting suggestion:
"His Majesty is the most noble person under the heavens. Any woman who catches His Majesty's eye should consider it a great blessing. Even if she's the general's younger sister, the same applies."
At the foot of the steps—
When no one was paying attention, Yoshino pulled a dead-fish-eyed expression.
Weren't they supposed to be here to receive rewards?
How did the conversation suddenly shift to marriage proposals?
First it was Syura, and now it's the Emperor.
That Honest guy was literally treating her like an object, not caring one bit about her personal feelings.
This is the imperial court, not a damn matchmaking agency!
"No, an engagement or anything like that… let's forget it."
After a brief panic, the Emperor took a deep breath, then calmed down and said,
"Things like that are still too early for me. I should focus on studying, and strive to become a ruler like my father—to bring peace and prosperity to the people. Marriage can wait until after that."
At those words, the three present were all visibly surprised.
Just a moment ago, when he had seen Yoshino appearance, he had clearly been stunned—his gaze almost glued to her.
Everyone had thought he was infatuated with Yoshino.
But instead of giving in to his desires, he had restrained them.
Even many adults couldn't do that. And yet, at such a young age, he already displayed such self-control.
However, Honest had no intention of giving up so easily.
"Your Majesty, you don't need to be shy. Your royal father and mother also met at about the same age." He continued to persuade, "If you don't marry the girl you truly like now, once you come of age, countless nobles will be pushing their daughters at you through every means imaginable. Instead of marrying someone bound only by political interests, it would be better to follow your heart."
"Your Majesty, actually, I agree with your opinion," Esdeath interjected. "An engagement is indeed a bit too early for you.
Moreover, while Yoshino may appear to be around your age due to her halted growth, her actual age is the same as mine."
Honest and Esdeath locked eyes.
In each other's gaze, they could see a determination not to give an inch.
Although they were allies, their cooperation only lasted as long as their interests aligned.
And clearly, this was not one of those times.
Honest wanted to use an engagement to present Yoshino as a gift to the Emperor, in order to tighten his grip on Esdeath, who cherished her sister dearly.
Meanwhile, Esdeath was determined to protect her sister and could not allow that to happen.
For now, the two stood on opposing sides.
"General, this is a golden opportunity for your sister to marry into the royal family. Could it be that you believe His Majesty is unworthy?"
"His Majesty already said he wants to devote himself to learning how to govern. To take up his precious time with an engagement would be unwise, wouldn't it?"
"But marrying a future queen is also an essential part of ruling. If there's a fine woman by His Majesty's side to comfort him during his hardships, his studies would be more effective, no?"
"Forgive me for speaking bluntly, but Yoshino isn't the kind of girl who takes care of others. If you truly have His Majesty's well-being in mind, finding someone else would be the better choice."
Back and forth they went, their words sharp and full of tension.
One implied the other disrespected the Emperor, while the other hinted he meant to harm the Emperor.
And both of them had a point…
As the two continued to argue, the Emperor spoke again.
"That's enough, Minister, General. You are both my trusted aides—there's no need to argue on my behalf."
The Emperor raised his hand, motioning for them to quiet down. Then, with a slightly embarrassed tone, he said,
"Though I do like the General's sister, please rest assured—Mother once taught me, when you meet someone you like after growing up, you must never use your status or power to make them submit. So I won't force an engagement."
"Your Majesty is wise," Esdeath lowered her head, concealing the smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Your Majesty…" Honest scratched his head, visibly agitated.
"Don't worry, Minister. I'm only refusing an engagement, not giving up on pursuing someone I like."
"You mean…"
"I want to start as friends." The Emperor coughed a little, somewhat shyly. "Mother also said, 'Love at first sight is no different from lust at first sight.' So I'd like to spend some time getting to know Yoshino."
Although he hadn't managed to achieve the goal directly, the Emperor had not abandoned the idea.
This made Honest eyes light up.
Taking a step back to move forward—
Now that Esdeath couldn't outright oppose the friendship, even she had to hold back.
Sure enough, upon hearing the Emperor's words, although Esdeath looked hesitant, she didn't argue further.
At least on the surface, she appeared to acquiesce.
Seeing this, Honest grin grew broader.
As long as Yoshino could establish a relationship with the Emperor, even just as friends, it was enough.
For a shy and timid girl like her, he had countless ways to gain control.
But seeing the scheming expression on Honest face, Yoshino quietly pulled up her hood again, lowered her head—and likewise, a subtle smile played at her lips.
Her original plan had been to accept a reward from the Emperor, and from there begin to subtly influence the structure of the imperial court.
However, halfway through, the topic had veered into engagement, which at first left her utterly speechless—but then she realized something:
This might be an even more valuable opportunity.
A chance to get close to the Emperor himself.
To ensure the Emperor would only listen to him, Honest had never allowed anyone else to get close to the young ruler.
But now, he was personally giving Yoshino that chance.
What he didn't know was that by offering up this seemingly gentle, rabbit-like girl to the Emperor, he was basically inviting a wolf into the house.
"Who would've thought that before I even got the chance to influence the empire's structure, I'd already gotten the opportunity to influence the Emperor directly."
With her head down, the girl chuckled to herself.
"Dealing with a little brat like this? That's gonna be a piece of cake."