Lady To Queen Chapter 36

Chapter 36 – Sin That Deserves Death

“Dame Raphaella? What is it?” Patrizia asked. The only two people who could walk up to her like that were Raphaella and Petronilla.

“I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty. I have committed a sin that deserves death.”

“Raphaella,” Patrizia sighed. She had a feeling of what Raphaella was going to say when she stepped forward. But my God, this was a reaction. Patrizia addressed her in a serious, but gentle, voice.

“I understand why you're trying to say. But it's not your fault. It was I that said I wanted to be alone, and it was almost impossible for you to find me in that situation. There is no need for an apology.”

Raphaella shook her head emphatically. “But…I should still have followed you, even if you didn't know about it. That's what I should have done as your queen's knight.”

“You are not wrong. But I ordered you not to follow me, and you followed my orders faithfully. It is not negligence on your part, but an error in mine.” In fact, Patrizia was the sorry one.

Raphaella bowed her head and spoke in a low voice. “From now on…I vow to never allow harm to come upon even a single hair on your head. I, Raphaella la Bringstone, swear on the honor of Marquis Bringstone.”

“Please stand up, Ella,” Patrizia said in a slightly raised voice. The reason Patrizia was soft on Raphaella was because the knight was an honorable and loyal friend in the last life. She gave everything for Petronilla, and even faced a cruel death…would she die again for a Grochester in this life? Patrizia stared at Raphaella with gloomy eyes, her heart low. She gave a slight nod.

“Then perhaps…I'll need a lot of help uncovering the truth behind this, Ella. If you're truly sorry…can you help me?”

“Gladly. With all my strength.”

There was a sadness in Patrizia's eyes even as she smiled at her friend.

Council meetings were held every day. Attendance was optional, technically speaking, and not many emperors attended the daily sessions regularly. Lucio, however, was one of those few diligent emperors.

“The Queen Regent has arrived.”

At those words, the door to the council room opened and everyone stood up from their seats. Patrizia strode to the front of the room imperiously and took her seat, after which all the other nobles sat down. She began the meeting with a brief introduction.

“As you know, His Majesty is still in a coma. Under Imperial law, I will serve as his proxy for authority until he awakens. If there is any noble who has an objection, speak now.”

Of course there wasn't. Patrizia immediately moved on.

“I will postpone the most important decisions as much as possible. I don't know when His Majesty will awaken.”

A noble spoke up. “But Your Majesty, what about trade with the mages? They're asking for an immediate answer about the tariffs.”

“Let's try to hold off on diplomatic issues as much as possible. If the mages have ears, they will have heard of our situation, and if they haven't, we can use it as a justification for our delayed response. The more time we use to make our decisions, the higher the quality of results.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I'll inform them.”

Lucio was a diligent emperor, so there weren't that many immediate issues Patrizia needed to solve right away. She inwardly admired his work ethic, then she moved on to the next topic.

“There is a major drought in the northwestern part of the country, and reports say the damage is significant. The local lords are asking for assistance. How much can we offer them?”

Another noble spoke. It was Viscount Philistine, who worked in the finance ministry. “Your Majesty, with all due respect, the Imperial treasury is low on funds at the moment. The floods in the southeast have cost a lot of money, and there have been frequent invasions from the north. If we spend money on aid, it will put us in a precarious financial situation.”

“So we don't have the money for aid, Viscount?”

Viscount Philistine shook his head, as they were still burdened with big expenses. “No one can guarantee what will happen, but the Imperial Treasury is currently underfunded. Sending aid will empty the coffers. The revenue is fixed, but spending is always high, so please use wise judgment.”

Patrizia pondered on it for a moment. The dilemma was that there was no money, but relief had to be provided. She soon spoke.

“Then we must provide aid while using as little money from the treasury as possible…and I only know of one way. Is my line of thinking wrong?”

It was impossible to tax the people any more. The Mavinous Empire already imposed high taxes on its subjects, and if it raised them any further, it could lead to rebellion. A small one was easy to suppress, but any unrest was bad for the Empire. Patrizia's eyes swept over the room nobles.

“In my judgment, I have no choice but to collect taxes from the nobility. What are your opinions?”

The treasury was already low on money, and there were still more expenses to cover. Shouldn't those with massive wealth pay a little in gold? The nobles of the Mavinous Empire currently paid no taxes, and Patrizia thought this sacrifice for them was only natural if they truly cared for the Empire. Of course, the nobility may think differently. The Imperial Family and nobles were not always aligned.

“Your Majesty, that's not a bad idea. It would be easier to share the burden if it's spread across all nobles.”

“I agree, Your Majesty.”

However, the nobles were eager to agree, as they wanted to curry early favor with the new regent. Patrizia smiled inwardly, filing away the names and faces of those who sympathized with her. She was sure she could use them someday.

“Very well then. Is everyone in agreement?” she said calmly.

“Your Majesty,” someone interrupted. She tried to guess who it was, and she turned her head towards the voice. The reveal surprised her.

“Duke Ephreney.”

The Duke stood up to speak. “The nobility of the Mavinous Empire pay no taxes. Are you going to break that long tradition?” Even as Duke Ephreney spoke, he did not seem angry. Patrizia sensed there was a stronger reason he opposed the issue, and she asked him for an explanation.

“What do you mean by breaking tradition, Duke? That is not a fair characterization. This is based on the fact that the Empire is in a bad financial situation, and the nobles can afford to share the burden together. I don't intend to break tradition. How can we call ourselves an Empire if we don't share such difficulties?”

“It may be one situation, but at some point down the line, it will be expected for the nobility to pay taxes.”

“The nobles of the finance ministry know the Empire's financial situation better than anyone else. If this happens again in the future, the question will be the same now. What is it that worries you?”

“What if this temporary fear will create a permanent practice?” Duke Ephreney argued. “I don't know about the higher nobles, but the lower nobles may oppose this measure.”

“We will collect taxes according to wealth, of course. A wealthier noble will pay more, and a lesser noble will pay less. I understand that other countries also use a progressive tax system,” Patrizia explained patiently. “Am I wrong, Duke?”

“Not at all, Your Majesty. You are right,” Viscount Philistine chimed in, and Patrizia was buoyed by his support. She continued.

“So then, Duke, what is your point? Does this mean that the Imperial Family must cover all the costs even when the treasury is empty?”

“I—” Duke Ephreney began.

“Then tell me, Duke. I do not like criticism without being given alternative options. If you have the right one, I will follow your advice without a word of opposition. However, I believe it is irresponsible to object recklessly without suggesting any alternatives. Does a duke of the Empire have no such concept?”

“…I apologize, Your Majesty. I wasn't thinking.”

Patrizia looked down at the Duke Ephreney, then soon spoke again.

“In the future, tell me of other available options. I am always ready to accept if it's the right choice. But in the present situation, the fact that the nobles do not share the burden may eventually lead to the collapse of the Empire. Do you wish for that, Duke?”

“Of course not, Your Majesty. I am loyal to the Mavinous Empire, and I do not want that outcome. I was short of thought.”

Patrizia once again fixed the duke with a stare. Not everyone had to agree with her, but if the Empire was at risk, no special status could be guaranteed. Politics, by its very nature, was a fierce struggle to ensure one's own personal interest. The willingness to make sacrifices without complaint stemmed from a broad vision for the future. To Patrizia, it was strange that Duke Ephreney opposed her words without offering alternatives.

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Chapter end