Reincarnated as a boss tyrant in the game

Sauron was calculating in his heart that if he could manage these manors well, perhaps they could provide stable financial support for his future plans. Wasn't his mother's money essentially his own?

Therefore, he planned to take some time in the coming days to understand the management of these manors and see if there was room for improvement.

Sauron gazed intently at Empress Maria, asking with a hint of curiosity and anticipation, "Mother, do you have any other royal manors under your name? Please rest assured, I have some experience in manor management and might be able to improve their operations."

Empress Maria did not overthink it. She nodded slightly and said casually, "I do have six more royal manors under my name. However, the harvests from these manors have never been ideal, with an average annual income of only a few hundred gold coins per manor."

Upon hearing this number, Sauron initially widened his eyes, clearly somewhat surprised. Then, his expression quickly darkened, and his brow furrowed.

The number of royal manors under Empress Maria's name was definitely among the highest in the palace. Yet, each manor's annual income was only a few hundred gold coins.

This was simply unbelievable.

A strong suspicion arose in Sauron's heart. He believed that there must be something fishy going on, and it was likely that someone was embezzling the manor's profits.

He was determined to thoroughly investigate this matter, to recover the losses for Empress Maria, and also to pave the way for his own future plans.

Seeing Sauron's dark expression, Maria thought he was worried about the manor's income situation and comforted him, "Sauron, you don't need to worry about money..."

Sauron interrupted her. His expression became even more solemn as he said in a deep voice, "Mother, the problem is not as you think. I suspect that someone in your manor is embezzling the profits."

Empress Maria was slightly stunned upon hearing this, and then a sharp light flashed in her eyes. Although she lived in the depths of the palace and did not concern herself with worldly affairs, it did not mean that she could be bullied by others. She said coldly, "So that's how it is. I understand. I will take a trip out of the palace tomorrow to inspect these manors myself and see who has the audacity to try to take advantage of me."

Sauron nodded, admiring Maria's decisiveness. He knew that families with few members often faced such a dilemma—family members could only be responsible for important industries and positions, while many peripheral industries had to be entrusted to outsiders for management.

Over time, various problems would naturally arise.

Moreover, for someone like Maria, who had not set foot in the royal manor for five or six years, the entire manor had almost become the domain of those manor stewards.

It was not appropriate for him to intervene in this matter for the time being, and it could only be handled by Maria herself.

While the two were chatting in Empress Maria's bedroom, a sudden decree came from Gustav, announcing that the Wink Royal Manor would be bestowed upon Sauron.

This news instantly caused a huge uproar in the palace, and the concubines who had originally been doubtful and hopeful were completely blown away.

Empress Maria and Nicholas were both shocked when they heard this decree.

They had originally been carefully planning how to "borrow" the Wink Royal Manor from Sauron's hands, because in their view, Gustav had not explicitly stated that he would bestow the manor upon Sauron, but only temporarily handed it over to him for management. However, Gustav's decree had completely disrupted their plans.

Now that the ownership of Wink Royal Manor had been clarified, it would be tantamount to blatant robbery for Nicholas to "borrow" the manor.

For a prince to openly seize property under the emperor's nose was simply a blatant challenge to the emperor's authority.

They couldn't imagine what the consequences would be if they really did that.

At this moment, Empress Maria and Nicholas both felt flustered. They knew that their original plan had completely failed, and they now had to reconsider their strategy.

But under Gustav's strong hand, they seemed to have little choice. They could only watch helplessly as Sauron became the new owner of Wink Royal Manor, while they could only secretly regret and feel helpless.

The sound of the magic broadcast continued to echo, echoing in the empty palace, like a kind of ruthless mockery, leaving Empress Maria and Nicholas only able to feel frustrated and angry.

At the same time, the faces of the other concubines were also unusually ugly, and everyone's heart was filled with unease and anxiety.

Especially Empress Nina, who had always had great ambitions, dreaming of one day becoming the Empress Dowager.

Reality, however, poured a bucket of cold water on her. Her eldest son, Samuel, was not favored by the emperor, and her second son, Williams, had only been born for a short time. The throne seemed out of reach for her.

"Sister!" At this critical moment, Princess Wenna hurried over. She was Empress Nina's younger sister and had just entered the palace a few years ago. Her eldest daughter was only a few years old, so naturally she had no hope of competing for the throne. Therefore, she decided to fully assist her sister Nina, sharing both honor and disgrace.

When Empress Nina saw her sister's arrival, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes. During her pregnancy, in order to win favor, she had brought Wenna into the palace to serve Gustav.

The two sisters worked together and were indeed deeply favored by the emperor.

Over the years, the two sisters supported each other and gradually formed a force second only to the Queen, and their families rose as a result.

At this moment, Empress Nina felt unprecedented pressure. She knew that the struggle for the throne was intensifying, and all she relied on was the emperor's favor and the support of her family.

Under Sauron's strong rise, these seemed insignificant. She didn't know how to deal with the situation before her and could only hope that her sister Wenna could advise her and jointly deal with this battle for the crown prince.

Nina took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and then asked her sister, "Wenna, what do you think we should do next?"

Princess Wenna frowned upon hearing this. Although she had not been in the palace for long, she knew the intrigues of the palace and the cruelty of the struggle for the throne. Looking at her sister Nina's anxious and expectant eyes, she couldn't help but sigh.

She pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Sister, the current situation is indeed unfavorable to us. Sauron's sudden acquisition of Wink Royal Manor is undoubtedly a great economic boost to him, and it also creates opportunities for him to cultivate his own power. His Majesty the Emperor seems to be paying more and more attention to him, which is a considerable threat to us."

Empress Nina nodded, agreeing with her sister's view. She continued, "I know we are in a difficult situation now. But we can't just give up like this. We must find a way to reverse this situation."

Princess Wenna pondered for a moment, then said, "Perhaps we can start with Sauron. After all, he has just risen, and Empress Maria doesn't like him, which means that his foundation is unstable. We can try to join forces with Empress Maria to suppress him."

A glimmer of light flashed in Empress Nina's eyes upon hearing this. She thought this idea might be feasible.

After all, if Sauron really rose, the first person to be threatened would be Nicholas, not them.

After all, Gustav still had at least a few decades to live. Others didn't know, but Nina was very clear that Gustav would soon break through to become an eighth-order knight instructor. They could afford to wait for the position of crown prince.

So, she nodded and decided to adopt her sister's suggestion. She said, "Okay, let's start with Empress Maria. Go arrange it and see if we can meet with her."

Princess Wenna nodded in agreement and then hurried away, preparing to arrange a meeting with Empress Maria. Empress Nina stood in place, looking deeply into the distance, secretly planning her next steps.