The Duke's Passion

"Claude, will you accept the title of being the new Earl of Monarey?"

There was a long silence in the meeting room, with their eyes slowly dilating. Heliot smirked in amusement upon hearing Samael's straight question. He had already known Samael was capable, and he just needed enough motivation and drive to embrace this role of the emperor.

"You are sending this child to the damn north?" Klaus was the first to break the ice, slamming his hand on the table as he abruptly stood up. "Hell, what the hell are you thinking?!"

"Klaus, you're not the person I am talking to."

"How can you -- "

"I will accept it." Klaus halted as he gazed down at Claude in disbelief. Claude didn't look up at him. Instead, he stared at Samael solemnly.

"Your Majesty, I will accept the title and fulfill my duties to the best of my abilities in one condition." He negotiated directly, without a second hesitation.

"Tell me."

Claude took a deep breath and glanced at Klaus. "I want Uncle Klaus to assist me."

"Granted." Samael nodded just as quickly as Claude's request. He had already planned to send Klaus with Claude, to begin with.

"Klaus, Claude may be a child, but he had proven his capabilities repeatedly. It will be an insult if you keep treating him as a child instead of a man." He glanced at Claude and then set his eyes back to Klaus. "You will assist the new Earl of Monarey. Everything the new Earl needs, the empire will assist him, I can assure you with that."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Claude smiled subtly before reaching for Klaus' hand. "Uncle, I want this job."

Klaus studied Claude's expression to see if he was simply accepting this because of fear. Alas, the fire behind the youth's eyes blazed as if he truly wanted this job. So, he could only let out a sigh and take a seat.

"Then, I guess I have to pack a lot of clothes to fight the cold," he murmured helplessly, making Claude giggle.

"About Grimsbanne..." Pleased that Claude and Klaus had accepted this offer, Samael raised his gaze to the others. It was obvious that Samael's conversation with Claude surprised them.

"Yul," he called and Yul flinched. "You will be in charge of Grimsbanne."

"What? Me?" Yul gasped in shock, gazing back at him with disbelief in his eyes.

"You've assisted Lilou. I'm certain you are very familiar with Grimsbanne's state of affairs. So, I want you to inherit the title of the Duke."

"Wait --!" 

"This time, I won't take no as an answer, Yul."

Yul's breath hitched as Samael's eyes glinted menacingly. Unlike his lenient attitude towards Claude, Samael wouldn't take no for an answer. 

"Hell... why would you... entrust me with your fief?" came out a muffled inquiry while staring at Samael blankly.

Samael cleared his throat and glanced at Rufus. "Because we can't entrust our beloved Grimsbanne just to anyone. What do you think, Rufus?"

"I think the ninth prince is the best person to handle Grimsbanne." Rufus voiced out sternly, nodding in agreement.

"You..."

"Now that the north and west are settled..." Samael then continued, even though Yulis hadn't wrapped this news around his head.

"I haven't even accepted yet..." Yulis murmured in disbelief, unconsciously listening to Samael's voice, only for his eyes to dilate a second later.

"... Silvia, you will guard the east." Samael's eyes were on Silvia again. "The east had been plagued with a long drought and food shortage. I want you to resolve this problem."

"What...?" she scoffed in disbelief. "You want me to resolve the drought that had plagued the east for 50 years?"

Samael nodded slowly. "You are smart, Silvia. Stefan had caged you in this palace for a long time."

"Hell, how can I..." her breath hitched, gazing down as her task was far more challenging than Yul's and dealing with the freezing north. "I've never been to the east."

"I trust in you, sister." She gazed up upon hearing Samael's gentle voice. The latter offered an encouraging smile.

"I won't task the east to you if I know you can't do it. Believe in yourself, for the emperor also believed in you." Samael uttered with conviction, making her bite her lip before nodding. "I will prepare your lounging and everything you need in the east."

"Th — thank you, Your Majesty." Silvia stammered, having mixed emotions for this acknowledgment she never received in the past. All she had done so far was to be pretty and erase and alter people's memories. For her to do something so important made her feel thrilled and anxious at the same time. 

"Now that is settled..."

"How about the south, Your Majesty?" Noah raised his hand, as it seemed the discussion would come to an end.

Samael pressed his lips and hummed a long tune. "I will stay there. I planned on staying in Minowa in the south."

"In Minowa?" Cameron questioned while everyone creased their brows. "Isn't that a bit? No, it was too far from the capital? Minowa is the end of the south, Your Grace — I mean, Your Majesty. It is so far that it barely looks like it is under the Empire."

"That's why I am staying there, Marquess Cameron. Minowa is the farthest land from the Capital. I'd like my child and wife to be as far away as possible from the capital." Samael answered as a matter-of-fact. "Moreover, since the south is so far, the previous king paid little attention to it. I'm curious and I want to see it for myself what shocking truth is rotting in that desolate Earldom."

Silence dawned upon them as they grasped the conclusion of this meeting. With their new titles and duties to fulfill, it gave them mixed emotions. Not to mention, the emperor's chosen place to dwell, Minowa in the South.

"That's all. Send out invitations to those people who want an audience with me and hasten the succession of the throne." Samael clapped, snapping them all back to the current lapse. "I expect you to be prepared until then."

He didn't wait for them to react as Samael gazed at Rufus, and then at Dominique and Jayden. "Follow me."

And with that, the meeting ended with everyone's head buzzing from everything.

But that was only the beginning.

None of them knew at this time that planting them into those places would only make the Great Heart Empire impregnable than ever.