Chapter 389
Reign Behind a Curtain by Eivass
“Then, the Trade Minister didn’t respond further and simply sat down…”
Princess Isabel stood before Eivass’s bed, struggling to recall the details like a student being questioned by a teacher. She fidgeted uneasily, tugging at the hem of her clothes, as if transported back to the early days of her tutelage under Janis.
“Anything else?” Eivass asked casually, flipping through the meeting minutes. He hadn’t slept all night helping Isabel prepare. He had managed to catch four or five hours of sleep while she presided over the Round Table Conference. “Did you feel he was afraid?”
“He probably was. I even felt a sense of dread from him.”
“Alright, I understand.” A slight smile touched Eivass’s lips as he jotted notes in another book. “What about Mr. Mycroft?”
“Minister Hermes mentioned needing to bring in a new batch of Palace Staff. I thought it made sense; the ones hired during Grandmother’s reign should be replaced…” Isabel replied uncertainly. “I approved it right away… Is that okay?”
“It’s fine. Your judgment was accurate, and he’s the one who needs to handle it, to oversee the entire process. Otherwise, many unwanted eyes could get in, especially considering how aggressively you acted.” Eivass added, “On a related note, once he’s done with that, you should consider promoting him. It’s a waste of his abilities to only be Minister of Palace Affairs… Have him recommend a successor for his current position and give him a ministerial post with real power. Or he could be an administrative officer.”
“Also, Your Majesty, stop standing. You look so pitiful… Please, sit down quickly.”
Under Eivass’s amused admonishment, Isabel sat down on the edge of his bed. Lily, who had been quietly standing by the wall, brought them a cup of tea. Lily’s presence had become increasingly subtle; standing still, she resembled a shadow, imperceptible unless needed. Then, she would silently appear and deliver what was required. The Royal Staff serving Isabel couldn’t match Lily’s skill. It was precisely for this reason that Isabel hadn’t brought any personal attendants when she came to see Eivass. The fact that Eivass was advising her was a secret to be kept from others.
Eivass, meanwhile, fell into thought. He recalled noting down the name Sherlock after confirming his brother’s genius. Mycroft Hermes possessed the wisdom and talent to surpass most ministers, even Sherlock, yet he remained inconspicuous and low-key. His daily modus operandi was guided by four principles: “Not my business,” “Not your business,” “Get it done quickly,” and “I want to go home.”
According to the noble traditions of Avalon, talented individuals should be utilized to their fullest. If the Privy Council Minister’s position weren’t so difficult to replace, Mycroft could have held it. Eivass had deliberately tested the Minister of Camelot to gauge flexibility and confirm his stance. In the original storyline, after Avalon’s fall and Isabel’s subsequent restoration of the kingdom as a government-in-exile, the newly established Kingdom of the Blooming Flowers was named Camelot. When Isabel returned to a ruined Avalon to prepare for its restoration, the few native families who supported her were the Camelot family.
Eivass faintly remembered that Princess Isabel, through a grand ritual of the Version 0 Church, had sworn to marry the nation and gained immense power to control nature. As a consequence, she lost her ability to bear children. In a narrow sense, the Du Lac family line had ended then. The Camelot family had given their most talented heir as an adopted daughter to Isabel, becoming the sole princess of the Kingdom of Camelot. Eivass didn’t know what transpired in the interim, but ultimately, the Avalon Kingdom transformed into the Camelot Kingdom.
When Eivass first met his history professor, Professor Bard, he had indirectly inquired about this matter. However, Professor Bard either didn’t know this secret or, possibly, what he said was true: Galahad, the ancestor of the Camelot family, was indeed not Lancelot’s illegitimate child, and the adoption was merely due to the close relationship between the two families, with Eivass having a preconceived notion. Regardless, Avalon had, in the end, become Camelot. This naturally instilled a degree of animosity in Eivass towards the Camelot family. Perhaps they had done nothing wrong, and that event belonged to a future timeline that would no longer occur. Furthermore, they were among the few royal family members willing to support Isabel when she hadn’t yet shown the potential for restoration. Yet, emotionally, Eivass remained wary of them. From his current perspective, that elder was indeed a loyal subject.
“You don’t need to maintain a distant attitude towards the Minister of Camelot anymore,” Eivass instructed. “Of course, still be cautious—don’t reveal your true self in front of him. As for Mycroft…” Eivass fell into contemplation.
Isabel proposed, “What about the position of Deputy Speaker of the Privy Council?” The Speaker of the Privy Council was the Minister of Camelot. Members within the Privy Council were called ‘Advisors’ and were primarily responsible for assisting the monarch with state affairs. While the Round Table Hall resembled the British Parliament, it was fundamentally different. The most significant distinction was that the monarch held real power.
In most cases, the monarch did not participate in the Round Table Hall meetings. The Round Table Hall had many idle individuals who would relish holding meetings daily to discuss tedious proposals that could drag on for half a year. The Queen certainly didn’t have the time or energy to argue with them every day. In such instances, the Knight Commander of the Round Table, the Grand Arbitrator, or the Grand Judge would bring the Monarch’s Sword into the Round Table Hall—the short sword hanging on the wall of the Queen’s bedroom, a sister sword to the one within Haina. When this sword entered the Round Table Hall, it was as if the Queen herself were present.
The current Knight Commander of the Round Table was the Grand Guardian. The Grand Arbitrator was Meg, or rather, Lixia. Both were disinclined to attend meetings. Sometimes Lixia would passively observe but remain silent. When neither of them wished to attend, the Grand Judge would preside. The discussions in the Round Table Hall were merely for formal expression. All proposals discussed and voted upon would be compiled by the Privy Council Advisors, formally drafted, and then submitted to the Queen along with the meeting minutes and the Privy Council’s annotated recommendations. The Queen would then be responsible for signing to approve or reject these proposals. The most significant difference was that the monarch possessed a single veto right, which could be frequently exercised. From this perspective, the Privy Council could be understood as the Queen’s secretariat, akin to a cabinet. If the monarch were also considered an official handling state affairs, the Privy Council would be their administrative staff. The Minister of Camelot’s status was equivalent to that of a prime minister, and the Deputy Speaker’s status was equivalent to that of a deputy prime minister. Despite their usual low profile, they could undoubtedly influence the entire Avalon.
“That’s possible,” Eivass nodded slowly. “He is absolutely reliable and loyal to you. Appointing a minister is difficult, as one must step down for another to rise. However, administrative officers are easier to appoint. Firstly, remember to disband the Privy Council from Queen Sophia’s era. Retain only the Speaker and then bring Mycroft in. Let him and the Minister of Camelot jointly discuss new nominations for the Privy Council… His position as Minister of Palace Affairs doesn’t need to be relinquished for now; let him handle two tasks. Once he finds a replacement, you can try transferring him to the position of Keeper of the Royal Seal. Or you can keep him as Minister of Palace Affairs.”
Like the Minister of Affairs, the positions of Keeper of the Royal Seal and Minister of Affairs had not been filled for three consecutive monarchs. Currently, both were concurrently held by the Grand Judge. As the name suggests, the Keeper of the Royal Seal was the custodian of the Great Seal, responsible for safekeeping it and drafting and issuing various important government documents and decrees.
“Sigh, Your Majesty…” Looking at Isabel quietly listening to Eivass’s directives in the bedroom, Lixia sighed from her corner of the room. It was only because Eivass was trustworthy that this scene didn’t seem too bizarre. Just then, a hand emerged from a painting behind her and gently patted her shoulder. When Lixia looked over, the hand gestured for her to “come out.” Lixia, understanding immediately, quietly walked out.
