To the Love Born in the Lowest Place-Chapter 172

Emmett succeeded in finding the court physician who had previously seen Liv. When the physician was dragged before his eyes, he instinctively knew the physician had done something. The physician was trembling excessively.

There was no need to interrogate the physician using ’August’s methods’. Frightened by Liv becoming the new Emperor, he spilled information freely before Emmett could even ask.

According to him, while he was working as a court physician for the Lartman family, the Emperor’s people approached him. They threatened him using his family and ordered him to report all unusual matters within the family. When he discovered during an examination that Liv was infertile, he kept it secret from the Lartman couple and reported it directly to the Emperor, then quit and ran away afterward, afraid of what he had done.

While hearing this, Emmett wore an expression that suggested he could kill someone at any moment, causing the physician to tremble and beg for his life. Emmett naturally had no intention of sparing him, but consulting with Liv was the priority, so he honestly conveyed the facts to her.

Liv responded calmly and left the physician’s disposition to Emmett. So Emmett handled it in his way.

Thus, even the last ember left by August was resolved.

* * *

On an afternoon when warm sunlight streamed through the windows, familiar faces sat across from Liv.

Walter, the head of House Hamelsvoort, and Hayden, the head of House Schulze, had come to see her.

Perhaps because he had only enjoyed good things since Hamelsvoort Marquisate was recognized as a meritorious family and regained its rights, Walter’s already handsome face now shone. Hayden’s face, which always gave off a sharp and sensitive impression, had also softened.

"Well, is everyone doing well?"

To Liv’s question, Walter answered with a gentle smile.

"Of course, Your Majesty. Thanks to you, we’re doing well without lacking anything."

"The lack of lack is the problem."

Hayden cut in with a playful face.

"These days when you go to social gatherings, noble young ladies line up."

"Haha, what are you saying."

"Your Majesty, I’m not speaking figuratively, they really do line up!"

Liv chuckled at those words. She knew that Walter was the most eligible bachelor in current society, but hearing about it from Hayden was more interesting.

"Lord Hamelsvoort, is it true that you calculate your dances to interact fairly with noble young ladies? I hear you record everything when you get home?"

"...It’s just to prevent rumors with any one person. And I don’t record anything!"

Laughing at seeing Walter getting caught up in Hayden’s teasing, Liv subtly threw him a question.

"So, Lord Hamelsvoort, is there really no lady you fancy?"

"Your Majesty, why you too?"

"Well, you’ll eventually have to marry to continue the Hamelsvoort line anyway."

"...Won’t I marry a young lady from a suitable family?"

After saying that, Walter hesitated before revealing what seemed to be his true feelings that he had buried inside.

"To be honest, if it were the old me, I would have calculated which marriage would most efficiently advance my future. Having repeated several lives and married various noble ladies, it wouldn’t have been difficult to calculate which of them would be most helpful to my current self."

"Hmm."

"But now I don’t want to do that anymore. How should I put it, I learned from watching Your Majesty."

"Ah, did you come to believe in the power of love through Your Majesty?"

"Not quite to that extent, but I did learn that sometimes you can reach the right answer by being honest with your own feelings."

A smile appeared on Liv’s lips as she heard Walter’s answer.

"I’m glad you seem to have become a much more positive person than before."

When he first returned to the Hamelsvoort County, Walter harbored mixed feelings of love and hate towards Liv, and tended to think about everything in complicated ways and speak sarcastically. But now Walter had become more positive in his outlook on the world and more honest with his own feelings, which was a good thing.

"So I’m just going to wait. If I wait patiently, I’m sure I’ll meet my destined person."

"That’s right."

Now Liv and Walter’s eyes were fixed on Hayden. Having talked about Walter, wasn’t it Hayden’s turn next?

"Lord Schulze, is there no one for you?"

"Your Majesty, you know there’s only you for me for life."

Hayden tried to dodge with a glib voice, but Walter, who had just been teased by Hayden, didn’t miss this opportunity.

"What are you saying, Lord Schulze? Don’t you need to continue your family line?"

"Haha, like Lord Walter, I’m just waiting for the right time."

It was a transparently obvious excuse, but Liv was amused enough by the situation that she decided not to press him further. Their marriage matters were personal affairs, so it wasn’t her place to interfere.

"Lord Hamelsvoort, is Hilda doing well?"

"Yes, of course she’s doing well. Among the noble young ladies, she could be considered the most powerful."

"That’s good."

"How are things between Your Majesty and Grand Duke Lartman? Has he done anything wrong?"

"Don’t worry, we’re doing well."

"If any problems arise, you can come to Hamelsvoort. After all, this is your family home, isn’t it?"

As Walter had disliked Emmett from before, he seemed sincere. While Walter disliked Emmett partly for once having been on August’s side, it seemed he didn’t like him much simply for having married Liv.

After exchanging all their personal news, they now moved on to the main topic.

"Your Majesty, I’ve traveled throughout the country collecting rumors about descendants of the Gracia family."

"I’ve looked into whether there are any descendants who left the Holy Hilysid Empire and investigated various records."

At Hayden and Walter’s successive reports, Liv’s expression tensed. She had ordered them to investigate descendants of the Gracia family. Since Liv couldn’t bear children, she needed an heir to succeed her. And there weren’t many people she could trust with this important and secret task.

"There wasn’t much information in the records. Your Majesty appears to be the only Gracia descendant. We found some distant relatives around eighth cousins, but that would be meaningless anyway."

In the Holy Hilysid Empire, incest was forbidden, and as could be seen from the fact that even marriages between first cousins were restricted, eighth cousins were generally not recognized as blood relations.

"As a result of collecting rumors, I met these couple of people who claimed to have Gracia blood mixed in..."

As Hayden began speaking, Liv swallowed hard. However, what followed was equally disappointing.

"There was no way to prove they were Gracia descendants. They don’t exist in family trees or official records, and they don’t have the characteristic white hair of the Gracias."

"I see..."

If even Walter and Hayden said it was difficult, Liv’s attempt to find Gracia descendants had failed. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

Of course, Liv didn’t think the Gracia line absolutely had to continue. Even neighboring countries had changed their royal families several times. The Gracia imperial family, which had produced 28 emperors from one family except for the traitor August, was an unusual case.

However, the problem was the Holy Hilysid Empire after the disappearance of a legitimate emperor. The reason no one challenged Liv’s throne was because she was a descendant of the divinely blessed Gracia family and a legitimate emperor recognized by all people. But after Liv’s death, there would be no emperor candidate that everyone could agree on, and no matter whom Liv designated as the next emperor, fights might break out to usurp the throne. Then this country would fall into chaos.

"Then what should I do?"

When Liv spoke in a dejected voice, Walter was the first to speak.

"The most conventional approach would be to pass the throne to a Lartman collateral line. They’re an imperial family and currently the highest noble family. While we can’t say there won’t be any disputes when Lartman inherits the throne, they’re the most powerful family so there would be less criticism."

"I see. Are there other options?"

"Yes, this would face the least resistance..."

Walter opened his mouth in a voice that suggested even he found it awkward to make such a suggestion.

"What if Your Majesty pretended to be pregnant and adopted a newborn, pretending to have given birth?"

"Oh..."

"Lord Hamelsvoort, you’re even more out of your mind than me? It’s hard to find someone like this."

"Be quiet."

"No, how did you even come up with such an idea? Have you used this method in any of your past lives?"

"No, so be quiet."

Liv’s mouth fell open at this completely unexpected suggestion. As Hayden teased mischievously, Walter got annoyed with him before adding as if making an excuse.

"Of course, it’s not a solution I’m recommending... It would be difficult for Your Majesty, and it would be hard to keep the people who know about it quiet."

"Yes, there are spies everywhere. That’s not really a good method..."

In the end, they were back to square one with the solution. That is, passing the throne to the Lartman family.

"I’ll think about it more for now. Thank you for considering this with me."

"If you need help, we’ll cooperate anytime."

"I’m also always on Your Majesty’s side."

After finishing their conversation, Liv sank back into thought. How could she resolve the issue of succession to the throne...