Dragon Monarch System

Chapter 1214: Chapter 1214:- Former Prime Minister and Chief Steward

Before Roy left the Imperial Royal Palace, he went to meet his old best friend, McDominy. The two old men had known each other for countless years (even before Roy became the Prime Minister).

Once they sat down together, their conversation naturally became a nostalgic one. They spoke about their younger days, the people they had worked alongside, the problems they had faced together, and what they now remembered as the golden years of their lives.

For a while, neither man seemed particularly interested in discussing the present. But eventually, as their conversation slowly moved from the distant past toward recent events, McDominy’s expression became increasingly serious.

There was one matter that had been bothering him for some time. McDominy carefully looked around and made sure that none of the servants or guards was close enough to overhear them. Only after confirming that they were completely alone did he turn toward Roy.

“Before I ask you something, I want to make one thing clear. For this conversation, I am not the Chief Steward of the Imperial Royal Palace, and you are no longer the Prime Minister of the Celestial Dragon Empire.” Hearing this, Roy raised an eyebrow.

But McDominy continued as he knew he was the only person with whom he could have this conversation, and he came here at the perfect time. “We are simply two old friends having a private conversation about the current political situation of our homeland. Nothing you say here will leave this room.”

Roy remained confused for a moment by the sudden seriousness of his old friend, but eventually nodded. “Alright. Ask.”

McDominy remained silent for a few seconds before finally speaking. “I have heard the rumors surrounding the exiled Crown Prince. More specifically, his claim that His Former Majesty Emperor Alen and Her Former Majesty Empress Elena were placed under mind control by Emperor Ren.”

“How much truth do you think there is to that claim?” Hearing this, Roy’s expression immediately froze. For a moment, Roy did not answer.

He could not immediately determine whether McDominy was genuinely asking for his opinion or whether his old friend was secretly trying to understand where Roy stood politically in the ongoing civil war.

But after thinking about it, Roy decided to answer honestly. His political standing did not really matter, as he had zero involvement in this civil war. “You have remained in the Capital this entire time. More importantly, you are the Chief Steward of the Imperial Royal Palace. If anything, you probably have more practical insight into that question than I do.”

McDominy understood what Roy meant. He was one of the people most familiar with what happened inside the Imperial Royal Palace. He knew how Alen and Elena had behaved before Ren became Emperor. He had witnessed how their lives changed afterwards, how isolated they had become, and how severely access to them had been restricted.

Roy, on the other hand, had spent nearly six months away from the Celestial Dragon Empire. “I have stayed away from the Empire for close to six months now. Most of what I know about recent events comes from information I have heard from others. So I cannot personally prove whether Aditya’s accusation is true.”

Roy paused before his expression became considerably more serious. “But if it is true, then we have a much greater problem than simply deciding whether Ren is a good or bad Emperor.”

“If Emperor Ren truly used mind control to force His Former Majesty Emperor Alen into surrendering the throne, then according to the Laws of the Crown, Ren was never legally qualified to become Emperor in the first place.”

Hearing this, McDominy’s expression changed slightly. Roy deliberately did not point at his old friend or accuse him of anything. Instead, he spoke about the matter purely from the perspective of Imperial Law.

“Anyone who has served at the highest levels of this Empire knows this. The Imperial Crown and the Imperial Throne are not ordinary objects. They recognise the legitimate succession of the ruler.”

“If the previous Emperor willingly abdicates and transfers his authority to a successor recognised under Imperial Law, there is no problem. But if that authority is obtained through force, coercion, or control over the previous Emperor’s mind, then the succession itself becomes illegitimate.”

Roy leaned back slightly before taking a sip of the tea. “In that situation, Ren did not receive the throne through Alen’s free choice. He forced that choice to happen.”

“And if that is what happened, then there is a reason the Imperial Crown refuses to recognise him and the Imperial Throne refuses to accept him as its rightful master.”

Roy’s next words were even heavier. “If Aditya can prove beyond doubt that Ren used mind control on His Former Majesty Emperor Alen and Her Former Majesty Empress Elena, then Ren’s claim to the throne becomes invalid under the Laws of the Crown. And once that truth is officially established, continuing to knowingly support Ren’s claim as the rightful Emperor would no longer simply be a political choice.”

Roy seriously looked at McDominy. “Under Imperial Law, it could be considered treason against the Celestial Dragon Empire itself.”

After hearing Roy’s thoughts on the matter, McDominy fell into deep thought. For a while, the old man remained completely silent. Roy did not interrupt him. He could tell from his best friend’s expression that McDominy was carefully considering everything he had just heard.

Eventually, McDominy released a quiet sigh. “Look, I’ll be honest with you. Ever since the exiled Crown Prince returned and openly declared his intention to remove Ren from power, His Majesty gave me very specific instructions regarding His Former Majesty Emperor Alen and Her Former Majesty Empress Elena.”

“I was ordered to make sure that neither of them left their residence. They were to remain confined inside their mansion, and access to them was heavily restricted.”

Roy’s eyes narrowed slightly. ‘This isn’t good!’ He was beginning to worry about how Aditya would react to seeing this with his own eyes.

However, McDominy quickly explained the reason he had been given. “According to His Majesty, this was not because he intended to use them as hostages. He told me that he wanted to protect them from learning what was happening outside.”

“Protect them?” Roy asked as if he had misheard. For a moment, he wondered if his friend had become an idiot.

But McDominy nodded. “His Majesty said that the return of their failed son would only bring them unnecessary pain. According to him, Aditya had returned after years of exile and immediately dragged the Celestial Dragon Empire into a civil war. He believed that if His Former Majesty Emperor Alen and Her Former Majesty Empress Elena learned about everything that was happening, the news would deeply hurt both of them.”

McDominy’s expression became complicated as he repeated the explanation he had been given. “So His Majesty ordered that information regarding Aditya’s return and the civil war be kept away from them as much as possible. He said there was no reason to make them suffer through the entire conflict when there was nothing they could do about it.”

“His Majesty told me that once the civil war was over, he would personally return and have a proper conversation with both of them about everything that had happened.”

McDominy became silent again. That was the official explanation Ren had given him. Whether McDominy still completely believed that explanation was another matter entirely.

Hearing McDominy’s explanation, Roy remained silent for a while. His mind naturally returned to everything he had seen from Aditya today, beginning from the moment they met at the reception of the Silver Moon Inn until the moment they separated inside the Imperial Royal Palace.

Throughout that entire time, Roy had carefully observed Aditya. And there was one conclusion he had reached. Aditya’s intentions toward his parents were genuine.

There had been no hesitation or false concern in his words whenever Alen and Elena were mentioned. The young man was risking his own life by entering the Imperial Royal Palace because he genuinely wanted to save his parents.

The same could be said about his intentions toward the Celestial Dragon Empire. Roy had spent countless years surrounded by politicians, nobles, faction leaders, and members of the Imperial Family. He had met far too many people who pretended to care about the Empire while secretly being driven by nothing but ambition.

He could usually recognise that kind of hunger. Yet Roy had seen no genuine greed in Aditya’s eyes when he spoke about the Imperial Throne. If anything, Aditya seemed to view becoming Emperor of the Celestial Dragon Empire as another responsibility that he would eventually have to carry rather than some glorious prize he desperately desired.

Ren gave Roy a completely different impression. Ren craved power and control. And ever since becoming Emperor, almost everything he had done seemed centred around strengthening his own authority and ensuring that everything remained under his control.

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