Although the Blue Dawn Empire’s new administration seemed well prepared to face the flood of citizens rushing to see what their empress would decide to do with their ‘public enemy number one’, there was only so much that ‘being prepared’ could do.
The sheer discrepancy between the number of people who could stand together below the elevated platform Emilia was supposed to appear on without being suffocated to death, and those who eagerly wanted to join, was simply too much.
Fortunately, the higher-ups had already foreseen such a possibility, and quickly ordered the latecomers to go back and watch the broadcast on either the TV or the internet.
As it was phrased as a ‘request from the empress to her people’, most could only walk away, disappointed in themselves for only rushing over six hours before the announced time.
Luckily, the empire’s administration had already set up many large broadcast screens in various public spots, making it so that most people didn’t have to rush back to their homes immediately.
A few clever ones couldn’t help but spot the glowing white prancing deer logo on the slim frames of the giant screens, feeling a little uneasy in their hearts.
Below one of the largest screens not far from the central plaza, a man who had briefly joined the rebellion before couldn’t help but nudge his wife. “Our empress wouldn’t be bullied by her family, right?”
The woman frowned in disapproval. “What, are you doubting her?! I’m sure that no matter how they try, no one can force our princess to do things she doesn’t want!”
Her husband couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “It’s the empress, now!”
While there was no need to fear that Emilia would punish them for this kind of slight misstep, they didn’t want her to think they didn’t acknowledge her or something.
After all, if their empress misunderstood them and ran away, it would really be too late for them to cry in regret! Where else would they find someone so capable and cute?
The woman’s furiously defensive posture immediately collapsed as she blushed. “Ah, oops, sorry… I still haven’t gotten used to it. Empress, huh… it’s good and all, but… she’s just… too adorable! Ahh, I can’t picture her as an empress at all!”
Feeling the mixture of both approving and admonishing glares from the people around them, the husband could only wave his hands apologetically. “We’re sorry, folks. My wife is just too much of a fangirl, she doesn’t think before she speaks.”
Most people seemed to understand, and some even came forward to socialize with them while waiting for the empress to go live on the screen.
Fortunately, the screen flickered to show the prepared platform for their empress before the discussions could get too ‘heated’, immediately diverting everyone’s attention.
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In the past, the central plaza was sometimes used by the government to organize public shows and performances, so not only was there an elevated platform, but also a very well-equipped preparatory area ‘backstage’.
Earlier in the morning, Emilia had already arrived at this backstage area along with her closest friends and subordinates, and started briefing them over the finer details of what she needed done.
Of course, after everything was set, the crimson-haired beauty still had to dress up before facing the people waiting outside.
After all, while she might look good in just about anything, this might be a crucial moment in Blue Dawn’s history, and Emilia didn’t want to appear too casual.
But since she was too busy with other things, she had handed the matter of getting a suitable dress to Noelle.
Knowing her, even if the gray-haired girl didn’t prepare a thousand suitable options, there would still be more than enough for Emilia to find one that would be perfect for the occasion.
What she never expected, however, was for Noelle to prepare just one dress for her. Moreover…
”Are you seriously asking me to wear this?!”
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Whether it was the people waiting in the central plaza or those in front of their screens, most of them could be broadly classified into three categories.
The first and the smallest group consisted of those who just wanted to listen to Emilia, and didn’t really care about anything else.
The second group was of those who wanted to know what she planned to do with the matter of the old president.
And finally, the third group consisted of those who simply wanted to observe the matter to see what kind of decisions they could expect out of this upstart empress.
It didn’t take long after the broadcast started for Emilia to arrive on the stage, and the moment she did… all three of these groups couldn’t help but momentarily unite into one, and gasp in admiration.
No matter what they thought of her as a person — silly, cute, stupid, evil, kind, or cunning — there was no doubt that Empress Emilia had a breathtaking beauty that could dazzle the eyes for a lifetime with just one glance.
Although Emilia felt that the dress that had been prepared by Noelle for this ‘special occasion’ was a bit over the top at first, after putting it on, she realized that she quite liked it, and the reaction of everyone who saw her only confirmed her thoughts.
The full-sleeved backless design, along with the netted artwork of blue roses over the dark gauze, was undoubtedly gorgeous. Even if she was asked to embroider them herself, the crimson-haired girl wasn’t sure if she could do any better.
The only problem was just the excessively long flowing train bottom of the dress. Usually, Emilia simply didn’t like anything that lowered her mobility or restricted her movements in any way.
But after Noelle showed her how the long train could be easily detached, turning it into a battle dress in less than three seconds, Emilia immediately fell in love.
Of course, for those who already hated her, even if they acknowledged her as one of the most gorgeous girls they had ever seen, it only made them detest her more.
After all, the prettier she looked on the outside, the more hideous her heart must be on the inside, or so went their thoughts.
But as the crowd in the plaza consisted solely of Emilia’s most hard-core fans in the empire, what she saw and heard were only cheers of overwhelming support and admiration.
”Princess, you look gorgeous!”
”Breathtaking!”
”I love you, princess!”
”Empress Emilia forever!”
Fortunately, the crimson-haired beauty had excellent hearing, or she may not be able to listen to such wonderful words after they were drowned out by thousands of overexcited ‘Kyaa!’s.
Emilia grinned happily at the excited cheers from the crowd, and tapped the mic twice with her ornamental scepter. “Do you like how I look in this dress? See, you can’t say I don’t look like an empress now, right? Of course, I don’t mind even if you call me a princess forever.”
The oppressive and detached aura from Emilia’s overwhelming beauty was immediately lifted from the crowd with her words, and they cheered with even more excitement.
”Princess!”
”Princess!!”
Had Noelle not had enough self-control, she could have already started shaking her head in exasperation. ‘Why does this feel so much like a concert?’
Not only were there fanatic fans all around, but even the way that the crimson-haired girl interacted with them resembled an idol more than a head of state.
Of course, Emilia didn’t care about any of that, and only smiled happily while adjusting her exquisite diamond crown. “I won’t deny how good it feels to hear your praises, but if you do it too much, my head might get big, you know?”
She enjoyed the peals of joyful laughter and the scattered amused remarks before signaling them to calm down.
”I wish we could just have fun all day, but unfortunately, there is much to be done before we can get to that point. After all, although I do hold a scepter in my hand today, it sadly doesn’t do magic.”
Her gaze turned serious. “Even before the rebellion, the goal I had while arriving in Blue Dawn had always been to change it from a place where everyone was suffering, to one where people could truly be happy.”
There was a moment of tense silence in the crowd.
Although their situation seemed stable right now, the smarter ones in the crowd obviously knew this was just an illusion.
The government coffers and resources had simply been released too generously by their empress after she took the throne, but this kind of setup obviously couldn’t be made permanent.
After all, even if she had the support of the White Deer Corporation, their empress couldn’t borrow resources from them endlessly.
The crimson-haired beauty sighed. “Of course, this happiness will come at a cost. We will have to work hard, and also make some sacrifices, but I believe in my people, just as you believe in me.”
The crowd immediately boiled as fervent oaths and heartfelt pledges started ringing in Emilia’s ears, making her clutch the scepter tightly, feeling a little touched in her heart.
Regardless of anything else, the fact that her ‘children’ were so gracious and grateful was enough to make her previously regal expression melt into a gentle smile. “Then, today, I will let you know all the changes I intend to make so that the future of our Blue Dawn Empire can be brighter.”
The people who were only watching the broadcast to see how she would deal with the old president could only be left scratching their heads in confusion. “Wait a minute, is she going to just ignore what happened yesterday? Was the timing really just a coincidence?”
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