"I refuse to allow the emperor to make a mistake he will regret. I, Grand Minister Ferin, refuse to allow a rouge beta to become our empress. You are making your decisions in a moment of impulse, and I would hate to see you regret them in the future."
The older man confirmed and immediately felt the temperature of the surroundings fall.
All the other ministers looked afraid of their emperor's glare, but Grand Minister Ferin was not scared. After all, he had a secret weapon under his belt.
"Oh! So, you think you know what I want better than I know myself, Grand Minister Ferin?"
The emperor was getting pissed off. All the other ministers could tell how unhappy he was with the minister.
"I am not saying that the emperor is wrong, but our emperor is also 12. How could you say you know what you want if you have not tried other things first? You will change your mind if you see your other options."
Grand Minister Ferin continued to try to pressure the emperor. He could tell that he was not having any effect on the man in front of him. But he refused to give up.
Seeing how their emperor had not killed the Grand Minister Ferin for suggesting something this outlandish, the others also began to voice their opinions.
All those who hoped that the emperor would pay attention to their children quickly nodded their heads.
"Grand Minister Ferin is right. The emperor is a wise alpha, so exploring other options before deciding is a good idea."
"That's right! I have a beautiful niece who is an omega. I am sure that our emperor would appreciate her company."
"I also have an omega son who is sought after. Although he is a little on the older side of the emperor and does not mind older people as partners, then-"
"And I-"
Emperor Kerin listened to these ministers offering him their relatives on a silver platter. These greedy fools were ready to sacrifice anything to gain a stronghold in the palace.
But no matter how much these people tried to entice the emperor, they could never match the grace and peace that Meria's presence brought Kerin.
Secretary Morris and Rucia watched this happen.
They could not help but step away from the emperor since they could feel his temper boiling. He was about to explode at any given second now.
[We need to do something now. Lady Rucia, please step forward. A beta like me would die if I said anything.]
The secretary pleaded to the alpha standing beside him.
[You want me to die? Emperor Kai would kill me if I stepped in now. Can't you see he is barely holding his temper back?]
Rucia signalled back. Unfortunately for her, her desire to not step into this mess was not heard by the gods.
"Lady Rucia, what do you think about this topic? We believe the emperor should look at his options more before deciding. And won't someone closer to his age and an omega be a better option than General Meria for our emperor?"
Grand Minister Ferin spoke these words tauntingly, only angered the emperor more.
She needed to do something before that golden magic exploded all around.
"H-How about we hold a picnic for all your candidates and General Meria? The emperor can decide if he likes any candidate more than the general. If the emperor does not find anyone he likes more than General Meria, you all will agree with this match."
Her cousin was not happy. If looks could kill, Rucia would be buried 10 feet deep into the ground by now.
Kerin's expression asked Merian how she could betray him like this. And all Meria could say in return was that she was sorry.
She caved under the pressure and ended up going along with what the elders wanted.
"This is not right. Even if the emperor does not like anyone in his age group, there are still royal omegas from other kingdoms under our protection. Our emperor should marry a royalty, right?"
The accounts minister quickly proposed this, now fearing for his life. He had helped the son of the revenue minister frame General Meria.
He had not expected that the situation would become like this back then. But now he was afraid of what would happen to him.
No one listened to him. All the other ministers were confident in the ability of their relatives to seduce an inexperienced alpha. Their emperor might look robust, but he was a teenager with hormones.
One whiff of an omega's scent should be enough to make him a fool for them.
"Accounts minister, we hear your pleas. But it will be better to keep people joining our royal family nearby. I am sure our emperor has a good judgement and will make the right decision."
Grand Minister Ferin's words were like a nail in the coffin. No other minister could say anything, and they all looked to the emperor for his decision.
Kerin felt his head hurt as he imagined being stuffed in a room full of strange omegas with their disgusting scent. But if he endured it for one day, he would be free to take Meria as his omega.
"I will give your candidates a chance to change my mind about them. But I will reject your candidates mercilessly if I do not like them. And if I still chose General Meria as my partner after then, you would all agree with my decision."
The emperor was making his word final. He was making sure that no one could disagree with his decisions in the future.
The elder council suddenly did not want to agree with their 12-year-old emperor. The light in his eyes reminded them of a seasoned warrior who knew what he wanted.
'But he is a kid! Who would take a kid seriously? Let's nothing think much about it. The emperor would change his decision soon enough.'
Grand Minister Ferin nodded to himself and was also the first to extend his hand to accept this offer.
"If our emperor does not find anyone else during this picnic, we will gladly accept General Meria as our future empress. But I am sure our young emperor would soon see the flaws General Meria possesses as a beta."
Kerin felt his rage reach a breaking point. All these people needed to be taught a lesson.
'But not right now. I need to secure a way to trap Meria with me first. Then, I will get rid of anyone standing in our way, starting with these ministers and that annoying ex-fiancé of my beloved's.'