Chapter 856: Strategy

Chapter 856: Chapter 856: Strategy

She paused before adding another important detail.

"However, there is another opportunity that will arrive much sooner. The Invention Competition will be held in just thirty days, and it is an excellent chance to attract the king’s attention. Before I learned about Ivy’s pregnancy, that was the event I had intended to target first."

Ivy frowned slightly as she considered the proposal.

"Even if I manage to attract their attention, will anything really change? Why shouldn’t I simply reveal my royal identity and announce that I’m entering the competition for the throne?"

Catherine shook her head, as though she had expected Ivy to ask that very question.

"Because revealing your identity immediately would put you at a disadvantage. You need to understand how the political system works before making such a move."

She leaned back slightly, her expression becoming more analytical as she began explaining the complicated structure of Planet Astra’s government.

"There are numerous ministers who sit on the council, and the council is responsible for making a significant portion of the kingdom’s major decisions. More importantly, it possesses the authority to support a candidate for the throne or remove someone from the race entirely. If you want to become queen, you cannot afford to ignore these people. You need to gain allies among them before revealing your true identity."

Ivy listened carefully, gradually understanding where Catherine was going with her plan.

"To attract the council’s attention, you need to perform well in certain events and demonstrate that you possess the qualities required to rule. Winning the Autumn Festival would be particularly useful because it would allow you to gain the interest and support of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Common Labour, and the Ministry of Finance. Each of these ministries has its own priorities, and your performance could convince them that you are a promising candidate."

Catherine’s voice remained calm, but there was a sharpness in her eyes that revealed how carefully she had considered every detail.

"Once you have established a relationship with these ministers, you can gradually win over others and build an alliance of your own. Only after securing enough support should you reveal your royal identity. By then, the ministers will already have formed an impression of you based on your abilities. And when your bloodline would be revealed they will see it as an opportunity."

She paused for a moment before explaining the final part of her strategy.

"Many of them may assume that you are someone who hasn’t grown up within the royal environment and therefore lacks experience with palace politics. Some might even believe that you would be easier to control than the other candidates. You can allow them to underestimate you while using their support to secure the throne. Once you have gained sufficient authority, you will be in a much stronger position to deal with those who try to manipulate you."

Catherine’s lips curved into a faint smile as she concluded,

"Of course, the ministers aren’t the only people you will need as allies. There are others whose support will be equally important, but I’ll explain those matters to you as we progress."

Ivy stared at Catherine in astonishment. The woman had laid out an entire political strategy with such precision that Ivy couldn’t help admiring her.

She raised her thumb in approval, genuinely impressed by the thought Catherine had put into the plan.

’No wonder Catherine has managed to survive in the royal political arena for so long. She has already thought several steps ahead.’

Even Silas and Jade seemed impressed by the strategy.

They could see the advantages of allowing Ivy to establish her reputation before revealing her identity, particularly when it would prevent others from judging her solely by her royal lineage.

However, Silas soon frowned as another question occurred to him.

"What about the Ministry of Finance? Why would its ministers take an interest in Ivy simply because she wins the Autumn Festival? Wouldn’t they be more concerned about her ability to generate revenue and manage the kingdom’s finances?"

Rather than dismissing his concern, Catherine smiled approvingly.

"That’s a good question. You’ve identified an important detail that many people overlook."

She adjusted her posture and continued explaining, her tone becoming slightly more animated.

"The Autumn Festival isn’t as simple as it might appear. Participants are evaluated on several abilities, including their business sense and their instinct for identifying profitable opportunities. After all, the royal family cannot run the kingdom on blueprints alone. Even if the royalty possesses extraordinary technological knowledge, those inventions still require money, resources, and an effective financial system to become useful."

Catherine paused, allowing them to consider the implications.

"Of course, the royal family can sell blueprints to generate revenue, but would that income be enough to sustain the entire kingdom and fund its development? Certainly not. A ruler must know how to turn opportunities into wealth, manage resources wisely, and ensure that money continues flowing into the kingdom. That is why the Ministry of Finance is so important, and why winning the Autumn Festival could give Ivy an opportunity to demonstrate her potential to them."

"They need an enormous amount of money, and the Ministry of Finance is responsible for financing the entire royal family. However, the ministry also needs young talent who can generate wealth and discover new ways to increase its revenue. If Ivy, who already owns a restaurant, manages to distinguish herself from the other commoners, the Ministry of Finance will recognize her potential and might even consider investing in her future."

Catherine explained the matter patiently, ensuring that everyone understood the reasoning behind her plan.

After hearing her explanation, all three of them nodded in agreement.

However, Jade soon raised another concern, his expression turning thoughtful as he considered the other candidates competing for the throne.

"What about the other princes and princesses? Surely they won’t sit around and watch Ivy attract everyone’s attention without doing anything about it. Once they realize how capable she is, they will undoubtedly try to recruit her into their respective factions."

Ivy, who had been listening quietly, also thought of something that could potentially ruin their entire plan.

"What if they recognize my identity before I get the chance to reveal it myself? After all, the other princesses might not know, but Rayami already knows who I am, and if they happen to recognize me despite my disguise, won’t everything we’ve planned become meaningless?"

Catherine smiled faintly, as though she had already anticipated both questions.

"That brings me to my second plan, which is to change your appearance more thoroughly. Although you’ve disguised yourself with silver hair, I could tell at a glance that you weren’t showing your true appearance. The material you’ve used to alter your skin color is genuinely impressive, and I doubt that many people could see through it. However, your wig is the most problematic part of your disguise."

Ivy listened to her explanation and briefly considered whether she dye but soon heard the temporal storage say.

[I can change your hair color.]

She raised her head and looked at Catherine with a confident smile.

"I can manage my hair without any trouble. I have the ability to change its color, so I don’t need to rely on a wig."

Catherine paused for a moment, clearly surprised by the revelation. Then, her expression relaxed into a satisfied smile.

"That would certainly save us a great deal of trouble."

With Ivy’s appearance taken care of, Catherine moved on to the next part of her strategy, which she considered far more important.

"Now, the second and most crucial matter is how to deal with the other princes and princesses who might try to recruit you. Rather than allowing them to approach you first, I would suggest that you deliberately attract Prince Hanake’s attention."

The moment Catherine mentioned his name, Jade and Silas exchanged a brief glance, remembering Catherine’s earlier warning about how dangerous the prince could be.

Catherine continued without changing her expression.

"Once you gain a place in Prince Hanake’s faction, you can use his influence and reputation to establish your own circle of supporters. Gradually, you can win over his allies and weaken his faction from within. When you’ve gathered enough power to stand on your own, you can turn against him and eliminate him as a threat once and for all."

She spoke about the matter with such calmness that it almost sounded like an ordinary business arrangement rather than a plan to destroy a political rival.

"Among all the princes and princesses, Prince Hanake is the most dangerous opponent you could face. The others might be troublesome, but none of them possess the same unpredictable abilities or present the same level of threat. If you want to secure the throne, you cannot afford to underestimate him."