Eunbi looked at Lalisa with gloomy expressions when she heard her words. Her eyelashes were fluttering in nervousness as she opened her mouth to say something but no words come out.
She clenched her fists tightly and wanted to say something when she heard cold and stern manly voice coming by Lalisa's side.
"Yes. You did the right thing to punish someone who disrespects you. My Empress." Jeongguk suddenly spoke as he turned towards Lalisa and looked at her with a tender gaze.
Her gaze was soft and gentle. He was assuring Lalisa that she did right by punishing someone who disrespects her.
Eunbi and others were stunned when they heard Jeongguk's words. It was the first time, he said something like this and that too in public.
Eunbi's mouth was open in a daze as she looked at Jeongguk with perplexed expressions on her face. She has no idea how to react in this situation.
Though Eunbi has seen the different side of Jeongguk in the banquet, but he did not say much at that time either.
But this time, Lalisa openly went against her and Sandara while Jeongguk surprisingly supported her.
'Since when his highness has become so expressive?' Eunbi was speechless as she looked at Jeongguk in disbelief.
Her expressions turned sour seeing her looking at Lalisa with tender expressions on his face.
He never looked at her with such expressions but when he looks at Lalisa, his expressions changes and becomes soft and gentle.
Even Lalisa was surprised and startled when she heard such warm words from Jeongguk. She has not expected to interfere and support her statement.
When she spoke her mind earlier, she was slightly nervous what if Jeongguk opposed her or did not support her?
But when she heard his warm words, her heart melt away.
Especially the words, 'My Empress.' when he said these words, his gaze was extremely gentle and his voice was warm and tender. She felt that those words were dipped in honey because they were extremely sweet that she could get diabetes from them.
It was the first time that she felt her body trembling and something felt different about him. She never expected that despite his cold and stern image, he would show such side of him in public.
She was baffled and don't know how to react. She just looked at him with her puppy-like a confused gaze and stared at him in a daze.
She felt that these words felt more sweet and intimate than, 'My Wife'. For some reason, she will choose My Empress over cheezy loving words like baby, honey or wife.
Because baby, honey or wife could be anyone but the Empress of Ji Dynast could only be one.
There could be only one Empress in Jeong Dynasty at this moment and that is her. She felt her worth and the importance she held as an Empress.
He was looking extremely handsome and charming at this moment when she looked at him. His face was glowing and his eyes were glistening like the moonlight in the starry night.
Jeongguk saw the bewildered gaze in Lalisa's eyes and smiled. Her face has turned crimson because of his words and her eyelashes faltered because of it.
He resisted the urge to touch those flushed cheeks and tried to control his heart racing emotions.
He shifted his gaze away from her and turned to face Yuju and then looked at Eunbi, "From now on, Lalisa, the Empress of Jeong dynasty, will have all the powers to control this harem. No one could interfere in her decision, not even Empress Dowager or someone else." he looked at Eunbi when he said, 'someone else'.
"Not only they could not interfere but they cannot influence her decision in any way as well. The Empress will have every right to decide for this harem in every sphere be it punishing someone, setting the budget for other consorts, including Empress Dowager." His tone turned firm and cold when he said Empress Dowager.
Eunbi was shocked when she heard Jeongguk's words. He not only gave her rights to maintain the harem but also gave her financial power as well.
Moreover, now she can decide Empress Dowager's budget as well. She was thinking to use Sandara as her shield but she could not believe that Jeongguk could not only give Lalisa some power but he has taken powers from Empress Dowager as well.
In the past, Lalisa was supposed to maintain the harem but Empress Dowager always interfere in her decisions and never let her exercise her rights.
Because she had the power to make budgets for everyone. And in every field financial power is the most important power that can ever have.
In every Empire, the Finance minister was given the utmost value because of his work. He not only has to maintain the treasury but also need to deal with the treasury deficit problems.
They have to make proposals to create opportunities to fill the treasury as well.
Even Lalisa was surprised when he gave her the power to make budgets. She has learned about business and has also learned about accounting during her graduation year as well.
Making budgets and management is not a big deal for her. She can do this better than anyone here since she has majored in this field officially. However, she never expected that he would give her the power to manage the budgets as well.
She suddenly felt overwhelmed and her lips curved upwards in a smirk. She never expected that Jeongguk would give her such rights. She looked at Eunbi with smug expressions and felt gleeful.
"But his highness, Mother is not here. How can you take such a decision? It is the mother, who controls the budget for the harem. How can you give it to her." Eunbi almost cried out in desperation. She could not let this happen.
She was feeling worried that if Lalisa got the power to make a budget she will take revenge with her seeing her current attitude.
"What do you mean by giving? It is originally, Lalisa's right to make budgets for the harem. But Empress Dowager kept interfering and in the end, she took the power into her hands after she fell into a coma. " He said firmly. He called Sandara as Empress Dowager and not Mother.
The words Empress Dowager sounds distant and cold from his mouth.
In reality, it was Lalisa who had the power to make budgets. But Sandara always interferes and ruins her budget.
Not only that she and Eunbi spends more than her budget and in the end, Lalisa has to limit her budget to balance the loss.
Lalisa could not say anything at that time, because the Empress Dowager suppressed her with her power as the only head of the family.
Later Empress Dowager started to make decisions regarding the budget herself and asks Lalisa to pass the budget she makes.
In that way, Sandara was managing the budget herself but in an indirect way.
But since Lalisa fell into the pond and went into the coma, Sandara took this task and took the harem in her control.
It includes financial powers as well.
With Sandara managing the harem, Eunbi's status has advanced and she felt more important and superior than before.
"Consort Eunbi, it's my decision that from now on Empress will manage the harem herself and no one will interfere with this." Jeongguk looked at her with indifference and said in a cold tone.
"And if anyone dared to interfere in her decisions, then I will deal with that person personally." He looked at Eunbi as if telling her to not mess with Lalisa.
Eunbi's expressions turned dark as she shifted her gaze at Lalisa who was smugly looking at her.
Now no one can say that she is an unwanted Empress or useless Empress because Jeongguk gave her all the powers in the harem that an Empress should have.
Empress without powers is useless just like thunder without rain. The words of powerless Empress do not contain any weight and no one will respect her either if she doesn't have any rights.
This was the case with the previous Lalisa. She was an Empress with title but with no rights.
But now, Jeongguk was interfering in this matter and has given all the powers to Lalisa in front of everyone.
It was the first time, Lalisa has complained about her problems and how she could not exercise her powers because of Sandara and Eunbi. In the past, she never said anything nor complained to him about anything.
He has many things to deal with and did not look at the matters of Harem. If no one complained to him, then how would he supposed to know about the issues within harem which is under Lalisa's control.
However, now no one can ignore Lalisa's words because she has all the powers and the right to punish anyone who disrespects her without anyone's permission.
She only needs to report to the Emperor, Jeongguk, other than that, no one can interfere with her decision. Not even the Empress Dowager.