She thought of her extended family for a brief moment—the distant branches of the Marcuset clan—and immediately dismissed the idea.
"And as for my cousins from the branch families? I highly doubt any of them would agree to be thrown into that snake pit. They haven't agreed on a single political stance for years, and I am certainly not going to force them to become royal hostages now. The imperial family is a toxic wasteland, System. I don't want to take the chance. We survive by staying independent, even if it means fighting a cold war with the Emperor."
Hearing her absolute refusal, the System smartly clamped its digital mouth shut.
