Chapter 76

“And Sir Hector. If you don’t mind, could you step away for a moment? I have an important matter to discuss with Princess Ai-shan Gi-or.”

Ah, so that Royal Guard’s name was Hector.

The knight, bowing his head, closed the door and promptly left. The sound of his footsteps echoed down the hallway.

So, it seems they want a private audience with me. I had a hunch when they sent Nigel away.

“Despite your fatigue, I truly appreciate you accepting my invitation.”

“Not at all. As someone living under the Empire’s protection, it would be unthinkable to refuse the Crown Prince’s summons.”

No need to pretend to be considerate. You and Ernst both called me here knowing full well I’m unwell. You probably also knew I couldn’t refuse an imperial invitation at this point.

Honestly, it’s easier for me to clear the air, so I don’t have any major complaints.

“Hmm… No need to feel burdened. Please, have a seat.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Leopold gestured to the sofa in front of his office. It was similar to the furniture in the reception room.

As I sat down on the sofa, Leopold also settled into the one across from me. Only then did his appearance fully register.

Bright blond hair reminiscent of a lemon, clear eyes, and a sharp jawline that looked freshly shaven. He was a man with a striking appearance.

His gentle eyes carried a certain nobility, as if his gaze alone could prove his status. Leopold must be twenty-eight this year. Seeing him in person, he looks about five years younger than his age.

Leopold looked at me and smiled lightly. His curved eyes were filled with deep interest.

“Indeed, the rumors from the streets are unreliable. The academy seems to be more accurate.”

“…What do you mean?”

Rumors? Surely not *that* nickname. It couldn’t have reached the Imperial Palace, could it? But if it’s the academy’s rumors, then it’s probably that…

Choose your words carefully, Leopold.

“Princess Narcissus… It seems the time for you to bloom has come.”

Alright, should I go to Ernst now?

—

Of course, I wasn’t serious. Even so, storming out in front of a prince would be tantamount to a hostile act.

“Just call me the Beastman Devourer. I’m not fond of compliments on my appearance.”

“Hmm…? Ah, I see! Indeed, a true knight proves themselves through skill, not looks. Princess Ai-shan Gi-or must feel the same.”

That wasn’t exactly my intention, but if you’re going to interpret it that way, I’ll just go along with it.

“I’ve been quite rude. My sincerest apologies.”

“It’s… no trouble at all. For the Crown Prince to bow his head to a mere princess, I’m at a loss for how to respond.”

“No need to strain yourself. Feel free to speak casually. Though it’s not public knowledge, I’m well aware of your true status through the Margrave.”

Speak casually? That’s probably just a polite gesture. Who would believe that?

“Your words are too generous.”

“I mean it. If you wish, you don’t even need to use formal speech. This is a private meeting, after all.”

Oh? Let’s see if you’re serious. This is perfect. Whether I cooperate with Leopold or not, it’s good to gauge his character.

“Well, that’s a relief. I was about to break out in hives from all the formalities.”

I’ve been scraping together every bit of etiquette knowledge I have.

“Ahem, your… warrior-like boldness is quite impressive.”

“That’s my strong suit.”

The prince looked slightly taken aback by my sudden change in tone. Surely he won’t start shouting, “Remove this insolent woman at once!” now, will he?

If he does, I’ll be disappointed. It would mean he’s too small-minded to stand by his own words.

“…The princess continues to surprise me.”

Hmm. So, hearing casual speech from me is quite shocking, huh? Well, since he’s not showing any displeasure, I’d say he passes the basic character test.

Not bad. Much better than some authoritarian blowhard.

“…In any case, I suppose this means we’ve grown a bit closer?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

After all, our statuses are somewhat similar. A disgraced prince and the descendant of one of the Twelve Knights.

—

“So, shall we get to the reason you invited me today? Surely you didn’t call me here just to chat about battles.”

“To be honest, I would like to hear about that later… But no, the reason I requested this private audience today is to discuss the upcoming ceremony and what comes after.”

“What comes after?”

Ah, now we’re getting to the point.

“First, you will be granted the title of Imperial Knight, a First-Class Honorary Medal, and the title of Master. Additionally, you will be bestowed the Barony of Median.”

In this Empire, knighthood is a position, not a title. It’s proof that one has the skill and dedication to serve the Empire and humanity.

“The Barony of Median? I heard it’s completely fallen.”

“That’s correct. There’s no wealth or territory left. So, for the time being, you won’t receive any fiefs from the former Median lands.”

“A noble title without any land? That’s a pretty ambiguous reward, don’t you think?”

The fact that the Median family is one of the Twelve Knights is known only to a few, including the Imperial family. So, in the end, it’s a title with little significance. A bit of a strange reward.

“You’re not wrong. It’s merely a way to acknowledge that half of your lineage belongs to the Empire. For now, at least.”

“Hmm…”

“Originally, I planned to publicly announce your status as a descendant of the Twelve Knights and propose a political marriage. That way, you could eventually become the Empress, which would benefit us both.”

So, you’ve changed your mind. Good for you. And for me.

That aside.

“Empress? You make it sound like becoming Emperor is a given. That’s not what I’ve heard.”

“Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult. But recent events have shifted my position slightly.”

Leopold said…

He continued his explanation with a sigh.

Originally, the power difference between the 1st Prince and the 3rd Prince was said to be around 2:8.

In normal circumstances, such a gap would already determine the outcome.

However, the recent beastman attack has significantly changed that dynamic.

While Isabella strongly advocated for strengthening the Imperial Palace’s defenses, Leopold argued that dispatching knights throughout the capital to quell the riots should take priority.

Given Leopold’s minimal influence, his request was overshadowed and ignored by Isabella’s demands.

In the end, it turned out that the assault on the Imperial Palace was merely a diversion, proving Leopold right.

Those caught in the riots and harmed also began to support Leopold, who had tried to save them.

Now, the power gap has narrowed to about 4:6.

It seems that by making me a hero and firmly pulling me to his side, the tide could be turned.

“A great tragedy that struck the capital ended up saving me… how ironic, but that’s how it turned out.”

“Let me make this clear, I’m not getting married. To anyone.”

He crossed his arms and leaned back, clearly expressing his displeasure and firm resolve.

A bit rude, but his tone had long abandoned formalities, so it didn’t matter.

“I know. I’ve heard from Marquis Ludwig that you vehemently refuse marriage. So, I’ve decided to drop that proposal. Since I’ve decided to inherit the Electorate of the Empire, I won’t be announcing anything about the Twelve Knights either.”

It was an obvious point.

Unless one becomes a member of the royal family, the fame of the Twelve Knights would only threaten the authority of the Imperial family.

Even if that person pledges loyalty and support to the Imperial family, who knows if it’s genuine or just a facade with ulterior motives?

“However, for the Princess to be accepted as the Elector’s successor without much opposition, there are many hurdles to overcome. This incident is a great achievement, but there’s also the issue of the Princess’s ethnicity and… well, the fame she gained in Dane.”

“…That’s true.”

“So, now we get to the main point. Let me be blunt. If you help me with that, will you support me? If you do, when you’re announced as the Elector’s successor, I’ll actively agree to it. Not just me, but my entire faction.”

Not a bad offer, but…

Since my reputation will keep growing as I fight, it’s not a huge advantage.

“What exactly do you mean by support?”

“Officially declaring your support would be best, but…”

“That’s difficult. As a foreign princess, making an official statement on the Empire’s succession issue is risky.”

Isn’t that basically meddling in internal affairs?

If a princess makes such an official statement, it would carry significant diplomatic weight.

It could easily look like Ka`har is interfering with the Empire’s power.

Though, in reality, the Ka`har don’t care much about diplomacy.

Either way, criticism would rain down, and if the news reached Ka`har, Or-han would react.

If he hears that his daughter, who was supposed to return in three years, is causing trouble in the Empire, he might even realize she has no intention of returning.

“Didn’t you come here in exile? Once it’s known, your status as a princess won’t mean much.”

“That’s not something to reveal now. If Or-han hears that I’ve cut ties with Ka`har, I don’t know how he’ll react.”

If he becomes convinced I’ve betrayed Ka`har… he’ll realize it’s not the time for an eastern expedition.

Then what?

I’ve only met Or-han once, so I can’t be sure of his reaction…

Whether he attacks the Empire in anger or prepares for the Empire’s attack, neither is what I want.

“Or-han… Marquis Ludwig did warn me to be cautious of him. Hmm… Then how about we switch the order? What if, after becoming the Elector’s successor, you cut ties with your homeland? There’s still plenty of time before the coronation, so if the Princess becomes the Elector’s successor in that time, ties with your homeland would naturally be severed. After that, it wouldn’t matter, right?”

The Elector’s successor. By my estimate, that would take at least two years.

The Empire needs to stabilize, and my reputation needs to grow. It’s a long road.

That might be okay.

“Not a wrong point. By then… it probably won’t matter. So, in exchange for helping me become the Elector’s successor, I’ll support you once I’m the successor, right?”

Total collusion.

Well, this seems about right. I was planning to support Leopold anyway.

It’s a slightly losing deal for me, but creating a sense of debt with the Prince isn’t bad.

“I can agree to that, but can I add one condition?”

“Go ahead. If it’s something I can agree to, I’ll respond positively.”

“Later, if some noble dares to mess with me… I might provoke them into a duel. But if they’re part of your faction, that’d be problematic. So, could you tell your underlings in advance? Tell them not to mess with me. That should at least halve such incidents.”

“That’s simple enough. I’ll do that.”

It seemed like an easy condition, as Prince Leopold nodded with a bright expression.

“However, to convince the nobles, we’ll need evidence that the Princess is on our side… You’ll need to appear close to me at a few official events. Is that okay? It doesn’t have to be overt support or a romantic relationship, but a friendly attitude would be necessary.”

“As long as you’re not asking me to wear a dress and dance.”

“Do you know how to dance?”

What’s this guy suddenly saying?

…I don’t know how to dance, though.