Chapter 111

To survive safely, I had to take the reins.

Offering myself to the two Imperial Princesses and suggesting they share me appropriately simply wasn’t enough. What they desired was too different.

What Victoria wanted was an assistant who could help her govern the Empire.

What Siena wanted was to either possess me or be possessed by me.

Leaving things to fate and offering my presence would only result in me being dragged into their endless bickering.

Therefore, no matter how difficult it may be, I had to tame both of them.

To ensure either that they wouldn’t complain about having my sister standing beside me, even if they dislike her, or convince them that they are exclusively mine, despite merely sharing me on the surface.

“How does it compare to the garden at Temseugung Palace?”

“That place is full of opium. There are no other types of flowers.”

Since we were strolling in Victoria’s palace gardens, I decided to probe her first.

Though there will be hardships along the way, the outcome will undoubtedly be good.

‘If I have this man by my side, things will turn out well in the end.’

Victoria thought to herself as she enjoyed a stroll under Alan Medoff’s escort.

The troubles she referred to were, of course, political ones.

Surely other challenges must be faced as well, preferably multiple times. Producing heirs and raising them well is an essential task for a monarch. What good is building a prosperous and powerful nation if the glory ends with the current generation?

To achieve this, the obstacles ahead must be overcome first.

Plans have been in place for a long time.

It’s not about plotting something devious to upset the order of the Empire. How could the firstborn princess of the Imperial Court possibly hatch such schemes?

She was merely preparing for unforeseen circumstances. The reality of the Empire? The Empress, relying on foreign influence, exercises power indiscriminately; the disheartened Emperor loses interest in governance; and the nobles only observe each other while keeping an eye on the direction of power.

As the firstborn daughter of the Emperor, Victoria had the responsibility to prevent such chaos.

‘For that, I need strength.’

Securing command of four regiments is only the start. She had also prepared to increase her influence within the bureaucracy.

The recently announced resignation of the Agriculture Minister provided an opportunity.

Victoria intended to recommend a successor herself.

It wasn’t for any vested interests. The candidate she had in mind was just an upright and diligent individual who lived off his pension without a single servant. He had no intention of demanding anything as a reward for accepting the ministerial post.

Victoria simply wanted to show everyone who held the real power.

To all the bureaucrats, soldiers, knights, and entrepreneurs of the Empire.

‘Then, people will flock to me again.’

Of course, she had no intention of accepting everyone.

Otherwise, it would just be a repeat of the Wolphall family’s precedent. She would filter through and select the appropriate individuals, filling the vacated seats resulting from the purge. Moreover, she wasn’t going to trust anyone completely, always remaining vigilant…

“Your Highness Victoria.”

“Oh.”

Victoria realized her mistake.

Thinking unrelated thoughts with Sir Alan Medoff by her side?

Of course, given the importance of the matter, one might not call it irrelevant, but at the moment, there was no one more important to her than Alan Medoff. After all, she couldn’t accomplish her plans alone—she needed Alan’s assistance.

But she couldn’t yet share all her information with Alan.

‘Not for the time being, at least.’

She intended to cause some trouble in a few days.

To be precise, in one week.

The Imperial Court’s Inspection Ceremony for the Royal Bodyguards was scheduled to take place that day. It was a typical and everyday event.

But the Emperor was attending.

Victoria planned to petition for her engagement to Alan at the event.

In front of former and current members of the Royal Bodyguards, the various ministers, and the few surviving collateral members of the Imperial Family—publicly.

‘The Imperial Majesty wouldn’t dare refuse me.’

Would the Empress decline her firstborn daughter’s public request?

That would be equivalent to pushing Victoria down into the abyss of humiliation. She might even sink to a similar level as Anais. Surely the Emperor, who trusted Victoria deeply, wouldn’t do such a cruel thing.

Perhaps he’d accept the request while holding back tears.

And then, she and Sir Alan would become an Imperially recognized couple.

Of course, she knew it would hurt her father, and that Empress Lianhua would try to reverse the situation. But there was no helping it—they had made the first move. Comparatively, Victoria’s method was straightforward.

‘I’m sorry, Sir Alan. I’ll tell you everything honestly, soon.’

Victoria muttered to herself as she looked at Alan Medoff.

Deciding to change the subject.

Bringing up trivial topics might alert Alan to something suspicious, so it was better to introduce something heavier. Perhaps discussing the surviving members of the Wolphall family who were sent to the ship rope factory for hard labor?

At this moment, Alan Medoff sighed.

A sigh—something he’d never shown before, surprising Victoria.

“Sir Alan?”

In response to Victoria’s call, Alan slowly turned toward her. His furrowed brow concerned her, and the words that followed were unusual.

“I’m worried about Her Highness Siena.”

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“You know it, don’t you. Siena isn’t one to just sit idly by. Though there are many ways to control Her Majesty the Empress and the Third Princess, you should not provoke Her Highness Siena. You, Victoria, probably understand better than I do.”

She couldn’t deny it, not even wanting to criticize her half-sister Siena. That wasn’t it. Victoria knew better than anyone that Siena wouldn’t remain passive.

Her hesitation stemmed from curiosity as to why Alan was bringing this up.

Perhaps…

‘Has Sir Alan also made up his mind?’

It was clear. Otherwise, why would he ask such a question at this point?

Especially with such a serious expression.

She was delighted nonetheless.

Why wouldn’t she be happy knowing that Alan was focused on the same goal as her? She’d assumed he was deep in thought, but discovering he’d already made a decision was surprising.

Surprising, touching, and disorienting—Victoria hesitated for a moment.

Alan seemed to understand her thoughts, a faint smile appearing on his face.

“Your Highness Victoria. Your younger sibling, though rather harsh, is extremely clever. Moreover, she has no ambition for the throne—a valuable resource you, as a princess, surely recognize.”

“…”

“Her Highness Siena is a crucial asset to the Empire.”

Then, Alan slowly extended his hand toward Victoria.

His fingertips touched the triangular cap she wore, gently adjusting it despite it not being askew. Staring blankly at Alan’s face so close to hers, Victoria nodded.

“Your words are all correct.”

The words involuntarily escaped her mouth.

***

No one stopped me as my hand touched Princess Victoria’s cap.

Neither the servants trailing behind at a distance nor even her bodyguards interfered. While the servants’ silence was understandable, the guards should have acted. A known narcotics dealer like me adjusting the cap of the esteemed First Princess without eliciting a reaction was highly unprofessional.

Of course, this was favorable to me.

Once Victoria opened her mouth, she began sharing the gist of her plans.

“There will be an inspection ceremony in one week. It’s a regular event. However, it’s one that His Majesty personally attends. I plan to publicly petition for a declaration about you and me at that ceremony… Ah, now that I think of it, you are also technically a member of the Royal Bodyguards. You will naturally be attending, won’t you?”

“I haven’t received any orders about that.”

“What?”

“Who around here even considers me a knight? Last time I met the Deputy Commander, he addressed me as ‘President’ and showed great respect.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

It didn’t take long to understand Victoria’s plans.

Frankly, there wasn’t much of a plan.

She just intended to publicly petition for our engagement during a formal event hosted by the Imperial Court in one week. Simple, but effective. If the Emperor refused her heartfelt request, Victoria herself would tumble into ruin.

It was, in a way, hostage diplomacy against herself, and something that would exacerbate the Emperor’s heavy drinking.

‘I almost let things happen.’

If I had let go, Victoria would have pushed her plan into action.

Once she succeeded in establishing her plans as official protocol…

The efforts of the Empire’s envoys seeking a pardon for the Emperor’s granddaughter, Anais, and the schemes of the Empress to manipulate Anais herself would all become futile. The only remaining concern would be dealing with Siena.

I understood why Victoria was trying to increase her influence. She wanted to secure her position and prevent any interference once our engagement was set.

It was fortunate that I uncovered her plans before everything fell into place.

I refrained from showing any signs of panic and casually grabbed her hand for a moment before releasing it. Her bodyguards, again, stayed silent.

“Your Highness Victoria, you should have consulted with me at least.”

“I apologize, but…”

“Yes, I understand your reasons. A proper selection process would allow the Empress to sabotage it. Still, there was no need to keep this from me. Your current preparations won’t be enough to stop Her Highness Siena.”

“Sir Alan, then…?”

“From now on, you must follow my lead. I’ll handle everything, from soothing Her Highness Siena to everything that follows.”

She readily nodded, yet paused unexpectedly.

Initially, I was curious, but soon I understood. She might be worried about us not connecting eventually. She might wonder if my feelings are genuine. To reassure her, I spoke up.

“I will be your husband in a not-so-distant future, Victoria.”

It wasn’t a lie.

Still, that I’m planning to marry others as well is something I can’t disclose just yet, so my first priority is to fully tame Siena.

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