Chapter 143

Why does something like this have to happen during my reign?

Especially one after another. What have I done to deserve this?

“Your Majesty, please keep your resolve firm.”

“…Haha.”

Emperor Edmund III adjusted his crown, which felt heavier than usual today.

If it were up to him, he would have taken it off and set it down, but the high officials of the Empire and envoys from Chinguk were all before him, causing his vision to blur.

If he were to remove his crown in this situation, he might give them a reason to mock the Empire.

‘No, I’ve already given them enough reasons.’

Since the news of the deteriorating health of the sovereign of Chinguk—his father-in-law in private—and the news of the revocation of the empress’s princess title, he had been nervously laughing to himself nonstop. It was not the behavior befitting an emperor.

Of course, the emperor wasn’t the only one who was startled.

Almost all the faces of the people lined up in the spacious ceremonial hall were filled with shock or fear. Even Alan Medoff, the man who had seduced the emperor’s first and second daughters and reduced the youngest to a commoner, didn’t have a completely calm expression.

‘Is this guy human after all?’

A moment of discovering another side to Alan Medoff, who he had thought was ruthless.

Even that provided no comfort. It only meant the situation was as tangled as it seemed.

All he wanted was to tell everyone to withdraw so he could gather his thoughts calmly, but the envoy didn’t have time for that. These envoys had come to make their final visit before leaving the empire. But instead of a farewell, they spat in his face.

First, he would have to decide the envoys’ punishment.

‘I can’t just let them go, can I. They couldn’t have thought they’d insult me like this and walk away safely either, so were they pleading for mercy because they were so careful? …Still, just letting them go would be troubling. But if I detain them, it might backfire on my brother-in-law… No, that bastard doesn’t even deserve to be called that after pulling something like this.’

The emperor’s mind was filled with conflicting thoughts.

Then,

“Mother Majesty, we should detain all the envoys. They must not be sent back to Chinguk.”

His eldest daughter, Victoria, suggested this with a cold gaze.

Victoria, who was expected to be enraged due to Chinguk’s insolence, was surprisingly composed, which made him even more uneasy.

After all, the same expression had been on her face when she requested the burning of his uncles. That had been very troubling.

“Victoria, but these people…”

“Yes. I understand. They were merely reciting the orders of Chinguk’s crown prince, who assumed regency. However, letting those who spoke such disrespectful words in front of Mother Majesty go unpunished would tarnish the Empire’s prestige.”

“Is that not correct? First, we must detain them. Then we need to officially inquire into this rudeness by addressing it to Chinguk’s court…”

Victoria wasn’t suggesting to kill the envoys right away.

Even so, detaining the embassy delegation was a strong move. After all, it meant holding over 300 people, including guests like martial artists and merchants. This was tantamount to declaring a direct confrontation with Chinguk. Peaceful resolution was unlikely, especially given Chinguk’s aggressive tendencies.

“Your Majesty!!”

As the emperor hesitated, Victoria turned to the Chinguk envoys, looking flustered.

“I shall ask the envoys on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor.”

“…Ask what?”

“Revocation of titles we can understand. But why insult us during a farewell ceremony after concluding diplomatic matters? Unless the Crown Prince of Chinguk truly aims to provoke us, there’s no way he would deliver this message in this manner.”

“How can a mere servant interpret his will…”

“You mean you can’t explain, correct?”

“…”

“Perhaps your crown prince knows. He must realize that announcing the revocation of the empress’s title and Princess Anais’s title this way endangers your safety. Yet he proceeded without caring. Am I right?”

“Lady Victoria.”

“Answer me.”

Victoria shamelessly belittled and pressured the Chinguk envoys.

The emperor looked at the ceiling while feeling a tightening in his chest.

If he didn’t intervene, Victoria might overstep and order the detention of the entire envoy without waiting for him. What if the deputy commander of the royal guard or the commander of the first battalion of the guards couldn’t resist the pressure and followed her order?

The empire would only face disaster, potentially leading to war.

War could indeed break out over just a letter, but the emperor couldn’t let this situation escalate.

‘I have to… do something.’

The emperor barely managed to maintain his fading consciousness.

Then he stared intently at Alan Medoff.

Had Alan Medoff had a moment to gather his thoughts? He appeared calm once more.

He was carefully observing Victoria’s pressure on the Chinguk delegation. It seemed he was monitoring to ensure she wouldn’t go too far, or perhaps he was merely watching out of curiosity.

Frankly, Alan Medoff still didn’t sit well with the emperor. Interacting with him always brought a vague sense of sorrow.

‘But right now, I have no one else to depend on.’

The emperor quietly gave instructions to a steward to fetch the imperial seal.

—

Victoria had already been interrogating the Chinguk envoys for over thirty minutes.

“…I hear that in your country, one must memorize books stacked as high as a child to pass the examination necessary to become a bureaucrat. Surely it’s not due to a lack of knowledge that you can’t answer me? Are you mocking me?”

Addressing esteemed envoys with “you” or “you all.”

Furthermore, one of her hands was resting on her pistol.

It was something the emperor had only recently learned — when Victoria’s emotions heightened, she tended to reach for a sword or a revolver.

Strangely, the envoys in front of her remained composed.

“In apology, Your Highness, Princess.”

Especially the head envoy and the vice envoy, who seemed to be even relieved.

They were first and second-rank officials, respectively. The vice envoy had been one of the tutors responsible for the current crown prince’s education.

Even if they were to die far from home due to the crown prince’s orders, why were they relieved?

‘It’s obvious. Being detained or executed here might actually be preferable.’

After all, returning to Chinguk wouldn’t allow them to keep their lives either.

But if they were detained here, they’d merely become captives abroad while doing their jobs. Their families might even avoid disaster this way. If Victoria were to dispose of them kindly, they might be honored as loyal officials.

Still, Victoria couldn’t be stopped.

If the envoy were sent back unharmed, the emperor (who had been watching him carefully) could be perceived as incompetent.

A husband who lets a dishonorable act against his only wife slide would be seen as a mere pushover. Such diplomatic excuses wouldn’t suffice.

The crown prince of Chinguk must’ve anticipated this and sent the envoys to their deaths.

I approached Victoria slowly.

“Lady Victoria.”

“The empire’s disregard… Oh, Sir Alan.”

“No matter what we do, these men will not, or rather, cannot answer. And what do we gain by pressuring them now? I’m sorry, but it would merely serve as an outlet for anger.”

“Indeed. That’s exactly what it is. An outlet for anger.”

Victoria admitted it too frankly.

It made me realize how furious she truly was.

Surely, this wasn’t just about diplomacy. We had planned to announce her engagement immediately after dismissing the envoys today.

Perhaps she was worried about potential disruptions to the marriage arrangement, in addition to her anger towards Chinguk. This frustration had extended to the envoy.

I had no intention of helping the poor envoys.

They had taken on a mission in the worst possible timing, not because of any fault of their own.

However, regardless of what happened next…

Victoria needed to maintain her composure.

There was no way to expect that the ailing emperor would suddenly recover and display brilliant leadership. While I could assist, the emperor and I couldn’t cooperate due to my role in his alcoholism.

‘First, I need to calm Victoria down.’

Just as I opened my mouth to say something, a low voice came from behind me.

“Victoria Carail. Sir Alan Medoff.”

I turned slowly to see the emperor looking down at us with a composed expression.

For some reason, he had the orb in one hand, and the chief steward was holding the imperial seal next to him.

The crown, the orb, the seal.

Though the reason for bringing out all three symbols of imperial authority wasn’t immediately clear, my question was quickly answered when the hesitant emperor issued his solemn command.

“…Princess Victoria Carail, the first princess, is hereby appointed as the crown princess. The appointment ceremony will be omitted. The new crown princess is entrusted to fully engage in state affairs, dedicating all her efforts. From now on, the new crown princess’s opinions will be highly respected across all national matters.”

The sudden appointment of Victoria as the crown princess.

“Your Majesty…?”

Even Victoria looked surprised. Of course, she had been equivalent to the crown princess already. However, this was not something that could be hastily brushed aside. The emperor wasn’t trying to undermine her authority as the successor.

Moreover, the emperor’s designation did not stop at Victoria.

“…To Comte Madeway, Alan Medoff, I hereby confer an official position. I appoint you as the Chief Secretary of the Imperial Privy Council. Henceforth, assist the crown princess in leveraging your wisdom and talent.”

The emperor even appointed me to the prestigious position of Chief Secretary of the Imperial Privy Council.

In truth, this was largely an honorary post, often held by a duke or a royal family member, whose main function was to occasionally pay respects to the emperor.

But it wouldn’t remain so if I were to take the position, especially with my connections to the two princesses, successful enterprises, and narcotics.

In essence, the emperor was handing over emergency control to us.

Especially at this moment.

‘It’s come to this.’

As I thought about surveying my surroundings, I decided instead to pay my respects to the emperor. The fact that the emperor knowingly granted me such power showed that he had made up his mind. Perhaps he deemed this the best course of action.

The emperor’s subtle nod confirmed this.

Thus,

“I will obey your command, Your Majesty.”

Ultimately, I had no choice but to resolve it in my own way.

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