Chapter 40

The first to greet us upon entering the imperial palace were the guards stationed at the entrance, who stopped us.

“Only the ambassador is allowed to proceed beyond this point. By imperial decree.”

“I am the deputy of the negotiation delegation. Even so, I cannot enter?”

“There are no exceptions. We merely follow the orders of His Majesty the Emperor.”

Though I’m not well-versed in this area, it seems there are established protocols for receiving foreign envoys.

How many guards to deploy, the order in which officials should stand, avoiding certain foods at welcoming banquets—things like that.

Every minor detail can have a fatal impact on international relations, so specialized departments are created to manage them thoroughly. If the kingdom did it, the empire likely isn’t much different.

However, the empire’s attitude in receiving us didn’t seem to adhere to such protocols.

I doubt there’s a rule that only the ambassador is to be received separately. What if an assassination attempt were to occur?

“Is it also impossible to bring guards?”

“That is correct.”

“Sir, shouldn’t we refuse this? We don’t know what threats might be lurking inside…”

“Enough. If the empire insists, we must comply. Councilor Effenstein, please take the rest of the delegation to the lodgings first. I’ll follow shortly.”

Honestly, this suited me just fine.

Rather than wasting time with tedious formalities and empty rituals, it’s better to get straight to the point.

Some might criticize me for not valuing my life, but frankly, I don’t care.

Right now, the truth is more important to me than my life. The hidden truth behind this damned war.

I wanted to know why the nobles were so vehemently opposed to a ceasefire, why rumors from ten years ago kept resurfacing, and why some were even erasing records.

If I could uncover that clue and relay it to my subordinates back home, I wouldn’t mind dying here and now.

My subordinates would ensure that the masterminds of this war pay the price. Then, I could rest in peace, waiting for them to join me in hell.

“Lead the way. Let’s go without delay.”

After instructing the rest of the delegation to go ahead and unpack, I moved on.

Following the guide through a long corridor deep into the imperial palace took about ten minutes.

Gradually, the number of people dwindled, and the lights grew dimmer until we arrived before a lavishly decorated glass door.

“Here we are.”

“Should I just go in?”

“Yes. They are waiting inside.”

It didn’t look like an audience chamber or an official’s office. More like a secret meeting room or a private lounge for high-ranking royalty.

Choosing such a place for a meeting likely meant they didn’t want to talk where many ears could listen.

I took a deep breath and pulled the handle.

The hinges moved silently, revealing the interior.

“Ah, you’ve finally arrived.”

Warm sunlight filtered through the stained glass ceiling, illuminating the room where only one elderly man sat.

The de facto ruler of the great empire that controlled the entire northern continent, father of six, and once my mortal enemy.

“Pleased to meet you, Your Majesty.”

It was none other than Louis XVI, the Emperor of the United Empire.

* * * * *

“Care for some tea? I recently acquired some fine leaves from Daicing.”

“Thank you, but I must decline. I never learned the art of tea.”

“Oh? Even as a noble?”

“I’ve spent over a decade on the battlefield.”

I politely declined the Emperor’s kind offer, fearing that drinking anything here might lead to a breach of etiquette due to my anxiety.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I asked in a composed tone, “So, why did you request a private audience with me so urgently? As an envoy, there would have been plenty of opportunities for serious discussions.”

“I heard from Leclerc. You know nothing about the origins of this war, do you?”

“….Unfortunately, no.”

Looking back, the kingdom strangely avoided propaganda about why the war started.

They always spouted nonsense about protecting the homeland from the wicked empire or saving the lives of our families and compatriots.

I used to wonder, but survival was too pressing to dwell on such questions.

Every day was a life-or-death struggle. How could I afford to care about such things?

I vaguely assumed the empire had fabricated a pretext for invasion or that a border dispute had escalated into war.

Before I knew it, over ten years had passed.

Too much time had gone by to resolve such ancient curiosities.

“Anyway, those Riudolf (the kingdom’s royal family) folks. They’ve always been good at hiding their dirty laundry. Terrible at raising kids, though.”

The Emperor clicked his tongue and sighed, looking at me.

“Given that you were once a deputy commander on the front lines, it’s pitiful that you were deceived by Karl (Karl VII). After ten years of hardship, you deserve to know the truth.”

“…..”

The Emperor sat back on the sofa, pondering for a moment before asking, “How much have you heard? Leclerc must have told you something.”

“Only that the Second Imperial Princess was nearly subjected to something vile by our Crown Prince. I don’t know the exact details.”

“Something vile?……Well, that’s one way to put it politely. That bastard’s atrocities were far worse than that.”

Given that the princess was left in tears and the Emperor enraged, it was clear this wasn’t just any ordinary incident.

What could it have been? Did he cause a murder in the palace?

I waited tensely for the answer. But the Emperor’s explanation left me not just shocked, but utterly despairing.

“Attempted rape.”

“…..What?”

“That bastard tried to assault my daughter but failed.”

This wasn’t some crude joke. It was a serious crime, treated as such in any country.

A royal committing such an act against another royal? Seriously?

“Back when I didn’t know the true nature of that bastard, I arranged for my second daughter to meet him. The idea was to strengthen ties through marriage between friendly nations.”

“I’ve heard of it. The intention was for them to get to know each other before the engagement.”

“Right. The meeting itself went well. Lily seemed to like him.”

Lily must be the Second Princess’s nickname. The Crown Prince was about five years older than me, and I remember he was quite handsome.

First impressions are often based on appearance, so it made sense she liked him.

“The problem came afterward.”

The Emperor clicked his tongue and sipped his lukewarm tea.

“At the time, the Crown Prince was staying in the eastern palace. We couldn’t just give a foreign royal a single room. But he turned the place into a brothel.”

I felt dizzy. A brothel? He brought prostitutes into the palace?

Is that even allowed? Going to another country to find a marriage partner and then indulging in such debauchery?

“…..Is that acceptable?”

“Acceptable?! I should have banished him permanently for such disgraceful behavior!”

The Emperor slammed the armrest and sighed deeply, his expression filled with disgust and anger.

Of course, it’s understandable. Who would be happy about someone getting drunk and causing chaos in a home passed down through generations?

“I held back then. After all, he was a guest I had invited. I abandoned the idea of marriage but planned to treat him decently before sending him home.”

“But then the incident occurred.”

“It happened on a certain night.”

Even recalling it made his teeth grind.

“Louise, my second daughter, went to the eastern palace on her own. She wanted to see him one more time before he left.”

“Didn’t you tell her what the Crown Prince was up to?”

“Would you want to explain such debauchery to a child raised in luxury? In hindsight, maybe I should have told her.”

Unlike men, women’s sexual education is handled very cautiously in this world.

Given the conservative sexual norms influenced by religion during this medieval-early modern period.

The imperial family’s culture wasn’t much different, but that seems to have been the root of the problem.

“Unaware, my daughter went to the eastern palace. The Crown Prince, drunk and incoherent, mistook her for a new prostitute. He tried to undress and assault her but was stopped by the guards who arrived just in time.”

“What happened afterward… you’ve experienced it yourself, so I won’t elaborate.”

The Emperor finished his tea and looked straight at me.

“This is the full story of the incident you wanted to know. If you can’t believe it, I can provide evidence—”

“No, that’s fine.”

I bowed my head deeply, my voice weak.

I didn’t want to take in any more new information. I didn’t have the strength.

“I can tell what you’ve told me is true just by listening.”

Suppressing the urge to go mad right then and there was already overwhelming.