Chapter 96

The Imperial Princesses stood facing each other before me.

If they were engaged in a battle of nerves over the designation of the Heiress Apparent, I would have understood.

These two are powerful contenders for the throne.

Until now, Victoria had been the frontrunner, but that was uncertain now that she’d declared she’d throw away all her political influence.

The situation regarding the succession was now truly unclear.

But the reason these two were at odds wasn’t about the throne—it was about me. Though I was confused myself, I decided to listen.

“The Wolphall Family purge? Do you really think you can do it, sister?”

“Why do you think I can’t?”

“It’s basically like cutting off your own limbs. I’ve never caused trouble for my maternal relatives.”

“Your maternal relatives avoid you. And I’ve already made up my mind. It might hurt, but it’s better than leaving it in your hands.”

So Siena was threatening to dispose of the Wolphall Family—that much I had guessed.

What shocked me was the conversation that followed.

“You seem to be mistaken. Doing that won’t make Sir Alan choose you. Do you really think he’d stand by out of pity?”

“Siena. That’s inappropriate right now.”

“It’s questionable whether you’ve ever asked Alan for his thoughts. His current expression suggests he has no idea what’s going on.”

“Marriages among royalty aren’t settled that way. And it seems you haven’t asked Sir Alan either.”

Marriage. There was no way I could ignore that.

Siena, uncharacteristically showing signs of urgency, pressed Victoria, whose deliberate efforts to seem calm revealed her tension. This wasn’t a casual exchange of jokes.

“Did Victoria have marriage on her mind?”

This itself wasn’t surprising.

Victoria is the eldest daughter of the Imperial Court. Royalty who don’t intend to marry and produce heirs can’t become Emperor. If Victoria declared herself celibate, it might be enough to transfer the position of Heiress to her competitor—Siena, even if it pains me to admit it.

But hearing that the other party in question was me was something I couldn’t passively accept.

“Victoria must have her reasons.”

My house is far too humble to produce a royal son-in-law.

Victoria might see this as an advantage.

The Empire is already a state where the concepts of private domains and private armies have faded. Power is concentrated in the Emperor; more than eighty percent of the empire’s territory is administered by officials sent from the central court. There’s no need to expand one’s influence through marriage alliances.

Though my reputation has been rather notorious,

“Victoria wouldn’t care about that either. She probably believes that her actions are the reason my reputation has already hit rock bottom.”

Maybe Victoria came up with the idea of marriage as a way to “keep Alan close and protect him.” Once a member of the Imperial Court, it would make others cautious.

Though I don’t know why the purging of her maternal relations was necessary for my marriage… Victoria herself began to explain.

“It wasn’t just about marrying Sir Alan that prompted me to consider a purge. Getting this far has given me courage.”

“Did you think about how Sir Alan might feel when you wipe out all your maternal family and propose? That was quite considerate of you.”

“Your concern for others is surprising, Siena.”

“…”

“I imagine you lacked confidence in Sir Alan’s heart and were trying to borrow my strength. If I personally propose your engagement, Sir Alan would have to accept it regardless of his feelings—perhaps even if he doesn’t want to.”

For a rare moment, Victoria countered. Siena responded gravely.

Silence filled the Audience Chamber.

An exceptionally long and uncomfortable silence.

Only now did I finally have a moment to calmly analyze this twisted situation.

Two members of the direct royal line wanted me as their partner. It wasn’t just about nominating me as a candidate; they were preparing intricate traps to capture me. And it seemed that my opinion would not be considered in the process.

“I expected Siena to act like this.”

I was prepared for it since the moment I summoned Siena to avoid Anais.

Unless Siena suddenly lost interest in me and left, I planned to carefully and safely bring her under control in my way.

That’s why I even gave her access to the production room and taught her the basics of solvent extraction. Everything had been going smoothly until now.

But I didn’t expect Victoria to act this way too.

Then, Siena slowly turned to look at me.

“Alan?”

She called me softly, arms crossed. One of her eyes seemed to flicker faintly, and her small hands were hidden in her arms. She must have been incredibly angry but couldn’t think of what to say.

Even clever Siena hadn’t anticipated this situation.

Before I could respond to Siena, Victoria spoke.

“I’m sorry, Sir Alan. I didn’t intend to burden you like this.”

At least she apologized, though it wasn’t much comfort. None of my current difficulties had been alleviated.

Instead, Siena began mocking her sister again.

“You shouldn’t have come if you knew it’d be this way, sister.”

“I wasn’t speaking to you.”

Again. A situation with no clear answer, but one thing was certain.

If I remained passive, the situation would only worsen.

“Both of you, please stop.”

After exhaling a short sigh, I stepped forward. Intentionally hardening my expression, I looked back and forth between the two princesses.

Their reactions were different. Siena narrowed her eyes, and Victoria nodded solemnly. Both seemed confident in something, as if expecting me to take their side.

It would be foolish to simply appease and move on.

This wasn’t the Academy, and these two weren’t Academy students quarreling over a man. If they started a serious feud, the State itself could descend into chaos. There would likely be casualties from all sides.

Would I remain unscathed if the situation deteriorated?

Of course not. The problem wasn’t just with these two.

The Emperor was already keeping an eye on me.

When his patience runs out, it wouldn’t be unreasonable for him to take drastic measures. He might not simply watch me become a part of the Imperial Court and decide to eliminate me, considering me a dangerous resource. He wouldn’t want his future daughters to clash for my sake.

“Maybe I should take a side.”

Before I understood Victoria’s feelings, I would have chosen Siena. She is unpredictable, while Victoria is relatively more predictable. Moreover, Victoria viewed me merely as a loyal servant.

But things have changed.

Victoria’s declaration to purge her maternal relatives.

Even though it isn’t solely because of me, taking such drastic action would create a desperate need for capable sidekicks to fill the void.

Choosing sides would be a bad move.

My first priority was to separate the quarreling princesses.

As soon as I resolved this, I approached Victoria.

“Your Highness, did you just say you’d purge the Wolphall Family?”

“You will bear no burden. I will handle everything.”

“I apologize, but the burden is already substantial.”

Victoria blinked and looked at me, while Siena smirked faintly.

“I understand your motivation for making this tough decision. Perhaps it was triggered by Siena’s ‘proposal.’ You may believe that eliminating the Wolphall Family is necessary for the peace of the Empire.”

“Exactly. I appreciate your understanding.”

“But proceeding clumsily with the purge would bring calamity to the Empire.”

“…”

“This family has wielded immense influence over the military for nearly twenty years under the auspices of your maternal relations. The number of officials who benefited from their connections is immeasurable. The scandal over morphine leaks won’t provide sufficient justification for a full purge.”

“Sir Alan, I’ve already made up my mind…”

“One can purge without justification, but Princess, do you really want to become a ruler who dismisses dozens of military officers without proper cause? …And what would you do with me immediately after that? Although I’ll refrain from further comments on this.”

I intentionally feigned confusion while brushing over my words.

If you decide to select me as your royal consort post-purge, it would create immense pressure for me. People might say you purged your maternal family at Alan’s instigation. Even if I don’t explicitly state it, Victoria must already know.

“Still, I can’t let my decision be swayed by considerations like this—it’s not in Victoria’s nature.”

Still, Victoria’s face looked increasingly gaunt, reflecting her inner turmoil.

As I watched her, I calmly informed her,

“I can offer some advice. On how to neatly and quickly sever the Wolphall Family.”

“Sir Alan…?”

Victoria’s face brightened again, and her cobalt eyes began to glow. For someone reputed to be stoic, she showed considerable fluctuation today. Perhaps it would be abnormal for her to remain calm after deciding to sever her maternal ties.

“Don’t take any action until I provide separate instructions. This is for your benefit as much as for my safety.”

“I understand.”

Victoria left with a look of relief, glancing back at me several times on her way out.

…

Siena, the owner of this palace, remained.

Siena stared at me with a baffled expression, likely wondering why I’d left room to assist Victoria. She probably expected me to coldly dismiss Victoria right before her.

“Alan. Can I talk to you for a moment…”

Before she could finish her sentence, I interrupted.

“Siena, you didn’t do anything right either… When pushing someone into a corner, you must always show an exit. Otherwise, situations like today’s will arise. Because of your youthful actions, Your Highness, I was exposed to danger.”

“Alan?”

“Thanks to you, I’ve had to undertake labor I might have otherwise avoided.”

A weighty reprimand. But also a message that I’m not enthusiastically aiding in the purge of Victoria’s maternal family.

“I’m sorry, Alan. I should have consulted with you in advance.”

Siena fell silent for the moment.

Of course, I knew this couldn’t last forever.

I had to come up with some kind of solution.

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