13 – Episode 13
Late at night.
A large tent looms in the military camp.
It’s too big for ordinary soldiers to use.
The bright light inside the tent suggests that someone is present.
“Hmm… What should I do…”
A middle-aged man inside the tent mutters.
Currently, the leader of the largest faction in the empire, King Johannes of the Nykea faction.
A long, slender piece of paper in his hand.
Neat handwriting is written on it.
Johannes gently places the paper he is holding on the desk and taps the desk with his index finger.
-Tap… Tap…
‘Epip and Iphyrus… not bad.’
A faint smile hangs on the corner of King Johannes’ mouth as he thinks this.
‘Moreover, Princess Joy and my son are getting married… Although they have a 10-year age difference, if Princess Joy has the right to succeed, my future grandson may even aspire to become emperor.’
-Tap… Tap…
The former emperor exerted his unrivaled influence using the two territories.
He frequently held festivals in Epipyrus, which had abundant resources, to be loved by the imperial citizens, and helped the famine-stricken areas with the food from Iphyrus.
It may be a small matter, but the former emperor gained the love of the imperial citizens and won the hearts of the suffering lords.
It is obvious that if those enormous territories fall into the hands of the imperial faction, their power will become stronger.
‘Moreover… if the young lion marries the princess and, by any chance, fails to have a child and dies, the situation will become even more favorable.’
The Duke who assassinated the emperor.
It is also possible to frame him with such accusations.
‘One regret is that Iphyrus and Epipyrus… will have to be divided among the other imperial heirs, right?’
If Johannes tries to take this enormous territory for himself alone, surely everyone will not just stand by.
All of them gathered here, like a pride, because it benefits themselves.
Johannes believes that such people will not miss the opportunity of the enormous rewards that Epipyrus and Iphyrus offer.
Tapping on the table, he starts to stroke his chin with his hand.
“It’s regrettable… truly regrettable… if only I could obtain that, I would crush this power struggle game once and for all…”
Although he seems to be the leader of the Emperor Faction, in reality, he is more of an honorary figure without any real power.
This is because there are many powerful lords within the Emperor Faction.
“In times like this, I envy the Counter-Emperor Faction…”
The Ryan family, who holds a small territory along with the most powerful Duke Francesco, has exerted immense influence throughout generations, gathering the noble lords.
But Johannes thinks to himself.
“It’s an unavoidable situation.”
After all, wasn’t the Emperor Faction created by the Emperor to stabilize governance?
It’s an ancient way of ruling that was practiced by previous emperors even before the reigning emperor.
That’s why… Johannes has a desire that others do not know about.
To turn his own family, which has been behind the scenes of emperors for generations, into the imperial family of the empire…
“Even if I only obtain Princess Joy… it’s not impossible.”
In the end, the emperor who lost his empire and support will only have empty authority.
The power to control the Emperor Faction will also vanish.
So… when that time comes… he will personally… hunt down the young lion.
“I hope that day comes soon…”
With such thoughts, he starts writing a memo to Alexander, who is in Rome, to progress the negotiations.
***
At a time when the sun sets.
My head hurts.
My eyes are tired, making it hard to read.
I lean my head back against the chair.
Do I have a fever?
Seeing the documents piled on my desk that need to be approved by tomorrow, I can’t help but sigh.
“Sigh… Should I take a short break?”
I contemplate this while looking out the window behind my chair.
As the dim light of dusk begins to swallow the world, I open the window.
The cool autumn breeze cools down my overheated head.
Should I take a walk for the first time in a while?
The negotiations with Congressman Alexander have been going smoothly recently.
The general outline has been decided between me and Congressman Alexander, and the specific details are to be determined by Agrippa and Congressman Alexander…
Thanks to that, I’ve been too preoccupied with handling this chaotic situation on my own.
“Let’s… take a walk.”
Deciding so, I put on the jacket hanging on the coat stand.
*Swoosh…*
*Creak!*
As I open the door and step out of the room, the security guards salute me.
“I’ll take a short walk and be back.”
Saying that, I head outside the building.
The grand structure of the palace.
Despite its magnificent exterior, within this murky palace lies my favorite retreat.
Passing through several guards, I slip out through the back gate of the palace.
Expansive green grass.
A beautiful stone path laid out on the grass.
Rows of trees neatly lined up as if drawn with a ruler.
“Ahh… so refreshing…”
I walk along the path, filling my lungs with the fresh air.
Did it rain this morning?
The damp but not overly wet earth, the fresh scent of the grass, and the intertwining trees create a refreshing greenery that clears my mind.
That’s how I stroll through the palace garden.
Whenever I’ve had a headache from recent work, I often get lost in contemplation while walking like this.
Just then, a cool breeze blows in.
It feels good, as if the cool breeze is washing away all the stress I’ve accumulated so far.
If this place didn’t exist, I might have really gone crazy…
That’s why this place is my favorite spot in the palace.
“Your Highness?”
I turn my head at the sound of someone calling me.
Slightly curly, long gray hair.
Round, red eyes, different from Theodora’s.
A few encounters led me to offer greetings.
“Princess Joy, isn’t it?”
“Yes…”
Her sad expression is evident.
Perhaps… she must be suffering greatly. Losing loved ones, having the freedom she enjoyed so far taken away.
But that’s inevitable. The current situation is so unstable that someone might try to blame her for the wrongs done and attempt to assassinate her…
For the time being, including Theodora, all members of the royal family are confined to the palace.
Feeling a bit sorry, I speak my thoughts.
“… Would you like to take a walk?”
“Sure?”
Seeing Joy nod quietly at my words, I head towards her.
– Thump… Thump…
– Clack… Clack…
The sound of my military boots and her high heels, tapping on the floor, create a peculiar harmony.
Have a rough time, haven’t you?
I’ve heard that the curious Princess Joy often went outside the palace to enjoy new things.
New foods, clothes… I think this situation is frustrating for her, who used to live indulging in such things.
“Have you been well?”
In response to my question, Joy nods slightly and speaks.
“Yes… I’ve been well… Despite the rumors…”
Without saying anything more, he pauses for a moment before speaking.
From Noble mtl dot com
“Your complexion doesn’t look good… Is something wrong?”
I reply with an awkward smile.
“hahahaha… It’s just challenging to handle the chaos.”
-Sigh.
At that moment, the wind blows.
The wind tousles Joy’s beautiful hair.
“I see…”
With those words, silence falls between us.
“Um… I really appreciate the funeral. Perhaps Unni is also grateful to His Highness…?”
Internally, I nod at her words.
That stoic woman wouldn’t express such sentiments.
It seems Joy doesn’t know much about her sister.
“And… His Highness… um…”
Joy hesitates, seeming like she wants to say something.
I pause for a moment, looking at Joy.
Thinking as I observe her slightly flushed face.
What could be bothering her? She looks feverish.
Seeing her thin dress now, I ask,
“Princess Joy, aren’t you cold?”
“Sure…? Ah… It’s a little cold.”
I nod and take off my jacket, draping it over her shoulders.
“Uh…?”
I look at her face, which turns slightly surprised by my gesture.
“The weather is chilly. You should start heading back.”
“But… Your Highness, aren’t you feeling cold? I’m fine…”
I shake my head and respond.
“I’m a man, after all. I’ve trained in much colder places during my time at the military academy.”
It was actually true.
“You are… so kind, Your Highness…”
I reply as if it’s nothing special.
“It’s nothing…”
“If my sister knew how much you love her, and how warm-hearted you are, she would allow the marriage.”
I feel puzzled by Joy’s unexpected words.
Do I… love Theodora? What nonsense am I spouting?
Can an avenger like me possibly love someone affected by power?
Does she know or misunderstand my feelings, or is she reading something else in my gaze…
Blushing, with a glimmer in my eyes, I speak.
“I heard from a maid not long ago! Your Highness… there’s a song that says you have admired my sister for a long time… and it’s popular in Rome…”
Ah… is she referring to that?
I am working on popularizing the song created to improve my image among the Imperial citizens.
But… I never expected it to backfire like this.
If I deny the situation in disbelief, it wouldn’t be a good choice.
I need to appear to as many people as possible as a pure and dreamy young man so that they can trust me.
So… at that moment… I neither affirmed nor denied it to Joy.
But she seemed to think differently.
Joy’s face turns serious as she asks, “So, you killed Valoran?”
It’s difficult to tell her the truth, as she innocently asks with a pure face.
“W-Well, that’s…”
But maybe our pure Princess has a different perspective…
“Oh… I know! This is a secret! I’ll be the only one who knows! Our family still doesn’t know…”
As we approach the palace, a woman with gray hair similar to Joy’s appears.
“Joy! What are you doing there?!”
We don’t often hear someone shouting so loudly in the palace.
But as Joy and I turn our heads to see where the sound is coming from, Theodora lights up her eyes and glares at us.
“U-um… Your Highness, then I’ll go first.”
Saying so, Joy heads towards Theodora, and I stare blankly at her.
What should I do… Is it okay to send them away like that?
At that moment, Theo and Dora’s eyes briefly… very briefly, meet.
And soon, they lead Joy into the palace.
Sigh… Somehow, it’ll work out.