95 – Declaration
Courage is needed.
And wisdom is needed.
Victoria, who sent her extended family away ‘for now,’ spent the night in contemplation.
‘What would Father have done?’
The first person she thought of was her father.
Her father, who had worked tirelessly to secure the throne to relieve the fatigue of the imperial family.
According to her father, he said, “It was a situation where I would die if I didn’t kill first.” However, as she verified the limited information, doubts began to creep in.
Victoria speculated that her father accidentally drew his sword, and things escalated.
Her father, King Edmond III, managed to rule the empire smoothly even after causing a bloody turmoil. Once the bloodshed ceased, a peaceful era unfolded, so rare that not only executions but even domestic pension reductions and stripping of titles became uncommon.
‘Can I do it too?’
She wanted to believe so, but honestly, it was doubtful.
Victoria’s maternal relatives were not just static; they were the most reliable allies.
…At least, that was how it had been until now.
During the time her mother was alive, she wielded formidable influence as the head of the Walford family. After her mother’s death, uncles shared responsibilities, managing and overseeing factions, providing strong support to Victoria.
‘Actually, it wasn’t support; they were using me as a pawn to boost their influence.’
Given the current situation, what would happen after the Princess of Hwangtae’s marriage?
Even those who had remained neutral observers until now would likely line up through her uncles. Pledging allegiance to the recognized heir was not shameful. Once it reached that point, it was practically impossible to resist.
Honestly, it wasn’t happening very quickly even now.
Her maternal relatives had already begun the cleanup. It was too swift.
“Your Highness, we’ve just received reports of irregularities among the Walford family members. It is said that Lieutenant Timothy Walford of the Military Investigation Headquarters and Lieutenant Henry Walford of the 2nd Armored Division conspired to leak military supplies, and to cover it up, assaulted a military officer. Even if we investigate… would it be acceptable?”
The Colonel of the Royal Guards came to Victoria, seeking permission to investigate the Walford family members, daring to do so.
“Heyden has made a big decision. Frankly, it’s not something a guy like him in his early twenties should handle. It’s just a mistake made by inexperienced kids in their twenties, but blaming Heyden, who is still a greenhorn, is too much. However… he feels remorse and takes responsibility. Isn’t it strange to stop him?”
Afterwards, her aunt came and suggested, “Let’s wrap it up at this point.”
Relatives urging Victoria for a swift decision.
‘I can tidy things up in an instant with just a nod.’
Dismiss two young officers, and Uncle Heyden, the external uncle, would retire and return to his hometown for self-discipline.
However, self-discipline was just a superficial measure, and nothing would actually change. Instead, he would operate more discreetly in the future.
It had to be sorted out before it was too late.
“Never again shall Victoria rely on her own power to engage in deceitful acts.
It is clear that she must not.
“It’s a difficult task.”
She couldn’t grasp where to start.
No, honestly, this was an excuse. There was a way.
However, the problem arose after everything was sorted out. The fear and dread of facing the future after completely destroying the political foundation. It’s not something even Siena would do, completely subjugating the relatives. How many people would praise her for decisively eliminating the external threats?
The foundation,
The reputation,
Even the candidate for the imperial throne with extraordinary abilities, who wanted to open the golden age of the empire, all of them.
“I could lose everything.”
She had no intention of letting go of the relatives to avoid the impending trials.
However, there was someone she wanted to seek advice from before making a difficult decision.
Alan Maydoff.
As Morphin, he saved the survivors from pain, sacrificed only two injured individuals while giving half of the Dalim Empire to the Empire, and even recently, he didn’t hesitate to turn the tables and warn the students about the dangers of awakening potions.
Come to think of it…
Whenever she found herself in a perplexing situation, Alan always provided answers.
If it’s Alan, he would willingly lend his wisdom this time as well.
Even if he didn’t, it didn’t matter. Just seeing his face would give her the courage she needed. After all, he had experienced tasks much more challenging than subjugating the relatives.
What Victoria needed right now was precisely that courage.
“My sister wants to have a private conversation with you.”
Sienna, who was strolling through the main garden of the Thames Palace (filled with cosmos flowers), uttered these words.
“Is it Queen Victoria speaking?”
“Yeah. Since she’s coming all this way, I didn’t see any reason to refuse, so I allowed her to accompany me. She said she has something to say to you as well, and it would be too rude to stop her, wouldn’t it?”
“……”
“Alan, please listen attentively too.”
Sienna seemed convinced that Queen Victoria was coming to declare her surrender.
In truth, I couldn’t understand what Sienna had demanded in exchange for exposing the corruption in the Wolfall family. I could only guess that it was a demand closely related to me.
However, regardless of Sienna’s intentions, there was one thing I agreed with.
“Giving up on family is not an easy thing.”
It wasn’t my words, but it was the reality. Rather than punishing, it was more common to protect and cover up. That was the way the world worked. Especially if the bloodline shared a political purpose, it was inevitable.
I couldn’t understand why she would want to see me in such a difficult situation.
“Queen Victoria has arrived.”
But I would soon find out.
…
Accompanied by only two knights, Imperial Princess Victoria visited Sienna’s palace.
When we met in the reception room, she silently stared at me for a while.
According to Sienna, she would be in a desperate situation by now, but she had a calm expression. Even Sienna’s gaze, watching over me with a smile, seemed to have no effect on her. She was no different from the Victoria I knew until now.
“No, there’s something different.”
Usually, she would be carrying a sword on her waist, but now she was gripping the hilt. And instead of confidently meeting my gaze, she was looking at my throat.
Victoria slowly raised her head after some time had passed.
What came out of her mouth was a rather peculiar statement.
“…Alan Kye. The first emotion I felt towards Kye was admiration. It felt commendable that he went so far as to study pharmacy to clear my lord’s false reputation. Looking back, I was truly arrogant. I couldn’t gauge the extent of Kye’s talent.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Wait. Just listen.”
“…….”
“After that, I felt awe for Kye’s talent. While serving as a knight, he accomplished things that no imperial pharmacist or doctor could touch. I can’t even imagine how much effort Kye put into acquiring such knowledge.”
“Your Highness Victoria.”
“And finally, I felt pity.”
At this point, Victoria recalled a faint smile, almost visible but not quite. Her blue irises seemed to vibrate.
“It’s a bit strange. Kye owns the most promising company in the empire, and recently even obtained the silver mining rights. To feel pity instead of admiration for someone who will likely become a prominent figure in the empire in a few years is odd.”
“…….”
“But I’m sincere. Kye will probably have to live his whole life under restraint and jealousy. Of course, if it’s you, Alan Kye, you’ll silently endure any unfair treatment and endure, won’t you? I felt sympathy for such you.”
“I’m fine.”
“Yeah. It’s that very attitude that troubles me.”
Admiration, awe, sympathy.
From Noble mtl dot com
Victoria’s reasons for expressing her thoughts about me were not exactly clear.
Still, it wasn’t entirely unexpected. The person who induced Victoria to think that way was none other than me. Having immense influence in the military as the 1st Princess, she sought to repay a debt of the heart to me and raise her evaluation of me.
‘I didn’t expect the day would come when I hear it directly from Victoria herself.’
Something was off about the situation.
Siena, who had been watching, tilted her head curiously, wondering why they were not raising the banner of surrender and instead spouting nonsense.
Perhaps they could read the doubt on our faces. Victoria spoke again.
“Lord Alan.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“…My cousin’s younger brother, Timothy Wolpole, stole morphine and circulated it among the public. I’m not sure of the exact amount. And it is suspected that Timothy did not act alone. There must have been someone’s tacit approval, connivance, or maybe even instructions.”
Victoria confessed with a complicated expression.
The imperial princess would not pretend to seek pity from me, so her worries must be substantial.
Until just now, I didn’t know, but now I noticed that her lower lip was slightly trembling. Perhaps she had been agonizing all night without sleep.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, Lord Alan. … Despite warning you several times about the possibility of morphine abuse, such an incident still occurred. We were unable to manage our household affairs while monitoring the misconduct of military officials, nurses, or some corrupt officers.”
“You don’t need to apologize to me, Your Highness. It was an inevitable event. Perfect prevention is impossible.”
It was not mere consolation but genuine sincerity.
With something worth a thousand pounds right in front of you, it’s only natural to be tempted. If you use your head a little and sell it on the black market, you can easily make two or three times the military price. If it weren’t for Siena, I would have lived comfortably for five or ten years.
But Victoria seemed to interpret my consolation differently.
She seemed stunned for a moment, then a mysterious smile crossed her face.
“That’s why I can’t give up on you, Alan. Even if I lose my family, as long as I have you.”
“Your Highness?”
“Alan is right. It’s difficult to control human greed. But… it is my duty to eradicate the organization that obstructs even the act of digging out flaws while moving as one body. Even if I suffer a fatal wound in return.”
After saying this, Victoria looked at Siena, not me.
“Siena. I reject your proposal.”
“Sister, now.”
“I will personally subjugate the Montvale family with my own hands. Once I finish my work, there won’t be a single target for you to attack.”
Followed by a brief but shocking declaration of subjugation.
The two princesses stared at each other with animosity. Sienna, who used to be cheerful, and Victoria, who used to smile coldly, were now expressionless.