Chapter 41: Truth or Lie (6)
“Just going by hearsay and drawing conclusions? That… well, it’s not exactly my place to say, but isn’t it a bit hasty?”
“No, it’s sufficient.”
The Emperor, observing my flushed and tense expression, asked cautiously.
In truth, his statement holds some validity.
Objectively speaking, the information and reasoning I’ve gathered thus far are somewhat lacking for a firm conclusion.
The story I heard during my private meeting with the Emperor merely expanded upon the testimony given by General Leclerc, not presenting any entirely new revelations.
Even if this is a ploy devised by Emperor Louis XVI and his court to deceive us, it’s not entirely impossible.
Yet, despite the uncertainties, I knew without hesitation what the truth was.
Thanks to two specific pieces of circumstantial evidence I’ve seen and experienced firsthand.
“You wouldn’t go to such lengths to sully your own child’s honor just to deceive me, would you?”
First, there is the fact that the war was initiated by the Crown Prince’s attempted assault on the Imperial Princess.
It’s a deeply absurd yet understandable reason for war, but there is a crucial flaw in this narrative.
The result of this event drastically tarnishes the reputation of the Second Princess abroad as a ‘defiled princess.’
This world, although resembling a medieval fantasy setting in terms of its technology and political structure, still holds deeply antiquated moral standards.
With such a title attached, what do you think her future will look like?
“Life as an Imperial family member is essentially over.”
Officially, the term “assault” is avoided, described instead as rude conduct or diplomatic misconduct.
Yet, with witnesses present, testimonies are bound to spread.
Within the Empire’s nobility, there are those who secretly know the truth of that fateful day.
Those talking behind her back won’t be few.
Though they might not openly spread rumors, they’d certainly share the gossip in whispers.
Even if she wasn’t truly assaulted, it wouldn’t matter.
The perception from the outside will treat her as if she were, making her completely tainted and unusable.
‘No more political marriages, no more social gatherings. She’ll have no choice but to enter a convent and spend the rest of her days there.’
No matter how much protection the Emperor offers as a beloved child, finding a suitable marriage match becomes a permanent impossibility.
Wherever she goes, whispers will follow, and potential suitors won’t see her as a woman to bear heirs—only as a tarnished noblewoman.
In a stratified society, a high-born woman losing her chastity is akin to a curse.
Of course, there are plenty of women who secretly engage in such behavior, maintaining a façade of purity.
However, they haven’t been publicly exposed.
What matters most is the outward appearance and reputation. With the official label of non-virginity, the Second Princess will never reclaim her former honor.
“I conversed with some of the Empire’s people on my way here. They seemed to have heard something about what happened in the palace.”
“Indeed. It was disseminated across the Empire to rally support for war efforts.”
“Though we’ve only just met, I don’t believe His Majesty would deliberately ruin his child’s future for the sake of crafting a false narrative. Surely, you didn’t fabricate an event that never occurred?”
The Empire has spread the story far and wide for propaganda purposes.
The news has reached even remote villages, making it nearly impossible to find someone unaware.
While the justification for the war is understandable, it has led to the complete destruction of an innocent noble’s future.
Emperor Louis XVI is not the type to fabricate such a scheme.
He may have the coldness to exploit past events, but he is not heartless enough to fabricate new ones.
“If it were fake, someone would have appeared to expose it.”
Moreover, if it really was a fabricated justification, then?
Someone should have appeared over the past ten years, at least once, to reveal the truth.
Even if the Emperor’s plot was meticulously prepared, there’s no way there wouldn’t have been internal resistance when it came to ruining the lives of innocent people.
The kingdom has captured thousands of high-ranking prisoners over the years.
It’s highly likely that someone would have noticed by now and launched a large-scale propaganda campaign.
“And.”
“Hm?”
“The royal family of this country is not intelligent enough to commit such madness openly. The father sacrificed a whole front line for a mere ornament, and the son, driven by lust, could easily have assaulted foreign royalty. Wouldn’t that seem possible?”
“…That’s an oddly convincing argument.”
Next, the second point.
It’s too hard to believe in the Crown Prince’s self-control and morality, given the catastrophic track record of our King.
What kind of disgusting deeds has King Carl VII committed over the years? Since the war broke out, he’s been continually manipulated by the nobles, squeezing the blood and sweat of the common people.
While soldiers were dying on the frontlines, he wasted time on feasts and banquets in the rear.
Rather than being the nation’s unifying figure, he became its burden.
Is that all? The Queen is the one who ordered the abandonment of the northern front and the full retreat just to buy expensive jewelry for herself at a social gathering.
Thanks to that, our northern army was enraged and awakened as revolutionary forces.
Even after all this, he couldn’t come to his senses and tried to regain power by negotiating with the clergy, only for me to catch him red-handed.
He had fallen into being a complete failure.
He’s a guy who has never properly shown anything as a king. Not just rarely or infrequently, he simply doesn’t exist at all.
“It’s a case of the apple not falling far from the tree. The seeds that were sown went wrong, so the results can’t be normal.”
This world has a stronger influence of genetics than the Earth I was on.
Due to the magic present within the body, it’s easy for the parents’ traits to manifest in their children.
Inherited characteristics clearly affect both the mind and body, that’s what it means.
But isn’t my father like a brainless bastard who lives without a brain? And my mother is a selfish bitch who doesn’t care about the country if it’s for luxury?
I didn’t think a child inheriting such conditions would be okay.
It might seem plausible on the surface, but there must be something wrong internally.
“Come to think of it, didn’t Lady Arschach complain that the Crown Prince kept neglecting his wife and courting someone else?”
Looking back on my memories, there was already a previous incident. At this point, we might as well consider that it has passed the practical test.
“Thank you for the detailed explanation, Your Majesty. It was a great help.”
After organizing my thoughts, I stood up from the sofa and respectfully bowed. Expressing my gratitude for giving me assurance when I was wavering.
“I will use the information you provided usefully when I return. It will certainly be helpful for Gyu-guk as well.”
“If you’re going to purge the Crown Prince, why don’t you send him to us instead of killing him? I personally want to take revenge for the disgrace done to my daughter.”
“I will try to show as much leniency as possible. However, please don’t expect that he will arrive without any limbs being harmed.”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t give a definite answer.
Because if I punish him, he might lose a limb or an eye or two.
To be honest, when I return to the kingdom and face those who ruined my life and the lives of my people, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to act rationally.
Meanwhile, at the kingdom’s negotiation team’s lodging:
“Goddamn it. So we finally arrived here.”
“We should have turned back somehow… Maybe we should have caused an accident with the carriage.”
“There was no opportunity. There were too many watchful eyes, and thanks to that, our situation became as fragile as a candle in the wind.”
Members of the negotiation team, sent by the noble faction, gathered in a room that felt like a funeral.
They had finally arrived at the land where they had hoped no kingdom citizens would come before the war ended.
To the country that hid the forbidden secrets the rulers of the kingdom desperately wanted to conceal.
It had happened.
The event they had to prevent had now occurred, and they couldn’t shake off the gloom.
“Has Deputy Chair Royten returned yet?”
“The Emperor wanted a private audience, didn’t he? He’ll be back after quite some time.”
The meeting between the kingdom’s real power figures and the Empire’s highest authority.
No one was unaware of what that meant.
Especially since they had noticed what Carolus von Royten and his close associates had recently been interested in.
“It won’t just be about the ceasefire. If the conversation goes on, I’m sure…”
“…The question will come up. Why did the war even happen?”
To have been selected for this mission, they were individuals with standing and abilities within their factions.
They all had a good idea of the secret that the noble families had hidden for so long.
They were also well aware of the aftermath and the price they would have to pay once it was uncovered.
Losing power and wealth might be the best case scenario, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the royal family and high-ranking nobles disappeared entirely from the kingdom.
“We must stop it. Whatever it takes, we must prevent the information from reaching the kingdom.”
“How? Once Royten leaves, he’ll spread the word everywhere.”
“We’ll have to use extreme measures. The immediate priority is to survive this crisis.”
Therefore, those desperate to survive decided to resort to any means necessary.
“If we ignore the consequences down the line, there’s a lot we can do.”
Even if it means destroying the kingdom’s future.