Chapter 137: The Young Empress's Drunken Confession
Edria, a permanent member of the United Nations.
The Royal Palace Audience Chamber.
“Your Highness! Following the success of the recent summit, the Republic has announced it will hasten its preparations for war! They say they will make a decision before summer, so we have reason to be optimistic.”
The Foreign Minister bowed his head low before the king, who sat upon his throne.
Ironically, however, the one the minister was truly watching was not the king.
He was only concerned with the gaze of Count Kaledra, the Prime Minister, who stood beside the king, leaning on his cane.
The Foreign Minister swallowed hard and continued his report.
“However, the Federation remains skeptical about entering the war. The Federation's president said that if we desire harmony between the three nations, he would gladly accept, but he wants to know who will bear the responsibility should the result be a world war.”
Hearing the minister’s report, Kaledra gripped the handle of his cane tightly.
He understood exactly what the Federation’s president meant by those words.
He’s mocking us, saying that the Allied Nations can’t defeat the Empire even with the Republic on their side.
The Empire had not only succeeded in subjugating the Kingdom of Eldresia with minimal losses but had also effectively brought the neutral nation of Bellanos into its fold as an ally.
They had unstoppable momentum.
As much as he hated to admit it, there was no denying the Empire’s string of victories.
The Allied Nations, on the other hand, had failed to produce any significant results.
The Federation’s president was chiding the Allied Nations, implying that he would not cooperate unless they achieved something tangible.
As his fears became reality, Kaledra ground his teeth.
Daniel Steiner…
That damn bastard was single-handedly changing the global landscape, bit by bit.
He’d even heard that Daniel had recently annihilated the Palentia branch, located in the very heart of the Empire.
To the Allied Nations, the man was nothing short of a malignant tumor.
He had to be excised.
“Your Highness the King.”
Kaledra took a deep breath and looked down at the king.
“Promise the Federation that our Allied Nations will take full responsibility. Furthermore, you must tell them they will soon learn how fragile the Empire truly is, how it rots from within, despite its outward appearance.”
“…The Empire, you say?”
“Yes. According to a reliable source, there is a group within the Empire plotting a rebellion. A Noble Faction that claims legitimacy for the Imperial throne.”
That was merely their pretext; in reality, they were just a pack of dogs blinded by their greed for power and influence, but that wasn't important.
What mattered was that they could be used to fracture the Empire.
“I know the Imperial Security Bureau’s surveillance has tightened since the Palentia branch was destroyed, but we still have agents operating in the Imperial Capital. I will give them an order: contact the Noble Faction and reveal that the Allied Nations are willing to help.”
If the rebellion succeeded, they could seize absolute power, but if it failed, they would have to forfeit their lives.
Duke Belvar, the leader of the Noble Faction in the capital, was surely aware of this.
Therefore, it was highly likely he would grasp the hand offered to him, even if it belonged to the enemy. He would do so under the naive assumption that he was merely using an enemy for a greater cause.
“If they accept our proposal, we can slowly destroy the Empire from the inside. It will also allow us to isolate Daniel Steiner, the so-called hero of the Empire who has achieved victory after victory. Perhaps it will be more than simple isolation…”
Kaledra’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“We might even be able to have him executed in the name of the Empire.”
What if the Noble Faction succeeded in turning the Empress into a puppet and seizing power? They would undoubtedly try to eliminate Daniel Steiner, who would be a threat to their authority.
In other words, it would be a perfect case of killing with a borrowed knife.
The king stared blankly at Kaledra, who spoke so casually of Daniel’s death, before nodding.
It was a truly wicked plan, but he judged it to be sound.
“…I believe it would be best to do as you say.”
Besides, the king, who was little more than a puppet, did not dare to defy Kaledra.
*
Ten days had passed since the Director of the Security Bureau visited the Staff Headquarters.
During those ten days, Daniel had been quite busy.
With his appointment as the Chief of Staff for the 7th Division on the Eastern Front, a new operations staff officer had been assigned to the Staff Headquarters.
Daniel, who was treated with almost infinite respect by the new officer, handed over his duties and used his spare time to review the operational status and enemy intelligence of the 7th Division.
It wasn't that he was determined to do his best as chief of staff; rather, he was spending his time figuring out how to survive the Eastern Front without getting killed.
Just as he was enjoying this brief period of peace, a summons arrived from the Imperial Palace.
The sender was Selvia, the most revered person in the Empire and its current Empress, so Daniel didn't even consider refusing and made his way to the palace.
Guided by the Lord Chamberlain, Daniel walked down a long corridor adorned with marble and finally arrived at the Empress’s office.
In front of the office stood Lieutenant Colonel Hartmann, the head of Selvia’s security detail, along with several soldiers.
Spotting Daniel’s approach, Hartmann gave a light salute.
Feeling the gesture was a bit much, Daniel quickly returned it, and Hartmann let out a pleasant laugh.
“Well, if it isn’t Colonel Daniel, who now outranks me. We’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”
The formal address felt quite burdensome, but Daniel decided not to comment on it.
The chain of command was paramount in the military, and the respect accorded to rank was a virtue necessary for maintaining order.
“My apologies for keeping you waiting. More importantly, is Her Majesty the Empress…”
“She is inside, attending to state affairs. Except when she must attend meetings or state functions, she is always working in here.”
A bitter smile touched Hartmann’s lips as he spoke.
“She always had a tendency to bury herself in work, but since ascending to the throne, she’s been drastically cutting back on sleep. I’m just worried she might fall ill at this rate.”
She must feel an immense weight of responsibility for taking the throne.
Finding it somewhat understandable, Daniel nodded, and Hartmann stepped aside to let him pass.
Taking it as a sign to enter, Daniel walked forward and knocked lightly on the door.
“Your Majesty. It is Colonel Daniel Steiner.”
A moment later, a voice from within told him to enter.
Daniel opened the door and stepped inside.
The first thing he saw was a large window through which the light of the night sky’s stars poured in.
Selvia, who had been working under the starlight, slowly raised her head as she confirmed Daniel’s entrance.
Beneath her lustrous, platinum-blonde hair, her blue eyes, tinged with exhaustion, blinked languidly.
“Colonel Daniel…”
Selvia murmured his name and rose from her seat.
“Is this the first time since the coronation? That you’ve met with me as the Empress, I mean.”
“It is.”
Hearing Daniel’s reply, a meaningful smile appeared on Selvia’s lips.
“What do you think? Of the empress you created.”
It was a difficult question to answer.
Unsure of the question’s intent, Daniel remained silent, and Selvia let out a low laugh.
“It seems a strange rumor is circulating among the nobles. A rumor that I would never have ascended to the throne without Daniel Steiner’s help.”
“That is not true,” Daniel replied instantly.
“Even without me, Your Majesty would have rightfully claimed the throne.”
He meant it.
In the original story, Selvia had ascended to the throne on her own.
But Daniel’s words didn’t seem to offer her much comfort.
“I’d like to think so, too. But as the days go by, the rumors spread, one leading to another. Do you know what some of the noble ladies are saying? They claim you and I are lovers, and that it’s a dark omen for the Imperial family.”
Daniel frowned.
This was almost certainly a baseless rumor spread by the Noble Faction to undermine the Empress’s authority.
Selvia was surely aware of this, yet she seemed to be feeling the psychological pressure.
“Your Majesty, we must root out those who spread such falsehoods and…”
Daniel, who had been about to offer advice, stopped short.
He had caught the faint scent of alcohol lingering in the room.
His gaze shifted, and he spotted a bottle of whiskey, its top open, sitting on Selvia’s desk.
About a third of its contents were gone.
I thought she couldn’t handle her liquor well…
For Selvia to be drinking so heavily, she must have been going through a lot recently.
Just as he thought he should try to calm her down, Selvia began to walk slowly toward him.
Then, she spread her arms wide.
A playful smile was an added bonus.
As a flustered Daniel hesitated, Selvia waved her arms once.
“What are you doing? The Empress is asking for a hug. Are you going to keep ignoring her?”
“Your Majesty, it seems you’ve had too much to drink.”
“So? Are you saying you won’t obey my command?”
Her joke was going too far.
He considered calling for Hartmann, but the problem was the Imperial Guards.
If they opened the office door and witnessed the Empress’s drunken behavior, it would surely add fuel to the strange rumors.
Deciding to play along just a little, Daniel stepped closer, and Selvia lightly fell into his arms.
The smell of alcohol mingled with Selvia’s unique scent.
“…This is nice. I’ve wanted to hug you like this at least once.”
Selvia mumbled as if talking in her sleep and giggled as if she found it amusing.
This childish side of Selvia was unfamiliar, but not entirely incomprehensible.
Even if she was the Empress, Selvia was still young, having only just become an adult.
It couldn't be easy to bear the full weight of the duties she shouldered.
Daniel gently patted her back.
“It seems you’ve been having a difficult time. You’re doing things you normally wouldn’t.”
At Daniel’s comforting words, Selvia’s eyes half-opened.
She hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“…I thought all the conflict would end once I became Empress.”
It was a kind of drunken confession.
“But I was mistaken. The nobles, for whatever reason, obstruct my every move. It’s gotten to the point where I haven’t been able to advance a single proper agenda since becoming Empress.”
Selvia’s hands, holding onto Daniel, tightened slightly.
“Even in the parliament, the majority party opposes my policies. They claim they’re demanding revisions, but I know their true intention is to deny me.”
Closing her eyes, Selvia bit her lip.
“I promised the people I would govern properly as their Empress. But I already feel like I’ve hit a wall. To be honest, I’ve even had this thought lately.”
“…What kind of thought, Your Majesty?”
“To make their malicious rumors a reality. If what they want is for me to become a tyrant, then I should give them what they want. If you would agree, Colonel Daniel…”
Slowly opening her eyes, Selvia’s lips parted.
A faint heat emanated from her breath.
“The rumors spread by the noble ladies…”
He felt the next words should not be spoken.
But before Daniel could stop her, Selvia spoke first.
“Shall we make them an established fact, right here and now?”