Chapter 12 : Why did you meet me, why do you only hurt me (2)

The relationship between the Empire and the Kingdom was so hostile that the phrase “like a dog and a cat” didn’t seem out of place.

Perhaps because of that, even in letters sent to each other, provoking the other side was a given.

To the point where it seemed like they were researching how to offend each other.

However, the letter the Kingdom sent to the Empire this time was unusually polite in its content.

To Wolfgang, who didn’t particularly harbor ill will toward the Kingdom, the content wasn’t too bad. However, unlike her, Laifen wasn’t too fond of the Kingdom.

“What does it say?”

“In summary… they want to establish peace with the Empire.”

“That’s absurd.”

Even though it was an official diplomatic letter sent from the Kingdom, Laifen, after receiving the letter back from her, tore it up without even reading it. A sneer twisted his lips.

“It’s not even worth discussing.”

“You’re reacting quite strongly.”

“They’re the scoundrels who took advantage of the Empire’s weakness 100 years ago to seize territory. Making peace with them is like swallowing a rock.”

History already knows the answer.

They stole territory when the Empire was weakened by the Winter of Doom, and now that winter is over, they want peace? It’s too obvious.

No, that’s just a pretext.

To be honest, Laifen didn’t care about those old grudges. He had his reasons for becoming Emperor in the first place.

In the end, he ascended to the throne, but it wasn’t out of love for the Empire or a desire to make the Empire powerful.

Despite that, there was a reason why he had to become Emperor.

“Wolfgang.”

“…Huh?”

“What’s with that face?”

“Ahem, what’s wrong?”

Perhaps because it had been so long since she was called by her name, Wolfgang unconsciously made a silly face in her surprise.

A face that didn’t suit her at all.

Such a foolish expression.

Even she seemed to realize it, as she cleared her throat and avoided eye contact.

Her face flushed with embarrassment, and it looked so adorably cute.

‘I was genuinely in danger. My heart almost wavered without me knowing.’

Even the Iron-Blooded Emperor, who had neither blood nor tears, found his heart shaken by the sudden ambush.

The emotional walls he had built like a fortress almost crumbled, and he nearly spoke out loud.

The feelings he had sworn to carry with him alone for life.

However, he was an Emperor. Suppressing his personal emotions was not a difficult task for him.

“Aren’t you really unaffected?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking about your true feelings. Not as Emperor and subject, but as a friend who cares about you.”

In the past, when he was Lord of Baikal, his duty was to oversee the North.

The North, most affected by winter, had no other fiefdoms besides Baikal.

Thus, as the Lord, he always had to review the list of people sent from the Imperial Family to Baikal. Among them was the name Lana Frost.

Lana Frost’s infamy was widely known even in the Empire.

However, Laifen didn’t believe the rumors as they were, especially when they involved her.

‘She must have been falsely accused. Of course, she harbors ill feelings toward the Kingdom.

But making peace with the Kingdom? I wonder what she really thinks about that.’

Laifen, who had unwillingly taken the Emperor’s throne, wasn’t an incompetent ruler.

His mind told him that it would be advantageous not to antagonize the Kingdom right now.

The Empire was still in the process of recovering its national strength after the Winter War.

Starting a war now? Of course, they would win, but it would come with enormous burdens.

So, while he didn’t intend to establish peace, at the very least, avoiding outright hostility was the best course of action.

That was his judgment as Emperor. But as a member of the Vendetta Legion, he thought differently.

The Vendetta Legion.

Rule 2: Always obey the commander’s orders.

Before being Emperor, he had already pledged his loyalty as a member of the Vendetta Legion to Wolfgang Leonhardt.

If she desired war, he would gladly declare it on the Kingdom.

The Empire’s glory.

The Emperor’s throne.

All of it existed for her in the end.

In other words, the fate of the Kingdom was in her hands.

And finally, she spoke.

“I’m fine.”

…

“The Empire has just finished the Winter War and is in the process of regaining its national strength. Of course, we could win if we started a war now… but the people would bear the full burden.”

Her voice, answering sincerely, carried no hesitation. Laifen could easily read her intentions.

So, you are no longer Lana Frost, but the Empire’s Wolfgang Leonhardt.

She could take revenge on those who falsely accused her.

She had the power to do so. But she completely set aside her personal feelings.

She was only thinking of the safety of the Empire and its people.

To Laifen, she was as dazzling as the sun. A proud smile formed on his lips.

‘Yes, this is our hero.’

The flame of hope that always led them to the right path.

But at the same time, he felt regret. He had hoped they could stand together on the battlefield again after so long. But it couldn’t be helped.

‘Kingdom, you should be grateful for her mercy.’

Of course, Wolfgang wasn’t thinking as deeply about the Empire’s people as Laifen assumed. Yet, there was a reason she opposed the war.

‘If a war breaks out, that just means more work for me!!’

It was a reason very much like her.

As the sun fully set outside, leaving the lone, lonely moon to shine, the young man buried in his office took a break, trying to clear his head, heavy with worries.

His radiant golden hair was tied in a ponytail, and his jewel-like blue eyes were filled with concern and anxiety.

He tugged at his neatly tied hair and groaned.

Zaide Barkleon von Minesse.

Though he was originally the second prince of the Kingdom of Minesse and had royal blood, due to his brother’s solid position as crown prince, Zaide was never going to be king.

But Zaide didn’t particularly desire the throne.

It didn’t matter if he wasn’t king.

As long as he was a member of the royal family.

All he wanted was to set an example for others.

The reason he was suddenly appointed as the crown prince was simple.

His older brother, Jaiha Barkleon von Minesse, was stripped of his title as crown prince as a consequence of breaking off his engagement with the Frost Grand Duke’s family.

[Are you out of your mind?! Apologize immediately! It’s not too late!]

[But this is how my heart feels. How can I go against it?]

[Brother! Please, get a grip!!]

[My heart can no longer be swayed.]

‘How did my once brilliant brother end up like this?’

Zaide’s older brother, Jaiha, had been famous for his exceptional swordsmanship from a young age. He had even led the army to subdue monsters at a young age, proving his remarkable abilities as a prince.

There was even talk that he might one day reach the realm of legendary heroes.

But everything changed when he met that strange woman, who claimed to be a saint. Everything began to unravel.

‘If only it hadn’t been for that woman, there wouldn’t have been a rift with the Frost Grand Duke’s family, and I wouldn’t be suffering like this.’

The kingdom was currently divided into two factions.

One side followed the Saint, chosen by the goddess herself, and the other was the royalist faction led by Zaide.

Though the Kingdom of Minesse is now called the kingdom of knights, when it was at its peak, it was known as the kingdom of heroes, and the legends of those heroes remain in both oral and written history.

Because of that, the position of the saint, chosen by the goddess, held such symbolic significance and prestige that even the king of the kingdom would bow his head to her.

And that was the problem.

No matter how prestigious or symbolic the saint’s role was, it was still just an honorary position. In reality, the saint had no political power or authority to wield.

But one day, a woman named Jeanne suddenly appeared in the hunting grounds and was chosen as the saint, upending all previous norms.

Her followers grew, and eventually, they changed the traditions and laws that had barred saints from participating in politics.

Now, the saint wielded power nearly equal to, or even greater than, that of the king.

‘I have to bring the saint down somehow. But her faction is much stronger, and we have no justification.’

Even though the royalist faction consisted of the nobles loyal to the crown prince, the saint’s faction was far stronger, and maintaining the status quo was already a monumental challenge.

While he was struggling in this difficult situation, the espionage unit from the Empire, which had resumed its activities, delivered unbelievable information.

The hero of the Winter War, Wolfgang Leonhardt.

There was a possibility that she was, in fact, the exiled villainess from ten years ago, Lana Frost.

Of course, the espionage unit wasn’t 100% certain.

There were reports that Lana Frost’s appearance had changed, and others claimed she had died because she couldn’t survive the winter.

The information was mixed and inconsistent.

Ironically, the reason the espionage unit had so much difficulty was due to the very thing that had troubled the Empire—the Winter of Doom.

The winter cold had been brutal, even for the trained agents, and the northern regions of the Empire were like a white hell.

Those who had infiltrated to gather information had all gone missing.

The damage was so severe that operations had to be halted temporarily.

Now that the Winter of Doom had ended, gathering information was still difficult because of the Black Knight Order.

As a result, the Kingdom knew very little about Wolfgang Leonhardt despite her fame.

But if she really was Lana Frost…?

‘This is an opportunity. The only chance to bring down the saint.’

Zaide already had evidence that Lana Frost had been wrongfully exiled and falsely accused.

They just hadn’t revealed it yet because there wasn’t anyone to replace the saint at the moment.

But what if? Even though it was almost a miracle.

What if the woman who was once a candidate for sainthood returned to the kingdom?

If they could reinstate her, it would be like grabbing hold of a lifeline.

What? Pride? The dignity of the crown prince?

Zaide was willing to cast all that aside if it meant cutting out the kingdom’s rot.

He had to send a delegation.

Even if they couldn’t establish peace, at the very least, they needed to confirm whether Wolfgang Leonhardt was Lana Frost.

The justification was there.

Since the letter he sent, despite opposition from the nobles, had failed, if he now declared that he would go in person, even the saint’s faction would not suspect anything.

To elevate the status of the delegation, he would include himself, the crown prince, one of the royal intelligence officers, and lastly, the one man who could immediately recognize Lana Frost’s face.

The next head of the Frost Grand Duke’s family.

Lana Frost’s brother.

Theodore von Frost.