chapter_0138

137 – The Young Emperor’s Drunken Confession

137 – The Young Emperor’s Drunken Confession

The Allied Nations’ permanent member, Edria.

Royal Palace, Audience Room.

“Your Majesty! The recent talks were successful, and the Republic is hastening its preparations to join the war! They say they will make a decision before summer, so we can expect good news.”

The Foreign Minister bows deeply before the king seated on the throne.

However, the person the Foreign Minister is wary of is ironically not the king.

He is merely concerned about the gaze of the Chancellor, Count Caledra, who stands beside the king, leaning on his cane.

The Foreign Minister swallows hard and continues his report.

“However, the Federation is showing a skeptical attitude towards joining the war. The President of the Federation said that if they wish for the unity of the three nations, he would gladly accept, but he wants to know who will take responsibility if that leads to a global catastrophe.”

Caledra grips the handle of his cane tightly upon hearing the Foreign Minister’s report.

He understood the meaning behind the President’s words.

‘They’re mocking us, suggesting that the Allied Nations cannot defeat the Empire simply by allying with the Republic.’

The Empire had successfully subdued the Eldresia Kingdom with minimal damage and had effectively incorporated the neutral nation of Bellanos as an ally.

It was truly a relentless advance.

As much as he hated to admit it, there was no denying that the Empire was achieving victory after victory.

On the other hand, the Allied Nations had not produced any significant results.

The President of the Federation had scolded the Allied Nations, implying that they would not cooperate if they could not deliver proper outcomes.

As the feared situation approached reality, Caledra gritted his teeth.

‘Daniel Steiner…’

That damned child was gradually changing the course of the world.

Moreover, he had recently heard that Daniel had annihilated the Palentia branch located in the heart of the Empire.

He was a malignant tumor within the Allied Nations.

He had to be excised.

“Your Majesty.”

Taking a deep breath, Caledra looks down at the king.

“Promise the Federation that our Allied Nations will take full responsibility. We must also convey that the Empire is far more fragile and rotten internally than it appears on the surface.”

“…The Empire, you say?”

“Yes. According to reliable sources, there are factions within the Empire plotting a rebellion. They are a coalition of nobles claiming the legitimacy of the royal family.”

While their justification was noble, in reality, they were blinded by the struggle for power, but that was not particularly important.

What mattered was that if they could be used, the Empire could be divided.

“After the Palentia branch was destroyed, the Empire’s Security Agency has tightened its surveillance, but we still have our agents operating within the Imperial City. I will give them orders to make contact with the noble coalition and reveal that the Allied Nations are willing to offer assistance.”

If the rebellion succeeds, they could seize unparalleled power, but the moment they fail, they would have to pay with their lives.

Duke Belvar, who leads the noble coalition in the Imperial City, would not be unaware of this.

So, no matter how much they were enemies, there was a high likelihood they would not refuse and would be eager to grasp the opportunity.

It was merely a complacent thought that they were using the enemy for a greater cause.

“If they accept our proposal, we can gradually undermine the Empire from within. Additionally, it would be possible to isolate Daniel Steiner, who is hailed as the Empire’s hero and has been winning battle after battle. Perhaps we could even go beyond mere isolation…”

Caledra’s eyes narrow sharply.

“We might be able to execute him in the name of the Empire.”

What if the noble coalition succeeded in making the Emperor a puppet and seizing power? They would undoubtedly try to eliminate Daniel Steiner, who posed a threat to their power.

This meant that the possibility of using him as a tool for assassination had become a reality.

The king stared blankly at Caledra, who spoke so calmly about Daniel’s death, then nodded.

It was indeed a wicked plan, but he deemed it reasonable.

“…It seems wise to follow your advice.”

Moreover, the king, who was nothing more than a puppet, could not dare to refute Caledra’s words.

–

Ten days had passed since the head of the Security Agency visited the headquarters.

During those ten days, Daniel had been quite busy.

With Daniel appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Eastern Front’s 7th Division, a new operations officer had been assigned to the headquarters.

Daniel received nearly boundless respect from the new operations officer as he handed over his duties, and whenever he had the chance, he reviewed the operational status of the Eastern Front’s 7th Division and enemy intelligence.

It wasn’t so much about doing his best as a Chief of Staff; it was more about contemplating how he could survive on the Eastern Front.

Just as he was enjoying a brief peace, a summons arrived from the Imperial Palace.

The sender was Selvia, the most esteemed person in the Empire and the current Empress, so Daniel didn’t even think of refusing and stepped into the Imperial Palace.

Following the guidance of the head of the Inner Court, Daniel walked down a long corridor adorned with marble and arrived at the Empress’s office.

In front of the office stood Colonel Hartmann, who was in charge of Selvia’s personal security, along with soldiers.

Upon noticing Daniel approaching, Hartmann gave a light salute.

Feeling burdened by it, Daniel quickly returned the salute, and Hartmann smiled pleasantly.

“Isn’t this Colonel Daniel Steiner, who has now risen above me in rank? I’ve been eagerly waiting for your arrival.”

Although Daniel found the formalities quite burdensome, he decided not to point it out.

In the military, where hierarchy is paramount, respect according to rank was a necessary virtue for maintaining order.

“I apologize for making you wait. But how is Her Majesty…?”

“She is inside attending to state affairs. Unless there is a meeting or an event related to national matters, she is always working here.”

A bittersweet smile lingered on Hartmann’s lips as he spoke.

“She always had a tendency to immerse herself in work, but since ascending to the throne, she has drastically reduced her sleeping hours. I can’t help but worry that she might fall ill.”

She must feel a tremendous sense of responsibility now that she is on the throne.

Understanding this to some extent, Daniel nodded, and Hartmann stepped aside.

Interpreting this as a signal to enter, Daniel walked forward and lightly knocked on the door.

“Your Majesty, this is Colonel Daniel Steiner.”

Before long, a voice from inside beckoned him to enter.

With that, Daniel opened the door and stepped inside.

The first thing he noticed was the wide window through which starlight poured in like the night sky.

Selvia, who was working under the starlight, looked up slowly upon noticing Daniel’s entrance.

Her tired blue eyes blinked languidly beneath her lustrous platinum hair.

“Colonel Daniel…”

Selvia murmured as she rose from her seat.

“Is this the first time since the coronation that you meet me as the Empress?”

“Yes.”

A significant smile appeared on Selvia’s lips upon hearing Daniel’s response.

“What do you think? You created the Empress.”

It was a difficult question to answer.

As Daniel remained silent, unsure of the intent behind the question, Selvia chuckled softly.

“It seems there are strange rumors circulating among the nobles. They say I would not have ascended to the throne without your help.”

“That’s not true.”

Daniel replied immediately.

“You would have rightfully claimed the throne even without me.”

He meant it sincerely.

In the original story, Selvia had risen to the throne on her own merit.

However, Daniel’s words did not provide much comfort to Selvia.

“I want to believe that too. But as the days go by, the rumors keep spreading. Do you know what some ladies are saying? They claim that my relationship with you is causing the royal family to decline.”

Daniel frowned.

This was likely a baseless rumor spread by the noble coalition to undermine the authority of the Empress.

Selvia must not have been unaware of this, yet she seemed to be under psychological pressure.

“Your Majesty, we should root out those who spread these rumors…”

As Daniel was about to offer advice, he paused.

He caught a faint scent of alcohol wafting through the room.

Turning his gaze, Daniel noticed a whiskey bottle on Selvia’s desk, its cap open, with about a third of its contents missing.

‘She’s not known for drinking much…’

If Selvia was drowning in alcohol, it must mean she had been going through a lot recently.

Just as he thought he needed to calm her down, Selvia slowly approached him.

Then she opened her arms wide.

Her playful smile was an added bonus.

As Daniel hesitated, taken aback, Selvia waved her arms once.

“What are you doing? The Empress is asking for a hug, and you’re just going to leave me hanging?”

“Your Majesty, it seems you have had too much to drink.”

“And so? Are you refusing to follow my orders?”

This was going too far.

He considered calling Hartmann, but the problem lay with the guards.

If they opened the office door and witnessed the Empress in a drunken state, it would surely add to the strange rumors.

Thinking it might be best to humor her a little, Daniel stepped closer, and Selvia lightly wrapped her arms around him.

The smell of alcohol mixed with Selvia’s unique scent wafted over.

“…This feels nice. I wanted to hug you like this at least once.”

Selvia murmured as if in a drunken stupor, giggling as if it were amusing.

While he wasn’t used to Selvia acting like this, he could understand it.

No matter how much of an Empress she was, Selvia was still quite young, barely an adult.

It was not easy to fully bear the weight of the responsibilities she carried.

Daniel gently patted Selvia’s back.

“You seem to be struggling a lot. You’re acting in ways you normally wouldn’t.”

Selvia’s eyes, which had been half-closed, opened slightly at Daniel’s comforting words.

After a moment of hesitation, Selvia spoke.

“I thought that once I became the Empress, all conflicts would end.”

It was a kind of drunken truth.

“But that was my misunderstanding. The nobles are obstructing everything I try to do, and since becoming Empress, I haven’t been able to advance a single proper agenda.”

Selvia’s grip tightened slightly around Daniel.

“In the council, the majority party is opposing my policies. They demand revisions in words, but I know their true intention is to deny me.”

With her eyes closed, Selvia bit her lip.

“I clearly promised the people that I would govern properly as an Empress. But I already feel like I’ve hit a wall. To be honest, I’ve been having thoughts like this lately.”

“…What kind of thoughts?”

“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 Colonel Daniel agrees…”

Slowly opening her eyes, Selvia’s lips quivered.

There was a hint of warmth in her breath.

“About the rumors spread by the ladies…”

She thought that the following words should not be spoken.

However, before Daniel could respond, Selvia spoke first.

“Shall we make it a fait accompli right here and now?”