Ch.277To the Edge of the Cliff (17)

“Phew… So that’s what happened.”

“I’m sorry for disappearing without saying anything.”

“Sorry? No one could possibly continue living normally after realizing something like this.”

The next morning, after hearing the whole story, Ines nods her head in understanding rather than getting angry at me.

Though it’s only been a week since I last felt Ines’s touch, it feels like it’s been almost a year. My mind and body feel incredibly at ease.

“By the way… what are you going to do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“About Chloe. While it’s right that crimes should be punished accordingly, this matter is too enormous to handle that way. If Chloe assassinated the former Duke, who would believe she acted alone? Everyone would naturally assume Your Majesty ordered it.”

“Hmm…”

My momentary peace of mind crumbles under Ines’s sharp question.

Ines is absolutely right.

Although Chloe clearly committed a grave crime, the consequences of punishment are so enormous that I cannot rashly penalize her.

As Ines said, if I were to punish Chloe, the repercussions would tear through Lotaring like a nuclear bomb, and the aftershocks would quickly close in on the imperial family from all sides.

The nobility, the church, all civilian forces would point fingers not just at Chloe but at me as well. If the situation worsens, it could even damage the legitimacy of Lothar and my other children.

If I were the only one being attacked, I would have punished her without hesitation… Tch.

“In my opinion… it would be better to quietly cover this up. Of course, she should be punished, but that punishment should be handled privately within the imperial family, not publicly.”

“…Yes, that would be better.”

If people criticize me for applying double standards by not properly punishing someone who happens to be my closest aide… well, I’d have no defense even with ten mouths.

But feeling the shame of being criticized for double standards is certainly preferable to a future where the imperial family is shattered.

From the perspective of the Emperor ruling Lotaring, this isn’t even worth deliberating over.

…Truly, the position of monarch becomes more disheartening with each passing day.

“Who else knows about this? Perhaps Jeanne or Ellen…?”

“No, Jeanne and Ellen don’t have the nuanced thinking required for such political discussions. Telling them would only trouble their hearts unnecessarily.”

“I-I see…”

Ines has long served as my companion, helping govern the country with both her family’s support and her own political counsel.

As the Empress of Lotaring who has perceived many things that even I failed to notice, she both deserves and needs to know these facts.

“Um… ahem, so who else knew Chloe’s secret?”

“Ah, besides me and Chloe, only Leclerc. According to him, he thoroughly dealt with anyone who came even slightly close to the truth through testimonies or otherwise.”

“By ‘dealt with,’ you mean…?”

“It’s harsh to say, but he killed them all.”

“…I see.”

Upon hearing what Leclerc had done, Ines briefly looked shocked before furrowing her brow in thought.

Both Ines and I fully acknowledge Leclerc’s capabilities. If he says he dealt with everyone involved, we can only believe that he truly eliminated everyone without exception.

In other words, this means we can bury this matter completely if we choose to.

But… is that really the right thing to do?

“Your Majesty, you must quietly bury this matter.”

“…I didn’t say anything.”

“It’s written all over your face that you feel you can’t face the late Duke. Remember that the pang of conscience is momentary, but the fall of authority is eternal. For both you and Lothar.”

“…”

Ines’s words are brutally realistic. They leave me speechless, yet I feel no ill will toward her personally.

Rather, I’m grateful to Ines for helping me face reality so clearly.

…How am I supposed to face Father now?

I don’t know if I’ll be reincarnated again, but if I end up in the afterlife and meet Claude’s father, I’ll have to prostrate myself dozens of times begging for forgiveness.

“That’s cruel.”

“But there’s no other choice.”

“Well, you’re right, Ines. Alright, I’ll handle Chloe’s matter internally within the imperial family.”

No matter how much Chloe has apologized and repented to me, repentance and punishment must be calculated separately.

However, if I were to punish Chloe, others would likely find it suspicious, so it must be handled quietly as an internal imperial matter.

…I don’t know how many times I’ve felt this today, but being a monarch truly is a thankless position.

Well, it won’t be long before that improves.

“And Ines, I have one last confession to make.”

“Confession…?”

“Yes, don’t be surprised.”

Given that we’ve seen everything there is to see of each other, the word “confession” typically implies a declaration of love, so Ines’s face shows confusion at my sudden statement.

Of course, that confusion doesn’t last long. Seeing my utterly serious expression, Ines quickly composes herself, returning her flushed face to normal and adopting a serious expression.

“In three years, after Lothar completes his coming-of-age ceremony, I plan to abdicate.”

“…What?”

But that serious expression instantly transforms into one of bewilderment.

Ines tilts her head as if she misheard something, furrowing her brow and opening her mouth, but then her facial muscles go slack as she realizes she heard correctly.

…What’s this? Why is she so cute? I’ve never seen her so defenseless before.

……….

[There’s been so much happening, hasn’t there? In a world where the life expectancy is 50, working until 40—don’t you think it’s about time to retire?]

[Oh, brother… but the throne…]

[What about the throne? I’m not completely giving up power. I’m just passing the throne to Lothar while becoming Emperor Emeritus. That way, I can minimize my duties without relinquishing power. After retirement, let’s do all the things we couldn’t do while confined to the palace. First… how about traveling?]

[Uh… yes…]

To be honest, it’s quite a selfish idea. Am I not dumping all my responsibilities onto my son Lothar?

But since my power is essentially Lothar’s power, it wouldn’t be bad for him either. And giving Lothar early experience of ruling after me, since he’ll inevitably be heavily influenced by me anyway, would be very beneficial.

Above all, if Lothar makes any mistakes or faces difficult problems, I can still intervene while I’m alive, minimizing the impact and shock.

There’s a reason King Taejong Yi Bang-won abdicated early to his son Sejong.

It minimizes the impact of a sudden succession through death, and allows for giving advice to an inexperienced son ruling the country—there are tremendous advantages.

Of course, with a successor in place, my own power will rapidly diminish, but… so what? What parent in the world would dislike seeing their child succeed? I wonder if Yi Bang-won felt this way too?

But…

“Ines, get up. What are you doing…”

“Please… please reconsider…”

What’s this now?

Ines, whom I thought would be happy about her child becoming Emperor, is showing a completely opposite reaction.

Does she think I’m testing her loyalty like my ancestors did?

“Ines, it’s not like that, really, it’s fine. Why are you acting this way when the situation allows for it? It will be good for Lothar to gain ruling experience early.”

“No. I’m not doing this to impress Your Majesty. You’re still so healthy—if you step down from your position, people will point fingers and call you weak…!”

“So that’s… sigh.”

For Ines, born into nobility, the act of abdicating to a successor while still healthy seems to be an incomprehensible cosmic horror.

Is it really that serious?

Hmm… I can certainly understand. With my memories as a modern person, this feeling is quite faint for me, but for those born and raised in this era, a title is as precious as life itself.

It’s no wonder that most pre-modern monarchs could only inherit their titles after the previous monarch’s death. The few cases of abdication during one’s lifetime are the exceptions.

Even Sejong, who received the throne from Taejong, appointed Munjong as regent rather than abdicating to him… Wait, regent?

“Ines, how about appointing him as regent instead?”

“Wh-what?”

“Appointing Lothar as heir to the throne and regent. He can gain political experience early, and as you wish, I won’t be giving up the throne.”

“That’s… oh? Oh!”

Good, this seems like an acceptable deal to Ines.

Maintaining the throne while achieving nearly the same effect as abdication—King Sejong was truly clever.

“Your… Your Majesty, may I ask one thing?”

“Yes? Go ahead.”

“Why are you going to such lengths? Why do you want to step down from power?”

Finally judging that she cannot change my mind no matter what, Ines takes a deep breath as if making a decision and asks.

Why I want to step down from power…

“Ines, power is proportional to duty. The stronger the power, the greater the accompanying duties.”

“Yes… that’s true?”

This isn’t just empty talk.

Isn’t the reason monarchs have such strong power in absolute monarchies because they handle everything?

The stronger the power, the greater the duties, and vice versa. The more duties one has, the stronger their power becomes.

“It’s quite shameful for an Emperor to say this, but… I’m tired now. I just want to be at ease.”

“Oh…”

“It may sound too weak for a 40-year-old man, but… I just want to spend the rest of my life comfortably with the children. What do you think?”

Looking back now, I’ve committed and dealt with so many things.

Every day was a continuous battle—sweating through reforms, making choices for the greater good rather than conscience as a monarch, using every method to subdue the frenzied populace… Ugh, they say memories are beautified with time, but that’s complete nonsense. Even imagining it now gives me chills rather than nostalgia.

“When you make that expression and say such things… how can I possibly refuse…”

“I’m sorry, Ines.”

“Sorry? What could Your Majesty possibly have to be sorry to me for?”

Having said that, Ines, who until just now was trying to change my mind, looks at me with a fresh smile.

…It’s not new, but she truly is beautiful.