Ch.279Side Story) Roter’s Melancholy

At first, it was simply wonderful. I felt like I had the whole world.

A monarch who completely trusts his successor—isn’t that the exemplary ruler one would only find in fairy tales and legends?

Throughout history and in today’s politics, countless rulers have viewed their successors as political rivals. Realizing how merciful Father was and how much he trusted me made me tremble with emotion.

I knew I could never govern the country as well as Father, but I was determined to do my best to repay the trust he had placed in me.

However, that feeling didn’t last long.

[Where is His Majesty?]

[I need to report to His Majesty about the church normalization process…]

[I have inquiries about the regulations for exporting gunpowder weapons, where is His Majesty…]

[I am currently serving as the Emperor’s regent. If you have business, speak to me!]

Despite clearly serving as regent, these officials kept seeking out my father who had withdrawn from public duties.

This was undoubtedly a denial of my authority as regent—something I could rightfully challenge—yet none of them showed any fear of such consequences.

In their eyes, I was merely a callow youth who had just turned twenty.

[The church normalization was directly ordered to me by His Majesty, and I have a duty to report progress directly to him.]

[Matters concerning chemical weapons are directly linked to military authority, and doesn’t military authority rest solely with the Emperor? Your Highness the Regent merely governs domestic affairs, with no provisions regarding military authority, as I understand it.]

[…]

The experienced officials were not easily swayed.

They found every possible reason to avoid reporting to me, to ignore me, and all their excuses were ones I couldn’t readily refute.

Using Father as an excuse—how could I possibly argue against that?

‘Are they trying to establish dominance now?’

It’s certainly a plausible theory.

While Father was a virtuous ruler to the common people, to the nobility and clergy—the established classes—he was nothing short of a tyrant.

He was willing to slaughter the fat pigs for the sake of the people’s livelihood, and those fat pigs licked his boots daily to avoid being butchered.

If I had a personality like Father’s, there could be no greater nightmare for them.

In other words, they were likely trying to tame me before I became accustomed to power.

‘…No, that’s going too far.’

But this hypothesis was quickly erased from my mind.

Officials trying to tame me? With Father still alive and watching with sharp eyes, such behavior would only bring about another pig slaughter.

Surely they must know what would happen if Father, who completely trusts me and wants to entrust everything to me, discovered such actions?

‘So… are they just using shallow tactics to gauge my temperament?’

This too is a plausible theory.

I’d heard that even the legendary butler and head steward LeClaire once caused minor issues to gauge Father’s temperament.

Of course, mere subjects trying to gauge their lord’s temperament is, from any perspective, an extremely impure and vicious act. But from the subject’s standpoint, it’s a necessary task.

If they fail to understand their lord’s temperament and act rashly, causing things to go wrong, they alone will suffer the consequences.

But… this too seems excessive.

Would they engage in such provocative, almost challenging behavior just to gauge my temperament?

Subjects gauge their lord’s temperament for self-preservation, but such actions would achieve the opposite, earning them a black mark instead.

Then why… why do they refuse to listen to me like this?

[Military authority rests solely with His Majesty—]

‘…Huh?’

Suddenly, I recall the eyes of the official answering my question.

He was clearly looking straight at me while speaking, but… his eyes weren’t seeing me…?

…No, this interpretation might also be excessive.

He was definitely looking at me. Our eyes met directly, didn’t they?

But… somehow I get the strong feeling that he wasn’t actually looking at me. Intensely so.

‘It’s not about establishing dominance… not about gauging my temperament… their reasons for refusing my orders are all connected to Father… Ah!’

Officials who were talking to me but not really talking to me, officials who refused my orders using Father as an excuse.

Combining these two facts, one clear conclusion emerges.

The current officials are terrified of Father. Extremely so.

“…Is anyone outside?”

“Yes, Your Highness the Regent.”

“I need to see His Majesty the Emperor. Make preparations.”

“Yes, I will do so.”

The officials are not viewing the current situation normally.

From their perspective, Father remains the absolute power, a tyrant who could initiate bloody purges whenever displeased.

In other words, what they consider most important is not me, the regent, but Father, who could revoke my regency at any time and return to governing.

Of course, I agree with their assessment.

Father is still the Emperor, possessing the authority to completely overturn the domestic situation with a mere gesture.

If they were to regard me as their new lord and incur Father’s displeasure, they would naturally want to deliberately ignore me and show loyalty to Father however possible.

To eliminate this mindset, Father’s help is absolutely necessary.

‘…I swore not to seek Father’s help unless it was crucial to the nation’s fate, yet here I am already breaking that oath.’

Well, it can’t be helped. This is a problem I cannot solve no matter what I do.

No matter how much I claim to be the regent with the Emperor’s full confidence, the officials won’t even pretend to listen. They’ll just cling desperately to Father’s coattails—how am I supposed to solve that?

……….

The officials summoned by Regent Lothar gathered in the palace hall where numerous ceremonies had been held.

Compared to when Claude held his ducal coronation here, everything had changed completely. Simple glass had been replaced with stained glass, luxurious decorations made of marble and precious metals abounded, and the once-empty floor was covered with dyed wool carpets—a place so magnificent it made even the nobles’ eyes widen.

But those gathered here paid no attention to such luxury.

“What is it this time?”

“Sigh… His Majesty is really going too far. I wish he would stop this charade.”

Having worked in the palace for a long time, they were already accustomed to it, and more importantly, they were focusing all their attention on more critical matters.

When one’s political life hangs in the balance, such luxury hardly registers.

“His Majesty the Emperor will now enter.”

“Ahem, everyone should prepare themselves.”

The officials who had been complaining about Claude’s “tedious play” just moments ago sealed their lips and adjusted their attire and posture as if nothing had happened.

For those serving an unpredictable, mad emperor, such etiquette that visually demonstrated submission was extremely important.

“””We greet His Majesty the Emperor.”””

As the hall doors opened, everyone present, without turning around, directed their heads toward the platform, knelt on one knee, and bowed their heads.

In the past, kneeling was considered an act only performed by cowards begging for their lives or slaves, making it extremely humiliating. But due to Claude and Ines’s persistent management, this etiquette had become standard when receiving an imperial audience.

Of course, the Lotharingians claimed they weren’t slaves since they only knelt on one knee, but to outsiders from the Holy Empire or the Kingdom of Albion, kneeling on one knee or both made little difference.

“I gratefully accept your greetings, rise.”

“””Yes, Your Majesty…?!”””

Claude, who had ascended to the platform with Lothar, solemnly commanded the officials, who slowly raised their heads only to discover something they could scarcely believe.

The imperial crown, scepter, and signet ring—symbols of the monarch’s high authority—were missing.

Or rather, they existed but were not with Claude, so from the officials’ perspective, they were indeed “missing.”

“Hmm… everyone seems quite startled. Regent, please proceed from here.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The father and son, seeing the collective shock of the officials, calmly proceeded with their planned speech.

Lothar, wearing the crown, holding the scepter, and wearing the signet ring, privately sighed at how ridiculously easily his worries had been resolved.