Ch.727Please Take Good Care of Her.

Queen of an independent kingdom. A story that felt unrealistically distant, yet was extremely real.

Think about it.

Prowess and achievements reminiscent of superhumans from ancient legends.

The authority of direct bloodline inheriting their blood.

A vast territory with knights full of heroes and masters.

Even the justification of a goddess’s favor.

Aren’t these characteristics befitting the life story of a founding monarch establishing a new dynasty?

…The problem is that it became my story.

—-

Only after Leopold’s observation did I newly realize.

That my efforts to improve my position within the Empire and maintain peace had somehow reached an excessive degree.

Currently, I literally stood at the highest position in the Empire, second to none.

No, not even second to anyone.

The only person above me now was Leopold, and he could no longer be described as a person.

With his golden tear-like hair completely gone, he was no longer “Human Leopold” but rather deserved to be called “Leopold of Radiance.” So there wasn’t a single person above me.

Lord Wien and Duke Faelrun remained… but those gentlemen had nothing better than me except for their imperial titles, so they couldn’t be considered above me.

…In other words, I was the highest-ranking person in this country.

Goodness, how could this be?

Me, the highest person in the Empire? Could such a reality exist? The Empire was already as good as fallen.

—-

“…So, the Church intends to make me a queen? Someone who half-neglects even her position as a lord?”

The future was so absurd it made my head spin, so I asked Leopold’s permission, took out a cigarette, and sighed deeply.

What nonsense about a kingdom. If they make me queen, it won’t take even a year before it collapses.

“What’s wrong with that? Being a king isn’t such a grand position. They just have more territory and troops, but essentially aren’t much different from grand lords. You should know this well, having beheaded many of them.”

Hmm… is that so?

As I always feel, Leopold’s words always carried a strange persuasiveness. Even when expressing opinions completely opposite to mine, they made me tilt my head wondering if he might be right.

“When you put it that way, it does seem plausible…”

Moreover, lately his persuasiveness seemed to have grown stronger.

Is it the power of baldness? Perhaps he received the blessing of improved eloquence in exchange for losing his hair.

A bald man would need to be good with words to avoid being mistaken for a monster and hunted down.

“In that sense, you’re not failing as a lord. A lord who cares for their people, even if unskilled and indifferent to domain management, is better than one who cruelly exploits them.”

“That might be true for a mere lord, but wouldn’t such a person as king be judged as merely a kind but incompetent ruler?”

Like those people, what were they called… Yusen or Yujang, I think they were evaluated that way.

“That would be true for someone who is merely kind but utterly incompetent. But are you such an incompetent person? Though somewhat inexperienced in administrative work, you’re militarily unmatched and have achieved great diplomatic success. You could even be considered capable as a founding monarch.”

“I don’t recall doing anything diplomatic.”

To my recollection, my diplomatic activities over the past year consisted only of deceiving the Empire and the steppes with mutual non-aggression treaties, and personally killing the kings of various countries. If such things were called diplomacy, this world was clearly a very wrong place.

“Didn’t you subjugate Panam and Dane under the Empire? That could be considered a splendid achievement.”

…Well, this world is indeed a very wrong place.

Leopold seemed to acknowledge even achievements gained by killing kings as diplomatic successes.

No, that’s not important right now. Rather-

“From what you’re saying, it seems you want me to establish a kingdom and ascend to the throne?”

This person has been listing reasons why I could be a good queen rather than why I shouldn’t become one. Anxiety brushed against my heart.

“You see it clearly.”

Has he lost his mind?

“Excuse me, but are you perhaps intoxicated?”

I asked in the most respectful tone possible, trying to rephrase my question about his sanity.

Honestly, I wanted to ask if his intelligence had flown away with his hair roots, but respecting the emperor’s dignity and authority was basic human courtesy.

“I am perfectly sane. Rather than creating a precedent for priests to interfere with secular titles, it would be better to create an independent country with a mutual defense treaty. Lord Wien would prefer that as well.”

“Lord Wien? Has that man done something again?”

That old man, when I last saw him, seemed to have come to his senses somewhat, but is he still blinded by power lust?

“No, that’s not what I meant. Far from causing trouble, he has become indispensable to the current Empire. In a different way than you.”

Leopold sighed, drained the wine from his glass, and explained with a bitter sigh.

—-

Nidhogg left deep scars on the capital. Not just countless casualties, but the city’s functionality was lost.

“With the underground waterways destroyed and buried, the water supply was cut off, and all the granaries burned and melted, leaving not enough food for the surviving residents.”

Perhaps recalling the devastation, Leopold sighed lightly with a troubled face.

“The restoration costs were dizzying, and considering the time needed for recovery, it wouldn’t have been strange if more than half the capital’s residents wandered homeless and starved to death. Lord Wien was the one who solved this.”

A catastrophe where the entire capital was ruined. In a situation where no one knew where to begin recovery, Lord Wien stepped forward to support the capital’s restoration more than anyone else.

Using almost all of his family’s fortune.

“Lord Wien? That’s unexpected.”

“He did it because he had something to gain. Fortunes can be rebuilt, but how often does one get the opportunity to gain fame and popularity as the capital’s savior? He gladly poured out his family’s private funds.”

Ah, so that’s what it was.

Relief work to gain reputation. It was closer to hypocrisy than good deeds, but from the perspective of those who benefited, Lord Wien’s intentions didn’t matter. They would simply be grateful.

“He wants only one thing. For House Wien to become the Empire’s premier family. He moves only for that purpose.”

“He’s quite consistent, I see.”

“Indeed. That’s why he sponsored me to the throne, married his daughter to me, and spent his fortune to restore the capital. And that’s why you must become queen.”

Hmm…?

That seems like a big leap in logic.

“What do you mean…?”

“Don’t you understand? As long as someone who holds both the position of Astraea’s Saint and an imperial countess stands firmly in place, it’s obvious that House Wien will never become the Empire’s premier family.”

“Wasn’t I a baroness?”

“It took you only a year to rise from a mere refugee to a baroness. How long do you think it would take to reach duchess?”

Leopold looked at me as if to say “isn’t it obvious?”

Well, he’s not wrong, but still…

“From what I understand… a duchy isn’t a position one can attain simply through merit, but is only bestowed upon those with blood ties to the imperial family.”

“Have you forgotten? You are of imperial blood. Knight Rotholandus of the Great’s Twelve Knights was Carlos the Great’s nephew, making you a branch of the imperial family.”

…Now that I think about it, that’s right. Rotholandus was the son of Carlos’s sister.

Much to my regret, I was indeed a branch of the imperial family. An extremely distant branch, but still.

“So, if you remain without becoming independent, you will naturally become the head of the Empire’s premier family, Duchess of Median. Perhaps even a grand duchess. Saint Duchess, Saint Grand Duchess… doesn’t sound very appealing.”

“And Lord Wien would be greatly displeased with this?”

“Indeed. Though he wouldn’t be foolish enough to show his displeasure to you directly… if he becomes convinced that no amount of wealth could surpass your family, he would begin to act differently.”

That makes sense. If he becomes convinced he can’t surpass me no matter how much money he invests, he would stop investing his private funds in the Empire.

Or he might try more extreme methods.

“Cutting off support is natural… and since you won’t live for a thousand years like a fairy, he would target your family after your death. If he cuts off your successor before they become as strong as you, House Median would collapse.”

“……”

“Therefore, your independence from the Empire is the best solution for everyone.”

Leopold declared with a resolute tone. For the Empire’s sake, for Leopold’s sake, for my family’s sake, I should become independent and become queen.

…Honestly, I felt like he also wanted me to suffer the curse of baldness like him.

“Even if you suddenly tell me to establish a country… I don’t have confidence in ruling as a queen. I’ve never learned such things.”

I frowned, tapping away the cigarette ash that had already burned halfway.

“My administrative officials might be capable of managing a domain, but they’re just minor nobles or civilian officials. I can’t entrust them with running a nation, can I?”

“Don’t worry about that. I have a suitable candidate in mind.”

Leopold answered with an ambiguous smile.

A suitable candidate? For national governance? With Ludwig dead, how could such a person exist…

“That person would know very well what a queen should do. Having grown up in the imperial palace since childhood, and having spent a long time as a queen of a country, albeit not by choice.”

Ah. Could he mean that woman?

“This works out well. I’ve been troubled by forcing her into what amounts to confinement, but now I can put that worry to rest.”

Leopold’s smile deepened slightly.

…It seems I’m right about which woman he means.

“I entrust Eleonora to you.”

…See, it is that woman.

Facing Leopold, who slightly bowed his head like a brother-in-law asking permission to marry his sister, I could only feel disheartened, as if trapped in an inescapable pit.

Really, do I have to be a queen? Me?

This is truly maddening.