chapter_0178

177 – It Has Become Night, Please Raise Your Head, Central Security Agency

177 – It Has Become Night, Please Raise Your Head, Central Security Agency

Meanwhile, at the Eisenkrone Imperial Palace.

Emperor Selvia’s bedroom.

“Hmm.”

Selvia, who had inherited the room that once belonged to her father, sat on the bed in her pajamas.

‘To establish the National Security Agency, it is inevitably necessary to enact a legal basis. Then I must order the Ministry of Finance to review the budget and grant organizational approval….’

She needed to check the agenda for tomorrow, but she was so sleepy that her eyes kept closing.

She tried to hold on as much as possible, but her body wouldn’t listen.

Unknowingly succumbing to the temptation of sleep, Selvia nodded off, then quickly snapped back to attention.

“……What!?”

The strange sound she uttered in an attempt to regain her composure echoed hollowly in the bedroom.

Feeling unnecessarily embarrassed, Selvia glanced around.

Confirming that no one was watching, she let out a sigh of relief.

With her eyes half-open, Selvia chuckled to herself.

‘Is it food coma? I did eat dinner late….’

Having not had a long sleep recently, it was more likely a lack of sleep than food coma, but Selvia was desperately denying that fact.

Wanting to sleep soundly was a luxury for someone in her position, which determined the fate of the empire.

As she raised her hand to rub around her eyes, she was about to check the documents again when—

Knock, knock—

The sound of knocking broke her concentration.

Curious about who it could be at this hour, she turned her head, and the door quietly opened.

There was only one person who could open the bedroom door without the Emperor’s permission in this Imperial Palace.

“……Mother.”

Beyond the open door stood a noblewoman with golden hair and blue eyes, smiling gently.

It was Mariant, Selvia’s biological mother.

“Dear. How are you feeling?”

As Mariant approached and asked, Selvia forced a smile.

“I’m fine. It hasn’t been long since I was confined.”

“Still, this mother has been so worried that I couldn’t sleep at all. Wouldn’t it be better to reduce your work a little and take a break?”

“I want to do that too, but stabilizing the empire comes first.”

Mariant, looking at Selvia with concern, nodded as if she understood.

“You’re taking after your father. Only the good traits, not the bad ones. I wish he could see how wonderfully you’ve grown…”

Mariant let out a sigh to shake off her nostalgia.

Thinking it unnecessary to delve into such a gloomy topic, Mariant sat beside Selvia.

She lightly grasped Selvia’s hand.

“Dear. I may not know much about politics, but I think I understand one thing. Colonel Daniel Steiner saved you, right?”

The rumor that Daniel Steiner had turned back his troops from the Eastern Front to protect the Emperor from the traitors lurking in the Imperial City had already spread widely throughout the empire.

Since it wasn’t exactly a false statement, Selvia nodded calmly.

“That’s right. He turned his army around from the Eastern Front just to save me.”

“Then he must surely have feelings for you. Whether it’s ambition, desire, or love, I’m not sure. What do you think, Selvia?”

Recalling the time spent with Daniel in the golden sanctuary, Selvia felt her face heat up without realizing it.

Even though quite some time had passed, the words Daniel had said back then still made her heart race.

“It’s not ambition. That day, Daniel said he would give up everything he had for me. If he were an ambitious officer, he would have proposed other conditions.”

“Oh my. So that means it’s desire? That he wants to hold you?”

“Absolutely not! Colonel Daniel is not that kind of person.”

Neither ambition nor desire.

That left only one possibility.

Mariant blinked in surprise, unable to hide her astonishment.

“Then that means that young officer Daniel loves you.”

Selvia felt a blush at Mariant’s words, which made her feel unnecessarily shy.

However, she didn’t outright deny it.

To Selvia, it was clear that Daniel had feelings for her.

“Perhaps? But Colonel Daniel seems a bit clumsy when it comes to expressing his feelings. He’s never directly told me he loves me.”

“……Dear. That’s something that can’t be helped.”

“What do you mean it can’t be helped?”

“Think about it. Colonel Daniel is an orphan. Do you think it would be acceptable for him to tell the Emperor, who is like the sun of the empire, that he loves you?”

It meant that even if Selvia accepted it, those around them would not.

“Of course, as I said before, I think Colonel Daniel would make a good husband. It would have been an impossible love when the class system was solidified like a law, but it’s not like that now, is it? Your father abolished discrimination based on class…”

Mariant shook her head as if she had spoken out of turn.

“I’m sorry. I’ve overstepped my bounds again. Even if Daniel loves you, it wouldn’t matter if you don’t return his feelings.”

Just as Mariant thought it would be best to drop the subject, Selvia spoke up.

“……I feel the same way.”

A very small voice slipped out of Selvia’s mouth.

For a moment, Mariant tilted her head, wondering if she had misheard, as Selvia averted her gaze and continued.

“I love Colonel Daniel too.”

Mariant raised her hand to cover her mouth in shock at Selvia’s confession.

It was moving in many ways to hear her daughter, who had lived in the social circles treating reason like a stone, speak of love.

‘My daughter. You’re finally becoming a woman.’

Feeling both proud and delighted, Mariant smiled and opened her mouth.

“Then there’s no problem. How about you confess your feelings to Daniel first? Then you two can move on to the next stage.”

“……Next stage?”

“Having a child. That’s the fruit of love.”

Selvia’s eyes widened in surprise.

She had expected they would at least discuss marriage, but Mariant was taking it a step further.

“Dear. Do you remember when I gave you sexy lingerie and aphrodisiacs? I can still give them to you if you want, so don’t worry. With just the two of you, even the most oblivious man would….”

Mariant stopped mid-sentence.

Selvia’s face was turning as red as if it would burst.

With her eyes tightly shut, Selvia took a deep breath and said in a trembling voice.

“Please leave.”

“Dear? I only wish for you two to be happy….”

“I told you to leave right now.”

At Selvia’s repeated command, Mariant shrugged her shoulders and stood up.

“Selvia. This mother will always be waiting with an open heart….”

As Selvia slowly opened her eyes, she glared sharply at Mariant.

It was her own way of threatening, but perhaps due to her flushed face from embarrassment, she only looked cute.

Thinking that she shouldn’t make Selvia angrier than this, Mariant nodded.

“Alright. Then I’ll take my leave. If you need advice, feel free to come to me anytime.”

With that, Mariant turned and walked out.

Once Mariant had exited the bedroom, Selvia finally caught her breath.

‘Having a child? What nonsense….’

Of course, there was no disagreement that the act of having a child was the fruit of love.

But that could wait until after the war was over.

There were too many things to handle to indulge in romance.

Having steeled her resolve, Selvia returned to reviewing the documents, but Mariant’s words were so shocking that lewd thoughts occasionally drifted through her mind.

‘Ah, really…!’

Selvia found herself resentful of her mother for no reason.

–

The next morning.

Central Security Agency’s Chief of Security’s office.

“It seems everyone is here.”

Currently, Daniel had gathered all the executives of the Central Security Agency in his office.

Among them were officers from the Grenadiers regiment who had decided to stay behind to eradicate the traitors lurking in the Imperial City.

As Daniel scanned them, he solidified his resolve.

‘Now that I have secured the list from Duke Belvar, it’s time to take action.’

It was essential to cleanly eradicate the traitors lurking in the Imperial City for the sake of survival.

“Listen up.”

In the office filled with military personnel, Daniel spoke in a low but serious voice.

“We are those who have received a special mission from His Majesty the Emperor to eradicate those who have betrayed the safety of the nation and our people. To uproot the filthy traitors who prey upon our proud nation and its treasury!”

All eyes were focused on Daniel.

“Until now, we haven’t had a proper way to deal with these rats….”

Daniel raised his hand.

In that hand was the list created based on Duke Belvar’s testimony.

“Just yesterday! The key to eradicating them has been established! So I ask you to promise to help me fulfill this historical mission! I will ask you, are you ready to accept the mission for the great empire and His Majesty the Emperor!”

The military personnel shouted in unison, “Yes!”

Their eyes were filled with hatred for the traitors, sharp as blades.

Though Daniel found them somewhat intimidating, he didn’t show it.

For the sake of unity, Daniel also needed to play the role of the ‘Chief of Security enraged at the traitors.’

Gathering his thoughts, Daniel surveyed their faces and spoke.

“Then show the will of the empire to the traitors! Show them the iron will! Tonight…!”

As the military personnel maintained their silence, Daniel shouted with determination.

“We will carry out a bloody purge!”