episode_0062

After finishing a dinner that left nothing but wounds, I received three requests as I entered my room.

The Marquis, suggesting we have a drink in the evening because it’s tough to maintain neutrality.

Lycia, proposing we sleep in the same bed tonight since we won’t see each other for a while.

And the Emperor, asking if I would like to hear some news he had to share.

Regardless of personal preferences, I had to choose which of these requests to address first, and I knew I had to save the Emperor for last.

I promised the Marquis a rain check, and Lycia tucked me in with an extra blanket before leaving.

As agreed, I made my way to one of the empty rooms in the castle.

In the darkness illuminated by a single candle, the Emperor, who had been waiting for me, brought up the matter at hand.

“Do you remember the conversation we had the previous day?”

“Are you referring to sending the Princess to university?”

“Yes. Since you mentioned sending your child to university in the spring, I thought I could provide a place for her to stay in the meantime.”

Inquiring about a place to stay meant he was suggesting Alpen as a temporary residence.

There was no reason to refuse this request. My lord, the Marquis of Canossa, had declared neutrality and was a loyal subject of the Emperor, so it was only fitting to fulfill his request faithfully.

However, I couldn’t just agree outright.

Even as a loyal subject, making demands without offering anything in return was not appropriate. The Emperor, who had experienced many contracts, was well aware of this principle.

“I will leave some attendants behind to take care of things. And Hein will handle my affairs, so there should be no trouble. However, there will be a price to pay for this.”

“By price, do you mean…”

“Naturally, it will be in the form of money.”

Money. Money always made things right.

The Emperor named a reasonable amount, and I thought it fair and readily accepted.

With a promise to send the Princess and Hein tomorrow morning, my meeting with the Emperor ended without any friction.

Having received a definite answer, the Emperor bid farewell without hesitation.

“Well then, farewell.”

“It has been an honor serving you, Your Majesty.”

I turned to leave the room. As I reached for the door handle, a voice whispered softly from behind, almost like a soliloquy.

“We may meet again someday, Kyung.”

The meaning contained in that short sentence was clear.

This meeting was not just arranged for mere formalities or decisions. It was meant to hint at a future day when sides would be chosen.

“…Then I will look forward to that day.”

Indeed.

The Emperor had no intention of tying himself to a fateful entanglement with the Pope.

*****

Once the door was opened, there was no reason to stop the visitor.

Even the Emperor’s family could enter Canossa Castle.

After dismissing the knights, the Emperor called for his daughter. She must have been waiting in the next room and heard everything.

“Hein.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Although everyone must have heard the conversation, say it again. Since you’re here, why not study at the university for a while.”

Hein’s eyes sparkled. Wasn’t this a perfect opportunity to escape from this harsh household, even if only for a short while!

“The Empire will be in turmoil for a while. You should be in a safe place while we sort things out… If anyone asks for a reason, tell them this.”

As expected, it didn’t end with just that reason. But even this much was bearable.

I wouldn’t have to witness the Queen’s fits in the Emperor’s absence, or be harassed by nobles who didn’t hide their sinister desires for power.

Of course, even this limited freedom came with many constraints, and if one wanted to enjoy it, they had to pay the corresponding price.

After all, the Imperial family itself was a kind of shared destiny.

Inside the palace, if it was about undermining the father, it might be understandable, but if dragged down by the nobles, the anger would drive even oneself crazy. His father called it the right thing to do.

Although he didn’t particularly want to empathize, it was an objective fact, so he had to follow it inevitably.

“Since the university is close to the Papal Court, do not take your eyes off the Pope’s actions. In due course, capture those who will be on the side of the palace well.”

“Yes.”

“It may be difficult to directly touch the Marquis. However, the Pope may not pay much attention to those below.”

“I will do my best to meet your expectations. Don’t worry.”

“You are a smart child, I believe you understand what I am saying.”

Of course, he understood well. He didn’t need to be explicitly told, who else would it be.

Talking about Lavenn. Even if his father didn’t explicitly mention it, he naturally thought so.

Of course, the purpose was for the palace in small terms, and for himself in larger terms.

If it were his father, who knows, but when the orphan becomes the emperor later, who knows what he will do to restrain himself.

He didn’t know that he could act away from everyone’s eyes only now. He had to make the most of this opportunity.

“Stay at Alpen for a while. I will return to the empire to resolve this situation.”

“Are you going to take the boy with you?”

“What he needs is not higher education but the way to govern. When is a better time to teach how to control the nobles than now? So, you do what you have to do.”

It might be just a cover-up to study, but the real purpose was surveillance of the Pope and the recruitment of allies.

One of the last targets to be recruited was Lavenn.

The Emperor’s demands were summarized as follows.

And the story flows hazily beyond the wall.

“Yes, that’s what I thought.”

Lycia, who had secretly followed Lavenn, nodded her head.

The harvest was sufficient. There was a world of difference between just guessing and hearing it from the person involved.

At least she didn’t take a false step, which was fortunate.

It was a bit, no, quite displeasing to be rejected for a good opportunity.

There were trivial conversations between the Emperor and the Princess after that.

It wasn’t a subject that interested her much, about what to be careful about regarding the Pope and what she had been doing all this time.

The girl, who thought she had heard enough, turned around without any regrets.

Lavenn seemed to have gone out for a night walk after the conversation with the Emperor ended, but she had to be there until he returned to the room.

Returning to the room through the shortcut she had prepared, Lycia heard the sound of the door opening not long after.

After confirming that the owner of that gesture was deeply asleep on the bed, the girl moved to a different spot and fell asleep with relief.

*****

The next morning.

I waited until the sunlight shone brightly through the window before getting up, even though some time had passed since the sun rose.

Lycia also got up when she heard me getting up.

It seems like I must have mistaken my place yesterday, seeing that we shared the same bed. The bed must have been narrow, but we slept like that.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Early bird! It means early rising.”

For once, I overslept. It wasn’t because I had a conversation with the Emperor the night before.

If I had the will, I could have been an early bird. The reason why I lost that will was there.

The Pope invited the Emperor to breakfast again to continue the unfinished conversation from the previous day.

What kind of dinner was it last night? All of us, including me, skipped breakfast, twisting our bodies.

Whether it was from drinking too much last night, having an upset stomach, or oversleeping. I hid the reasons that would not even bring a smile.

As a result, he appeared a bit shabby, but he had no regrets.

As the lord of the manor, the viscount had to be present at the gathering, and after the meal, he could hear firsthand testimony from the wandering Ul Sang, who was in a sullen mood.

The Emperor went to have breakfast like clockwork, but it was the Pope who cleared his plate. At the same time, he gently prodded the Emperor’s stomach, proving that he was not as full as the day before.

And so the Emperor took another drink, saying that since the Pope sent an empty plate, what more could he ask for, and he maintained his dignity by lying down.

The verbal sparring between the two most powerful figures of the era was suffocating to listen to.

Though his stomach growled a bit, the story was about not having any regrets to the point of being content with it.

Even though they had come to the point of almost coming to blows, they ultimately ended up having a sensible conversation.

Finally, the Emperor’s edict was revoked.

“Does this mean there won’t be war now?”

“Since the Pope and the Emperor have reconciled. I’m not sure if we can call it reconciliation… Anyway, the edict itself will be canceled. That’s the most important thing.”

“And the nobles no longer have a reason to rebel, so that’s settled.”

It was good to see that things had been resolved somewhat peacefully.

There was no war, and no one had died. Of course, the Emperor would continue to be at odds with the Pope, but he wouldn’t stir up trouble anytime soon.

While discussing with Lycia, she dressed appropriately and tidied up the room.

It was almost time for the promised meeting. After waiting for a moment, a knock was heard.

Creak, the door opened, and the person who entered was someone I had seen often from a distance, but he was a man of few words.

“Did you rest well last night, Your Highness?”

“Hello, Sir Raven. I heard that you put in a lot of effort to mediate between my father and His Majesty. Thanks to you, I was able to alleviate a lot of worries yesterday.”

Heinrich, the youngest member of the family who had been brought to this castle by the Emperor.

With his blond hair and noble lineage, he was considered a darling. And he was about to go to university.

At this level, even if it wasn’t a prestigious academy, it was still acceptable to consider it halfway there.