Vivian (4)

Our newlywed life was sweet.

Vivian focused solely on me…

She never looked anywhere else.

Even her suffocating obsession felt like a part of love to me.

I simply wished for this time to last forever.

“Helix.”

“Yes, Vivian.”

“We might have to start a war soon.”

“What…?”

Flustered, I unconsciously raised my voice.

The brutal purge last time had the justification of being a matter of Vivian’s life, but…

This wasn’t even that.

“I’ll hear your reason. For what?”

“The Empire’s citizens wish for it. As Empress, I have a duty to meet their expectations.”

“That’s absurd. War is such a painful thing, and they wish for it themselves?”

“If you don’t believe me, go outside yourself and listen to what people are saying.”

To prove Vivian’s words wrong, I left the Imperial Palace and aimlessly wandered the streets.

Then, a beer club caught my eye.

It was a social gathering place where people ordered drinks and chatted casually.

“Will I be able to fit in…”

Although I felt a slight aversion, there seemed to be no better place to hear people’s stories than this.

After some deliberation, I entered the club.

“Welcome.”

“Bartender, a beer.”

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

And so, I sat by the window, sipping my beer.

Although no one spoke to me, the sensitive ears of a Dragon could pick up countless conversations around.

“I’m telling you, we need to create colonies! Do we have fertile land like those Holy Dominion bastards, or autonomous territories like those Albion bastards?”

“The country is ruined because we’re paying off that damn war indemnity. We need to nullify that immediately.”

“The war indemnity is one thing, but we need to reclaim the land those Lithania bastards stole from us first. That’s our Empire’s territory!”

Indeed, just as Vivian said, people were supporting the war.

But that didn’t mean these few represented the will of the entire Empire.

I decided to wander a bit more and listen to other people’s opinions.

“Since the Empress is taking a hardline stance, we don’t look like pushovers, do we? That’s how it should be.”

“Those Lithania bastards expanded their military this time, didn’t they? We need to expand ours even more so they can’t even think of catching up.”

It was truly the same everywhere I went.

Enraged masses, and a vague expectation that their lives could change through war.

To me, who had been indifferent to life outside until now, all of it was a fresh shock.

“How was it, Helix? Did you hear what people were saying?”

“I did. Just as you said, there really are people who want war.”

“Good, I’m glad you listened.”

“But I don’t think that’s everyone’s opinion. There are also those who oppose war.”

Vivian replied with a faint smile.

As if she had expected me to say just that.

“Yes, that’s right. Helix is correct. There are definitely those who oppose it.”

“…”

“But a minority opinion is just that, a minority. This country doesn’t operate by unanimous consent.”

Looking back, Vivian had said the same thing in her previous life.

She was the Empress of the Empire.

Although she seemed to stand in an endlessly high position, ultimately, what supported it was the people’s backing.

If she couldn’t fulfill their wishes, that position would soon crumble.

“Helix, you don’t want me to lose my life in a rebellion, do you?”

“If that happens, I’ll protect you. Who would dare let you die?”

“Yes, Helix is gentle as always. But I’m already enjoying too much. I don’t want to live on the run now. I need to settle down here and have our child.”

“…”

Vivian’s words were absolutely right.

But to start a war for our safety, for our future…

Even if many people desired it…

I had to stop what was wrong.

“Vivian, I’m still against it.”

“As expected… it’s not easy.”

Although she failed to persuade me, Vivian didn’t argue further or get angry.

Her detached attitude, in fact, made me feel more anxious.

“Vivian, please don’t do this.”

“I’ll think about it.”

However, contrary to her words, Vivian steadily proceeded with war preparations.

She expanded roads and railways, strengthening supply routes necessary for war.

She also took on enormous national debt to continue investing in the armaments industry.

This was not merely about starting a war; it was an intention to turn the Empire into a war machine itself.

“Vivian!”

“You startled me. You’ll make me drop the baby, Helix.”

“Are you really going to do this?”

“Why are you so angry, my baby Dragon?”

Vivian replied softly, as if to soothe me, but today, I really had to settle this.

“You promised last time we wouldn’t go to war. So why now…!”

“I said I’d think about it, but nothing was decided, Helix. And besides… the current situation is more complicated than you think.”

Vivian calmly explained the current situation of the Empire.

An increase in unemployment due to a severe economic recession.

Resulting social unrest and weakening of imperial authority.

And the method she chose to resolve this was a predatory economy through war.

“It’s not that I like this method either. But right now, the Empire has no other choice.”

The plan was extremely simple.

Invest everything in the armaments industry to create jobs and expand military forces to lower unemployment.

The national debt incurred in the process would be repaid by invading neighboring countries and plundering their treasuries and social capital.

I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh at such an absurd and perilous plan.

“Are you trying to wage war against the entire world?”

“In the worst-case scenario, I’m prepared for even that.”

This was sheer madness.

There was no way neighboring countries would tolerate such a method.

It wouldn’t be strange for an anti-Empire coalition, led by the Holy Dominion, to be formed immediately.

“What on earth are you relying on to carry out such a plan…?”

“Relying on what? Of course, I’m relying on you.”

“Ha, are you planning to throw me into the war?”

“…”

Vivian remained silent.

Not unaware of what that meant, I…

I yelled at Vivian.

“Are you really thinking that far ahead?”

“Helix. With your help, we can win this war much more easily.”

“Yes, we’ll win easily! If you just breathe fire on a city, everyone will get scared and run away!”

To me, engulfed in anger, Vivian calmly declared.

“I’m not forcing you. But in the end, you will choose that path yourself, to protect me.”

“Ha, you’re awfully confident.”

“I am clearly a wicked woman who exploits your kindness.”

Vivian asked me in a trembling voice.

“Do you regret it? Choosing me.”

“…”

Lacking the courage to say that to Vivian, I avoided answering.

“I don’t know.”

“Even if you regret it, I won’t let you go.”

“…”

“From the moment I first saw you as a baby Dragon, I vowed. That I would never let anyone take you from me.”

Vivian hugged me so tightly it felt like I would be crushed, as I tried to turn away.

I used to like this suffocating embrace…

But now, only a sense of stifling confinement filled me.

******

A year passed.

I had hoped that in the next year, Vivian would change her mind and seek a different path…

But as if mocking my will, the Empire was steadily advancing down the path of war.

[The Empire Demands Cession of the Former Lathenia Region]

[Empress Vivian Mentions Possibility of Using Force]

She repeatedly provoked neighboring countries militarily, even threatening them to return former Imperial territories.

Even the Empire’s media continuously churned out provocative articles, fueling the anger of the Imperial citizens.

‘Vivian is working to justify the war.’

What she needed most now was a justification to start a war.

Without justification, she couldn’t move the people.

Only by making the Imperial citizens fight willingly would the gamble of war be worthwhile, wouldn’t it?

So, it wasn’t strange that Vivian was obsessed with it.

‘Even if I incur Vivian’s hatred, I must extinguish the Imperial citizens’ will for war.’

But I was merely a symbolic existence.

Vivian held all the real power.

Once, I visited an Empire media company to publish an article about the meaninglessness of this war, but…

“We apologize, Dragon-isiyeo. We cannot publish such an article.”

All media companies unanimously expressed difficulty and refused.

The same went for other private broadcasting stations.

All media institutions were already in Vivian’s grasp.

‘Should I go to another country and inform the media?’

But this was no different from an act of betrayal against Vivian.

If I, a Dragon, were to issue critical statements about her not even in our own country but in a foreign one…

Vivian’s political career would be as good as over.

And…

Funnily enough, I still couldn’t muster the courage to be hated by Vivian.

‘I’m being followed.’

Perhaps Vivian felt uneasy because I was wandering outside the Imperial Palace.

Vivian unleashed secret police to track me.

Of course, it was impossible for them to deceive my eyes, and shaking them off was no trouble at all, but…

Our relationship was already severely fractured.

“Next week is… Vivian’s birthday.”

Living so hectically, I hadn’t realized her birthday was already approaching.

One might ask why celebrate a birthday in this situation, but it was precisely at a time like this that I needed to appease Vivian.

I planned to carefully prepare for her birthday, hoping to change her mind once more.

“I wonder if Vivian will like something like this.”

I commissioned a craftsman to create a Magic Artifact.

The gun-shaped artifact was loaded with magic-engraved bullets, capable of activating defensive spells in emergencies.

It might offer her some help, as she was constantly under threat of assassination.

“Thanks to this, I pulled out a raw claw.”

The main material for the artifact was my claw.

Its value as a material was high, but more than that, as a gift for Vivian, I wanted to put my heart into it.

It was also an expression of my will to protect Vivian in the future.

“Vivian.”

“Yes, what’s wrong, Helix?”

“It’s your birthday today, Vivian.”

“Oh, right, look at me, I completely forgot.”

“Will you accept this?”

I placed the Magic Artifact in Vivian’s hand.

“Why a gun?”

“It’s a Magic Artifact. I hoped it would make you a little safer, Vivian.”

But instead of being happy, Vivian…

She had a look as if something had been exposed.

“Thank you, Helix. You worried about me.”

“Vivian.”

“But Helix, did you already know?”

“Huh? Know what…?”

At that moment, an ominous feeling instinctively assailed me.

Already knew, she said.

What did giving her a self-defense artifact have to do with her already knowing something?

With a little thought, I could easily deduce it.

‘That Vivian’s risk of assassination had drastically increased.’

And the fact that Vivian’s risk of assassination had drastically increased…

No matter how much I thought about it, only one thing came to mind.

“Vivian. You didn’t actually start a war, did you…?”

“…”

Vivian remained silent, not saying a word.

Silence was affirmation.

“Damn it.”

I cursed and immediately ran outside.

And immediately returning to my Dragon form, I sprinted at full speed towards the Empire’s border.

There was only one country the Empire would target right now.

Only Lithania.

KWAANG!! KWAANG!!

The sound of cannon fire echoed even in the sky.

The Imperial army and the Lithanian army fiercely exchanged artillery fire.

At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Imperial troops split into dozens of divisions, launching a simultaneous advance along major roads and rivers.

“Glory to the great Empire!”

“Let’s protect our homeland, Lithania!! Advance!!”

It was a slaughterhouse.

At the horrific sight of soldiers from both nations screaming and pointing their guns at each other…

“Haha…”

Was this truly the birthday present Vivian wanted?

A terrible sense of disappointment washed over me.

For the first time in my life…

I resented myself for choosing Vivian.