Chapter 115
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“Sneaking around is quite enjoyable. As you can see, I'm not half bad at dodging soldiers.”
The princess, having revealed her identity, hummed cheerfully as if singing a tune.
"I suppose we should inform the Imperial Guard and tighten discipline."
"I told you he's a boring man."
The princess rolled her eyes and grumbled, clearly displeased that the man took her joke seriously.
"What is the reason you summoned me here?"
Regardless, Roan asked in his usual blunt tone.
At that, the princess's expression changed instantly. The smile vanished completely from her face, leaving it calm and solemn.
"Right. You must be busy, so let's get straight to the point."
A sudden spark flashed in her golden eyes, radiating a cold, commanding presence reminiscent of the Emperor.
"I intend to prevent the First Prince from inheriting the throne."
The shocking declaration was met with an instant, icy silence, as if cold water had been poured over it. Even Roan couldn't help but change his gaze from what it had been until now.
"What you're saying is..."
He moved his lips. It was difficult to speak freely. Merely uttering the words could be considered treason.
Then, as if fully understanding his thoughts, the princess declared once more, with unwavering certainty.
"It means I intend to ascend the throne myself."
Even after that final, unequivocal declaration, Roan still couldn't believe his own ears. And no wonder...
"An emperor in a woman's body. That's what you're thinking, isn't it?"
As if reading his thoughts, the princess spoke calmly. She had likely faced this same question hundreds of times before.
"But do you know this? Imperial law never explicitly states that a woman cannot become emperor."
"...."
"It's just that it was always assumed the eldest son would inherit the position, so that's how things have flowed until now."
The princess said with a hint of a sneer. As if her true opponent wasn't the First Prince, but that very notion of inevitability.
"But I can never allow that bastard to become emperor without a fight."
"Is that because he is the one who murdered His Highness the Second Prince?"
At the sharp retort, the princess's eyes widened in surprise.
"You knew?"
"I had my suspicions."
Recalling the First Prince she had seen at the Second Prince’s funeral, Roan replied.
The princess then continued candidly, her expression bitter.
"Joseph was a decent lad. He had his naive moments, but I thought that very trait might allow him to skillfully manage the nobles and become a good emperor—different from His Majesty."
A faint trace of regret spread across the princess's face as she remembered her departed brother.
"That's why I often defended Joseph, and His Majesty agreed with my opinion to some extent. But he couldn't completely overlook the disqualifying factor of him being the second son. Then suddenly, the Eperne incident happened."
The moment that name was mentioned, Roan's expression stiffened. Yet the princess, unaware, continued speaking.
"That incident caused Elliot (1st Prince) to lose His Majesty's trust, and the Emperor began seriously considering Joseph. Then, to make matters worse, His Majesty's health deteriorated."
Having pieced together various bits of information through the Admiral, Roan could roughly anticipate the sequence of events that followed.
The fact that the Emperor likely had little time left must have made not only him but also the First Prince anxious. Anxious enough that he couldn't bear it without taking matters into his own hands.
And just as much, the Second Prince must have been desperate to reassure the Emperor.
"Joseph seemed eager to show His Majesty that he could change even Elliot. He got overly excited and made a choice uncharacteristic of himself. That was likely Joseph's misstep."
The princess shrugged lightly, as if to say what difference did it make now anyway.
“But my decision wasn’t solely because of Joseph. Our bond wasn’t deep enough to justify revenge as a pretext. He was only a half-brother anyway.”
The princess's voice, which had been murmuring cynically, softened subtly.
"Do you happen to know? About His Majesty's beloved deer, the one said to have died of plague?"
When Roan nodded instead of answering, the princess whispered secretly.
"Actually, it wasn't a disease. It was the keeper who tended the deer who suffered that fate."
"Then...?"
"They say it was poisoned. It was the work of the First Prince."
But as if that weren't the real issue, the princess continued with a shocking revelation.
"But it turns out there was a secret order to report to His Majesty that he died from an injury, not an epidemic. Why do you think that was?"
Roan didn't answer. It wasn't that he couldn't guess. It was because he dared not speak it aloud.
Silver deer were popular as ornamental animals, but their antlers were famed as medicinal ingredients with exceptional efficacy. The already frail Emperor would surely not have refused the chance to obtain such a remedy.
But what if it had actually been contaminated with poison…………………
"For reference, the keeper who claimed it was an epidemic was found dead with his tongue and limbs severed. His family is missing."
But the princess added coldly, unable to stop the drunken ramblings of a local who knew the keeper.
"Do you understand now? Why I'm trying to stop Elliot."
Despite the princess's retort, Roan still didn't open his tightly sealed lips.
The princess, who had been observing his expression with a relaxed yet sharp gaze, spoke again.
"Thanks to those trying to stop those cruel hands from reaching the Empire, procedural issues have been largely resolved. Justifications are being created as needed, so we don't need to add anything further."
"...."
"Elliot seems to have sensed something amiss too, but he's only keeping an eye on those useless royal brats. He probably never dreamed I'd step forward myself."
In any era, striking at an opponent's weak point was the most effective strategy. If the enemy willingly lets its guard down, it would be foolish not to seize that opening.
"But there's one thing I still lack."
Before the princess could finish, Roan knew exactly what she meant. He also understood why she had sought him out.
"I need public support. Overwhelming support, if possible."
So she had come to secure the loyalty of Colonel Barthez, the naval hero who enjoyed the public's full support.
"Public sentiment is something even Elliot lacks. He doesn't even think to seek it. He's a man who views everyone except Your Majesty as less than ants beneath his feet. What more can be said?"
She, on the other hand, knew. She knew that the full support of the people would be the foundation for the birth of Brunois’s first female emperor.
The footsteps of an angry crowd may be weaker than a soldier's boot, but they would be long and tenacious. They never diminish, nor do they disappear.
If they did vanish, it would mean the emperor's death. For an empire without a ruler cannot exist.
Roan was inwardly astonished by the princess's insight, which transcended the imperial court and encompassed the world at large. No, nothing she had said today was unsurprising.
"I fully understand what Your Highness is saying."
Perhaps he stood at a historic turning point where a new world was opening.
But that was all.
"Please understand that my loyalty is solely directed toward the empire."
As if cold water had been poured over an already thin sheet of ice, the air froze solid.
“That sounds like a refusal. Did I hear you correctly?”
The princess glared at him aggressively, pressing him.
"Surely you don't think you can just walk out of here quietly after that?"
She even added a menacing implication, threatening him as she tried to persuade him again.
But Roan drew a firm line once more, without a moment's hesitation.
"My loyalty is solely to the Empire of Brunois and His Majesty the Emperor. Should Your Highness ascend the throne, my loyalty will naturally follow."
No matter how chaotic the political situation, he never forgot his role.
Roan Barthez was an honorable naval officer defending the seas of Brunois, a soldier loyal to the Empire.
No personal agenda could intrude upon that. Not even a princess championing justice was an exception. His battlefield lay at sea, not within the palace where intrigue raged.
The more chaotic and disordered the world becomes, the straighter one must walk. Only an unshakable, steadfast conviction would guide him.
Moreover, there was no room to add anything to what was already rotting away.
"Moreover, if Your Highness truly acts upon the resolve you have shown me now, the people's hearts will naturally follow you."
Roan concluded with words that were not quite a blessing.
The princess continued to glare at him fiercely.
Then, suddenly, she burst into a hollow laugh.
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