The Emperor's Gambit
The Emperor’s attendant was able to return with a positive response.
The Imperial Palace was soon bustling with activity as a banquet was hastily prepared. Helmut, who had just returned from the palace and finished changing his clothes, sighed upon hearing the news. It seemed he would have to head back in immediately.
“Should I stop it, even now?”
The messenger from the palace asked, but Helmut shook his head.
“Do you think the Princess would listen if we tried to stop her at this late hour?”
He could force the issue if he really wanted to, but provoking Roella was likely to cause an even greater disturbance.
His intention to enter the palace wasn't to stop Roella, but to accurately grasp what was discussed at the banquet and take follow-up measures.
“I suppose what was bound to happen has finally arrived.”
He muttered to himself while changing his attire.
Helmut knew that Roella was dissatisfied with being excluded from important matters. Until last year, she seemed to have convinced herself that it was because she wasn't an adult yet, but now, she had no such excuse. In reality, it wasn't because of her age, but because of the fear that her movements would create political variables.
Roella’s feelings for Ezekiel were beyond doubt. However, she was impulsive and lacked depth. Given her status, there were almost no ways to control her, and even her trivial actions had massive repercussions.
It would be best if she simply remained a quiet doll. If not that, it would be fine if she were just an arrogant cat who thought her own home was the entire world. Schwaben would gladly serve her. Even if she smashed everything and tore down the walls, she wouldn't be able to collapse a building constructed with such precision.
Hoping she wouldn't create any unnecessary headaches, Helmut boarded his carriage.
***
“I don’t like it.”
Roella said sharply, glancing at the tiara the maid had just fixed atop her head in the mirror.
“Bring me something better. That one will do. The emerald!”
The Countess of Anhalt wore a troubled expression. She understood exactly which one Roella was referring to. The tiara she had worn on her coming-of-age birthday was a precious and extravagant treasure that the Schwaben Duchy had spent years meticulously preparing; it was hardly appropriate for a casual dinner between a father and daughter.
But Roella growled again.
“That’s the one I’m wearing.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
It was not a matter she could defy, so the Countess of Anhalt hurried to open the safe and retrieve the jewelry box.
A magnificent tiara, embedded with dozens of finger-sized emeralds, was secured onto Roella’s head. The green gems looked quite striking against her blonde hair.
Only then did Roella’s face soften into satisfaction.
At first, she had intended to treat the dinner lightly. The important thing was that she might be able to do something for Ezekiel. She didn't care about the Emperor himself.
But as time passed, the consciousness of meeting her father began to sprout. She felt a surge of defiance rising within her. It wasn't just about her mother; she wanted to prove that she had grown up perfectly fine even without his interest, and that she possessed authority as an Imperial Princess.
And she wanted to prove that it was Schwaben who had made her that way.
“Bring me my cloak, too.”
It was also excessive, but the Countess of Anhalt obediently brought a red velvet cloak, draped it over Roella’s shoulders, and fastened it with a golden pin.
Roella stared into the mirror with burning eyes. She looked as if she were heading to an official banquet, but it was perfect.
“Let’s go now.”
Since she was somewhat late for the appointed time, she left the Princess’s Palace immediately.
Although it was already deep into the night outside, the corridors she walked through were brightly lit, leaving no room for darkness. She moved toward the main palace where the Emperor was waiting, her stride as confident as a queen’s.
The main palace was bright but silent. Had it been a few months ago, there would have been plenty of attendants, but with Lilian’s deposition, the number of employees had been reduced, so few people guarded the palace at night.
The Emperor’s quarters were located in the most private part of the main palace. It was Roella’s first time going that far.
She was guided to a relatively modest dining room instead of a large official banquet hall. But even if it was modest, it was a dining room for the royal family; its size was by no means small.
Emperor Albrecht was sitting at the head of the table. Roella, having entered the room, bent her knees and offered a polite greeting.
“Princess Roella greets His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Raise your head.”
The Emperor’s voice echoed through the dining room. Roella lifted her head straight and glared at him with burning eyes.
His face was younger than his age, with handsome features and pale skin. Unlike Roella, he was dressed comfortably in just a vest over his shirt, which made it easy to see that he was quite thin. His hair was a blonde of a similar shade to hers.
Realizing that she had been unconsciously looking for similarities between them, Roella felt a fresh wave of defiance. However, it was certain that the parts of her appearance not inherited from her mother had come from him.
“Sit down.”
The Emperor said in a calm voice. There was no trace of emotion or affection at meeting his daughter, but he was not hostile either. And he did not seem surprised or impressed by her attire.
Roella’s seat was prepared to his right. As she approached, the chief attendant pulled out the chair and removed her cloak before she sat down.
Roella felt a slight regret, thinking she had done something foolish. Because the Emperor was dressed so comfortably, her own heavily adorned appearance looked rather ridiculous.
“Do you know how to drink?”
“Yes.”
The Emperor poured the aperitif himself. Roella received the glass without letting down her guard.
“Why did you call for me?”
“Do not be in such a hurry. If I had only wanted to discuss business and send you away, I would have sent a messenger or written a letter, rather than asking for dinner.”
“…….”
“In any case, you are my daughter, are you not?”
Roella paused while bringing potato purée topped with caviar to her mouth. But she couldn't put it back down, so she ate it and then looked at the Emperor.
“You wouldn't have considered me a daughter, would you?”
“True. I did not wish for you to be born. Your conception was the result of me falling for a trick.”
“…….”
“But that was twenty years ago. It is too long ago to dwell on such feelings, and to me, I am more important than that. Along with my successor.”
Roella could not gauge how much sincerity was contained in the Emperor’s words. Her throat felt dry, so she lifted her glass and took a sip.
“I don’t trust you, Your Majesty. If you intend to use me to fight Ezekiel, you have judged completely wrong.”
“What I wish for is to make you my daughter, even if it is late.”
“That’s hard to understand.”
“It’s simple. I want you to become the Empress.”
Roella frowned. The Emperor had the empty plate cleared away and the next course brought in as if nothing were amiss. He could not have eaten with others for a long time, yet his table manners were so fluid that it was as if his conversation and eating were completely separated, causing no interference at all.
“I am….”
“Even if the Duke of Schwaben becomes the Emperor’s consort, nothing will change in practice. If you pass on the name ‘Schwaben’ to your children, it wouldn't be going against the will of the former Duke.”
“What does that mean to you, Your Majesty?”
Roella asked, forgetting to eat. The Emperor asked in a calm voice.
“You would gain the power to protect me, even if just a little.”
“I….”
“Because I am your father, after all.”
Just as she was about to ask if he thought she would protect him, the Emperor spoke as if he had read her mind.
Roella bowed her head slightly and glared at her plate. Noticing she wouldn't eat, the attendant cleared away the appetizer and brought out a bowl of soup.
“In the end, you want to sow discord between Ezekiel and me.”
“It is not what the Duke of Schwaben wants.”
The Emperor readily admitted.
“But it will not be meaningless to you. You must already know what kind of existence an Empress who is merely a decorative doll is.”
Roella shuddered. She had recalled how easily Lilian had been deposed. If she had possessed power herself, that would not have happened.
She didn't think Ezekiel would do such a thing to her. But her anxiety about being excluded from all important matters grew significantly, as if fueled by the Emperor’s words.
“I will be the best card you can hold. Because your legitimacy and authority ultimately come from me.”
The Emperor said with a relaxed attitude. He acted as if he were certain Roella would take his hand.