The Tsarevich's Proposal
I hate kids. Unfortunately, I have no intention of becoming a shotacon. Besides, by the time this brat is old enough to marry, how old will I be? Judging by this body's age, probably somewhere in my mid-thirties. Mid-thirties? Even by the standards of this era, that would be considered a late marriage—especially a first one. Building a family at that point makes no sense. Above all, would the Empress just sit still? Even now her face is twisting into something unpleasant.
“I’m terribly sorry, Your Highness. First of all, I am Korean, and you are the Tsarevich of the Russian Empire.”
“But you’re a Russian countess, aren’t you?”
The title of Russian countess was purely honorary. Am I living in Russia? Do I hold any ministerial post there? No. I am the Minister of War for Korea—effectively the power behind Yi Beom-yun’s military government.
“It is a title granted by His Majesty the Tsar, but it was awarded solely for saving Your Highness’s life. More importantly, the age difference is far too great.”
How great could it possibly be? It’s not as if I’m planning to use a young body for some biological deal.
“Ahem. We would like to welcome you into the imperial family if possible, but Alexei is simply too young. And he is the heir.”
“Precisely, Your Majesty.”
I am not so starved for men that I would develop feelings for a child.
“Hmm. The problem is sending you to Wilhelm. He has plenty of princes.”
“Your Majesty, that will never happen. While you and the Russian aristocracy have personally confirmed that I am a shaman, Kaiser Wilhelm of the German Empire knows nothing of the sort. He merely finds me intriguing as an Oriental who speaks European languages.”
“Perhaps.”
“Yes. No matter how you look at me, I am clearly an Oriental. I am hardly so beautiful that Westerners would fall over themselves for me.”
I deliberately downplay myself. No matter how capable I am, I remain beneath Westerners—or so I claim. In truth, I am not particularly remarkable anyway, relying only on the Great Continent Gallery.
“You don’t seem to have aged since we first met.”
“No, she’s incredibly beautiful!”
The kid really needs to back off—it would be better for me.
“Still, once she approaches forty, wrinkles will appear and she will age, won’t she?”
Age is everything for a woman. Of course, looking at my current state, this body does not seem destined to age. But still—no. Alexei might stubbornly insist, but I will refuse as firmly as possible.
“Hmm, but still. To reject Alexei so thoroughly…”
If I accepted, I would be branded a demoness for seducing a child. This is exactly how it would go. I have no interest, nor any obligation to take him. My previous life was male, after all—and even then, pursuing someone this young, someone I once saw as a newborn, would be criminal in every sense, both mentally and physically.
Nicholas would try to tie me to anyone, but I want none of them. Alexei least of all.
“For the sake of the Tsarevich’s future, there is no choice.”
“That may be true, but… hmm. Then there is always Felix.”
Felix? What is this about Felix all of a sudden?
“The Yusupov family is one of Russia’s most distinguished houses. If Countess Ok were to marry him, she would gain the Yusupovs as powerful backers.”
The Yusupovs are a prestigious family—and wealthy. So marriage is inevitable after all. If the Yusupov family is truly that eminent, an ordinary person might consider it. Marrying and then stepping back could work. Everything is a tool. Marriage is a tool. If I place my husband in a great Russian house, I can exert influence when the time comes to carve up Russian territory.
“No! You have to marry me!”
Damn it. His popularity is becoming a real problem. If Alexei keeps whining about marrying me even after he grows up, I genuinely don’t know what I’ll do. Doesn’t he have hemophilia?
“Ah, Alexei. That is a rather difficult request. You’re making Countess Ok uncomfortable.”
“If Alexei were the same age, maybe…”
Even if he were the same age, I still wouldn’t. The massive age gap is the only reason this conversation is ending at this level.
“Then what if I can’t find a bride later?”
God, why is he so clingy? A child already chasing after a woman like this—what a sight. I really don’t want to be mistaken for a shotacon.
“Still, you must find someone. Meeting an older woman would be troublesome. For the sake of an heir, you need a young wife.”
Surely this brat isn’t developing some strange preference. Liking older women should be a passing phase. Speaking as a woman myself feels odd. I can only hope Alexei eventually meets someone suitable.
I didn’t tell them everything. If I were to bend Alexei to my will, the reason would simply be to turn Russia into my puppet state. Marrying him, gaslighting him, and then swallowing the country would be efficient—but only if such a future actually existed. No matter how I look at it, I cannot see a future where Alexei and I end up together.
“Alexei, the Countess finds you burdensome.”
“That’s right. Let’s not push her.”
“But it absolutely cannot happen.”
“Well, I suppose that’s possible, but…”
How should I put this? Meet the Duke of Yusupov? Then Alexei would just whine again. I’m only considering it for now. If the man seems decent upon meeting, I plan to put the Yusupov fortune to use for Korea. If Alexei interferes unnecessarily, it will be a problem.
“Shall we at least arrange a meeting with the Duke of Yusupov?”
I was about to say yes, but I don’t have time for that right now. If marriage talks drag on, things will get busy. More importantly, Alexei is glaring at me with terrifying eyes.
“It seems we cannot bring it up at the moment because of the Tsarevich.”
“Ah, I see.”
There’s no need to further sour the child’s mood. It wouldn’t be bad to bring it up later, once Alexei has gradually forgotten. Or I could simply mention it while extracting whatever benefits I can.
“Surely Countess Ok isn’t…”
“No, I am not the sort of woman who would fall for a child.”
“Oh my. Is our Tsarevich merely a child to you?”
The Empress is smiling while clearly angry. So he’s a child, then—not a grown man. He doesn’t even have hair down there yet. If he wants to impress me, he should at least be taller than I am. I’ll just let it slide for now. None of this would have happened if Nicky hadn’t suddenly brought up the Yusupov matter.
“No, that’s not it. I apologize. In any case, this would not be good for the Romanov imperial family either. As for the Tsarevich… if he truly has no one later, then I will accept the opportunity at that time.”
“I’m sorry, Countess Ok. Alexei is still young.”
“It’s quite all right.”
At least the girls are reasonable. That’s a relief.
“Then shall we go meet Wilhelm now?”
Yes. I can’t stay in Russia forever.
“It seems so. We’ll probably have to visit France as well, so we won’t stay long.”
A few days in Germany, then straight to France.
“What if England summons you by any chance?”
It’s not impossible. From Britain’s perspective, they would naturally be curious about the person receiving such favor from the Russians—the very people who thwarted their Great Game. If I end up in England by chance, what kind of reception would I get? First thing: “Are you the woman who mocked our British Empire?” Something like that. An Oriental from an uncivilized country that hasn’t even modernized, yet she dared to toy with the British Empire. I should prepare some excuses in advance. Should I ask the Gallery about this too? Considering how using the Gallery might reset my questions, it might be worth asking anyway.
“I suppose I’ll have to go. Until Korea grows stronger, we have no choice but to keep our heads down before Britain and France.”
“Keep your head down before Britain? And you’re a countess?”
“Keeping my head down doesn’t mean what you think. There’s a saying in the East: lie low and bide your time. Even if I bow my head now, I’m only waiting for a better opportunity later.”
Of course, the day Korea becomes strong enough to challenge Britain is still far away. But at least within Asia, we might be able to land a blow. Would we even end up clashing with Britain in the first place? I’m only preparing for the possibility.
“I understand your meaning. Bowing your head means Korea must tread carefully for the time being.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After listening to me, Nicholas II’s gaze drifted into the air before returning to me.
“From what you’re saying, once Korea grows strong enough, it can defeat the mighty British Empire?”
How could we defeat that colonial empire? For Britannia, which rules the seas, to fall, it would need to lose all its colonies after the Second World War—and even a fallen Britain would be difficult to fight. Still…
“At the very least, we could drive them out of Asia, couldn’t we?”
With the right circumstances, it isn’t impossible. Of course, everything depends on the situation, but we should at least be prepared to fight Britain in Asia. If necessary, I can always use a brainwashed Japan as a meat shield. Given that they started trouble with us from the Ganghwa Treaty onward, they deserve at least that much of a role.
“Very well. I shall look forward to it.”
Don’t expect too much. You’re nothing more than a stepping stone to me.
* * *
My schedule in Russia was complete. I had taught the Tsar’s family many things and clearly warned them to prepare for war but not to participate in it. Now then, shall we head to Austria?
“Next is Austria, then?”
Yi Wan-yong asked while fiddling with a bottle of vodka he had received in Russia.
“Yes. Austria is led by the Habsburgs, Europe’s foremost royal house.”
I could just thank them for the licensed production and gift them some red ginseng while casually warning them to watch out for Serbia. That should suffice. The question is how to explain it so they’ll accept it without suspicion.
“At this point, you might as well tell me.”
“Tell you what?”
He suddenly wants me to explain. What is he curious about? Yi Wan-yong is someone I always need to be wary of. If I give him information, he’ll twist it for his own purposes.
“Austria-Hungary has almost no connection to us, does it not?”
Correct. We have no connection whatsoever. If I had to force one, it would be that Manchuria hasn’t been fully incorporated yet and we’re operating under a dual Korea-Manchuria system—so we have a “dual” title? Even that is a stretch, like calling weeds plants just because they grow from the ground. Still, we have to go. The spark that ignites the Great War is right there.
“It’s related to the war.”
“Did you see something?”
“Austria-Hungary has a poor relationship with Serbia, the country beneath it.”
Serbia. The powder keg of the Balkans. The axis of evil that started the Great War. They have nothing, yet they act far more arrogantly than the colonial empires.
“Neighboring countries rarely get along well, do they?”
Exactly. Just look at Korea and Japan. Even before their nations were founded, the Jurchens were beaten by Joseon and paid tribute, only to bow their heads once they established their own state.
“Because Serbia covets Bosnia, which belongs to the Dual Monarchy. For reference, Serbia is much smaller than Austria.”
“Yet they dare to eye the territory of a great power?”
Honestly, I don’t know much about that region either. I’m no historian, and my knowledge of world history comes mostly from internet memes. Serbia is full of bastards, and their Black Hand or whatever caused all the trouble. I’ll answer vaguely.
“Serbia’s goal is to unify the South Slavs. It’s like Korea during the peninsula-only era trying to reclaim Manchuria to incorporate the Koreans there. But the multi-ethnic Austrian Empire swallowed Bosnia instead.”
Serbia probably couldn’t have swallowed Bosnia anyway. Yugoslavia collapsed in less than a century, after all. Their ethnic characteristics are downright vicious.
“I see.”
“If you think about it, Serbia lacks a proper justification for unifying the South Slavs. It’s an extremely nationalist state.”
“Hmm. That could be. But would that be enough reason for war? Even so, the great powers should know that fighting among themselves over rice bowls would cause too much damage.”
Yi Wan-yong has a sharp point. Yes, I thought the same. But seeing how the Great War broke out, it was bound to happen eventually. If Russia doesn’t intervene, the war might not grow larger, but Serbia will still charge headfirst into Austria.
“That’s why they need a legitimate pretext. Members of the Black Hand, of Serbian origin, will assassinate the Austrian archduke.”
I don’t remember the exact date, but if history has changed, that might change too. I’ll have to check with the Gallery. But Yi Wan-yong’s face is contorting, his eyes widening. What’s with that expression? I want to hit him.
“I-is that true, Your Excellency? If it isn’t, our country could be in danger!”
Now that he mentions it, it does sound dangerous.