Whispers in the Garden
Late at night, a massive tent stood out in the military camp. It was far too grand for regular soldiers. The bright light glowing from within hinted at the presence of someone important.
"Hmm... What to do..." muttered a middle-aged man inside the tent.
This was Yohanes, the King of Nikaia and the leader of the largest faction in the empire. In his hand, he held a small, elongated slip of paper, covered in neat, elegant handwriting. Yohanes gently placed the paper on his desk and tapped his index finger against the wood.
Tap... Tap...
Egypt and Epirus... Not bad at all.
A faint smile played on King Yohanes's lips as the thought crossed his mind.
And a marriage between Princess Joy and my son... Though there is a ten-year age gap between them, with the Princess's right of succession, my future grandson might actually have a shot at the throne.
Tap... Tap...
The late Emperor had used those two territories to wield absolute influence. He had frequently hosted lavish festivals in Epirus using its abundant resources, winning the hearts of the imperial citizens, and used the grain from Egypt to aid famine-stricken regions. They seemed like simple acts, but they had earned him the love of the people and the loyalty of struggling lords.
If those massive territories fell into the hands of the Emperor's Faction, their power would undoubtedly grow.
Furthermore... if that lion cub marries the Empress and dies without an heir, the situation becomes even more advantageous.
A Grand Duke who poisoned the Emperor. Framing him with such a charge would be entirely possible.
The only disappointing thing is... I will have to share Epirus and Egypt with the other lords, won't I?
If Yohanes tried to monopolize those vast lands, the others would certainly not sit idle. They were like a pack of wolves, gathered here only because there was profit to be made. Yohanes knew they would never let such massive prizes slip through their fingers.
He stopped tapping the desk and began to rub his chin.
"A pity... A real pity... If only I could secure them for myself, I could throw away this faction play once and for all..."
Though he held the grand title of leader of the Emperor's Faction, in reality, it was closer to an honorary position with no real authority. There were simply too many powerful lords within the faction.
"At times like this, I envy the Anti-Emperor Faction..."
Because they were a coalition of the most powerful noble house—the Grand Duchy of Francesco—and various small-to-medium lords, the Ryan family had wielded absolute influence for generations.
But Yohanes shook his head.
It cannot be helped.
After all, wasn't the Emperor's Faction originally created by the Emperor to stabilize his grip on state affairs? It was an ancient method of governance employed by the late Emperor, and the emperors before him.
And so... Yohanes harbored a secret ambition that no one else knew.
An ambition to elevate his own family, which had cleaned up after the imperial family for generations, into the new imperial house of the empire...
"If I can just secure Princess Joy... it is not impossible."
Ultimately, an Empress who lost Epirus and Egypt would possess nothing but empty authority. Her power to control the Emperor's Faction would vanish.
So... when that time came...
He would hunt the lion cub himself.
"May that day... come swiftly..."
With that thought, he began to write a memo to Alexander in Roman, instructing him to push the negotiations forward.
As the sun began to set, my head throbbed. Perhaps because of my fatigued eyes, the words on the documents swam before me. I leaned my head back over the chair as far as it would go. Was I running a fever?
Seeing the mountain of paperwork piled on my desk that needed approval by tomorrow, a sigh escaped my lips.
"Sigh... Should I take a short break?"
With that thought, I looked at the window behind my chair. Watching the twilight slowly swallow the world, I pushed the window open. A cool autumn breeze swept in, soothing my overheated head.
Should I go for a walk? It had been a while.
Recently, negotiations with Representative Alexander had been progressing smoothly. Since Alexander and I had established the general framework, Agrippa and Alexander were left to iron out the finer details...
Thanks to that, I was left alone to deal with the chaos of running the state, and it was driving me mad.
"Let's walk... just a little."
Having made up my mind, I grabbed my jacket from the hanger and slipped it on.
Rustle...
Creak!
As I opened the door and stepped out of my office, the guards immediately saluted.
"I'm going out for a brief walk," I told them, heading out of the building.
The Imperial Palace was a colossal structure. Though magnificent on the outside, its interior was damp and gloomy, but there was one sanctuary within it that I had grown fond of.
Passing several guards, I slipped out through the back exit of the palace.
Before me lay a vast expanse of green lawn, traversed by a beautiful stone path. Trees were lined up in perfect, measured rows.
"Ah... so fresh..."
I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the crisp air as I walked. Perhaps because it had rained in the morning, the scent of the damp but not overly wet earth, mingled with the fresh grass and trees, cleared my foggy mind.
I strolled through the palace gardens. Lately, whenever my head ached from work, I found myself walking like this, lost in thought. A cool breeze blew past just then. The refreshing wind felt as if it were washing away all the stress I had accumulated, lifting my spirits.
If not for this place, I might have truly gone mad...
That was why this garden was my favorite spot in the entire Imperial Palace.
"Your Grace?"
At the sound of someone calling me, I turned my head.
Long, slightly wavy grey hair. Red eyes, but with a much softer, rounder shape than Theodora's. Having met her a few times before, I offered a polite greeting.
"Princess Joy, is that you?"
"Yes..."
Her sorrowful expression caught my eye. She was likely going through a difficult time. Her beloved family members had died, and the freedom she had enjoyed her entire life had been stripped away.
But it couldn't be helped. The current political climate was incredibly unstable. There was a very real danger that someone might assassinate her just to frame me...
For the time being, all members of the imperial family, including Theodora, were confined to the palace.
Feeling a twinge of guilt, I spoke up.
"...Would you care to walk with me for a moment?"
"Shall we?"
Seeing Joy nod slightly, I stepped up to her side.
Thud... Thud...
Click... Clack...
The heavy thud of my military boots and the light clicking of her slippers tapped against the stone path, creating a strange harmony.
She hasn't been doing well, has she?
From what I had heard, Princess Joy was a highly curious girl who frequently sneaked out of the palace to enjoy new things—trying trendy foods, buying new clothes... For someone who lived such a vibrant life, this confinement must feel suffocating.
"Have you been well?"
At my question, Joy nodded slightly.
"Yes... I've been fine. And you, Your Grace..."
She trailed off, hesitating for a moment before continuing.
"You look quite pale... Is everything alright?"
I gave her a wry smile.
"Haha... It is just a bit exhausting trying to clean up all this chaos."
Whoosh.
A sudden gust of wind blew past, fluttering Joy's beautiful hair.
"I see..."
With those words, silence fell between us once more.
"Um... thank you so much for arranging the funeral. I'm sure my sister is grateful to you as well, Your Grace..."
Internally, I shook my head. There is no way that thick-skinned woman is grateful. Joy clearly didn't know what kind of person her sister really was.
"And... um... Your Grace... you..."
Joy hesitated, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn't bring herself to.
I stopped walking and looked at her. Seeing her face slightly flushed, I wondered if she was sick. She looked like she had a fever. Looking at her attire, I noticed she was wearing nothing but a thin dress.
"Princess Joy, aren't you cold?"
"Pardon...? A-A little."
At her words, I nodded, slipped off my jacket, and draped it over her shoulders.
"Oh...?"
She looked up at me with a blank, startled expression, clearly surprised by my gesture.
"The weather is quite chilly. We should head back."
"B-But aren't you cold too, Your Grace? I'm really fine..."
I shook my head.
"I am a man. Back when I was at the military academy, I trained in places far colder than this."
And that was the absolute truth.
"You are... very considerate, Your Grace..."
"It is nothing," I replied dismissively.
"If my sister... realized how much you love her, and what a warm person you are... I'm sure she would agree to the marriage too."
Joy's sudden remark left me utterly bewildered.
I... love Theodora? What on earth is she talking about?
There was no way I could ever love a power-mad, vengeful demon like her.
Whether she was oblivious to my true feelings, or perhaps misinterpreting the look in my eyes... Joy's face flushed deeper, and her eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"I heard it from my maid the other day! A song about how... how long you've secretly yearned for my sister... is incredibly popular in Roman right now..."
Ah... is she talking about that?
We had been circulating a song to improve my public image among the citizens of the empire. But to think it would backfire on me like this.
In this absurd situation, flatly denying it wouldn't be the wisest move. I needed to appear as a pure, romantic youth to as many people as possible so they would lower their guard around me.
And so... in that moment... I neither confirmed nor denied Joy's words.
But she must have taken my silence the wrong way.
Joy's expression turned incredibly solemn.
"So that's why you killed Valorang?"
Faced with Joy's innocent, self-convinced face, I found it incredibly awkward to tell her that the whole story was fabricated.
"Well... that is..."
But our pure-hearted princess had already jumped to another conclusion.
"Ah... I know! It's a secret, right? I'll keep it to myself! No one else in my family knows yet..."
As we neared the palace, a woman with grey hair similar to Joy's came into view.
"Joy! What are you doing over there?!"
A sharp shout rang out. There weren't many people who would dare raise their voice so insolently within the palace grounds.
But when Joy and I turned toward the sound, we saw Theodora, glaring at us with eyes that practically blazed with fury.
"O-Oh, it's my sister... Well, Your Grace, I must be going now."
I stared blankly as Joy scurried off toward Theodora.
Should I have let her go like that?
In that brief moment, Theodora's eyes met mine... just for a split second.
Then, she grabbed Joy and dragged her back into the palace.
Sigh... Well, things will work themselves out somehow.