A Perfect Checkmate
Early morning.
Yesterday, she had waited for the Grand Duke after he arrested Ipa, but in the end, he never showed. She had no choice but to return to her chambers. Now, it was after breakfast. Just as she was about to change her clothes and head back to the Grand Duke's office, MP Alexander suddenly requested an urgent audience.
What could this be about?
Usually, when someone from the Imperial Parliament came to see her, it was Speaker Charles. Having received word of his imminent arrival, she waited for MP Alexander in the drawing room.
Lately, she had been buffeted by a relentless wave of incomprehensible events. First, the Grand Duke had vanished. Then, the moment he returned, he arrested Ipa and marched straight to the Imperial Parliament.
It was strange... far too strange.
There was still no word from the Emperor Faction, who should have arrived at their doorstep by now. Furthermore, why would the Grand Duke, who ought to be frantically preparing for war, leisurely pay a visit to the Imperial Parliament? She felt an ominous undercurrent shifting beneath the surface.
"Your Imperial Highness. MP Alexander has arrived."
Right on cue.
"Send him in."
The heavy doors creaked open, and MP Alexander stepped inside, wearing a broad, practiced smile.
"I trust you have been well, Your Imperial Highness?"
"I have, thanks to you. And how have you been, MP Alexander?"
Alexander’s smile widened. "Indeed, by your immense grace, I have been doing wonderfully."
"I appreciate the kind words. So, what brings you to my parlor today?"
At her question, a chilling, uncharacteristic smile crept onto his face.
"The reason I have graced your presence today, Your Imperial Highness, is in my capacity as the Deputy Speaker of the Imperial Parliament. I am here to explain the emergency bill passed yesterday at the urgent request of His Highness Yohanes, and to deliver the official declaration issued by the Parliament."
A frown creased her brow. "What happened to Speaker Charles... and why are you the one delivering this, MP Alexander?"
"He went missing as of yesterday," Alexander replied smoothly. "However, the ever-impartial Grand Duke is currently spearheading the search, so I am sure we will hear good news soon."
A heavy silence fell between them.
Speaker Charles’s disappearance... could it really be a coincidence? Or was it another of the Grand Duke's sinister schemes?
The Grand Duke had visited the Parliament yesterday. And Charles had vanished at that exact time.
Just as she began to piece together the connection between the two events—
"First, I must report that His Highness Yohanes and Grand Duke Deviang have concluded a peace treaty."
She flinched.
What...?
A peace treaty?
Two men who, until mere days ago, were locked in a bloody war to the death, had suddenly made peace?
It... it made no sense.
Her mind scrambled, unable to predict what would happen next. What would become of the Empire?
Her thoughts spiraled into chaos.
She had never expected the Emperor Faction to blindly submit to her commands once the cunning Grand Duke was eliminated. But she had at least believed they wouldn't ignore her and her sovereign rights the way that wretched Grand Duke did. Her plan had been to oust the Grand Duke, pit the Emperor Faction against the Neutrals, and slowly steer the Empire toward stability.
But somehow, in the brief window of his absence, the Grand Duke had worked his dark magic. The Emperor Faction joining hands with him could only mean one thing: they intended to ravage the Empire together.
Her grand premise had crumbled before the game even began.
Everything went dark before her eyes.
It had been a month since her father passed. During that time, her coronation—which should have been celebrated immediately—had been delayed day after day. And now, the Imperial Parliament had fallen entirely into the hands of a treacherous cabal.
What have I been doing all this time...? No... this can't be happening. What do I do? How do I get out of this?
No answers came. Her mind was a blank slate of panic.
She was in a state of perfect checkmate.
The terrifying thought that the two-thousand-year-old Empire might meet its end due to her own incompetence felt less like a nightmare and more like an impending reality.
Despair washed over her.
She had trusted them. She had put her faith in the Emperor Faction.
They were the ones who had staunchly supported her father. While she hadn't expected them to offer her their absolute, unquestioning loyalty, she had at least believed they possessed a basic sense of justice.
She was utterly bewildered. The world she thought she knew was crumbling to dust.
What next? What do I do now? What is my next move?
Her brain refused to function.
The peace treaty between the Emperor Faction and the Grand Duke was the death knell, signaling that this living hell would only be prolonged. It was the opening bell for their tyranny and extortion to begin in earnest.
As she stood frozen in her confusion, Alexander spoke in a flat, indifferent tone.
"Furthermore... a bill restructuring the Imperial Government has been passed."
"Restructuring... the government?"
"We are establishing the Grand Ducal Department. The Five Ministries, including Foreign Affairs and Finance, which previously reported directly to the Emperor, will be placed under the direct jurisdiction of the Grand Ducal Department."
"..."
It was over.
Everything was completely over.
She couldn't comprehend how things had devolved to this point. The only certainty was that she no longer held a single card to play.
She sank into a bottomless abyss of despair.
"Additionally... the Imperial Parliament strongly advises Your Imperial Highness to marry the Grand Duke."
Alexander's words snapped her back to reality like a slap to the face.
"You expect me... to marry the Grand Duke?! I would rather you execute me here and now!"
The mere thought of sharing a bed and bearing children with that beast of a man made her stomach turn. How could any human marry a power-hungry pig? Marry that devilish, subhuman monster?
Never! She would rather die!
As she fiercely rejected the notion, Alexander merely offered a faint, patronizing smile.
"Well, that is not for me to decide."
"..."
"Now that I have delivered the Parliament's recommendation, I shall take my leave."
The doors creaked open and shut as Alexander made his cold departure.
The moment he was gone, the strength drained from her legs.
She collapsed to the floor.
Her vision blurred with hot tears. She wiped them away roughly with her sleeve.
Not yet... It's not over.
The Emperor's Veto Power. That absolute, inviolable authority still remained.
She had to become Empress. Somehow... as quickly as humanly possible.
"What do I do...?"
A massive crisis had reared its head before Deviang.
"If I ask Mary to lend me her maids... she'll probably curse me out, right?"
Agrippa nodded slowly. "You know how dearly Lady Mary treasures her maids, don't you, Your Grace?"
After arresting Ipa, Theodora had been left without a single personal maid to attend to her. They needed to recruit a replacement immediately, but the task was proving far more difficult than anticipated.
The qualifications were incredibly strict.
First, the maid had to be fiercely loyal to Deviang, not Theodora. If she possessed a deeper loyalty to the Crown Princess, she would end up sneaking around and spying on him just as Ipa had.
Second, she had to be capable of fending off assassinations and surprise attacks.
This was the most difficult condition of all. It was absurd to expect an ordinary maid to possess combat skills, let alone a deep knowledge of poisons.
This was why Deviang, the Grand Duke of the Empire, was currently agonizing over a simple hiring issue.
"Mary's maids would be absolutely perfect, though."
Deviang recalled the maids Mary had personally raised.
Years ago, their mother had sponsored an orphanage. After her passing, Octavia and Mary had continued her legacy, supporting the orphanage in her stead. Whenever they spotted children with exceptional potential, they provided scholarships for their education or helped them train to become knights.
Among them, several girls who deeply admired Mary wished to serve her closely. Mary had accepted them, training them rigorously as her personal attendants.
The result? They were stronger than the average grown man, highly skilled in the art of poisons... and possessed capabilities that made the term "maid" feel like a massive understatement.
If he could secure those girls, they would be the perfect fit to serve as Theodora's maids, close-protection bodyguards, and watchdogs all at once.
"I agree with your assessment... but I doubt it will be easy," Agrippa said, shaking his head.
Naturally, Agrippa had seen Mary's maids in action as well.
Deviang stared intently at Agrippa.
"Your Grace, is there something on my face?"
"No."
Despite his denial, Deviang kept his gaze locked on his aide.
"That look is highly uncomfortable, you know." Agrippa scowled slightly.
"Agrippa, if you were to ask Mary on my behalf..."
Agrippa’s face contorted in pure horror.
"Absolutely not. You're just telling me to go get beaten up in your stead, aren't you?"
"What if... you just pounce on Mary tonight...?"
Agrippa stared at him, utterly aghast.
"Your Grace, Lady Mary is only nineteen..."
"It's fine, I believe in you!"
Deviang genuinely believed Agrippa would take responsibility for Mary.
Agrippa stared back with dead, hollow eyes.
"No... even so, that is out of the question. We agreed not to do that sort of thing until Lady Mary comes of age."
"But still..."
"Your Grace... *cough*. Furthermore, I do not wish to entangle our relationship with political maneuvers."
Deviang nodded and let out a long sigh. "Whew... then what do we do?"
What did Mary want? Did she even want anything from him?
He racked his brain, trying to recall Mary's favorite things.
A fine weapon? Agrippa? What else... a horse?
For a Grand Duke's sister, Mary lived an incredibly frugal life. Aside from weapons and armor, nothing came to mind.
"Your Grace, why don't we just raid the Imperial Palace's vaults?" Agrippa suggested.
Hmm...
At that moment, a brilliant spark of inspiration struck Deviang.
"I've just thought of a proposal that will satisfy both Mary and me."
Agrippa shook his head warily. "What are you planning now?"
Deviang smiled brightly. "Agrippa, let's get you betrothed to Mary."
A betrothal—a formal promise of future marriage between nobles.
Though Agrippa was a commoner, a formal betrothal would ensure he could marry Mary even if something unfortunate were to happen to Deviang in the future.
"Your Grace..."
Deviang looked at his aide, fully expecting him to be deeply moved.
Instead, Agrippa was staring at him with cold, flat eyes.
"While we prepare for the betrothal... you're still going to make me work, aren't you?"
Deviang nodded naturally. "Of course. If you take even a few days off, I'll probably die of overwork."
It was a simple fact. What they lacked most right now was trustworthy, capable talent. Agrippa was both fiercely loyal and exceptionally competent. The moment such a vital asset took a single day off... Deviang's life would become a living hell.
"Haha, Mary is surprisingly romantic, isn't she? If I tell her I'll betroth you to her, she'll definitely lend us the maids."
"Then... doesn't that just mean I have to suffer even more?"
Deviang shook his head. "Not at all! You get to visit the Grand Duchy, go on a date with Mary, and get betrothed."
Of course, Deviang had absolutely no intention of letting his most precious administrative slave rest. There was a mountain of work to be done, and Agrippa's hand was required for the establishment of the new government institutions.
"Sigh..."
Agrippa let out a heavy sigh.
Then, he muttered something quietly under his breath.
"Hmm? Did you say something?"
"It's nothing. I was just thinking that becoming a noble is a truly grueling endeavor."
"Right? You didn't just curse me out, did you?"
Surely his loyal aide wouldn't dare swear at him. He must have misheard. Yes, definitely.
"Haa... I suppose moving to the countryside to farm with Lady Mary is out of the question?"
Deviang smiled gently.
"Nope, not happening."