2 AM with Crown Prince Rudolf
Crown Prince Rudolf, 2 AM. At that hour when everyone else was asleep, I woke up.
I wanted to sleep more.... But if I kept snoozing here, Rudolf would be stuck with that madman for even longer.
That bastard must've been good at social climbing, though. Grüne spoke well of him, and everyone around had nothing but praise.
Of course—who else but a smooth operator could even set foot in the imperial palace?
"Bring the quietest shoes you can find."
Shoes don't echo much during the day, but the night is too quiet.
"You girls take off your heels and change into walking shoes too."
The maids finished all their preparations and opened the door.
I headed to the Leopold wing and opened the bedroom door, but no one was there. I asked a valet waiting outside.
"Where's His Majesty the Emperor?"
"He's sleeping in the Imperial Chancellery."
"Does he do that every time?"
"Whenever Your Majesty departs on a long journey, he always does."
If I'd known in advance, I wouldn't have had to take this long detour.
I still don't know everything about Joseph, do I?
Sigh, dawn vibes hitting hard.
Crossing the inner courtyard... nah, rejected. Too risky—I'd be spotted.
If they knew I was wandering around, Kondokur would act differently from usual.
No choice but to tough it out and go through Amalia again.
The saying that Joseph's a stuffy guy is only half right. He rules the empire through paperwork, so local news reaches him slowly.
So I'll just step back into my role of feeding him those updates.
I played a big part in arranging the coronations for Lombardy-Venetia and Bohemia, after all. Once he hears the local situation this time, he'll change his mind too.
The valet at Joseph's bedroom door hesitated a moment before opening it.
Haah... let's see this guy.
Inside, unlike the lived-in elegance elsewhere, there was a shabby iron bed that didn't suit him at all.
Joseph lay there under a single thin military blanket.
'That's why he thinks it's normal to put his own son through the wringer.'
My husband, utterly oblivious that he'd grown up abused himself.
I crept closer on silent feet, and a coffee scent wafted up. He wouldn't wear cologne, so he'd slathered on that hair-loss prevention coffee powder I'd gifted him.
"...Jeez, at least make it obvious."
Pathetic, funny, and... infuriating.
Scared of going bald but not of losing his wife, huh?
On impulse, I reached out—thought about pinching his cheek, but just shook his shoulder roughly instead.
"Wake up."
"Hngh!"
"Ow!"
Joseph grabbed my arm and pinned me in an instant.
"Shh...?"
Only after facing me did he catch his breath and hurriedly release my arm.
"What brings you here at this hour...?"
"Wanna take a walk together?"
Joseph glanced at his watch, then back at me.
"At this hour?"
3 AM.
"Or should we go to confession together? We fought, remember."
Joseph was a devout Catholic, schooled by Rauscher.
According to doctrine, marital spats required reconciliation and repentance. No need for more details.
"Not sure if the court chapel priest is awake."
"Does the priest matter? God doesn't sleep."
"Can't argue with that. Give me a moment to change...."
"Nah, let's just go like this. Throw on an overcoat."
"Isn't this improper for entering the sanctuary?"
"Serve the Lord with reverence and awe."
"Hebrews 12:28."
Joseph looked grateful that I'd read the Bible.
For you, I'd even crack open the Scriptures.
"It's attitude over attire, right?"
"You're right."
I draped his military jacket over his shoulders.
"No boots."
"Barefoot?"
"Slippers are an option, you know."
"...Understood."
Was that a joke to him?
I asked a nearby valet to fetch mine too, and slipped them on.
"You don't need to go that far."
Seeing him self-conscious softened me a bit.
"Or you could carry me like last time?"
I teased with a playful grin.
"If there were no eyes on us, I'd carry you all the way to the chapel."
Joseph whispered earnestly into my ear, playing along.
The chapel was in the Swiss Wing—an old name from when Swiss mercenaries quartered there.
Naturally, it was quite a hike from the main palace.
We passed through Amalia back to Leopold, then climbed one more flight.
The second floor was our usual haunt, swarming with valets and maids. The third was the kids' domain.
We went past Sophie's, Gisela's, Adriana's, and Valerie's rooms, through the nannies' and servants' central quarters, and into Ferdinand and Rudolf's area.
'Please, the Swiss Wing's right there...'
Kondokur, you wake him with a gun every day, but I can't do this daily.
At the corridor's end, the most remote room connecting to the Swiss Wing.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Rudolf's sobbing voice made Joseph halt.
He sighed, gripped the knob, and opened the door.
I thought he'd pass by—why open it?
Maybe he'd taken my words from yesterday to heart?
Joseph just stood silently watching from the doorway.
Kondokur looked like he couldn't believe the emperor had come here at this hour.
I hugged the crying Rudolf.
"Rudolf."
"M-Mother... Your Majesty the Empress...."
"Mommy's here, and Daddy's right there."
I soothed him.
Joseph asked, "Kondokur, what time is it?"
"Half past three in the morning."
"Yes, half past three. So why is the crown prince awake?"
"Surprise attack training."
"Surprise attack?"
"The enemy doesn't keep hours. As the future commander-in-chief, he must stay vigilant against threats that could strike anytime."
Kondokur answered in clipped military fashion, oblivious to the mood.
This idiot has no clue Joseph's pissed.
"His Highness sleeps too much and lacks resolve, so to keep him alert—"
I reached out and snatched the pistol from his belt.
'Hasn't fired it yet today, huh.'
Kondokur panicked, glancing between Joseph and me. "This is before His Majesty the Emperor."
Look at him, not me.
Carrying weapons in the palace isn't a big deal— even non-military valets do.
"Rudolf, cover your ears for a sec?"
Rudolf nodded, tears welling up.
I confirmed his hands were over his ears, aimed at the window, and pulled the trigger.
Bang—!
"Shh!"
Joseph rushed over, face shocked.
"Kondokur, what is this?"
Weapons are fine to carry.
"...Blanks."
But loaded chambers? Never—especially not in the imperial residence.
"Are you Guard Corps or sentry duty?"
Kondokur couldn't answer either.
Normally, without proof, it'd end in dismissal. But I want more.
The gunshot brought guards running, dawn hour be damned.
Leopold wing, crown prince's room—empire's heir. They saw shattered window, crying prince, empress holding child, emperor in just his jacket.
"You called it training. Could you fire in my bedroom for that?"
"......"
"Answer me, Count. Would you fire at my ear too?"
Joseph's calm voice was more terrifying.
He nodded to the Guard captain at the door.
"Remove him."
"As you command."
"He'll face military tribunal. Charges: armed intrusion into imperial quarters, armed threat to royalty, endangering the crown prince, breach of military code, threat to national security."
Practically a death sentence.
I hugged Rudolf tighter, covering his eyes and ears.
"Your Majesty! It was just education—"
A rifle butt silenced him.
"...Confession later."
Joseph left those words and departed.
Normally, he'd yield to me, I'd get educational authority, quiet dismissal.
Insufficient evidence, my political win—end of story. But not this time.
Joseph witnessed it himself; off to tribunal.
"Rudolf, it's okay."
I patted the sniffling child till he slept.
"When you wake, it'll all be over."
Smoothing his hair, I told Esterházy,
"You're getting on in years—it's tough nowadays."
Nearing seventy.
Should've retired long ago, collecting pension, watching grandkids play.
Mother-in-law assigned her to me first; I kept rejecting her resignations, so here we are.
If I were a normal empress, she wouldn't be this worn out... but that's on me, so whatever.
"Countess Esterházy-Lichtenstein, I grant your resignation."
Without her, who'd filter Mother-in-law's nagging? Who'd handle those boring tasks perfectly for me?
"Thank you for your service, Your Majesty the Empress."
To the now-relieved Esterházy, I gave her next mission.
"From now on, serve as etiquette tutor to the crown prince."
She'd been Mother-in-law's spy, but over time became my staunchest ally.
With her guarding Rudolf, Mother-in-law couldn't object easily, and he'd regain some stability.
Esterházy's slightly darkened expression as she figured she could rest now? Must be my imagination.