Sisters of Imperial Ambition
Emilia took a slow sip of the fragrant tea and set the cup down gently.
"I've been waiting for this moment, sister."
On the other side of the table sat Fifth Princess Kimelia, arms crossed, her gaze sharp and displeased.
"I had no choice but to invite you to the academy. I apologize for the trouble."
The academy was the only place safe for her; no one could touch a princess there.
Even though the academy was far from truly safe, it was the only shelter left when you had nothing.
"You seem to be living quite well. Only two years until graduation, isn't it?"
Kimelia's words carried a veiled warning: once you leave the shelter, who knows what will happen.
Yet Emilia smiled brightly in return.
"Yes. I've been pouring everything into my studies to help the Empire. I'm looking forward to graduation."
"I see. I'm looking forward to it as well."
A challenge in her voice, Kimelia's lips curved into a smile.
She had always known her sister was crafty, but to reach this point with nothing in your grasp was truly impressive.
Every imperial child was chasing the throne.
Kimelia was no exception; she knew every move of her siblings.
The most dangerous was Second Prince Endo, but the one who irritated her most was Emilia.
She had nothing to begin with, yet even that little power was stripped away and she ran away to the academy. Still, she never gave up on the throne.
Unlike her older brother Derva, who had fled abroad after losing the succession struggle and now only built diplomatic ties.
Even if he made friends with influential people, the Empire's power was simply too overwhelming to challenge from outside.
By choosing the academy instead of leaving the Empire, she had already shown she would never abandon the throne.
The siblings had crushed her influence mercilessly, refusing to allow even the slightest gap.
They were well-trained brothers who knew the Emperor's will.
One word summed up Emilia's academy life: encounters.
She met the children of noble houses, instructors, and visiting nobles, all in a desperate attempt to gather her own forces.
Of course, with no supporters, it was impossible to gain true allies.
No one foolish enough to join a hopeless cause would do so, whether out of admiration for her character or because they wanted something from her.
At best, it was the support of young, impressionable students.
Nothing changed through her efforts.
Instead, more and more people mocked her behind her back for constantly meeting new people.
She knew exactly what they said.
It was a huge humiliation for a royal, yet she never flinched and continued to maintain her dignity while quietly building her influence.
Kimelia had learned through bitter experience that stubborn, unbreakable people were the most dangerous.
"So, what did you want to tell me?"
Tired of small talk about each other's well-being, Kimelia cut straight to the point.
Though she knew her sister's temperament perfectly, Emilia deliberately dragged things out, sipping her tea leisurely before speaking.
"When I was little, you used to spoil me. I always followed you around like a shadow."
"Don't beat around the bush. Get to the point."
Kimelia's expression darkened at the mention of old times.
"I just wanted to walk with you like before."
Emilia's simple answer made Kimelia study her face in silence.
They looked alike in many ways, inheriting strong imperial blood from their mother, but their eyes were different. Soft for Emilia, sharp for Kimelia.
It was not an offer of submission.
It was an invitation to join hands as equals, with nothing to offer.
"You want to use me? I must look quite easy, then."
"You'll have to use me as well."
Even under that accusing gaze, Emilia's reply was warm and smiling.
Kimelia snorted at the smile, leaned back against the chair, and settled in comfortably.
She glanced at the silent Leila standing behind Emilia, then at Sesloff behind herself.
"Captain Leila Cloud, I hear you're quite the talent."
"Thank you."
Leila lowered her head slightly and answered calmly.
"What an unsatisfying response. There's no need to act modest. To defeat someone who has survived the Era of Strife, at your young age... it's truly an extraordinary talent."
"It was mostly luck."
Kimelia scanned Leila from head to toe, clicked her tongue, and shook her head.
"Your dog is very loyal. Tell me, what's the secret? The Emperor's direct Golden Guard, yet you follow someone who beat an Era of Strife veteran."
"Leila is not my dog. She's my friend. As for me... I did nothing."
Kimelia confirmed the sticky relationship between the smiling Emilia and the emotionless Leila, then erased the thought that teasing was pointless.
It was time to get to the main topic.
"Sesloff came running the moment he heard that your other dog was terrifying, but I don't find him particularly charming."
"What part of him is not charming?"
Kimelia had not liked Sesloff's fuss.
It was shocking that the Devil of All Nations was alive, but that was all it amounted to.
She had not felt his terror like Sesloff did, since she had stayed safely in the palace during the Era of Strife, but she was not ignorant of the man.
He had defeated a ten-times-larger Empire in a ten-year defensive war.
The Empire whispered about it, avoided conflict, and barely won after conquering Caelen Kingdom.
A hero who fought not just the Empire but many surrounding nations, winning even in disadvantageous positions.
If the Empire had not been the one to win the Era of Strife, the man would have been called the God of War.
So what?
This was the Empire.
An Empire where countless families still wept over the corpses of their children and parents slaughtered by the Devil of All Nations.
No matter how strong he was, he would not be welcomed here.
Simply having the Devil of All Nations was a huge political liability.
He was not an assassin, but a commander specialized in front-line duels.
He could be useful in power struggles or military conflicts, but he might cause the neutral military to defect to the enemy.
Even the Empire's generals were not so easy to handle.
Edelian, his rival, was alive and well, and there were many other commanders who could match him.
If all of them sided with the enemy, he would be in trouble no matter what.
It was impossible for even the Devil of All Nations to defeat a hundred times his power.
Even if somehow he won, would the Empire's citizens accept a human leading the Devil of All Nations?
He was not a double-edged sword, but a bomb.
Kimelia analyzed it from every angle and saw the Devil of All Nations not as an advantage but as a disadvantage.
Still, she had come here secretly because she realized her crafty sister would never have brought him without knowing.
"The Ten Thousand Evils only strengthen their prey."
"Yes, more and more wolves will come hunting because of his presence."
Kimelia frowned at Emilia's answer.
"His aura is too overwhelming to hide. Wolves curious about whether he's truly the Devil will flock here."
"... ..."
Kimelia's lips curved into a thin smile as she stared silently at the girl who refused to look away.
Her sister was impossible to underestimate.
"Wolves will swarm like flies, not knowing the spider's web."
"Yes. I plan to slowly chip away at my brothers' influence."
"Flies will swarm, but they are still just flies. No matter how much you gnaw, they won't fill up."
Emilia lowered her eyes and smiled softly.
It looked pure, but there was an unmistakable mockery in it.
"Once you catch the flies, giants will come, and the body itself will arrive."
It was a self-referential remark.
Sesloff had been sent after sensing something wrong, and eventually Kimelia herself had been summoned to the negotiation table.
Her body trembled at the insult to her sister, and she laughed with all her teeth showing.
"How amusing. I'd like to go out and announce that my sister is harboring the Ten Thousand Evils."
"You can't do that. You're not the type, sister. Besides, it's His Majesty's order. I can't just say it out loud."
If it was the Emperor's order, she couldn't speak of it.
Even though the Emperor was weakened and had withdrawn from official duties, his power was absolute; no one could challenge it.
A king did not hold absolute power.
He had to manage the nation's forces and politics, and wield the influence of powerful lords.
His role was to balance between them and guide the empire, but nowhere had absolute power like the Emperor's.
The military itself had sworn loyalty that they would not follow unless ordered by the Emperor.
During the Era of Strife, the military had loyally followed the Emperor, who showed excellent command on the battlefield, and even the Chancellor, the Golden Guard, and the Information Bureau remained intact.
Since those who had sworn loyalty still held absolute power, even a royal could not defy His Majesty's orders until the Emperor died.
Kimelia bit her lip in irritation at Emilia's casual mention of the Emperor, then glared at her.
Emilia calmly sipped her tea, the silence between them stretching longer.
"Fu hu."
Kimelia suddenly burst out laughing, breaking the long silence.
"How interesting. What you want is the power to catch flies, isn't it?"
"Yes. I'm afraid Leila alone might not be enough to handle it, especially since someone like Sesloff could come."
Emilia nodded, and Kimelia's eyes sharpened.
"I might... no. Definitely. When the time comes, I will announce the Ten Thousand Evils and strike at you. Will you be able to withstand it then?"
"Thank you for your concern. Do whatever you wish, sister. I'll work hard to survive."
Watching the girl who had already made up her mind and smiled brightly, Kimelia laughed as well.
"How good. Until that time, let's make a pact. But I cannot give you proof that we have joined hands while holding the Ten Thousand Evils."
In every negotiation, evidence must be left behind.
A signed letter or a seal, otherwise betrayal leaves you with nothing.
Kimelia's words were essentially a warning that she could betray at any time.
"Yes, I understand your feelings too. Except for the four people here, no one else knows. Not even my brother Endo."
Emilia deliberately mentioned Endo at the end, reminding her of the biggest enemy.
The Second Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fifth Princess formed three major factions, but Endo held the largest force.
To defeat him before he could claim the throne after the Emperor's death, the Third Prince and Kimelia had been working hard.
She and the Third Prince had already exchanged secrets, so if Emilia joined, all the Emperor's children except the Fourth Prince abroad would form an alliance against Endo.
Her crafty sister had probably expected this and invited her.
Her danger would be greatly reduced if she only considered the Second Prince as her enemy.
Of course, that did not mean she could trust the alliance, but the radius of Emilia's movement had clearly expanded.
She could return to high society and expand her influence further.
Once the matter was resolved safely and Endo's power was crushed, the next step would be to deal with this crafty sister.
Judging that Emilia, who had nothing compared to the balanced Third Prince, was more dangerous, Kimelia smiled at the crafty sister across the table.
"You seem more hungry for the Ten Thousand Evils than for me."
"Oh my, we're sisters. Don't say things that could be misunderstood, sister."
Emilia laughed brightly and brushed it off as a joke.
If they were chasing the throne, this sister would eventually have to fight.
---