Blood, and the Empire - 2
“What do you mean by that?”
The Great General’s voice sharpened, as though he found my behavior rude. I laced my fingers together and offered a leisurely smile, letting my gaze sweep across the conference room. Every single person present was staring in my direction. Perfect timing.
…Looks like this will work.
Lobelia was watching me with a dazed expression, as if she couldn’t comprehend what I was saying. That only strengthened my conviction. Until this morning her eyes had been icy; now they swam with bewilderment.
“From the moment Kalufen committed treason, there can be no disagreement that the Nine Kingdoms are preparing for war. If we’ve reached the point where we must even suspect the Margrave of the West, then the situation speaks for itself.”
“And why exactly are you explaining this to us?”
The Security Minister let out a long, exhausted sigh. As he massaged his temples, deep shadows clung to his face. The news was that hopeless.
I twirled my fingers in lazy circles like a madman and let out a soft, giggling laugh.
“One fact we must establish first is that we do, after all, have clear objectives. Kill Kalufen. Prevent the war. Purge the nobles. Exactly three goals. Simple, isn’t it?”
“…It is not simple.”
“If we examine why we cannot execute Kalufen immediately, it is because we lack sufficient justification and fear the other nobles will revolt. In that case, there is an easy solution.”
“An easy solution?”
He frowned, clearly wondering what nonsense I was spouting. I let the silence stretch just long enough for them to turn the idea over in their minds.
That way they’ll follow my lead more readily.
The Great General stroked his white beard, eyeing me with open suspicion. Lobelia sat with her arms crossed, staring at me as though she intended to watch whatever madness I was about to unleash.
After giving them enough time, I smiled brightly while every eye remained fixed on me.
“You all seem to be overthinking this. The truth is always simple.”
“……”
Lobelia’s face registered surprise. Her eyes widened, and for a moment she simply stared at me in a daze.
She remembers that line?
I tucked the observation away for later.
The Great General openly displayed his discomfort. “Does this appear easy to you? This political mire tangled with countless conflicting interests? Reflect again, before your youthful arrogance leads you to say something you cannot take back.”
“Youthful arrogance… At this point we must grasp even a fraying rope. So why not focus on what I am saying?”
“Hmm…”
The Great General fell silent, signaling that he would at least hear me out.
“We already possess justification. Kalufen is a traitor; that label exists. Yet we hesitate because we fear noble backlash. But there is one thing you must understand. Why do we fear the Nine Kingdoms?”
“Though their military strength is inferior to the Empire’s, they have infiltrated as far as the imperial palace itself. Their scheme is meticulous and precise. And has not the Empire’s own army been weakened?”
The Great General answered at once. The situation was exactly as he described. The Empire was vast and powerful. The Nine Kingdoms, though individually weak, formed a dangerous coalition that had already burrowed into our heart. The nobles, rotten to the core, cared only for personal gain. It was, in every sense, a hopeless mess.
That’s why, in the end, I had to shoulder everything and detonate like a bomb.
The Nine Kingdoms watched the Empire with greedy eyes, yet they were coldly calculating. The moment I died branded a traitor, every military secret would spill, and their odds of victory would plummet. Once the treacherous nobles mounted the execution platform, the people’s sentiment would improve… or so it would be staged.
But here’s the thing.
In this timeline, where Lobelia somehow trusted me, did I truly need to clutch a bomb and blow myself apart? No.
“I have been close to Kalufen. Therefore I know a portion of his plan. I have worked to extract as many military secrets as possible, and at the proper moment I intend to turn on him completely.”
“…You bastard.”
Lobelia bit her lip so hard it nearly bled, swallowing her rage. One of the few young talents left in the palace—the man who had once carried expectations—had crumbled before her eyes.
“The complication is that I stand on the side of the imperial palace. Kalufen trusts me implicitly. Therefore… we will exploit that trust to its fullest.”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
“I will disguise myself as a traitor as well. And… I will learn everything I can about the Nine Kingdoms.”
The room erupted in startled glances.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Does that even make sense?”
“Shouldn’t we throw him in a cell immediately?”
In short, it was treason upon treason. A true traitor. Good grief.
“We already have justification… so all that remains is to ensure the Nine Kingdoms never set foot here. I will unravel their every plan. I can do it.”
Because I had already done it several times before.
While Lobelia continued to stare at me in a daze, I shouted with feigned excitement.
“Kalufen will abandon his treason, scatter all the information he possesses, and die as a hero for this Empire!”
“…!”
…After the meeting ended.
“Have you truly gone insane!”
Lobelia ground her teeth and seized my collar. Her crimson eyes were bloodshot. I met her gaze at close range—rage and fear swirling together.
Whoa… no need to go quite this far.
The rest of the meeting had focused on confirming the precise plan and route. After all, no sharper solution existed. Throughout it all Lobelia had remained silent, her anxiety plain. She bit her lip until it bled, or watched me with trembling eyes.
“Was there any better option, Your Highness?”
“One misstep and your life will vanish! You expect me to consent to such a thing?”
Her agitation grew; she pressed me harder. My back slammed against the wall with a dull thud. There was nowhere left to retreat.
I laughed awkwardly for a moment, then looked at her. What I saw in her eyes was overwhelming terror and unease.
“Your Highness.”
“Do not fall from my sight again! I will pretend this meeting never occurred!”
“Your Highness.”
“……”
Lobelia’s ragged breathing gradually steadied. My calm tone seemed to bring her back to herself. We simply looked at each other. Her breathing softened.
I smiled gently.
“I do not know when you began to concern yourself with me so deeply. Even if I die, I will save this Empire. Please do not worry.”
“…Hawin. Do you truly believe I am worried about the Empire right now?”
Her voice was tightly suppressed. My face went blank.
…What?
Her expression crumpled. Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes; the word “heartbroken” fit perfectly.
For a moment my mind went completely white.
Lobelia drew a trembling breath as though fighting back sobs, then fixed me with cold eyes.
“Hawin… I am worried about you.”
“How…”
“If you disappear, what am I supposed to do? Look! Look at me—look how broken I have become!”
She shouted, thrusting her face even closer. All imperial dignity had vanished; only raw anxiety remained.
I am not important.
To Lobelia, the person called Hawin had always been nothing more than an extra. She had regarded me as an eyesore, snapping at me whenever I offered a false smile. Lately it had grown even worse. She had thrown me into prison and openly vented her fury.
“Your Highness. I am not a person of such value. You need not pay me any attention, nor grieve like this.”
“No… no…”
Lobelia shook her head. Something like resolve flared in her eyes. She pressed a finger hard against her own chest.
“I, too, wish someone like you would simply vanish. All of it…!”
“Then…”
“But does it obey my wishes? Do my emotions flow as my heart commands? My heart is this anxious, my feelings this fierce, and the thought of you disappearing is this—this painful!”
She cut me off, voice trembling like a plea.
“I do not want to think of you either. I do not understand why these memories remain, nor why you lied about coming from the future.”
“…!”
My eyes flew wide in shock. At my reaction, the corners of Lobelia’s trembling lips rose in something like mockery. The sight was heartbreaking.
“You are not perfect.”
“Your Highness, that is why—”
“Neither am I.”
In the end Lobelia gave a hollow smile. Then she lowered her head and buried her face against my chest. Like a child throwing a tantrum at the thought of being abandoned, she clutched my clothes tightly.
“So… do not go.”
“I must.”
“…Then at least do not die. Do not disappear before my eyes. Send letters, even if only that. Do you understand?”
“……”
I nodded and gently stroked the back of the sobbing princess in my arms.
“Why would I die?”
“Then that is enough. Even if you die, do not die.”
…I sent a carrier pigeon to Kalufen. A notice that I would head west, accompanied by the lie that Lady Aran seemed useful to exploit, along with a generous helping of flattery.
I climbed into the carriage. Imperial Princess Lobelia stood with arms crossed, clicking her tongue. Her posture radiated irritation, yet hesitation colored her voice.
“Do not die. Come back.”
“Hahaha! Why would I die? I only need to coax that fool Kalufen and the Nine Kingdoms!”
“Sigh.”
The carriage rolled forward. Toward the west.