The Emperor of Resignation
I was sitting in my work chair in the King's office, tidying up a pile of papers one by one, when Alexandra walked in.
"What are you thinking about while you're working!"
You are?
said Alexandra to Carla Ziege, who was sitting beside her, talking nonsense without doing any work.
Normally, she would have rejected him out of hand when he kept her away from the temple even though she was his own daughter.
However, the two gatekeepers, who were supposed to be extremely loyal to her, opened the tightly closed door without Bartolomeos' permission, as if they had something in mind for Alexandra, the first princess who had never visited them before.
"Aha!"
Carla exclaimed.
The Emperor Bartolomeos rolled the name of his beloved late wife Eleonora gently in his mouth.
Her beautiful jet-black hair and eyes, which she had been so adamant about hiding, were now exposed.
Alexandra looked exactly like Eleonora when they first met, except for the hint of darkness in her eyes, and Bartolomeos smiled quietly, not even realizing that he was smiling.
"Pardon me for interrupting your business, Father. Please, see to it that I am excused."
Alexandra plucked at the hem of her modest dress with a graceful gesture of civility, and even Carla was momentarily taken aback.
"Hey! How dare you! What's wrong with me being here! You're not trying to slander me, are you?"
The slanted eyes that were not to Bartolomeos' liking were jealous.
His high-pitched voice was deafening.
"I am the First Princess, and I would only ask that those without the right to the throne refrain from doing so."
Carla's eyes and mouth widened in astonishment, and it would be difficult to even laugh at her lack of dignity.
"Wha! I'm the mother of the first heir to the throne! You can't be so rude!"
Bartolomeus interrupted her scream.
"The first heir to the throne is Alexandra, the first princess."
Carla has given birth to five children.
Her eldest son was less than a year older than Alexandra.
Normally, the eldest son would be the first in line to the throne, even if he was a child of a side family, according to the law of the empire.
"Your Majesty!"
"In the first place, I'm not related to any of those you sired. I don't know how you can claim to be my successor, but you've got to be kidding me."
The color of his face, which had been tinged with rage, changed to despair in an instant, as if he believed that no one knew.
"Get back. I don't need you. You're in my way."
Probably thinking that she would be pursued, Carla still glared hatefully at Alexandra and walked out of the King's office with rough footsteps.
"...All of them, is it?"
Whether it was her intuition because she was the only direct descendant, or her training in the temple that was too strict, Alexandra seemed to have figured out that some of Carla's children were not Bartolomeos' children.
"Ah. The eldest is the vizier's son. The second son, the son of the knight-errant. The third son and the second daughter are the sons of the Temple Chief. The eldest was the court mage's son."
The wedding night.
I'll give you credit for holding the court mage in your arms early and forcing her to lust with your magic.
But it was a mistake for Carla to show her the vision of Eleonora.
Even my lust for her has gone down the drain.
Carla challenged the chief court mage like a well-fed dog by using the magic tool she had prepared just in case and returning the technique as it was.
After that, she continued to use her magic tools to create illusions and deceive him, and since she had never held him, there was no way she could have a child with Bartolomeus.
Even if she had lost to the pressure from the people around her to have as many children as possible, it would be a bit excessive to round up all the important people in the country.
Her first child was born before she took him into her side.
Bartholomew may have been at fault for not blaming the idiot who didn't think of the premature birth of the child, but he was also at fault for letting it grow.
"Oh, you're very busy."
He couldn't see through all of them.
The look of pure surprise in her eyes was so similar to Eleonora's that it made my heart tighten.
"You have no class, Alexandra."
"I'm sorry."
When I admonished her with an unusually childish expression, she obediently hung her head without a single retort.
In an instant, she was clothed in a divinity that could be revered as a saint or a priestess.
"There, sit down."
"Yes."
Directing her to the table for the meeting, Alexandra put her hand on the tea set without concern.
"...This is delicious."
She took a sip from the teacup that was gently offered to her.
There must not have been time to teach her how to brew tea in the temple, but the taste was beyond even the secretary who was skilled in brewing tea, and Bartolomeos liked it.
"Thank you, sir."
Alexandra cradles the teacup in her hands, her eyes downcast as if savoring its warmth, and her eyes widen with determination.
The beautiful jet black that attracts everyone seems to be slightly wet.
"Father, I have a request."
"Oh."
Ten years since I was thrust into the temple at an early age.
It was my first wish.
"I beg you to break your engagement to Dietfried Wurzner."
Didn't you have a soft spot for Dietfried?
The head of the temple, Bartolomeos' brother, hates Bartolomeos to the point of impregnating Carla.
The sub-temple leader is also a gold-digger.
Of course, his subordinates must have disliked Alexandra.
They must have clung only to Dietfried in their small, closed world.
Bartholomew, of all people, made sure of that.
Dietfried's grandfather had always admonished Bartholomew correctly, and Dietfried's father had been a close aide of Bartholomew who had died defending him.
Diethfried's father was a close confidant who had died defending Bartolomeos.
He thought if he only looked out for Dietfried, he wouldn't be tainted by other scum.
That's what I had in mind.
"Only one. The only one who would take me. That's why I'm asking you to break off our engagement."
"Why?"
"Because the woman I love has a child and I want to be with her and I'm asking you to break off our engagement. That's what she told me."
Alexandra smiled briskly at Bartolomeos, who was in despair.
It was a radiant smile that made it hard to believe that she had lost the only person she could trust.
"...What are you going to do if I break off our engagement, Alexandra? What are you going to do?"
"Well, yes. There is no reason for me to stay in this country anymore, so I would be grateful if you could arrange a political marriage with someone in some other country that your father thinks is good for me."
"Are you abandoning this country?"
Eleonora was loved by the gods and taken up to heaven at an early age.
God, who granted Eleonora's earnest wish, is protecting Alexandra to the uttermost.
That is why she was able to survive in a temple full of enemies.
I could understand that she made this decision because she was forced to give up Dietfried, who was her only source of comfort, in the midst of the rough environment.
I could, but if you ask me if I could accept it, it would be difficult.
"This Mysia, my people, my father, has abandoned me."
Bartholomew's eyes widened, and he bit his lip, swallowing the words that were about to come out.
He loved Alexandra.
He had loved her so much that he had cut off all contact with her, because he could not allow his beloved Eleonora to take the place of a daughter who looked so much like her.
I loved her very, very much.
"...Your value is much higher abroad than at home. Somewhere, you will be loved with all your heart."
That's why Bartolomeus didn't tell her how he felt.
If he did, he could only see a future where Alexandra, hungry for love, would stay in the country and try to be its slave.
"After all, I've asked for two things. It's a trifle."
Alexandra's smirking -sama- continued to arouse Bartolomeos' conscience.
Her voice trailed off as she continued.
"I don't care! You still don't have it, do you? I'm listening. Now."
I wanted to do what I could as a father for a daughter who'd abandoned her country.
I don't want to be loved now.
I don't want her to see through my love.
I'd rather be perceived as the Emperor's drunkard.
But somewhere deep down.
If it's allowed, even if it's only for a short time before she's out of sight and out of mind.
I want to dote on her as my daughter.
Bartholomew had absolute confidence that he would not make a mistake if it was only for a short, predetermined time.
"Do you know Martin Martynovich Gulieva?"
"There is no one named King who does not know him. The emperor of the Volturnine Empire."
A great power, huh?
The greatest power in the world.
I see. So you've made a name for yourself.
He is the High King of the North, who united all the small countries in his land.
Bartolomeus, known for his skill in battle, doesn't want to fight Martin.
I think he can win.
But the damage would be too great.
Martin treats his soldiers as pawns.
However, because he does not tolerate injustice no matter how high his rank, his soldiers' reputation is not bad and their loyalty is high.
He is also known to hand over beautiful women he has taken prisoner without care.
The lowest-ranking soldiers, who had nothing to lose, were desperate to get even the princess of the exiled country if their work was recognized.
"Do you know her?"
"Only once. I met him when he was a lost child. When we parted, he asked me if I wanted to come with him. When we parted, he asked if I wanted to come with him, and I suddenly remembered."
"That's it?"
"...he was very... very beautiful. Her looks... and her heart."
Her heart...
It's hard to believe that Martin is a pure-hearted person considering his accomplishments, but there must be something about him that Alexandra cares about.
In fact, it is said that if she stands quietly, she can make any man fall in love with her, whether he is an experienced prostitute or a virgin who has never known a man.
Even Bartolomeos thinks that her noble, clear purple eyes are worthy of admiration.
Her silvery hair was more mysterious than snow.
Many people misunderstand her gentle and sweet eyes.
Her beauty is so divine that even those who claim to be intellectuals are confused.
Even an enemy who has been caught in a cruel ruse on the battlefield writhes in agony.
A beast that has everything but is always hungry, was the assessment of Bartolomeos, who somehow managed to escape Martin's fascination.
"As emperor, I will make an offer. Are you ready to become a queen?"
"From the moment I became aware that I was the First Princess, I have never forgotten a moment of my life... will you allow me to write to you?"
"I will."
Nodding humbly, Alexandra sipped the tainted baked goods on her plate with the joy of age.
Alexandra, who had carefully eaten the pastry without dropping even the slightest piece, stopped herself from sitting up slowly by pulling on her wrist.
"...Your Majesty?"
"You'll get into trouble back at the temple. The announcement of the annulment and the political marriage will be made at the same time as soon as we receive the Empire's reply."
"Then where should I live?"
"...You may take Eleonora's room."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I'll allow it. You may use whatever is in there."
"Thank you, Father!"
Even though she was compared to her mother, the eternal maiden princess, it seems she hadn't lost a bit of her love for her.
Smiling, Bartolomeos held out his arm.
Fearfully, Alexandra wrapped her arm around Bartolomeos' arm.
She stifles the urge to drop a kiss on his forehead and instead strokes his head with her other hand.
I was sitting in my work chair in the King's office, tidying up a pile of papers one by one, when Alexandra walked in.
"What are you thinking about while you're working!"
You are?
said Alexandra to Carla Ziege, who was sitting beside her, talking nonsense without doing any work.
Normally, she would have rejected him out of hand when he kept her away from the temple even though she was his own daughter.
However, the two gatekeepers, who were supposed to be extremely loyal to her, opened the tightly closed door without Bartolomeos' permission, as if they had something in mind for Alexandra, the first princess who had never visited them before.
"Aha!"
Carla exclaimed.
The Emperor Bartolomeos rolled the name of his beloved late wife Eleonora gently in his mouth.
Her beautiful jet-black hair and eyes, which she had been so adamant about hiding, were now exposed.
Alexandra looked exactly like Eleonora when they first met, except for the hint of darkness in her eyes, and Bartolomeos smiled quietly, not even realizing that he was smiling.
"Pardon me for interrupting your business, Father. Please, see to it that I am excused."
Alexandra plucked at the hem of her modest dress with a graceful gesture of civility, and even Carla was momentarily taken aback.
"Hey! How dare you! What's wrong with me being here! You're not trying to slander me, are you?"
The slanted eyes that were not to Bartolomeos' liking were jealous.
His high-pitched voice was deafening.
"I am the First Princess, and I would only ask that those without the right to the throne refrain from doing so."
Carla's eyes and mouth widened in astonishment, and it would be difficult to even laugh at her lack of dignity.
"Wha! I'm the mother of the first heir to the throne! You can't be so rude!"
Bartolomeus interrupted her scream.
"The first heir to the throne is Alexandra, the first princess."
Carla has given birth to five children.
Her eldest son was less than a year older than Alexandra.
Normally, the eldest son would be the first in line to the throne, even if he was a child of a side family, according to the law of the empire.
"Your Majesty!"
"In the first place, I'm not related to any of those you sired. I don't know how you can claim to be my successor, but you've got to be kidding me."
The color of his face, which had been tinged with rage, changed to despair in an instant, as if he believed that no one knew.
"Get back. I don't need you. You're in my way."
Probably thinking that she would be pursued, Carla still glared hatefully at Alexandra and walked out of the King's office with rough footsteps.
"...All of them, is it?"
Whether it was her intuition because she was the only direct descendant, or her training in the temple that was too strict, Alexandra seemed to have figured out that some of Carla's children were not Bartolomeos' children.
"Ah. The eldest is the vizier's son. The second son, the son of the knight-errant. The third son and the second daughter are the sons of the Temple Chief. The eldest was the court mage's son."
The wedding night.
I'll give you credit for holding the court mage in your arms early and forcing her to lust with your magic.
But it was a mistake for Carla to show her the vision of Eleonora.
Even my lust for her has gone down the drain.
Carla challenged the chief court mage like a well-fed dog by using the magic tool she had prepared just in case and returning the technique as it was.
After that, she continued to use her magic tools to create illusions and deceive him, and since she had never held him, there was no way she could have a child with Bartolomeus.
Even if she had lost to the pressure from the people around her to have as many children as possible, it would be a bit excessive to round up all the important people in the country.
Her first child was born before she took him into her side.
Bartholomew may have been at fault for not blaming the idiot who didn't think of the premature birth of the child, but he was also at fault for letting it grow.
"Oh, you're very busy."
He couldn't see through all of them.
The look of pure surprise in her eyes was so similar to Eleonora's that it made my heart tighten.
"You have no class, Alexandra."
"I'm sorry."
When I admonished her with an unusually childish expression, she obediently hung her head without a single retort.
In an instant, she was clothed in a divinity that could be revered as a saint or a priestess.
"There, sit down."
"Yes."
Directing her to the table for the meeting, Alexandra put her hand on the tea set without concern.
"...This is delicious."
She took a sip from the teacup that was gently offered to her.
There must not have been time to teach her how to brew tea in the temple, but the taste was beyond even the secretary who was skilled in brewing tea, and Bartolomeos liked it.
"Thank you, sir."
Alexandra cradles the teacup in her hands, her eyes downcast as if savoring its warmth, and her eyes widen with determination.
The beautiful jet black that attracts everyone seems to be slightly wet.
"Father, I have a request."
"Oh."
Ten years since I was thrust into the temple at an early age.
It was my first wish.
"I beg you to break your engagement to Dietfried Wurzner."
Didn't you have a soft spot for Dietfried?
The head of the temple, Bartolomeos' brother, hates Bartolomeos to the point of impregnating Carla.
The sub-temple leader is also a gold-digger.
Of course, his subordinates must have disliked Alexandra.
They must have clung only to Dietfried in their small, closed world.
Bartholomew, of all people, made sure of that.
Dietfried's grandfather had always admonished Bartholomew correctly, and Dietfried's father had been a close aide of Bartholomew who had died defending him.
Diethfried's father was a close confidant who had died defending Bartolomeos.
He thought if he only looked out for Dietfried, he wouldn't be tainted by other scum.
That's what I had in mind.
"Only one. The only one who would take me. That's why I'm asking you to break off our engagement."
"Why?"
"Because the woman I love has a child and I want to be with her and I'm asking you to break off our engagement. That's what she told me."
Alexandra smiled briskly at Bartolomeos, who was in despair.
It was a radiant smile that made it hard to believe that she had lost the only person she could trust.
"...What are you going to do if I break off our engagement, Alexandra? What are you going to do?"
"Well, yes. There is no reason for me to stay in this country anymore, so I would be grateful if you could arrange a political marriage with someone in some other country that your father thinks is good for me."
"Are you abandoning this country?"
Eleonora was loved by the gods and taken up to heaven at an early age.
God, who granted Eleonora's earnest wish, is protecting Alexandra to the uttermost.
That is why she was able to survive in a temple full of enemies.
I could understand that she made this decision because she was forced to give up Dietfried, who was her only source of comfort, in the midst of the rough environment.
I could, but if you ask me if I could accept it, it would be difficult.
"This Mysia, my people, my father, has abandoned me."
Bartholomew's eyes widened, and he bit his lip, swallowing the words that were about to come out.
He loved Alexandra.
He had loved her so much that he had cut off all contact with her, because he could not allow his beloved Eleonora to take the place of a daughter who looked so much like her.
I loved her very, very much.
"...Your value is much higher abroad than at home. Somewhere, you will be loved with all your heart."
That's why Bartolomeus didn't tell her how he felt.
If he did, he could only see a future where Alexandra, hungry for love, would stay in the country and try to be its slave.
"After all, I've asked for two things. It's a trifle."
Alexandra's smirking -sama- continued to arouse Bartolomeos' conscience.
Her voice trailed off as she continued.
"I don't care! You still don't have it, do you? I'm listening. Now."
I wanted to do what I could as a father for a daughter who'd abandoned her country.
I don't want to be loved now.
I don't want her to see through my love.
I'd rather be perceived as the Emperor's drunkard.
But somewhere deep down.
If it's allowed, even if it's only for a short time before she's out of sight and out of mind.
I want to dote on her as my daughter.
Bartholomew had absolute confidence that he would not make a mistake if it was only for a short, predetermined time.
"Do you know Martin Martynovich Gulieva?"
"There is no one named King who does not know him. The emperor of the Volturnine Empire."
A great power, huh?
The greatest power in the world.
I see. So you've made a name for yourself.
He is the High King of the North, who united all the small countries in his land.
Bartolomeus, known for his skill in battle, doesn't want to fight Martin.
I think he can win.
But the damage would be too great.
Martin treats his soldiers as pawns.
However, because he does not tolerate injustice no matter how high his rank, his soldiers' reputation is not bad and their loyalty is high.
He is also known to hand over beautiful women he has taken prisoner without care.
The lowest-ranking soldiers, who had nothing to lose, were desperate to get even the princess of the exiled country if their work was recognized.
"Do you know her?"
"Only once. I met him when he was a lost child. When we parted, he asked me if I wanted to come with him. When we parted, he asked if I wanted to come with him, and I suddenly remembered."
"That's it?"
"...he was very... very beautiful. Her looks... and her heart."
Her heart...
It's hard to believe that Martin is a pure-hearted person considering his accomplishments, but there must be something about him that Alexandra cares about.
In fact, it is said that if she stands quietly, she can make any man fall in love with her, whether he is an experienced prostitute or a virgin who has never known a man.
Even Bartolomeos thinks that her noble, clear purple eyes are worthy of admiration.
Her silvery hair was more mysterious than snow.
Many people misunderstand her gentle and sweet eyes.
Her beauty is so divine that even those who claim to be intellectuals are confused.
Even an enemy who has been caught in a cruel ruse on the battlefield writhes in agony.
A beast that has everything but is always hungry, was the assessment of Bartolomeos, who somehow managed to escape Martin's fascination.
"As emperor, I will make an offer. Are you ready to become a queen?"
"From the moment I became aware that I was the First Princess, I have never forgotten a moment of my life... will you allow me to write to you?"
"I will."
Nodding humbly, Alexandra sipped the tainted baked goods on her plate with the joy of age.
Alexandra, who had carefully eaten the pastry without dropping even the slightest piece, stopped herself from sitting up slowly by pulling on her wrist.
"...Your Majesty?"
"You'll get into trouble back at the temple. The announcement of the annulment and the political marriage will be made at the same time as soon as we receive the Empire's reply."
"Then where should I live?"
"...You may take Eleonora's room."
"You're sure?"
"Yes, I'll allow it. You may use whatever is in there."
"Thank you, Father!"
Even though she was compared to her mother, the eternal maiden princess, it seems she hadn't lost a bit of her love for her.
Smiling, Bartolomeos held out his arm.
Fearfully, Alexandra wrapped her arm around Bartolomeos' arm.
She stifles the urge to drop a kiss on his forehead and instead strokes his head with her other hand.