New Empire Calendar, Year 3, July 15.
On a day when the summer heat was starting to intensify, as I was preparing to delegate my authority to the parliament as usual, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
“Should I go visit Father and Mother for the first time in a while?”
“All of a sudden?”
“I meant to invite them to the coronation, but it didn’t work out.”
I wanted to see my family.
Not Julius, whom I saw regularly, but my real parents—the ones who gave birth to me.
During my time at the military academy and throughout the war, I hadn’t been able to meet them even once.
Wouldn’t it be my duty as a proper son to at least visit them and give them an update on my life?
‘They probably have a general idea of what I’ve been up to.’
After becoming emperor, I had kept them informed through regular letters, but letters could never compare to meeting in person.
If their own son had swallowed up an entire country and still hadn’t shown his face, how anxious must they be?
“Do you have the time for that?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I’ve already dumped all the tedious administrative work on the Prime Minister.”
In the past, it might have been impossible, but now, even if my wife and I both left at the same time, the government wouldn’t come to a halt.
The constitutional monarchy system had been established—at least in its basic form.
Unless it was an exceptionally important matter, my ministers handled decisions and approvals on their own.
A few months away wouldn’t cause any major issues.
And if something truly urgent came up, the Prime Minister would contact me.
“Besides, our family’s territory is in the south. It’s cooler in the summer.”
“Oh.”
“That means the children won’t get heat rashes. That’s nice.”
Rahator, the capital, wasn’t unbearably hot thanks to the two rivers flowing through it.
But under the blazing summer sun, it was still enough to make you sweat.
Meanwhile, the Barony of Royten, even in mid-August, enjoyed a cool autumn-like climate.
Winters there were harsh, but summers couldn’t have been more pleasant.
“What do you think? Should we all go together?”
“Sounds great!”
“This is the perfect chance to make a strong impression as their daughter-in-law…”
And just like that, our family trip was decided on the spot.
We had the attendants quickly pack our belongings, and after setting out, we arrived in the capital of the Barony of Royten around mid-August.
Clunk.
“It’s been a while, Father. You’re as strong as ever.”
“I owe it to my daily exercise. But… who are these young ladies beside you?”
“Ah, these are my wives. The one on the left is Camilla, the First Empress, and the one on the right is Lilia, the Second Empress.”
“T-The Saintess… in our humble estate…?”
Unfortunately, the moment we stepped out of the carriage, my father was so shocked that he fainted on the spot.
Doesn’t he pass out a little too often?
Silvanus von Royten, the former Baron of Royten, was an utterly ordinary man.
“Julius, I’m passing the title on to you. The future of this land is now in your hands.”
“Thank you, Father. I will never disappoint you!”
He was born into a modest noble family and lived a life similar to many other nobles.
As an adult, he entered the social circles of the capital, built connections, familiarized himself with the latest trends, and formed various relationships.
Eventually, after reaching a suitable age, he married a decent woman and had three children—two sons and a daughter.
He neither achieved great success nor gained widespread fame, but for a minor noble family without the overwhelming influence of a ducal house, this was what a normal life looked like.
Since it wasn’t an era of constant warfare, he spent most of his life managing administrative duties.
Eventually, he passed the title to his eldest son, Julius, and was preparing to settle into retirement as a quiet old man.
But then.
“M-My Lord! We have a major problem!!”
“Why the sudden panic?”
“The second young master has caused an incident in the North!!”
A rebellion had erupted—led by none other than his long-absent second son.
The shocking news spread: Carolus, now infamous as the Wolf of the North, was leading an army south across the frozen plains.
But there was no time to react.
Or rather, there was never any time to react at all.
Because within just two short months… everything was over.
By the time Silvanus heard the news and tried to discuss a solution, everything had already been resolved.
What could he possibly do?
Without even realizing it, he had gone from being the father of a traitor to the father of a national hero.
At the very least, by doing nothing, he had avoided having to prostrate himself in apology.
That was much better than… certain others. Like Julius—who, in a desperate attempt to save himself, had betrayed his own brother.
“The eldest is a high-ranking official in the administration, and the second is the most powerful figure in politics. I suppose my children turned out quite well.”
“We nearly lost everything along the way, though.”
“But in the end, it all worked out, didn’t it?”
After all, a successful coup is called a revolution.
In any case, the family was safe from punishment, and both sons had risen to prominence.
Silvanus was ready to accept this outcome and move on.
Until.
“Um… My Lord?”
“What is it now?”
“The second young master… has massacred the nobles in the capital.”
“What?!”
The capital was in an uproar again.
After decisively defeating the Imperial Army, Carolus had uncovered the truth behind the war… and gone into a violent frenzy.
For a minor provincial noble like Silvanus, the real cause of the empire’s downfall had been beyond his knowledge.
He understood why his son had done it, but that didn’t change the fact that every noble connection he had built over the years was now completely erased.
And that wasn’t the only problem.
Among the remaining nobles, his family was now ostracized as the home of a madman.
The backlash was significant, though thankfully, it didn’t last long.
Because soon enough… the entire kingdom collapsed.
“My Lord?”
“What now? Did Carolus assassinate His Majesty or something?”
“That’s… exactly what he’s planning to do.”
With the saintess’s assistance, Carolus finally dismantled the royal family—and took the throne for himself.
A once-insignificant noble house from the southeastern frontier had now risen to become the ruling dynasty of a vast empire.
The barony was elevated to imperial lands, a direct domain of the new emperor.
And in just two years, Silvanus’s reputation had gone from Father of a Traitor → Father of a National Hero → Father of a Madman → Father of His Imperial Majesty.
What next?
Would they make him Retired Emperor just to complete the set?
With events unfolding so rapidly that he had no time to adjust, Silvanus had only one choice.
To keep his head down and remain as quiet as possible.
“I’ve been keeping my public activities to a minimum. In times like these, drawing attention does no good.”
“A very wise decision.”
“If I so much as accept a bribe, it’ll only cause trouble for my son. A parent shouldn’t be the one to ruin their child’s future.”
Silvanus had neither the ability nor the desire to exploit the situation for his own gain.
He had already retired, and the last thing he wanted was to abuse his son’s newfound power for personal benefit.
Even when people came offering bribes or seeking connections to the imperial family, he turned them all away.
Pretending to know nothing, he shut his doors to political dealings and remained uninvolved.
Instead, he focused on managing his land and enjoying a quiet, modest life with his wife.
At least… until today.
“It’s been a long time, Father.”
“Carolus?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
…You’ve changed a lot. Your face looks rougher now.”
“Life has been quite harsh.”
Fifteen years had passed since his son had left home.
Back then, he had still been a boy of fifteen, with a youthful face that had yet to lose its softness.
Now, he had returned as a man in his thirties.
His face was marked with scars and traces of a beard, and his sharp gaze was keener than that of a hired assassin.
Even without explanation, it was clear he had endured countless trials and hardships.
“Come inside. I’ve kept your old room empty—you can stay there.”
“Thank you, Father.”
Yet, despite his hardened appearance, his voice and mannerisms remained the same as before.
And so, without showing his emotions, Silvanus welcomed his son warmly, offering him a place to rest after all these years.
“And these young ladies…?”
“They’re my wives. Introduce yourselves.”
“”It’s an honor to meet you, Father-in-law!””
“…Carolus? Didn’t you say you were married to Viscount Arschach’s daughter and the Saintess?”
“I did, didn’t I?”
“T-Then these young la— I mean, these ladies are… um…”
“Father?!”
My father’s mind seemed to drift for a moment, overwhelmed by the fact that his daughters-in-law outranked him by an unimaginable degree.
But the momentary daze didn’t last long.
“Grandpa!”
“Grandfather!”
“Ongya! Grandma is right here, sweetheart. What a good child.”
“They’re adorable. They look just like you when you were little.”
Regaining his composure, my father, along with my mother, embraced their grandchildren for the first time.
My eldest daughter, Luise.
My eldest son, Siegfried.
And my second daughter, Maria.
Despite it being their first time meeting, none of them fussed or cried.
They all remained calm and well-behaved.
Perhaps they could instinctively sense that this was their family.
“Is this child the next Crown Prince?”
“If he grows up well without any issues, yes.”
“Then I suppose I’m holding the future of the empire in my arms.”
Siegfried was the first child Lilia had given birth to.
From the moment he was born, he was a hefty 11-pound baby, a true picture of robust health.
Now, not even a year old, he was already about the same size as his older sister, Luise.
He could even walk on his own.
“To think I’ve finally lived long enough to hold my grandson… Julius has been married for ages, and yet there’s still no news.”
“He is trying, so I’m sure we’ll hear something soon.”
Hearing my mother’s grumbling, I could only let out a dry chuckle.
My brother had married six years before I did, yet he still had no children.
It wasn’t infertility or anything like that—at least, as far as I knew.
I had even sent him some herbal remedies, so hopefully, they would help.
“So, are you planning to just rest here for a while?”
“That’s the plan for now.”
“Since you’re here, why not attend a banquet? There’s going to be a party in the village the day after tomorrow.”
A party, huh? Now that I think about it, I hadn’t attended one since childhood.
Not on the battlefield, obviously.
And after the coup, I had banned all operas and banquets to stabilize the economy.
“The host is a bit of a gourmet, so there should be plenty of good food. It won’t be as extravagant as the capital, though.”
“Then why not? I’ll go.”
There wasn’t much to do at the estate anyway.
And playing around in bed… well, not with my parents nearby.
Might as well attend for the experience.
I wonder if any of the guys I used to play with as a kid are still around?
With that in mind, we headed to the banquet.
And there, we encountered him.
A fraud boldly spreading outrageous lies.
“My girlfriend? She works as a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Palace, you know? When I visit the capital, people recognize me instantly and treat me with the utmost respect.”
How interesting.
Because I don’t recall ever seeing a woman like that in my palace.