When we arrived at the imperial palace, the first thing to greet us was the guards at the entrance barring our way.
“From this point forward, only the ambassador himself may proceed. This is by imperial decree.”
“I am the deputy ambassador of the delegation. Are you saying I cannot enter either?”
“There are no exceptions. We are simply following His Majesty’s orders.”
I don’t know much about these things, but it seems there are established protocols for receiving foreign envoys.
Where guards are stationed, the order in which officials line up, avoiding certain foods at welcoming banquets—details like that.
Apparently, even the smallest oversight in such matters can have serious repercussions on international relations, so specialized departments are created to manage them thoroughly.
Since our Kingdom adhered to such customs, I figured the Empire wouldn’t be much different.
However, the Empire’s treatment of us didn’t seem to follow those formalities.
I couldn’t imagine any established rule calling for a single ambassador to be separated from their delegation like this.
What would they do if an assassination attempt occurred?
“Is it impossible to bring a guard along?”
“That is correct.”
“Your Excellency, shouldn’t you refuse this? We don’t know what kind of danger might be inside…”
“It’s fine. If the Empire insists, we’ll comply. Count Eppenstein, please escort the rest of the delegation to the accommodations. I’ll join you shortly.”
Frankly, I welcomed the opportunity.
Rather than wasting time on endless formalities and empty rituals, I’d rather get straight to the point.
Some might criticize me for being reckless with my own life, but to be honest, I couldn’t care less.
Right now, the truth mattered more to me than my life.
The truth hidden behind this wretched war.
The truth that made the nobles fiercely oppose a ceasefire, unearthed strange rumors tied to events a decade ago, and even led to records being deliberately erased.
If I could obtain a clue to uncover that truth and pass it on to my subordinates back home, I honestly wouldn’t mind dying here and now.
Delivering due punishment to the culprit behind the war is a task I trust my subordinates will accomplish in due time.
When that day comes, I’ll gladly await their arrival in hell, content with the knowledge that justice has been served.
“Lead the way. There’s no need to keep them waiting.”
I instructed the other members of the delegation to head to the accommodations and settle in, then followed the guide to our next destination.
Walking down the long corridors of the Imperial Palace, I was led deeper into its heart.
After about ten minutes, the halls grew quieter, the lighting dimmer, until we finally stopped before a lavishly decorated glass door.
“This is the place.”
“Do I just go in?”
“Yes. He’s waiting inside.”
The room beyond didn’t resemble an audience chamber or an office for officials.
It was more akin to a private retreat or a secluded lounge for high-ranking royals—a place meant for discretion.
Choosing such a location meant only one thing: the other party wanted to ensure our conversation wouldn’t be overheard.
I took a deep breath and pulled the handle. The hinges moved soundlessly, revealing the room within.
“Ah, you’ve finally arrived.”
Bathed in the soft sunlight filtering through the stained-glass ceiling, there sat a single elderly man.
The de facto ruler of the Great Empire that controlled the northern continent. The father of six children. And, to me, an enemy I had once sworn to never forgive.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”
He was none other than Louis XVI, Emperor of the United Empire.
“Would you care for some tea? I recently acquired some excellent leaves from Daiching.”
“I appreciate the offer but must decline. I’ve never had the chance to learn the art of tea appreciation.”
“Really? Even as a noble?”
“I’ve spent over ten years on the battlefield, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor, graciously offering black tea, received my polite refusal.
I gave an excuse, masking my unease. Accepting his hospitality might have risked breaking my composure—something I couldn’t afford at this moment.
Taking a deep breath to calm myself internally, I forced my tone to remain composed as I asked.
“So, what was so urgent that you demanded a private audience the moment I arrived? As an envoy, there would have been plenty of opportunities for a formal discussion.”
“I heard from Leclerc. Apparently, you know nothing about the origins of the war, is that right?”
“…Embarrassingly so.”
Looking back, the kingdom had been unusually silent about the reasons behind the war. Instead of clarifying the cause, their propaganda was always about protecting the nation from the treacherous Empire, saving the lives of our families and fellow citizens—just vague rhetoric.
I had wondered about it in the past, but with survival being a daily struggle, I had no time to pursue those questions. In a life-or-death battle every day, who has the luxury of worrying about such things?
I simply assumed the Empire had fabricated some pretext for invasion or that a border dispute had escalated into full-scale war.
Over time, those questions faded, and before I knew it, ten years had passed. It felt far too late to seek answers to such distant doubts.
“Ah, those damn Riodolphs,” the Emperor muttered, clicking his tongue in disapproval.
“They’ve always been good at hiding their dirty laundry, despite being a mess at handling their own brats.”
He sighed, glancing at me with a mix of pity and resignation.
“I called you here because I couldn’t stand the thought of someone who served as a deputy commander on the front lines being duped by Carl VII. After all you’ve endured these past ten years, you deserve to know the truth.”
The Emperor sat down on a nearby sofa, lost in thought for a moment before addressing me again.
“So, how much have you heard? Leclerc must’ve told you something.”
“I’ve only been told that the Second Imperial Princess was almost wronged by our Crown Prince. But I don’t know the exact details.”
“Wronged? …Well, that’s a polite way to put it. The bastard’s depravity goes far beyond something so mild.”
“But it wasn’t just that.”
I had guessed it was something serious, considering he made the princess cry and enraged the Emperor.
But for it to be described like this? What could it have been? Did he commit murder in the Imperial Palace or something?
Feeling a bit tense, I awaited his answer.
The Emperor’s following explanation, however, didn’t just shock me—it left me utterly despairing.
“An attempted rape.”
“…Excuse me?”
“That bastard tried to violate my daughter but failed.”
This wasn’t some twisted joke or pun.
He meant rape—a heinous crime treated as a severe offense in any country.
Even if a royal committed such an act against a mere commoner, they’d be reviled as scum.
But to attempt it against a royal from another nation? Could that actually be real?
“Before I knew the true nature of that damned bastard, I arranged a meeting between him and my second daughter. It was intended to forge goodwill through a royal marriage between allied nations.”
“I’ve heard about that. You wanted them to get acquainted before formally announcing an engagement, correct?”
“Exactly. The meeting itself went rather well. Even Lily seemed to like him.”
Lily—an affectionate nickname for the second princess, I suppose. If I recall correctly, the Crown Prince was about five years older than me.
He’s still infamous for his good looks, so I imagine he must have been the same back then.
It’s natural for someone’s first impression to be swayed by appearances, overlooking any flaws.
“The trouble came after that.”
The Emperor clicked his tongue as he took a sip of his now lukewarm tea.
“At the time, the Crown Prince was staying in the eastern wing of the Imperial Palace. Naturally, we couldn’t just give a visiting royal a single room and call it a day. But the bastard turned the place into a brothel.”
My mind went numb. A brothel? Bringing prostitutes into the palace to indulge in debauchery?
Is it really acceptable to behave like that in someone else’s home? Especially in a foreign country seeking a marriage partner?
“…Is this really okay?”
“Okay? How could it be okay?! This is a blatant disrespect that warrants an immediate lifetime banishment! It’s unimaginable!”
The Emperor slammed his armrest down hard, his face contorted with deep hatred and anger.
It was entirely justified. In a family that has been living through generations of honor, who could tolerate such disgraceful behavior?
“I held back for now. After all, I personally invited the guest. I may have given up on arranging an engagement, but I intended to at least treat him well and send him back to his homeland with dignity.”
“And then the incident happened.”
“It was a late-night affair.”
Even now, just recalling it makes his teeth clench.
“Louise—that’s my second daughter—went to the eastern wing on her own. She just wanted to meet him one last time before he returned home.”
“You didn’t warn her about what the Crown Prince was doing?”
“Would you want to subject a precious daughter, raised like a delicate flower, to such a scene of drunkenness and unchecked lust? Thinking back, maybe I should have warned her earlier.”
Unlike men, women’s sexual education is approached very cautiously.
During this time, societal norms were heavily influenced by religion, making sexual attitudes extremely conservative.
The Imperial family likely followed similar traditions, yet it became the root cause of this tragedy.
“My innocent child, unaware, entered the wing only to be mistaken by the Crown Prince for a newly arrived prostitute. Drunk beyond recognition, he couldn’t even tell who she was. He stripped her and tried to force himself on her before being stopped at the last moment by the palace guards.”
“And what happened after that? You’ve experienced it firsthand, so I won’t need to explain.”
The Emperor finished his tea, locking eyes with me.
“This is the full truth of what you’ve been wanting to know. If you still don’t believe it, I can present further evidence—”
“No, it’s fine.”
I bowed my head deeply, my voice weary as I declined.
Hearing more, absorbing new information—it was too much to handle. My head was already overwhelmed.
“The truth is evident just from hearing it.”
Suppressing the urge to scream and lose control of my emotions was hard enough as it was.