Following my mother’s suggestion, we arrived at the party venue on time.
For attire, we picked something appropriate from what we had brought.
Too extravagant, and we’d attract too much attention.
Too plain, and we’d risk being looked down upon.
The goal was to appear as if we came from a respectable noble family, nothing more.
Oh, and of course, concealing our true identities was a bonus.
“Is this the place? The architecture is quite unique.”
“Notice how the windows are smaller? The South is colder than the capital, so insulation is a priority.”
After presenting the invitation my mother had given us to the doorman, we entered.
Though not as grand as the capital’s venues, the building had its own elegance.
Curious about what kind of food they had prepared, we stepped inside.
Only to find that nearly every prominent figure in the region was gathered there.
“Who are they?”
“They don’t seem like locals…”
Most of the faces were unfamiliar.
Well, after being away for over a decade, it would have been stranger if I still recognized people.
“Huh? Carolus?”
“Hans?”
Still, there were a few familiar faces—friends I had played with as a child.
It seemed they had inherited their family businesses and remained in the area.
“How are you even here? After you left for the military academy, we never heard from you. We thought you were dead.”
“Somehow, I managed to survive the North and earn some achievements. I got married, too.”
“Oh…”
When I gestured toward my wives, he let out an awed whistle.
As expected, my wives’ looks were unfairly stunning.
Even after having children, they only seemed to grow more beautiful.
No one would ever guess they were married women.
“Congratulations. So, where are you living now?”
“Rahator.”
“Oh, the capital? That’s—wait…”
Hans’s face suddenly went pale as he seemed to finally connect the dots.
After all, I had just casually mentioned living in the capital and serving in the North.
If he still didn’t figure it out, he’d be a complete fool.
But it seemed he had at least some sense.
“C-Carolus? No way, are you—Your Maj—”
“Shhh.”
I quickly covered his mouth.
I hadn’t gone through the trouble of hiding my identity just to be worshiped at some random party.
“Don’t use that title here. Just talk to me like you used to. Got it?”
“But treating you like that while knowing who you are… that would be treason…”
“And I just gave you permission. Just pretend you didn’t know.”
I put a little force into my voice, and Hans, though still nervous, nodded in understanding.
If the emperor himself was fine with it, there was no reason to argue.
“So, how do you plan on introducing yourself?”
“I’ll just say I was a discharged officer who fought in the war. Plenty of guys like that are wandering around these days.”
Since the army was downsizing after the war, former officers were everywhere.
“Alright, got it. I’ll introduce you to the others then.”
Though he was still a bit shaky, Hans went around the room introducing me to the other guests.
To those who already knew me, he gave them a firm warning to keep their mouths shut.
To those who didn’t, he gave a vague yet plausible explanation.
It was all hastily put together, but this wasn’t some grand formal event, so no one questioned it too deeply.
After all, this banquet was just an excuse for everyone to drink, chat, and enjoy themselves.
No one cared enough to investigate every guest’s background.
“Oh, Hans. Who’s this gentleman?”
And that’s when we encountered them.
A sleazy-looking couple that screamed trouble.
“Haven’t seen you before. Are you from another region?”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
The fact that he immediately spoke down to me was annoying, but I held back and remained polite.
Acting rough would only damage my own dignity.
“Where are you from? Schleswig-Holstein? Mecklenburg?”
“Rahator.”
“Oh, so you’re a city boy from the capital.”
The thug-like man gave an obnoxious smirk and pulled his woman closer, showing her off.
Not that there was anything impressive about her.
Her chest was smaller than Camilla’s, and her face was nothing remarkable either.
Was he setting himself up for a self-own?
“What do you do for a living? Merchant? Craftsman?”
“Armin, you’re being too rude. Show some restraint…”
Hans tried to intervene, but I casually brushed him aside.
I was curious just how much nonsense this idiot was about to spout.
Being in a position where I was constantly revered made this refreshing.
It had been a while since I’d seen someone confidently run their mouth full of shit.
“I was an officer. I’m retired now.”
“So basically, you’re unemployed.”
The thug clicked his tongue and looked at me smugly before continuing.
“What brings you to this backwater town? A guy from the capital must have had quite the journey to get here.”
“I have family here. Thought I’d pay them a visit after a long time.”
“So you’ll be heading back soon, then?”
Grinning, he patted his girlfriend’s shoulder.
“Do you have a job lined up when you return? If not, I can help you out.”
“Oh? And how exactly would you do that?”
“My girlfriend works as a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Palace.”
Oh? Now that’s an interesting story.
“She’s in a high-ranking position, you see. She serves the Empresses personally. If I ask her, she can get you a job anywhere.”
I nearly burst out laughing, and judging by their expressions, Camilla and Lilia were struggling just as much.
If you’re going to bluff, at least make it somewhat believable.
This was such an obvious lie that it was outright insulting.
“Have either of you ever seen that woman before?”
“Not at all.”
“We remember every single lady-in-waiting we have. This is the first time I’ve seen her.”
A lady-in-waiting is entirely different from a regular maid.
While maids handle menial labor like cleaning carpets and windows, ladies-in-waiting act more like personal aides.
They assist with tasks like dressing and applying makeup—jobs that require absolute trust.
Because of that, there were very few of them—barely thirty in the entire Imperial Palace.
And the selection process was strict.
To even qualify, you had to be from a noble family or be closely connected to my inner circle.
Simply put, unless you were the daughter of a loyalist noble or a former revolutionary officer, you wouldn’t even get a chance.
And yet, this random woman from some obscure village was supposedly a lady-in-waiting?
The sheer audacity.
If that were true, then a lowlife like him wouldn’t have even dreamed of dating her.
I wasn’t sure if he was exaggerating or if his girlfriend was the one making things up, but either way.
This guy was even dumber than he looked.
“Well? If you show some sincerity, I might be able to help you out.”
Oblivious to my thoughts, the thug smirked smugly.
“If you let me have some time alone with these lovely ladies beside you—”
“That’s enough.”
So this bastard finally crossed the line.
I grabbed him by the neck and dragged him toward the terrace, making sure we were out of sight from the other guests.
“W-What the hell are you doing?!”
“If you’re going to run your mouth about my wives like that, you’d better be ready to pay the price.”
While ordering my wives to investigate that fake lady-in-waiting, I threw the bastard onto the ground.
Then swung my foot and shattered his knee.
CRACK!
“AAAAAHHH!!!”
I understood that in rural areas like this, government decrees and official news didn’t always reach the people properly.
That was just how things were in a world without advanced communication technology.
But this whole situation was just ridiculous.
I had personally ordered my portrait to be printed and distributed nationwide.
And yet, there were still idiots like this?
Once I got back, I’d have to remind the council to improve the empire’s communication and information network.
“Y-You insane bastard! You think you’ll get away with this?! The moment I leave here, I swear I’ll have you killed! I’ll tell my father and have you disappear forever!”
“Oh? And what does your father do?”
“He owns the biggest factory in the entire barony!”
“That’s funny. Because I’m the baron’s brother.”
“Ha!”
The thug scoffed at my words, clearly thinking I was just some random guy pretending to be a noble.
I didn’t particularly care if he believed me or not.
Because, at that moment, someone arrived who could confirm the truth.
“C-Carolus, sir?! What are you doing here?!”
The host of the banquet.
A merchant leader who controlled one of the largest trade groups in the barony.
Ran over the moment he saw me, immediately bowing his head in respect.
Even a man powerful enough to ignore low-ranking nobles was now bowing before me.
That alone was enough to make my status clear.
“Just giving a lesson to an arrogant fool. He dared to set his sights on my wife.”
I abandoned my fake identity and switched to an authoritative tone.
This merchant had worked with my father for years—he knew exactly who I was.
And judging by his horrified expression, he also understood just how grave a crime it was to flirt with the Empress.
“Do as you please, Lord Carolus. I will handle the cleanup. I shall inform his parents to start preparing for a funeral.”
“I appreciate your consideration.”
The thug, finally realizing the gravity of the situation, looked up at me in utter despair.
“C-Carolus? This man—no, His Majesty—? What have I done…?!”
“Shut your damn mouth.”
I silenced him with a stomp to his face, then turned to my wives.
It seemed they had finished their interrogation.
“We found out, Your Majesty. She was just a lowly maid until recently.”
“She exaggerated her position to show off when she came back home. And that idiot actually believed her.”
“So he was just a fool.”
The woman was merely guilty of a little vanity.
A simple dismissal from service would be enough.
But as for this guy… how should I deal with him?
Killing him outright felt too merciful.
No, something fittingly painful would be much more appropriate.
Oh—I’ve got it.
“P-Please spare me! I swear I’ll never do anything like this again, Your Majesty! Just let me live!”
“Relax. I’m not going to kill you.”
The highest punishment in the legal system was execution.
But that was too kind.
Once you’re dead, that’s it—whether you end up in heaven or hell, it’s all over.
Wouldn’t it be much better to let him live… so he could suffer for a long, long time?
“Instead, you’re going to enlist.”
“Anything but death! I’ll gladly serve! Where should I sign up?!”
“There’s a new unit under the navy in the south. I’ll send you there.”
It was a force created to defend the coastline from invasions and conduct amphibious assaults when necessary.
Our empire’s fleet was lacking, so our navy required dedicated ground troops.
“M-May I ask the name of the unit, Your Majesty?”
“The Marines.”
Ahoy, welcome to voluntary enlistment!