“It doesn’t appear to be a concrete plan.”

Careth bowed his head deeply.

He seemed to feel guilty just for the word “treason” being mentioned.

“It wouldn’t be strange if it were concrete. In their eyes, am I not either a womanizer or a tyrant?”

“Your Majesty…”

“I anticipated resistance from the military. The defense budget for the Inted Islands has been drastically cut.”

“The actual budget reduction is only 10%. That was due to increasing medical facilities in preparation for the spread of the Death Flower.”

“Would those committing treason kindly consider such circumstances?”

Nikolai sneered.

“The traitors seem to have been desperate for Lady Claudia. They persistently persuaded her through her aide Jason.”

“The people also like her heroic tales.”

“Lady Claudia was cautious. Even though she defied Your Majesty’s summons.”

“I see.”

“It’s suspected she entered the capital secretly. Her whereabouts since then are unknown.”

“Are you saying she may have plotted treason in the islands?”

“Nothing is certain, but Lady Claudia is a risk factor.”

“…”

“Isn’t she too close to Your Majesty?”

Nikolai turned his gaze back to the training grounds.

Claudia’s silver hair with a hint of sky blue fluttered in the breeze.

A beautiful appearance that evoked admiration.

Supreme skill that overwhelmed elite knights.

A resolute yet prudent character.

Claudia was a figure who possessed both uncorrupted nobility and mystery.

‘Even I’m curious about what she would be like as empress. How much more so for others? If Claudia called for revolution, countless people would follow her.’

The Hartmann Empire ruled by Claudia.

If not for the Death Flower, he might have gladly handed over the throne.

A life traveling the continent with Elizabeth as a private citizen wouldn’t be bad either.

As long as the Wolf of the Goddess exists, it’s an impossible dream.

And so, a sad dream.

“I question her intentions in accepting the position of Knight Commander.”

“Because she can behead me at any time.”

“Please don’t say such things, even in jest.”

“It’s not a joke.”

“Pardon?”

Careth furrowed his brow.

Nikolai didn’t relay the entire conversation he had with Claudia that day.

There was nothing of great significance.

Careth would only nag if he knew.

The only loyal subject with whom he could discuss everything.

The only friend who knew all the secrets of the Death Flower and the Wolf.

But it was difficult to reveal everything.

Subtle changes.

A few questions.

Just that was enough to make Nikolai feel like a small boat adrift on a vast sea.

“Careth.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“I consider you my only friend.”

“I’m honored.”

“I’ve thought that if I had an elder brother, he might be like you.”

“I’m embarrassed. Please stop.”

Careth grimaced as if it was painful to hear.

Nikolai laughed softly.

It was mere bravado to hide his loneliness.

“Isn’t it alright once in a while?”

“It is not alright.”

“Listen anyway. There are times when I want to be spoiled by you.”

“I’ll call the chef to perform an exorcism. You must have eaten something bad.”

As Careth was about to turn away, Nikolai called him back.

“Careth.”

Recently, I haven’t dozed off in my office.

He swallowed the words he almost said and covered them with others.

“I hope you’ll keep your current position no matter what happens.”

“Are you saying something will happen?”

“There will be quite a commotion.”

“Is it because of Lady Elizabeth? Or because of the traitors?”

“You’ll find out soon.”

Nikolai wore a mysterious smile that was both knowing and unknowing.

Careth’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re not acting like yourself. It seems the stench is stressing you out.”

“Maybe so.”

“For my sake as well, we should find Lady Elizabeth as soon as possible.”

“She needs to be by my side. I need to be by her side too. No matter the situation, no matter what happens.”

“I’ll increase the pursuit team.”

“It won’t be of use, but I permit it.”

A strange light flickered in Careth’s eyes as he looked at Nikolai.

He gently bit the soft flesh inside his mouth as he watched his loyal subject scrutinize him.

What could this change in Careth be?

Why doesn’t he say anything about the empress’s enthronement?

‘I don’t want to lose you either, Careth. I want you to stay by my side like this. I want you to understand me, who couldn’t fully trust and tell you everything.’

Claudia moved to new quarters.

It was a space with a large office, reception room, bedroom, and bathroom.

Considering she had been confined until a few days ago, it was exceptional treatment.

She was also given a mansion near the imperial palace, but she stayed only in the palace.

She pushed a box containing the first edition of “The Red Star of the Empire” under the bed.

Now she finally felt a bit settled.

‘There’s a mountain of work to do. As Elizabeth said, the Imperial Knights are rotten to the core.’

The previous Knight Commander, whom Claudia had respected, was little more than a puppet of the four great noble families.

He took bribes and leaked information.

He manipulated accounting ledgers.

He embezzled the budget and neglected training.

Naturally, the palace security was lax.

The Crown Prince’s palace, in particular, was nothing more than a gathering of fools with swords.

‘If Elizabeth hadn’t replaced the staff, a grave incident would surely have occurred. Even though she has no power, she’s still the only descendant of the imperial family…’

Franz was the Crown Prince, and a child who deserved protection.

Even if one wasn’t loyal to the imperial family, a knight who knew honor should protect Franz.

Grind.

She ground her molars.

The ultimate responsibility lay with Nikolai.

It was also incompetence not to notice his subordinates’ schemes.

Erasing her resentment towards Nikolai, she turned her eyes to a book.

It was volume 2 of “The Red Star of the Empire,” which she had bought separately for reading, keeping the collector’s edition aside.

Though she had read it until the pages were worn, it was still interesting.

Just imagining Douglas writing these sentences made her cheeks flush.

Douglas’s books were Claudia’s only and secret hobby.

But only for a moment, Claudia quietly closed the book.

It was because of the appearance of an uninvited guest.

“We must proceed with the plan as soon as possible, Commander.”

It was her aide, Jason.

Claudia replied.

“I told you to wait at the garrison.”

The subordinate had disobeyed his superior’s orders.

Once again, the sword-wielding fools of the guard failed to prevent an outsider’s intrusion.

‘The training intensity is still lacking. I’ll have to push them to the brink of death. I should also recruit more tenacious ones.’

Claudia was a bit perplexed.

She didn’t expect to be so devoted to the job of Imperial Knight Commander.

It was her best, but it was hard to shake off the feeling of being entangled in something.

“I couldn’t sit still after hearing the news of you accepting the position of Imperial Guard Commander.”

“Why?”

“The god of victory is on our side. With you, Commander, we could behead the tyrant right now.”

Jason’s eyes glinted.

Was he always this frivolous and easily excited?

Lamenting her own judgment, Claudia swallowed a sigh.

“I have no intention of waving the flag of treason. Not unless I desire it.”

“Then why did you drive out the emperor’s followers?”

“The ones I drove out weren’t the emperor’s followers, but fat worms.”

“We’re dealing with a tyrant!”

“On what grounds do you decisively call him a tyrant? To find justification?”

Jason flinched, struck at his core.

But only for a moment, he let out a servile laugh.

“He’s someone who enjoys luxury and extravagance with the nation’s money. He’s toyed with countless women. He’s neglected the young Crown Prince and turned the Imperial Knights into a trash heap.”

“Then we could enthrone the Crown Prince. Why are you trying to put me forward?”

“The Yevrey Imperial Family is ruined. The country needs a new emperor!”

Jason raised his voice.

Claudia remained expressionless.

“You’re not planning to share power behind a puppet emperor, are you?”

“Please don’t doubt my loyalty!”

“If you truly care for the country, help me deal with the noble families.”

“What?”

“Since entering the palace, I’ve seen that the country is in a strange state. There are issues with His Majesty’s conduct too. But the ones really sucking the blood of the people are those four great noble families.”

“Commander…!”

“That’s the conclusion I’ve drawn from my direct observations. Hartmann needs reform more urgently than revolution.”

Claudia despised philanderers like Elizabeth or Nikolai.

They say you can know ten things by seeing one.

How could someone with no respect for humans and obsessed with their own desires govern an empire?

But that too could be prejudice.

During her secret inspection of the islands, Claudia looked at the country with objective eyes.

The information gained during the proxy duel was the same.

“Everyone is cursing His Majesty, but the political situation is as stable as it was during the previous emperor’s time.”

“That’s nonsense!”

“There are no excessive taxes, no fear of war. The procession of envoys bringing tribute is endless.”

“But you said corrupt nobles and knights are rampant?”

“Corruption is a chronic disease of the well-fed. Perhaps excessive comfort has brought about calamity.”

Jason didn’t believe Claudia’s words.

Or rather, he seemed not to want to believe them.

She couldn’t entirely blame him.

She herself had not wanted to see Nikolai’s true face.

Just as she hadn’t believed in Elizabeth’s change.

‘If Elizabeth isn’t a villainess, then the emperor might not be a tyrant either.’

The doubt that started from a single letter shook Claudia.

It was all the more confusing because it meant denying herself.

After her private audience with Nikolai, she put a period to her long deliberation.

“Why are you appointing me as Knight Commander?”

“Watch what happens from the closest place to me.”

“My sword might point at Your Majesty’s heart.”

“That’s what I expect.”

“Are you throwing out bait? To implicate me as the ringleader of treason?”

“Don’t see what you want to see, see what is actually there.”

“…”

“I’m giving you an opportunity. If I’m a tyrant, cut me down anytime. If you can’t trust me, now is fine too.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“I hope you’ll become the standard-bearer of reform.”

“…”

“Eliminating me and becoming a revolutionary emperor is also an option. That choice is yours to make.”

With those final words, Nikolai dropped both his arms.

With his eyes closed and completely defenseless, he was full of openings.

There wasn’t even a hint of a secret signal for defense.

Even if it were a trap, Claudia could easily kill Nikolai and escape.

Knowing this, Nikolai still offered his neck.

‘Is he that desperate? Or is he that confident?’

Nikolai’s image overlapped with Elizabeth’s.

A phrase from the letter Elizabeth left echoed in Claudia’s mind.

“A revolution from within.

Please join a revolution where only the blood of evildoers will flow.”

Thousands, tens of thousands of lives hung on her shoulders.

She had to completely exclude both impulse and emotion.

At this crossroads of choice, Claudia looked back at herself.

The prejudices that led to more prejudices.

The tangled relationships.

The love that kept her awake through long nights.

All had to be burned without a trace for the future of the empire and its people.

From the ashes, Claudia made her choice.

“I will not become a revolutionary emperor, but a reforming general. I will become the hottest and sharpest sword watching over the emperor.”

Even if it meant joining hands with the woman she had hated most in the world.