Reinhardt Friedrich. Born as the son of the late emperor and a maid, he is the half-brother of the current Emperor, Vanessa. Despite being the firstborn son of the late emperor, Reinhardt was kept secret for a long time due to his humble origins. Only after the Emperor’s sister was crowned as the Crown Princess did Reinhardt’s existence come to light.

Even at that time, Reinhardt had already gained fame as an outstanding knight. The Emperor’s sister promoted him to the rank of general and appointed him to a position of power. This wasn’t solely because of their blood relation; Reinhardt’s own martial prowess and leadership abilities were exceptional.

Despite his sudden appearance as a half-sibling, the Emperor’s sister objectively evaluated his abilities and awarded him a position. She did not express dissatisfaction with his past treatment but accepted the appointment and devoted himself to serving the imperial family. This was the public perception of him.

...However, that is not the whole truth.

‘In the original work, when Aslan died and Chapter 1 was cleared, a cutscene appeared.’

Before Chapter 2 began, there was a cutscene, almost like a preview. As soon as the cutscene started, the scene unfolded in the Imperial Palace, which was burning fiercely. Corpses piled up in heaps, and Reinhardt was seen holding a sword to the Emperor’s sister’s neck.

‘Reinhardt Friedrich is the main villain of Chapter 2.’

As soon as the cutscene ended, I turned off the game, but it was clear that Reinhardt would be the main villain in Chapter 2, the one who burns down the Imperial Palace and attacks the Emperor’s sister.

He had always pretended to endure, but had he been harboring anger toward the imperial family? Or was it his ambition to seize the throne? Either way, it didn’t matter to me.

‘Right now, the one protecting me is the Emperor’s sister. I must protect her at all costs.’

The Emperor’s sister is my ally. The fact that Vermonth has been expanding its roads, businesses, and military without facing much opposition is all thanks to her. I’ve relied solely on her and turned down alliances with other factions. If the Emperor’s sister becomes vulnerable, then Vermonth’s future will be uncertain.

"Why the sour look on your face?"

"I’m sorry to spoil the festive atmosphere, but I can’t help but worry about Her Majesty’s safety…"

"You think Reinhardt might stage a rebellion?"

"···."

The Emperor’s sister smiled, her eyes gleaming as she observed my reaction. I kept my mouth shut, realizing she had hit the nail on the head. I thought I had been the only one considering Reinhardt’s possible rebellion, but it seemed like the Emperor’s sister was already aware.

Then again, she has the eyes of a spirit. After a few conversations with someone, she can easily sense their true nature. But thinking back to the disastrous events in the original work, I couldn’t rely solely on her spirit eyes.

"I mean no disrespect to the general, but yes, I have considered that possibility."

"Well... Normally, one would deny such things in a flustered manner. But you are openly and almost disrespectfully honest. If a tyrant other than me were sitting here, you’d have been dead a dozen times over by now."

"···."

The Emperor’s sister smiled meaningfully, gazing at me with a knowing look. There was no need for me to lie; what would be the point of lying to someone who could see right through me?

"To cut to the chase, I understand your concerns perfectly. I’m not sure if a rebellion is coming, but if something does happen, I expect it to occur on the day of the welcoming ceremony. Therefore, I’ve decided to assign you a very important task."

"What task?"

"On the day of the ceremony, you will be responsible for my secret protection."

"Secret… protection?"

"Yes. The official protection will, as always, be handled by the imperial guard. But that’s just the surface. Beneath the surface, you will be the one protecting me. In case of emergency, the guard will follow your orders."

"···!?"

I couldn’t contain my shock at this unexpected assignment. I thought I’d be in charge of organizing the welcoming ceremony or something, but protecting the Emperor herself? This was a huge responsibility.

As I turned around, still in a state of shock, I noticed Sylvia had frozen up, her expression filled with despair.

"Your Majesty, this is..."

"Too sudden, isn’t it? I’m sure you, just like everyone else, think it’s unexpected. No one would have imagined that even though Count Vermont is a close ally of the Emperor, he would be assigned to protect her. That’s exactly the weakness I want to exploit. It’s a task only you can handle. Will you accept it?"

"···."

It made sense. If the Imperial Palace were to burn down, it would likely be the work of an insider. The one behind it would have to thoroughly understand everything, including the guard’s operations, before executing the plan.

If the enemy had succeeded in eliminating the guard and preparing the means to burn the palace, then they could easily carry out their attack. But what if an unexpected person were assigned to secretly protect the Emperor? That alone could disrupt the enemy’s plan.

The key was to set up a trap the enemy wouldn’t expect.

That was the Emperor’s countermeasure.

"Since Her Majesty has said so, I will accept the task."

"Good. I’m glad you’ve made up your mind. Though I’ve called it ‘secret protection,’ it’s just a precaution. If nothing happens during the welcoming ceremony, you’ll be able to enjoy yourself as if you’re a guest, and nothing will change. So don’t feel too burdened."

"Yes. Then I will prepare for the 'just in case.' When you say I will have command over the guards in an emergency, does that mean I can formulate a plan for their protection as if I were expecting such an emergency?"

"Of course."

"Then I will begin preparations. I will conduct some minor construction in the Imperial Palace’s underground area, and secretly deploy forces in anticipation of a surprise attack. Additionally..."

"Whoa… I didn’t expect you to get this proactive…"

With the burning Imperial Palace from the cutscene as a hint, I began to devise the most thorough and secure protection plan in my mind. I would not let the Emperor’s sister die. Since I was entrusted with the task, I would give it my all.

"Secret protection?"

"Yes, that’s correct. Her Majesty has arranged for a secret protection detail that would take command of us in case of an emergency."

The Captain of the Imperial Guard frowned at this report. Secret protection? The Imperial Guard was composed of the strongest human weapons in the entire Empire, no, the entire world.

With just our forces, we could destroy one or two kingdoms. And now, they want to augment the protection? And in case of emergency, we’re supposed to take orders from someone else? The Captain clicked his tongue in frustration.

"This really isn’t right. Shouldn’t you, Captain, protest to Her Majesty?"

"Shut your mouth. If you have doubts about Her Majesty’s orders, go and file a petition yourself."

"It... It was an unintentional remark."

The soldier’s face turned pale at the Captain’s reprimand, and he bowed his head. The Captain himself was quite displeased, but he couldn’t show that to the Emperor.

‘So, Her Majesty suspects there’s a traitor within the Guard…’

The secret protection detail made sense, but what didn’t sit well was the fact that even the Imperial Guard wouldn’t be told about the secret detail until the day of the event. This meant that the Emperor suspected a traitor within the Guard or was worried about potential betrayal.

Her Majesty wasn’t paranoid. She valued reason and efficiency above all else. So, if she had set up such an inefficient protection system, it meant she had valid suspicions.

The Captain decided without further comment to follow the Emperor’s orders.

‘But who could it be? Who would take on the task of secretly protecting Her Majesty…?’

The only question that remained was who would dare to take on the Emperor’s secret protection. Someone the Emperor trusted more than the Imperial Guard? There was no one who came to mind.

"The Captain, some contractors are requesting permission to enter at the gate."

"Contractors? Oh, right, there’s some construction in the Imperial Palace’s underground. I’ll go and inspect it myself."

The Imperial Palace’s underground had been sitting unused like an empty warehouse. It seemed the Emperor had arranged some kind of exhibition down there, and the contractors had come for it.

The Captain immediately ran to the gate, checked the documents from the contractors, and began searching through their carts.

Clink, clink.

Boxes were opened one by one, revealing ordinary materials and tools like paint and hammers. Then, when the last box, long like a coffin, was opened…

"What’s in this box… AAAAH!"

"Captain! Why are you screaming... EEEK!!!"

Inside the box were neatly arranged skeleton soldiers. The Captain let out a pitiful scream and collapsed in a sitting position, while the soldiers accompanying him let out similar shocked screams and sat down in defeat.

"Ah, these are the exhibits. Please don’t be alarmed."

"Close the lid! Close it quickly! Huuuh... You may pass."

"Thank you, Captain."

With the Captain’s approval, the contractors pushed their carts into the Imperial Palace. No suspicious items or materials were found, and there was no sign of magic or enchanted objects, so it seemed safe.

‘But those skeletons… They were a bit suspicious…’

But the Captain decided to let it slide, thinking it was nothing to worry about.