I sat in the back seat of the limousine, taking a deep breath.

The soft and luxurious velvet covering the leather seats felt smooth and comfortable.

It was a sensation I could never experience in a military vehicle, yet I couldn’t feel the slightest bit of joy.

That was because, sitting right next to me, was none other than one of the most revered figures in the Empire—the princess.

‘…Even if it’s a summons from His Majesty, was it really necessary for the princess to come out in person?’

As my unease grew, Selvia turned away from the window and looked at me.

Her clear blue eyes, reminiscent of the sea, narrowed seriously. It was clear she had something to say.

“Major Daniel.”

Lowering her voice, Selvia whispered, just loud enough for me to hear.

“I hate to bring this up when you’ve only just returned from the battlefield, but I don’t think I’ll have another chance to discuss this. So please forgive me for speaking out now.”

I had a bad feeling about this.

Sensing the atmosphere shift, I braced myself as Selvia continued.

“There have been constant attacks against me here in the capital. Or rather, attacks against my support base, to be precise. If it were just media slander, I wouldn’t even care, but…”

Selvia let out a low sigh.

“It’s getting worse. Recently, there have even been threats against the lives of politicians who support me. Anyone can see this is my brother’s doing.”

As I listened silently, Selvia clenched her teeth.

“Their movements are systematic and organized. There must be a leadership issuing orders somewhere. But no matter how much we search the capital, we can’t find them.”

“So then…”

“Yes. They must be operating from somewhere safe outside the capital. They’re likely manipulating the media and shaking my support base from behind the scenes. Those disgusting bastards…”

Selvia scowled, clearly outraged.

From the sound of it, this was an internal struggle for the throne.

A brutal and hidden war was raging beneath the surface—something the common people wouldn’t even notice.

In modern terms, it was like rival political campaigns sabotaging one another.

The problem was that this wasn’t the modern era—it was closer to the early modern period.

Given the times, it was obvious that things wouldn’t stop at propaganda. Violence and bloodshed were inevitable.

I absolutely didn’t want to get involved.

But the fact that Selvia was confiding in me could only mean one thing.

‘She’s trying to recruit me….’

If Selvia managed to secure the Empire’s so-called “hero,” it wouldn’t just solidify her support base—it would also add legitimacy to her claim to the throne.

Selvia’s intentions were painfully obvious, but there was no way I could accept.

‘I’m already struggling to survive, and now she wants me to make the prince my enemy too?’

If I accepted Selvia’s proposal, it would practically guarantee an assassination double-feature.

‘But outright refusal would put me on the future Emperor’s bad side….’

As I frantically ran through my options, Selvia looked up at me, her anger subsiding.

The faint glimmer of expectation in her eyes felt unbearably heavy.

“Major Daniel? So, about what I was going to say…”

No…! If she uttered the words “join hands with me,” there’d be no turning back!

Panicked, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Your Highness. By the way, you’ve become even more beautiful since the last time I saw you.”

Selvia blinked, stunned into silence by the sudden compliment.

“…Huh?”

Seeing her frozen in confusion, I seized the chance to change the subject.

Suppressing the cold sweat forming on my back, I leaned slightly toward her, trying to keep my tone as natural as possible.

“I must’ve spent too long at the frontlines. To think I hadn’t noticed how radiant Your Highness has become.”

Selvia’s lips parted slightly.

Hearing yet another compliment about her appearance, her cheeks flushed faintly with embarrassment.

This was it. I decided to push a little further.

“Your Highness, do you remember when we spoke during that time you disguised yourself as a war correspondent?”

“…I remember.”

“I’m relieved. I was worried that the memories we shared might have faded. Back then, Your Highness was an innocent young girl, but now you’ve blossomed into an elegant lady.”

I added a smile, and Selvia’s face reddened further as she averted her gaze.

After closing her eyes briefly, she reopened them and gave me a sidelong glare.

“Don’t say weird things. I told you before—you have no sense of personal space.”

“If I’ve been rude, I sincerely beg your forgiveness, Your Highness.”

Fidgeting with her fingers, Selvia cleared her throat and muttered softly.

“…I didn’t say it was rude.”

Hearing her curt response, I let out a faint chuckle and leaned back.

An awkward silence settled between us after that.

To me, it was the most welcome silence in the world.

At least the conversation hadn’t escalated any further.

‘I survived….’

I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing just how close I’d come to being dragged into the succession war.

Still, I couldn’t help but worry whether I’d just made the mistake of flirting with the future Emperor.

*****

As soon as Daniel arrived at the imperial palace, he underwent a brief body search before being escorted to the Emperor’s chambers.

It seemed Selvia had other appointments, as she did not accompany him. Instead, one of the Emperor’s personal attendants took over the task of guiding him.

The destination was not the audience hall but the Emperor’s bedroom.

The reason was simple—the Emperor did not have the strength to properly dress and appear in the formal audience hall.

“Your Majesty, Major Daniel Steiner has arrived.”

The attendant knocked and spoke, and a reply came after a short pause.

“Come in.”

The attendant opened the door.

Beyond the door, the Emperor’s bedroom was surprisingly modest.

Apart from the luxurious furniture, the oversized bed, and the sheer size of the room, there were not many extravagant decorations.

The Emperor was seated at a table in the center of the room, playing chess.

Daniel froze momentarily when he noticed the rank of the man sitting across from the Emperor.

Four stars adorned the man’s shoulder insignia.

With his sharply angled mustache, he was Johannes Kuntz—the highest-ranking general and the captain of the Imperial Guard.

He was also the man the Emperor personally trusted the most.

Recognizing Johannes, Daniel shifted his gaze to the Emperor.

His gaunt appearance made it clear he had lost much of his flesh, but the strength in his demeanor remained unbroken.

Berthram von Amberg.

The undisputed ruler of the Empire and the enlightened monarch who had built its modern foundation.

Faced with these two giants, Daniel found himself involuntarily tensing up.

He stepped forward nervously and saluted.

“Your Majesty! I have come in response to your summon—”

“That’s enough. Come closer.”

Interrupted mid-sentence, Daniel awkwardly nodded and walked closer to Berthram.

The Emperor stroked his short beard as he stared down at the chessboard.

“Do you play chess?”

“…I’ve picked up the basics here and there.”

“Is that so? Then what do you think of this situation? It looks like I’m at a disadvantage.”

Glancing at the board, Daniel carefully studied the pieces before speaking.

“Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, it is not Your Majesty who is at a disadvantage, but rather the Captain of the Guard.”

“Hm? I have far fewer pieces, yet you think the Captain is at a disadvantage?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Berthram turned to Johannes with a playful look.

“You hear that?”

“Haha. Perhaps he’s right.”

Johannes laughed it off, while Berthram turned back to Daniel.

“Very well, Major Daniel. Explain to me why I’m in the lead.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. First, let’s have Your Majesty’s rook capture the pawn on the left. That would put the Captain’s king in check. Since Your Majesty’s queen is positioned diagonally, the king would be forced to move to g8.”

“Hmm. Go on.”

“At this point, the rook can return, delivering another check. If the king captures the rook, Your Majesty’s queen will immediately attack. The king will then have no choice but to retreat to h8. Repeating this process…”

Johannes raised both hands in surrender, looking exasperated.

“Well, it seems I’ve lost. It’s only a matter of time before all my pieces are devoured. Your Majesty is victorious.”

“Strictly speaking, the victory belongs to Major Daniel. That was an excellent strategy—truly impressive.”

“I agree. You could’ve had a brilliant career as a chess player.”

Johannes shrugged and stood up from his seat.

Seeing this, Daniel stepped back and knelt on one knee.

He knew the game of chess had merely been an icebreaker, and now it was time to get to the real topic.

As Johannes began clearing the chess pieces from the board, Berthram turned and looked down at Daniel.

“Major Daniel. I heard you not only captured Nordia but also successfully concluded the armistice negotiations with the Kingdom. On behalf of the Empire, I extend my gratitude.”

“It is an honor, Your Majesty.”

“It is too soon to feel honored. I still have something to give you. Johannes?”

At Berthram’s words, Johannes, who had just finished clearing the chessboard, picked up a box that had been placed beside the table.

When the box was opened, a medal was revealed.

It was the Golden Cross Medal, the Empire’s highest first-class diplomatic award.

Given the undeniable merit of his achievements, Daniel had no grounds to refuse it.

“Stand up.”

Following Johannes’s words, Daniel rose from his kneeling position.

Johannes patted Daniel’s shoulder once before pinning the medal onto his chest.

“As far as I know, the Golden Cross Medal has never been awarded to someone as young as you. That just shows how significant your accomplishments have been.”

Offering his compliments, Johannes patted Daniel’s shoulder again before stepping back.

As Johannes moved away, Daniel knelt down once more, mindful of the Emperor’s presence.

“I’m sure you’ve already received plenty of praise for your achievements, so I won’t repeat what others have said. Instead, let me ask you about something far more important.”

“An important matter, Your Majesty?”

“In your opinion, who do you believe is more suited to become Emperor—my daughter or my son? Personally, I’m not confident in either of them.”

Cold sweat trickled down Daniel’s back.

He had just managed to evade Selvia, only to find himself now cornered by the Emperor himself.

Thinking quickly, Daniel bowed his head and responded.

“I cannot dare express an opinion on this matter, Your Majesty.”

“What? Are you refusing to answer my question?”

Berthram’s voice sharpened, and Daniel hurriedly raised his voice.

“Your Majesty! That is not my intention. I am a soldier of the Empire, and it is clearly stated in imperial law that soldiers must maintain political neutrality.

Were I to give an opinion, it would mean disregarding not only Your Majesty’s authority but also the sacred laws of the Empire.”

Daniel bowed even lower.

“Thus, if Your Majesty insists on hearing my answer, it would be proper to first release me from my military position. Only then could I answer freely, according to my beliefs.”

Hearing this, the corners of Berthram’s lips curved upward slightly.

‘What a cunning man.’

By invoking imperial law as his reason for refusal, Daniel had effectively cornered the Emperor.

Even as the sovereign ruler, Berthram could not command Daniel to violate the law without undermining the Empire’s very foundation.

Moreover, dismissing Daniel from the military for the sake of an answer would only appear absurd.

Trapped by Daniel’s logic, Berthram let out a low chuckle.

“I think I’ve figured out what kind of man you are. You must be tired—go ahead and leave.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Although the Emperor’s tone made him uneasy, Daniel couldn’t disobey.

After saluting, Daniel turned and left the room.

Watching him go, Berthram’s smile lingered as he spoke.

“Did you see that? The man’s true nature.”

“To some extent, yes,” Johannes replied.

When Berthram first asked Daniel about the chessboard, Daniel had appeared briefly flustered but had quickly offered his honest assessment.

“Most people, even if they knew the right answer, would have pretended ignorance rather than risk offending Your Majesty in your weakened state.”

“Exactly. People normally hesitate and play it safe. But Daniel didn’t.”

“He confidently spoke his mind, which is an admirable trait for a soldier. Yet, when it came to the question about the prince and princess, he refused to answer.”

Nodding, Berthram laughed, finding the situation amusing.

“He only bows his head to those he respects. While I may be the Emperor, my children are not.

I’m certain that man is carefully weighing his options—deciding who he should lend his strength to.”

Taking a sip of water, Berthram continued.

“To me, that man is a wolf.

He only follows the strong. But wolves are quick to sink their teeth into a leader they perceive as weak.”

Johannes swallowed nervously.

“Are you suggesting…”

“Yes. He’s capable but dangerously unpredictable—like a double-edged sword.

I don’t know which of my children will end up holding that sword, but the moment they show weakness, they’ll be torn apart.”

To Berthram, the sharp look in Daniel’s eyes resembled that of his own grandfather, who had seized the throne through bloodshed.

Setting the cup down, Berthram turned to Johannes.

“Make sure my children are protected from that wolf’s fangs.

Do not let this Empire fall into his hands.”

Johannes nodded and stared at the door through which Daniel had left.

‘A wolf that could devour the Empire…’

He wanted to dismiss the Emperor’s concerns as mere paranoia, but when he recalled Daniel’s piercing gaze, a chill ran down his spine.

Without realizing it, Johannes gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

He could only hope the Emperor’s fears would turn out to be nothing more than needless worry.