Alisiya threw the sixth marriage proposal invitation into the fireplace, watching the flames turn the gold-embossed letter to ash.
“Miss, this is from Duke Oland’s eldest son…”
“I know! You don’t have to tell me!”
Alisiya interrupted the butler.
“I refused!”
“Y-yes, miss.”
The butler quietly withdrew.
Since breaking off her engagement with Rex, Alisiya had been subjected to an almost unending stream of matchmaking meetings arranged by her parents.
The first candidate was the second son of Marquis Viren.
During the meal, he bragged endlessly about hunting a griffin, but Alisiya noticed that his hand holding the knife and fork was trembling constantly.
That was the tremor of someone who had long indulged in wine and women.
Commonly known as kidney deficiency.
The second was the eldest son of the Morrison family.
He was well-behaved, but during conversation he inadvertently revealed contempt for commoners.
“They just weren’t born into the right family.”
Those were his exact words.
Alisiya then directly ‘invited’ him out of her house.
The third was even more heavyweight—the grandson of the Empire’s Marshal.
Young and promising, with a bright future.
But from the way he looked at her, Alisiya read one thing:
‘He didn’t want her; he wanted the backing of the Haisen family.’
Then came the fourth, fifth, sixth…
Each more unsightly than the last.
Sometimes Alisiya would think, if she hadn’t called off the engagement back then, would she not have to face these nauseating ‘things’ now?
But every time this thought surfaced, she forcefully suppressed it.
She regretted it, regretted it completely.
But regret was useless.
The Haisen family was an anomaly in the Empire.
Klein, Oland, Valdemar, Herbert.
These four ducal families held the Empire’s most central power.
The Haisen family wasn’t even a marquisate.
It was Alisiya’s father and grandfather who had climbed step by step to their current position through military merit.
Plus, Alisiya herself had become Deputy Commander of the Empire’s Holy Knights at just twenty-five, proving the Haisen family’s capabilities with sword and blood.
A rumor had begun circulating in the Empire’s noble circles: the Haisen family was going to replace the Klein family and become one of the new Four Dukes.
But Alisiya clearly did not want to replace anyone.
Uncle Wilhelm was one of the elders she respected most in the Empire.
When she was little and went to play at the Klein estate, Uncle Wilhelm would always bring her a bag of candy, then pat her head and say, “You’ve grown taller again.”
Back then, although the Klein family had already begun to decline, there was still light in Uncle Wilhelm’s eyes.
Now there was none.
The last time Alisiya saw Uncle Wilhelm was at that engagement-cancellation banquet.
That old general who had once dominated the battlefield stood in the center of the banquet hall, being looked at with pity by those around him.
No one remembered that this “disgraced” old man, in his youth, had single-handedly held the Empire’s eastern front, repelling an enemy army of thirty thousand.
His grandfather, great-grandfather, ancestors—three whole generations of Dragon Knights—had expanded the Empire’s territory and laid the foundation for its current continental dominance.
No one remembered.
Or rather, they simply chose not to remember.
“Deputy Commander.”
The adjutant’s voice interrupted Alisiya’s thoughts.
“What is it?”
“The meeting is about to start. It’s about the Federation negotiations.”
Alisiya straightened her Holy Knights uniform and followed the adjutant out of the office.
The long table in the Imperial Council hall was filled with people on both sides.
There were supposed to be four dukes, but there were only three seats for dukes.
Wilhelm sat in a corner, the teacup in front of him untouched since the meeting began.
Just as Alisiya walked in, she heard Duke Oland speaking.
“If you ask me, the Federation is just looking for trouble. A federation cobbled together from dozens of tiny, broken countries dares to negotiate with our Empire? Where do they get the nerve?”
“I heard they intercepted a batch of stolen military supplies and traced it to some organization,” Duke Valdemar interjected, a hint of amusement in his tone.
“Something called the ‘Dark Crown Alliance,’ I think.”
“Dark Crown Alliance?”
Duke Herbert laughed.
“The name is quite intimidating. It’s just a bunch of bandits and outlaws. Is it worth the Federation making such a big fuss?”
Duke Oland waved his hand.
“They’re asking the Empire to cooperate in the investigation. They say the leader of that organization might be an Imperial citizen who once served in the military.”
“An Imperial? Military service?”
Duke Herbert’s laughter grew louder.
“Doesn’t that mean any of us could be suspects? Should we all go to the Federation to prove our innocence?”
After he spoke, a few agreeing laughs echoed around the long table.
Duke Oland suddenly turned his head, a hint of barely perceptible malice in his smile.
“Duke Wilhelm, what do you think?”
Wilhelm lifted his eyelids and glanced at him.
“Since the Federation formally raised the matter, it means they have solid evidence. We should take it seriously, not sit here and…”
“Ha? Take it seriously? Wilhelm, have you spent so long on the Eastern Front that your courage has shriveled up?”
Another burst of laughter followed.
Wilhelm said nothing more.
He lowered his head, his gaze falling on the teacup in front of him.
Alisiya watched this scene, clenching her fingers.
The Uncle Wilhelm she knew had never flinched facing thirty thousand enemies on the battlefield.
Now he sat in this meeting room, ridiculed by a few dukes who had climbed up on their ancestors’ prestige, not even daring to refute them…
Not that he didn’t dare, but that he couldn’t.
The Klein family no longer had the power to challenge them.
Three generations of Dragon Knight bloodline, centuries of glory, yet now they couldn’t even find a single ally in the Empire.
“Enough.”
Alisiya’s voice was not loud, but everyone’s eyes fell on her.
“Since the Federation formally raised the matter, it means things are more serious than we think. Ridicule won’t solve the problem. If something really goes wrong, who among you here can bear the responsibility?”
After she spoke, Duke Oland’s smile froze on his face.
At that moment, footsteps came from outside the door.
A woman walked in slowly.
She wore a black-and-gold Imperial official uniform, with gilded shoulder ornaments on her shoulders—the symbol of the Imperial Chancellor’s supreme authority.
Her deep-sea-like azure long hair was loosely tied up, with a few stray strands falling by her cheeks, and sapphire-studded gold ornaments at her temples.
Her features were delicate and cold, and when she lifted her eyes, there was no trace of softness, only an intimidating nobility.
Though a woman, she was more imposing than the current Emperor himself.
She was the true behind-the-scenes helmsman of the entire Empire.
Her name was Victoria von Astria.
“Ch-Chancellor.”
Duke Oland was the first to stand and bow, and others followed suit, but their movements seemed hurried and flustered.
Victoria did not look at them.
She walked to the head seat and sat down, her gaze slowly sweeping over the people on both sides of the long table.
“Everyone was laughing quite happily just now.”
Her voice was neither high nor low, but each word fell like ice on steel.
“Did something amusing happen? Tell me about it.”
No one dared to speak at that moment.
Victoria’s gaze fell on Alisiya.
“What just happened?”
Alisiya stood up and recounted the debate in the meeting exactly as it happened, without adding anything or taking sides.
“Duke Oland.”
“Y-yes!”
“Have you read the Federation’s formal diplomatic document?”
“N-not yet…”
“Then on what basis do you say the Federation is ‘looking for trouble’?”
Duke Oland’s forehead began to sweat.
But Victoria did not continue to press.
“Duke Wilhelm.”
“Present.”
Victoria’s voice suddenly softened a little.
“Sit down. Your family and the blood you’ve shed for the Empire—we all know. You don’t need to stand before me.”
Victoria withdrew her gaze, and her voice turned cold and hard again.
“Regarding the Federation negotiations, I have a few things to address.”
She stated three points.
First, the Empire would establish a task force to liaise with the Federation and thoroughly investigate the origins of the Dark Crown Alliance.
Second, all routes within the Empire involved in military supply transport needed to have their security procedures re-evaluated.
Third: “Send someone to investigate whether this ‘Dark Crown Alliance’ has any ties within the Empire.”
“If someone is really pulling strings behind the scenes, no matter who he is, no matter his status, not a single one will escape. Dismissed!”
Upon hearing those two words, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to leave.
“Duke Wilhelm, Alisiya, stay for a moment.”
After everyone had left one by one, Wilhelm walked up to Victoria and knelt on one knee. Alisiya also knelt.
Victoria looked at them and sighed softly.
“No need for that.”
She stood up and walked over to Wilhelm.
“Rise and speak.”
Wilhelm stood up but still kept his head down.
“During my absence from the Empire, what happened? Tell me.”
Wilhelm was silent for a long time.
“I… banished Rex to the North.”
“The North?”
“Yes.”
“The jurisdiction of Governor Severna of the North’s Iron Cavalry?”
“…Yes.”
Victoria seemed somewhat incredulous at Wilhelm’s action, but she did not ask for the reason, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
“I understand. I will send someone to contact Seria and have her inquire about Rex’s recent situation. However, there are more important matters to deal with at the moment.”
“As you command, my lady.”
“You may go back now.”
The two bowed and turned to leave.
Alisiya followed behind him.
When they reached the door, Victoria’s voice came from behind.
“Alisiya.”
She stopped and turned around, only to see Victoria staring at her with a gaze that held something she couldn’t understand.
“Have you… experienced anything recently?”
“N-no, nothing. I’m just handling the Knights’ official duties.”
Victoria looked at her for a long time, then nodded.
“Go ahead.”
Alisiya walked quickly out of the meeting room, her heart pounding as if it would leap out of her chest.
She did not notice that Victoria’s gaze remained on her back until the door was completely closed.
In the corridor, Wilhelm walked very slowly. His footsteps no longer had the steadiness of his younger days.
Alisiya caught up.
“Uncle Wilhelm.”
“Hmm.”
“Is Rex… doing well in the North?”
“I… I don’t know. I’ve never written a letter to the boy asking how he is…”
“Rex will be fine.”
Wilhelm glanced at her. In those turbid old eyes, there was something Alisiya couldn’t quite describe.
“Ah… I hope so.”