A few days ago.
Louise von Schwarz had sought an audience with the Emperor.
She wished to raise objections about the decisive blow that had been dealt to the already strained relationships within the Schwarz royal family.
"Your Majesty, it seems you take a great interest in the affairs of the Schwarz royal family."
"How can I not be interested in matters concerning one of the main pillars of the Allied Forces?"
Emperor Bertus de Gardias.
Some emperors excel in times of war, while others shine in times of peace.
Louise von Schwarz did not know which kind of emperor Bertus was.
However, although the empire was not thriving, it still breathed.
It had managed to unite the surviving countries and organize the Allied Forces.
"I assume, Your Majesty, that you are aware that casually speaking about such a sensitive subject within the Gardias imperial family is a great insult to the Schwarz royal family."
Though the empire was clearly superior, Kernstadt was not a nation to be trifled with.
If the Kernstadt army were to withdraw from the Allied Forces, it would be tantamount to losing about 30% of their total power. That was how significant the role of the Kernstadt army was within the Allied Forces.
Even for a superior nation, the emperor's remarks about the youngest prince of the Schwarz royal family being an illegitimate child were a grave diplomatic faux pas and a mistake on the emperor's part. Even if the comments were made in private, not in public.
Louise von Schwarz's icy gaze was met with Bertus's constant smile, as always.
"Why do you think I am not aware that it's better to remain silent?"
The matter of the illegitimate child.
Remaining silent would benefit him.
"If I had remained silent, Heinrich would have been assassinated by his jealous and inferior brothers, and I would have had the opportunity to eradicate the ever-troublesome Schwarz royal family from the empire."
"There may be a considerable amount of turmoil, but we have a greater cause right now, don't we? We are waging a war upon which the fate of humanity depends. The Allied Forces may be shaken, but they will not collapse. We are fighting a war with a justifiable reason."
"Trading Heinrich von Schwarz's life for the complete overthrow of the Schwarz royal family, whom the empire has always wanted to eliminate, is the exchange. Everything would have fallen into place if I remained silent. Would it not be better to stay silent?"
Bertus's malicious words, contrasting with his smiling expression, only hardened Louise's expression further.
By remaining silent, Kernstadt would have fallen on its own, and Bertus could have used the chaos to eliminate the Schwarz royal family under the pretext of the greater cause, and then swallow the entire Kernstadt army.
There would have been tremendous resistance from the Kernstadt army, but this war was not about personal gain; it was for the greater cause.
Bertus knew that, despite the immense turmoil, the Allied Forces would not collapse.
Kernstadt, a potential major competitor after the war, would fall on its own. There was no reason not to watch it happen.
"What are you saying now?"
"I merely wanted to say that the reason I caused this diplomatic faux pas was not because I had some hidden agenda, but because I didn't want to see a friend die... That's all there is to it."
He could have stood idly by.
Bertus didn't have to say anything to Heinrich when he came to seek help.
Though Heinrich was an important force, if the empire could exchange his life for its future, it should have done so.
But Bertus didn't do that.
Heinrich was not given a direct answer, but was provided with some degree of truth.
Not the entire truth, but a certain extent of it.
"A terrible thing happens when you do not cherish your friends; I know this much now."
Louise could not understand Bertus's cryptic remark.
But if left unattended, Heinrich will be killed.
At that thought, Louise clenched her teeth.
"Are you so certain that something so unthinkable will happen?"
"Your two brothers are worse people than you think."
Trust in the name of siblings.
No, it is not even that.
Trust in humanity itself.
In this situation, facing such a battle, they would try to assassinate a more talented illegitimate child out of jealousy.
Louise could not understand that such a foolish and absurd thing could happen.
Those who possess more rights than anyone else should also bear more responsibility.
She had a shred of faith that they would not commit such a reckless act.
Louise von Schwarz did not believe that such an unthinkable event could occur.
She did not think her brothers could be so foolish.
She did not have high expectations, but she thought it would not be that bad.
But the deed had already been done.
The other brothers had started to argue that they must act first.
Alphonse and German seriously believed that if they did not kill Heinrich, they might die themselves.
Up until now, it had been a matter of possibility, but from now on, it would be a question of when.
And wasn't it the emperor who started it all with the word "illegitimate child"?
If Heinrich had not heard that word, this would not have happened.
But was that really the case? Louise had seen, from afar and up close, the scenes of them blatantly ignoring and despising Heinrich.
Would it have happened anyway, even without this?
In places she cannot see, in places she is unaware of, without even seeking her consent.
Would there really be no attempt to kill Heinrich through their own unilateral actions?
She did not think they would be so foolish, so naive.
Could humans really be that foolish?
Louise von Schwarz secretly wanted to grind her fist into the emperor's face, who was whining after having thrown a bomb so irresponsibly.
But had the bomb already been there?
Was it just that she did not want to acknowledge that it was a bomb?
"It's honestly a bit disappointing that you, the commander of Kernstadt, have come like this."
"… Are you saying that you're disappointed right now?"
Louise narrowed her eyes at the emperor's remark, which sounded like the pot calling the kettle black.
Did he think the emperor's prestige was as it was in the past?
All human forces have diminished, so the emperor no longer has the same prestige and authority as before.
Did he delude himself into thinking that he was standing above everyone else, like the days when the empire's power pierced the sky after the Great Demon War?
"The emperor of the empire has committed the rudeness of meddling in the domestic affairs of another country to save the life of the commander's son, and instead of being grateful, you come here to argue. Isn't that disappointing?"
"…!"
"Did you think I wouldn't know?"
Bertus de Gardias.
At the emperor's words, Louise felt chills run down her spine.
In the Schwarz royal family, only the king, the current queen, and Louise knew about it.
The emperor knew.
"The commander graduated from the Kernstadt Royal Academy at the age of eighteen."
"…"
Kernstadt Royal Academy.
She was a genius, and she even graduated from the Royal Academy early.
That's what everyone knew.
"After traveling abroad for about a year under the pretext of a graduation trip, Heinrich von Schwarz was born... I don't think it was a coincidence."
Louise stared wide-eyed at Bertus, meeting his gaze.
"Wasn't it dropping out rather than graduating early?"
Louise felt suffocated by the pressure of Bertus's gaze.
"Raphael Müller."
"...!"
"Do I need to explain more?"
The Emperor already knew the name that Louise had buried deep in her heart long ago.
That name was undoubtedly the name of the man she had loved.
He had died long ago.
"I couldn't understand why the Schwarz royal family admitted a child, who was presumed to be a bastard, into the royal family... King Constantine was so particular about these things that he wouldn't have a bastard, and if Queen Solennine knew about the existence of a bastard, she would faint. But for some reason, Heinrich was not only not dealt with but also accepted... I don't get it. The Schwarz royal family I know is not like this."
Louise looked at Bertus with a stern expression.
These were people whose character wouldn't allow for the possibility of a bastard, and even if there was one, they wouldn't admit the child into the royal family.
But somehow, Heinrich was admitted into the royal family. Of course, this is an inference made from the outcome.
The youngest prince, who is excessively despised, seems to be a bastard, but if they hated him so much, why didn't they just kill him?
There must be a reason they couldn't help but keep him alive.
Louise von Schwarz, despite her age, has not married.
Although she has not yet ascended to the throne, the successor must have a very important heir.
Despite this, she hasn't married and seems to have no intention of doing so in the future.
And the Kernstadt Royal Academy is very similar to the Temple.
Various classes mix and receive education.
Bertus's words are both politically and personally very rude.
It could be a problem if someone were to question it.
But Louise couldn't say anything. That in itself was already a piece of evidence.
"I have several conjectures in my head, but I won't say them out loud. Any more than this would just be tormenting the commander."
"..."
"That's the point."
Bertus put down his teacup and looked at the frozen Louise von Schwarz.
"You can't protect everything."
One has to choose.
Heinrich was made aware of the fact that he was in danger, and this led to a dispute.
"You have to choose. Before you lose everything by not choosing this or that."
Bertus had accelerated the inevitable.
So, Louise von Schwarz has to choose something before everything falls apart, thinking that she'll be fine as it is.
"…Is it really just because you wanted Heinrich to live?"
At Louise's soft question, Bertus chuckled.
"What else could be the reason for enduring such an uncomfortable meeting when I could've avoided it by staying still?"
He wanted his friend to live.
Even though staying still would have cost him some power, he would have gained a significant political advantage. Still, Bertus didn't do that.
Louise von Schwarz risked triggering her own backlash, and Bertus gave Heinrich a hint.
So what was that all for?
At Bertus's words, Louise could no longer think that the Emperor had any sinister intentions.
"If you wish to protect your son, you must shed blood."
It seemed as if Bertus would no longer interfere in the affairs of other countries' households.
"Why..."
"Why did you kill Raphael?"
"Why, of all things..."
"Why did you have to go to such lengths?"
It was a long time ago.
"You must be out of your mind."
"We cannot allow the dirty seed of commoners in the royal family."
"We told you to understand their physiology by mingling and studying with commoners, not to give your heart to them."
"Despite your wisdom and talent, you couldn't even make that simple distinction?"
"He dared to covet what a lowly commoner like him should not possess, so we gave him a fitting punishment."
"Do you think there is room for petty emotions like love in the path to becoming the queen of Kernstadt, surpassing the Gardias royal family and laying the foundation for the empire?"
"You were foolish, daughter."
"Yes, humans make mistakes. No one is perfect, so you made a mistake too."
"Let's move past this mistake."
"Forget everything and start anew."
Upon hearing her father, Constantine von Schwarz's cruel words, Louise's soul left her body.
It was a premature love.
It could be called naive, but it was love nonetheless.
Their awkward love bore an awkward fruit, and they had to pay a cruel price.
For the first time, Louise experienced true emotions, free from the suffocating world where everything was forced upon her.
In the real world where she only encountered dignity, hypocrisy, honor, and pretense, it was the first thing she had ever wanted for herself.
That was taken away from her.
It was brutally trampled upon.
"I hate it."
It was a trade.
"Please, don't take anything more from me."
"What did you say?"
"If you try to take more, you'll lose me."
It was a trade for her life.
She couldn't get back what had been taken away, but she didn't want to lose anything more.
That's why she threatened her parents with her life.
"Don't try to take my child."
The king and queen could not give up the greatest treasure of the Schwarz royal family, a treasure that only appears once in history.
The child born to their daughter was disguised as the father's illegitimate child and integrated into the royal family.
Very few people knew the truth, including other royals and even the child himself.
At the end of numerous lies, deceptions, and half-truths, events unfolded.
"..."
"Brothers... sister..."
Louise von Schwarz, who killed her last two siblings with her own hands, stared at the frightened eyes of her son looking at her.
Swoosh
She sheathed her sword.
"Let's go back."
"Sister, what do you mean... What are you talking about? I just... my brothers..."
"I said, let's go back."
Her two brothers had tried to kill Heinrich several times without consulting her.
Had Louise not been vigilant, she would have lost her son while wide awake.
If the emperor had had a different intention, he could have used this incident to not only implicate her two brothers but also herself, destroying the Schwarz royal family.
It was unclear what had caused the change in his feelings, but the emperor had changed his mind.
Instead of punishing the Schwarz royal family, he warned Louise to act quickly, or it might be too late.
The emperor told her that she must shed blood if she wanted to protect something.
Louise shed blood.
By killing her own blood, she was able to protect her bloodline.
Louise staggered as she walked towards the horse.
Her blood-soaked fingertips trembled violently, as if seized by convulsions.
Leaving behind the horses that Alphonse and German had ridden, Louise mounted her horse, and Heinrich, his face pale, followed her command and climbed onto his horse as well.
She had killed her siblings.
How could she reveal this?
Louise had no plan.
She didn't even know what to say to her youngest brother, who had just discovered that his older sister was actually his mother, with his face drained of color.
She had to make a choice, and she did.
That was all there was to it.
Hee-hee-hee!
Rushing on their horses, they left the abandoned warehouse, their figures disappearing.
Confusion and uncertainty.
As the two figures, laden with those emotions, vanished from the warehouse, two more appeared from thin air.
"..."
"..."
Reinhardt and Harriet were there, having heard the unbelievable story.
"What is... what's going on?"
"I... I don't know."
Harriet lowered her head in response to Reinhardt's pale words.
