“As the one acting on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire, I hereby officially declare that the Gothberg Marquisate has gained independence as the former Gothberg Country at this present time.”
BANG, Heike forcefully stamped the document with the royal seal.
The father, who was elevated from the head of the marquis family to His Grace the Marquis, shook hands with Heike.
As the attending physician of the Empire, I extended my congratulations while maintaining proper etiquette.
Thus, the procedure was concluded. The marquisate could now exercise its influence as a legitimate country.
“Originally, we should raise a toast, but the official announcement will be made after the allied trade route is opened. For now, it’s a secret.”
“I understand, Your Highness the Princess.”
“Hmm. Gothberg’s physician, will your resignation procedures be completed today as promised?”
Heike asked me.
As she said, I am scheduled to resign today and return to the former country.
Thanks to the strong trust we had built until now, I was able to handle things first.
After all, the former country cannot sustain itself without maintaining a relationship of trust with the Empire. At the center of this is Heike, who has assumed most of the Emperor’s authority, especially in diplomacy.
“Of course, Your Highness. I plan to meet with Her Highness Princess Acella soon.”
“It’s unfortunate that we won’t be able to meet often for a while.”
“…Yes.”
I wonder how Acella will react.
I hope she doesn’t get too angry, but that may be an unrealistic wish.
Still, I want to have a proper conversation.
“Your Grace the Marquis, please prepare to return to the former country. I will follow shortly.”
“Hmm, that seems right.”
My father was guided out of the palace first.
The imperial palace is about to get a bit intense from now on.
“Is everyone gathered?”
“Ready, Teacher.”
Hugo was waiting in front of the inner palace. Doctors and knights who would join me to depart for the former country were also present.
While Heike had managed to keep information from leaking, with official approval now, it wouldn’t be long before our movements reached Acella.
‘30 minutes until Georg moves.’
It’s time to make our move.
“Bruno, have the carriage ready so we can depart at any time.”
“Yes.”
I took a deep breath.
“Huff, let’s go.”
“This will be the last escort mission. I’ll serve you.”
Tanya stuck close behind me.
On the way to meet Acella.
I was a little, no, quite tense.
*
“Wait, Heike approved the independence?”
Acella was flabbergasted.
It was an unimaginable thought that the Empire would grant independence to a mere noble family. No matter how powerful Heike was, she couldn’t just push something like this through without authority.
Unless there was an imperial decree, of course.
“There must have been an imperial decree.”
The puzzle pieces clicked into place in Acella’s mind.
The conversation Lars had with the Emperor just before his death must have contained this information.
It was obvious that the reason he kept it a secret from her was because she would have opposed it.
I’m not sure of the Emperor’s true intentions in setting a precedent of a noble family gaining independence during a time of chaos, but I could clearly comprehend Lars’s will in this incident.
‘Lars is… trying to leave the Imperial Family?’
It was then that Acella realized there was a significant gap between the time she and Lars perceived.
Acella believed he was considering far-off futures. In a prestigious position like that of the attending physician, there would be no one willing to give up their power.
Just look at the current resigning physicians; they’re all old geezers clinging on for dear life.
But Lars was speaking about matters at this very moment.
He genuinely wished for Acella to join him.
To stop the succession battle, abandon the Emperor’s dreams, and come to the former country to be with him.
‘…Why?’
PING, Acella’s head felt dizzy as if she were experiencing anemia.
‘You know well that such a thing is impossible.’
Resentment began to bubble up toward Lars.
If such an important matter was brought up, shouldn’t she, as his lord, have been informed first?
Even if there were an imperial decree, wouldn’t it be natural for him to obey her orders, even if it risked his own life?
‘Maybe Lars wasn’t caught in the middle.’
From the start, Lars intended to leave the imperial family and establish the former country, and the Emperor merely granted that wish.
This made more sense.
Reaching that conclusion, Acella felt a lump in her throat.
Lars, whom she had trusted without a doubt until now, seemed like a betrayer.
She couldn’t see through his thoughts at all.
‘I need to confirm.’
Acella stood up.
“Find the physician. Have him report to my presence immediately.”
“Understood.”
“Right now!”
At Acella’s frantic command, the secretary general and the commander of the knights hurriedly dashed out.
In the now-quiet office, Acella reviewed the documents again.
The current status report of the Inner Palace Moonlight Palace faction, the Gothberg pharmaceutical factory report, the contract.
She desperately wracked her brain to read Lars’s thoughts from the text.
As she did, her anxiety only grew.
Of course, she couldn’t grasp his true intentions, and any possibility remained open.
“…Ah.”
At some point, Acella’s thoughts finally reached a certain place.
What did Lars truly desire? Power? Wealth? A country?
Wasn’t there a clear clue in her possession?
“A letter.”
Acella forgot to maintain decorum as she sprang from her seat and headed for her bedroom.
In the very bottom drawer beside her bed lay a neatly preserved envelope.
The contract that Lars demanded from her, with the Geass vow written within.
The envelope contained his unfiltered wishes.
“Lars’s desires are inside here.”
Perhaps the contents written inside might request, “Please make the marquisate independent as the former country.”
If so, it would mean Lars had been expanding his influence within the imperial family from the very beginning to draw this picture for today.
In other words, it suggested that from their first meeting, he had intended to use her.
…She couldn’t blame him for that since she had the same thoughts.
But if it turned out to be true now, Acella wouldn’t be able to restrain the rising fury of betrayal.
“No, that’s just a scenario for the worst-case situation.”
Lars had also said he had included something she would like.
He stated that it was a wish only she could fulfill, and she thought to keep hoping that if she could grant his wish now, Lars might again pledge his loyalty to her.
SHINK, Acella pulled out the envelope.
Protected by the magic of Geass, it appeared completely unblemished, just as it was when she first received it. The closure was securely sealed with the Gothberg emblem.
This envelope would only open when Lars wished. That’s why it had been nearly impossible to open in the past.
“If I use magic, I might be able to open it. My magic has become stronger than before.”
With that thought in mind, Acella touched the seal on the envelope.
At that moment.
CLICK.
The envelope, tightly sealed for years, opened with remarkable ease, as if it had never been sealed at all, revealing its contents.
“…Huh?”
Acella instinctively pulled out the letter, as if entranced.
THUMP, her heart raced violently, instinctively sending a warning.
Why? A gut feeling told her she shouldn’t look at this.
It wasn’t a logical conclusion based on clues. It was a warning sent by her body, having lived in a realm filled with enemies within the imperial family.
Yet human curiosity always conquers fear.
FLAP, Acella unfolded the folded paper.
Her golden eyes scanned the words eagerly as they darted left and right.
And then.
“What?”
Acella’s whole body froze.
“…Why?”
She asked in a voice laced with despair, but there was no answer.
“No, what does this mean…”
[Acella von Württemberg breaks off her engagement with Lars Gothberg, relieves him from his position as attending physician, and safely expels him from the Imperial Palace.]
Not a single word of that sentence made sense to her.
The handwriting was undeniably Lars’s. Acella, who had read his reports numerous times, could not possibly be mistaken.
‘Lars is resigning as the attending physician.’
‘Lars is leaving the Imperial Palace.’
Neither scenario was something Acella wanted to imagine, much less consider.
‘Lars is breaking off our engagement.’
Such possibilities.
Such words.
Were concepts that had never existed in Acella’s mind.
As if facing an unknown entity, she felt a terrifying wave of fear crashing over her, desperately gripping her legs as if she might faint at any moment.
“Lars, why?”
Why, why, why.
Normally, Acella would analyze the clues and deduce the underlying causes, but now her mind was paralyzed, able to ask only the most primary questions.
Why.
Why does Lars want to break up with me?
What does that mean Lars’s…
Wish is?
BOOM!
A loud commotion erupted outside the window. She lost perception of the crimson scenery painted by the rising signal fire.
“What should I do?”
Like a baby, Acella was helplessly wringing her feet.
What needed to be done was simple.
First, find Lars.
She had an ominous feeling that if she missed him now, it would lead to something terrible.
Just as she made that judgment and was about to move her feet.
“Your Highness.”
In front of her, as she tried to rush out of the bedroom.
A long shadow loomed from the already opened door.
The light fabric of his white cloak fluttered gently in the wind.
It wasn’t pure white. His snow-white hair was stained crimson by the sunset coming through the window.
“Lars…”
Acella hesitated in calling out his name.
An ominous premonition rang BANG BANG, pounding in her chest like a warning.
She knew this scene.
It was a sight deeply embedded in her mind, more vivid than any nightmare.
THUD, Lars stepped closer to Acella.
“I have something to say to you.”
“No.”
Acella desperately denied it.
She knew they must not speak those words.
She was aware it would lead to irrevocable consequences.
“No, wait…!”
Acella wanted to cover his mouth.
She knew exactly what he was about to say, wishing to cast a spell of silence or some other magic.
“I’d like to resign from my position as the attending physician.”
“Stop it!!”
Acella dashed toward Lars. She had the intent to knock him out right then and there.
THUD!
As Acella pushed Lars, he bumped his head against the door frame, and the two of them tumbled to the floor in a heap.
“Stop, stop.”
Acella half-embraced Lars as she began to overpower him, grabbing his collar and pressing down with her body.
Lars locked eyes with Acella.
His gaze was calmer than ever.
In the end, Acella couldn’t silence him.
His monotonous declaration pierced her heart like a cold, lethal spell sharper than her ice spear.
“I must leave the Imperial Palace.”
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