"…Let be honest. Even after learning about your 'brilliance'—"
The Emperor’s gaze briefly flickered toward Damien. It seed he hadn’t revealed my abilities to others. If he had, there’d be no need for such indirect language.
"—I spent a long ti preparing for war. At tis, I even considered deceiving your keen eyes or hoping you’d co to understand my ambitions. But no matter how much ti passed, I realized a global war wasn’t to your liking."
The Emperor smiled as he spoke. It wasn’t a bitter smile—far from it.
"So, I began seriously contemplating why you are so opposed to war. Was it because you lacked patriotism for the Empire? Were you worried things would grow too complicated if you succeeded as Emperor? Or perhaps you feared your beloved sisters might get caught up in the chaos?"
The Emperor shook his head.
"No, it wasn’t a lack of patriotism. I’ve seen how deeply you care for the Empire’s future. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have offered advice whenever I asked about the Empire’s prospects or shown such anger at the corruption of the nobility."
Ah…
No, he had it wrong. I cooperated because staying silent would have seed even more suspicious. And I was angry at the corrupt nobles not out of any grand ideals but because their actions were utterly insane. If they’d been quietly indulging in bribes and self-serving deals, I wouldn’t have cared much.
"And you never showed any desire to beco Emperor. Instead, you seed more interested in seeing your sisters ascend to the throne. To my eyes, it wasn’t simply a matter of playing kingmaker. It felt like you genuinely wanted them to beco Emperor. Whether that stemd from trust in their abilities or a desire not to take anything away from them, the outco was the sa."
Alice’s gaze shifted toward again.
But this ti, her expression wasn’t one of irritation or anger. It was far more complex.
And that made it even harder to et her eyes.
Instead, I forced myself to look directly at the Emperor.
"You have no hesitation when it cos to pulling the trigger—provided your target deserves it. That’s why you recoil at the thought of dragging ordinary Imperial citizens into a war. Outwardly, you project the image of a cold, unfeeling war machine, but to , you’re deeply human. And yet, your foresight is unmatched."
The Emperor smiled again.
It was a peculiar smile, one that didn’t seem fitting for soone like him.
Not because it was dangerous—no, it was the kind of smile I wouldn’t have expected him to wear.
It was the smile of a father proud of his child.
"And so, over the years, I began envisioning the Empire you wanted. In a way, it beca a challenge to myself. To build the greatest empire in the world, one so unassailable that even you couldn’t deny its rits. That’s been my goal for the past several years."
…
The fact that I didn’t imdiately blurt out "What the hell?" was a testant to how much my patience had grown.
Well done, . Such remarkable self-restraint.
…No, wait. This wasn’t growth at all!
I’d been so focused on the original story that I’d completely misjudged everything!
I’d always assud the Emperor was preparing for war, that the Empire was destined to beco a villainous superpower. I thought several of the heroines would inevitably face mortal danger—or even die—and that my mission was to prevent it.
But what if that premise was entirely wrong?
What if the Empire wasn’t becoming a force of evil? What if the Emperor had turned into an oddly righteous figure? What if a world war never broke out at all?
At its core, this should have been a good thing. The protagonist’s party would achieve their goals without anyone getting hurt.
The problem was that it ant the future had been derailed completely—far more severely than I’d anticipated.
And not just recently—this derailnt had started much earlier than I’d realized.
"Did you… find an answer?" I asked cautiously.
"Almost," the Emperor replied, still smiling.
"It’s not perfect. Compared to my original plans for world domination, it’s far less flawless. But in terms of risk, this approach is much safer. It’s almost impossible to reach an ideal conclusion, but even in failure, this path guarantees a positive outco. And that’s all thanks to you. For that, I’m grateful."
"…"
I stayed silent for a mont before asking, "Can you share this answer with ?"
"Of course."
The Emperor nodded, his smile unwavering, and began explaining his plan.
"First, the colonies will gradually gain independence. Borders will be restored to what they were before Imperial conquest. The modern infrastructure we’ve built on their land will remain theirs."
"…The Empire will lose all the benefits it’s gained from them," I pointed out.
"Do you think they’ll ever catch up to the Empire, even after independence?"
No, they wouldn’t—just as South Korea would never catch up to the United States.
"Exploitation has its limits. It’s better to foster their growth and establish fair trade relationships. In the long run, this approach is more profitable. They’ll gain independence, but they’ll remain part of our union. Over the coming centuries, we’ll help them solve their problems, fostering a dependency that ensures an unbreakable alliance."
The Emperor’s smile grew as he spoke.
"And if others wish to join our union, we’ll welco them. Our currency will unify under the Imperial standard, and our weaponry will beco the global standard. While their lands won’t belong to us, they’ll be unable to survive without the Empire."
"…But for that to work, Your Majesty would need to live for several centuries."
"Then we’ll ensure it can be done."
"Are you saying you’ll create successors who share your vision?"
"Precisely."
I glanced at Alice.
"Oh, Alice will be one of those successors. And so will you."
"You’re proposing a dual Emperor system?"
"There will only be one person on the throne, as you wish. That person will be Alice."
Seeing my startled expression, the Emperor grinned like a child who had landed a perfect punch in a boxing match.
"My absolute authority will be divided and entrusted to those who will never betray it—those who despise the nobility yet remain essential for keeping them in check."
Ah.
I was starting to understand.
"Who exactly will…?" Alice asked, her voice trailing off.
The Emperor smirked.
"The people, my dear daughter."
He spoke playfully.
"I will entrust my absolute power to the people before I die."
Strengthening parliantary powers. Universal suffrage.
If the nobility held even slightly more power than the Emperor, they might have resisted fiercely. But in the Empire, no one could oppose the Emperor’s will.
No one could kill all the people.
At first glance, transferring the Emperor’s power to the populace might seem like weakening it. But in reality, it was the opposite.
Until the entire population was eradicated, that imnse power would remain intact.
Even if 10% of the population were massacred, the remaining 90% would still hold that power.
"The institutions are already in place," the Emperor continued. "All I need to do is instill my vision in the people. I won’t live forever, but I have enough ti. Thirty years is enough to educate a generation."
"…"
"What do you think, my daughter?"
The Emperor leaned toward , his eyes gleaming.
"This is the answer I’ve co up with. A way to make the Empire the center of the world, one you cannot reject. What do you think?"
I had no response.
It wasn’t a perfect plan. There’s no such thing as a perfect plan, system, or politics.
I wasn’t an expert on these matters either.
But…
But I was soone who had grown up consuming dia where empires were almost always the villains.
I had been raised in a republic, educated to believe in equality and universal rights.
In that sense, the Emperor had read perfectly.
His words sounded utterly righteous to .
So much so that I couldn’t find a single point to refute.
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