The Emperor threw a fit. The current head of the Habsburgs was known for having no interest in governance whatsoever, shutting himself away in his private palace and indulging in nothing but amusement.
But perhaps when danger threatened his own person, he was overcome with fury. In a rare move, he summoned the Grand Chamberlain and the Head Steward to his private palace. According to accounts, he hurled a clock at them, shouting, "How dare you imperil the sovereign's sacred body?!"
Whether to call it petty or exasperating—well, it was remarkable that someone of Elisabeth's caliber had managed to be born from such a father's blood.
But a sovereign was still a sovereign. The Inner Court and the Imperial Guard moved nimbly to avoid the Emperor's wrath, and recruiting viable heirs to the throne was part of that effort.
From the Emperor's fury to the succession war, the Imperial Palace hurtled toward an explosion of razor-edge tension.
Had there been even one more day, the Court Ministers would have been dragged in as well. The Empire itself would have been shaken to its core. But the incident ended in a way no one had anticipated.
"The so-called intruder in this incident was a person I had sponsored."
Princess Johanna von Habsburg revealed.
Specifically, she had noticed that the palace's overall security had weakened of late, so she had arranged for a test breach.
Naturally, chaos erupted. What sort of foolish thing had a princess of the realm done? Even if she was the notoriously headstrong Second Princess, wasn't she lacking in awareness as a member of the Imperial family…? Then, at an officially convened assembly, Princess Johanna made her announcement.
"I believed that even if a crisis befell the Imperial family, all subjects within the Inner Court would unite to handle the situation. That is why I instructed the intruder to deliberately fall into the pond. However, when the crisis actually erupted, all the Inner Court did was fight over whose fault it was…"
The beautiful fourteen-year-old princess shed tears.
"I was taught that our Empire has always overcome countless dangers through unity. Where has the glory of the past gone? I… I never expected things would turn out like this…"
It was the moment the situation was resolved in the blink of an eye.
The Court Ministers immediately pivoted, berating the Inner Court: "The Imperial family was in danger and this is what you do?!", "Too busy scrambling to shift blame that you forgot your duty?!", "Stop joking around!"
Either way, whether it was the Inner Court or the Imperial Guard, they were the Imperial family's close retainers. Weakening the Inner Court and the Imperial Guard meant weakening the imperial authority, and weakening imperial authority meant strengthening the authority of the ministers.
Moreover, it could also serve as a warning to the next Emperor, Rudolf, and to Elisabeth. The ministers would have seen it as a golden opportunity.
As the situation developed this way, the Inner Court and the Imperial Guard could no longer continue their power play. The Chief Lady-in-Waiting and the Captain of the Imperial Guard declared they would take responsibility and resign.
Only the Emperor could stop their resignations, but he had no justification. Hadn't this all been set in motion by his own furious outburst? He couldn't very well take it back now. Before the question of face came the matter of authority. The Court Ministers must have felt as though they'd triumphed over their rivals without lifting a finger.
The tragedy wrought by an immature princess and a foolish emperor. That was supposed to be how the incident concluded... but Princess Johanna made yet another announcement at a formal gathering.
"I do not wish for the Chief Lady-in-Waiting and the Captain of the Imperial Guard to resign. If both have recognized their errors, then isn't this precisely the time to work together and face the situation? I believe in the servants of the Empire."
If the previous announcement was a one-two punch, this one was an uppercut.
The Emperor issued his decree as though he had been waiting for exactly this.
"The benevolence of the princess herself is truly admirable — how could we, your subjects, not be moved? You may have made mistakes, but the opportunity to restore the Empire's honor rests solely in your hands. Face this task with your lives on the line."
The Captain of the Imperial Guard, the Chief Lady-in-Waiting, and the true powers within the Imperial Household paid a visit to Princess Johanna that very day to offer their gratitude.
It was the classic "hit them then bandage them" routine, but what could be done? Whether their hearts were bursting with anguish or not, they had to put on grateful faces. They even apologized to me. Damn them all — serves them right!
In a stroke, only the Court Ministers were left chasing after nothing like dogs.
The ministers had attacked the Imperial Household under the pretext of internal discord. Now they couldn't very well undermine the cooperation between the Captain of the Imperial Guard and the Chief Lady-in-Waiting — that would make it look like the ministers themselves were the ones stirring up internal strife. In the end, the Captain and the Chief Lady-in-Waiting received nothing more than a one-year reduction in pay.
The ministers wore long faces. There was nothing they could do. They had no choice but to accept those meager results and withdraw. The incident was wrapped up and announced to the public, and the people praised His Majesty the Emperor's grace and Her Highness the Princess's noble character...
"Recently, even the bards have joined in."
Sebastian relayed.
"They say the scene of Your Highness weeping and crying out for the Empire's honor is the most popular of all."
"Pwahahaha!"
Princess Johanna burst into laughter. She rolled back and forth across the floor, clutching her belly as she howled. She thrashed about so wildly that her skirt hems became tangled, exposing her white thighs. Sebastian cleared his throat — ahem, ahem.
This was the true face of "the princess who wept for the Empire" — Johanna von Habsburg, Second Princess of the Empire. The truth is truly a terrifying thing.
"Your Highness, no matter the circumstances, this is not proper etiquette."
"Well, Lord Sebastian. Surely it's fine, isn't it?"
I interjected with a smile.
"The matter has been completely resolved. Her Highness must want to laugh freely as well. At least for today, the sound of Her Highness's laughter is a reward for us too."
"Hmph. If you say so, then I'll let it slide for today."
Sebastian nodded while stroking his mustache. The man was diligent and strict, but he had a surprisingly soft side to him. That was what made him so charming.
Not long ago, Sebastian had been reassigned as a dedicated butler to Princess Johanna. Being chosen as the princess's closest attendant was a promotion.
'A promotion in name only, though.'
Sebastian had been involved in the process of getting me out of prison. Even though this whole incident ended on a positive note, there still needed to be some kind of sanction for a servant who had acted beyond his authority. That was just how it was. You could say he'd effectively been eliminated from the race for advancement.
Yet Sebastian never once showed any sense of grievance toward me. I truly had nothing but gratitude for the man. Honestly, I wondered whether I could ever repay his kindness even in a lifetime...
"See! I knew you're the only one who understands me, Lorita!"
"Your Highness. I clearly stated 'for today only.'"
"Ugh—why is it that everyone around me is nothing but prudish servants?"
Princess Johanna pouted her lips. She was still sprawled on the floor. It really felt like dealing with an unruly little sister, and I couldn't help but smile wryly.
For the record, I had been selected as a dedicated servant to Princess Johanna. The Emperor had—no, that's not right—His Majesty the Emperor had been greatly pleased with the princess's wit. The Emperor already knew the entire series of incidents had been staged, since the princess had laid out the whole plan before making her announcement.
His Majesty had granted Princess Johanna a private audience, during which he promised to grant her any single wish. Right there and then, the princess spoke without a shred of hesitation.
"Please make Lorita my personal attendant, Father."
"So be it. In recognition of her role in protecting the imperial family, I hereby bestow upon the commoner Lorita the surname Defensor."
And so I became Lorita Defensor.
I may not have been born a noble, but His Majesty the Emperor himself had bestowed a surname upon me. That made me half-noble, at least.
Just a week ago I'd been tortured mercilessly in an underground dungeon, so... should I be celebrating how far I'd come? Long live my princess.
"Oh, right—Father gave me a task to handle."
"A task?"
Princess Johanna sprang to her feet and dusted off her dress with her hands.
"They want me to prepare and preside over this year's Grand Hunt. Father must really love me, huh, Your Majesty."
"The Grand Hunt!"
Sebastian was startled. His reaction was far from ordinary, so I asked.
"Pardon me, Lord Sebastian, but what exactly is the Grand Hunt?"
"It is a hunting tournament held once every four years by the border margraves. Its purpose is to display and strengthen the unity of the imperial family and the border lords. Naturally, the high officials of the capital attend in large numbers as well."
Border margraves... so figures like von Rosenberg from Dungeon Attack.
I had a rough idea. You could say the Habsburg border was managed by the border margraves. In other words, this was a gathering of the most powerful warlords. It was absolutely not a light affair. You could tell just from looking at butler Sebastian's expression.
"Typically, the person who presides over the Grand Hunt is the next emperor. Until now, Crown Prince Rudolf has always taken charge. And now Princess Johanna is to handle such an important event..."
"Ugh. Just thinking about it already bores me."
Princess Johanna, on the other hand, wore nothing but a look of disgust.
"Preparing for the hunt means I'd have to command every last servant and guard in the imperial palace, right? From arranging the maids to deploying the soldiers... Ah, this is the perfect time to call in that favor I owe to the head lady-in-waiting and the captain of the knights! I really am a genius!"
Her Highness beamed with a grin.
It seemed Princess Johanna was only interested in the practical aspects of the work. She chattered excitedly about how she would mediate and direct the heads of the maidservants. Naturally, factions existed among the servants as well. Taming all of that and pulling off the event was an enormously difficult task in its own right.
Sebastian and I stepped out of the imperial princess's private quarters.
We walked down the corridor and spoke in low voices.
"Lord Sebastian. Her Highness does not yet seem to grasp the severity of the situation."
"Yes. I am worried about how Crown Prince Rudolf will take it. And Princess Elisabeth is a problem too."
Sebastian let out a heavy sigh.
"This is a serious matter. The succession race had been narrowing down steadily between the two of them, and now Princess Johanna has suddenly thrust herself into it. Until now, there has been little reason to view Johanna as a threat, but from here on, who knows what will happen..."
The pond incident was not a simple heartwarming tale. Only a very few knew the truth, but the winner and the loser had been clearly decided.
The winner, of course, was Her Highness Johanna.
First, she had created debts of gratitude with the Inner Court and the Imperial Guard. Even though the heads of each department had been penalized with pay cuts, if things had escalated to the point where both sides went all-out, one of them would have been utterly destroyed. Nobody wanted a chicken run. They would feel grateful to the Crown Princess for mediating so aptly.
Next, she had won the favor of His Majesty the Emperor and even gained popularity among the citizens of the capital. The court ministers were slightly dissatisfied, but the Inner Court had taken at least some damage. For now, there was no reason to pick a fight with Crown Princess Johanna.
The losers were Crown Prince Rudolph and Third Princess Elisabeth.
The two of them had been trying to seize the lead in the succession race with this opportunity. But out of nowhere, they had been ambushed from an entirely unexpected direction. To them, Johanna von Habsburg was a joker they had never even factored in.
The surprise attack had been devastating. Not only had they failed to save the Inner Court and the Imperial Guard in the end, but they also came under suspicion of having orchestrated the strife between the departments from behind the scenes.
They had lost the trust of their subordinates and aroused suspicion from potential enemies. They had gained nothing but losses.
From now on, they would be extremely wary of Her Highness Johanna. They would come at her with full seriousness.
In particular, Third Princess Elisabeth von Habsburg was a person to watch. She had assassinated her own beloved younger brother simply because he posed a risk of becoming a rival in the future. It was impossible to imagine that she would hesitate to kill an older sister she had little connection with.
Her Highness Johanna was now being targeted by the most capable and dangerous person in the world. And shielding her from that threat was perhaps the mission bestowed upon me, Lolita Defensor……
"Lord Sebastian. I have something urgent to discuss regarding those two royals."
"Hm?"
"It concerns the safety of Her Highness Johanna. This is of the utmost importance."
Here I was, nothing more than an ordinary person, trying to stand against the genius Elisabeth.
This wasn't a question of whether it was possible or impossible. In the end, the only future that remained for Her Highness Johanna, who had been defeated in the power struggle, was rape and murder. This was something I had to do……