Published: January 4, 2026
"Your Majesty…"
"Hmm? What's wrong, Henry? You look troubled."
Henry, who had just been praising me moments ago, suddenly wore a troubled expression.
"Regarding the situation during Your Majesty's absence…"
"…Ah."
I nodded slightly.
Henry didn’t mention the name directly, but he was referring to Oscar.
It was an open secret that Oscar still had his eyes on the imperial throne, and naturally, Henry knew this as well.
Originally, the late emperor—Father—had entrusted three princes with important roles: Henry, Oscar, and me.
This was because, among the princes, the three of us were the most capable.
After Father abdicated and passed the imperial throne to me, I continued to rely heavily on Henry and Oscar.
One reason was to fulfill Father's longstanding wish.
If I could remain emperor and work hand in hand with Henry and Oscar to maintain a long reign, that would elevate Father’s historical reputation.
…History is written by the victors, after all; it can be shaped as one pleases if determined enough.
Another reason is simply that people are treasures.
I understood why Father had placed great trust in Henry and Oscar.
Among Father’s children, fewer than twenty were still alive.
And among them, these two were exceptionally outstanding.
Therefore, I myself wanted to keep relying on Henry and Oscar.
I wanted to, but… Oscar’s ongoing ambition remained a problem.
"If I may be so bold, if both Your Majesty and I are absent simultaneously—"
"You need not say more."
"Understood."
I pinched my chin thoughtfully.
I needed to find a way to prevent Oscar from getting any strange ideas while I was away.
Of course, I couldn’t tell Oscar directly.
Oscar was the minister of finance and a key minister whom the empire couldn’t do without.
And he had never openly displayed his ambitions.
It was impossible and pointless to act directly against him.
So then—
"…The person in charge during my absence will be Sem."
"Sem!? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!?"
Henry was shocked.
Understandable.
Sem was my firstborn child.
"With all due respect, your highness is still a toddler."
"Exactly. That’s why we’ll appoint an assistant."
"Assistant…"
"Formally… a regent prince would be ideal."
"Regent prince…"
Henry rolled the phrase over his tongue, considering it carefully.
"Yes, regent prince. It’s probably the highest rank among the royal titles."
"Indeed, depending on circumstances, it could even surpass the emperor in status."
"Not only governance and power, but also, in some cases, he will act as tutor to the young emperor."
"Providing a title to appease him…"
"Yes, it also shows trust. If we go that far, even if he had ideas, he might think twice."
"…As you wish."
"Let’s take one more measure."
"What kind?"
"I’ll grant Serius a title. How about 'Prince Zhong'?"
"Prince Zhong…"
"I trust Henry, but—"
I paused, then laughed lightly and shrugged playfully.
"If you ask which of my brothers would never dream of rebellion—"
"I see, it’s Serius."
Henry took over my words, smiling happily.
The Sixth Prince, Serius Ararat.
The late emperor’s son and among my brothers, the most honest man.
His honesty bordered on stubbornness; a man inflexible in his ways.
For Serius, rebellion or usurpation were impossible thoughts, never even entertained.
As a result, Serius would likely be the most loyal man to the emperor in all the empire.
By granting Serius the title of Prince Zhong, we would subtly pressurize Oscar.
"If a titled prince opposes him politically, it’s a valid countermeasure."
"Exactly."
"As expected of Your Majesty."
"…Henry, how many imperial emperor's guard do we currently have?"
"Huh? Why do you ask that…? No."
Henry asked instinctively but quickly stopped, searching his memory to answer.
"Ready to deploy immediately? Probably around 30,000."
"Hmm."
"Shall we send them on campaign? The Imperial Capital would be nearly defenseless."
"That’s precisely what I want."
"…I see."
Henry seemed to understand half of my intention.
Yes, I would send the imperial emperor's guard out of the capital to avoid Oscar having access to them.