“Please feel free to use this as your office, Your Highness.”

Leonid, standing at the door, addressed Josef.

Now that the Crown Prince had become the governor, he would need an office. Leonid’s manner of showing him the room was as natural as if it had all been prepared in advance.

“Is there anything else you need, Your Highness?”

Leonid clasped his hands, trying to maintain a calm expression.

Josef, lighting a cigarette, silently watched Leonid’s graying hair. The duke, who had ruled this country until yesterday, was now bowing to the empire’s Crown Prince, a man no older than his own son.

How pathetic weakness is.

“Was her name Amelia?”

Through the pale smoke Josef exhaled, he could see Leonid’s face turn ashen.

“Your daughter.”

“…Yes, Your Highness. May I ask why you’re asking after her?”

“She will be my assistant governor.”

Leonid’s face showed obvious signs of confusion as he briefly processed Josef’s words.

“Your Highness… Amelia has no knowledge of administration.”

“Of course, she doesn’t.”

“Then, why…?”

“Why, indeed.”

Josef’s low voice made Leonid flinch. He couldn’t tell if the Crown Prince’s words were a question or not, but the heavy silence that followed weighed down the air in the room. Nervously, Leonid waited in silence until Josef’s cigarette burned down.

Finally breaking the tense stillness, Josef spoke.

“A man who dares to question the Crown Prince’s decisions cannot be an assistant, can he?”

There was nothing more to say in front of someone who framed his opinions in such a way.

“…My apologies, Your Highness.”

Leonid, who had been about to protest, silently bowed his head and left the room, looking utterly defeated.

* * *

Left alone, Josef surveyed the office. He didn’t feel much about it, as he didn’t plan on staying long.

To freely manipulate Brienne, Josef had to make sure Leonid couldn’t pull any tricks. That’s why he intended to appoint Amelia to the empty title of assistant governor.

“I was just trying to be respectful…”

As Josef recalled Amelia’s terrified face, her frightened voice seemed to echo in his ears.

In countries welcoming the Imperial Army, people typically wore black. It had never bothered him before, but seeing that woman wrapped in a black dress unsettled him in a strange way.

Despite trembling, she had stubbornly opened her mouth, staring at him with her large, bright blue eyes.

‘If she doesn’t comply, I’ll just kill her.’

Josef slowly approached the window.

Outside, he saw Brienne Castle’s servants busily moving about like ants in response to orders from Captain Henrik of the Imperial Guard.

Everything was progressing smoothly.

Once the Empire began expanding, there was no stopping it. There had been difficult wars, but no nation had ever stood intact where Josef’s cavalry had passed. Any losses were quickly recovered through victories in subsequent battles.

The Emperor had no intention of conquering all the kingdoms across the continent at once; it was simply that the Crown Prince, Josef, was far too capable. Military strength crushed tactics, and attempts at negotiation were swiftly handled through massacres.

For Josef, none of this was difficult.

Dealing with Brienne was no different. The military was weak, and aside from shipbuilding technology, trade, and a few specialty products, this insignificant duchy was easy to manipulate.

Josef dismissed thoughts of Brienne. There were more important matters to consider.

* * *

“Me?”

Amelia’s eyes widened in shock.

The sunset had long faded, and night had already fallen outside the window. Sitting across the table, Leonid nodded with a somber expression.

“Assistant governor…?”

If the Crown Prince were to assign such a role, Amelia had always assumed it would be given to her father. Yet, out of nowhere, this responsibility had been thrust upon her.

She had no idea what the Crown Prince intended to do next, so how was she supposed to assist him? She had only read about such roles in books…

Amelia, feeling restless, began pacing around the table. Seeing this, Leonid gave a wry smile.

“Amelia, don’t feel too bound by the title of assistant governor.”

Her father explained that the Crown Prince’s decision to give her this role was merely a formality. It was simply a way for Josef to keep control over Brienne under Olstein’s influence.

“He’s pushing me aside because he fears I might defy his will. It’s a way of telling me not to interfere with the Empire’s commands.”

“So, there’s nothing you can do, Father?”

“Not at the moment.”

Leonid spoke so calmly that Amelia found herself more shocked by his tone. She felt drained, as though she were the only one panicking, and she sank back into her chair, exhausted.

“Don’t worry too much, Amelia.”

Leonid gently patted her hand on the table.

“From what I’ve heard, Josef is a man who moves according to precise calculations. The Empire, having already seized many nations, knows that excessive exploitation leads to resistance. I don’t think they’ll take unnecessary risks with a small duchy like ours.”

Though her father’s words were steady, Amelia felt a sudden pang of sorrow looking at his hands, now showing the wear of age.

Everything I love is here. Father always said his only goal was to nurture Brienne into a paradise for me.

Yet in less than half a day, the Crown Prince had already gained the power to push her father aside.

Sensing Amelia’s growing despair, Leonid spoke reassuringly.

“Why don’t you try speaking with the Crown Prince?”

“About the role of assistant governor?”

He nodded.

“Ask him what tasks he plans to assign to you. I’ll see what I can do as well.”

Her father had given up his office to Crown Prince Josef. Carrying a lantern, Amelia made her way across the garden behind the castle, her feet crunching on the dry twigs beneath her. As she walked, she recalled Josef’s appearance from earlier in the day. She had heard that people from Olstein were tall and had a fierce look, and it was true. His striking features seemed almost inhuman, which had frightened her.

His eyes especially stood out. His deep, shadowed gaze was intensely cold. Just remembering his jet-black pupils, the same color as his hair, made her chest tighten with an inexplicable sense of dread.

“P-please spare me, my lord!”

A man’s scream pierced the night air. Amelia froze in place. The chilling, desperate cry made her want to cover her ears and flee.

“My lord, please…”

The pleading voice turned into sobs, and the pained groaning sounded familiar.

“…Jerome?”

That was definitely the voice of Jerome, the head chef who worked at the castle.

Gathering her courage, Amelia ran toward the direction where she heard the dull thuds of blows landing.

What she saw confirmed her fears. Beneath the castle wall, an imperial soldier was sitting on top of the chef, beating him mercilessly.

“Stop that at once!”

Amelia’s shout made the soldier freeze for a moment, his arm raised to strike again.

“What are you doing?”

“A-Amelia, my lady!”

Jerome, who was trapped beneath the soldier, cried out in a barely comprehensible voice. The hulking man glanced briefly at Amelia, but then raised his fist to hit Jerome once more.

Regaining her composure, Amelia rushed toward them.

“I told you to stop!”

Startled by the sharpness of her voice, the soldier hesitated for a moment, then scoffed and moved aside.

“My L-lady…”

“Jerome, oh my God!”

Amelia gasped in horror. Jerome’s face was bruised and swollen, and the hat he always wore with pride was crumpled and covered in dirt. Blood from his split lip and nose had stained his white clothing in dark patches.

“Are you okay? Can you stand?”

Amelia had never seen such violence up close before. Swallowing her fear, she helped the groaning Jerome to his feet.

With her assistance, Jerome managed to stand, though he swayed unsteadily as he brushed the dirt off his hat.

“Jerome, what happened?”

“That soldier, my lady… He ordered me to make food for a dozen people out of nowhere, this late at night.”

Jerome explained, his voice shaky with anger. He had already put out the kitchen fire and cleaned the hearth when he received the unreasonable demand, long after dinner had been served.

“I told him the fire was out and that he’d need to wait a bit, but he just got angry. He accused me of talking back… and then dragged me out here and started hitting me.”

Tears welled up in Jerome’s eyes as he spoke, overwhelmed with frustration and pain.

“You there!”

“…”

“Did you beat someone like this just because of that?”

Amelia’s voice rose as she glared at the soldier.

The man merely shrugged, his expression unchanged.

“There’s nothing wrong with giving an order to a servant.”

“What?”

Stunned by the audacity of his words, Amelia was momentarily speechless.

I’m a noble, and he’s just a soldier without rank. How can he be so arrogant?

Could it be because he’s part of the imperial army? Does being in the imperial military give him the right to treat the governor’s servants however he likes, to beat them as he pleases? To speak down to anyone he wishes?

The soldier’s brazen confidence made it impossible for Amelia to respond.

But then, his smug expression suddenly changed. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head until it nearly touched the ground.

“C-Crown Prince, Your Highness!”

Amelia turned around.

There was no moon visible. Josef’s tall figure loomed over her, blocking the sky. His face, bathed in the dim light, appeared even more intense than it had during the day. Though his features were composed, his gaze remained sharp and arrogant.

‘Why do I feel this way?’

Amelia wondered, suddenly realizing that she had been staring at him the whole time. She quickly bowed her head.

“I-it’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

In the silence, she noticed a faint glow. When she looked up, she saw Josef holding a lit cigarette between his long fingers. The smoke wavered briefly before disappearing into the dark sky.

“What’s all this commotion?”

Josef’s gaze turned to the soldier, who was still bowing low to the ground.

“My apologies, Your Highness. The head chef refused to follow orders, so—”

The soldier’s excuse sounded absurd to Amelia. He conveniently left out the part where he demanded food for a dozen people in the middle of the night. He also omitted how he had brutally beaten someone over it.

“That’s why you caused a disturbance near my office?”

Josef’s voice was indifferent as he flicked the ash off his half-burnt cigarette. Beads of sweat began to form on the soldier’s forehead.

“…Your Highness.”

Gathering her courage, Amelia addressed Josef.

“T-this soldier gave an unreasonable order to a servant in the middle of the night. And worse, he used excessive violence.”

“…”

“I believe he should be punished for this.”

She wanted to do something for Jerome, who clutched his crumpled hat to his chest. Though she had mustered all her courage to speak, her voice still trembled slightly with fear.

Josef, who had been watching her, finally spoke.

“Hmm.”

It was as if he couldn’t see what the issue was.

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