[Raul PoV]
The next day, many nobles arrived at the Imperial Palace to attend the Emperor's birthday celebration, which would last for three days. This event was an opportunity for their children to socialize, as well as to meet other nobles with their own agendas.
Duke Alvaro—my father—had only arrived here this morning. Yesterday, he sent me a letter expressing his wish to discuss something with me today.
"What does he want to talk about?"
We're talking about Duke Alvaro here. He is one of the most cunning men in the entire game. He also possesses the Insanity Trait, which makes his character extremely difficult to predict.
I have already changed many parts of the plot in this world. Could Duke Alvaro's plan to sacrifice the people of the Duchy of Toledo also change? If that's the case, then the future will become far harder for me to predict.
Could he change his target instead?
But where would he obtain one million human souls in such a short time?
In the game Path of Destiny, there is an artifact capable of collecting the souls of humans who have just died. However, there are only a few hours before those souls disappear from our dimension.
Back then, Duke Alvaro used a forbidden spell that required ten years of preparation before it could function. This magic allowed him to harvest human souls directly throughout the Duchy of Toledo.
Would he really abandon a plan he had spent so many years building?
I don't know...
Without any clues, it would be difficult to predict what he plans to do.
Still, I must remain vigilant. He is one of the most troublesome antagonists in the game.
Before long, I arrived in front of his room. Alfred was standing beside the door as a guard.
"Young Master," Alfred greeted while bowing. "Master has been waiting for you inside."
I nodded and entered after Alfred opened the door.
Inside, a middle-aged man in his forties was writing something on a piece of paper.
"Father, I have arrived as you ordered," I said.
"Oh? So you consider me your father after all?" Duke Alvaro replied without even looking at me, still writing.
"I'm simply behaving as I should," I answered. "Now then, what did you want to discuss with me?"
Duke Alvaro finished writing and slipped the paper into an envelope. He then sealed it with the Garcia family crest.
"Alfred, come in."
The old servant entered and bowed.
"Send this to the usual place. Understood?" Duke Alvaro said as he handed the letter to Alfred.
"I will carry out your order, Master," Alfred replied before leaving the room.
Finally, Duke Alvaro looked at me and smiled.
"Sit down first. This will be an interesting conversation."
I did as he said and sat on the chair in front of his desk.
"How was your exam?" he asked, like an ordinary father asking his son about school.
"You're asking that because your spy couldn't get close while the students were taking the exam, right?" I said bluntly.
"Hee~ You noticed that too? How did you manage it?" Duke Alvaro asked, looking genuinely impressed. "He's one of the spies I acquired from the Ashina Clan, famous for their assassination techniques."
The Ashina Clan, huh?
If I remember correctly, they were descendants of Ashina the Shadow, rumored to come from a distant eastern continent.
"I don't have the power to detect him yet," I answered honestly. "I just guessed. There's no way you'd allow me to spend large amounts of money without supervision."
It was true. Without detection magic, it was almost impossible to track assassins from the Ashina Clan.
Still, I had a special trick prepared to lure him out later.
"Well then, let's skip the small talk," Duke Alvaro said as his smile disappeared.
Alright. Here it comes.
Would he talk about destroying the Empire?
About human sacrifice?
Or worst of all… selling my soul to demons?
"Raul, you will marry Princess Alisha."
"Huh?"
Marriage? To a princess?
Since when did this man care about his son's marriage?
Did he hit his head somewhere and have his soul replaced too, just like me?
"Oh? I seem to have surprised you," Duke Alvaro said with another smile. "Does the thought of marrying a beautiful northern princess make you that happy?"
"No, no, no." I quickly denied it. "You're making me marry her to achieve some kind of agreement, aren't you? There's no way you'd do this without a specific reason."
Duke Alvaro took a sip of wine from the glass on his desk before answering.
"That's correct. Your marriage is part of my agreement with Tsar Feodor. You don't need to know the details, Raul."
An agreement, huh?
What kind of agreement could that be?
Let's think this through…
Raul marrying Princess Alisha never happened in the game.
Princess Alisha herself was supposed to die in Chapter Four after graduation.
That means Duke Alvaro only came up with this plan after I met him for the first time.
In other words, some of his plans have already changed from the original game.
I remembered reading in the newspaper a few days ago about a monster disaster in the Tsardom of Slavia, which had devastated their economy.
That means there's a strong possibility Duke Alvaro made a business partnership or investment deal with Tsar Feodor.
But what benefit would that bring him?
With their economy in ruins, it would take time before any investment produced returns.
There must be something he wants there—whatever it is.
"Princess Alisha will arrive here in a few days," Duke Alvaro said, breaking my train of thought. "She will transfer to the academy along with her personal maid. Starting tomorrow, the Garcia family will also begin cooperation with the Tsardom of Slavia."
Just what is this man planning?
Nothing good ever comes out of Duke Alvaro's schemes.
Which means I'll have to investigate the details myself—either by sending a spy to that country or extracting information directly from Princess Alisha.
***
[Elena PoV]
Yesterday's exhausting meeting was finally over.
Now I was bored, sitting alone in my room.
Earlier, I wanted to invite Raul to take a walk or spar with me. But this time he was with his father discussing something.
Some academy students would also attend tonight with their noble families. However, only a few of them were close to me.
I wanted to spend time with my younger brother Antonio and Reana.
Unfortunately, they weren't here. They had gone with Mother to our family mansion in the city of Zurau.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Princess Elena, His Majesty requests your presence in his study."
I heard the maid calling from outside my room.
Father?
What could he want to discuss with me? He's been extremely busy lately.
This must be something important.
"Alright, I'll come immediately."
After leaving my room, the maid escorted me to Father's study.
Many nobles had already arrived at the palace. As a member of the imperial family, they greeted me respectfully as I passed.
When we arrived in front of Father's office, two guards were standing at the entrance.
"Could you inform the Emperor that I've arrived?" I asked.
Even though I was his daughter, I still had to request permission to see him unless he summoned me personally.
"Yes, Your Highness."
One guard went inside and soon returned.
"You may enter now, Your Highness," he said while opening the door.
I nodded and entered.
A large pile of documents covered Father's desk. He seemed incredibly busy.
"Ah, Elena. You're here."
I turned to the side and saw Father approaching while holding a book.
"Of course, Father. What did you want to talk about?" I asked curiously.
"Let's move to the lounge so we can talk comfortably," he suggested, walking to the adjoining room.
The room was larger, with a comfortable sofa and a fireplace warming the space.
We sat down while a cup of warm tea was served.
I took a sip. The fragrant aroma of the leaves began to relax me.
"Elena, how is school at the academy?" Father asked, starting the conversation.
"It's fine, I suppose. Aside from the wild monster incident, there haven't been any dangerous events threatening the students," I replied.
So this was just small talk.
"That reminds me… wasn't the one with you earlier Duke Alvaro's son?" Father asked.
Ugh…
Why does he have to circle around like this if he wants to say something important?
Maybe he's so used to speaking with nobles who hide their intentions behind complicated words that he's adopted the same style.
Honestly, I'll never get used to conversations like this.
"Yes. He's my classmate and also a member of the Student Council," I replied calmly.
"I see. This is the first time I've seen you with a man your age, Elena," Father said, sipping his tea. "Why did you choose him as your guard? Did he catch your attention?"
I sighed before answering.
"Not really, Father. Raul has a bad reputation," I said casually. "He has a terrible personality, behaves dishonorably in duels, always acts mysterious, and I have no idea how his mind works."
"And yet you still trust him as your guard," Father said with a smile. "You have a unique expression when you talk about him, Elena."
Huh? Do I?
I reflexively touched my face.
"But there's something I must remind you of, Elena," Father continued, his tone no longer warm. "You are the Princess of the Empire. The future of your life must serve the best interests of the Empire."
I lowered my head.
Why was Father suddenly talking about this?
Don't tell me…
"I plan to betroth you to Prince Vlad of the Kingdom of Draconia."
The moment I heard those words, my body felt cold—as if summer had suddenly ended.
Even the warmth of the tea I drank earlier did nothing to warm me now.
"Why do you want to betroth me to the prince of Draconia?" I asked, keeping my voice as steady as possible.
Father sighed.
"After discussions with several ministers, we concluded that conflict with the Republic of Venetia is unavoidable."
The Republic of Venetia.
A nation bordering the Empire in the north.
They control the coastline of the Cosentia Gulf. Because of their strategic position in the center of the continent, their trade and economy have grown rapidly, making them the richest nation on the continent.
"Their dominance over trade in the gulf is hindering our economic development," Father explained. "If this continues, our influence on the continent will keep shrinking."
I see.
Does Father want an alliance with the Kingdom of Draconia?
Or just military cooperation?
But if news of my engagement spreads, the Republic will become more cautious toward our Empire.
"But Father, the Republic will surely react if this alliance leaks," I said doubtfully.
"Don't worry, Elena. First we'll observe the Republic's reaction by inviting Prince Vlad to study at Grunbelt Academy as part of a student exchange program," Father replied. "I hope you understand, Elena."
It's true that I'm willing to sacrifice my body and soul for my beloved country.
But why…
Now that I'm faced with such a choice…
Why does my heart feel so conflicted?
"I understand, Father. I will do whatever it takes for this country."