NOVEL NEXT Chapter 46
“Kael Clausewitz. What do you think of that young man?”
At the Emperor’s words, Isabelle suddenly felt her head go blank.
The first thought that crossed her mind was, what could her father possibly mean by saying that?
Isabelle carefully turned her thoughts over and arrived at one assumption.
‘Is he asking about Prince Kael’s character?’
With that thought, a flurry of questions followed.
Could it be that my father, the Emperor, is suspicious of Kael Clausewitz?
Does he think he might be too outstanding and could harbor rebellious thoughts?
Is he contemplating whether to support him or worry about the future?
‘No. Absolutely not. He is, without a doubt, not that kind of person.’
It might be a rash judgment, but Isabelle wanted to say it.
Something deep inside her was shouting that Kael could never be such a person.
“Your Majesty.”
Even though the person standing right before her was the Emperor of this empire.
Even so, just looking at him instilled a profound sense of reverence.
“Kael Clausewitz is clearly a talent this empire will not easily see again.”
“Hmm?”
“I am not just referring to his abilities. He is deserving of the term genius while simultaneously fitting the label of a loyal subject.”
“…Why are you so certain?”
“I have seen it up close. I got to know him more closely than anyone else.”
His abilities were undoubtedly remarkable. It could evoke both astonishment and concern.
However, if one examined his personality and his aspirations, they would see that such worries were unfounded.
“Kael Clausewitz acts solely for those around him. He has no desire to showcase himself or any ambitions for power. He has no intention to illuminate himself so that others may follow.”
“…”
“He is not someone who would betray those who believe in him. If he were, he wouldn’t offer such strategies for the empire and then retreat quietly, would he?”
One might step back just enough to appear humble while still reaping benefits.
In contrast, the humility Kael demonstrated so far had far exceeded that.
There was no advantage to it. By lowering himself that way, he stood to lose much more.
If he had other intentions or was someone who calculated everything internally, he could not possibly act in such a fashion.
“Your Majesty. From the clashes with Nobogord to the eastern front. From the Pavilion battlefield to the subsequent attacks on Burgai, I fought alongside Kael Clausewitz. I can boldly assure you, he is by no means a harmful figure to this empire!”
By the end, her voice had risen without her even realizing it. That was how desperate she felt.
Under normal circumstances, she would have dared not act so boldly, but this time was different.
She wanted to dispel any doubts lingering next to the Emperor, her father.
“…”
But the Emperor merely looked down at Isabelle without any substantial response.
There was no visible change. His gaze remained calm and piercing.
That reality drove Isabelle even more to the brink of madness.
‘Could it be… that the Emperor is bestowing some tremendous reward upon Prince Kael as well…?’
It wasn’t entirely impossible. Such occurrences had happened before.
Deliberately bestowing a great reward to ease an opponent’s concerns, only to later catch them in fault, would serve as a perfect trap.
At first, she thought the Emperor simply favored Kael, but was that really the case?
“I can, I can assure you, Your Majesty. If you are looking for something amiss with Kael Clausewitz, please let that not be the case…”
The Emperor still had no response.
Instead, he continued to gaze at Isabelle with an increasingly heavy stare.
Faced with that scene, she could say no more and merely bowed her head.
―Gulp.
The tension felt like it would burst her heart. One second felt like an eternity.
What words would come from the Emperor’s lips? What intentions would he reveal?
She hoped he would listen to her words, but that might not be the case.
After all, unlike the princess, the Emperor occupied a station where he could not exclude any possibilities.
He, who must do everything for the future and safety of this empire.
Thus, he was fated to uproot even the tiniest sprout of doubt in an instant.
Isabelle knew this all too well, and it filled her with even greater fear.
What if, really, what if the Emperor saw Kael as a threatening individual?
What would she, the princess, do then? How should she act in that scenario?
Should she continue to bow her head and simply follow the Emperor’s will as she had until now?
Or should she trust in her conviction and plead with the Emperor just one more time?
‘Please, Your Majesty. Father. Please don’t say those words. Please….’
Her heart felt like it was on fire, tightening within her. It was pounding like crazy.
“Ha.”
However, the words that escaped the Emperor’s mouth were none of her worries or desires.
“Hoho. Hohoho! Hohohoho!!”
“…?”
Suddenly, the Emperor burst into raucous laughter.
His laughter was so loud that Isabelle couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Even the Crown Princess, who had been quietly beside him, couldn’t hide her smile.
After laughing heartily for a while, the Emperor finally spoke.
“This… it seems there is no need for me to rush things after all. Isn’t that so?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I think so too.”
“Your Majesty? Uh, sister?”
Both the Emperor and the Crown Princess were saying things that Isabelle couldn’t comprehend.
As she stared at them with wide eyes, it was the Crown Princess who spoke next.
“If I had known, there would have been no reason to make such a conspicuous effort beforehand. Bel.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
“Do you think I would go as far as to bestow that tremendous area just to praise simple military merit against the ministers’ objections?”
Was it not that?
Then what on earth was it?
As Isabelle blinked in confusion, the Emperor continued.
“As you say, I would trust that young man Kael will become a great boon for the imperial family and the empire.”
“I-I’m honored! Your Majesty!”
“However, since you’ve sworn to vouch for him, it is only right for you to uphold that promise.”
In that moment, Isabelle jolted, but she couldn’t take back her words.
And to be honest, she hadn’t even considered backing down.
“Yes! Your Majesty. I can assure you. Kael Clausewitz will never—”
“Did you hear that, Crown Princess?”
“I heard clearly, Your Majesty.”
That was enough. The Emperor finished speaking and commanded her to leave.
As she finally felt a sense of relief, Isabelle made her exit.
“Perhaps it’s because we’ve spent time together, but they seem to have grown quite close.”
“That’s how fearsome human emotions are. They may not be aware, but their hearts lean toward each other.”
Initially, the Emperor had considered calling them both in and gently pressuring them.
He had contemplated using the common political marriage card, which is often employed without any genuine feelings.
However, seeing things unfold this way, he felt there was no need to forcibly push the two together.
Isabelle seemed like she would take the initiative herself, after all.
“Now, the remaining piece is Kael. That friend of his.”
“Shall I take measures so they meet more frequently?”
After a brief pause, the Emperor shook his head as if to say no.
When the Crown Princess remained silent, questioning him, the Emperor spoke.
“Bel. That boy is certainly quite clever, but above all, Kael, that young man is far more remarkable. A youth of that caliber would surely sense any discomfort immediately.”
“It seems you are concerned that it may feel like a political marriage.”
“There’s nothing good about that. ‘The beginning was poor, but the process and the outcome were good’ is not as memorable as ‘everything was beautiful from start to finish.’”
Simply handling political matters well does not make one an outstanding Emperor.
One must also know how to govern the hearts of the people and read, understand, and accept them.
At the same time, one must know how to extract the utmost benefit from it as well.
In that regard, Kael should not give off any artificial impression.
“Just let it be. After all, even without your intervention, intertwined fates will eventually lead them to meet.”
“Your words are indeed wise.”
The Crown Princess bowed her head with a gentle smile.
The Emperor looked at his successor, lost in thought.
‘Originally, I did consider the position of a national son-in-law.’
Yet, it would bring more drawbacks than advantages.
The position of a son-in-law ultimately carries more restrictions than rights.
One cannot grant a cage to one who has just begun to spread their wings.
*
“Ahhhh! Truly, truly, home is the best. My room. My bed! Ahhh!”
I rolled around on my bed as morning turned to noon without a care.
What is paradise? It’s being able to enjoy such a comfortable weekend. This is paradise!
“Oh dear. Young master, you can’t be like this if you are to succeed the head of the family someday.”
In amidst all this, Alexei entered with urgent news, exclaiming, “Oh dear!” repeatedly.
The genius strategist, renowned throughout the empire, shouldn’t be like this, they said.
But Alexei? This is really who I am. This is the real me!
I don’t particularly have grand ambitions or desires.
All I want is for me, my family, and those around me to live just like this.
“So, you said you had news. What’s this about the weekend?”
“Well, it seems there’s a rumor about sending an envoy from Nobogord soon.”
“An envoy? Nobogord?”
What is happening here? I asked from my position sprawled on the bed, and Alexei continued.
“I hear it’s to celebrate the empire’s victory, but…”
“Whether that’s the real reason or just the official story, nobody knows.”
The empire and Nobogord have a pact to maintain peace.
Therefore, sending an envoy to celebrate a victory is certainly possible.
However, just the other day, both armies faced each other growling.
Even further back, there had been wars between them several times.
It couldn’t simply be for such pure motives alone.
‘If things get noisy all the way to the North like this, it could turn into a big deal.’
“Alexei.”
“Yes, young master?”
“Let’s prepare to go out whenever possible.”
“Yes? Do you have an appointment or something?”
“Not right now. But I have a feeling someone will call for me soon.”
It might be a hunch, though it’s more like half a conviction.
Hunch. Hunch. Ah, I want to eat snacks. Is there no one out here developing food?