Reincarnated as Nikolai II

"No, that's your father's thought. I met him carrying death threats and the fate of my family on my back. I knew I would be dragged away by the Okhrana if I said one wrong word."

"...What?"

"It happened to be at the height of the Great Purge. I thought our family was also on the list at that time."

"Ha."

Although father might have a somewhat cold aspect, he thought it was natural as a Tsar. Was he like that to mother when he was young too?

"The funny thing is, he genuinely liked me. Isn't that absurd? He thought he was chasing after me and setting up dates because he liked me. How wronged he felt later."

"..."

Is, is that possible?

No, there must be more behind the scenes that mother doesn't know.

Father clearly self-studied successor education since his Tsarevich days, prepared purge lists for 4 years, and killed nobles one after another, the Bloody Tsar-

"Again, strange thoughts?"

"...Not at all."

"You look just like your father, so your thoughts show all over your face?"

She says we look alike. Mother says 'blood will tell,' but Nikita still couldn't understand.

He is different from his father.

Father will be recorded as the great emperor without equal in the empire, while he is expected to be treated as a derivative inferior in everything from accession to abdication.

"Hmm, I can tell you have that 'I'm different from my father' expression."

"I said I don't."

"If you really don't know, why not check for yourself? He should be in his study now, go see."

"What should I say to father? Should I stand in front of a mirror and compare our appearances?"

With his mother's absurd suggestion, Nikita momentarily looked like a complaining child.

However, Anna rather smiled and pushed his back.

"Go and ask him something. You two don't talk enough, which makes you both more taciturn. I hear Prime Minister Stolypin is being cursed a lot these days? Aren't you curious why?"

"...Father must have finally misjudged someone."

"According to you, isn't Niki someone with blue blood who makes no mistakes?"

Honestly... he was curious.

Why is father keeping Prime Minister Stolypin?

Doesn't he know that if Stolypin is cursed, ultimately it cuts down father's prestige who appointed him?

'While England is moving toward a welfare state, couldn't we have similarly increased welfare? Even if the Prime Minister had just done nothing, public sentiment would have been half in favor.'

Previously a Finance Minister who beat down the left without reason now rises to Prime Minister and starts beating down the right too.

A Russian Empire version of Mussolini. Without father, he could be called the reincarnation of the Roman dictator Sulla with nothing to say in defense.

However. Stolypin is still going strong.

The Duma still can't pull him down, the military keeps its mouth shut, and officials carry out his orders whether they like it or not.

Because father is overlooking him.

Structurally, only the one who appointed the Prime Minister can check and reduce the Prime Minister's power, so this strange phenomenon continued this year as well.

Yes, he's curious.

"...Then I'll just go ask that one thing and come back. This is a wrong appointment by anyone's standards. Um, someone had to step up."

"Hehe, yes, go ahead."

Somehow it feels like mother forcibly put justification in his hand and pushed him into father's study, but once expressed, Nikita's curiosity grew considerably.

Why is father leaving Prime Minister Stolypin like that?

Before that, why is the Prime Minister so desperate to act like a mad dog?

These two questions are more than connected, they can be seen as one, and Nikita was convinced there must be some reason for it.

If he knew his father. If the history of this empire he had studied wasn't wrong, it must surely be so.

Thus, retracing the causes one by one as he walked alone, Nikita soon found himself with just one door before father's study.

He stopped the servants from announcing him and knocked directly.

"Father, it's me."

"Hm? Nikita? Come in."

Slowly entering, massive documents and books should be piled up-

'...Not today.'

Today, father's study was neatly organized, and father was standing in front of several radios.

"What were you doing?"

"These are wire radios directly connected to the Petrograd Telegraph Company. You can hear news from around the world a day faster than newspapers."

Explaining while placing his hands on the square machines, Nikolai turned up the volume of each radio slightly, then listened to the sound with his arms crossed.

"So, what brings you here?"

As his calm eyes turned towards him, Nikita instinctively felt tension rising over his skin again. Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire

But still Tsarevich to the death. He took a moment to catch his breath, then spilled out his question.

"I came because I have a question for you, father. Is there a rational reason for leaving Prime Minister Stolypin alone?"

"So you're also concerned about the Prime Minister's actions."

"Everyone is worried. The ignorant ones are starting to blame you. Rather, if you promoted any current minister, they would do better than him. He must have a brain hardened by being too steeped in bureaucratic society."

He poured it out. He almost stuttered from nervousness, but still, he poured it out.

It might sound like 'I'm actually doubting father's decision,' but nevertheless, speaking openly made him feel refreshed.

"Please answer me. Why is he still in the Prime Minister's office-"

"Shh."

Instead of answering, father put a finger to his lips.

'...Is he not even going to engage with me?'

Just as disappointment was about to show on Nikita's face, Nikolai turned the volume knob of one radio higher.

[As of Tuesday 10 AM, with stock market capitalization falling nearly 11%, it has been confirmed that major Wall Street banks are holding a meeting. New York Stock Exchange Vice Chairman Richard Whitney announced that he will work with representatives from Morgan Bank, Chase National Bank, and New York City Bank to normalize stocks. This is similar to the stock price normalization technique used to resolve the 1907 panic-]

Then turning up another radio beside it, similar content flows out in English.

[The industrial average index of 300 broke in just one day and finally the market closed at minus 15%-]

Despite the anchor trying to deliver information calmly, the content was so intense that the voice seemed to emphasize it instead.

'Stock market crash? Bank meeting? Is this about the United States?'

If that's a real-time radio, father is listening to what's happening on the other side of the earth right now.

"W-what is this sound?"

"What else? Isn't New York giving you the answer to your question?"

Unlike the gloomy economic talk, Nikolai's expression that Nikita saw looked rather comfortable.

With the radio broadcast continuing, Nikolai calmly said.

"Can you hear it? The sound of the United States, which tried to compete with the Empire, collapsing?"

"..."

"Prime Minister Stolypin who fought the world and won. His expression tomorrow morning should be quite worth seeing."

As the conversation between father and son broke off and only the radio broadcast reverberated.

Nikita could confirm once again.

'...Tender and good my ass.'

The fact that mother still knows nothing about father.