Chapter 32: Lesson in Games

Now, let’s leave aside the tragedy of illegitimate children...

I stood before the Grand Duke’s office, and the guard spoke in a relatively loud voice as soon as I arrived, after he had saluted me

"The Fourth Young Master requests permission to enter."

"Come in."

In his usual cold tone, he granted permission, and the two guards opened the door for me. I entered, whilst my valet respectfully remained outside the door; the door was then closed behind me

For a man who always claims to be busy, it was somewhat surprising to find him sitting on a sofa by the window, one leg crossed over the other, leaning back with a cup of tea in his hand, sipping it elegantly whilst gazing peacefully out of the window, like a melancholic poet—especially given his long, fair hair

Whilst behind him, on his desk, on the sofa and even on the floor, lay the real disaster—which I wisely chose to turn a blind eye to so as not to get myself involved—for the place was filled with the organised chaos of piled-up reports, files and maps... etc.

I stepped forward, then paused, maintaining a polite distance between us, before greeting him

"You asked for me?"

.

"Sit down."

He ordered.

Right... I stepped forward and did so, sitting opposite him on the sofa, with a table separating us

"You look well."

I didn’t know what was expected of me or how to respond, but I nodded

"Good."

"...."

"...."

"...."

"....."

Help!

What’s wrong with this bloody man today?

Has the Grand Duchy’s situation affected him that much? Should I call in the psychologists?

He didn’t move or say a word for nearly five minutes, sipping from the cup of tea in his hands whilst gazing at the sky with vacant, distant eyes; and let’s just say that the grey hue reflected in his silvery eyes only added to his gloomy appearance

Why is he acting so dramatically?

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally parted his lips and spoke calmly

"Like most of your siblings, I know you have doubts about your mother’s true identity, especially given my refusal to allow Roman to marry that commoner girl, and many other illogical events—such as how your mother came to know culture, history, geography, and all the arts, sciences and etiquette that the general public would look down upon because they won’t put bread on their table."

"..."

"Unlike the foolish Imperial Court, we were not foolish enough to let danger take root right on our doorstep without taking action. What the Imperial Court does not know is that the ruins of an entire nation lie beyond the Frozen Sea in the land of Black winter, because the Empire has never been there before—not even centuries ago. and whenever they tried to send a secret expedition, not even the bodies were returned to them, because our army, secretly stationed nearby around the Frozen Sea, always took care of them... At least, that has been the case for about four decades, on my father’s orders, and I, too, have not withdrawn that army of one hundred thousand from there; before that, it was the army of that kingdom that dealt with them."

Well... it seems I’ve got myself into something far bigger than I bargained for, as one might expect from a place designated for a tragic heroine—even her grandfather had secretly prepared an army for her decades before she was even born.

"..."

"Originally, we were going to send an expeditionary force there at some point, but we needed a pretext so as not to disobey the orders of the Imperial Palace."

"Are you still hesitating about those wretches?" "

Silence... He took a sip of tea, then spoke calmly, completely ignoring my impertinent remark.

"And although we did not station our army there until after the Great Catastrophe, we were always aware of the existence of that kingdom... At the very least, it was known to everyone who had held the position of Grand Duke." "

Does that mean he was genuinely afraid of them?... Although I don’t understand his attempt to justify his position to the Imperial Court when he’s literally killing their men!! ... No, wait, this isn’t about the Imperial Court now

" It’s not about the expedition itself, but the war that will follow sending the expedition to those lands. Our house doesn’t have the strength to bear the blame for the consequences, so that expedition wasn’t the problem from the start. We already have an army ready, even if it lacks a true commander. The thing is, I was torn over which of you to send, ... given that you’re still just inexperienced children."

In the end, he’s afraid. Well, I’m joking. Even for an outcast like me, I still understand a thing or two about politics and I understand perfectly what he’s saying. But then again, if he’s still complaining about us, why didn’t he choose one of his brothers who possess the experience he’s looking for? Or why didn’t he choose himself to lead the army?

"So you’ve decided to exploit this situation to pin all the blame on the Emperor?"

He looked up from his teacup and stared at me in an unnerving silence for a while, studying my handsome face.

I felt a bit awkward and flustered... Had I said something wrong?

"Tell me, Alexander, how do you think that crown still belongs to Nordkaiser even after centuries of weakness and trying to catch up?"

Well... in truth, even the most brilliant among us, Ivar, I doubt could answer that question, let alone me, the abandoned son cast aside in a corner of the palace.

"I don’t know," I replied proudly, and he smiled at me with a coldness that made me feel a little embarrassed.

"We aren’t the only players in this game, Alexander. However chaotic the Imperial House may be, and however much we look down on them, that doesn’t change the fact that they are the family that has ruled this continent for centuries."

But he didn’t answer the question either... Well, if even he doesn’t know the answer, why is he asking me?

But I’ll reserve the right to reply... Life as the son of a man suffering from schizophrenia is truly tragic...

Hah... I sighed.