Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Ivan grabbed his head and opened his eyes. Consciousness emerged hazily with a tingling headache.

It felt like the aftermath of a heavy drinking night, yet surprisingly, Ivan rarely drank in this era. Hence, he never experienced hangovers.

Rising from the bed, he questioned, “What...?”

Velvet blanket? Bed?

Ivan’s thoughts sank rapidly. He wasn’t someone who could get up from such a bed; he only slept on the office sofa. (Enrique, witnessing this, was visibly irritated.)

Slowly, he rose, surveying his surroundings with practiced caution, a habit ingrained through extensive training.

In unfamiliar surroundings, confusion often led to mistakes. Maintaining composure, Ivan pondered how he ended up in this place.

“....”

Luxurious gilded fabric wallpaper, splendid tapestries hanging on the walls, a massive wooden table, and scattered garments on the floor.

A red velvet carpet beneath and a bed with a soft velvet blanket at the end.

And there, lying down, a silhouette.

A woman. Hunched at around 160cm. The body seemed delicate. Wrapped in a blanket, gathering more information proved challenging.

“Hmm.”

He assessed his condition. Only wearing a bare top and light cotton pants, nearly half-naked.

Upon inspection, it didn’t seem ‘severe.’ A mix of relief and suspicion lingered.

But judging by the overall situation,

Succubus.

Yes, those mosquito-like beings delving into dreams, forcing undesired desires, sucking up magical energy and vitality.

It had to be them. It was a common occurrence. Ivan had encountered those mosquitoes several times during the operation escorting the hero party near the demon king’s territory.

Where did he encounter them? Memories of last night were faint. Surely...

“Ugh....”

The headache attacked once again, a type clearly disturbing his memory. Ivan shook his head, slowly rising with caution, reaching for his coat.

As his hand entered the fallen coat sleeve, a clink. He found a dagger hilt and a water flask.

Dreams are illusions based on reality. Naturally, belongings and regular routines carried in daily life reflected in dreams.

In terms of regularity and preparedness, few surpassed Ivan.

Silently drawing the knife from the sleeve onto his forearm, he reminded himself not to touch the woman lying on the bed. In succubus-created dreams, potential traps were unpredictable.

However, one of the two definite methods to awaken from a succubus dream could be attempted right now.

Acting contrary to the intended design of the dream to create a shock, or using a purification spell by a priest.

With no priest by his sleeping side, he opted for the first method.

– Slicing.

A deep cut on his forearm accompanied by a chilling pain. He quickly surveyed, but there were no signs of the dream crumbling.

It’s fine. Trained in sensory desensitization, a cut on his forearm might not be a sufficient shock to wake him from the succubus dream.

Then, he could try another method.

“Sigh....”

Although he vowed not to use it on himself again.

Dmitri and Elizaveta laughed, sipping their tea. The summer afternoon in the East Court, after the rain, was filled with the warm fragrance of blooming flowers.

“How are the elders of the nobility?”

“They seem amusing, rolling their eyes. Trying to reach out to the military administration results in silence, so they must be frustrated even as nobles.”

“Let them face more challenges. Perhaps a brave soul among them will draw a sword.”

“It would be easier to handle them once they become more accustomed to hardship.”

All the Guard Corps near Frechenkaya had already pledged allegiance to the princess, and all information channels heading towards the military administration were under the control of the intelligence command.

The public announcement of the sudden disappearance of the Crown Prince and the strange tale of the ‘fake’ Crown Prince attempting rebellion only to collapse overnight were both suspicious.

The situation for the nobility was likely to become increasingly difficult, especially for those who had aligned with the Crown Prince faction.

Naturally, the nobles weren’t fools. Anyone could see that this event was merely the beginning of a massive cleansing operation.

Did the princess resign as the head of the intelligence command? Would she betray the carefully nurtured garden over more than a decade?

The princess gave up the Intelligence Command? From the days of the Cleansup Unit, the princess had been their leader. Sensible nobles didn’t believe such statements.

The fact that both the state treasury and the royal coffers were now tied to the East Court wasn’t a secret among the nobles. It was the princess’s intention.

At this point, when the current king firmly held the throne, the princess unilaterally declared a ‘constitutional monarchy’? It was evident that she had stripped away both the king’s authority and power.

So, there was only one thing the nobles had to do here.

“Your Highness, Viscount Yusuf requests an audience.”

The princess chuckled as she listened to the messenger.

“Viscount Yusuf is bold. Did the commander of the cavalry come himself?”

“They are also passionate, Your Highness. I will withdraw my insolence then.”

“Well, would it be appropriate for a subordinate to be absent from the military king’s court? Please have a seat and do not go anywhere.”

Elizaveta opened the door, smiling and nodding at the viscount who entered. If the lieutenant responsible for the practical affairs of the Intelligence Command saw the situation in Elizaveta’s office, the nobility could show a more forward-thinking attitude.

Therefore, Viscount Yusuf, the commander of the Frechenkaya Cavalry, knelt and deeply bowed as soon as he stepped into the office.

“Lift your head. It’s awkward to see such formality.”

Elizaveta waved her hand with a smiling face.

Krasilov had now become a constitutional monarchy, thanks to the schemes of Alexander.

Royal blood was now bound by the nation’s constitution.

However, the constitution and those who handled it were all submissive to one person.

Krasilov’s royal authority had become more pronounced than at any time since the reign of the previous king. The discontent of the people would all be directed at the nobility, and the fruits of authority belonged solely to the royal family. No, they would return to the princess.

Now, Frechenkaya was under Elizaveta’s control.

Although she would have to show leniency to everyone involved in this matter, she was thinking of one man.

The man who had achieved the greatest feat, her lumberjack. What should she do for him?

***

The prime contributor who made the princess the posthumous ruler (a somewhat biased assessment). At that point, Ivan Petrovich, who successfully prevented international conflicts by protecting the hero party members.

“Uncle, this really won’t do. I can understand stalking and even uncle’s way of speaking, but this is really not it. I can’t stay there right now!”

Holding a dagger and shaving foam, he was evading Ecdysis’s eyes, chasing him into the darkness.

With a perfect concealment state reminiscent of the Cleansup Unit, he calmly slipped out of Ecdysis’s sight.

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