Extra 03: Rosalia 02

Extra 03: Rosalia 02

Rosalia van Chalonge Cruveilheir was stunned by the size of the imperial capital.

They landed in the Aquicurl fief and then travelled for a week up the river by boat. When she finally arrived at the imperial capital, Cardinal, she found that it was so grand that it blew away all her fatigue. Rosalia was excited when she first saw the city walls spreading out in full view.

(If its like this, then our kingdom might be saved!)

Her heart filled with hope as she passed through the gates of the imperial capital.

Her hopes crumbled in just a few days.

She still hadnt met the two Archdukes who held the real power. On the contrary, their desperate pleas to aristocrats of both factions were brushed aside.

The diplomats just hung their heads down in gloom.

Princess, we should go to the next kingdom soon. Its a little far, but Im sure the Hismaphe Kingdom will at least listen to us if we go there.

That would certainly be a better option than this nation, which wasnt listening to them. But its doubtful whether the Hismaphe Kingdom, which is being hunted by the Teiwa Empire, a power on par with Bungdalto Empire, will have the power to save Belbe Kingdom.

Rosalia decided to execute the one idea that she had been thinking about.

Alright but before we leave this nation, could you please allow me to say a few words to His Majesty the Emperor?

You want to speak with His Majesty?

The diplomat looked as if he wanted to say, Whats the meaning of this, but Rosalia continued, Im interested in the person who is the same age as me but in a superior position Is this not possible?

(His Majesty is younger than me and might respond honestly to our plight)

She might be able to use just that one response to negotiate with the empires aristocrats. Thats how much weight the Emperors words carried even though he didnt have any real power.

At the same time, Rosalia felt a pain in her heart at trying to take advantage of someone who was younger than her but resorting to desperate measures meant this. Like the diplomats, Rosalia was also in a hurry.

And like she had said, she was also interested in the Emperor who was around the same age as her.

The diplomats looked at each other and said, The Princess is acting oddly unreasonable.

You are from the same family as His Majesty, the Cardinals, so Im sure an audience will be granted if you request for one.

Isnt that a good thing? Im sure the other nations are interested in the empires Young Emperor as well.

If I can manage to get him to make a brief comment about supporting us, then we may be able to use it to negotiate with the aristocrats.

Even if the Emperor says that he would help, it wouldnt actually happen, and its unclear whether this can be used for negotiating, but its worth a try.

Everyone knew that the Young Emperor held no real power, but the meeting between the two of them was going to happen.

Its a pleasure to meet you, Princess. My name is Helck le Duffe, the steward greeted with a smile, but his eyes werent smiling.

I will show you to where His Majesty is.

Thank you very much.

(I see, so hell be monitoring me He probably wont let me talk much. I guess this is a stalemate.)

It was with that gloomy feeling that Rosalia was granted an audience with Carmine.

With those words, the two Archdukes sped things up.

First, Lord Aquicurl sold food to the Belbe Kingdom at a discount, and he criticized the Chancellor for disregarding the Emperors wish at the same time.

In response to this, Lord Raul changed his plans.

First, he approved of the engagement and informed all the other nations about the engagement between the Princess of the Belbe Kingdom and Emperor Carmine. Moreover, he offered weapons and ammunition that were produced in Raul fief to the Belbe Kingdom for free.

Lord Aquicurl responded by providing them food for free.

In response to their actions, Tomis Ashinaqui stopped their military actions towards the Belbe Kingdom, and withdrew from the area.

Incidentally, the food, weapons and ammunition didnt officially exist in the Empire.

In other words, Chancellor Raul and the Chief of the Ministry of Ceremonies, Lord Aquicurl, were ignoring their obligations to pay taxes and file for tax returns.

From that time on, the peasants in fiefs directly under the Emperors control were gradually becoming impoverished, and there was a shortage of weapons and ammunition.

In spite of this, the neutral faction was secretly growing discontent with the fact that those things were going to a nation that wasnt supposed to receive it instead of the nations that were. However, they werent powerful enough to compete with the other two factions, so they could only complain about it to themselves.

However, the power of the two factions was slightly reduced as a consequence of giving away resources to compete with each other.

After Rosalia and the diplomats left the Empire, they travelled to neighbouring nations to seek help. By the time the fleet returned to the Belbe Kingdom, the season had already changed, and it was winter.

The situation enclosing the Belbe Kingdom had already changed drastically. The citizens of the Belbe Kingdom had survived the winter and they had succeeded in reclaiming some of the towns that had been taken from them.

In the audience room of the palace, which was much simpler than the Empires, and was actually just a remodelled part of the citadel parent and child were meeting for the first time in months.

But I never thought it could be so easily reversed King Alexei, Rosalias father and the 26th King of the Belbe Kingdom, told his daughter upon her return.

Your Majesty, our kingdom was saved thanks to that. You cant complain like that.

Its just the two of us. Stop calling me Your Majesty, Rosalia Im not complaining. Our kingdom has been saved and for that, Im grateful. But King Alexei didnt seem satisfied with the situation. An infants voice has surpassed his own desperate efforts. It was understandable that he would be dissatisfied.

Im sorry, Rosalia. Im afraid youll have to stay engaged for a little longer.

She was engaged to a Young Emperor who was regarded by some as an imbecile. He believed that Rosalia probably didnt want this.

My. You cant do that, Father. Breaking off an engagement that has been established will put our reputation at stake. Besides, no matter how much food and supplies we have, if we cant win the war, then this will happen again.

Youre right, they retreated because theyre wary of the Empires military power

Politically, they shouldnt break off the engagement. At least, not until they recovered their national power.

Even though the King knew this was the right decision, he is also a parent. He wanted his daughter to marry an excellent man instead of a stupid puppet Emperor.

Its alright, Father. Im proud to be a Princess of this Kingdom, and I have to fulfil my role as Princess.

The King, not realising that those words were his daughters way of hiding her embarrassment, was moved to tears.

His daughters heart was already elsewhere.

(I have to support him and I have to study a lot in order to do so.)

No child knows how dear they are to their parents, or vice versa.

It would have been impossible to believe a few months ago that the conversation between the father and daughter at the palace would be peaceful and harmonious.

Incidentally, Rosalias mother, the Queen, was aware of all this and teased her daughter a lot about falling in love.