I Was Told 'No One Would Miss You,' So I Became the Empress of Another Country - Episode 16

The day after the commotion over the forged documents at the court settled down, my father and I were in his study discussing our next steps.

Leon and Flora clearly looked cornered, but I still didn’t believe those two would give up so easily.

“So far, the fact that the forgery has been exposed has greatly damaged their trust. However, I don’t know what kind of moves Leon might make as he gets more desperate,” my father said.

His deep, turquoise eyes were fixed on the stack of papers on his desk.

Exposing the forged documents as fakes in front of everyone was a significant victory. However, we needed to stay vigilant about what would happen next.

While we were talking, a servant rushed in, looking flustered.

“Your Grace, something terrible has happened! We’ve received information that the Crown Prince has begun taking action to control the military personnel!” the servant said.

“Military personnel? What is he planning?” my father asked, glaring sharply at the servant.

The servant continued with a trembling voice.

“I overheard in the palace corridor just now that the Crown Prince declared he would ‘demonstrate his authority as Crown Prince.’ Specifically, it seems he’s trying to break down the military command structure held by the Duke’s family…”

“I see. He plans to make military personnel changes without consulting me and appoint his own people to key positions,” my father said, biting his lip bitterly.

Leon was no mere figurehead as Crown Prince. As the heir to the throne, he could wield authority in public matters unless his father, the king, stopped him. The Duke’s family had played a major role in the functioning of the military, but Leon likely intended to break that down forcefully.

“Father, what should we do? If the military personnel changes, it will affect both national defense and the stability of the entire country,” I said.

“Of course, we can’t stay silent. But the problem is, he’s the Crown Prince.

If we oppose him directly, we might be accused of being ‘traitors defying the royal family,’” my father replied.

This was a typical heavy-handed move from Leon.

He might be panicking due to the failure of the forgery. He was likely trying to assert his presence and solidify his position as Crown Prince no matter what.

If this continued, not just my father and I, but even our alliance with Logan would be dragged into an unstable situation.

In fact, the Empire had praised the current structure of the kingdom’s military, which was why the alliance had meaning in the first place.

Sure enough, not long after, we received a message from Logan.

My father and I headed to the palace reception room to hear his words as the representative of the Empire.

“I’ve heard a troubling piece of news. The Crown Prince plans to make major changes to the military organization,” Logan said, his jet-black hair neatly styled.

He spoke in a calm tone, but his eyes were filled with clear concern.

“Yes. If this is really carried out, the central command of the military will fall into chaos. If that happens, it will make the alliance negotiations difficult as well,” I said, carefully choosing my words.

Logan gave a slight, bitter smile.

“Whether the alliance will fall apart or not, the issue is whether the Empire can trust a country where the military command structure could change overnight. To be honest, it’s going to be tough.”

In other words, the Empire valued the stability of the kingdom’s military, which was why they saw the alliance as worthwhile. If the command structure was broken down, and the Crown Prince’s autocracy and arbitrary personnel decisions took over, the Empire would lose trust in the kingdom.

“At this point, we may need to reconsider the alliance,” Logan said seriously.

His words struck a heavy tone.

Hearing this, my father couldn’t hold back and spoke up.

“Please, Your Majesty, the Kreutzfeldt family will not accept the Crown Prince’s unilateral decisions. We must find a way to stop this…”

“However, if the kingdom cannot stop the Crown Prince, we will be taking a risk by continuing negotiations. If the king shows any signs of action, that would be a different matter,” Logan replied.

It was a harsh truth.

Alliance negotiations were a big gamble for the Empire as well. It was only natural for them to choose their partner carefully.

The fact that Logan had mentioned “reconsidering the alliance” was, in essence, a declaration that it was close to being called off.

As soon as this news spread within the palace, a massive uproar broke out.

The king and nobles voiced their confusion, and there were increasing cries of condemnation against Leon’s reckless behavior.

“The Crown Prince’s actions are too overbearing! The kingdom will fall apart!”

“At this rate, it’s not just the Empire that will lose trust, but even neighboring countries…”

Noblewomen and younger nobles began bombarding me with anxious questions.

They didn’t have the courage to confront Leon directly, but it was clear they were deeply worried.

Flora, in the midst of all this chaos, seemed to have hidden herself away and was rumored to be scheming for her own benefit.

“Celestia, what do you think Flora will do?” Lydia asked me.

I still didn’t have a clear answer.

“Honestly, I can’t predict. She’s probably looking for a way to survive, even if Leon falls. Right now, she’s probably using his authority while securing another backing behind the scenes,” I said.

There was no doubt that Flora was an ambitious person, seeking wealth and status. That’s why, if Leon started to be condemned by the entire country, she might choose to abandon him.

“We cannot let this chaos continue. We must act to restore order. If we don’t, the possibility of the alliance falling apart will be very high,” I said firmly.

Lydia nodded strongly.

“Yes, I’ll help too. I’ll try to gather information on what Flora might be plotting.”

Leon’s tyranny had reached its peak, and the capital was shaking with rumors and anxiety. Flora seemed to be using the chaos to maneuver herself into a better position.

It was a completely uncertain situation, but if we didn’t overcome this, all the effort we had put in so far would be in vain.

I firmly decided to strengthen my collaboration with my father, Lydia, and Logan. I couldn’t afford to lose to the Crown Prince’s authority.