“So, you say you sent a letter directly to the Emperor of Dragona Empire?”

“Yes… that’s right. I never imagined it would spread like this…”

As I listened to Estelle, my face couldn’t help but show surprise.

Her plan to draw the power of the Dragona Empire from next door.

Although I couldn’t clearly understand the process that led to this result, I could only think that this incident stemmed from that.

“I suppose the intention itself was good, but… this is troubling. Setting aside the process, it’s quite excessive for the party I requested cooperation from to respond this way.”

“Perhaps it’s a sign of rejection… that’s all we can see it as.”

“Yes, and depending on how you look at it, it could also mean a warning.”

It was not like the enemy declared hostile actions; these were people with whom there was already some friendship asking for cooperation, yet they reacted this way. One might think that’s a bit too much.

It was like breaking the wrist of someone who reached out for a handshake.

However, this applied to general relationships between individuals, and if it transitioned to the level of states, the story could change significantly.

“I don’t know for sure, but it seems the current Emperor of Dragona Empire was quite displeased with Miss Estelle’s proposal. And in that sense… I think this incident was probably a way of saying not to send such requests again.”

“But isn’t this a bit too much? How can a simple proposal warrant such a reaction…?”

“…Ahem.”

While she somewhat agreed with my words, Estelle still couldn’t hide her confusion over how things escalated to this point.

Seeing her reaction, I spoke in a calm voice.

“Those who wield high power are mostly like that, aren’t they? If there’s even a slight annoyance, they can’t help but repay it severalfold… There have been many tyrants in history just like that, so I suppose this Emperor might belong to a similar category.”

The way rulers think often fundamentally differs from that of ordinary people.

Those with great power often have the passive traits of arrogance and suspicion.

Because of this, they can react sensitively to even the smallest issues, and indeed in history, countless wars and major purges arose for such reasons.

It’s not uncommon for a single drunken slip of the tongue to lead to the annihilation of a family, or a single mistaken request to result in the complete downfall of a nation.

In that sense, it’s entirely possible that the Emperor of Dragona Empire—mentioned only by name in the original work—also possesses such a vile nature.

‘Just considering the national power, they’re a strong country that could stand against the Sacred Empire… The Emperor ruling over such a great empire is likely to have a sky-high arrogance and a filthy character.’

Take our main enemy, Emperor Sijip of the Sacred Empire, for instance. Due to his immense pride in the original work, he nearly ruined the empire, and he’s not showing much difference now.

Thus, I believed that we can’t expect much from the character of Emperors in general.

“Could it be so? But I haven’t met him directly, so I can’t be sure, but I heard the Emperor of Dragona Empire is quite a good person…”

“Of course, creating that kind of image is to be expected. But fundamentally, people of that ilk are often more dangerous.”

“…”

One of the basics of effective dictatorship is skillfully manipulating public opinion.

While the external facade might show a cruel tyrant, the citizens of that nation often praise such a person, and criticizing them could be deemed taboo.

“Surely, he’s someone who pretends to be gentle on the surface but is filled with thoughts of decapitating someone at the slightest inconvenience. I suspect this incident also came from such a background.”

“Is that… is that so?”

“…”

Estelle showed an anxious expression toward my words.

In other words, the chaos that erupted here in Bohemia was essentially a warning from the Emperor toward Estelle, and simultaneously toward our Heretic Alliance.

By kidnapping the daughter of Count Turun, a key figure of the Heretic Alliance, it was a warning not to involve ourselves in this incident carelessly.

Being the target of such a warning, both Estelle and I began to feel a chill run down our spines.

Given that the response to the alliance request was this severe, if we expressed any dissatisfaction, it could easily lead to war.

“…I’m sorry. I caused this mess with my foolish actions…”

“…No, there’s no need to blame yourself. Honestly, it would’ve been hard to expect the Emperor to respond this forcefully without grasping his violent nature.”

“Mr. Santana…”

“…Sigh…”

With a voice filled with deep regret, sadness, and apology, Estelle spoke to me.

Seeing her like this, I offered her a bittersweet smile as a form of consolation.

At my words, Estelle’s expression began to blush slightly, her eyes brimming with tears.

Considering the seriousness of the situation, it truly wasn’t something to be brushed aside lightly.

However… regardless of everything, she had genuinely attempted to do something, and it had backfired, so I had no intention of blaming her.

‘And honestly… if this is as far as it goes, it might even help my position.’

Though she was an ally, to speak coldly, the Queen was a dangerous element not unlike Mansfeld.

The fact that I could remove such a person like this, even this way, presented an opportunity to look at things more positively.

‘After all, the reason I came here in the first place was to tie up loose ends related to that incident…’

With that thought, I intended to conclude this matter by deciding not to engage with the Dragona Empire anymore.

At that moment…

“Miss!”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, a panicked servant burst into the room.

Estelle frowned in discomfort at this interruption.

*

Throughout our conversation about this incident, Estelle was feeling a deep sense of guilt.

Though it wasn’t her intention, her hasty actions led to Santana’s family suffering.

That fact weighed heavily on her heart, especially for someone like Estelle who values family above all.

‘If… something were to happen to my brother because of someone else, I’d find it hard to forgive that person.’

Depending on the circumstances, it could lead to the dissolution of our contract engagement and numerous other significant repercussions.

But… even after making such a mistake, Santana didn’t blame her.

Rather, his actions were to comfort her, allowing her to quietly bury this incident, and Estelle began to feel a deep gratitude mixed with a bit of hope toward the man before her.

‘To overlook this, does it mean Mr. Santana really feels some affection for me?’

Though it began as a contract, Estelle had genuinely fallen for Santana.

As such, she began to think that it was entirely possible for Santana to have developed some affection for her as well.

‘Though I can’t be certain… it’s likely not impossible. I take some pride in my looks, after all… I might have unwittingly captured a part of that man’s heart…’

With that thought, Estelle’s mood started to lift.

Then she planned to test these expectations by engaging Santana in conversation.

However, just as she was about to act on her feelings, the sudden arrival of the servant threw everything into disarray.

Feeling genuinely angry, she looked at the servant who barged in recklessly and said, “What is it? I clearly told you not to interrupt during an important conversation…”

“I-I apologize! B-But you need to come out immediately!”

The servant spoke in a desperate voice.

Despite Estelle’s command not to interrupt, the urgency in his tone indicated that something urgent was indeed happening.

However… the words that came from his mouth complicated both Estelle’s and Santana’s thoughts once again.

“The… Emperor… the Emperor of Dragona Empire has sent a personal letter.”