TGW Chapter 36 Part 1

 

The Crossroads of Choice

Count Miller visited the Iron King’s palace. The Iron King greeted the Count with a usual smile, and a light conversation followed—weather, trivial gossip, and the like. When the King did not ask, "Why have you come?" Count Miller brought up the main topic himself.

“Your Majesty, I stopped by Rad Trading Company the other day. I had a request to make using their intelligence network, but I heard something odd.”

Dian, the Iron King, quietly drank his tea, while the Count glanced up and down, trying to gauge his expression.

“They said they could no longer offer help and told me to ask Your Majesty for details.”

Dian set his teacup down.

“I’ve ended the alliance with Marquis Raad.”

The Count stared at him, dumbfounded, before exclaiming, “What?! When did this happen, and why?”

“It’s been some time. As for the reason... does it matter?”

“Pardon?”

“You all didn’t think much of Marquis Raad anyway. You never made an effort to get along with him. I’ve been feeling guilty for relying solely on his help. So, I made the offer myself. I feel much lighter now.”

The Count couldn’t hide his shock, his face clearly asking, Is he out of his mind?

Dian grinned slyly.

“Besides, I have you all, who are far more reliable than the Marquis, don’t I?”

“Uh... yes, I suppose…”

“I assume you haven’t been just spending all the resources Marquis Rad provided? I’ve heard that you’ve been forming your own intelligence network and setting up a trading company with the capital. I trust there won’t be any problems.”

Sweat ran down the Count’s back. He was at a loss for how to handle this looming disaster, his mind going blank.

“Well... what about the funding?”

“The money I gave you last time was the end of it. We can’t expect anything more from Marquis Raad.”

Dian remained completely unfazed, as if oblivious to the gravity of the situation. The Count failed to realize that the Iron King wasn’t putting on a show—this was his natural state. Optimistic and never one to speak ill of anyone.

“But, Your Majesty, did Marquis Raad agree to this proposal so easily?”

“Of course.”

“That can’t be...”

“Is there something bothering you?”

Has Marquis Rad lost his mind?

Not long ago, the Count had learned an enormous secret—Iron King Dian was the son of Princess Acheron.

Marquis Raad must know this too, right?

An Acheron investigator had told him that the Marquis planned to put Dian on the throne and control the empire, warning that such a thing must never happen.

The Count had not allied himself with the Iron King out of loyalty. After all, the one destined to ascend the throne was the Silver King. If he could have aligned himself with the Silver King, he would have done so without hesitation.

But his family was insignificant, and he had no powerful connections. So, he thought it better to be the head of a smaller faction under the Iron King than remain a nobody. When the opportunity fell into his lap, he had spent several sleepless nights in disbelief.

“Marquis Raad…”

“Marquis Raad, what?”

The Count hesitated and closed his mouth. The Acheron investigator had said, Our alliance is a secret. You must not tell the Iron King.

“Your Majesty, I need to return and discuss this with others. It’s not just one person’s seat that’s now vacant...”

“Hmm. True, the Marquis’s seat was quite significant.”

With a hardened expression, the Count left the Iron King’s palace. He was a pragmatic man, fully aware of the importance of money.

Even if the Iron King were to ascend the throne, what good would it be if the current emperor remained in power for another 10 or 20 years? He couldn’t just sit idle, twiddling his thumbs until then.

Marquis Raad had been the Iron King’s most solid and nearly sole financial supporter. They had embarked on various projects relying on the Marquis’s backing, without any alternative plans.

Jeffrey must have a solution, the Count thought. Despite the Acheron Duchy’s decline, it had once been the empire’s most powerful house. Surely, they had hidden away at least one secret mine.

Left alone, Dian let out a cold laugh. He turned and sprawled out on the sofa, gazing up at the ceiling, Rekalling something Kuhn had once said.

“Do you know what your problem is?”

“I’ve got plenty of problems. Take your pick,” he had replied, laughing it off as usual.

“You don’t trust people—not even your own.”

It had hit him like a punch to the gut from an unexpected opponent. He had tried to laugh, but his lips had twisted, his facial muscles twitching involuntarily.

Kuhn, noticing his discomfort, had quickly changed the subject. After that, Kuhn never brought it up again.

Dian often teased Kuhn about how many masks he wore. But in truth, he, too, wore a mask. It wasn’t a mask so much as a defensive barrier, something to protect himself.

Kuhn, you were right.

Dian had always pretended to be kind, acting as though he embraced everyone, but in reality, he trusted no one. He had to hide his birthright, and once he entered the royal palace, his life was constantly under threat. He was always alone.

He needed someone he could trust, which is why he clung to family. He was overjoyed to find his uncle, adored the wife he married, and tears welled up at the thought of the child they would soon have.

But the people who gathered around the "Iron King" only saw him as a tool, and he felt the same about them. It had once seemed natural—such was the nature of power. Yet recently, he had begun to feel doubt.

And fear. Could he manage without Kuhn’s help?

That damned guy.

Dian muttered to himself. If Kuhn abandoned him now, what would he do?

“Your Majesty.”

A servant knocked on the door from outside.

“Come in.”

The servant approached where Dian lay sprawled on the sofa. Despite seeing his king lounging carelessly, the servant’s expression remained neutral.

“The Duke of Rimone has arrived at the palace.”

Dian’s eyes widened, and he shot up.

“Duke Rimone? I heard his duchy is in serious trouble. What is he doing in the capital at a time like this…?”

Dian buried his face in his hands, sighing deeply. It was in moments like this that the end of his alliance with Kuhn truly hit home.

More than the loss of money, it was the absence of information that stung. In the past, he would have been able to watch the situation in the Duchy of Rimone unfold as easily as reading the palm of his hand.

Seven years ago, before he met Kuhn, Dian had nothing. He had been solely focused on survival. Without the support of the Rad family, he would never have come this far. And seven years was far too short a time for Dian to establish an independent foundation.

Kuhn’s absence would be deeply felt. Dian had no confidence that his own people could fill the void.

 

***

 

Patricia heard the news that Doug had entered the palace, and her face lit up with joy.

“Where is he now?”

“After meeting with His Majesty, he went to the Silver King’s palace.”

“Go wait nearby, and as soon as he leaves the Silver King’s palace, bring him to me.”

“Yes, Red King.”

While Patricia eagerly awaited her reunion with her brother, Doug sat across from Sienna.

“It’s been a long time,” she said.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

He looked several years older than he had just a few months ago. The toll his recent struggles had taken on him was evident in his face.

“I hear you’ve already met with His Majesty. Did he say anything to you?”

“I simply paid my respects. He didn’t say much.”

“Nothing at all?”

“No, why...?”

Doug glanced at the Silver King’s face, lost in thought.

The emperor must be furious, his plans thwarted. Doug knew that just seeing him would have stirred up great anger.

His Majesty isn’t one to explode in emotional outbursts... Doug thought, but the emperor’s silence was not a good sign. If punishing the Rimone family had eased the emperor’s frustration, he would have at least said something to Doug.

Then again, he wouldn’t start something if he didn’t intend to finish it.

Doug lowered his head.

“Your Highness, thanks to your support, I was able to avoid a great crisis. I will never forget the favor you and the Rimone family have shown me.”

“This isn’t over.”

“What?”

“This is only a temporary lull.”

Doug’s expression hardened.

“Your Highness, do you know something?”

Duke Bless had been uncooperative, refusing to share any of the details with Doug. Whenever Doug asked, Randell would dismiss him with, I only follow the Silver King’s orders.

Randell had long harbored ill feelings toward the Rimone family, and it seemed he and Sienna had agreed to this plan in advance.

“The Rimone family won’t easily escape this crisis. That’s because the one orchestrating their downfall is His Majesty the Emperor.”

Doug’s face turned pale, his eyes flickering with confusion as he froze in place.

He hadn’t suspected a thing. The emperor’s strategy had been that subtle, that perfect. It was only thanks to the intelligence network of the Rad family—rivaling the empire’s own—that Sienna had found out.

“His Majesty... is behind this? But why?”

“Do you really not know?”

“No, I don’t.”

“The destruction of the Acheron family. Does that not ring any bells?”

Doug shook his head, looking utterly bewildered. His expression made him seem like the most wronged man in the world.

Sienna wasn’t surprised. Such deception and lies were well within her uncle’s abilities.

“If His Majesty truly is behind this... now that I know, I’ll fight back. If the two ducal houses join forces, we can turn the situation around.”

“Two houses?”

“With a little more help from Duke Bless, it’s possible.”

Duke Bless had been helping the Rimone family, but only in a limited, indirect manner. He had hidden behind the scenes, throwing stones in secret, unwilling to expose himself too openly. Directly opposing the emperor to support the Rimone family came with too great a risk. Sienna had no intention of asking for such a sacrifice from him.

“Duke Bless will not do more than he already has,” she said.

“But Duke Bless said he follows Your Highness’s orders. If you were to just say the word…”

Sienna cut him off.

“Duke Rimone.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Do you truly not know the reason?”

Doug answered without hesitation.

“I don’t, Your Highness.”

Sienna rose from her seat.

“Go home.”

“Your Highness…”

“We cannot continue this conversation if you insist on lying. Whatever happens to the Rimone family in the future, don’t blame me.”

“Are you saying you’re abandoning the Rimone family?”

Sienna chuckled.

“That’s quite the leap. I simply have no intention of helping someone who isn’t being honest with me.”

“Your Highness, the Rimone family is your strength. How can you so easily cut off your own arms and legs?”

“If my limbs are rotting, I’ll cut them off before the poison reaches my heart. It will be inconvenient, yes. But it’s better than suffering with limbs that no longer work.”

Doug’s face contorted. To Sienna, his expression, as though he had been betrayed, was more amusing than any comedy.

She turned on her heel and strode toward the exit. As she reached for the door handle, she heard a desperate cry behind her.

“Your Highness!”

She stopped and turned. Doug had stepped a few paces away from the sofa as if he were about to run after her. His eyes blazed with the desperation of a man cornered.

“Your Highness, please reconsider. Without the Rimone family, you’ll be finished too.”

Sienna let out a cold laugh. Both siblings, she thought, had the same habit of using threats as a negotiation tactic.

“If the end you speak of is me failing to become emperor, then that’s not such a bad end at all.”

Doug’s eyes widened. He knew Sienna’s character well enough to recognize that her words weren’t mere bravado. That was what shocked him the most—how easily she spoke of giving up the throne, the very thing that ruled the world, without the slightest hesitation.

“Remember, Duke Rimone, past tragedies can always repeat themselves. Once, the most powerful ducal house in the empire was wiped out in a single day. The emperor’s seat has that kind of power.”

“What… What do you expect me to do?”

Sienna looked at him coldly.

“Let me ask you again. Do you truly not know the reason?”

Doug clenched his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. His hands trembled as they balled into fists.

Father... what should I do?

The period of joy Doug had experienced as the head of the Rimone family had been short-lived. Since the day he first began to miss his father’s presence, the intervals between such feelings had grown shorter and shorter. At some point, thoughts of his father had become a daily occurrence.

No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t come up with a solution. What would Father have done in this situation? he often wondered, but the answer eluded him—he wasn’t his father.

I can’t be the one to ruin this family.

“I’ll tell you everything I know.”

Doug’s voice, weary and drained, finally broke the silence.

Sienna moved. She turned away from the door and walked back to the sofa. Passing Doug, she sat down. Doug, still standing with his head bowed, followed her lead and sat across from her.

At last, the two began a real conversation.

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