I’m the Only One Who Can Put the Tyrant To Sleep

Chapter 38 ‘In truth, that’s essentially the only way for Caesar to ascend the throne.’In short, we had to win over the nobles aligned with both the Emperor and Empress factions.“The first thing we need to enlist is the nobles of the imperial faction.”“But how? You know they’re loyal to His Majesty the Emperor.”“Why are they loyal?”“Why? Well, obviously because they’ve always been…”Caesar gave a bewildered expression, as I interrupt him.“Exactly.”I smiled a little.“They’ve always been loyal simply because His Majesty is the Emperor. For generations—countless generations— Because of the strong ties between their families and the imperial family has endured.”The majority of the Emperor’s faction had remained steadfast out of loyalty to tradition, supporting the current Emperor simply because he was the legitimate heir.This point was the way to attack the Imperial faction.If there was one thing Caesar had, despite having nothing else, it was the legitimacy of being the Emperor’s rightful heir.The reason the Imperial faction had not yet allied with Caesar was due to the influence of the aristocratic faction.The aristocrats had labeled him as a weak Crown Prince, tarnishing his reputation, and Caesar was still young and had not yet shown the qualities worthy of ascending to the throne. He was exactly right that he didn’t get a chance to show his qualities.In reality, Caesar was skilled in swordsmanship and highly intelligent, but none of this was publicly known. As a result, the Imperial faction couldn’t place their hopes on legitimacy alone.Additionally, publicly supporting Caesar before he had proven his ability would have been too risky, given the aristocratic faction’s opposition.‘But anyone who saw Caesar at the banquet must have questioned it. Surely, they realized Caesar isn’t as weak as they thought.’So now the chance.“If we can show that His Highness the Crown Prince is capable of ascending the throne, they will surely want to help you.”I spoke confidently, but Caesar’s face didn’t brighten.“But even if they help me, wouldn’t that power alone not be enough to rise to the throne?”“Of course, convincing them is only the first step. After that, we will have to bring in Her Majesty the Empress.”“What?”Caesar’s face twisted strangely.“Her Majesty the Empress…”He couldn’t finish his sentence. He was likely about to say she despised him and would never side with him.“Of course, I don’t intend to fully align myself with Her Majesty the Empress either.”Caesar’s eyes widened at my calm words.“Not fully aligning… Does that mean you’ll just pretend to cooperate?”“It’s similar, anyway… If we can get what we want, there’s no reason not to hold hands, right?”“What she want?”Since meeting the Empress, I had been contemplating her character as depicted in the original story.The nature of the original story meant that the Empress, the heroine’s mother, was never meant to be a complete, irredeemable villain. Rather, in the original, she was more like a good mother.She had risen to her position through the Emperor’s favor but came from nothing.With the Crown Prince already decided, and the aristocrats faction are only trying to use Floria. In that situation, the Empress sought power to protect herself and her child.In short, what the Empress ultimately desired was the safety of herself and her daughter.“His highness can give what the Empress wants.”“What is it?”“A secure status and position.”Caesar raised an eyebrow, clearly understanding my point. He must have understood what I meant.“If I join forces with the Empress, you’re suggesting I promise her and her daughter a position?”“Exactly. Not genuine collaboration—a negotiation.”That’s what I intended: a negotiation with the Empress of this empire, using the throne as leverage.“Will the Empress trust me, though?” Caesar pierced the corner.That was the most important point of this deal. The Empress couldn’t risk her life just believing that he would promise a position and a status.“That’s why it’s important to join hands with the imperial faction first. You have to prove that His highness is capable. And after that…”“After that?”Caesar made a curious face, but I was silent.“Well, we’ll talk about it after that. First of all, it’s important to join hands with the Imperial faction.”Despite my smooth explanation, Caesar nodded reluctantly, still looking uneasy.“But when you say the Imperial faction, who exactly should I approach? How do I win them over?”I chuckled lightly at his puzzled expression. At some point, Caesar seemed to see me less as his maid and more as his tutor.“Why are you laughing?”“Oh, nothing. For now, it’s best to focus on those who are particularly favorable toward Your Highness. Was there anyone like that at your birthday banquet?”Unfortunately, at the birthday banquet, I didn’t know who was in favor of Caesar, as I was running around to stop Duke Spiegel’s scheme.Caesar, who seemed to think for a moment, opened his mouth.“I don’t know of anyone who favors me, unless they specifically dislike me…”I don’t know why he’s telling me such a sad story. I pouted my lips.“Maybe when the Duke of Spiegel fell, or even afterward, since you were looking quite cool and handsome then, and some of them might have noticed.”“Cool and handsome? I thought you said you preferred weakness…”“Yes?”“No, no.”Caesar, who muttered to himself, turned around.“Now that you mention it, it seems like the Duke of Bryden approached me.”“Duke Bryden?”“I don’t remember exactly what he said because it was a chaotic after Spiegel was taken away by the guards, but I’m sure he came closer.”The Brydens had been loyal to the Imperial family from generation to generation. It was a prestigious family with a wide network and enormous wealth, and in fact, it was also the support that the Emperor was able to sustain even this much.‘And in the original story, when the nobles rebelled, they are destroyed….’The reason I remember this was simple.Because Ian Bryden, the original male lead, was the only son of the Duke of Bryden.The Brydens were so important that the Emperor’s faction might have been able to crush the rebellion if they hadn’t fallen, which is why they were a priority target for the Aristocrats.‘Then why did they collapse so helplessly?’The description in the original story, as well as the experience I experienced in this world. The Bryden family wasn’t one to collapse without a fight—let alone face complete annihilation…“Evelyn?”“Ah yes. So Duke Bryden approached you?”I quickly set aside my thoughts. Right now, those details weren’t important. With the story’s changes, the rebellion wouldn’t happen, and the Bryden family wouldn’t fall.“Yes, I’m not sure what he said, but he seemed… favorable.”“Since the Bryden family has always been loyal to the imperial family, Your Highness likely made a good impression. Let’s start by persuading Duke Bryden.”“Persuasion…”Caesar muttered with a vague expression on his face.“How exactly do I do that?”“Well, we’ll have to think about that from now on! Strategies always depend on who the opponent is, don’t they?”Now that we knew who to persuade, it was time to investigate—starting with Duke Bryden.“So, in the end, you still don’t know anything?”“Well… not yet. But there’s something His Highness must do in the meantime.”“What is it?”Caesar’s eyes sparkled, as though expecting something grand, his expression one of eager anticipation.“Study hard.”“… What?”Caesar’s expression suddenly collapsed. It looked like he was expecting something great.“I mean it. From now on, everything depends on Your Highness’s abilities. Whether it’s your lessons or swordsmanship, you can’t neglect a single thing. You must hone your skills to be the best in this empire, so that you can be seen by all to be worthy of the Emperor.”Despite my serious tone, Caesar still looked doubtful.“His highness is still fifteen. Changing public perception starts with proving your potential. And this is the best way to do it.”“… Fine. I’ll trust you have a plan.”With his shoulders drooping and his face gloomy, Caesar nodded obediently.He looked so much like a diligent student at that moment that, before I realized it, I reached out and tousled his hair.Caesar flinched for a moment but then relaxed, letting his head rest under my hand. He even leaned in slightly, as if silently asking for more strokes.We used to hold hands whenever we had spare time, so I was quite familiar with the skinship with Caesar. By habitually stroking his soft hair, I organized my thoughts.‘If you can persuade the Duke of Bryden, you can say that the Imperial faction is almost over. Then after that…’After that. My focus was on what would come next—when the aristocratic and Crown Prince factions would be evenly matched, and I would finally make my deal with the Empress.There was already a trading method in mind. But the reason I couldn’t tell Caesar ‘after that’ was because my method was not very moral.‘I don’t want Caesar disappointed in me.’I intended to blackmail the Empress.