After an intense chess match with Gerlinde, I quickly got ready and headed to the great hall where my father–the King–and other important nobles were waiting.
Normally, I didn't attend these sorts of events but today's royal court session was more important than usual: something pretty interesting was going to happen so I wanted to be present no matter what.
So why did you challenge Gerlinde? You might ask. Well–teasing Gerlinde is just too fun to pass up.
I'll get her a cake after I'm done with this, I thought.
She was probably going to lecture me the moment she woke up so i figured an apology gift might at least spare me the beating
Surely, that'd be enough right?
Mh…
…
Probably not.
Anyways, today's meeting promised to be eventful.
Unfortunately, before getting to the good part, I'd have to sit through a bunch of noblemen yelling at each other.
At first it was funny– like watching monkeys brawl at the zoo. But, after seeing it happen too many times, it became pretty boring.
Pain before pleasure, I guess.
Soon, I reached the great hall of the royal palace.
The guards standing by the entrance bowed respectfully and opened the doors the moment they saw me. Before me, the magnificent great hall revealed itself in all its imposing splendor. The sheer number of people gathered today made it clear—this royal court session was no ordinary one.
"Over here, Your highness."
The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by the head housekeeper, Annaliese. Although she bowed politely, her eyes were cold–likely because I was the last one to arrive, despite being the third prince.
No wonder Gerlinde's scared of her. She really does seem terrifying when she's in a bad mood.
While pondering that, I found myself staring at the maid in front of me.
Aannalise was without a doubt a beauty. She was tall and her body was voluptuous–the kind of woman any man would fall for. I was certain that if she wore proper noble clothes, most would mistake her for royalty.
But like a rose, her beauty came with thorns. If handled carelessly, you'd end up hurt.
Her presence was snake-like—cold, direct, intimidating.
And yet… she wasn't always like that.
There was one exception: when she spoke to my father, the King. Her entire demeanor changed. Her coldness melted into utter devotion and submission—as if she were a different person entirely.
A little unsettling, if I'm being honest.
When you put all the pieces together, the real personality of Annaliese started to show.
To most, she might seem dominant—an ice queen with a commanding presence. And while that dominant mask suited her perfectly, beneath it… there was a kitten craving affection.
And the only one she showed that side to?
The King.
Think about it: a cold, untouchable woman who lowers her guard only for her master.
Wow.
Just imagining it made my cheeks burn.
"Your highness? Is there a problem?" Annaliese asked, giving me a puzzled look—probably because I'd been staring at her for a bit too long.
"No, it's nothing," I replied with a perfectly neutral expression. I had only looked at her for a few seconds, and yet she immediately sensed something was off.
What a fearsome woman…
"Understood… By the way, if I might ask… Where is Gerlinde?" she continued, noticing that i was alone.
Shit.
As my personal servant, Gerlinde was supposed to be with me at all times. If she wasn't by my side, it would look like she was slacking off—or worse, outright neglecting her duties.
I need to cover for her somehow.
"She's handling a task I gave her. It was urgent, so she's working on it right now," I said, trying to sound casual.
"Is that so…?" she responded, clearly suspicious. "Anyway, please follow me. The meeting is about to start."
Without waiting for a reply, Annaliese turned and began walking toward the area where my siblings were seated. She was definitely doubting my explanation—but at least for now, I'd managed to divert her attention.
As I followed her, I took a moment to glance around the hall. Just as expected, everyone was already here.
On one side of the room stood the faction of Duke Hohenwald. On the opposite side, the faction of Duke Rosenberg. And in the center, naturally, was the faction of Duke Altenburg. At the head of the room sat my father, Leopold Friedrich Augustus von Eberhart, whose presence was as commanding as ever.
Soon, we reached the section reserved for the royal family, positioned before the three noble factions but still behind the king's seat.
"Thank you," I said to Annaliese as she bowed and retreated to join the other servants.
I sat down in my usual place. According to tradition, we had to sit in order of birth, so I took my spot between my older brother Lud and my younger sister Therese. Leading the four of us was First Prince Max, the soon-to-be king following Father's announced abdication last month.
At that moment, Therese turned to me with a look of surprise—clearly not expecting to see me at today's meeting.
You hurt my feelings Therese…
I smiled at her, but she quickly turned her gaze back to the center of the room.
In the center of the room, standing before everyone, was my father, the King. Despite being close to his fifties, he still looked remarkably young.
As soon as I took my seat, he began to speak in a solemn voice. The entire hall turned their attention to him—no one dared to interrupt.
"Now that Charles has arrived, let's begin the meeting. I have an announcement to make, but first, I want to address the elephant in the room: the Salzwacht Republic," he declared, his voice echoing across the great hall.
And just like that, the royal court session began.
The Salzwacht Republic.
Surely, every citizen of the Eberhart Kingdom knew of the issue. The conflict had been ongoing for decades, and it seemed likely that many more years would pass before any resolution was reached.
To truly understand the current situation, we need to look back a bit.
The southern continent, Venthar, was once unified under a powerful empire known as the Eisenmark Empire. It ruled for centuries before eventually collapsing—like all empires do—giving rise to a multitude of smaller nations.
Among those new nations, three emerged as major powers: the Hochfeld Kingdom, the Blutfang Principality, and, of course, my beloved homeland, the Eberhart Kingdom.
Unlike the other two, the Eberhart Kingdom began as a relatively small country. Slowly but steadily, it expanded its borders by conquering neighboring territories, eventually rising to become a dominant force in Venthar.
One of those conquered regions was Salzwacht, a strategically valuable area due to the port city of Eisenhafen—a vital hub for trade. With both Eisenhafen in the south and Hollensee on the eastern coast, the kingdom thrived through maritime commerce and international connections.
However, the people of Salzwacht never accepted their place within the kingdom. Empowered by the economic potential of Eisenhafen, they believed they could become a strong, independent nation. And so, they rebelled.
Naturally, a fledgling state like Salzwacht was no match for the Eberhart Kingdom, which was the largest power on the continent at the time. But that's when the Hochfeld Kingdom decided to intervene—allying with Salzwacht in opposition to us.
The war was long and bitter. Despite putting up a fierce resistance, Eberhart ultimately lost. Still, rather than continuing the bloodshed, the three powers reached a diplomatic solution.
With Hochfeld acting as mediator, the Treaty of Drachenburg was signed—named after the Hochfeld capital where the negotiations took place. The agreement granted Salzwacht its independence and reformed it into a republic. In return, they were required to pay a semiannual tribute to the Eberhart Kingdom.
This arrangement was largely accepted because both Eisenhafen and Hollensee were critical naval ports, and regular traffic between them meant mutual dependency. Salzwacht hoped that, by complying with the tribute, trade would remain unaffected.
After all, Hollensee was the primary stop for ships heading to the northern continent, Solkar. While it wasn't impossible to reach Solkar directly from Eisenhafen, most merchants preferred to restock at Hollensee, where they could also receive protection from the marine creatures that roamed the treacherous waters between the two continents.
Everything was supposed to be resolved with the treaty, but…
"As we all know, the Salzwacht region has halted its tribute payments. We received no explanation, no request for renegotiation. When we attempted to reach out, they ignored our letters entirely. Tell me, my loyal companions—those who have stood by my side since the beginning of my reign—have I ever broken the treaty signed fifty years ago? Have I once tried to invade the region and reclaim what was once ours? Have I ever interfered with their trade, trade that we helped establish and improve, only for them to profit from it?" the king declared, his voice resounding through the great hall.
His contempt for the Salzwacht Republic was unmistakable—not only through his words, but through the way he continued to refer to them as a region rather than a republic, as if to deny their sovereignty and claim that the land still rightfully belonged to us.
The answers to his questions were obvious, and everyone in the room knew them. We had upheld every term of the treaty. We had not lifted a finger against them. And yet, the republic had broken their part of the deal without a word of explanation. No one could blame the king for his anger.
"I have come to my own conclusions after carefully reviewing the situation," he continued. "However, I would also like to hear what my people have to say about it."
With that, the king—who had been standing since the start of the session—lowered himself onto the throne.
Haah, it's starting.
To be honest, I was already bored.
These royal court meetings weren't for me. That's why I usually skipped them. I could never keep my concentration with all the endless talking about laws, reports, and politics. My mind wandered too easily.
I'm sleepy…
I started thinking about Annaliese.
Or to be more precise, I started thinking about Annaliese's body.
Not only was her chest large, but her rear was too.
There's a debate among men about which is the best part of a woman's body—chest or rear. But with Annaliese, you didn't need to choose. She had everything.
If you ever felt like being a baby, her chest was there to comfort you. And if you just wanted to sleep soundly, her backside was the perfect cushion.
She was truly the ideal woman.
Wow.
"If I may speak," said the Duke of Hohenwald, interrupting my thoughts.
The king nodded.
"Forgive my bluntness, but I believe that excuse for a country is overstepping its boundaries. They act as if they can do whatever they want just because the Hochfeld Kingdom is their ally. But they seem to have forgotten who they're dealing with. If they've survived as an independent nation this long, it's only because we allowed it—because they paid the proper price. But now that the tribute has stopped, there's no longer any reason to pretend they're our equals. Normally, the violation of the treaty would require us to speak with the mediator—in this case, the Hochfeld Kingdom—but for obvious reasons, that's not an option anymore. I propose we give them an ultimatum. And if they continue to remain silent, then… we take back what was originally ours."
His words were harsh—but not unjustified. A treaty had been broken. So a response was necessary.
Normally, we would have contacted the Hochfeld Kingdom to discuss the violation—after all, they mediated the original agreement between Eberhart and Salzwacht. But those were different times.
The Eberhart Kingdom and the Hochfeld Kingdom had always shared a tense relationship—never outright enemies, but never friends. Both sides watched the border cautiously, waiting for a reason to strike. That tension escalated during the War of Independence. Though Hochfeld never sent troops into our territory, they supported the Salzwacht rebels with supplies and funds.
Still, it wasn't until six years ago that things truly fell apart.
My older sister, Princess Irene, married the First Prince of Hochfeld. Their union was supposed to mark the beginning of a new alliance between our kingdoms. But it ended in tragedy—she was assassinated not long after the wedding. Hochfeld claimed it was the work of rebels and insisted they weren't involved.
No one in our kingdom believed them.
Everyone in the hall remembered what happened. I could see it in their faces—the anger, the sorrow.
The war that followed lasted two years.
We didn't win, but we didn't lose either.
Cities were destroyed.
Lives were wasted.
In the end, to avoid dragging the conflict on further, we signed a peace agreement. But the damage was done. Relations between our kingdoms had collapsed.
Haah, I sighed in my mind. Not only was the topic boring, but it had also dragged up some depressing memories about my older sister. I needed a distraction. Naturally, my eyes drifted back to the man who had just finished speaking.
The Duke Hohenwald, huh… After hearing his speech, I began to reflect on him.
He was undeniably an important figure. He had always stood on the side of the kingdom that wanted to grow—stronger, larger, prouder. His personality was made for leadership, and his accomplishments had secured his family's status among the kingdom's most powerful.
Most nobles respected him.
Some, however, were wary.
They feared what he might do if he ever got too much power.
How could someone live like that?
Always under pressure, always being watched. He not only had to meet people's expectations, but he also had to constantly prove himself—to keep the loyalty of his allies, and the trust of the king.
Didn't he ever get tired?
If it were me, I probably would've ended it a long time ago.
And yet, here he was, well into his fifties, still strong, still imposing. What was his secret?
I pondered.
He must have had a way to relax—a method to let go of that iron grip on himself.
Some people (me) said he had a kind of "dungeon" in his mansion. A secret room where he completely changed personas. There, he wasn't Duke Hohenwald, the assertive noble and political hardliner.
No.
There, he was just a humble little dog, crawling on all fours and licking his mistress's feet.
That's where he found peace. That's how he recharged—by submitting completely, by shedding all expectations and becoming nothing but a good, obedient doggy.
And thanks to that... he was able to return, renewed, and lead like the strong duke everyone admired.
Wow.
Truly, an example to follow.
But just as I was basking in that inspiring mental image, the voice of Duke Rosenberg snapped me back to reality.
"With all due respect, Your Majesty," he said calmly, "I believe we are moving too hastily. While it's true that the Republic of Salzwacht owes us both an explanation and an apology, reacting harshly could end in disaster. Should we act against the republic, we risk starting another war. The Hochfeld Kingdom remains their ally, and we may even provoke intervention from other nations.
"I believe the best course of action for now is patience. If they've halted tribute payments, it means they have something in mind. If we wait, observe, and discover what their intentions are, we can build our own strategy accordingly."
I always liked Duke Rosenberg. Even in tense situations like this, he kept his composure. But still, even if what he said was logical, he wasn't offering solutions. He was only pointing out risks—warning us about the possible consequences of action.
Was he afraid to make a real proposal? Or did he simply not have one?
I sank into deep thought.
Was he the kind of man who preferred a woman's chest… or her rear?
I was certain Duke Hohenwald was a rear man. I mean, obviously. A man who gets on all fours and acts like a dog? Of course he enjoys being used as a seat. Sitting beneath his mistress and feeling her weight—yes, that was his ultimate bliss.
Truly, a man of unwavering conviction.
But Duke Rosenberg? No. He was different. More cautious, even bordering on cowardly. And like all cowards, he surely had people who mocked him behind his back. But as a leader, he couldn't show weakness—not in public. Yet he still had to let his emotions out somehow.
And so, some people (again, me) believed that he liked being pampered by his wife. After a long day of being a diplomatic fence-sitter, he would return home and bury his face in her chest. There, in her arms, he could let himself be vulnerable—reverting to a simpler, safer time. Her gentle embrace, her soft humming, her warm presence… They brought him peace.
Like that, he could face another day.
Truly, a respectable man.
After hearing Duke Rosenberg's warning, Duke Hohenwald spoke up.
"So? Are you trying to say we should just sit still and do nothing? We can't let some fake country like that trample the pride of our great kingdom!" he snapped.
And just like that, the two of them were at it again—arguing as always. The entire royal court was already used to their endless bickering. But an exchange like this never contributed anything to the discussion. It was just two animals raising their voices, constantly interrupting each other. Honestly, even commoners had better manners.
But then, I gasped.
There was more to their words than met the ear.
While it seemed they were arguing about what the kingdom's next move should be… in truth, they were discussing their taste in women.
Duke Rosenberg, by advocating patience, calm, and a wait-and-see approach, was clearly saying he preferred composed, mature women. The motherly type. Exactly what you'd expect from a man who liked breasts.
Meanwhile, Duke Hohenwald, yelling about swift retaliation and reclaiming national pride, was making it very obvious he liked assertive, dominant women. The kind who'd pin you down and sit on your face without asking. Truly, classic rear-man behavior.
Their whole debate was nothing but coded flirting with their own sexual preferences.
The argument went on for a while, and yet no one tried to stop them. Was it actually entertaining? Or did the court genuinely think their shouting match was productive? Maybe… maybe some of them had also realized the true meaning hidden beneath their words.
Either way, it couldn't last forever. Eventually, the king raised his hand and intervened.
"There's one voice we haven't heard yet," he said. "What about you, Karl? What do you think?"
He was addressing Duke Altenburg—the leader of the neutral faction. One of the most loyal nobles in the realm. Honestly, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was my father's most trusted man. Some even claimed he was the one who named me—Charles, the French form of Karl—as a gesture of friendship.
That was how close they were.
Of course, there wasn't any point in pretending about Duke Altenburg. The secret romantic relationship between him and my father was painfully obvious. And as a homosexual man, of course he wasn't interested in chests or rears.
Wait…
Since he named me…
Doesn't that technically make me the fruit of their love?
…I suddenly felt like vomiting.
…Yeah, I think it's better if I stop thinking about bullshit.
"I believe Duke Rosenberg makes a good point," said Altenburg in his usual calm tone. "However, doing nothing isn't an option either. We've already tried to open dialogue, and received no reply. I think the best course of action is to speak with the Hochfeld Kingdom. Our relationship with them may be… complicated, but they've been acting as mediators in this conflict. That gives them a degree of responsibility. Also, since the ascension of their new king, our ties have been slowly improving."
At that moment, my brother Max stood up from his seat.
"With all due respect, I couldn't disagree more with what Duke Altenburg is saying. Ask the Hochfeld Kingdom? After what they did to my sister?" he said harshly.
"With all due respect, Your Highness," the duke replied calmly, "even though I understand your pain over the loss of Her Highness Irene, I believe it's important to put personal feelings aside and consider the well-being of the kingdom first."
No one in the hall was surprised by Max's behavior. He was probably the most like our father—direct, aggressive, and commanding. However, he lacked self-control, a flaw that showed itself too often during meetings like this.
"Even if we ignore what happened to my sister, there's still no reason for us to involve the Hochfeld Kingdom," Max continued. "We can handle this on our own. In fact, I believe this is a perfect opportunity to reclaim the Salzwatch region. Even if Hochfeld were to intervene, I'm sure the Blutfang Principality wouldn't miss the chance to recover their long-lost territories. After defeating the Ruthenian Tsardom in the recent war, their morale has never been higher."
"May I speak?" my older brother Lud suddenly said. The King nodded.
"I also agree with Maximilian on not involving the Hochfeld Kingdom," Lud began. "It's true the new king seems more amicable, but we mustn't forget he remains the main suspect in our sister's case. Setting aside personal feelings, if they are responsible, that means their intentions toward our kingdom are anything but friendly. Until we understand his true motives, we cannot collaborate with them. Also, let's not ignore the obvious: news of Salzwatch breaking the treaty must have already reached Hochfeld. And yet, they haven't sent us a single letter—nor, as far as we know, have they even warned the republic. That silence speaks volumes."
His tone was calm and composed, even while discussing Irene's death. That was Lud—self-controlled, logical, completely different from Max.
But his speech wasn't finished.
"As for our response… while I would prefer a wait-and-see approach, that might be perceived as weakness. We already attempted to open communication, and it failed. I believe we should send an emissary as a final attempt. If they don't answer, or if their reply is negative… well, we can decide how to proceed from there."
Lud was never one to favor violence. His call for resolution through diplomacy showed how difficult this situation truly was. Most of our citizens wanted the Salzwatch region back—and the same could be said for the royal court. The hostility between our kingdom and the republic was well known, and avoiding conflict was nearly impossible unless the republic provided a convincing explanation.
No one objected to what Lud said. It seemed the royal court had reached a consensus. At Lud's side, Max wore a frustrated expression. Despite being the crown prince, his rivalry with Lud still burned deep within him.
The hall fell into silence. The King was deep in thought. In the end, the final decision was his. Yet most of us already knew what he was going to say.
Finally…
The main show was about to begin.
My father had always wanted the Eberhart Kingdom to be great—to gain more territories and dominate the surrounding nations. This was the perfect chance to take Salzwatch, now that we had a proper reason. Even if he knew it was the wrong choice, he would still go to war. The same thing happened when he declared war on the Hochfeld Kingdom, despite the entire court being against it.
However…
"I'm happy to see that you all have reached the same conclusion as I have. We will send an emissary and wait for their response. I know many of you are eager to take this opportunity, but moving hastily could be dangerous," he said.
My eyes widened.
I was genuinely surprised by what I had just heard. I had come to the royal court expecting my father to go mad about war again—just like six years ago. And yet… he had taken the cautious route. Looking around, I saw that everyone else in the hall was just as surprised, though most seemed relieved.
How boring…
I had wasted my time coming here. If there wasn't going to be a war, then there wasn't going to be any fun.
However, at that moment…
"As I mentioned earlier, I have an announcement to make regarding this matter," the King said solemnly. "My abdication in favor of my son Maximilian will be postponed. Difficult times may lie ahead for our kingdom, and though I trust my son, I would rather leave the throne to him in a time of peace, not war. That is all. You may go."
Immediately, I turned to look at Max. His eyes were wide open, his jaw practically hitting the floor. Once he recovered from the shock, he rushed to our father, demanding an explanation.
"Father! Don't you have even a little faith in your son!?" he cried, desperate.
"Maximilian, the decision has been made. There's nothing more to discuss," the King said firmly, refusing to explain further as he turned to walk away.
"Father!" Max shouted, hurrying after him.
"Frieda, take care of him," the King said, looking over at the servants. Frieda, Max's personal attendant, immediately approached him and tried to calm him down.
The scene was hilarious, and I couldn't help but laugh. Seeing my reaction, Therese approached me with a reproachful glare.
"Charles… are you seriously laughing at Max? Poor thing…" she said, glancing over at him with pity. We all knew how hard Max had worked to gain our father's favor. Normally, in a kingdom, the eldest son would inherit the crown, but in Eberhart, it was tradition for the king to choose his successor. The rivalry between Max and Lud had lasted since they were children. Even though Max had already been chosen, he probably didn't feel victorious yet—not until the coronation. So the King's announcement had surely come as a devastating blow.
"I'm sorry… but that look on his face really made my day. I have to tell Gerlinde…" I said with a smirk.
"Oh, right. Where is Gerlinde? You'd better not have done anything to her again," she said coldly.
"Nah, she's fine. We just had a bit of fun and she got so tired, she fell asleep."
"Gerlinde? Asleep? You definitely did something," she said, narrowing her eyes.
"No, no, I swear. You can ask her—I'm heading to my office right now," I said with a strained smile.
"You can bet I'm coming with you. And I'm bringing Greta." She turned. "Greta!"
A girl younger than me approached us. She looked nearly identical to Gerlinde, but gave off a younger, more innocent impression. Greta and Gerlinde were sisters—though I didn't need to say that out loud.
Greta immediately began scanning the room for her sister. When she didn't find her, she locked her gaze onto me.
I'm in big trouble…
Just then…
"Your Highness, His Majesty the King requests your presence in the throne room. Immediately," said Annaliese as she approached me.
"What? The old man?" I asked, surprised. Still, this was the perfect excuse to escape those two. "...Understood. I'll go at once. If you'll excuse me."
I gave a courteous bow to both Therese and Greta, though they didn't look the least bit happy about me running away.
What could Father want from me? There were several possibilities, but I couldn't think of any that required this level of urgency. Still, it wasn't something I could refuse, so I simply followed Annaliese in silence.