The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

Chapter 675: The Burning Imperial Consort Palace

"Was this the right thing to do?"

In the imperial palace for the consorts, Brunhild questioned.

The question was directed at two individuals.

"We were ordered by His Highness Traugott to stay by the Empress's side."

"And those orders have not been rescinded."

The fully armed pair were "Markus von Raiffeisen" and "Manuel von Raiffeisen."

The Raiffeisen brothers, once feared and respected as the two wings of the Crown Prince.

To Wilhelm, they were second cousins and brothers in all but name, having grown up together from childhood.

Other retainers rushed to Wilhelm's side, as if they had been waiting for him.

The southern faction had become almost synonymous with the former Crown Prince's faction, but the Raiffeisen brothers did not join Wilhelm.

Not because they doubted he was an impostor.

Simply because if Wilhelm reappeared, the weaknesses would be Brunhild and Therese. Therefore, they stayed to protect them in case something happened.

But now, the situation has changed.

"Wilhelm would... accept you."

"If the Empress and Lady Therese judge him to be an impostor... we will follow that judgment."

"Besides, His Highness is not the kind of brute to surround those he loves."

They said this with a smile.

The consort palace was completely surrounded.

Most of it was occupied, and they were holed up in the Empress's room.

Only a few guards were left.

They could escape through a hidden passage.

But Wilhelm knew of the harem's escape routes.

So Brunhild did not flee.

She showed a stance of determined resistance.

"Empress! Prince Wilhelm wants to speak with you!"

"I have nothing to say."

As she spoke, Brunhild glanced to her side.

Therese, who was there, thought for a moment before opening her mouth.

"I will... speak."

"You don't have to force yourself."

"I'll be fine."

Therese said this and walked up to the door.

Wilhelm was on the other side of the door.

"Wil...?"

"Therese... There seems to be a misunderstanding. Please come out and let me talk to you properly. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Is the Chancellor safe?"

"Of course, he's under protection."

"Then let me talk to the Chancellor."

"That can't be done. The Chancellor sent soldiers to eliminate me. He has changed. Obsessed with power, he fears me. He has deceived you and Mother."

"Even so... you've surrounded and occupied the harem by force. This doesn't seem like the action of someone who wants to negotiate."

"I had no choice. If I hadn't moved, I would have been eliminated. I surrounded the harem to ensure you wouldn't be used against me. I mean no harm. Please believe me."

Sincere words.

The voice and manner of speaking were entirely Wilhelm's.

Yet, Therese shook her head.

Tears welled up.

No matter what, no matter what.

The voice in her heart wouldn't go away.

So, she spoke.

"I'm sorry... my beloved Wil. My prince... you seem real, but... the Wil inside me says otherwise..."

"You must be confused because I appeared so suddenly... It's all my fault. I'm deeply sorry. But please believe me. I am Wilhelm."

"I want to believe you... I longed for this so much... the days without you were empty... but still... I don't want an impostor. The Wil I loved is dead..."

The reason she spoke was to clearly reject him.

Whether it would be effective or not, she didn't know.

But as the Crown Princess, Therese felt it was important to reject Wilhelm's existence.

For the future of the Empire.

"Therese..."

"Goodbye, Wil..."

Therese quietly stepped away from the door.

Sensing something amiss, Wilhelm ordered the knights to break down the door.

However, the Empress's room was special even within the harem.

The door was reinforced by magic, making it tough to break.

But it wouldn't last long.

"You can still escape, Therese."

"No... I'll stay with you, Mother-in-law."

"Thank you, Therese. My beloved daughter."

Brunhild embraced Therese as she said this.

Then.

"Can I ask you to buy us some time?"

"Leave it to us."

"We shall repay the kindness you have shown us here and now."

With these words, the Raiffeisen brothers, leading the few remaining guards, stood in front of the door.

Behind them, Brunhild began preparing a magical device.

It wasn't a particularly powerful magical device.

It was shaped like a bottle, with a fire inside. Its range wasn't wide.

However, the fire was difficult to extinguish. It would continue to burn endlessly.

When trying to turn something to ashes, there was no more convenient magical device.

The Raiffeisen brothers, waiting in front of the door, looked at Brunhild.

"Serving His Highness and the Empress... it has been an honor."

"We shall join you soon."

"Traugott will be angry..."

Brunhild smiled as she looked at the letter on the desk.

It was a letter from Traugott.

He wrote that Wilhelm was an impostor and urged her to stay strong. If given permission, he would head to the capital.

That letter had given Brunhild the resolve she needed.

She couldn't bring Traugott here.

Nor could she allow many retainers to be used.

"I am... Empress Brunhild of the Empire... I will not let myself be used by the enemy!!"

As she spoke, the Raiffeisen brothers and their small group opened the door and launched their attack.

The door closed again, leaving only Therese and Brunhild in the room.

Brunhild slowly dropped the bottle-shaped magical device on the floor.

Immediately, the fire began to spread throughout the room.

"The enemy is a demon... if we leave our bodies behind... it will trouble His Majesty and our retainers..."

"Mother-in-law..."

"I have no regrets... His Majesty never loved me... but I loved him. And I am the Empress of the Empire... Even if only in name, I have a duty to dedicate myself to the Empire..."

There was a bit of a lie mixed in.

It wasn't all because she was the Empress.

There was a bit of personal feeling mixed in.

Theirs was a political marriage. The love shown was out of duty.

Among many of the past emperors, he was a good husband. He tried to love her. He showed equal love on the surface.

But she never received true love.

That was fine. They were human, after all.

Just.

She wanted the one she loved to think.

That she was a splendid Empress.

When he remembered her, she didn't want it to be the image of her arguing over their son.

She wanted to be remembered as the splendid Empress he had heard about.

"Please... stay safe... Johannes."

The fire set in one room of the harem did not go out and began spreading throughout the entire harem.

Due to the Raiffeisen brothers' suicidal attack, Wilhelm's forces lost the opportunity to stop the fire.

"What... happened?"

"We can still... fight..."

All the guards had been defeated.

However, the Raiffeisen brothers, despite being covered in numerous wounds, continued to stand in front of the door.

The fire had already started spreading.

Neither the Empress nor Therese inside the room would survive.

Seeing this, Wilhelm ordered his soldiers to retreat.

There was no more time to waste here. He had to limit the damage to the harem alone.

"Hahaha... they have retreated, brother."

"To think they could claim to be Prince Wilhelm... laughable... The Prince would have jumped into the fire for those he loved..."

"Exactly... Do you remember... when Prince Traugott fell from a high place and got injured... he tried to jump down to him..."

"It was hard to stop him..."

"Everything is so nostalgic..."

"Do you remember that...?"

Brother Markus's words elicited no response from Manuel.

Seeing this, Markus smiled and closed his eyes.

The fire gently enveloped the two brothers.

The harem was engulfed in flames.

Amid this great incident, an imperial decree was issued in the name of the Empress.

Its content was:

"In the name of Empress Brunhilde Lakes Adler, according to the will of Emperor Johannes Lakes Adler, I appoint the Eighth Prince Leonard Lakes Adler as Crown Prince. Loyal subjects of the Empire, eliminate the rebel falsely claiming to be the First Prince Wilhelm."

This decree plunged the Empire into a clear state of civil war.

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