King Sigmund

Her tone shifted abruptly, her gaze sweeping over the two men like a dagger. "However, I have heard that during His Majesty's final moments, some unscrupulous individuals took advantage of his clouded judgment to mislead him, and may even have... forged his Royal Decree?"

Her gaze finally settled on Alvin: "Count Alvin, you are the Chief Recorder, responsible for recording His Majesty's words and actions and safeguarding important documents. Do you have anything to say about this matter?"

The pressure instantly settled on Alvin; cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his lips moved, but he didn't know how to answer.

Handing over the Royal Decree is tantamount to betraying the Former King; not handing it over would have unimaginable consequences...

Just then, Katerina's gaze shifted to Marquis Wolfgang, her tone softening slightly, yet carrying a deeper cunning. "Marquis Wolfgang, you have made great contributions in managing domestic affairs and intelligence. Now that the new king is about to ascend the throne, what is needed is stability and loyalty. I will give you two choices."

She held up her first finger. "First, you shall immediately submit a memorial resigning from all your posts on the grounds of old age and declining health. I will bestow upon you a thousand pieces of gold and allow you to take your family away from Plai to enjoy your later years. Your family's Nobility title and fiefdom will be retained."

Before she could even voice her second option, the Marquis Wolfgang, almost without hesitation, immediately bowed and said decisively and clearly, "Your Majesty, I thank you for Queen grace! I am old and truly feel inadequate. I humbly request to resign and retire. I hope Your Majesty will grant my request!"

He knew all too well the cruelty of political struggles; Olivier's fate was already clear. The fact that the Queen was offering such "generous" terms was already a lenient gesture.

Continuing to resist will only lead to death. A wise person knows when to yield; preserving one's life and family is the most important thing.

Queen Katerina seemed pleased with Wolfgang's swift surrender, nodding slightly. "Very good, you are a smart man. Go, pack your bags, and leave the capital immediately."

Wolfgang bowed again, not daring to linger for a moment, and quickly withdrew from the suffocating hall.

Now, only Count Alvin, the watchful Queen, and her warriors remain in the hall.

Katerina's gaze returned to Alvin, growing even colder and sharper. "Count Alvin, now... it's your turn. Wolfgang has chosen to enjoy his retirement, what about you?"

"Is it to choose to be loyal to that... possibly non-existent ' Royal Decree,' and then let your wife and your beautiful sixteen-year-old daughter Emily spend the rest of your life with you in a dark and sunless dungeon?"

"Or... choose to pledge allegiance to the soon-to-be-crowned Sigmund, King and continue serving as your esteemed Chief Recorder, allowing your family to enjoy wealth and luxury?"

Her words, like the forked tongue of a viper, struck Alvin precisely where he was most vulnerable.

His family! Especially his beloved only daughter, Emily! The thought of the inhumane treatment they might suffer made Count Alvin tremble and turn ashen-faced.

"Serving His Majesty Sigmund is also serving the Broomflower Royal Family, and also fulfilling the Former King's will," the Queen's words were seductive. "You only need to... make a little... a small correction, to put history back on its proper course. Your pen will record the new king's benevolence, not... some unnecessary... 'accidents'."

Count Alvin's psychological defenses completely collapsed; his love for his family and his fear of the Queen triumphed over his loyalty to the Former King and his insistence on historical truth.

He collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face, and with trembling hands, he took out from his inner pocket the Former King's final Royal Decree, which he had personally recorded, which Olivier had stamped, and which Wolfgang had witnessed.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty... I am willing to serve Sigmund..." he choked out, presenting the Royal Decree.

Queen Katerina took the Royal Decree, glanced at it, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

He then flicked his finger, unleashing a small magic spell that released flames. A ball of fire appeared out of thin air and instantly engulfed the Royal Decree, Royal Decree to ashes.

Then she ordered someone to hand Alvin a blank parchment bearing the royal seal.

"Now, Count Alvin, please... draft a new one. As for the content... state that the Former King Heinrich XI suddenly fell ill during a hunt and unfortunately passed away. Before his death, while still lucid, he clearly bequeathed the throne to his eldest son, Sigmund von Heinrich."

Alvin's hands trembled, but he finally picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and began to write a completely new "history" on the blank parchment that would determine the future of the kingdom.

Watching him write the last word, Queen Katerina finally smiled triumphantly, "Very good, Count Alvin, you have made a very wise decision. Your family will be proud of you."

This meticulously planned and swiftly concluded political storm ended in less than a day with a complete victory for Queen Katerina and the Eisenberg family behind her.

The next day, the tragic news that King Heinrich XI had "fallen ill from a sudden illness after being startled while hunting" was officially announced to the public.

Also announced were the proclamation of Crown Prince Sigmund von Heinrich's succession to the throne, and the startling news that Duke Olivier, the former Lord Seal Minister, had been executed for "conspiring to murder the Former King."

Plai Central Square was once again packed with people.

But this time, the atmosphere was no longer celebratory, but rather somber and tense.

On the high guillotine, the once all-powerful Duke Olivier, dressed in prison clothes with disheveled hair, held his head high.

His crimes were read aloud in public, sparking outrage and angry curses from the crowd.

On the execution platform sat Queen Dowager Katerina, dressed in a black tuxedo, her face sorrowful yet her gaze icy, and the new King Sigmund, his face still bearing a trace of childishness and discomfort, dressed in royal robes.

As the executioner raised the heavy axe, Duke Olivier, with his last ounce of strength, lifted his head and stared intently at the mother and child on the execution platform, letting out a hoarse yet cursed scream:

"Katerina! Sigmund! You... usurped the throne! You persecuted the loyal! You deserve a terrible death! The ancestors of the Broomflower... will be watching you from heaven! I'll be waiting for you in hell!!"

Before the shout had even faded, the axe flashed!

A head rolled to the ground, its blood staining the execution platform red.

In the square, the uninformed crowd, guided by those with ulterior motives, erupted in deafening cheers of "Long live the King!" and "Execute the traitor!"

A bloody palace coup thus came to an end amidst the clamor of "justice being served."

However, the Duke Olivier's dying curse, like an ominous mark, was deeply imprinted on this hasty coronation.

The new king's throne was built from the very beginning on intrigue, bloodshed, and lies.