When a cold, languid woman's voice flowed from the Second Prince's mouth, shivers shot down my spine.
I held my breath, staring into Arthur's eyes, which glowed with an eerie silver light.
"...The White Witch."
At my mutter, Arthur's thick lips traced a strange curve and twisted into a grin.
[Correct. I am Ella von Argenheim, first daughter of the Northern Archduke and rightful heir to the Archduchy. Is this our third meeting?]
"What in the world is the meaning of this? To cast mind control magic upon a member of the imperial family—do you wish to start a war?"
[I wanted to speak with Prince Ian. I swear I will not harm Arthur in the least. If I dispel the magic now, truly nothing will happen.]
"How am I to believe that?"
[The moment I harm Arthur, it becomes total war, and the North is not yet fully prepared. I swear I will cause him no harm.]
"I heard the Imperial Palace is thoroughly lined with magic-neutralizing stones."
[If one couldn't use magic because of something so trivial, they ought to renounce the title of Archmage. It is quite bothersome, and I cannot use any truly great magic, but a minor spell like this is well within my ability.]
To think that magic controlling a person's mind was "minor"—then what on earth would a great magic conjure? A nuclear weapon?
"Did you not receive any restrictions, some kind of forbidden magic ban?"
[I did. I swore not to use magic on the palace servants. They must not have imagined I would dare cast it upon the imperial family with war in mind, so they didn't restrict me to that extent. Thanks to that, I was able to borrow Prince Arthur's body to have this conversation.]
"..."
I was so dumbfounded that words failed me.
If they hadn't even implemented the most basic safety measures, why on earth did the Imperial Family employ mages in the first place?
"...Aren't the Imperial Palace mages incredibly incompetent?"
[Well, if I must make excuses for them, the smarter people are, the more often they fail to see what's right beneath their feet. Especially those overflowing with confidence in their own abilities. Those who've struggled desperately up from the bottom are often like that. Honestly, if they had truly intended to seal it off completely, I wouldn't have been able to cast it.]
Indeed, it seemed the moniker "Witch of the North" was no mere for show.
Ella continued in a cheerful voice.
[Originally, on the first day of the social season, I intended to dance at the ball and cast telepathy directly into Your Highness's mind to speak with you. But some tactless girl from House Espada interfered and ruined the entire thing.]
"..."
Arthur's hand rose and scratched the back of his head.
Ella's annoyed grumbling continued.
[So I hurriedly tried to cast magic on Your Highness on the spot to pull you away. But it didn't work. I wonder why it didn't work? This has never happened before.]
"..."
[Well, thanks to that, I became the crazy woman at the party who uses magic to snag a dance partner, and I'm sure the noble young ladies are tearing me apart behind my back... Yes, I don't care. I have more important matters at hand.]
"Thanks to you, I nearly ended up in serious trouble. I am already a hostage with an uncertain position; I almost broke a promise with Her Highness the Second Princess. If I had, how exactly would you have taken responsibility?"
[...I apologize for that. For now—on my name—I shall help you seek asylum in the North should anything happen.]
"That is hardly any help at all."
[...I will think of a better way. Let's get to the main point. While I was worrying over what to do, the Second Prince went off humming a merry tune, saying he needed to make Ian exercise~? Thanks to that, things became easy. Imperial family members aren't under surveillance, so there is little chance of unexpected incidents.]
"Then what is the purpose of seeking me out in the middle of the night through His Highness the Prince's mouth? What do you want from me?"
At my blunt question, Ella paused for a moment before lowering her voice.
[First, I ask this as the Northern Archduke's proxy and envoy. Ian Sterling, do you have any intention of cooperating with us in the North to topple the Empire and seize these lands?]
"None whatsoever. Do you think I am mad?"
Without a moment's hesitation, I refused outright.
Plotting treason in the heart of the Imperial Palace? Had she lost her mind?
"What are you thinking in the first place? It is impossible for the North to defeat the Empire. The population differs by several times, and in terms of productivity alone, the gap must be dozens of times over."
Why would I risk my life on such an obviously losing battle?
Rather than getting angry at my blade-sharp refusal, Ella burst into a cheerful laugh.
[Ahaha! Of course, naturally. That was simply my father's will, asked as an official matter. Your answer is within the expected range.]
Arthur's head tilted to the side, his silver eyes flashing toward me.
[Now then, from here on is my true proposal. If you do not wish for the Empire to fall... then how about preventing it from expanding any further? Making it maintain exactly the status quo.]
"...?"
[The Western Kingdom of Roland, our Northern Archduchy, and the current Empire. These three great powers remaining on the continent must be preserved as they are going forward.]
"A tripartite balance?"
[Oh, what a fine expression. Yes, that is the picture I desire.]
Borrowing Arthur's body, Ella smiled thinly.
[To be honest, my father burns with the delusional ambition of becoming Emperor of the Empire himself... but realistically, it is impossible. The North absolutely cannot defeat the Empire alone. However, if we combine our strength with the Kingdom of Roland, though we may not win, we can fight endlessly. The Empire could defeat either of the two powers one-on-one, but it cannot defeat both at the same time.]
"..."
[My goal is not the destruction of the Empire. It is not an Empire that would fall so easily in the first place. I merely wish for the three powers to maintain a taut balance so that the Empire stops expanding any further and halts right at this line.]
'...So reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms six times does come in handy. I understood immediately... but honestly, it's impossible.'
I was tempted at first, but I shook my head.
The Witch of the North before me was not Lu Su of Wu coming to propose an alliance, nor was I Zhuge Liang.
Was I not merely a hostage dragged to the Imperial Palace, a prisoner from a defeated nation whose life was worth no more than a fly's?
I asked again in a cold voice.
"I understand that is your personal goal. But why would you think I would cooperate with such a perilous plan?"
[Because Your Highness's position is precarious. No matter how much favor you have curried with the Empire's nobles or how impressed the Emperor is, in the end, Your Highness is a hostage from a defeated nation with a collar held by the Empire. A life on the edge of a cliff, never knowing when you might die like a dog to the Emperor's whim. Do you not wish to escape such a position?]
"No, not at all. I have full confidence in my abilities, and I am rather certain I can curry far more favor here than I do now."
[...What?]
"If the Emperor's whims are frightening, I need only make it so the Emperor cannot discard me. For instance... by becoming the Emperor's son-in-law. Surely he would not execute his own daughter's husband simply because he dislikes him."
Chloe or Victoria, either would do.
If I married the Emperor's daughter, from that point on, unless I committed treason openly, there would be no danger of losing my head.
Well, unless the fact that I'm a fake prince was exposed... Let's not think about that for now.
[...]
For a while, Ella said nothing.
She seemed to have more to say, her lips moving slightly, but soon swallowed her words with a short sigh.
[...Haah. Very well, if Your Highness is so confident, I shall say no more on that matter. I did not come here to interfere with your romance or your path to success in the first place. Whether you marry Princess Victoria or Princess Chloe, that is your own affair.]
Ella lowered her voice another degree, making it more secretive.
[To put it simply, this is the heart of the matter. In my plan to stop the Empire's expansion, precisely two psychopaths stand in the way. If only those two can be dealt with somehow.]
I knew intuitively who the two people she spoke of were without needing to ask.
But I opened my mouth to confirm anyway.
"Who are those two?"
The witch wearing Arthur's face whispered treason beyond a cold, crescent-eyed smile.
[The current Emperor of the Empire, and Crown Prince Maximilian.]
"...!"
[To remove those two sadists, blinded by war and taking pleasure in tormenting others, and to make Arthur—who loves peace—the next Emperor of the Empire. That is my true goal.]