This was a story of a certain man in the Ruthenia Empire. A man who has devoted his love to his country only to see it grow worse and worse under the management of the reigning royal family. An emperor whose ideology is stuck in the past, hell-bent on keeping all the power to himself, and an heir who doesn’t even want to become an emperor and lives in self-indulgence.

Those were the old times. Prince Sevastian Alexandrovich of Ruthenia had been watching for years, watching as the people demanded basic rights such as the ability to own something only to be suppressed. People who demanded protection in any form of exploitation from their masters in the age of industrialization are stifled. The minorities were forced to give up their culture and language in exchange for Ruthenian culture and language.

It doesn’t have to be that way. The past emperors could’ve done a better job and approached them peacefully. However, the greedy ministers and emperors aren’t reasonable people who would listen to a thing they’d consider ridiculous. They are the masters after all, the servants have no choice but to serve their masters.

As result, thousands die, and the once glorious Ruthenia Empire falls into a series of civil strifes, losing wars consecutively against the Britannia Empire. And then he is going to witness the heir who does nothing but frolic among noblewomen at parties.

It’s unbearable, it’s hideous! The humiliation was too much for him to bear. The country that he was once looked up to fell into such degeneracy. For Sevastian, this has to end.

Some populaces were thinking that the royal family ruling the country was too much, even to the point of orchestrating a coup. The people already hated the emperor for not listening to them, so he wondered, why not take advantage of it? So he gathered those people around and told them that he has a vision for the Ruthenia Empire and it was better than the emperor. His speech moved the heart of the common people and thus the Sevastianist were formed.

But, Sevastian knew that if it was the Sevastianist who killed the emperor, it would result in a great backslash. He had thought of a way, an infamous organization called Black Hand whose goal is to remove the greedy monarchs and squeeze every right out of the common folks.

Perfect timing. Sevastian contacted an operative agent of the Black Hand operating in Ruthenian soil. In exchange for him getting the throne, he’ll provide classified information to the Black Hand. One of which was used to kill the emperor and the empress.

It was five years ago, at a certain parade where the emperor, the empress, and the heir were in a single carriage slowly moving about the main street of St. Petersburg. People were cheering at that time but it was just all for a show. In reality, the majority of the attendees were Sevastianist, they were waiting patiently for the huge moment. And it happened. A bomb exploded underneath the carriage, killing the royals in an instant.

Sevastian was watching from the hotel near the accident, peering down as he saw the emperor, empress, and the heir bleeding to death. He was elated. At last, he can save the Ruthenia Empire from misery! Due to the Pauline Laws, women can’t inherit the throne until all male relatives of the royal family are dead. It was he, who was next in line to the heir. Now that the heir is gone, he can claim the throne for himself.

The country wept and mourned the loss of its emperor. Even if he was an incompetent emperor, the Ruthenian people were still loyal to their king, as they believed the emperor was mandated by god to rule all over them.

Now that there’s nothing in the way, he can execute his vision for the Ruthenia Empire. A strong and united empire under his banner—and there was news. The heir survived the explosion and is recovering in the Winter Palace and is being tended to by the best doctors of the Ruthenia Empire.

His fist clenched when he was reading the news, crumpling the paper and throwing it into a fireplace. Why? Just why did that man survive? Now he won’t be the emperor. It will be the playboy, good-for-nothing, inept prince.

As a relative of the Romanoff Family, he visited the prince in the Winter Palace, only to be barred by his sister, Christina Romanoff. There, he learned that Alexander was alive and awake. He hid his infuriation underneath a facade of calmness and concern. After all, he was supposed to be the one who will be emperor. How could he let his emotions get the better of him like a fool? The prince may survive but his ineptitude in running the country would lead to his downfall.

It’s only a matter of time before the people realize the power they have always possessed and take matters into their own hands. When that time comes, Sevastian will capitulate.

So he waited, waiting for whatever moves and maneuvers the young emperor had to offer. And that day came in March to the Winter Palace on August 1st, 1923.

He watched from behind the scene, overlooking the sea of people filling the Palace Square in front of the Winter Palace.

Knowing that the son of the late emperor would follow in his steps, the young emperor won’t come out and give the people an audience. If that happens, the trust of the people and the mandate of heaven would be stripped of Alexander.

Unexpectedly, the emperor came out of hiding and faced the people along with his Christina and Tiffania.

Alexander promised that their lives will be changed and that he will listen to their needs. He delivered his promise sweetly, making the people like him. At first, no one knew if Alexander was going to fulfill his promise. But it was when Alexander started visiting the injured in the hospital during the march made he popular with the people.

His radical and progressive reforms took the country by surprise. The shift from autocracy to a constitutional monarchy was the catalyst in the hearts of the people that the new and young emperor might be the one who will serve them better.

Even when the Black Hand tried to kill him outside the Imperial Council Building after signing the Infrastructure Bill, the Sevastianist and the people who hated the Romanoff Family gathered in front of the hospital and prayed for his survival and safety.

The Sevastianist faction supported by many common people was starting to leave due to the prospect of a better future for Alexander. They all started having jobs thanks to the nationwide-scale constructions and free education for their children. Sevastian tried to convince them that it was all for show, to brainwash them. But they only turned their backs on him.

How? How did Alexander change in an instant? His thinking was not the Alexander he knew. It was as if he was an entirely different person when he woke up from a coma.

The Ruthenia Empire and the people starting to like Alexander and Sevastian are gradually losing the spotlight. The gap between him and Alexander was too wide for him to catch up.

No person in the Ruthenia Empire would think of overthrowing their emperor now that they are having a better life.

Sevastian started thinking of a way. There must be a way for him to be the emperor. An idea popped up. Why not work with Alexander?