Seizing The Royal Palace

As Ian stepped out of the drawing room, he found the butler, a few maids, and Leni waiting in the corridor. Their faces were pale. Understandably so—soldiers had suddenly stormed into the mansion, and they were worried something terrible might happen.

“Butler.”

“Y-yes, Your Highness.”

“I’ll be away from the house for a few days. Please take good care of Mother and my sister. Make sure they lack nothing.”

“Understood. But… will you be all right?”

“Oh, you mean them? Don’t worry. They’re my people.”

Only when Ian said it with a smile did the butler understand what he meant and relax. At the same time, a sense of surprise filled him. He realized that Prince Ian had gathered forces and was about to enact a major reversal.

“Leni.”

“Y-yes? Ah, yes!”

“Don’t be too alarmed. Stay close to Mother and my sister, and take good care of them. Things are going to happen soon. Oh, and be mentally prepared to return to the palace. I’ve been planning to make you Head Maid, you know.”

“Eh?!”

Leni looked stunned, but Ian simply smiled and began walking. At his movement, Count Dimentis and the officers and soldiers of the Capital Defense Command started moving in step. The sound of boots echoed repeatedly, and as they stepped into the parlor, Ian spotted his mother and younger sister.

Both wore worried expressions in response to the sudden events. Seeing Ian, they hurried over and glanced warily at the people around them before cautiously asking,

“I-Ian, what is going on?”

“Brother, are you all right?”

“Mother, don’t be alarmed. I’m heading to the royal palace now. I intend to claim the throne.”

“Hiccup!?”

Beside him, Charlotte let out a surprised hiccup at Ian’s words. Smiling gently, Ian patted her head and spoke in a soft voice.

“Didn’t I say I’d make you the princess from a storybook? So wait for me. I’ll make it happen soon.”

“Brother… you’re not overdoing this for my sake, are you?”

“Well, I don’t feel like I’m pushing myself too hard.”

“Ian, I don’t understand the situation. How on earth did you persuade them?”

“Let’s just say… it worked out.”

Ian smiled in a way that suggested he couldn’t explain more. His mother nodded, seeming to understand, and spoke with a slightly trembling but resolute voice.

“I don’t quite know what’s going on, but… may you achieve what you set out to do.”

“Yes, I’ll make sure it succeeds. Then, I’ll be off. I don’t think I’ll be returning home for a while.”

With that, Ian walked out the front gate. Soldiers followed behind. Some officers and troops remained at the mansion to protect it.

Outside, Ian saw the waiting vehicles—trucks prepared to transport the troops. Of course, this wasn’t the entirety of his forces. Even though the war had ended, the Capital Defense Command still had more than 20,000 soldiers, and now all of them were being mobilized.

‘Not just Count Dimentis, but even his subordinate officers now follow my lead.’

In the past, even dreaming of a coup with these troops would’ve been unthinkable. But now that the king was dead, Ian had the justification to claim the throne. What’s more, he had other factions as well. Not just soldiers—other preparations had already been completed.

Originally, he’d planned to take the throne naturally. But since the king died earlier than expected, he had no choice but to take it by force. Fortunately, most of the preparations had already been completed in his daily life.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes, Prince Ian.”

Before long, Ian and Count Dimentis got into the same car, and the military trucks carrying troops began moving. As the convoy left through the front gate, nearby residents—unaware of the situation—looked on in confusion.

Seeing the mansion belonged to Prince Ian, some wondered whether one of the rival princes was trying to arrest him. No one around could even imagine that these troops were loyal to Ian.

Across the capital, forces were being deployed. Naturally, this movement left the civil police confused, unable to grasp what was happening. But soon, they received an official directive and resumed their duties.

“All police units will continue performing their usual duties. Do not leave your posts under any circumstances.”

It was an official directive issued by Count Zelitoa, Commander of the Security Department. In the meantime, Ian’s car had already arrived at the palace gate. Oddly enough, the gate—normally closed—was wide open. A large number of royal guards were stationed at the entrance.

As Ian stepped out of the car and approached, the guards saluted him. They, too, were his people. After all, Ian had grown up in the palace. Many of the guards had long since come to his side.

Of course, only a few had been mentally manipulated into submission. The majority followed him out of trust and loyalty. When more than a hundred guards joined the group, Ian noticed another cluster of guards bound and gagged.

They were likely those originally assigned to guard the entrance—now subdued. Ian glanced at them briefly before walking into the palace. Not everyone had been turned to his side, so some degree of sacrifice was unavoidable.

‘Sacrifice is inevitable… but I do wonder what expressions the two of them will make when they see me.’

He was curious to see the reactions of the First and Second Princes. But only the First Prince was in the palace now. The Second Prince was currently at the residence of the Marquis of Veloster in the capital, under the protection of his maternal grandfather, the admiral of the 2nd Fleet. Troops had already been dispatched there.

Of course, Ian had also planted his people in that location and confirmed the Second Prince was still there. He intended to seize all of them today. Naturally, he had plans to capture the other princes as well. Leaving them free could spark a civil war.

‘I won’t kill them.’

He did feel sympathy for them and had no desire to cause their deaths. It might seem soft-hearted, but he had no intention of slaughtering all the royals to take the throne. Soon, he stepped into the dazzling palace corridor.

Though it looked the same as before, everything seemed different today. Once, this place belonged to someone else—but now, it was becoming his. Every part of it would soon fall under the authority of the king.

‘In other words, it will be mine.’

Though it was luxurious and filled with extravagance, he had no plans to get rid of what already existed. Once crowned, he intended to drastically cut back on indulgence—but what was already there, he would put to use.

‘It’s already here, so I may as well make use of it.’

Prince Vincent, the First Prince, was presiding over a meeting as usual. He was determined to suppress the Second Prince at all costs.

“If only I could capture that bastard Rubid, this would be over.”

“The followers of the Second Prince, including the Marquis of Veloster, won’t sit by quietly. They’ve already formed a separate guard unit to protect him. The moment we make a move, they’ll respond in kind.”

“To block the 2nd Fleet’s movements, we’ll need to utilize the 1st Fleet. Can’t we persuade Admiral Brudwar to act?”

“That would be difficult. He considers his vow to remain neutral already fulfilling his duty.”

“Hmm… If we can’t catch him and he escapes the capital, a civil war could break out.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to further persuade Count Dimentis of the Capital Defense Command?”

“That man won’t move unless it’s under the king’s orders. He won’t listen to me.”

Everyone agreed—Count Dimentis had always kept a strict boundary. As they were thinking over how best to suppress the Second Prince, a commotion erupted outside.

“What’s going on? Can it be this noisy inside the royal palace?”

“I’ll go check.”

Someone stood and exited the meeting room. Moments later, the door burst open and he stormed back in, pale-faced, shouting the shocking news.

“R-rebellion!”

Could a rebellion even be declared in the absence of a king? Regardless, the meaning behind the word was what truly mattered. Prince Vincent jumped up from his seat, suspecting that the Second Prince had made his move first.

‘But how? Isn’t the palace already under my control?’

He wondered what the royal guards were doing, allowing this to happen without any hint. He made up his mind—once he was king, he’d overhaul the entire guard. But just then, bang bang bang!—the sound of gunfire rang out, and everyone flinched.

Screams, likely from maids, echoed from afar. Everyone’s expressions grew more serious. Some shouted to flee immediately, others insisted on creating cover and preparing a defense. Amidst the chaos, Prince Vincent yelled,

“Silence! We will hold our ground and defend this place!”

He believed that buying time was enough to regain control, as the palace was within his domain. The others agreed. Their behavior reflected a lack of information—they had no idea how many troops had already entered the palace.

They flipped over tables for cover, and the guards stationed at the meeting room drew their guns and took positions. Even a few nobles drew their firearms. The gunfire outside crept closer.

And then… silence.

The roughly 30 nobles in Vincent’s faction swallowed hard without realizing it. Their expressions showed utter confusion—they had no idea what was happening outside.

Then came the sound of numerous footsteps—many were approaching. Some hoped it meant the guards had defeated the rebels and were returning.

That hope shattered as an unfamiliar voice rang out from outside, surprising everyone.

“Everyone’s inside, I presume? Brother Vincent, are you there?”

“Wha—Ian?”

“Ah, you are inside. Good.”

“How did you…?”

“What do you mean, how? Is it strange that I’m at the palace? More importantly, I’m glad you stayed put. It would’ve been troublesome if you’d run. I’ll give you credit for that.”

“What did you say?”

“You still don’t understand the situation, do you? Should I explain? Brother, I’m here to capture you. But I promise—you won’t lose your life.”

“Y-you little…!”

As Vincent began to understand what Ian meant, he still couldn’t grasp the full picture. Had Ian allied himself with that bastard Rubid?

‘What the hell are the guards doing?!’

Vincent tried to stay calm and chose to reason with Ian.

“Ian, it seems you’ve sided with Rubid, but think carefully. The guards will be moving soon. Do you think that bastard can really hold the palace?”

“You’re putting your faith in the royal guards?”

“Of course! Do you know where we are?!”

“Why, we’re in the palace.”

“This is my territory! Soon, the guards will strike back!”

“That’ll only matter if I don’t catch you first, Brother.”

“If you’re so eager to die, go ahead. But I’ll defend this place to the end. You won’t breach it so easily!”

“That’s your opinion. Maybe you should’ve managed your men a little better.”

“What? What are you—”

Click—a gun was suddenly pressed to the back of Prince Vincent’s head. The people around instantly turned their weapons toward the source—only to find the one holding the gun was none other than Viscount Poden, a well-known figure in Vincent’s own faction.

“You there, Viscount Poden! What are you doing?!”

“Prince Vincent, please surrender. Resistance is meaningless.”

“You dare betray me…?”

“Betrayal? Not at all. I simply choose to follow the one who will lead the Polia Kingdom to greatness—Prince Ian.”

“Ian? Not Rubid?”

“Oh, you’ve misunderstood. The one I swore loyalty to is Prince Ian. Isn’t that right, everyone?”

Click—three more nobles raised their guns toward Vincent. Chaos broke out in the room. Even some of the guards turned their weapons toward Vincent’s group, startling their comrades.

No one could comprehend what was happening. Four key figures in Vincent’s faction had betrayed him—along with some of the guards. Vincent’s face twisted in disbelief.

“Ian… was behind all of this?”

As he murmured, Bang!—the door burst open, and soldiers flooded into the meeting room. No one dared open fire this time. With Vincent held at gunpoint, any reckless action would be dangerous.

The soldiers poured in, filling the room. Their uniforms were not ordinary—they were those of the Capital Defense Command. Everyone stared in stunned silence.

Step, step, step.

Then Ian entered.

Behind him came Count Dimentis, and a number of what appeared to be elite guards. The truth hit everyone like a slap—they were stunned.

Ian’s voice echoed through the chamber.

“Brother, it’s time to surrender. It’s all over. Even Brother Rubid has been captured and is being brought here now.”

“You… what have you done? How did you even turn Count Dimentis to your side?”

“Good question. Why don’t you try figuring it out yourself? I don’t feel like sharing.”

Ian’s tone was almost teasing. Vincent clenched his teeth. He had never imagined that Ian—the sibling he thought of as merely troublesome—had built up such power in secret.

He couldn’t help but resent himself for not having eliminated Ian sooner. Though, even if he had tried… he probably wouldn’t have succeeded.