The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1281 - 197 - The Fall Of Milham Kingdom - Part 1 (4)
Many of them looked at one another the moment her words settled into the room. Not just quick glances either. It was proper looks. The kind where people silently tried to read what the others were thinking without actually speaking first. A few eyebrows raised. Some narrowed their eyes slightly. Others simply leaned back in their seats, arms folded, quietly measuring the weight of what had just been said.
These people sitting and standing here were not simple opportunists.
At least, not entirely.
For the most part, they were individuals who held a deep loyalty to the throne itself rather than to whatever short-term benefits they could squeeze out of it. That kind of loyalty didn’t come from nowhere. It came from generations of service, bloodlines that had stood beside the crown for centuries, and the stubborn pride that came with belonging to something larger than yourself.
Of course, that didn’t mean they were saints. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
Let’s not pretend anyone in this room was above personal gain. Some of them definitely had something to gain depending on how things played out. Titles, influence, land, favors, those things always floated around the halls of power like wine at a noble banquet.
Still, nobody here was foolish enough to claim they wanted nothing at all. People who said that usually wanted the most.
But even with those personal interests floating around, their loyalty to the kingdom itself remained real.
And since many of them carried the blood of Milham, with families that had sworn long ago to serve the kingdom, it only made sense that they felt the gravity behind what the Princess was saying right now.
Because what she was implying wasn’t small.
The future of the kingdom could swing wildly depending on who ended up holding the throne.
It could rise.
Or it could collapse.
Sometimes history hinged on a single person sitting in a single chair.
"I called all of you here today," she said slowly, "and I sent those letters to each of you for one reason."
"I want to become the King."
King.
Not Queen.
King.
And that difference was not accidental. She made it very clear that she meant exactly what she said.
In my world, women holding supreme authority wasn’t unheard of. Historically speaking, there had been more than a few cases where female rulers held absolute power. Usually they were called queens regnant, meaning queens who ruled in their own right rather than just being married to a king.
But there had also been exceptions.
Some women had deliberately taken the title of "king" instead.
Pharaoh Hatshepsut did it in ancient Egypt. King Tamar of Georgia did something similar. They adopted titles traditionally held by men because those titles carried authority that society already recognized.
Sometimes it wasn’t about pretending to be a man.
Sometimes it was about forcing the world to accept the authority behind the title.
Right now, Myrcella seemed to be leaning toward the same idea.
She wasn’t asking to be seen as a queen.
She was declaring she would be a king.
"No woman has ever been appointed as King before."
The Sword Saint spoke calmly, but his eyes were sharp as ever.
When he looked at Myrcella, it wasn’t the casual gaze of someone listening to a speech. It was the focused stare of a hawk watching prey from across an open field.
"How exactly do you intend to become King," he continued, "when your gender alone already prevents it? Are you planning to change it?"
A couple of nobles shifted slightly in their seats at that.
Honestly though, the question made sense coming from him.
The Sword Saint wasn’t speaking hypothetically.
He had already done something similar before.
And it wasn’t a secret either. Word had spread long ago that he had altered Johanne’s gender so she could properly inherit the Sword Saint lineage. What had once been whispered rumors had long since become common knowledge among the nobility.
So naturally, his mind probably jumped to the same solution here.
Maybe he thought Myrcella planned to do the same thing.
Change herself.
Reshape her body just to break through the barrier standing between her and the throne.
But Myrcella shook her head almost immediately.
"No," she said simply.
Her voice wasn’t defensive. It wasn’t angry either.
Just firm.
"I believe being a King isn’t something defined by what you are."
She took a small step forward as she spoke, the light from the tall windows catching slightly on her hair.
"A king shouldn’t be restricted by gender or anything like that. Those kinds of boundaries only exist because people keep believing they do."
She paused just long enough for the words to sink in.
"It doesn’t matter whether someone is a man or a woman. If a person has the will to lead, and the ability to protect the kingdom, then they should lead."
Her gaze moved across the room slowly.
"If someone is willing to carry that responsibility, then they should be allowed to do it. Without hesitation."
There was conviction in her voice.
The kind that didn’t wobble.
For a brief moment, the Sword Saint didn’t respond.
Which, considering who he was, said quite a bit.
Maybe he saw something there.
Something familiar.
Johanne had once looked like that too, standing firm even when the world pushed back.
"I know what some of you are thinking," Myrcella continued after a moment.
She didn’t look angry.
If anything, she looked painfully aware.
"You think I’ve lost my mind. That I should simply step aside and allow my brother to take the throne without making things complicated."
A few nobles shifted awkwardly.
Not because she was wrong.
Mostly because she was very right.
"And I know some of you believe a woman simply cannot lead this kingdom."
She gestured slightly.
"My mother is already under immense pressure trying to rule. The kingdom is struggling, and many believe the situation we’re in now is proof that things aren’t working."
Her voice softened slightly.
"So it’s natural for you to think her daughter, someone far younger and far less experienced, couldn’t possibly do better."
Her eyes moved across the entire room.
They stopped briefly on each person.
Including me.
There was something burning in them.
Ambition, sure.
But also determination.
"You don’t need to cheer for me," she said.
"And you don’t have to place your trust in me."
A small breath escaped her.
"Not yet."
She straightened slightly.
"Trust isn’t something people should hand out easily. I will have to earn it."
Then she spoke again.
"But if you would permit it... I want to become the King. I want to become the King that all of you deserve."
She placed a hand lightly against her chest.
"And I want to be the one who protects this kingdom for you."
It was strange.
Even someone who had walked into this room skeptical couldn’t help feeling slightly moved by that.
The room slowly filled with murmurs.
Not loud ones.
Just quiet discussions.
"Maybe..."
"It could work..."
"She does have the bloodline..."
"I think we could trust her..."
Bits and pieces drifted through the air like scattered leaves.
Then suddenly—
"Princess."
The Sword Saint spoke again.
With a slow, deliberate motion, he pulled his sword from its sheath.
The metallic sound echoed faintly across the room.
Then he knelt.
Johanne followed right beside him without hesitation.
"I offer you my allegiance," he said.
His voice carried the weight of someone who did not speak lightly.
"And my faith."
He lowered his head slightly.
"Please restore this kingdom... to what it once was."
He raised the sword toward her.
Not threateningly.
But like an offering.
Anyone who understood noble customs immediately recognized the gesture.
It was a pledge.
A declaration of loyalty.
And honestly, if the Sword Saint of all people was willing to kneel, that sent a very loud message to the rest of the room.
The nobles looked at one another again.
Then, almost like a quiet chain reaction, they began doing the same.
One after another.
Chairs scraped softly across the floor.
Knees touched stone.
It didn’t take long before most of the room had followed his example.
"Thank you... everyone."
Myrcella’s voice softened slightly.
"I swear upon our Goddess Jeanne..."
She looked across the room filled with kneeling nobles.
"...that the Kingdom our ancestors built will remain safe."
Her expression hardened with resolve.
"And I will make sure it returns to what it once was."
