Tyranny of Steel

Itami sat in her great hall and sighed to herself as she gazed upon the one man she least wanted to see. From the beginning of the cold war that existed between the German and Japanese Empires until this very moment, there had only ever been one means of contact between the two realms.

Tilicke Schauffhusen was the lawyer that Berengar had selected to troll the Empress Itami Riyo in the past, and his very presence continued to act as an insult to the woman. The woman's bosom heaved heavily as she struggled to calm herself after once more seeing this man enter her palace.

There was a hint of a smirk on Tilicke's face as he bowed respectfully before the Japanese Empress. Despite this act of decorum, Itami knew it was done in a mocking manner, and thus she hissed through her teeth as she asked the man just what reason he had to visit her once more.

"Pray tell, to what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Schauffhusen? I have already done as your Kaiser requested and ceased the manufacture and sale of the so called Mk2 Schmidt Guns, so what possible reason could you have to pester me once more?"

Judging by the tone in the woman's voice, Tilicke could tell she was greatly displeased by his presence. So much so that he felt like the task he had been given wasn't even required. By simply entering her home, he had caused Itami to become distressed.

However, the Second Kaiserin Linde von Kufstein had specifically given him the order to present the Japanese Empress with a gift, an item even he did not know the identity of, nor did he dare to take a peak. After hearing Itami's words of displeasure, the man could only bow once more before explaining the reason for his visit.

"The von Kufstein family has decided to impart a gift to the magnificent Japanese Empress. It is their hope that you will enjoy this present to your heart's content."

After saying this, the man whistled, and two German men approached with a wooden crate, causing Itami and her guards to observe it with caution in their eyes. Itami did not know what kind of prank Berengar was playing on her now, but she would not easily fall for it. With a sharp tongue, she issued an order to her royal guardsmen.

"Open it, but do so with caution..."

After saying this, she glared at the German lawyer before threatening the man in a severe tone.

"I don't know what kind of games you, or your emperor, are playing, but make no mistake. If your precious 'gift' offends me in any way, I will have your head!"

Tilicke gulped heavily as he heard these words. From the expression on Itami's face, he knew she was not making an empty threat. He was seriously concerned over just what kind of 'gift' Linde had prepared for Itami. Clearly, it was something meant to antagonize the woman.

The Japanese guards pried the crate open with a crowbar, and pointed their weapons towards it, in fear that it might be some kind of threat. However, when they peered inside, they found nothing more than a framed painting. After pulling it out, they displayed it towards their Empress as they kneeled before her.

The Look on Itami's face caught Tilicke by surprise. It was as if she was stunned into silence. The painting was none other than a portrait of Berengar within his Imperial Regalia. It was entirely photorealistic, and was done by the hands of the First Princess of the Reich, who had signed her signature in the bottom right corner.

Itami slowly raised from her seat and approached the painting without even realizing it. The act of which caught everyone who witnessed it by surprise. It was as if she was in a trance. She had to admit that she never imagined Berengar would be so handsome. Then again, she tried her best to deny this reality, as she slowly regained control of her thoughts once more. After doing so, she glared at the Tilicke before questioning him about the painting.

"This is your Kaiser? And why would he send me a portrait of himself?"

The German lawyer scratched the back of his head before responding to the woman's question. He didn't even know what the present was prior to this moment, let alone why Linde had sent it to Itami. Initially he thought it was as a means to antagonize the woman, however, there was simply nothing antagonistic by the extravagant portrait. Thus, he could only answer honestly.

"A minor correction, while this is a paintaing of his majesty, Kaiser Berengar von Kufstein, this Portrait was sent by her majesty Kaiserin Linde von Kufstein. I don't know the exact reason she sent it, and a lowly servant like myself could never speak on her behalf. However, this is my only reason for making such a long journey, so if that is all, then I will be departing."

Itami was lost in her thoughts as she gazed upon the image. She had completely failed to notice the lawyer's departure while she tried her best to find some hidden meaning behind this gift. Though she had no way of knowing it, Linde was a master of manipulation, and the redheaded beauty knew how to get into a woman's head better than anyone.

By presenting a portrait of Berengar when he was at his most handsome, Linde was gambling on the notion that the lone Japanese empress who was known throughout the world for her unreasonably high standards would subconsciously find Berengar to be more desirable, and in doing so weaken her resolve to fight a life or death struggle with the Reich.

Itami had no way of knowing Linde's intention, nor that she had actually succeeded. Though she had never met Berengar, Itami had been bested by the man at every turn, thus far. When combined with Momo's insistent nudging by calling the man brother-in-law, along with personally witnessing Berengar's exceptional appearance, Itami's heart had been affected in a way she had yet to realize.

Ultimately, it took Itami several moments of silence before she realized that Tilicke had departed. Upon seeing that she was alone with her guards, Itami sighed heavily before revealing her thoughts about the gift.

"Hang this painting within my quarters... At the very least, it is a decent piece of art."

The royal guards did not hesitate to do as Itami had asked and were quick to whisk the gift away towards Itami's bedroom. As for the woman herself, only she knew what complex emotions she was feeling after witnessing her greatest rival's appearance.

Itami had to admit that she had underestimated the Reich. At first, she thought that they had focused entirely on the path of war. But after seeing such a magnificent work of art, she realized that Berengar had not only progressed the industry of Germany but also the culture in ways she could not properly fathom.

A deep sense of jealousy stained Itami's heart as she was starting to realize just how far behind she was from the Empire that her rival had created. She posed a question to herself in her mind as she silently stared at her throne.

If I were to have ruled for the same amount of time as Berengar, would I have accomplished the same feats?

Despite dwelling on this question for some time, Itami knew the answer within the depths of her heart. Which solicited a sigh from the beautiful young woman as she slowly walked back to her throne and sat upon it.

Itami sat there for some time, lost in thought, until the sun began to set. In the end, she returned to her room, where the portrait was hung across from her bed. With a bottle of sake in one hand, she continued to observe it in silence. The young Japanese Empress reached out her hand and touched the painted cheek of the German kaiser before mindlessly expressing her thoughts aloud.

"So handsome..."

However, after saying this, Itami looked back towards her bed where her Julian body pillow laid with a tinge of guilt in her blood-red eyes. This caused the woman to drop her bottle of sake and run towards the pillow where she dragged it into her bosom, and consoled it as if she were speaking to Julian himself.

"Julian, it's not like that! It's just... It's just a fantastic piece of art, that's all. I don't have any feelings towards that smug bastard at all!"

Utter silence prevailed in the room, as Itami's gaze drifted between the body-pillow she had created which represented her deceased love interest, and the extravagant portrait of the German monarch. Until finally she fell asleep.