Rasputin of the East

Episode 5

Watch out for falling leaves. If there is an argument, I am the one who loses.

I thought it would be a common phrase only when I was a sergeant at the end of my life, but I didn’t know that I would be like that.

Every step of getting off the carriage and heading to the Summer Palace is a breeze, but even this hostile atmosphere… I guess I got used to it.

“Long time no see. Count of Vostok.”

“Ah, Prince Yusupov. hello.”

The young Count never looked friendly to me.

To be honest, I don’t like those eyes either. What would you do if you were handsome, that face is staring at me?

Usually, it used to be my old temper in my world that was willing to give me a reason to feel bad if I was offended even though I wasn’t.

Anyway, the Yusupov family is a pretty promising duke, and that man will soon inherit the dukedom.

And I was given the count, but I am an outsider who has no pre-established foundation. If a conflict occurs, I am at a disadvantage.

I’m not holding the imperial family as tightly as Rasputin, I’m just a doctor and friend of the Crown Prince, but there’s nothing good about fighting a family with a long history.

Come to think of it, speaking of the story of Rasputin, the man had not yet come close to the imperial family. I guess it’s because the Crown Prince’s sickness, which was the trigger for Rasputin’s infiltration into the imperial family, was dealt with by me. Anyway, it doesn’t seem like it doesn’t exist.

‘I want to deal with it if possible.’

Eliminating potential competitors is convenient. Moreover, the opponent is only a monk, and unlike the nobles, there are no corners that could be a threat.

The problem is that I don’t have any military power to roll. Ohrana alone, if you reach out your hand, I can ask you to take care of it quietly, but the gents in charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs don’t look at me very well, so what can I do?

“What one?”

Then, a voice came from behind.

“Ah, Minister, how are you?”

“…… okay.”

Pyotr Stolipin, the Minister of the Interior, who was very uncomfortable just looking at it, was staring at the two of us.

“Please refrain from arguing with petty emotions, Prince Yusupov, what kind of shame is this in the Imperial Palace.”

“……”

The opponent, whose face was wrinkled, formally said something or something, then turned back and backed away.

“And you…”

“Minister of the Interior.”

Stolipin’s face hardened, as if he didn’t expect me to cut off his horse.

But what I say will help him too.

“I heard that there will be an event at the villa tomorrow. Is that correct?”

“Okay, do you want me to invite you?”

“No, it’s just ominous fortune telling. I hope you don’t go out as much as possible… Without the Minister, who will carry out the reform and who will stabilize the country?”

“……I’ll tell you clearly, but I don’t believe in such superstitions.”

“Minister, I am serious. If the Minister wants to go out, I would like to ask you to put your children somewhere else. Especially my daughter…”

For a moment, life seemed to be young in the eyes of Stolipin.

“What did you say now?”

“… To be honest, the Minister is probably fine, but I have been told what will happen to my children on the spot. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m pretty sure it’s bad luck. No matter where you go, not going with him to the villa… I’m really worried about it.”

August 25, 1906. Stolipin holds the ceremony at her villa.

It doesn’t really matter what the event was, but the important thing is that the bombs are detonated by the socialists here. And while Stolipin and her 3-year-old son suffered only minor injuries, it is important that their 15-year-old daughter suffered fatal injuries.

read at https://readwn.com

More importantly, when there is no recovery, the Tsar sends Rasputin to help with treatment… Rasputin is not here.

In other words, there is a very, very, very high chance that I will be summoned to treat him.

I must avoid exposing my incompetence.

‘More than anything else, if I want to maintain my position, the Russian Empire must be intact.’

And the person who can provide key help is Stolipin. It’s an advantage if you put a favor here.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the new economic policy that revitalized the Russian economy was the same as the reforms that Stolipin had pursued, which were left stranded by his assassination. It’s not Russia’s last lamp for nothing.

The popular opinion of the 21st century is that Stolipin’s reforms were the last chance for the Russian Empire, so somehow this yangban must be brought into his allies.

‘He is the number one person who must be brought in as an ally. And the next person who can be drawn as an ally…’

Not to mention the emperor, the princess, and the prince, rank 0.

‘Duke Cyril.’

Last year Archduke Cyril married Princess Victoria Melita. without the permission of the emperor.

Princess Victoria had already been divorced, and Empress Alexandra did not like her very much.

Even the Archduke of Cyril violated the law prohibiting royal marriages without the permission of the imperial family, and also violated the Orthodox religious law, which forbids marriage between cousins. He was stripped of his position in the Russian Navy.

However, in 1908, after the death of Archduke Alexei Alexandrovich, Nicholas II forgave Kirill, who ascended to the second rank in the line of succession, and at the same time restored the title of Grand Duke, his aide to the emperor, and his position in the Russian Navy.

‘There are only two years left.’

When people are in trouble, they never forget the person who helped them. Of course, the person you are married to may not have financial difficulties as much as your partner, but the fact that you are by your side will give you some comfort.

Of course, there is a precondition for me to be in a position to the point where my neck won’t fly even if it’s known that I’ve come into contact with that yangban.

‘Next is General Vladimir Fyodorovich.’

Governor of Moscow in the next year. In the not too distant future, he also took control of Ohrana, and in the original history, he revealed Rasputin’s private life together with Stepan Weletsky and failed to tell the Tsar to stay away from Rasputin.

I can’t think of a way to approach this person, but anyway, it’s okay if you have some connection with the military. Besides, the governor of Moscow, is it correct to call him a mayor?

In any case, there is no reason to make friends with a dignitary in such a high position.

‘Right now, you may curse at me for talking nonsense, but later on, you’ll thank me. If you don’t listen to me… it’s your fault.’

I warned you clearly.

Well, the fact that I can prophesy is definitely imprinted, so it might not be a bad thing.

With that in mind, I went inside without getting involved in any more fights.

Now, even if I don’t get directions, I can memorize the way. Of course, even these days, I sometimes struggle to find the bathroom.

“My Majesty the Crown Prince, were you comfortable last night?”

“I’m here?”

I sighed as I sat down next to the remarkably happy prince.

“Yes, I am.”

“Is there anything difficult these days?”

“If there is… is it to save my life?”

“Are you getting any death threats? Well… last year there was one job.”

Some sort of archduke was killed in a bomb attack? There was an indelible sadness in the eyes of the princess who brought out the story.

In fact, by the time the Grand Duke was around, he would have been a very close relative, so it wouldn’t have been too much of a shock.

“It’s not that anyone is trying to kill me outright, but it’s just that I’m worried because my eyes aren’t very good all the time I’m here. I’m afraid someone might poison my food. haha.”

Why the hell are you giving me this title? If you were going to give it, the pension alone was enough.

Well, the tsar’s fortunes are still being used sparingly. For living expenses, I only spend enough to raise the count’s face, and the rest of my wealth is being invested as seed money to use for business.

Board games, playing cards, etc., etc. And it is basic to have a story attached to these things to sell well, so I spend several hours a day on writing.

There was virtually no rest time other than eating and sleeping. Even if the prince or princesses hold on to them for a long time, they should reduce their sleeping time and keep a pen and paper by their side while eating.

I’m not used to the pen, so I’m looking into a typewriter and beating it, but it’s a pity that it’s difficult to correct when a typo is made.

The trouble was that I had to take on most of the work by myself because there were so few people I could trust. Really, what kind of one-man company am I?

I need to find an ally, or at least a reliable business partner…

It’s not easy for a Russian because I’m half a public enemy, who wants to serve me while pretending to be aristocrats?

Then how many minutes would it be better to bring them from Korea?

‘But who and how to bring it is also a key factor.’

For a moment, I turned my head, belatedly noticing what was going back and forth in front of my eyes.

Olga was approaching me and waving her palms in front of my face.

“Princess?”

“What are you thinking of, so engrossed?”

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

“Did you not hear a word of what I said?”

“…….. sorry.”

It seems like I’m saying I’m sorry too much these days, what is it?

Actually, there are days when I got bad luck, I didn’t really do anything, but I say I’m sorry dozens of times that day without realizing it, or I went out for a walk as usual, but I was hit by a car that broke the signal while I was going around the course I usually went for. or about to get hit.

Anyway, such unlucky days are bound to happen in life, so can you think of today as such a day?

For that reason, the face of the princess is caught. It doesn’t look like he’s in a bad mood, but he’s smiling, and it’s the expression on his face when he sees the Crown Prince pouring milk on cornflakes and then seeing the caterpillars come out of them.

“I… I’m sorry, but could you say it again?”

“You don’t like it?”

“…… yes?”

“I don’t like it, do you have to pay the price for not paying attention to what I’m saying? Keep wondering what I said.”

Whether it’s a princess or something, she’s right in this case.

“If you are afraid to eat poison, you can eat here. It’s much safer for us to eat.”

“Oh! hey! How do you say that?”

“Is it my heart?”

The siblings started arguing again.