I Became the Last Princess of the Brown Bear Kingdom

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* * *

Kirill Vladimirovich eventually fled the Kremlin Palace in haste.

Now, he was to be sent to Finland with his family.

And then—

“I am the child’s biological mother. Please, let me stay here at least. I beg you.”

Vladimir’s mother, Victoria Melita, insisted on staying.

While I might not have cared if it was the father, I couldn’t do anything about a mother who didn’t want to leave her children behind.

A Tsar who would chew through motherly love like Anastasia Tsarina didn’t sit well with me.

I didn’t want to hear such nonsense.

“That much is permitted. But you’ll do well not to harbor foolish thoughts of instilling useless ideologies in Vladimir. Remember, there’s always a gun pointed at Grand Duke Kirill’s back.”

Victoria Melita agreed to accept all my conditions.

Is this even lawful?

Here, I was the law.

All the figures in the National Duma were either my people or had turned their backs on the Romanov family itself, so they accepted whatever I did.

Upon reflection, it turned out Kirill was the only one to be practically exiled to the Kingdom of Finland.

Honestly, I had heard that Kirill’s wife, Victoria Melita, supported his claim to the throne, but since that hadn’t happened yet, it seemed pointless to comment.

At this moment, I was the absolute monarch, and that woman would likely not support Kirill, knowing her son would merely hold the nominal title of Tsar.

She’d rather listen to what I had to say.

I would inform the Kingdom of Finland about Kirill as planned, but I also intended to send the Okhrana to keep watch over him.

In actual history, he had boasted about being the head of the Romanov family while shouting for the Tsar’s position, but here, such bravado was out of the question.

I could understand that Nicholas II was incompetent and that people turned against the Romanovs, opting for the Soviets instead. However, I found it rather shameless that he would even attempt to take the title of head of the Romanovs.

At such a time, it was ridiculous for him to claim he was becoming the Tsar’s father.

Melita would take care of the nurturing, but I planned to prevent any useless trickery.

I’ve decided to pair Vladimir with Georgy Lvov, the leader of the Progressive Party and a liberal thinker, as his mentor.

Once he was older, I also planned to connect him with military figures since he would eventually need to join the army.

“Is this really okay?”

The Prime Minister seemed to imply that I was being too harsh on the royal family.

Sure, it might appear that way at first glance.

“Shouldn’t they be grateful that I’m not killing them? Regardless, we can’t let our guard down. Beria from the Okhrana is quite capable, so once he captures Trotsky, he should start the surveillance.”

In case anything feels off, it would be acceptable for Beria to get his hands dirty.

After all, given real history, he was doomed to die at some point, so he might as well do the dirty work for me.

“Quite right.”

So, thinking of that, maybe I should meet Vladimir.

Since I had brought him here in his childhood, he hadn’t really received any influence from his father, so I needed to make sure he was influenced from here on.

“I should go see Vladimir. After all, he is my distant cousin, right? If there’s nothing else to do today, I’ll go meet him.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Vladimir is in the Kremlin Palace.

Honestly, I hadn’t seen him much since asking to bring him here, but that was mostly because I was concerned about the internal communists and wanted to protect Vladimir. But now that there were no communists left in Russia, there was no reason to hide him anymore.

Vladimir was playing with the dog sent by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the Kremlin Palace.

He named it Belka. They seemed to get along quite well.

When he saw me, he faithfully followed me around. If Vladimir wasn’t sad about his father being gone, that was good.

I hoped Belka would do his part. Looking at him now, he seemed quite sturdy and suited Vladimir well.

I approached Vladimir, who was playing with Belka in the garden.

“Aunt Anastasia!”

What? No, no.

Honestly, I’m not at an age to be called an aunt, right? As I thought that, considering Vladimir’s age, it made sense.

Yes, yes. From a superficial glance, it does seem like there is a considerable age difference to call me a sister.

If we were to take a closer look, if he were to have children quickly, there could be children like Vladimir at Anastasia’s age.

No, no matter how you look at it, I’m not an aunt.

Let’s definitely clarify the terms. I’m not an aunt.

Yeah, sure. Before the world ends, I did see a friend at a meat restaurant calling out to an aunt for soju. If someone looks like an aunt due to age, I get that, but this is just wrong.

I calmed down and with a bright smile on my face, I placed my hands on Vladimir’s shoulders.

“I’m your sister, not an aunt.”

“Sister?”

With the cute and innocent face typical of a child who knows nothing.

I really hated kids, but there was something endearing about him.

“Yes, I’m your sister.”

Hearing me calling myself a sister felt quite strange.

I’m a sister. Not an aunt but a sister.

“Sister. I heard Father went to Finland. Is that true?”

“Um. Actually, Grand Duke Kirill left for Finland for you all.”

“Father? Why?”

Hmm, should I dress this up in a fairy tale way so the child can understand?

Or should I just be straightforward?

I paused for a moment, considering that it might be better to avoid lies. Being blamed later for deceiving him wouldn’t be great.

Let’s just speak honestly.

So I could explain enough to him so later when he asks about his father, I can say, “I told you this before,” and it would work out.

By that time, I’d have colored him properly, so it should be fine.

At this moment, as long as he grasps it at a basic level that he understands it’s something like, “Ah, I see,” it should be enough.

I bowed my head and calmly began to speak.

“Grand Duke Kirill swore loyalty to the government, not the Tsar when Russia fell into chaos. Because of that, he was marked as a traitor by the Romanov family.”

“What… happens now?”

Even though he was young, he likely knew about the Tsar and the Romanov family.

If he’s asking what will happen, it’s only natural to respond.

“So Grand Duke Kirill left for Finland voluntarily because he was worried that if he stayed, you would be blamed alongside him.”

“Did Father do something very wrong?”

Yes. Right.

He betrayed Nicholas and pledged loyalty to the revolutionary government, yet now he’s claiming to be the next Tsar after Nicholas II’s death and it’s left ambiguous for the successor.

He’s despicable, flaunting such claims at a time like this.

How would Vladimir have grown under Grand Duke Kirill’s care?

Real history went that way, but as for records, it was said that Vladimir was suspected of siding with the Axis Powers. But I don’t know the full extent of things.

So—

“He did make a very grave mistake. I also thought saving you was the best option since many turned away from the Romanovs because of your father.”

“Oh, I see.”

“If you wish to support your father, you must learn about Russia under me, and strive to succeed me.”

Work hard, okay?

You must become the rightful heir at least.

If this kid grows up strong enough to hold a position in the Duma, Grand Duke Kirill will likely die by then.

Before that, in this history, he could die by Beria’s hands as well.

“Okay! I’ll work hard to be like you, aunt!”

Why is “aunt” still coming up?

“No, I mean… sister. Sister.”

After playing with Vladimir and Belka for a while, I returned to my office.

Come to think of it, soon representatives from the countries joining the Anti-Aircraft Agreement, including the Kaiser, would arrive in Russia.

Józef Piłsudski from Poland.

He might be targeted by terrorists on the way, so shouldn’t we give him a hearty welcome?

* * *

Chinese Legalist Government

The Legalist Government, strengthened by Russian support, attempted to launch a Northern Expedition.

Gradually, Duan Qirui’s Beiyang government began to be overwhelmed by the Legalist Government forces backed by Russia.

Particularly, the army of Chen Zhongming, acting as a liaison with Russia, learned from military advisors from the White Army who had fought in the Civil War, indirectly gaining experience from the Russian Civil War.

And that was passed on to the Legalist troops, enhancing the quality of their military.

Thus armed, the troops had much greater success than others.

“Long live the Republic of China!”

On the battlefield, the Legalist troops armed with Russian weapons shouted for the Republic of China, advancing with proper form.

This was a unique chant of the Republic of China derived from the Russian “ura” charge.

While at first glance, it might seem like mindless mass assault, the “ura” charge armed with Russian weapons could not be overlooked.

Of course, considering that the military advisors tended to joke about the abundance of manpower in China, this was simply a rebranded “ura” charge from the Russian Civil War that the Legalist troops had adopted as a “long live” charge.

“They’re actually using this.”

“Considering their manpower, it seems to work well. Is this really okay?”

“The Tsarina wishes for any prolonged civil war to cause greater harm to China, so let it be as is.”

The military advisors decided to overlook it.

While Duan Qirui’s Beiyang Government had more troops, the discontent against the Beiyang Government for allowing Japan to occupy Southern Manchuria meant that when the Legalist Government attempted the Northern Expedition, many would either rebel or remain neutral, making numbers less significant.

“Indeed. The weapons sent by the Tsarina are superb!”

“Hahahaha! General Chen Zhongming’s leadership is shining bright!”

Chiang Kai-shek was displeased with the flattery from Chen Zhongming to the Russian military advisor and the advisor’s response, but there was no way around it.

After all, thanks to those Russian weapons, he was able to build up his military immediately.

Meanwhile, during this time, Mao Zedong of the Chinese Communist Party became closer to Chen Zhongming.

“Is it true that under your leadership, China can develop into a more prosperous place through soft autonomy?”

“That’s right. You also believe a unified China is the source of all evil, don’t you?”

“That is indeed the case.”

At this point, Mao Zedong perceived a unified China as the desired end. Therefore, he had some degree of agreement with Chen Zhongming, who wanted soft autonomy.

“If soft autonomy were to be achieved, you could effectively establish a nation within China. This would enhance external unifying capabilities.”

“Ohhh.”

Currently, Mao Zedong, who had founded the Communist Party, was uncertain about the direction of his ideology. Especially in the absence of the Soviet Union, his version of communism was bordering closer to anarchism, to the point that Trotsky and Lenin would question how this could even be considered communism.

This sort of anarchism was close to a form of communism, but due to Mao Zedong’s recent defeat in the Civil War, he couldn’t even create a single bullet properly, as he was busy dealing with corruption. Moreover, Trotsky, that figure, had even fled, meaning the Soviet Union offered him no meaningful guidance.

In particular, the armed struggle of communism had failed horribly, and while the case in Communist Germany appeared plausible, it proved to be a revolution technique unsuitable for China given its overwhelming size.

Thus, he now wanted to peacefully establish a region as a Soviet republic rather than continue armed struggle.

“Though it’s a pity. To think it’s a communist party.”

“Well, I’m not a communist like Lenin or Trotsky.”

I can’t refer to those two.

Lenin ultimately faced defeat, and near the end of the civil war, he resorted to threatening and conscripting the people merely to maintain his power.

As for Trotsky, who became famous by fleeing, it goes without saying.

He’s considered a significant figure but that’s about it.

“Well, that’s a relief. The Tsar in Moscow loathes communists.”

“I heard you met the Tsarina directly. Is she really such an exceptional person?”

“Shh.”

Chen Zhongming covered his mouth with his hand.

As if it were a taboo. A sign not to speak of it.

Mao Zedong had started to open his mouth but then hesitated.

“Really?”

“To my surprise, she knew precisely what plans I had and even the situation of the Legalist Government. As if she were truly a saint.”

“Does that even make sense?”

“Think of it the other way. If that weren’t the case, it would mean that the Tsar has his eyes everywhere within the Legalist Government.”

Ah. It was then that Mao Zedong’s eyes widened.

Chen Zhongming wasn’t simply extolling the Tsarina as a saint.

It implied that there were already eyes and ears of the Tsar within the Legalist Government.

Just how had they managed to plant someone inside the Legalist Government already?

Moreover, since there were no whites in the Legalist Government, it meant that the Tsar had eyes within a government made entirely of Chinese. This meant that ethnic Russian individuals would hold significant positions in the Legalist Government. Perhaps even those in the small Communist Party that had joined forces with the Legalist Government could be part of it?

Honestly, at this point, you could believe that she was really a saint who knew everything.

“Well, that’s a valid point.”

Anyway, Mao Zedong resonated well with Chen Zhongming.

“Yet, digging through the Legalist Government searching for the Tsar’s shadow wouldn’t be a practical situation. It would be much easier to assume the Tsarina knows everything.”

Right. That would be easier.

Given how hard it is to identify who is a Tsar’s person in this Legalist Government.

Just presume it’s the Tsarina who knows everything. That would be better.

“As for that, it seems true. But I heard the Tsar permitted an anarchist free territory in that Ukraine?”

“Oh, I’ve heard that too. So, are you from there?”

“Yes. I’m not a communist like Lenin or Trotsky.”

Why would I? Those two are just losers.

I feel like the Bolsheviks might lose even in the Civil War, revealing their true colors and conscripting troops merely to stay in power.

I’m not planning to take that path.

“Indeed. Anyway, you have to help me a lot.”

“Absolutely.”

The establishment period of the Chinese Communist Party deviates significantly from true history. Furthermore, Mao Zedong’s ideology has changed considerably.

Mao Zedong held significant interest in Chen Zhongming’s concept of soft autonomy.

This way, he could divide China with this weak communist party and establish a world based on his own ideology.