Tyranny of Steel

After driving throughout the city of Kufstein, and reaching the Palace district. Itami gazed upon the extreme luxuries that the upper class of Germany had access to with awe and envy in her sanguine eyes. The capital of the Reich, and its many extravagances, had utterly dumbfounded her. 

However, this shock did not last for too terribly long, as the car eventually pulled into the driveway of the Imperial Palace, where a group of soldiers in lavish dress uniforms stepped out and opened the car door allowing Hans to exit the vehicle first, followed by Itami and her family. 

Momo's eyes were filled with excitement. She had lived quite the impressive lifestyle in Heian-kyō with all the luxuries that the Empire of Japan could provide, but when compared to the Reich's most common citizens, let alone their wealthiest class, the young woman felt as if she were nothing more than a simple peasant girl. 

Itami and her family were under strict observation from the soldiers of the Leibgarde who escorted the Japanese empress into the interior of the palace. Once inside, Itami was shocked to see some twenty odd people of varying ages waiting for her arrival. 

Except in the next moment she realized this large family was not waiting for her, but the boy prince who had accompanied her on this journey. Immediately a total of five women rushed forward and glomped Hans in the middle of the palace's entryway. 

Linde had failed to control her emotions and fought her way to the front position, where she stuffed Hans' head into her substantial bosom while kissing his forehead and whimpering.

"My baby boy is back, and he is just fine. Oh, thank the gods he is alright!"

Itami saw the affection that the boy's mother was giving him and stared at the redheaded beauty as if she had become enthralled. Though Linde was quite a bit older than she was, there was an air of maturity about her that Itami herself did not have. 

Suddenly, Itami was reminded of how Min-Ah spoke of a beautiful redheaded woman who was the wife of the Kaiser. It was almost as if the Joseon Princess had become obsessed with this woman with just a single glance. At that moment, Itami now understood the sudden unrequited love that had taken over her subordinate. 

While Itami was gawking at Linde like an idiot, Hans was being surrounded by several other beautiful women, which were his fiancees. Anne, Veronika, Noemi, and Natalia. Who all hugged and kissed him as his welcome home. It was at this moment that Berengar descended from the stairs and gazed upon the scene. He shot once stern glance towards Itami before separating his son from his women, and giving the boy a pat on the back..

"I have heard rumors about the Crimson Prince, and his accomplishments in the skies above Borneo and Korea. To think my son has become the world's greatest fighter ace. I knew you would make me proud, boy. For the next few weeks, you will enjoy a much deserved leave of absence. I'm sure your mother and fiancees would love to hear about your heroic tales over dinner and drinks."

Berengar was a stern father, and he only ever complimented his son when the boy had done something to deserve it. Hans had always been held to a higher standard than his siblings, both as the firstborn and as a genius of some renown.

It was for this reason Berengar had often been harsh on him, especially after Hans had entered service into the Luftwaffe. However, in this moment, the Kaiser was treating his eldest son like a true War Hero, something that Hans felt he didn't truly deserve despite his valiant feats on the battlefield. 

Itami's sight had never left Berengar's handsome face. There were a series of complex emotions in her heart as she gazed upon the man who had bested her in every conceivable way. Not just on the battlefield, but as a politician as well. She was utterly humiliated after learning how prosperous the Reich was when compared to her own failed state.

So much so that she had not even noticed that the heater was on within the Palace. In fact, it was Momo who was the first to make a remark on this, as she looked around the palace searching for the source of the warm air before voicing her curiosity aloud. 

"Pardon me, your Majesty, but do you mind explaining to me where the source of the heat is located?"

It was only now that Berengar gazed upon Itami and her family for more than a single moment. He approached the young Japanese beauty who was Itami's little sister and kissed her hand before introducing himself.

"You must be Itami Momo, I have heard your beauty is well renowned in the East, and yet you are still single, despite your age. Perhaps I can introduce you to a man in my service who would be most deserving of a woman such as yourself.

As for your question, it is with great pride that I must inform you that every house in the reich has been retrofitted to make use of electricity, heating, and air conditioning. As a result, even our poorest citizens do not have to suffer through the harsh cold of the winter or the blazing heat of the summer."

The Japanese Empress, while initially shocked by this boast, eventually became outraged at Berengar's comments about her sister. As for Momo, she had not heard a thing Berengar had said in response to her question. Instead, she flushed in embarrassment and looked away.

She had never seen the Germans in person before, but after travelling through the city of Kufstein and meeting the Kaiser himself, she felt somewhat attracted to their golden hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and refined features. At the very least, she would not deny such an offer. However, before she could thank Berengar for his kind words, Itami Riyo spoke up in protest.

"If you think you can charm my sister with just a few empty platitudes, then you are as arrogant as I have always thought you were!"

Berengar's smile immediately turned upside down when he heard these words. He swiftly withdrew his hand from Momo's grasp before glaring at Itami with a bit of contempt in his mismatched eyes. 

"At last, we finally meet Empress Itami Riyo. I would say that your beauty lives up to my expectations. However, I must admit that I find your attitude to be utterly repulsing. As a result, I am forced to dock a few points from you. 

Here you are, in my home, meeting my family for the first time, and as I try to extend my generosity to your loved ones, you spit in my face and accuse me of being arrogant. It is no wonder that you are still single, despite your age. You should take a few lessons from your little sister if you ever wish to find yourself a proper man." 

Itami's mother giggled slightly when she heard Berengar's words. Like Momo, she had become utterly mesmerized with Berengar since the moment he first made his appearance. In fact, she agreed with Berengar's assessment of her eldest daughter's haughty behavior, and it largely being responsible for the girl's utter lack of a love life thus far. 

Itami, of course, grew increasingly frustrated, but forced herself to remain calm. After all, she was in the enemy's palace, and was effectively his prisoner. She would not dare to speak out of turn any further, or things could turn out ugly for herself and her family. However, in the next moment, Berengar shifted his view back to Momo and Miyu, as he extended his welcome with a rather gracious offer.

"I am sure the three of you are tired and in need of much rest after such a long flight. As comfortable as I have tried to make my personal transport, I must admit that the sudden change of time has a certain ill effect on the body. If you would like to catch up on your sleep, then I won't insist on bothering you anymore. However, if would like to join me and my family for a feast, you are more than welcome to do so." 

Although Itami found Berengar's attempt to be a proper host rather irksome, this generous behavior of his only further solidified himself into Momo and Miyu's good graces. For the life of them, they could not understand why Itami had found herself at odds with such a kind and gracious man, especially after the hospitality he had decided to show them, despite the fact that they were indeed his enemies. Before Itami could refuse Berengar's offer, both her mother and little sister accepted on her behalf. 

"We would love to share a meal with your lovely family. Just give us a short while to tidy up, and we will join you shortly. I must say I look forward to eating German cuisine!" 

This response by Itami's family left her dumbstruck. She could not believe she would be dining with the enemy, nor how quickly her own blood relatives had betrayed her in order to get in the good graces of this shameless man. However, since they had already accepted Berengar's offer on her behalf, she could not reasonably weasel her way out of the meal. Thus, Itami could only sigh heavily in defeat, before following a member of the Palace's staff to the quarters she and her loved ones were given for the time being. 

Once inside, she immediately found that a fine dress in her exact measurements was set out for her to wear, along with a pair of fine leather heels and jewelry that was so exquisite it was fit for an empress. It would appear that Berengar had spared no expense to ensure that Itami had clothing and accessories that were truly fit for her position.

Rather than accept this as a token of friendship, Itami inwardly thought that Berengar must be playing at something, and though she bathed before dressing in the clothing provided to her, she felt no great pride in doing so.

When she finally emerged from her temporary quarters, Itami found her mother and sister in a similar set of luxurious attire. The two of them had excited smiles on their faces as they examined themselves in the mirror with great intensity. Upon seeing that Itami had joined them, Momo immediately ran up to her elder sister and hugged her tightly before whispering something shocking in her ears.

"You're so beautiful. I bet even the Kaiser will have to treat you differently after he witnesses how gorgeous you look. Come, let's go join our hosts for a nice meal!"

Before Itami could even react, she was dragged off by her little sister as the trio followed the guide that had been provided to them, towards the dining hall where Berengar and his large family were already gathered. What came next would be a feast that would forever change the relations between the German Empire and their Japanese rivals. 

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