I'm In Love With The Villainess Volume 4

Volume 4 Chapter 13 To Change the Empire: Part 3

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We gained the support of the Department of Magic Technology
relatively smoothly. Resolving their biggest concern, the Box of the Forbidden, did the trick, but it helped that Hilda kept her promise and that
some people in the department already recognized the dangers of letting the
Nur Empire’s prosperity rest solely on Dorothea’s shoulders.

The Department of Magic Technology was in a difficult situation. While Dorothea’s presence prevented them from gaining more political sway,
the empire itself likely wouldn’t last without her, leaving them with no better option than to maintain the status quo. That was why they were thrilled to back Philine, who offered them the opportunity to lessen the empire’s reliance on Dorothea while simultaneously becoming bigger political players through greater influence on foreign policy. Whether things would go entirely as they hoped, however, would depend on Philine’s efforts from here on out.

“And there you have it: We have a new ally on the team,” said Philine.

“Please give Hilda a warm welcome.”

“Just what manner of introduction was that, Princess?”

Currently gathered in Philine’s room were Philine, Hilda, Claire, and me. Yu and Misha weren’t there—for reasons I’ll disclose later.

“I’d like to forge an alliance with a new group now,” Philine went on.

“Do you have one in mind?” Claire asked.

“I was thinking maybe the one you mentioned a while ago the rebel forces.”

“Ohh, them.”

“Yes. I’ve made up my mind. I’ll do anything for the sake of the empire’s future.” Philine really had become more reliable as of late.

“Please wait a moment,” Hilda interrupted. “You want to work with
rebels? This is news to me. I’ve never even heard of such a group before.”

“Of course you haven’t,” Philine said.

“They’re putting their lives on the line just by existing. If someone close to the government, like you, discovered their existence, they’d be purged.”

“I suppose…”

The circumstances here were different from those the Resistance had dealt with in Bauer. The Resistance had been able to operate in the open because the kingdom had been weak and the government had lost the backing
of the commoners. Most would-be revolutionary forces recruited in secrecy, amassing numbers so they could one day strike before the government knew what hit them—and because if they didn’t, they would be crushed.

“I’m against this alliance,” Hilda declared.

“Hilda…” Philine frowned.

“A princess’s actions must always be just, and anti-government forces are the precise opposite of that. Joining hands with them will only—”

“I wonder about that,” Philine cut in.

“Eh?”

“While the way you say it ‘anti-government forces’ sounds bad,
Claire tells me they’re actually a group of people from religious nations that
were destroyed by the empire. Do you think they would consider the empire
that took over their countries ‘just’?”