I Became the Last Princess of the Brown Bear Kingdom

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One day, while busily managing public sentiment in an area ruled by the Reds, someone came to find me.

“My granddaughter has grown up so much. *Sniff sniff*. She really is my granddaughter.”

Duma from Denmark.

Yes, this is Marie Sophie Frederike Duma, the Empress and wife of Alexander III, the father of Nicholas II, who has come all the way to Moscow.

This person, her niece’s son, is George V of Britain.

I heard that he resembles Nicholas II so much that people mistook him for being alive.

In actual history, they say he escaped Russia with the help of Britain due to the horrors of the Civil War, but in this altered timeline, he was able to come to Moscow while being rebuilt.

She came personally, crying and holding my hand.

Oh, I should have quickly run to Yekaterinburg.

“Gr-Grandma?”

“Yes. I am your grandmother. How much you’ve had to suffer as a little one. *Sniff sniff*. Seeing your father die, your mother die, and your sister and brother die… How hard that must have been.”

It’s fine, really.

I didn’t actually see the corpses.

The reformed Bolsheviks made sure I didn’t have to see them.

Later, when everything is settled, I will decide whether to move the remains from Yekaterinburg elsewhere.

If it were the real Anastasia, she would have been shocked, but I am not her.

“I’m fine, Grandma.”

“How could a little one have so much resentment, that you fought against the Bolsheviks with your frail body? *Sniff sniff*. This Grandma has persuaded George for you.”

“Really?”

Is one of the reasons Britain helped because of her?

Yeah. That could be it. This feels a bit weird though.

Even if I look like this, inside, I am an entirely different person.

Not being the real Anastasia makes this feel a bit off. I guess I feel a twinge of guilt.

“Don’t you think of marrying?”

“Marry? The situation in Russia isn’t good enough for that.”

Well, a business marriage might be possible.

But I’m saying there isn’t a suitable person out there.

There’s Joachim in Germany, but he’s much older. And there aren’t any notable figures in Britain either.

Even if it’s a business marriage, it would be a problem if my husband lowered my status as Tsarina.

“Then what about the heir?”

“There’s Vladimir, Grand Duke Kirill’s son.”

Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich.

After Nicholas II died, Michael was assassinated, and Alexei was executed, he was the closest surviving royal in the line of succession.

A lot has changed with Anastasia’s survival though.

If I go by the history I know, I understand he has a son named Vladimir Kirillovich.

Of course, he’s just a child now.

It’s better to make young Vladimir the next heir now.

After so much has already gone to hell during the revolutionary upheaval, and with me being the Tsarina and all, who’s going to argue if I say I’ll make him the heir?

It wouldn’t be impossible to marry into another noble family, but I can’t really say I’m in a good position for that.

I was just trying to get through the civil war, and now I’m being called Tsarina. They even reclaimed Constantinople.

If it were peacetime, that might be one thing.

But I need to prepare for the Great Depression coming up, and there are many things to fix to solidify a constitutional monarchy.

At least I’ve managed to get here thanks to the upheaval from the Civil War.

“You don’t have to take on everything your father couldn’t do. But why do you?”

“If I have the ability, I should do it. I won during this civil war, but they could turn red again at any time. If not now, when will I get it under control?”

Now is definitely the time to solidify the constitutional monarchy.

With everyone revering me as Tsarina, if I try to escape, Trotsky might pop out somewhere, or even the second Lenin or Stalin might show up.

So, I must stay here.

After all, I’m not the real Anastasia.

“Is there anything this Grandma can do to help?”

“It seems like maintaining relations with Britain is crucial. And we need to establish a constitutional monarchy, so I may need some help from Britain.”

“Alright. I’ll go to Britain and tell them personally.”

So, Grandma set off to England as if to do anything for her granddaughter.

Even if they’re a marginal ally, they’re a constitutional monarchy, right?

I believe it’s fine to take some lessons from the Brits.

At least it’s necessary for Russia now.

For now, I sent news to Grand Duke Kirill, who’s in Finland, saying that I’m considering Vladimir as a potential heir.

And I told him to return when things stabilize domestically.

Now, the next thing is the coronation.

With the Manchurian division agreement along with the coronation, it’s the most necessary thing in Russia right now.

“How should we hold the coronation?”

“It makes sense to hold the coronation in Constantinople, doesn’t it?”

As the royalty and nobles are returning to Russia. Well.

The delay in the coronation is mainly because of those guys.

After all, we can’t hold a coronation just anywhere that has an army. We must maintain a semblance of imperial dignity.

“Yes. I’ve already heard that General Anton Denikin is having his White Army drain the Ottoman water from Constantinople.”

“Is that so?”

That guy really is working hard.

It seems he doesn’t want to be overshadowed by Pyotr Wrangel, who was under his command.

It’s like he’s planning to drain the Ottoman water from the second Rome.

“From what used to be called Istanbul, we’ve decided to abolish that and refer to it as Constantinople.”

The place known as Istanbul under the Ottomans.

Constantinople, Constantinople, Constantinopolis, etc.

They have so many names, but in the Slavic context, it’s been called Tsarigrad, or City of the Emperor.

“How about we call it Tsarigrad, City of the Emperor, to match the Slavic perspective?”

“Constantinople sounds better, doesn’t it? They also call it Tsarina.”

Anyway, it’s better to go with what’s easy to say.

Isn’t there an essence of Rome in Constantinople?

“Your Great Khan.”

The only person who calls me Great Khan in this place is Gregory Semenov.

He’s participated in the Duma regarding the coronation issue, but his eyes look like they’re high on drugs right now.

That guy is acting weird again.

“What’s up?”

“You are the embodiment of Tengri and the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire.”

What’s this guy scheming about now?

This guy, Gregory Semenov, is currently the most nationalistic and delusional person in Russia.

Unlike actual history, he hasn’t been consorting with Japan, but the victory of the White Army, the title of Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, and the recovery of Constantinople have messed with his mind.

His gaze is unfocused, and his pupils are rolling all over the place.

He exudes an uneasy aura.

In alternate historical novels, Ungern is portrayed as a mad baron, but how is it that Ungern is sane while Gregory is acting like a lunatic?

“Speak up. What is it?”

When this guy acts like this, it’s a bit scary.

“The title of Tsar is derived from Caesar and means heir to the throne. It is not the emperor itself. In other words, the Tsar of the Russian Empire does not truly mean the master of the empire!”

Oh. Something’s coming. Something is definitely about to happen.

It seems like this Gregory Semenov is going to say something crazy.

“No way, is this guy crazy?!”

“Oh, Duma members, please hear me out until the end. Now that we have reclaimed the land of the former Eastern Roman Empire, I believe it is right to be called the omnipotent Roman Emperor, Imperator, with the blessing of the Russian Orthodox Church!”

If he means that, since we’ve just reclaimed only the eastern Roman lands, wouldn’t it be more fitting to call him Basileus? But no, if we really want to argue, he isn’t completely wrong.

Well, after all, if we stick to the old titles outside the Slavic sphere, then that’s what it is.

“Well, um, so if we take the position of both Great Khan and Byzantine Emperor, that should do, right? Um.”

Alright, let’s just go with that.

Tsar of Russia, Great Khan of the Mongols, and Byzantine Emperor.

I’m most curious about how Greece will react.

If we insist on discussing the legitimacy of Rome in this situation, Russia and Greece will end up being mentioned, but what do I even know about that?

I can let my Korean roots slip away a bit, but I do wonder if Russia can truly claim to be the successors of Rome to assert itself as the emperor of Rome.

“*Cough cough*. Then, all that’s left is the Chinese Son of Heaven. The position of the Qing Emperor, who once shared the seat of the khan, has lost its meaning, and Joseon, which claims to have inherited the legitimacy of China, has become the Korean Empire, and now the King of Joseon has ascended to the position of the Son of Heaven and is currently annexed by Japan. So, I must gather the Joseons who fled to Manchuria and become their emperor.”

I stopped my thoughts.

Because if I keep talking in front of that man, I won’t know what else he might come up with next.

He seems to have gone even crazier now, unlike actual history.

But he’s got military skills, so it’s not like we can lock up this maniac who frequently crosses into Mongolia. When did he even learn about Korean history?

“Well, I don’t think it’s bad to also take on the title of Roman Emperor. Since you’ve transitioned into a constitutional monarchy and transferred power to the Duma, there’s a need to elevate the royal family’s prestige by bearing several titles of the omnipotent emperor.”

“Is that so?”

That does make sense.

Since I’ve relinquished power, there’s a need to establish an inviolable domain. The title of Roman Emperor can serve that purpose.

While it could be a bit delusional, it does have its merits.

Rome. Who among them dares to challenge that name?

“Just in time, the Japanese Foreign Minister, Uchida Kōsai, has come to Moscow to negotiate the Manchurian division agreement. It would be no bad idea for them to witness the coronation of a Roman Emperor.”

“Uchida Kōsai?”

“Yes. He came directly to Yekaterinburg for the Manchurian agreement as the head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry.”

This should be taken as their desire to create an ally.

Hara Takeo might be under pressure from the right-wingers.

Originally, it should have been Prime Minister Hara Takeo who would have been assassinated by the right-wingers, but he survived.

Perhaps it’s an opportunity for them to snag Southern Manchuria.

“It seems Japan is quite eager to establish an ally.”

“Well, they might think we’re the only country that can exert influence in the Far East.”

Those guys are too fishy.

I really want to slap them on the back of the head sometime.

Wasn’t it during the Kanto earthquake?

Didn’t they massacre Koreans during the Kanto earthquake?

Hmm, knowing the future, it might be best to help those Koreans who are bound to die. But since I’m not even of Korean descent, there’s no way for me to help.

I’d need to be somewhat of an independence activist or something to do anything.

Wouldn’t it be good to find a way to help?

I’m feeling a bit anxious. I wish I’d been embodied in Korea rather than Russia.

“Well. Just let the Duma handle that issue. I’ll go serve some food to the orphans who moved in from the village burned by the Bolsheviks.”

“Are you speaking personally, Your Majesty?”

“Ah—not yet. It’s before the coronation. Above all, the Bolsheviks burned the village to gather manpower and supplies to fight us. I have to take responsibility for that.”

Right. There’s no need for me to be around while they negotiate with Japan.

It’s better to tend to public sentiment.