I Became the Last Princess of the Brown Bear Kingdom

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As time went on, I had to think about things.

The people wanted me to show my face, while the Duma pressed me, claiming the workers should lead the Tsar’s autocratic rule.

Things were getting so dire that even the White Army was suggesting a coup.

I wasn’t sure if this all made any sense, but anyway.

I took a moment to reconsider my existence. What was I supposed to do?

Sure, on the surface, what they were saying seemed right.

After all, I don’t age. At least Vladimir is in the middle of inheriting the throne. If he thought about ousting me, I’d shed a few tears and step back. Unfortunately, I’m sure Vladimir doesn’t have such thoughts, and even if he did, I’d need to prepare for the next round of Nicholas Season 2, lest the people turn into a mob.

It’s truly sad.

Above all, my youthful appearance is a problem.

I mean, think logically. What if a virtuous king existed? Wouldn’t everyone wish that all past and future kings never aged and stayed young forever?

If Genghis Khan hadn’t died young, wouldn’t he have kept conquering? At least he could have done something even if China wasn’t on the table.

Wouldn’t the people be delighted if a king ruled the country? I’m officially the Tsar who established the Duma, yet I can’t ignore the symbolism of “Anastasia.”

I used to think the royal family needed to exist.

To be precise, it was necessary as a symbol of national unity. However, here, the very existence of “Anastasia” has become that symbol.

Sure, Vladimir probably thought about being my successor, but that’s the problem.

Vladimir won’t achieve anything greater than I have.

Am I comparable to any other emperor?

Really, if I were to show up in serious trouble as a dying old hag, maybe that’d be different.

I’m still young.

While I remain youthful, I can’t help being the emperor. It’s just the way it is.

Of course, I could say that. Vladimir? Sure, he did contribute in the war against Communist Germany, but it’s still not on my level.

If this is the case, I should have stepped down earlier to become his shadow. Once Vladimir’s position was solid, I could have quietly exited.

But now, it’s pretty tough to wash my reputation clean.

Anastasia 2, 3, 4… if they come up, well… everyone would probably know anyway.

Then I’d really be sad.

After much deliberation, I realized something.

“My purpose for existence is to be the focal point for humanity.”

Perhaps that was why the old man sent me here? Of course, he probably has his grievances.

He probably meant to create a country that wouldn’t slip into nuclear warfare, yet here I am, causing all kinds of chaos with my remarkable achievements.

In the end, I’m the one who has done all this. Anyway, it’s all the old man’s fault.

Yeah. It’s better than the days when I was scavenging for canned goods and avoiding looters.

But still, I can’t be around forever.

Despite my “immortality,” my lifespan might not be that long.

One day, the old man may just decide to take me away.

Unless the old man shows up and says, “You’ll NEVER die,” I can’t be sure.

That’s exactly why I wanted to prepare ahead of time. There’s no other way. If I’m going to remain forever, I should start considering the conditions.

I must prepare for the possibility of my death, even if I stay forever as Tsar.

Still, I feel like I’ve done everything I needed to do.

There’s no way a Russia vs. NATO scenario will arise, no Islamic extremists, and no civil wars in Africa.

India has cast aside its bad practices, and Western-style governments and education have taken root. Even deep within China, fervent nationalism has been dealt with.

Israel isn’t going through a Holocaust, and the Palestinians compare favorably because they’ve got lots of land assigned to Israel, and originally, Palestine is in the Turkish region anyway.

What about Korea, my previous homeland?

The nation name has changed to Balhae, but we’ve reclaimed the South Manchuria – the spiritual home of the Han people, like how Chinese feel about their Middle Kingdom. We didn’t divide it in half.

Japan has been split in two and has taken a class below Balhae. Eastern Japan has seen an influx of Black people, becoming a multi-ethnic nation.

All ethnic groups are on the verge of being completely transformed, making it way harder to unite than the original historical North and South Korea.

South America has Eva Perón to drag them up, so it’s likely the various security issues plaguing historical South America will be solved too.

Space engineering has progressed rapidly thanks to all of Europe coming together to develop it.

Computers are basically in the same boat. I’ve already mentioned the internet, so it should work out somehow.

Tesla left behind research on wireless technologies before he died, so we will surely reach smartphones at some point.

The world will be peaceful compared to original history.

But the old man hasn’t promised when he’ll take me.

Even if he gave me the power of immortality, how long can I expect him to stay quiet?

What if he shows up one day and just takes me away? I can’t count on that old man to have just my back.

When will I finally die?

To be honest, I’m no longer afraid of dying.

I’ve been shot and felt the pain of bombs. Why should I be afraid of death?

But think about it. What if I settle down completely? What if I drop dead unexpectedly?

No matter how talented a leader is, if they take everything for themselves, the state will collapse soon after they’re gone.

This is because the state structure is made around that leader.

Without having clearly decided on a successor, they’ll just fall apart, engaging in infighting until the country is ruined.

However, this nation is in a position where it can’t even decide on a successor.

It has to be me. What can I do?

“What should I do now?”

I’m already prepared. The Duma is there, and Vladimir is around.

The problem is, they probably won’t acknowledge Vladimir as the official successor. Right now, even Vladimir can’t achieve more than I have, so it’s a no-go.

Originally, I planned to place many enterprises under Romanov to ensure the royal family’s symbolic existence.

But even so, that would need to be cleared up.

In case of my death, the bloodline of the Romanov family must be established. Even if it’s already marked for Vladimir, it’s still hard.

“Your Majesty, they say the Rome Treaty must not be broken.”

“Haah, well, that’s quite a dilemma.”

Are they really trying to dump all this baggage on me?

If I said this was my own doing, I’d have no leg to stand on, but… okay. I’ll play along.

To be frank, they must know that the current Rome is under Russian leadership, and the disappearance of the Tsar? It could mean disbanding.

The economy is in the process of unifying, and in the middle of that, disbanding? That’s just madness. When that old man shows up, should I just be extra polite?

I expect they’ll at least take that into account. I need them to be at the point where they’d say, “Aren’t we sick of the Tsarina? Come down, Grandmother!” for me to step back.

“That’s really sad.”

I can’t believe I’ve come to worry about such matters. The situation of a Roman emperor has become rather comical.

Here I am, having to prepare in case I die. Haah.

So what should I do? Calling them might be a good idea, right? I should gather representatives from labor, citizens, and parties.

Honestly, I never thought I’d be doing such fantasy-styled things in reality, but here we are. It’s time to prepare.

If I were truly to become an eternal emperor, I’d better be ready for that.

At the very least, I must ensure that there won’t be any issues down the line.

To prevent chaos, I need to take the initiative. I could die at any moment, and I must be ready for what follows.

I should lay down the groundwork now.

After all, it isn’t like I can say to the whole world, “Hey, figure things out on your own now!” That’s just too irresponsible.

So, I need to gather representatives from workers, the Duma, and the various parties to ensure everything will be alright after I’m gone.

I sprang to my feet.

“I need to gather the representatives.”

“Representatives? Which ones do you mean?”

It’s pretty obvious what kind of representatives I’m talking about. Labor reps, party heads, you know, those sorts of folks.

I’m not really overthinking it.

I just want them to get together and prepare for my successor. That’s all I plan on saying.

“Well, they’ll have to worry about what happens after I’m gone.”

“Your Majesty, you worry too much.”

Now, now, unless you’ve been in my shoes, you wouldn’t understand my feelings.

I’m in a situation where I can’t help but be worried. It’s got to be done, at least from my end.

“This isn’t just worry, it’s serious, Maria. We need to prepare for this.”

We have to be ready for something like this.

At the very least, people should know, “Oh, the Tsar has passed away!” to some extent.

“If that is truly Your Majesty’s will, I understand. But don’t you think that’s a bit too pessimistic?”

Pessimistic? Pessimistic? Oh, Maria, you still live a pretty easy life.

Do you think I’m acting this way for fun? This is just unavoidable reality.

No matter how hard I try to deny the reality, it’s coming whether I like it or not.

“No, Maria. Think about it. What if I suddenly die? I can’t even say how long my life is.”

How long do I look like I’m going to live? Nope.

I’m not just losing my mind over nothing here. You should know that by now.

“That’s…”

Exactly. Maria can’t deny this part.

She has no choice but to keep quiet about it. The only one who can talk about this is the old man.

“Worry is necessary, that’s what I’m saying. At least I have to.”

For me, I must keep that option open.

“But no matter how you look at it, it won’t be so easy… I understand.”

In the end, she accepted it as if she had no choice.

It seems like Maria lacks a sense of reality.

If this continues, what will I leave behind when I die? Hence, it means I must finish all my work securely.

With things like this, whether I’m covering my tracks or not, the potential remains that the Rome Treaty could be dissolved behind me.

“Right. I’m young now, so I look that way.”

“I will arrange to summon them through the Duma.”

Being young isn’t everything. Don’t just look at me like that.

I’m doing all of this for the future.