Reincarnated with the Country System

Queen Maria was sitting in her room, drowning herself in wine. Empty bottles were scattered on the table and floor. There were dark circles under her eyes; her clothes were torn, and her hair was dishevelled.

As she took another deep sip from her glass, the door creaked open. Maria barely lifted her head, her voice slurred as she muttered, "Rehena...?"

The figure stepped closer. "Your Majesty, it seems you've had quite a lot to drink. I am William, your Prime Minister."

"William...?" Maria's voice trailed off. "I thought... she had returned..."

Since the disappearance of her daughter, the death of her son, and the loss of her most trusted maid, Rehena, Maria had been shattered. She tried to hold on, but as the days passed, she became more and more consumed by alcohol. Her grief had consumed her, and now the atmosphere in her room felt like a tomb. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

"Your Majesty, you need to take care of yourself. If you keep going like this, you'll get sick."

Maria slammed her glass on the table, her voice rising in anger and frustration. "What are you talking about! Sickness!? Do I need to get well!? I've lost everything—everything!"

William was silent for a moment, letting her emotions settle. Then, in a measured tone, he said, "Your Majesty, the war in the north is drawing to a close. Duke Ferl has reported that our joint forces are about to defeat the Latvian army. It won't be long before they are completely destroyed."

Maria's head snapped up, her bloodshot eyes narrowing. "So the war is finally ending... the war that brought me to this state. Tell me, William, what of the Bernard Empire's invasion of Latvia? Have they captured that bastard Caspian? I want him dead. That ashole is responsible for all of this!"

William hesitated before answering. "We don't have much information, Your Majesty. But from what we've heard, the Bernard Empire has captured several cities in Latvia and is advancing on the capital. They have destroyed the entire Latvian navy. They will probably conquer Latvia in a few days. They have also begun their invasion of the Elysian."

Maria's voice trembled with hope and despair. "Have they found my daughter? Have they found her?"

William shook his head gently. "We haven't been informed yet. But Diplomat Joseph has confirmed that they will begin the search soon."

"Tell them to hurry!" Maria's voice cracked, her composure slipping away. "I want her back—alive. She is my last hope, William. I cannot lose her either!"

William shook his head gravely. "I will deliver your orders, Your Majesty. But there is another matter we must discuss—a serious one."

Maria leaned back in her chair, her expression weary. "What now?"

"The war is in its final stages, but we have suffered a great loss. The treasury is almost empty," William began, his voice heavy. "There has been a great loss of resources. The North, which once supplied 40% of our food, is now almost in ruins. About 90% of the agricultural land has been destroyed. Rivers, forests, canals—all destroyed. We have lost an estimated one million people in this war, three million have been made homeless, and five million have lost their jobs. The north is covered with corpses and debris. If we cannot bury or burn all the dead bodies quickly, there is a danger of epidemics spreading. This war has taken a huge toll on our spine."

Maria's face turned pale, she held her glass tightly as she listened. "This fucking war—even if it ends, it will end with us, who invented this madness!"

William continued. "Even worse, we could face severe food shortages in the future. The aid we've received from neighbouring nations—5,000 tons from the Indiana and Malak Dynasty, 280 tons from Vangal— that could sustain us for a short time. If we don't find a solution soon, we could lose 60 to 70% of our population. There will also be an economic recession. Poverty rates have already increased, and our country is likely to be destroyed."

Maria smiled bitterly, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "How wonderful. The war is over, and all we have left to do now is pick up the pieces of a broken kingdom. What do you propose, William? How do we save a nation that's already dead?"

"Your Majesty, the Bernard Empire has made us an offer. They say they can help us with this, but they are asking for something."

"It seems this boy knows how to use time very well. I gave them the rights to Elysian's mineral resources. Now what more do they want?!"

William hesitated, then said cautiously, "The Bernard Empire has offered to help rebuild the northern regions, provide our people with jobs and food, and help us survive this crisis. But in return... they want control of the northern regions. They want to rule these regions until they can recoup the cost of their aid. We would retain limited authority, but the Bernard Empire would hold the reins."

Queen Maria was silent for a moment, then she began to laugh like a madwoman. She took a bottle of wine from the table and took a sip.

She then stood up and went to the window and she pulled back the curtains and looked out. The walls were still badly damaged. From the cursed night attack. Although she could have ordered to be repaired it if she wanted to, however, she didn't want to repair it. It reminded her again and again of what she had lost in her life.

"We are now very weak. And at this point, we are no longer in a position to ignore anything."

She took another sip of her wine and then said, "Tell them that we want to be their vassal state."

William's eyes widened in shock. "Your Majesty—

But Maria cut him off with a sharp wave of her hand "Do as I say! We have no other choice! This is the best decision! If we want to survive. Besides, I have long lost the will to rule. I want to hand over all power to the Bernard Empire. Tell them this. They will have to take charge of all of Britannia."

"But Your Majesty, this could cause many Nobles to rebel against you"

Maria looked back at him. "Do you think I care about the Nobles? If anyone rebels, they will have to face the Bernard Empire, not me. I don't have the strength to bear this burden anymore. Tell Joseph about it!"