November 1907
"Are you certain Witte is alone in his residence tonight, Sednev?" Alexei asked as he walked through the streets of Saint Petersburg with Sednev and Nagorny following closely behind him.
Snow had yet to fall upon the city, but the chill of approaching winter already lingered heavily in the air, seeping through coats and settling deep into the skin. Fortunately, Alexei and his companions had dressed appropriately for the weather, their thick coats more than sufficient to withstand the cold of the night.
Sednev quickened his pace slightly to move closer to his Tsarevich before replying. "Yes, Your Highness. I had people check three separate times, and each time they confirmed that Count Witte was alone."
He still did not fully understand why the Tsarevich was so interested in the former Prime Minister, but that was hardly his place to question. As long as the Tsarevich was not placing himself in immediate danger and the task itself posed no real harm to him, Sednev was willing to carry out whatever was asked of him.
Even so, Sednev was fully aware that what they were currently doing was already questionable enough, perhaps even enough to earn them the gallows if they were ever discovered. Both he and Nagorny could only hope they had made the right decision in choosing not to inform the Tsar about any of this.
"Hm." Alexei gave a small nod without looking back at Sednev and continued walking.
After a while, he turned his head slightly toward Nagorny and said calmly, "We'll have to deal with the men watching his residence. Can you knock them unconscious and make it appear as though they were simply robbed?" He paused briefly before adding, "And make sure they do not wake up while Sednev and I are inside the house. Assuming Count Witte even allows us in, of course."
If the men watching Count Witte's house had not been the Okhrana, he would've liked them dead and gone without even no one knowing what happened but since he had found out that they were the Okhrana, he refrained from doing it as the Okhrana would surely investigate what happened to their men and might even bring trouble to Count Witte, which he wanted to avoid.
Nagorny glanced toward Sednev, who gave him a small nod in return, silently assuring him that the Tsarevich would remain safe while under his watch. Only then did Nagorny look back toward Alexei and reply, "I can do that, Your Highness. But…" He hesitated before continuing.
Seeing his reluctance, Alexei urged calmly, "Just say it."
Nagorny nodded before voicing his concern.
"What if Count Witte reports our visit to him to the Tsar and Tsarina?" he asked carefully. After all, both he and Sednev were already deeply entangled in the Tsarevich's secret nightly excursions, and the last thing either of them wanted was for their secret to be exposed because of this meeting.
Hearing his concern, Alexei let out a light chuckle before answering. "Don't worry. We can always deny ever visiting him at his residence. As long as no one sees us, no one would believe such a claim anyway. After all, the idea of me personally and secretly visiting Count Witte in the middle of the night would sound absurd to most people."
This time, he turned slightly and gave Nagorny a small wink before continuing. "Especially when the guards assigned outside my chambers can confidently swear that I never left my room tonight."
He then waved a hand dismissively. "And besides, Count Witte would realize that himself. I doubt he would willingly make a fool of himself by telling such a story to my parents. So I'm fairly certain he'll keep quiet about it."
Nagorny still looked unconvinced. There was simply too much at stake for him to comfortably gamble everything on the hope that no one would believe Count Witte even if he spoke, or that the former Prime Minister would remain silent in the first place.
Still, after seeing Sednev give him a reassuring nod, Nagorny eventually let out a quiet sigh and nodded as well, choosing to trust his friend and partner once again, just as he had many times before.
"I hope so, Your Highness," he muttered before asking, "How long do you intend to stay inside Count Witte's residence?"
Alexei considered the question for a moment before replying, "About an hour. Perhaps longer. I cannot say for certain yet." He glanced briefly toward Nagorny. "Can you keep the men unconscious for that long?"
Nagorny thought briefly about it. If they woke up too early, he could simply knock them unconscious again. Having already decided, he answered, "Yes, Your Highness. But please do not stay too long. Their comrades may eventually come looking for them, and our cover will be compromised if they recognize me…" He paused briefly before adding in a lower tone, "Or worse, recognize you."
Alexei nodded without looking back. "Of course. Sednev will signal me if I take too long, and he'll check on you regularly as well."
He paused before glancing toward Sednev. "Right, Sednev?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Satisfied with the response, Alexei turned his attention back toward the street ahead as the three of them continued deeper into the noble district.
He did not want to delay this matter any further. Originally, he had intended to approach Count Witte sometime next year, but after learning that the former Prime Minister planned to travel to France soon, Alexei decided he could no longer afford to wait. He needed to determine whether Count Witte was truly suitable to work for him and, more importantly, whether the former Prime Minister would even agree to such an arrangement in the first place.
After all, if history had not changed too drastically because of his transmigration into this timeline, then World War one would begin in less than a decade. And Alexei intended to be prepared long before that day arrived. At the very least, he wanted to do everything within his power to ensure that his family remained on the throne even after the war ended. At the same time, he also needed to prepare escape routes and safe havens in case preserving his family's rule ultimately proved impossible, even after all his efforts.
Thinking about everything he still needed to prepare and accomplish, Alexei could not help but let out a quiet inward sigh.
If only he were already an adult and free to make decisions entirely on his own… Unfortunately, reality was not so convenient. In the end, Alexei could only shake his head lightly and push those thoughts aside for the time being.
Before long, the three finally arrived near Count Witte's residence. They did not stop directly in front of the estate. Instead, Alexei led them back to the same place from which they had previously observed the house. Upon reaching the tree, Alexei immediately began climbing it without hesitation. Nagorny and Sednev could only shake their heads as they watched their Tsarevich intently, both fully prepared to catch him should he somehow fall. Fortunately, he did not. Letting out quiet sighs of relief, the two men climbed up after him and took their positions slightly below him. From there, they had a clear view of the residence without easily exposing themselves to anyone nearby.
The three remained silent as they carefully observed the surroundings. The noble district was quiet at this hour. Only the occasional carriage rolled through the distant streets, while the soft glow of the streetlamps illuminated the snowless roads beneath the cold autumn night.
After several minutes of observation, Alexei finally spotted them.
The Okhrana operatives secretly watching Count Witte's residence.
One man stood beside a parked carriage farther down the road, pretending to smoke while occasionally casting glances toward the estate. Another lingered near the opposite side of the street, feigning drunken idleness beside a fence. To most people, they would have appeared ordinary enough.
But from their behavior alone, Alexei could easily tell they were watching the residence. Judging from their expressions, Nagorny and Sednev had come to the same conclusion as well.
After another careful sweep of the area confirmed that no additional watchers seemed to be nearby, Alexei quietly turned toward Nagorny, who immediately looked back at him.
"Do it," Alexei ordered calmly. "Knock them unconscious and take their money and valuables. Make it look convincing enough to pass as a robbery."
Nagorny smiled wryly at the order. He never would have imagined that the prestigious duty of guarding the Tsarevich of the Russian Empire would one day involve pretending to be a common robber. Even if only temporarily.
Still, he gave a small nod toward his tsarevich before slipping away from their hiding place like a shadow melting into the darkness, silently moving toward the unsuspecting operatives.
Alexei and Sednev remained where they were, silently watching Nagorny move towards the operatives.
The entire thing ended far more quickly than Alexei had expected. One moment, the men were still maintaining their surveillance. The next, Nagorny had already emerged from the darkness behind one of them and struck with ruthless efficiency. The second operative followed shortly afterward and barely had enough time to react before he too collapsed unconscious onto the ground.
True to Alexei's instructions, Nagorny quickly relieved the men of their wallets, watches, and whatever valuables they carried before dragging them deeper into the shadows, where he could keep an eye on both of them if they woke up while also ensuring they would not be discovered immediately by anyone passing nearby.
A faint smile appeared on Alexei's face at the sight of his attendant's efficiency.
Once Nagorny finally gave the signal that the area was clear, Alexei carefully climbed down from the tree branch where he had been observing everything from above. After landing quietly on the ground, he gestured toward Sednev, who climbed down after him as well.
"Let's go."
After giving the streets one final check, the two of them quietly made their way toward Count Witte's residence.
Alexei climbed the wall first. Once he reached the top, he carefully scanned the area beyond for any guards making their rounds and relaxed slightly when he found none nearby.
He then turned back and reached a hand down toward Sednev. Without hesitation, Sednev took several steps back before rushing forward. Timing his jump perfectly, he planted a foot against the wall to propel himself higher. Alexei caught Sednev's hand firmly just as the man reached upward. Under normal circumstances, Sednev's weight should have pulled him down from the wall, but thanks to both his preparation and unusual strength, Alexei barely moved at all.
Sednev wasted no time pulling himself up beside him.
The two briefly checked the grounds once more for any nearby guards. Finding none, they quietly jumped down together on the other side of the wall and finally made their way deeper into the estate.
At that moment, Alexei could only hope that Count Witte would not suffer a heart attack the moment he saw who had secretly entered his residence late into the night.
—-----
Count Sergei Witte let out a quiet sigh as he set down his pen, removed his reading glasses, and rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly.
He had recently begun writing his memoirs, recording the story of his life from the beginning of his career up to the present day, and perhaps even beyond if he lived long enough. Yet he had barely begun writing the early portions of his memoirs and already found himself developing a headache over how exactly to put everything into words.
Especially when it came to honestly writing about the people he had worked with throughout his long career. Witte knew perfectly well that many of those he mentioned, and many more he would inevitably mention later, would likely be angered by his opinions and observations if his memoirs were ever published. That was precisely why he had already decided that the writings would only be released after his death.
Hopefully, he would manage to write everything before that day came.
Witte leaned back slightly in his chair, staring quietly at the pages before him. He had not yet reached the point in his memoirs where he would write about Emperor Nicholas II, but he had already decided that when the time came, he would record his honest opinions without restraint.
At the thought of the current Emperor, the bitterness lingering within his heart threatened to resurface once more but he forcefully suppressed it down and let out a slow exhale.
Just as he reached for his pen again to continue writing, a sudden knock echoed from the door.
Witte let out a quiet sigh before calling out, "Come in. Though I distinctly recall telling you not to disturb me until I called for you, Maria."
The door to his study slowly opened.
Expecting his personal maid to enter, Witte instead found himself staring at a hooded and masked figure stepping silently into the room.
His heart immediately sank at the sight. Earlier this year, a bomb had been discovered inside his residence. Fortunately, neither he nor his wife had been home at the time, and the device had been found by one of the maids before they returned. Even now, the memory remained vivid in his mind.
And now… this.
Had his enemies finally decided to move against him decisively?
Oddly enough, the only source of relief Witte could find in that moment was the fact that he had already sent his wife and stepson ahead to France. If death truly awaited him tonight, then at least he alone would face it.
Or perhaps the guards outside would notice something and come to his aid. Hopefully.
Slowly, Witte set the pen down upon the desk and subtly shifted in his chair.
"Who are you?" he asked carefully.
The man did not answer. Instead, he slowly looked around the room, as though inspecting whether anyone else besides Witte was present.
"What are you doing here? How did you get inside?" Witte demanded again.
This time, there was no caution in his tone. Irritation had begun creeping into his voice after being ignored so thoroughly, as though his questions were nothing more than air.
The hooded figure still did not answer. After scanning the room one last time, the man's gaze finally settled on him.
For a moment, Witte thought he would finally receive an answer.
Instead, the man glanced behind him and gave a small nod.
A second figure then entered the study, slightly shorter than the first.
Witte felt his heart sink even further at the sight.
At that moment, he became convinced that the guards and servants throughout the estate had already been dealt with by the pair or more and that no help would be coming for him tonight. The fact that a second man had entered only reinforced his suspicion that there were likely even more of them waiting outside.
Slowly, Witte slumped back into his chair in resignation.
"If you are here to kill me," he said quietly, "then do it quickly."
To Witte's surprise, the second man who had just entered suddenly lifted his hood and removed the mask covering his face before speaking with a small smile.
"What are you talking about, Count?" he said calmly. "I assure you, no one is here to kill you. It is merely me and my personal aide."
For several long seconds, Witte simply stared at the face of the man who spoke inside his study. When he still failed to recognize him, his gaze drifted toward the man's hood, then to his clothing, and finally to his boots, trying to identify who exactly would dress in such a manner. Yet nothing came to mind.
His eyes eventually returned to the man's face, only to catch the faint sigh that escaped the man before stepping closer towards him
"Please put your glasses back on and look at me again," the man said before stopping directly in front of him.
Witte followed the instruction almost absentmindedly, his mind still struggling to make sense of the absurd situation unfolding before him. Earlier, he had believed he was about to die at the hands of assassins. Now, he no longer knew what to think.
Slowly, he put his glasses back on and looked once more at the figure standing before him.
This time, he studied the man's features more carefully, the shape of his face, the eyes, and the expression.
And then an absurd thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. So absurd that he immediately dismissed it. But as he continued staring, the same thought surfaced again.
Then the young man smiled at him.
"You finally recognized me," he said lightly. "For a moment, I thought I would have to introduce myself. I had assumed everyone in the empire would immediately recognize me the moment they saw my face. How narcissistic of me."
The boy shook his head slightly after speaking.
Witte slowly lifted a trembling hand and pointed toward him, his eyes widening in utter disbelief.
"H-How…? You…" he stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
The young man merely smiled at him without answering. Instead, he glanced back toward his companion and gave a small gesture.
The man immediately removed his hood and mask as well.
At that moment, Witte recognized him too, and whatever lingering doubts remained in his mind vanished instantly.
His eyes slowly returned to the Tsarevich standing before him.
"We made a bet that you would recognize me without him revealing his face or explaining anything," Alexei said lightly. "Seems like I won. Hahaha."
The Tsarevich laughed softly as the man behind him silently pulled out what Witte recognized as several ruble notes and handed them over. Alexei accepted the money with a pleased expression before casually slipping it into his coat.
Witte slowly lowered his hand and finally found his voice again.
"How…?" he asked instinctively before immediately correcting himself. "What are you doing here, Your Highness?"
"May I take a seat first?" the Tsarevich asked instead.
Only then did Witte suddenly remember proper protocol. He immediately began rising from his chair, intending to formally greet the heir to the throne as etiquette demanded, but Alexei quickly stopped him.
"Please don't, Count," the Tsarevich said lightly. "I am the one trespassing inside your residence unannounced. There is no need for formalities between us right now." He gestured casually toward the chairs before the desk. "Now then, may we sit?"
Witte swallowed the words he had been about to say and could only nod in agreement.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Thank you."
The Tsarevich then glanced toward his companion and gestured toward the door. The man immediately understood, gave a respectful nod, and quietly stepped outside before closing the study door behind him.
Only then did the Tsarevich take his seat before speaking again.
"First of all," Alexei began, "I would like to apologize for trespassing into your residence."
Witte blinked once at the unexpected apology before sitting down.
"And secondly," the Tsarevich continued with complete calmness, "I must also apologize regarding your maid. We had to knock her unconscious because she was still awake when we encountered her."
Witte could only stare at him blankly, utterly unsure how he was supposed to respond to such a statement.
"As for your guards, however, you need not worry. We did not harm them. We merely slipped past them unnoticed."
Witte still could not fully comprehend what exactly was happening anymore. His mind struggled to process the fact that the Tsarevich of Russia was calmly apologizing to him for knocking his maid unconscious while simultaneously reassuring him that his guards had simply been bypassed rather than attacked.
The sheer absurdity of both the situation and the conversation almost made him question whether he was dreaming.
Eventually, after more than a minute of silence, Witte slowly removed his glasses and rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"…Your Highness," he finally said after a long pause, "forgive me for saying this, but I believe I may have reached an age where my heart can no longer endure surprises of this nature."
To his mild surprise, the Tsarevich actually looked slightly apologetic at that. He didn't know if it was genuine though.
"My apologies," Alexei said sincerely enough. "Though, in my defense, this was the safest way for me to visit you privately."
That only made Witte even more bewildered. Privately?
Why in God's name would the Tsarevich need to secretly visit him in private?
Slowly, Witte put his glasses back on before narrowing his eyes slightly at the boy seated across from him.
"Your Highness…" he began carefully, "perhaps we should start with the most important question first." He paused briefly. "How exactly did you manage to sneak into my estate?"
The Tsarevich let out a small sigh before beginning to explain, recounting events that sounded so absurd that Witte felt as though he were listening to the plot of some adventure novel rather than reality itself.
According to the tsarevich, they had scaled the outer wall of the estate, slipped past the guards unnoticed, moved through the residence without alerting anyone, and only encountered his maid because she had still been awake at that hour.
Under ordinary circumstances, Witte would have dismissed such a tale outright as nonsense. And yet…
Whether every detail the Tsarevich described was entirely true or not hardly mattered anymore. The undeniable fact remained that the heir to the Russian throne and his aide had successfully infiltrated his estate and reached his private study without causing any commotion whatsoever.
Still, Witte needed to understand why the Tsarevich would leave the palace at such an hour, especially considering how dangerous it was. In fact, he had become so distracted by the sheer absurdity of the tsarevich secretly appearing inside his study that he had forgotten the original question of why the tsarevich had come to meet him privately.
"Do you realize how dangerous it is for you to wander outside the palace at night, Your Highness?" he asked, genuine disbelief creeping into his voice. "And your attendants…" He frowned slightly as he thought about the aide willingly allowing the Tsarevich to roam outside the palace at such an hour. "Do they even understand that they could lose their heads simply for allowing you to do something like this…?"
—------
Alexei rubbed his ear as he walked back toward the palace with Sednev and Nagorny flanking him on either side. He truly had not expected the former Prime Minister to barrage him with so many questions and reprimands the moment the initial shock had worn off.
In hindsight, he supposed what he had done tonight really was outrageous from the perspective of ordinary people.
Even he had to admit that secretly sneaking into the residence of a former Prime Minister in the middle of the night sounded utterly absurd once he properly thought about it.
Alexei could only shake his head lightly at his own rash actions.
Fortunately, he had eventually managed to calm Count Witte down, and more importantly, he had succeeded in convincing the man to allow another meeting when he came back from his trip to France so they could speak properly.
Even though he had not yet accomplished his real objective of properly getting to know the Count and determining whether the man would be willing to work for him, at least he had successfully established first contact, and the entire affair had not ended in complete disaster.
For now, all he could do was hope that the former Prime Minister would keep tonight's events to himself. Otherwise, all the effort and risk he had taken tonight would have been for nothing.
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A/N: Please don't forget to rate and review the story after reading. And if you want to read ahead. You know where to look.