33.
“Wouldn’t it be cleaner to just declare war?”
Everett reacted with the weary seriousness of someone listening to a joke that had failed miserably.
For some time now, the warmth that had always simmered in his gaze seemed to have plummeted by three degrees. I flinched, feeling his judgment through those golden eyes: *Your sense of humor is severely lacking.*
*No, I understand that to the people here, that sounds like snuffing out a cigarette on a bowl of ritual rice.*
After all, throwing a crown into a furnace was a time-honored tradition when dismantling a nation. *If you tell the people of Bellot—who possess a fierce sense of self-respect and a refusal to yield—to hand over their crown, there is a 100% chance they will perceive it as the ultimate insult.*
The Empire had won the long, grueling war, but victory had brought few sweet rewards. *Given that the Empire only narrowly triumphed after teetering on the brink of collapse, dragging the conflict out further would be a mistake.*
A cornered rat could be a lethal opponent, even for a lion.
I knew all that. But I needed him to listen. *This isn’t nonsense.*
I opened my mouth, feeling a prick of grievance. “But aside from wealth, the only things we can take from them are honor or other abstract values, correct?”
After ruminating on my words for a few seconds, Everett nodded. “That is true.”
His lack of immediate dismissal brought me a small, internal sense of relief.
“So, we take the crown in lieu of war reparations and return it later with a calculated excuse.” I explained, taking it step by step. “For example, we present it during the coronation of a Crown Princess who has aligned herself with the Empire.”
It was a historically potent performance for a hegemon to bestow a crown or similar regalia upon a vassal state. *If there’s a prior agreement, the people of Bellot might lose face, but the backlash will be contained. They know they have no other choice.*
If they couldn’t grasp that simple calculus, then Bellot deserved to fall.
Perhaps beginning to understand my intent, Everett’s posture sharpened. “It would be even better to build the justification from the moment we force them to replace the gold with the crown.”
Everett’s eyes sparkled as he stroked his chin. “We make it appear as though the King of Bellot is voluntarily offering it up for the sake of his people, and then the Empire returns it with a few ‘adjustments’ as a gesture of friendship.”
Bellot’s craftsmanship was notoriously lackluster; their crowns were crude at best. If things went as Everett proposed, the Empire would frame itself as a benefactor, a far more sophisticated political maneuver.
*It will serve as the perfect opportunity to break the haughty pride of the Bellot people once and for all.*
As my lightly tossed suggestion solidified into a concrete plan, my excitement grew.
“That’s good.”
As I agreed with wide eyes, Everett smiled, the corners of his lips quirking upward. “It’s a situation that would make the King of Bellot choke on his own bile, but it is an effective method.”
His smile was wicked, as if he found the impending misfortune of the Bellot King delightful. Since the blood pressure of a foreign monarch was of no concern to me, I smiled back.
“If they are people who understand that there are things more important than honor, they will accept it.”
“I suppose they will.”
There remained the tedious task of translating the theory into practice, but Everett looked significantly refreshed. As if etching the plan into his mind, he muttered, “I must handle this first thing upon returning to the palace.”
His words were swallowed by the sound of voices passing just outside the detached palace.
***
Beyond the strategy to break the deadlocked negotiations, it was late in the evening when Edwin returned to the palace after his day with Ri-Na. Kail followed closely as Edwin headed straight for his office, where a mountain of neglected work awaited.
From the palace entrance to the office, Kail hovered at the corner of Edwin’s vision with persistent, ambiguous silence. He was playing the part of a cold shoulder to a boss who had abandoned his duties for a date.
“What.”
Eventually, unable to endure the pressure, Edwin cast a sharp look at him.
Kail met the blunt tone with a grin that looked like polished armor. “Are you returning from seeing Miss Diaz?”
Today was the last of the four exhibition tickets Kail had given him. The motive behind asking about a destination he already knew was transparent, but Edwin simply shrugged.
“That’s right.”
He spoke with deliberate disinterest, sat down, and reached for a stack of documents. It was a clear dismissal—if they were going to engage in small talk, Kail should take his leave. He had no intention of letting Kailus’s nagging dampen the memory of his time with Ri-Na.
However, the line between monarch and subject had blurred over their long history. Kail, showing no intent to leave, set an inkwell and a fresh quill before Edwin and began his real assault.
“The Imperial Guards were pale with worry because you had simply vanished. They came to me looking for you.”
Now that he mentioned it, the time for his appointment had arrived, and Edwin had indeed rushed out alone. *Did I not inform anyone?*
Feeling the weight of Kail’s subtle momentum, Edwin looked away. The deepening smile on Kail’s face told him exactly what kind of commotion his departure had caused. But if he repented now, the nagging would only drag on.
“I go out every week; don’t make a fuss. If the guards had contacted you immediately, it wouldn’t have been an issue. You knew where I was going.”
Edwin replied nonchalantly and opened a random document. Kail sighed—a theatrical sound intended to be heard. Edwin’s brow furrowed slightly at the breath of air that hit his forehead, as if Kail were trying to demonstrate his lung capacity, yet he persisted in reading.
After a long standoff, it was Kail who finally relented. Only then did Edwin raise his gaze.
“Set up a meeting schedule with the Crown Princess.”
At the mention of work, Kail’s tone shifted, becoming clear and professional. “Under what pretense?”
“Renegotiation of the reparations, obviously.”
As Edwin explained Ri-Na’s opinion, the cycle of confusion followed by sudden interest mirrored his own earlier reaction. While Kail fell into deep thought, Edwin smiled to himself, remembering how hard Ri-Na had tried to persuade him.
*She was cute.*
The reminiscence ended as Kail spoke. “If the backlash from Bellot is manageable, it would be the best method.”
Finally reaching his conclusion, Kail agreed with Ri-Na’s assessment. Edwin’s lips curved into a proud smile, as if he himself had been the one praised. Before the night grew deeper, Kail, who was about to rush off to coordinate with the aides, caught the expression on Edwin’s face.
Kail smiled subtly, as if he had solved a riddle. “It is a surprisingly moderate strategy for Your Majesty.”
Kail had been worried that if the Crown Princess provoked Edwin just a little more, war might reignite. Though it was obvious he was fishing for information, Edwin admitted it readily.
“It was Miss Diaz’s idea.”
He wanted to boast of Ri-Na’s brilliance. Perhaps feeling a glow just from mentioning her name, Edwin’s expression softened.
*I said too much.*
Kail ignored his sovereign’s uncharacteristic softness with weary eyes. “Miss Diaz’s performance has been remarkable since the incident with Duke Camelot.”
“Do you think so?”
Edwin prompted him to continue. Kail’s mouth twitched—the emotional labor was unexpected—but because he genuinely admired Ri-Na’s abilities, the praise flowed with ease.
“It is a shame that such talent is buried in a minor post.” Kail recalled the background check he had run on her. *To think she entered the Imperial Academy’s Department of Public Administration as the top student and graduated at the top as well. I heard she even topped the recruitment exam.*
Although he knew she had been sidelined by the political maneuvering within the Ministry Of Finance, in his professional estimation, Ri-Na was the real deal.
“If the Blue Falcon had just one more person with her talent, I could sleep three hours longer each night.” Kail grumbled, conveniently ignoring the fact that he could sleep eight hours if he just gave up the café.
“I told you to recruit more.” Edwin’s response was consistent, a refrain Kail had heard since his return to the capital.
“It isn’t a position where I can just bring in anyone.” Since the role dealt with the Empire’s most sensitive intelligence, one’s background had to be impeccable. *If I had someone of that caliber, I would have headhunted her immediately.*
Kail curled his lip when Edwin wasn’t looking. Then, a name flashed through his mind like lightning.
*Wait. Is there… anything stopping me?*
Kail asked discreetly, watching Edwin, who remained dazed in his thoughts of Miss Diaz.
“Your Majesty. If I find someone who meets my standards, may I scout them?”
“Do as you please.”
With that indifferent permission, Ri-Na’s transfer was decided.