Chapter 7: Rui’s Secret (4)

The next day, a sharp divide in opinions continued in the royal court.

It was due to the intelligence that, following the end of the Alfrang War, Shupetania was planning to cut the price of Coal by half.

The drop in prices wasn’t something to celebrate. It was clear that Shupetania intended to reassert control over Laxtreen’s Coal market, a market that had only recently been stabilized. Those who had already secured the market wouldn’t let go of the option of war easily.

“We must immediately declare a state of war along the border! We must strengthen the defenses of Espoir Castle, so that the sacrifices of our great heroes were not in vain!”

The elderly nobles, who vividly remembered the scars of the war, were fervent about military preparedness.

“Rather than war, why don’t we focus on locating and seizing the nearest Coal deposits?”

“Do you not understand how secretive they are about their Coal reserves?”

The younger nobles, who remembered the long, harsh winters rather than the war, had more varied opinions.

Some radical factions called for securing the deposits by force, while the more moderate factions suggested negotiating a stable income through compromise.

“Now, now. Everyone, calm down. Shupetania is not going to turn its arrows toward us immediately.”

“That’s right. I have a distant relative in the Rassium Empire, and from what I hear, it’s much more likely that their next target will be Rassium.”

 In particular, the moderates pointed out the uncertain intentions of Shupetania, advising not to provoke them unnecessarily. Terian secretly observed the nobles who were probing this line of thought.

It was unclear who among them might become the second Tromperie.

“…”

The Baron of Tromperie had remained silent throughout the discussion. His appearance, looking haggard and disheveled, stood in stark contrast to his usual demeanor. Since Gafel’s disappearance, the Baron seemed mentally disturbed. Even Terian, who had discovered the assassin, couldn’t remain silent either. Yet, it was obvious that he was too reluctant to speak freely, afraid of implicating Gafel.

This was a far cry from the time when he had pressured Terian to hand over Larie.

Terian felt a deep sense of discomfort with the Baron’s shift in attitude. Why had he not noticed this sooner?

“Do they not realize the consequences if they attempt to swallow Rassium?”

“However, Rassium is no easy opponent. If this continues, both empires are more likely to just waste their resources!”

“If they enter a long war, it’s obvious the price of Coal will fluctuate again. They don’t care about the well-being of the Empire’s citizens!”

The debate among the ministers grew more intense. Cutting through the flow, Terian slowly raised one hand.

The room fell into an immediate silence. Looking down at the ministers, Terian made his declaration. It was time.

“I will no longer import Coal from Shupetania.”

It was not a suspension, but a full ban on imports. The ministers all lifted their heads and stared at the Emperor in shock at this unexpected conclusion.

“Shupetania has never hesitated to use resources as weapons in the past. As you all rightly fear, their promises cannot be trusted.”

Ultimately, the crucial question was Shupetania’s true objective. More specifically, whether they would continue their past actions.

The ministers, uncertain about this, continued to argue. Amidst the deepening tension, Terian subtly motioned with his eyes toward Marquess Bolivard.

The Marquess of Bolivard’s estate was located closest to Espoir Castle. The role of the Bolivard family, who had long produced excellent knights, was singular: to fight to the death if any enemy attempted to cross Espoir Castle.

Because of this, the Marquess, stationed near the Great Mountain Range, had been allowed for generations to train a private army far beyond the laws of the Empire.

During the past war, in which the great heroes perished, the Marquess of Bolivard had lost his father, the former Marquess. The current Marquess himself had also sustained severe injuries after fiercely resisting.

Respected as a wall for the Empire, he spoke with a heavy tone. After receiving valuable information from the agent he had planted on Terian’s orders, it was finally time to act.

“Shupetania’s recent Coal price announcement is indeed aimed directly at our Empire. The immediate target may be Rassium, but before that, they plan to undermine us from within.”

“Is that the intent of the Emperor of Shupetania?”

“Indeed, Your Majesty. I ask that you honor the one who sent this vital information with the recognition they deserve.”

“Their resolve shall be duly commended.”

The faces of the ministers were varied. Some bore grim expressions, as though they had expected this outcome, while others seemed not to fully grasp the situation.

One of the nobles, who had advocated for a softer approach, cautiously spoke up.

“However, Your Majesty, it will be difficult to completely stop using Shupetania’s Coal.”

From a practical standpoint, his words were valid.

The amount of Coal consumed by Laxtreen, given its size, was enormous. While they had strictly regulated the amount of Coal used by the entire Empire and found an outlet through Panor’s export routes, it still wasn’t enough.

Ultimately, the sad truth was that they could not avoid relying on Shupetania’s supply, the largest in the region.

“There is another solution.”

Terian gestured behind him. The attendant, who had been waiting, unfurled a large scroll and stood beside him.

“To prepare for this situation, the Imperial Family has stockpiled Coal in extreme quantities. Furthermore, we’ve built many railways to move supplies quickly across the Empire.”

The eyes of the ministers widened in shock as they saw the amount of Coal that had been stockpiled. Yet, there was still a sense of insufficiency in their gaze. Terian calmly spoke.

“We are also in discussions to import Coal from the Rassium Empire.”

“Rassium Empire…!”

Some of the ministers’ faces lit up with excitement.

The Rassium Empire was well-known for not exporting Coal. It was a country that experienced winters even harsher than Laxtreen, making it unlikely they would share their resources.

“Is it truly possible to establish an agreement?”

“Details will be shared later.”

The ambiguous nature of his response made the ministers tense. They wondered if Terian had made a political marriage decision as part of this negotiation.

“…”

Terian’s eyes remained fixed on the Baron of Tromperie, his face flushed red with stress. The Baron, cornered as he was, would have no choice but to bite this bait.

As he looked at the man’s face, Terian quietly wished for one thing: that by dealing with Coal, he could erase the very perception of Tromperie’s evil deeds.

In the past, Terian had tried to convince himself that the burden she carried from her family’s legacy was justified. He had even thought of it as the cost of Larie’s affluent childhood.

But now, he could no longer do that.

No matter what burden she carried, he wanted to erase it all. She was a victim caught in Tromperie’s web.

The thought of Larie suffering the consequences for Tromperie’s crimes was unbearable. For that, he would set aside his own thirst for revenge.

Depending on what she wanted, he could even accept the quiet downfall of Tromperie.

❖ ❖ ❖

“Ho-shu, ho-shu!”

“…”

While keeping a close eye on the young Prince to ensure he didn’t fall into the lake, the Marquess of Incarze found himself lost in deep thought.

Today, as with every day, the Prince was active and healthy, a far cry from the frail, delicate figure he once was.

Yes, Rui was indeed growing up so quickly.

The empress, having finally opened up, confessed she’d been troubled by how slowly the child was growing. From that, the nanny could piece things together. She couldn’t help but recall the disheveled state Larie had been in when she first arrived—practically dragged into the palace. That image still tugged at her heart.

But lately, she found herself questioning even that assumption. Rui’s development couldn’t be explained by a simple lack of nutrition. It was something far more unusual—something that defied logic.

“That one! Lake! Me, that one!”

“Shall we go that way, Your Highness?”

It had been just over a month since she began caring for Rui. In that time, the baby who once looked no older than six months had grown rapidly—now appearing easily over a year old. He’d gone from uttering “Mama” to stringing together words with shocking fluency.

And the day the young prince stood beside the emperor, the nanny could no longer ignore her suspicions.

Aside from their hair color, the resemblance was undeniable.

The Marchioness of Incarze remembered clearly what the emperor had asked her:

“Is there a chance the child is actually older than a year?”

And if that were true…

Her gaze fixed on Rui, growing more serious by the second.

***

“Damn it… Damn it all!”

Red-faced, Baron Tromperie hurled his wineglass to the floor. The shattered glass splattered like blood, staining the carpet a deep red.

“Those bastards think they can keep pushing me!”

In his hand was a letter, crumpled and creased beyond recognition. It had arrived from Marquess Brenton—his old contact in Shupetania. He had practically handed over his last functioning merchant guild just to get a reply.

“And now this—! Bring me more wine!”

He shouted over his shoulder while glaring down at the letter again. A Chamberlain, who had been silently standing by, stepped forward with a bottle of wine.

His face was blotched with bruises.

“Here you are, my lord.”

“This swill? You call this wine?”

Nevertheless, the baron’s loyal Chamberlain was rendered irrelevant as the baron once again hurled a fresh wine glass to the floor.

The Tromperie family still had funds to operate—at least for now. But more and more high-end wine merchants had begun refusing to do business with them. The wine on hand was a last-resort purchase, and the baron took his rage out on it regardless.

What truly consumed him now was not the wine, but the damned Shupetania faction that had ultimately turned its back on him.

—“Of course, I too regret the strain on our friendship. But His Majesty the Emperor is resolute, and I find myself in a difficult position.”

The word “friendship” in the letter was just a buffer. A convenient phrase to fall back on should the correspondence ever be exposed—an easy way to deny the relationship altogether.

—“Still, if you can uncover details about your empire’s recent agreement with Rassium, you may find an opportunity. There are whispers of a political marriage. Is it true? Just a personal curiosity of mine.”

The marquess went a step further, pressing the baron to deliver intelligence first.

Unlike previous letters, there was no mention of the Emperor of Shupetania at all this time. No concrete compensation was promised either. It was clear—they’d dropped him.

And who could say whether the marquess wouldn’t simply take the information and disappear? He had already pocketed the merchant company smuggled along with the documents without a second thought.

“Damn it! Burn it! Burn the whole thing!”

The baron, unable to control his fury, flung the letter across his desk.

Then, the Chamberlain, who had remained silently nearby, cautiously offered a suggestion.

“Wouldn’t it be wiser to reply anyway, my lord? The information you’ve obtained may still have value.”

The baron scoffed harshly at the idea.

“Value? As if! Who cares if that wretch Larie is in the Empress’s palace or not? Useless drivel.”

Normally, the baron would never speak so bluntly of his daughter in front of the staff.

Ever suspicious, he had made sure to keep up the pretense of cherishing Larie ever since arriving in the capital.

Regularly replacing the servants was a given. If he wanted to sell a lie at a high price, he had to deceive other nobles as well.

Because of that, even the Chamberlain hadn’t known exactly how Larie was treated by her family. Though the subtle signs of favoritism toward Gafel had occasionally slipped through, there was no way to avoid that entirely.