Chapter 95
#095. A Fair Price
The Emperor always met with Grand Duke Bikander in the drawing room.
Sitting in the most opulent seat, adorned with gold and agate, looking down upon the Grand Duke kneeling below the dais.
A clear disparity that anyone could see. The Emperor's intention was obvious.
But now, in the study, the perspective was reversed. His gorgeous face shrugged indifferently. Then, with the same downward gaze, he smiled loosely.
"I have a habit of always dining with my lady."
The Grand Duke deliberately displayed his left hand. A graceful, large hand, flaunting the meaning of the red gemstone ring sparkling on its fourth finger.
The Emperor, resisting a throbbing headache, gestured towards the table.
"...Sit down for now. Bring tea."
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The Chamberlain set a hot teapot, teacups, and refreshments on the table before retreating to the wall.
The Emperor waited for the atmosphere to settle. As expected, his dog did nothing but stare at the Emperor.
A relaxed demeanor, like a predator who had bitten the neck of its prey and was waiting for its last breath to be cut off.
Surely, as long as the White Crystal Mine belonged to the Princess, the Grand Duke was at a disadvantage.
The Emperor, displeased as he looked at Grand Duke Bikander, suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
The Emperor had never allowed anyone to gain an advantage over him. Nevertheless, those red eyes subtly grated on the Emperor's nerves.
In the end, the Emperor couldn't suppress his rising impatience and brought up the matter first.
"...Become engaged to the Princess."
The Emperor had anticipated one of two reactions from the Grand Duke.
Either provoking the Emperor by mentioning 'my lady' as he had done a moment ago, or flashing his eyes and expressing hostility as he had done before.
The Emperor wanted the latter.
But.
"...An engagement with the Princess."
He hadn't expected the reaction of staring blankly at the Emperor before smiling languidly.
The Emperor, unknowingly tensing his body, didn't like this situation. "Ahem," he said with an uncomfortable air, speaking with dignity.
"I spoke of an engagement, but the Princess is a member of the Imperial Family. Watch your words."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Grand Duke answered readily, as if listening obediently. It was impossible to guess what was hidden beneath the smiling face.
His insides burned as if a lump of fire was boiling in his chest. The tea was also hot. The Emperor was displeased with everything.
He should have moved the meeting to the drawing room. He always felt a sense of superiority and was psychologically dominant there. The Emperor frowned, but it was already too late.
"But if I were to become engaged to the Princess, what benefit would there be for me?"
"What?"
To speak so blatantly about compensation. The Emperor struggled to suppress his rising displeasure.
If what he wanted was clear, it was all the better. He already knew from the Nobility Council that the White Crystal Mine alone was not enough to control the Grand Duke.
If it was wealth, the Imperial Palace's warehouses were already overflowing with the spoils he had offered. Giving away a small portion of the Princess's wealth was nothing compared to the spoils the Grand Duke would continue to sweep in.
Especially with the negotiations with Heferti ahead.
The Emperor naturally thought of the benefits of the Grand Duke's engagement to the Princess.
The Crown Prince's firm position, the heightened name of the Empire, and the Grand Duke of Bikander, who would forever be his dog and be subjugated.
The Emperor barely concealed the lustful glint in his eyes and laughed heartily. His hand, which had been nervously tapping the teacup, now leisurely tapped the armrest of the sofa.
"Hahaha. It seems the Grand Duke has finally developed some greed? Yes. With the spirit to call oneself the head of the family, one should have that much ambition."
"..."
"I was already highly appreciative of the Grand Duke's contributions and allowed him to attend the negotiations with Heferti. If there is anything else you desire, speak. Of course,"
The Emperor paused and looked at the Grand Duke. And he hinted subtly.
"...You wouldn't desire the White Crystal Mine the most, would you?"
"...Ah."
The Grand Duke narrowed his eyes thinly.
"You mean Lowell's, that is, my mother's White Crystal Mine. The one I so desperately wanted to get back."
The Emperor, unknowingly averting his gaze, realized his mistake. "Ahem," he cleared his throat uncomfortably and spoke to the Grand Duke as if driving a stake.
"That's right. Surely the Princess wouldn't deny her husband access to her mine."
"..."
"Well, when the direct bloodline becomes strong, it might be returned to the son as a gift."
Hahaha. The Emperor suppressed his discomfort and made an assumption. It was the blueprint the Emperor desired. The Princess becoming the Grand Duchess of Bikander. And the Grand Duke of Bikander, into which the Emperor's blood would be mixed.
"So, Grand Duke. I entrust my precious Princess, who will go to that esteemed position, to you."
"Dear Emperor."
The Grand Duke laughed softly. It was a good sign. The Emperor lowered his gaze, which had been exploring the Grand Duke, and smiled back.
"Good to hear. Grand Duke. Continue to be so,"
"The esteemed position Your Majesty speaks of is already occupied by an esteemed person."
"...What?"
"If you speak of an esteemed position, would you treat it as leftover crumbs?"
The Grand Duke's eyes folded sweetly. The Emperor, who had been staring blankly at the sight, slowly began to turn red. Leftover crumbs, the target of that remark was...!
The Emperor jumped up from his seat. The teacup that had been precariously perched on the edge of the table fell onto the carpet, but no one cared.
"You, you insolent wretch, how dare you!"
The Chamberlain bowed his head with a flustered expression at the thunderous roar. But the Grand Duke still smiled coolly.
"Sit down, Your Majesty. The calculation is not yet finished."
At that moment, the Emperor groaned. The force pressing down on his shoulders was brutal. Unbearable anger filled the Emperor's eyes.
"To dare, in this Imperial Palace, to me..."
"Lowell's White Crystal Mine has always belonged to Lowell. So how dare Your Majesty be so generous as to allow access?"
"You villain! How can that mine be Lowell's...!"
The Emperor, who had been straightening his body and scolding like thunder, stopped speaking for a moment.
An unsettling aspect was clearly revealed.
The guy who had always coveted the mine had stopped eyeing it at some point. At first, he thought it was due to temporary satisfaction with having a girl who resembled his mother by his side.
But really, was that all?
Seeing the Emperor unable to continue speaking, the Grand Duke shrugged as if amused.
"Now, let's talk about what should have been mine, not just Lowell's."
"...Should have been? How dare you seek what is yours from me."
When the tired, hoarse voice ended, the Grand Duke widened his eyes for a moment. Soon, a splendid laughter echoed through the study before abruptly stopping.
Mesmerizing red eyes, filled with a thick smile, looked at the Emperor.
"I have crossed countless death thresholds as Your Majesty's dog, whom you sent to the battlefield. Among them, well,"
The Grand Duke casually knocked over the untouched teacup. The teacup that fell on the carpet made a dull sound.
"...There were things like this too. Thanks to that, I threw away everything Your Majesty bestowed upon me like this. In the battlefield where food was scarce."
"So, are you saying I poisoned the Grand Duke even now?"
The Emperor denied it, veins bulging in his neck.
Of course, it was true that he had poisoned the Grand Duke in the past. Even if he went back to that time, the Emperor would have done the same thing. His dog had to be more perfect than anyone else. So, he had trained him.
But in this situation, the truth was disadvantageous to the Emperor. Furthermore, he had left no evidence in the past. That's why he could act more confidently.
But the Grand Duke shook his head as if he was sorry.
"You don't understand the point."
"..."
"I am talking about the present, not the past."
"The present...?"
"When you proudly allowed the dog you trained so diligently to enter the Imperial Palace through the main gate."
At that moment, the Emperor couldn't even breathe. Goosebumps ran down his spine.
A beautiful face, resembling the Princess, grinned. Red eyes gleamed and stared at the Emperor.
"...At least you were prepared to pay a price commensurate with that, weren't you?"
It was the face just before cutting off the target's breath.
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Thud, the door closed. It was then that the Emperor, who had been glaring at the spot where the Grand Duke had left, collapsed powerlessly.
"Your Majesty!"
The startled Chamberlain rushed to the Emperor's side and knelt before him, but even that sounded distant.
"Then, I'll see you at the banquet."
The image of the guy smiling and slowly curving his eyes, giving a perfect bow and leaving the study, was repeated in his head. Only after repeating it several times did the Emperor exhale a murky breath and unleash his anger.
"How dare, how dare!"
He couldn't suppress the rising anger. The Emperor jumped up from his seat and kicked the table. With one kick from the Emperor's strong foot, the heavy table flipped over.
Crash-. The sound of thick glass breaking rang out, but the Emperor still couldn't control his anger.
A bright red sense of humiliation soared, and at the same time, the back of his neck turned cold.
Although there had been several rebellions so far, this was the first time he had visibly bitten off the leash like this.
Could there be another reason why Bikander could show himself like this?
The Emperor bit his lip. All he had left to hold onto was the White Crystal Mine.
He had to hear about the White Crystal Mine from the Princess, and about the few days she had stayed in the Territory of Vikander.
"...Chamberlain, Chamberlain!"
"Yes, Your Majesty! What is your command?"
"Quickly, the Princess..."
The Emperor's eyes darkened as he cut off his words for a moment. The moment suspicion arose above his sunken eyes, the Emperor continued to speak.
"...No, bring me the documents regarding the White Crystal Mine."
He could no longer trust the Princess. The Emperor's eyes became sharp as awls.
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The Imperial Palace's garden.
The stern palace gate opened, and the Grand Duke appeared. Winster, who had been suppressing his anxiety and looking inside the hall, ran to the Grand Duke's side in one stride.
"Did the meeting go well?"
"Of course. I told you not to worry so much. Lord Calter. Did you think I would overturn the table or something?"
A nonchalant answer fell as if he had been waiting for it.
Winster could bet half his fortune that he had overturned not the table but the Emperor's insides. But he couldn't bring himself to say those words in front of his lord.
Meanwhile, the Grand Duke glanced inside the carriage and said.
"Where is my lady?"
"Ah, the lady is not yet."
Winster answered absentmindedly and looked towards the Princess's palace, his face contorting.
Ah. The Grand Duke, following Winster's gaze, smiled languidly. Conrad Madeleine. He, who had been walking with a gloomy face and his head bowed, seemed to have widened his eyes for a moment as if he had discovered the Grand Duke.
After confirming that face, the Grand Duke raised his voice towards Winster beside him.
"Did you see something you shouldn't have? Why are you frowning like that?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. I just feel sick whenever I see those purple eyes."
"Is that eye color discrimination?"
"Well, didn't you say it's okay to discriminate against silver hair and purple eyes?"
Edwin giggled at Winster's answer. His beautiful face looked like a villain when he smiled wickedly, but Winster swallowed those words.
In the meantime, Conrad, who had come right up to him, bowed his head.
"...I greet the great hero, Grand Duke."
"Your attitude has become quite polite, Minor Duke."
Conrad couldn't say anything to the sarcastic tone.
He had been thinking about Olivia all along. To be exact, about Olivia when she was six years old. And in the end, he thought about what that child's fault really was.
There was no fault left in the place that had been filtered out. Only the image of Olivia looking at them so pitifully.
A chilling sense of guilt swept through his lungs. Conrad gritted his teeth. He had to ask the Grand Duke something, but no words came out as if glue had been applied to his lips.
"Tsk. It would have been better if there was no business. I heard the Minor Duke is a working-level member of the negotiations with Heferti?"
Negotiations. Conrad raised his head sharply. Even the Grand Duke's appearance of clicking his tongue as if he didn't like it was welcome.
"That's right. Your Highness, I..."
For the first time in his life, Conrad stammered.
The Grand Duke, who had been staring at Conrad, put a red sneer on his lips.
"My siblings seem to have prepared quite a bit. The Minor Duke is still in terrible shape."
"Yes? What does that..."
"Of course, I don't need to explain it, do I? Then, would the Minor Duke disappear from this road with that ruthless Duke over there?"
It was rude. If it hadn't been for the following words, he would have been furious.
"My lady is coming over there, I can't have her see two unsightly faces."
At those words, Conrad turned around with a bloodless face. In the midst of the carriage with the Vikander crest running far away, he saw his father behind him.
There was only one decision Conrad could make there.
"...What did you say?"
At that time. The Emperor doubted his ears.
"Say it again, Chamberlain!"
"Th, that is."
The Chamberlain closed his eyes tightly and reported again.
"Other than the records in the preserved document room, the documents for the White Crystal Mine have already been transferred to Princess Madeleine. Your Majesty."
Thump-. His heart sank coldly. The Emperor staggered for a moment. His vision blurred hazily. He couldn't even breathe properly.
Your Majesty! The Chamberlain's voice calling him grew farther and farther away. The Emperor clenched his fist.
Ah. Recalling the Grand Duke's expression that had completely slipped through his fingers, the Emperor suddenly grasped the identity of the déjà vu he had felt earlier.
A nonchalant and relaxed attitude as if he was taking the upper hand despite being in a clearly disadvantageous situation.
"...Princess."
The Princess of Lowell, which came out like grinding between the Emperor's teeth.
It was the emotion he had felt the day he looked at her last appearance.
