THAT night, Maxim sat in his office at the du Jeanne residence. He pored over the various papers in front of him. Sales at the Rose Hotel and its restaurant, which he operated under the pretext of an imperial citizen, had skyrocketed. All thanks to Bertine’s discovery of the stingers and the jarred goods.
He also received a letter of thanks from Lady Dalila, one of his old friends. She wrote of her increased influence in imperial society because of his daughter.
The last letter he picked up was one he had already read countless times. It stated that “experts on Luennian law were invited to the Federation.” Two jurists received personal invitations from the Federation’s chief secretary and were sworn to absolute secrecy about their visit. They had given a lecture to His Excellency Cecilio on the Kingdom of San Luenne’s laws. One of the two used to work as Bertine’s teacher and they had penned this letter to the marquess.
“Our country’s laws, eh?”
Maxim could guess reasonably well at Cecilio’s intentions. He suspected the younger man was preparing to use Luennian law to make his move on the issue of the Kingdom’s shortfall of reparations. He’d had this information before his audience with the queen. Which was why he had deliberately told her there had been no demands for the remaining sum when she’d asked him how they would deal with the matter. By misleading her, the marquess had wanted to give Cecilio enough room to maneuver for whatever he had planned.
Because as far as he was concerned, Cecilio had proved himself leagues more worthy than San Luenne’s royal family of his trust and respect. The queen had long since forgotten her country and thought only of her family. Having said that, there were no promising prospects to succeed the current king either. In comparison, Maxim felt that Cecilio was a truly desirable candidate to be in power.
At one point, he even wished the younger man would serve as this country’s king along with his post as the Federation’s leader. Yet it had been all too easy for him to imagine the Kingdom’s citizens rejecting His Excellency because of their deeply rooted prejudices against the Federation.
While such thoughts ran through his mind, his butler entered carrying something. A parcel from the Rose Hotel in the Empire. Maxim rushed to open it and found a veritable treasure trove of things. Jars of stingers, jars of fruit goods, jars of what looked to be fish of some sort. And last but not least, a letter from Bertine.
He stiffened when he read the letter. Then he read it again. Then a third time.
“The Empire’s Prince Claudio is determined to become San Luenne’s king, eh? Well, what an unexpected entrance by a new actor. Feels as if God himself chose the boy to make the play even more entertaining to watch.”
According to his daughter’s letter, the emperor’s younger brother deliberately went to the trouble of visiting her in her home. If he’d gone to such lengths, it meant the Empire was serious about usurping San Luenne’s throne via the second imperial prince.
“I imagine this will keep everyone quite busy, hm?”
Prince Ehrenfried was forty years old. A young man in his prime. Maxim knew what a brilliant fellow he was too. If he took up the position as regent when his young nephew took the throne of San Luenne, he would make an excellent advisor. After laying the groundwork and smoothing the way for Claudio, he would retire once he knew the country was in capable hands. Maxim knew that with Ehrenfried at the helm, he wouldn’t have to worry about San Luenne’s future.
They would have to investigate the citizens’ reactions on the matter eventually, but he knew there was no issue on that front. This country survived off the Empire. Rather than oppose him, the people would in fact welcome the imperial prince as their new king. Because the people’s estimation of the current king was awful and even worse of his son, the prince.
For a long time now, Maxim’s worry over Bertine made him feel like he’d been standing in the shadows of dark clouds. But now they parted and he bathed in the comforting warmth of the sunlight shining through. According to Bertine’s letter, the situation would pick up momentum once Prince Claudio turned fifteen years old. In two and a half years then.
“Ah, the things you witness the longer you live,” Maxim murmured.
Then he unscrewed the lid off the first jar he set eyes upon. Using the attached dainty fork, he speared a rectangular piece of flesh-colored meat and sampled it. The label said, “Largemouth fish liver steamed in white wine.” It didn’t smell fishy at all. The rich fat and savoriness of the liver filled his mouth.
“This is…delicious. I can taste the white wine too, as well as the herbs, stingers, and…salt? The liver practically melts in the mouth.”
Maxim summoned one of his servants, asking for alcohol. He had a feeling it would taste particularly sublime tonight.
Only two and half years, then the sunlight would reach San Luenne. He drained the glass of its contents after deciding he would do whatever he could to aid the cause.
“Delicious.”
The marquess took another bite of the largemouth fish liver.