My eyes flicked discreetly in her direction, just enough to avoid drawing attention. She was seated not far away, surrounded by the usual cluster of women who clung to Prince Ramtak like moths to a flame. The prince followed my gaze for the briefest moment before turning back to me.
“Well,” he said with a smirk, “I suppose she’s rather appealing. Especially that figure of hers… and of course, her standing as a princess of the Umyuve Kingdom.”
I see.
So, he was willing to speak so plainly, to show his true colors without the slightest attempt to conceal them. It meant he didn’t consider me an enemy—at least not yet.
How curious. What makes him so certain I’m on his side?
“By the way, Prince Cecil,” he began, leaning forward ever so slightly, “have you ever thought about establishing trade with the Kingdom of Umyuve on more favorable terms?”
“Favorable?” I echoed, feigning mild curiosity. “You mean not as equals, but with us holding the advantage?”
A trade deal tilted in our favor rather than balanced on equal footing. Admittedly, the idea had its appeal. But honestly, with the right negotiations, any nation could be persuaded to meet reasonable terms. A few pointed remarks, a well-placed implication, and they’d agree readily enough.
Granted, there were times when my negotiation partners stormed out of the room, sobbing blood and calling me a “devil” or the “demon king.”
Still, I could more or less guess what Prince Ramtak was plotting. He probably intended to use Princess Bistona to dig up some compromising secret from the Umyuve Kingdom and wield it as leverage.
Typical.
The target was the Umyuve Kingdom because it was the homeland of Crown Prince Aleis’s wife, their political rival. Maybe they just wanted to weaken the country a little, or perhaps they simply couldn’t stand it.
Whether it was out of petty spite or mere political ambition was hard to say, but knowing him, the former probably outweighed the latter.
“Princess Bistona is quite taken with me these days,” he said. “I’m sure she’d do anything I asked.”
“Even something that could be considered… treason against her own kingdom?”
“Well, depends on how the conversation goes.”
“I see.”
Yeah, no. I seriously doubt that.
The idea that Princess Bistona was “madly in love” with him was questionable at best. If anything, she was simply spending more time around him because he was paying attention to her, no doubt thinking, Maybe this could work out! He’s of high rank, after all.
In truth, she flirted just as freely with other men. Poor Kulgan was still being chased around like a terrified rabbit. Could anyone honestly call that “devotion”? Of course not.
Just as Ramtak saw Bistona as one woman among many, she too viewed him as nothing more than one of several prospects. If anything, Lady Margone was far more sincere in her infatuation with him.
Still, there was one small concern.
Princess Bistona was just as short-sighted as Ramtak himself. She might well say something reckless, something that could jeopardize her entire kingdom, without even realizing it, all in the name of earning his favor.
Honestly, I couldn’t care less what became of the princess herself. But if her careless words harmed the Umyuve Kingdom or worsened relations between Umyuve and the Seahealby Kingdom, that would bring pain to Princess Lysonna. And if that happened, it would break Bertia’s heart.
No. I couldn’t let that happen.
I’d make sure Princess Lysonna heard about this. She and Crown Prince Aleis would know how to handle it discreetly.
Well then, since I’d endured enough of his foolish chatter, perhaps it was time to steer this conversation toward the real issue.
“I see,” I said mildly. “So, the funds you gain from this scheme will be used to gather tools for your little pranks, is that right?”
“What?”
Ramtak’s brow furrowed, his expression clouded with confusion. He looked as though he couldn’t quite grasp what I’d just implied.
I kept my smile gentle, almost kind.
“I heard an interesting story the other day. Apparently, a merchant who owned a warehouse down by the port was arrested. They say he was hiding a large cache of weapons and a number of hired thugs inside.”
Prince Ramtak’s brows furrowed. He clearly hadn’t expected the abrupt change in topic.
“Oh, and it seems another merchant connected to him was caught soon after,” I continued lightly. “That one was dealing mainly in medicine, or so it appeared. In truth, he’d been trafficking in several types of banned poisons. Nasty stuff, really.”
Ramtak’s confusion deepened at first, but as I went on, comprehension dawned in his eyes, followed swiftly by fear. His face drained of color.
“A-And what of it?” he stammered, trying and failing to sound indifferent.
His voice shook despite his attempt to bluff. I met his gaze with a serene, radiant smile. The moment our eyes locked, his shoulders flinched as though struck.
“Oh, nothing serious,” I said cheerfully. “I just happened to hear from a mutual acquaintance that those merchants were rather close to you. I thought it must’ve been a difficult situation.”
“I don’t know any such merchants!”
“Come now. You’re known for your wide social circle, aren’t you? Surely you also know a few fine restaurants. I’d love a recommendation sometime—a place that serves crab, perhaps. Something with a little spice would be perfect.”
“…”
You know the one, don’t you? A particular restaurant famous for its spicy crab, with convenient private rooms ideal for confidential discussions.
I kept my smile gentle, almost teasing, as his complexion turned the shade of cold parchment.
Truth was, something Bertia had mentioned earlier had been nagging at me. So, I’d quietly ordered my people to look into recent movements within Seahealby and neighboring nations. Their report was troubling: a suspicious organization in the Seahealby capital, gathering weapons and men under the radar.
Further investigation revealed that, on the surface, Crown Prince Aleis appeared to be leading them, but the true mastermind pulling the strings behind the scenes was none other than Prince Ramtak.
Since it wasn’t my country’s affair, I hadn’t interfered directly. Instead, I’d passed the information discreetly to Crown Prince Aleis. As I’d expected, his sharp instincts caught my meaning immediately. He moved swiftly, raiding the enemy’s base and capturing everyone involved.
No testimony or hard evidence had tied the operation to Ramtak, unfortunately. But I had little doubt Aleis had already connected the dots.
“Wh… Why?” Ramtak’s voice trembled.
No doubt he’d been confident his underlings couldn’t be traced back to him. Only now did he realize what my words implied.
“Well,” I said pleasantly, letting a hint of steel slip into my tone, “this is supposed to be a diplomatic celebration. My wife and I came here to enjoy ourselves, despite our duties. I’d rather not have anything… unpleasant spoil that. I trust you understand.”
A faint pressure laced my gaze, enough to make my intent clear without raising my voice. The prince’s lips quivered. His head dropped, eyes downcast, his face pale as snow.
“In that case,” I said with an easy smile, “I’ll take my leave. My wife is waiting for me.”
“Ah—!”
He tried to call out, but I didn’t bother to listen. Without looking back, I strode toward the place where Bertia awaited me.