023. Loot
Hardius stood motionless, facing the window. The desk was piled with endless stacks of papers, and the teacup had long since grown cold.
Did he get any sleep?
According to the maid, the master's bed was so clean that it showed no signs of having been lain on for two days in a row.
But Hardius looked so energetic that it was hard to believe he had only been up for several nights.
“No one will know that you have secretly met with His Majesty the King. You may rest easy for the time being.”
“Well, my mother is not that easygoing.”
Hardius muttered coldly and crossed his arms. His shirt was pulled tight, and the muscles hidden beneath his long, sleek frame twitched pleasantly.
“There’s been a bit of a hitch in our plans. We have to bring everything up to speed.”
Hardius took something out of the drawer and handed it to Grojean.
“Secret letter. Depart for the Ricardi Palace immediately. You will deliver it to His Majesty the King in person.”
"... All right."
Grojean put the letter deep in the pocket of his jacket.
“Grojean,”
Just before he crossed the threshold, Hardius called out to him.
“Some things will arrive at your house in a few days. Things for your wife and children.”
Grojean, who realized what the words meant, lowered his head to hide his surprise.
The salary he received for betraying Caitlin Meyer was enormous. However, whenever he had the chance, Hardius would pack gifts for his family like this.
"...Thank you."
Joseph, who had received the letter secretly through Grojean that evening, carefully opened it only when he reached his bedroom.
“Your Majesty, what on earth does it say?”
“They asked me to bring the breakfast meeting forward.”
“Breakfast meeting?”
“Yes. That’s one of the third terms of the deal he mentioned. He asked me to stir up public opinion by stirring up the congressional faction.”
The two people's gazes turned to the pale paper lying on the table.
“I can do that much for the mine, but what’s so urgent...”
Yvonne felt uneasy as she watched the King clicking his tongue.
“I don’t know what the hell he wants. Why would he make such a strange request, like asking me to break off the engagement?”
“Are you worried?”
"Yes."
Yvonne continued, frowning.
“Why is Your Majesty so aloof? I don’t trust you to make a deal with a young man who is only twenty years old. I’m also worried that if we make a mistake, Kaitlyn will come back to bite me. Who knows? This could be her trap. Could she be using her son to take advantage of us?”
Joseph rubbed his chin, then clasped his hands together.
“Don’t worry too much. From what I’ve seen and talked to him about, he doesn’t seem to be lying. Hardius is a man who would rather die than be independent and be his mother’s puppet. That’s one thing for sure. Even if what you say is true, we won’t lose anything. Right?”
Yvonne wanted to believe that Hardius really wanted to join hands with the royal family.
Power ultimately comes from money. They desperately needed mines.
The Bolden dynasty had been suffering from deficits for three generations. Its power had been greatly weakened by the extreme factions of parliamentarians, royalists, revolutionaries, and centrists.
The deal with Hardius will be a decisive moment that will allow him to shake off the stigma of being the 'Bat King' and strengthen his royal authority.
But the third condition is too strange to believe him. Why would he trust a common girl like that...
“I don’t really like getting on the same boat as the Congress guys, but it’s not that hard. I’ve invited only the most venomous of them, so they’ll definitely come at me like a pack of dogs. If I just prod them a little, they’ll beat up Kaitlyn Meyer.”
Unlike her husband, who was laughing heartily, Yvonne still couldn't relax her eyebrows.
“What on earth is he thinking of that common girl?”
Joseph shook off his laughter and suddenly pulled his wife's waist tightly. The couple's bedroom was heated up by the man's lewd aura.
“Do you really not know, or are you just pretending not to know?”
Yvonne pushed away the man who was clinging to her with a flushed face. She pretended not to know. However, Hardius really didn't know.
“Isn’t this loot?”
"Loot?"
“There will be a fierce war soon, so what he wants is that woman. He wants to have her without anyone knowing. Like this.”
He covered the woman's body, which was running away as if throwing a tantrum, with his own body and bit her small earlobe. The heat engulfed the two men and women. Neither suspicion nor anxiety could continue any longer.
After a while, the King came out of the bedroom and headed straight to his office.
The King urgently summoned his magistrate. Less than an hour later, the decree was delivered to the Ronnenhalt parliament.
The content was that the breakfast meeting regarding the introduction of the 'Rochester Bill' would be brought forward this week.
“Are you really... going to the ball with him? With that guy?”
“I think so.”
Mitch's hand, which was carving a tree, stopped, and dust flew everywhere. Emilia waved her hand.
“I’m not sure. He said he couldn’t give me a definite answer either.”
“It’s strange.”
"What?"
Mitch's eyes narrowed.
“Why does it sound like you’re feeling sorry, sister?”
Emilia laughed as if it were ridiculous, but her brother still looked displeased.
“As I said before, the goal is the ‘ball’, not ‘Hardy Meyer.’”
As soon as she finished speaking, memories of that day when the heavy rain poured down came flooding back. The strong arm wrapped around her shoulder, and the suffocating whisper that “everyone was looking at you.”
“What is it, dust?”
“No... no, it’s okay.”
She deliberately stared intently at the wooden rabbit doll, fearing that her blushing face might be noticed.
“I think your ears are too pointy. If I do it wrong, I’ll hurt my hand.”
“Huh? Oh, really?”
Mitch's skilled swordsmanship continued.
“Anyway, Luen’s ball is a kind of ‘practice’. You don’t want your mother to say, ‘I can't help being a commoner girl’, on your graduation day, do you? Of course, I can go to the ball alone. But that’s a bit weird. I can’t be partners with someone else...”
“Yes, yes.”
Mitch suddenly cut off Emilia's ramblings.
“I understand, but it’s funny that you’re so obsessed with that. Why do you even need to practice?”
Emilia was left speechless in the face of such sharp criticism.
“Isn’t that bastard Hardius really funny? Why is he so concerned about the King’s feelings now? The King has forgotten all about the engagement. He doesn’t even care.”
Every word was right. Emilia was also wondering why Hardius was so concerned about the King's feelings now.
“You know what’s even weirder? He’s a fool who lives by his mother’s skirt. And how can he just go to prom with you like that? Did he get permission? It’s a graduation ceremony, so it’s fine since he wanted it, but it’s not prom, right?”
Once again, you completely and utterly hit the nail on the head.
Why didn't I think of that?
Does Kaitlyn Meyer know that her son is attending a social event other than the graduation with Emilia Bern? Given the circumstances, she would not be happy about it.
“I’m worried that the sparks might fly to you, my sister.”
“...”
“Why are you worrying so much? Even if you can’t go to the graduation ceremony, you can just skip the prom, right?”
Emilia stood there blankly, thinking. There are far more reasons why it won't work than why it will. So...
“That’s right. If you don’t go, that’s the end of it.”
Hardius's aide Grojean had a very busy time, as his master called him to the study day and night.
4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, 14 o'clock... The times were irregular, and the amount of work he was given was doubled. Grojean was rapidly becoming emaciated.
It's 5 o'clock again now.
He had to be dragged to Basilion House without being able to keep his promise to have dinner with his wife and children.
Since when?
Perhaps it was after that day when his master got caught in the rain out of nowhere.
The young master was unusually sensitive. There was no disarray on his sculptural face, but every time he met the colorless pupils, Grojean felt his mouth go dry.
“What’s the trend with Kramwitz?”
Today, too, Hardius is asking about his mother's whereabouts.
“There was nothing special. Mrs. Meyer seemed more at ease after meeting Miss Bern in person. According to our sources, she has been noticeably more relaxed lately.”
“What about the rest?”
The book and notebook were handed over.
“There is nothing noteworthy on the part of Lord Laichnen or Councilor Richard either. There is no sign of the three of them meeting secretly or planning anything new.”
4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, 14 o'clock... The times were irregular, and the amount of work he was given was doubled. Grojean was rapidly becoming emaciated.
It's 5 o'clock again now.
He had to be dragged to Basilion House without being able to keep his promise to have dinner with his wife and children.
Since when?
Perhaps it was after that day when his master got caught in the rain out of nowhere.
The young master was unusually sensitive. There was no disarray on his sculptural face, but every time he met the colorless pupils, Grojean felt his mouth go dry.
“What’s the trend with Kramwitz?”
Today, too, Hardius is asking about his mother's whereabouts.
“There was nothing special. Mrs. Meyer seemed more at ease after meeting Miss Bern in person. According to our sources, she has been noticeably more relaxed lately.”
“What about the rest?”
The book and notebook were handed over.
“There is nothing noteworthy on the part of Lord Laichnen or Councilor Richard either. There is no sign of the three of them meeting secretly or planning anything new.”
Hardius stood motionless, facing the window. The desk was piled with endless stacks of papers, and the teacup had long since grown cold.
Did he get any sleep?
According to the maid, the master's bed was so clean that it showed no signs of having been lain on for two days in a row.
But Hardius looked so energetic that it was hard to believe he had only been up for several nights.
“No one will know that you have secretly met with His Majesty the King. You may rest easy for the time being.”
“Well, my mother is not that easygoing.”
Hardius muttered coldly and crossed his arms. His shirt was pulled tight, and the muscles hidden beneath his long, sleek frame twitched pleasantly.
“There’s been a bit of a hitch in our plans. We have to bring everything up to speed.”
Hardius took something out of the drawer and handed it to Grojean.
“Secret letter. Depart for the Ricardi Palace immediately. You will deliver it to His Majesty the King in person.”
"... All right."
Grojean put the letter deep in the pocket of his jacket.
“Grojean,”
Just before he crossed the threshold, Hardius called out to him.
“Some things will arrive at your house in a few days. Things for your wife and children.”
Grojean, who realized what the words meant, lowered his head to hide his surprise.
The salary he received for betraying Caitlin Meyer was enormous. However, whenever he had the chance, Hardius would pack gifts for his family like this.
"...Thank you."
***
Joseph, who had received the letter secretly through Grojean that evening, carefully opened it only when he reached his bedroom.
“Your Majesty, what on earth does it say?”
Beside him, Queen Yvonne could not hide her impatience. As the King had a reputation for being a coddler, she already knew all about the shady dealings surrounding the mine.
“Breakfast meeting?”
“Yes. That’s one of the third terms of the deal he mentioned. He asked me to stir up public opinion by stirring up the congressional faction.”
The two people's gazes turned to the pale paper lying on the table.
“I can do that much for the mine, but what’s so urgent...”
Yvonne felt uneasy as she watched the King clicking his tongue.
“I don’t know what the hell he wants. Why would he make such a strange request, like asking me to break off the engagement?”
“Are you worried?”
"Yes."
Yvonne continued, frowning.
“Why is Your Majesty so aloof? I don’t trust you to make a deal with a young man who is only twenty years old. I’m also worried that if we make a mistake, Kaitlyn will come back to bite me. Who knows? This could be her trap. Could she be using her son to take advantage of us?”
Joseph rubbed his chin, then clasped his hands together.
“Don’t worry too much. From what I’ve seen and talked to him about, he doesn’t seem to be lying. Hardius is a man who would rather die than be independent and be his mother’s puppet. That’s one thing for sure. Even if what you say is true, we won’t lose anything. Right?”
Yvonne wanted to believe that Hardius really wanted to join hands with the royal family.
Power ultimately comes from money. They desperately needed mines.
The Bolden dynasty had been suffering from deficits for three generations. Its power had been greatly weakened by the extreme factions of parliamentarians, royalists, revolutionaries, and centrists.
The deal with Hardius will be a decisive moment that will allow him to shake off the stigma of being the 'Bat King' and strengthen his royal authority.
But the third condition is too strange to believe him. Why would he trust a common girl like that...
“I don’t really like getting on the same boat as the Congress guys, but it’s not that hard. I’ve invited only the most venomous of them, so they’ll definitely come at me like a pack of dogs. If I just prod them a little, they’ll beat up Kaitlyn Meyer.”
Unlike her husband, who was laughing heartily, Yvonne still couldn't relax her eyebrows.
“What on earth is he thinking of that common girl?”
Joseph shook off his laughter and suddenly pulled his wife's waist tightly. The couple's bedroom was heated up by the man's lewd aura.
“Do you really not know, or are you just pretending not to know?”
Yvonne pushed away the man who was clinging to her with a flushed face. She pretended not to know. However, Hardius really didn't know.
“Isn’t this loot?”
"Loot?"
“There will be a fierce war soon, so what he wants is that woman. He wants to have her without anyone knowing. Like this.”
He covered the woman's body, which was running away as if throwing a tantrum, with his own body and bit her small earlobe. The heat engulfed the two men and women. Neither suspicion nor anxiety could continue any longer.
***
After a while, the King came out of the bedroom and headed straight to his office.
The King urgently summoned his magistrate. Less than an hour later, the decree was delivered to the Ronnenhalt parliament.
The content was that the breakfast meeting regarding the introduction of the 'Rochester Bill' would be brought forward this week.
***
“Are you really... going to the ball with him? With that guy?”
“I think so.”
Mitch's hand, which was carving a tree, stopped, and dust flew everywhere. Emilia waved her hand.
“I’m not sure. He said he couldn’t give me a definite answer either.”
“It’s strange.”
"What?"
Mitch's eyes narrowed.
“Why does it sound like you’re feeling sorry, sister?”
Emilia laughed as if it were ridiculous, but her brother still looked displeased.
“As I said before, the goal is the ‘ball’, not ‘Hardy Meyer.’”
As soon as she finished speaking, memories of that day when the heavy rain poured down came flooding back. The strong arm wrapped around her shoulder, and the suffocating whisper that “everyone was looking at you.”
“What is it, dust?”
“No... no, it’s okay.”
She deliberately stared intently at the wooden rabbit doll, fearing that her blushing face might be noticed.
“I think your ears are too pointy. If I do it wrong, I’ll hurt my hand.”
“Huh? Oh, really?”
Mitch's skilled swordsmanship continued.
“Anyway, Luen’s ball is a kind of ‘practice’. You don’t want your mother to say, ‘I can't help being a commoner girl’, on your graduation day, do you? Of course, I can go to the ball alone. But that’s a bit weird. I can’t be partners with someone else...”
“Yes, yes.”
Mitch suddenly cut off Emilia's ramblings.
“I understand, but it’s funny that you’re so obsessed with that. Why do you even need to practice?”
Emilia was left speechless in the face of such sharp criticism.
“Isn’t that bastard Hardius really funny? Why is he so concerned about the King’s feelings now? The King has forgotten all about the engagement. He doesn’t even care.”
Every word was right. Emilia was also wondering why Hardius was so concerned about the King's feelings now.
“You know what’s even weirder? He’s a fool who lives by his mother’s skirt. And how can he just go to prom with you like that? Did he get permission? It’s a graduation ceremony, so it’s fine since he wanted it, but it’s not prom, right?”
Once again, you completely and utterly hit the nail on the head.
Why didn't I think of that?
Does Kaitlyn Meyer know that her son is attending a social event other than the graduation with Emilia Bern? Given the circumstances, she would not be happy about it.
“I’m worried that the sparks might fly to you, my sister.”
“...”
“Why are you worrying so much? Even if you can’t go to the graduation ceremony, you can just skip the prom, right?”
Emilia stood there blankly, thinking. There are far more reasons why it won't work than why it will. So...
“That’s right. If you don’t go, that’s the end of it.”
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