A Delicate Bargain

Looking down at the towering stack of paperwork, a heavy sigh escapes my lips. "Whew... I'm exhausted."

"You can say that again, Your Grace," Agrippa replies, his voice dripping with his usual dry sarcasm.

We couldn't leave the vacancies left by the high-ranking imperial officials whom Valorang had executed or imprisoned empty, so we were filling them one by one. This one... he has talent, but... didn't his older brother die at Valorang's hands? Regrettably, he was a pass. Right now, loyalty was far more critical than sheer competence. I would have to recruit him later, once the political situation stabilized.

"Sigh... Agrippa. There's just one thing I find regrettable..."

"And what would that be, Your Grace?"

"If only I had just one more person like you or Mary by my side..."

I meant it from the bottom of my heart. I felt like I was going to drop dead from overwork at any moment. Yet, I couldn't just delegate these tasks to anyone. Most of the talented individuals in Roman were loyal to the late Emperor, making me hesitate out of fear of what conspiracies they might hatch. Though I had been working on this since early morning, the endless deluge of resumes and recommendation letters made my head throb.

"Surely, more trustworthy people will appear in due time," Agrippa says, offering a faint smile.

Looking at him, I swallow my retort. My head feels like it's about to explode right now... If they show up later, won't I already be dead? Just as I am indulging in these idle, grim thoughts—

The hallway outside is in an uproar. I find myself bewildered by the uncharacteristically furious tone dripping from Theodora's voice.

In that instant, Agrippa and I lock eyes. What is this? What could possibly have made her storm over here in such a rage?

"Let her in," I call out.

Creak! The door swings open. The sharp, rapid *clack, clack* of her heels echoes through the room, betraying the sheer depth of her anger. I prepare to greet her warmly, but the sight of her frozen, icy expression and the blazing fury in her crimson eyes makes me falter. I open my mouth, the words coming out somewhat awkwardly. "What brings you here, Your Imperial Highness?"

Before I can even begin to parse the ominous tension radiating from her, she marches right up to me and—*Slam!* She strikes her palm against my desk.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"What... what is the meaning of this?" I stammer, utterly taken aback by her sudden outburst.

"You shameless scoundrel... How dare you threaten the Supreme Court?"

Hearing those words, the reason for her visit instantly becomes clear. I give Agrippa a subtle nod, signaling him to leave. He lets out a quiet sigh and slips out of the room. I turn my attention back to Theodora. She really is... breathtaking. She truly lives up to her status as the main heroine of this world. But that doesn't mean my thoughts or plans are going to change.

"I never threatened anyone," I reply, offering her a smile and adopting the most polite, gentle tone I can muster. "I merely... made a private petition to those who have long maintained close ties with my family."

To put it simply, I bribed them to ensure they wouldn't try to dig up dirt on me. Quite a massive sum, at that.

Theodora grashes her teeth in sheer frustration, her glare boring into me. "Once King Yohanes arrives, I was planning to command him to spare your life."

She still doesn't grasp the reality of the situation. If I were to be captured by King Yohanes, would he truly obey her command? My capture would mean Roman had already fallen. Right now, Yohanes and I are playing a high-stakes game for control of the Empire. The loser will be stripped of everything and executed. Would a man like him really listen to Theodora? To a powerless Crown Princess who is nothing but a figurehead? If I lose, everyone in the Anti-Emperor Faction, including myself, will die. It won't matter what she begs of him. That is why I must win. For my own sake, and for everyone else's. Shrugging my shoulders at her fierce glare, I speak.

"That won't happen. Because I am going to win."

"Ha! You think that's possible?" Theodora points sharply toward the window. "An army of a hundred and fifty thousand is marching this way. Do you truly wish to live as the king of a tiny world inside these triple walls, utterly isolated from the rest of the world?"

I stare back at her, my face devoid of emotion.

"And your territory will burn to ashes, won't it? Your family... and the families of those who follow you..." A cold, mocking smile plays on Theodora's lips. "When that happens, do you think your followers will still protect you? A man who stood by and let their homeland burn?"

Her words are sharp, but... "You needn't worry. I have already devised a way," I reply smoothly.

After all, the negotiations with the Emperor Faction will conclude without a hitch. Annoyed by my relaxed demeanor, Theodora turns her back on me and storms toward the exit. Placing her hand on the doorknob, she looks back over her shoulder one last time. "Just you wait. I will be there... to watch your head roll from the guillotine."

*Creak! Slam!*

In the afternoon, long after the Crown Princess's storm of fury had passed.

*Creak.* The door opens, and Representative Alexander steps inside.

"I trust you have been well, Your Grace?"

At his greeting, I offer a bright smile. "Haha, we only saw each other yesterday, so of course I have been well. Come, please have a seat." As I gesture toward the chair across from my desk, Representative Alexander sits down gracefully.

"Yesterday, I conveyed Your Grace's intentions to His Majesty, King Yohanes."

Hearing this, I smile inwardly. "Is that so? And what was his response?"

Representative Alexander returns a pleasant smile but shakes his head. "Regrettably, His Majesty stated that negotiations with a rebel are out of the question."

An unexpected response. Is it really coming to the worst-case scenario? Alexander's words send my thoughts into a tailspin. If so... must I abandon the Grand Duchy? Our power stems from the Grand Duchy. No matter how sturdy Roman's triple walls are, and regardless of the Emperor's authority, they do not generate economic power or resources. A powerless Emperor is nothing but a hollow title. Fortunately, Roman is situated along a massive river, allowing us to receive supplies from the Grand Duchy. Even if that river were to be blockaded, the food and water stored within Roman could easily sustain us for over a year, but a continuous supply of war materials is absolutely vital. What should I do? Should I leave only a skeleton crew in Roman and focus entirely on defending the Grand Duchy? No, that is far too impractical. As I weigh these options, Alexander speaks up cautiously.

"However, even so, it is highly undesirable for the citizens of the Empire to shed blood."

His words make me pause.

"Thus, I petitioned His Majesty, suggesting that we should at least hear out your proposal first."

Oho... is he testing the waters to gain the upper hand in the negotiations? It sounds as though he intends to bleed us dry. In truth, I was already planning to give them a massive concession. That is the only way ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to sow discord among their ranks. But I cannot give it away too easily. Doing so would only arouse their suspicion, and besides, there are things I must extract from them in return.

"Haha... Representative Alexander, you truly are a man who cares deeply for the people of the Empire."

He beams at my praise. "Haha, you flatter me."

After a brief exchange of polite laughter, I speak. "Then, pray tell us what proposal would satisfy your side. In turn, we shall—"

"No, Grand Duke... I believe you are under a slight misunderstanding."

I blink in surprise as Representative Alexander rudely cuts me off. "A misunderstanding? Regarding what?"

"We are making demands of Your Grace as the victors."

I flinch slightly. Ha... wow. So he wants to play hardball? Fine, have it your way. It seems Representative Alexander wants to engage in a battle of wills. I will gladly oblige. After all, seizing the initiative is the first rule of negotiation, so his tactic isn't entirely wrong.

"The war hasn't even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠begun, yet you speak of victors and losers. I haven't the faintest idea what you mean."

"The tide has already turned. Once King Yohanes arrives in Roman, Your Grace's future will be exceedingly grim."

I let out a soft chuckle. "Then by all means, try." With those words, I ring the small bell on my desk. *Tinkle, tinkle.*

*Click.* "Did you call, Your Grace?" the guard asks, opening the office door.

"Representative Alexander was just leaving," I say.

I fix a cold glare on Alexander. Well... what will you do? Will you walk out and ruin everything, or will you continue the negotiation? If you told your king that negotiations were underway, you must at least deliver our terms. If the talks collapse before you even hear our conditions, your competence will be called into question. You're feeling anxious, aren't you? Good. Feel the pressure, and stop me. Suppressing my inner anxiety, I maintain a perfectly blank expression.

In that silent moment, Alexander and I lock eyes. His gaze is unreadable, carrying the subtle smile and sharp glint of a seasoned politician. For a brief second, we clash, each trying to read the other's mind. Then, as if confirming my desperate hope—or rather, my calculation—Alexander breaks into a warm smile.

"Your Grace, you are quite impatient."

I smirk. "Well, my family is Ryan, after all."

I won. Alexander is likely fuming inside. The opponent he dismissed as a mere greenhorn is proving far more formidable than he anticipated.

"Sigh... I concede. Please forgive my rudeness from moments ago."

I chuckle softly. "It seems the representative will be staying a bit longer. Apologies, you may return to your posts," I tell the guards. They salute and exit the room. "Now then, shall we begin the negotiations?"

Seeing Alexander sigh and nod, I smile triumphantly in my mind.

"So, did the negotiations conclude successfully?"

At Agrippa's question, I slump onto my desk and let out a heavy sigh. "More or less. It's only the beginning, so it's hard to tell, but..." They aren't easy to deal with. Their demands are far more extensive than I anticipated. A sigh escapes me at the thought. "They are within our expected parameters, but still... *Sigh*..." Exhaustion washes over me, drawing out another weary breath.

"Yet your expression says otherwise," Agrippa notes.

I inhale the faint, soothing scent of the wooden desk, trying to ease my fatigue. "The progress is just too slow... We're both wrapping our words in flowery rhetoric and hiding our true intentions. I know exactly what they want, but they refuse to lay their cards on the table..."

Agrippa bursts into a hearty laugh. "Haha! In that case, Your Grace, why not lay out our essential conditions first?"

I ponder his suggestion for a moment. "No, that old man is far too cunning. He's incredibly slippery. He'll just make up one excuse after another to reject them." The saying 'old ginger is the spiciest' fits him ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perfectly.

"Hmm... then what do you plan to do?"

"Well, we did make some headway."

Agrippa looks intrigued. "Oh? How so?"

"As expected, we agreed to grant war authorization rights to Epirus, Egypt, and the Nicaea Kingdom, followed by an end to the war... and they agreed to pass a bill in parliament to approve my marriage to Theodora, limit the Emperor's authority, and expand my own."

Agrippa looks slightly astonished. "Then doesn't that mean the negotiations went incredibly well?"

At his words, my stomach begins to ache again. "In exchange... they demanded a political marriage between Princess Joy and King Yohanes's son."

Agrippa's face stiffens. "Isn't that... a bit dangerous?"

If those two marry and have a child, it would give them a perpetual pretext for rebellion. By law, only those of the Augustus bloodline could ascend the throne... but I had already secured a ruling that allowed allied houses to inherit. "It is dangerous... but what can I do? I've fallen into my own trap..."

Yet, I have no plausible excuse to refuse. If we are to build a relationship of trust, and with me marrying the Crown Princess, I can't easily counter their demands for equity. Equity, indeed... To think Yohanes would demand equity from a rebel like me. It only proves that even among the Emperor Faction, everyone is ultimately looking out for their own self-interest. A dry chuckle escapes my lips.

"So, will you accept?"

I stroke my chin, lost in thought. "How old is Princess Joy this year?"

"If I recall correctly, she is eighteen."

"Then she isn't an adult yet?"

Agrippa nods in agreement.

"In that case, what do you think of this approach?"

I share the sudden idea that crossed my mind with Agrippa. After listening to my plan, Agrippa lets out a wry smile. "It certainly seems feasible, provided we wrap everything up within two years."

I nod in firm agreement.

"However... if two years pass and we haven't resolved it, we will have no choice but to hand the Princess over."

"Don't worry. It won't take two years."

Because... I will make sure of it.