The Train to Gaopen
The rhythmic vibration of the carriage and the monotonous clatter of wheels. Liliana held a teacup still fragrant with freshly brewed black tea and stared silently out the window. It had already been four days.
The plush velvet sofa reserved exclusively for the imperial family, the freshly baked biscuits, and the aromatic tea had long since grown unbearably tedious. ‘People shouldn’t ride anything faster than a horse.’ The words of some old priest she’d once heard floated into her mind. Back then she had dismissed it as the ramblings of an outdated old man. But now, she had no choice but to admit there was some truth to it.
At the very least, this so-called “train,” this product of civilization, was undeniably terrible for one’s mental health. The constant shaking of the car body clashed horribly with the scenery whipping past the windows. Even though she was just sitting still, the strange sensation made her feel almost motion-sick. If she hadn’t gotten off at stations from time to time to breathe fresh air, she might have gone mad already.
“I’m looking forward to this.”
At that moment, Clement, seated on the opposite sofa, spoke up with a bright, childlike smile. His voice pulled Liliana’s consciousness out of her pointless thoughts and back to reality.
“This is the first time Mikhail has ever invited me to a banquet like this.”
Instead of answering, Liliana lifted her teacup and took a sip. A bitter, astringent taste lingered on the tip of her tongue.
“When Her Highness Alexandra, Mikhail’s mother, was still alive,” Clement continued, his gaze drifting into the distance. A faint longing flickered in his eyes. “Mikhail only ever went on picnics with her. He would only show his face at events when he absolutely had to. But after Her Highness passed away…”
He trailed off. There was no need to finish the sentence. He became a madman drowning in alcohol and committing every kind of atrocity. Everyone in the empire knew that story. Liliana simply nodded silently and turned her gaze back to the window.
“I see.”
Her voice was completely dry, without a trace of moisture. Honestly, she didn’t want to go at all. Not to this tedious train journey, nor to the Gaopen event waiting at its end. But she had no choice. She owed him a debt.
Not long ago, she had cautiously asked Clement for a favor. Bishop Albert had been devouring an entire diocese of the empire. The corrupt old man, connected to the Albrecht Duchy, was someone no one dared touch easily. She had asked the ducal house to remain silent while she purged him.
At the time, Clement had simply smiled and answered, “Understood. If it is Lady Liliana’s request, I will make it happen.”
And indeed, nothing happened. When she exposed the bishop’s corruption, the Albrecht Duchy remained silent as if they had made a prior agreement. She didn’t know exactly how he had done it. The only thing that remained was the result: he had helped her.
Just how did this man manage it? Even for the ducal house, the political burden must have been considerable.
Liliana clicked her tongue inwardly and glanced at Clement. He was still looking out the window with that kind, gentle smile.
“Ah, that reminds me.” Clement suddenly spoke as if something had just occurred to him. “I invited Dmitri to come along as well, but he said he was too busy. He really is such a diligent fellow. And smart, too.”
He looked genuinely impressed. As if determined not to lose to such a younger brother, he clenched his fist with innocent determination. “So I was thinking…”
Clement leaned forward and looked straight at Liliana. His eyes contained nothing but pure sincerity.
“If I am to become emperor, I will need your advice and help, Lady Liliana. On my own, I simply…”
In an instant, the distance between them shrank dramatically. Close enough to feel his breath. The sudden wave of Clement’s scent made Liliana instinctively lean back.
Why is he getting so close?!
Her heart began to beat a little faster without her permission. She tried to appear calm, lifting her teacup for another sip. Then, with the faintest smile on her lips, she answered.
“I suppose I have no choice. It is a friend’s request, after all.”
At the word friend, Liliana didn’t miss the fleeting flicker of disappointment that crossed Clement’s face.
When he had first persistently courted her, Liliana had firmly refused. She could not trust men, and love even less so. But he refused to give up. In the end, she had been the one to propose it first: let’s start as friends. It was a kind of grace period, a polite way of saying no.
Yet Clement had accepted the proposal with overwhelming joy, like a child receiving the greatest gift in the world. Since then, the two had truly become “friends.” At least on the surface.
Clank—!
The train shook violently once more, snapping Liliana back to reality. Without another word, she turned her gaze back to the window. Endless blue fields stretched out beneath drifting, leisurely white clouds. It was a sight she had grown sick of seeing, yet right now its monotony felt strangely comforting.
But her heart showed no sign of calming down.
Mikhail opened the lid of his pocket watch. Inside the silver cover, the golden second hand moved slowly. Ten minutes had passed the appointed time.
Of course, in this world, a ten-minute delay was barely worth calling a delay. Arriving on time was closer to a miracle. In the distance, a faint black smoke began to rise. Soon, a massive iron mass slid along the tracks and glided into the platform.
“Oh, only ten minutes late. Not bad.”
Laura, standing beside him, covered her mouth with her fan and murmured in quiet admiration. “As expected of guests of such high status. It seems the engineer took extra care.”
Screeeeech—
The screeching of brakes scraped against their eardrums. Choo—Hiss— The train finally came to a stop, violently expelling hot steam.
According to the original novel’s setting, the trains of this world were products of over-technology, a bizarre fusion of magic, mechanical engineering, and alchemy. They were fast and enormous. The passenger cars were impressive, but the cargo capacity of the freight cars was even more staggering.
That was precisely why Mikhail found it so infuriating.
“No, seriously, this is bullshit. I’m so fucking pissed off.”
Mikhail grumbled with genuine irritation. “Exports are allowed, but imports aren’t? What kind of ridiculous nonsense is this?”
“Legally speaking, there is nothing that can be done, Your Highness,” Josepina answered in her mechanical voice, as if she had been waiting for the question. “The special tariffs and customs procedures for luxury goods are based on laws enacted during the early days of developing the Far East Maritime Province. At the time, developing uncharted lands with central government support was the top priority, so measures were taken to prevent local funds from flowing outward.”
“Then when the hell is that outdated law going to be revised?”
“It is unlikely in the near future.”
Josepina answered without the slightest hesitation. “It is a law that has been all but forgotten by everyone, and the central government always wants to keep the provinces under control. There is no reason for them to take the initiative to revise it.”
“Haa.”
Mikhail let out a deep sigh. This damn country was full of systemic loopholes and inefficiencies. Of course, exploiting those loopholes to make money was quite entertaining, but actually becoming a victim of that inefficiency made it unbearably annoying.
“Still, aren’t you satisfied with the steady imports of brandy, whiskey, and wine via sea routes these days?” Laura said in a gentle voice, trying to soothe his mood.
“That doesn’t sit right with me either.” Mikhail replied sullenly. “The shipping time is way too long. Plus you have to order in bulk. I bought a couple of oak barrels for personal use while ordering massive quantities for the resort, but even that feels like too much.”
Mikhail was genuinely dissatisfied. He simply wanted to enjoy alcohol in moderation and with pleasure. He wanted to taste this and that little by little, discovering what suited his palate. He had no desire to stack barrels in a warehouse and drink the same thing every day.
“Can’t we just buy one or two bottles at a time? Because it’s sea transport, we can’t even import anything except distilled spirits or fortified wines.”
At Mikhail’s complaint, both Laura and Josepina simply stood there quietly.
While the three of them killed time with such trivial conversation, the doors of the train finally began to open. The first to disembark were uniformed station staff. They quickly installed steps and controlled the area so passengers could alight safely.
Soon the door to the imperial family’s exclusive car opened, and a man and woman appeared.
“Well then, it’s time to greet our guests, Your Highness,” Laura whispered softly.
Finally, the door to the first-class carriage opened, revealing a pair of guests. While Mikhail himself might be familiar with them, this was the first time Kim Jae-han, who had possessed his body, had ever seen their faces. They looked exactly as described in the novel.
The Second Prince, Clement. A kind and gentle impression that perfectly matched his nickname, the Duke of Benevolence. He clearly looked like someone raised like a delicate flower in a greenhouse, yet at the same time, he carried the natural dignity of the imperial family.
And the woman standing beside him. The Saintess Liliana. A voluptuous figure that not even her nun’s habit could hide, and hair that gleamed like silver. Most of all, behind her silver eyes, there seemed to shine a faint holy glow, as if proving her identity as a saint beloved by the gods.
“It has been a long time, Your Highness, my brother.”
Mikhail stepped forward first and bowed politely.
“It really has been far too long, Mishenka!”
Clement approached with a bright smile, patted Mikhail’s shoulder a few times, and then pulled him into a tight hug. It was a gesture full of affection, but Mikhail nearly frowned despite himself.
Mishenka. That damn nickname. In Mikhail’s memories, Clement had always called him that.
He noticed Laura standing beside him covering her mouth with her fan, her shoulders shaking slightly. She was laughing. Seeing that from the corner of his eye, a very faint vein bulged on Mikhail’s forehead.
“I am grown now, so please call me Misha instead of Mishenka, brother.”
Mikhail slipped out of Clement’s embrace and spoke in a deliberately calm voice.
“Haha, is that so? Well, our Misha has already grown this much.”
Clement smiled brightly as ever and patted his shoulder once more. Then he turned his gaze to the two women standing behind Mikhail.
“Ah, these are my subordinates. Laura Valeriano, head of the Valeriano Merchant Coalition, and Josepina Jugashvili, the administrative officer. Both are exceptionally talented individuals.”
At Mikhail’s introduction, Laura and Josepina bowed gracefully at the same time.
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”
“Both of you are true beauties. It seems our Misha has quite the eye for people.”
Clement laughed heartily. Then he proudly gestured to the saintess standing beside him.
“This is Her Holiness the Saintess Liliana. She is my… ‘friend.’”
Friend.
Mikhail didn’t miss the tiny hesitation and faint regret in Clement’s voice right before he said that word.
Oh man, this is pure gold.
He had to bite his lip to hold back the laughter threatening to burst out. This was it. This subtle, ticklish atmosphere. This was the very essence of romantic comedy.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness the Grand Duke.”
Liliana greeted Mikhail with perfect courtesy. Her voice was clear and pure, yet somehow carried a sharp edge. I’ve heard a lot about you. The pressure was clear—she knew very well about all the crazy drunken antics he had pulled.
Mikhail smirked inwardly. Yeah, that’s exactly how the prickly Saintess Liliana should be.
He smiled brightly at Liliana and replied, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Holiness.”
Then, partly to get revenge for being called Mishenka and partly to return the pressure she had put on him with words, he raised his hand with only his pinky finger extended.
“No matter how I look at it, the two of you don’t seem like mere ‘friends’… Is it perhaps this?”
He could clearly see both Clement’s and Liliana’s mouths fall open and their eyes widen. Their pupils shook violently as if an earthquake had struck.
“Your Highness!”
The first to regain her senses was Laura. She cried out in a voice filled with shock.
But the water had already been spilled.
“Ha, haha.”
Liliana let out an unnatural laugh. In an instant, she had returned to the face of a benevolent saintess as if nothing had happened.
“Your Highness Clement. It seems His Highness the Grand Duke Mikhail is every bit as mischievous as the rumors say.”
She spoke kindly while raising a dazzling white holy power over her palm. “Are you perhaps still suffering from a hangover? If you wish, shall I specially purify you?”
The temperature of the air seemed to drop strangely. A clear threat disguised as kindness. Behind those words was probably something like ‘Shall I split your skull open?’
Mikhail clicked his tongue inwardly. She really wasn’t ordinary. But he had no intention of backing down either.
“Ah, I simply thought the two of you looked very close, that’s all.”
Mikhail answered with a perfectly innocent expression. “My thoughts were shallow. As you know, I have no experience with romance…”
At his words, both Clement’s and Liliana’s faces flushed bright red at the same time.
“Ahem! Ahem!”
“Khm!”
The two of them simultaneously cleared their throats as if on cue and hurriedly looked away from each other. The sight was so cute and ridiculous that Mikhail nearly burst out laughing.
It was exactly like the original novel. No, it was even more entertaining than the original. What could possibly be more fun than watching other people’s romance?
Mikhail wore a deeply satisfied smile and gestured to the two of them.
“Well then, shall we be on our way? The carriage is ready.”