His Highness Is Truly a Difficult Person
Mikhail kept his word. After declaring he would do nothing, he truly did nothing. His days began late, well past noon. The start of his routine was a leisurely ride to the Tourism Special Zone resort. After enjoying a relaxed lunch at a top-tier restaurant, he would spend a brief stretch of time in his office on the casino's uppermost floor. Once he received reports from Laura and Josepina and signed a few documents, that was it. The rest of his time belonged entirely to him. He mingled with casino guests to play games or sat at the bar savoring cocktails. Returning to the Grand Duke's Mansion in the evening for dinner, he would read stories written by the novelists he sponsored until late at night before falling asleep. It was an utterly irregular and self-indulgent existence.
One afternoon, as Mikhail was absorbed in a game of darts, Laura approached from behind, unable to watch any longer.
"Your Highness." Her voice carried a faint trace of suppressed frustration. "If you keep playing like this… don't you ever get bored?"
Mikhail paused mid-throw and turned to look at her. Then he flashed the brightest smile in the world and replied, "Nope? It's always fresh and thrilling. Playing is the best."
But there are moments when even someone with money must work. ***
Mikhail was once again sprawled meaninglessly on his bed in the bedroom of the Grand Duke's Mansion. The weather outside was bright and the breeze cool—a perfect day for sleeping. Knock, knock. The sound of a knock jolted him awake, and his brow furrowed involuntarily.
"Your Highness. It's Boris."
"……."
He didn't answer. If he pretended to be asleep, maybe the man would just leave.
"Baron Louis Balboa of the Zvezda Merchant Group has come requesting an audience with Your Highness."
"……."
Zvezda? Means 'star.' What a childish name. Mikhail grumbled inwardly and answered without even turning over. "Tell him to have Laura handle that sort of thing."
"Lady Laura said… that given the nature of the goods, she hoped Your Highness would join the meeting as well."
"Haa…." A deep sigh escaped him. Damn it. Of course her judgment wasn't wrong. After all, as a noble, Mikhail was familiar with high-end ingredients. He had no choice. Feeling as though every joint in his body was screaming, Mikhail dragged himself upright.
The reception room on the casino's top floor. When Mikhail opened the door and entered, Laura and Josepina were already seated. The two rose immediately upon seeing him and bowed respectfully.
"You're late," Mikhail said curtly, flopping onto the sofa.
"My apologies. I was late in reporting," Laura replied with a smile. Her face showed not a hint of remorse.
Soon after, Baron Louis Balboa entered the reception room. He was a middle-aged man with neatly slicked-back oily hair, dressed in expensive silk garments. A sly merchant's smile played on his lips.
"It's an honor to meet you, Grand Duke Mikhail. I am Louis Balboa of the Zvezda Merchant Group." The baron bowed with an exaggerated flourish. Mikhail merely nodded and gestured with his chin for him to sit. "Get to the point. Keep it brief."
"Haha. You're quite impatient. Very well." Baron Louis began pulling various samples from his bag and laying them out on the table. There were several types of dried mushrooms and small bottles of caviar.
"Our Zvezda Merchant Group handles rare ingredients from across the Empire. We take particular pride in premium mushrooms such as porcini, morel, and truffles, where we believe no one can surpass us." He turned his gaze toward Laura and continued. "We can supply goods of superior quality at far lower prices than the merchants currently supplying the Valeriano Merchant Coalition. Additionally, we wish to exclusively purchase the caviar produced in this Far East Maritime Province and export it to the Capital and abroad."
It was a rather tempting proposal. Mikhail picked up a piece of dried porcini from the table and sniffed it. The aroma was indeed rich and deep. The quality was clearly excellent. Laura and Josepina asked several sharp questions, which Baron Louis answered without hesitation. He was a prepared merchant.
"And…." Once the discussion had wound down somewhat, Baron Louis lowered his voice and leaned forward. His eyes gleamed with cunning. "Our group also has a secret product prepared for Your Highness's 'special' guests." He pulled out one more small box from deep within his bag. Inside were several elegantly designed wine bottles and a dried plant mass that resembled tobacco leaves.
"This is a premium wine produced only in the southern regions of Gallia. Of course, it is no ordinary wine." He whispered, "Just one glass and all the fatigue in your body melts away like snow… It's infused with a small amount of opium."
"This one is wine laced with cocaine to greatly elevate one's mood. And this… is hashish, which relaxes the mind and allows for peaceful sleep."
"……." Mikhail couldn't believe what he was seeing. This… son of a bitch…. Was he serious right now? Sell this? And to whom? Turn my casino into some drug den? History from the 21st century had already proven what became of entertainment establishments flooded with drugs. Crime, violence, addicts. The thought of the comfortable, peaceful playground he had painstakingly built turning into such a garbage heap was horrifying.
Mikhail's face hardened instantly. All trace of amusement vanished from his eyes. "Get out." His voice was quiet but ice-cold.
"……Pardon?" Baron Louis asked, as if doubting his own ears.
"I said get the hell out. Right now."
"Y-Your Highness, there's a misunderstanding! These are by no means like the Church says…."
"Out." Mikhail tapped the table with his fingers. Murderous intent flickered in his eyes. Only then did Baron Louis's face turn deathly pale as he grasped the situation. He hurriedly gathered his things and stood up.
"……You will regret this." Just before leaving the reception room, the baron muttered quietly, suppressing his boiling anger. It was a clear threat.
Bang! The door closed, leaving only a heavy silence in the reception room. Mikhail was dumbfounded. What the hell is wrong with that bastard? How dare a mere baron show such insolence to a member of the imperial family. Should I have him dragged back and beaten? The thought crossed his mind in a fit of anger, but he shook his head. It was too much trouble. Dealing with the aftermath of a baron would be annoying, and more than anything, he never wanted to associate with that kind of person again.
"What a rude man," Laura said, standing beside him. Her voice was as cold as ice. But her next words completely defied Mikhail's expectations. "However, I believe Your Highness may have been a bit hasty in your judgment."
"……What?" Mikhail doubted his own ears.
"The goods he brought. Especially the wines infused with opium or cocaine are currently the most fashionable items in Capital high society. It means they have excellent marketability."
"……."
"Moreover, it was a good opportunity to secure a stable supply of items like porcini or morel mushrooms, which would be somewhat difficult for us to independently establish import routes for." Laura continued in an utterly businesslike tone. "As for hashish or tobacco, they might be cultivable here in the Far East Maritime Province if the climate is suitable. But given the nature of the crops, importing them would be far better in terms of quality."
Mikhail was at a loss for words. This was not the Laura who usually represented the voice of common sense. Or perhaps this was the true face of the merchant Laura Valeriano. He let out a disbelieving laugh and turned to Josepina standing nearby.
"Miss Jugashvili."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Do something about that coalition head over there. She's turned into a complete unscrupulous merchant. Isn't that stuff illegal?"
At Mikhail's words, Josepina tilted her head in confusion. Her blue eyes were filled with innocent doubt. "It is legal, though."
"……What?"
"Wines with small amounts of cocaine or opium added are classified as tonics effective for fatigue relief and vitality enhancement under pharmaceutical law. Hashish is also a formally approved sleep aid with mind-calming effects." Josepina continued in a dry voice, as if reading from a legal textbook. "And Lady Laura is a sufficiently conscientious merchant. She had no intention of handling illegal goods and merely made a rational decision to maximize the coalition's profits."
"……." Mikhail could only laugh hollowly. His throat was dry. He felt like chugging some cola. But what he held was black tea, vaguely similar in color to cola. This romance fantasy world was truly damn 'romantic.' But why the hell did they go so crazy over the gacha draws? Drugs are tonics, but gacha is madness that shakes the Empire's foundations. What a joke, seriously.
He deliberately set the cup down with a loud clack. He no longer wanted to discuss the topic. "Forget about that deal. Make sure we never get involved with that merchant group again. Find other suppliers for the mushrooms or whatever."
"But Your Highness…."
"Didn't you hear me?" A chilly aura emanated from Mikhail's voice. "No drugs. Absolutely not." Like the CIA, spreading drugs? And then what, wage a war on drugs like Reagan? "Understood."
In the end, Laura bowed her head first. Josepina quietly nodded as well.
"We're done here, right? I'm leaving. I'm dead tired." Mikhail yawned loudly on purpose and exited the reception room. Laura's voice followed from behind.
"His Highness is truly a difficult person."