Chapter 82

King Cobal Pilatus II of the Kingdom of Pilatus was looking down at the beautiful red-haired woman who bowed before him, her gaze already lewd.

The king was convinced that this day had finally come.

Usually, he would never wake up so early in the morning, but he was rudely awakened by Blau Soar, who, as always, was oblivious to the situation. At first, the king was in a terrible mood and showed no intention of listening to anything, but the moment he heard that Chelina Veriello had come to visit, he kicked the two concubines lying next to him out of bed, jumped up, and immediately ordered an audience.

However, he decided to take Blau's advice to maintain his dignity by bathing first. Suppressing his impatience, he had his body thoroughly washed.

The thought of when to behead Blau, who had repeatedly failed to secure Chelina, had vanished in an instant.

The king bathed, cleansed his body, and, despite being irritated by the slow dressing by the maids, finally finished preparing. Then, Prime Minister Geno Borro approached him.

"Your Majesty, regarding this audience... There are too many uncertainties. Can it be rescheduled for another day?"

"Are you an idiot? Chelina, my beloved, has come for a marriage proposal. Why would it need to be rescheduled?"

"W-well, I've heard that she brought what looks like a dowry, but she refuses to explain the reason for her visit. It could very well be a mere business negotiation, and in that case, it would be best to know the content of the negotiation..."

"Enough! Be quiet! Who brings a dowry for a business negotiation? It doesn't matter! Let her in!"

"But—"

"There's no such thing as 'but'! It's my command!"

"H-h-ha... ha..."

"Hmph... You're as useless as ever..."

"Y-Your Majesty, even so... it is..."

"Enough! Get out! Quickly!"

He threw a nearby vase at the fleeing prime minister, but it shattered against the wall the next day.

"Really, no one has any sense!"

King Pilatus II understood it this way:

Chelina had realized his charm and come to propose marriage, completely smitten.

He couldn't see himself objectively. He was completely unaware that he was a man with no charm in appearance or character.

Even the women he had forcibly made his concubines were, in his mind, women who had fallen in love with him.

This is why, when they showed him a frightened expression at night, his emotions would explode in contradiction, and he would treat them only as objects. He never realized that his actions were further alienating their hearts. He was unaware that he was a contradiction himself.

But Chelina was different. She always smiled. Unlike the other women, who were like pigs, she never showed a bitter smile or a frightened face. She always greeted him with a flower-like smile, the best of all women.

Their meetings were rare.

Of course, even for a major trading company, it was unusual for the king to meet directly. That's why the king desired Chelina. He wanted to make that smile his own.

In his mind, that smile was directed at him, and he believed it without a doubt.

That's why he found it strange that she had never become his concubine or queen.

So he searched for a reason.

It must be because of the trading company. She must value the company more than anything. While it made him furious, he could somewhat understand. It must be as important to her as the kingdom is to him, he forced himself to believe.

This was the same opinion of the prime minister and the ministers. That's why they had devised a plan to bring down the company over time. Otherwise, they wouldn't have waited so long.

He had reached his limit. Dealing with the dead-eyed queens and the constantly trembling concubines in bed was unbearable.

He had once chosen a more aggressive approach, but the kidnapping had failed for some reason. The deputy general would have to be replaced eventually. That's why, just as he was considering a more forceful approach, even using the entire army to secure Chelina, she came to visit.

There was no way the king wouldn't be excited.

Yet the prime minister and the ministers were getting in the way. It was truly infuriating.

But such anger vanished the moment he saw Chelina waiting coolly in the audience chamber.

At first, she was kneeling on one knee, not even sitting in a chair.

The king, seated on his throne, ordered the prime minister to have Chelina sit.

When Chelina raised her head after bowing, she was as beautiful as a flower.

"Oh, my beloved Chelina, I am surprised by your audience!"

Chelina was a flower that shone more beautifully than ever. So he was certain.

"Of course, it must be good news, right?"

The king showed his most radiant smile.

Chelina slowly opened her mouth. Her lips looked soft.

"Yes, I believe it will be good news."

For the first time in his life, the king felt his heart beat intensely. But it wasn't unpleasant. It was the first time he experienced excitement rather than anger. Chelina was special.

"Hmm. Speak, I am generous."

"Yes, I will speak, with your permission."

What could be so impolite? As the king awaited Chelina's words, the two men on either side turned pale.

"Actually..."

"Actually?"

The king cleared his throat.

"I would like you to release Lord Akira."

"...What?"

The king's expression twisted like a pickled radish.

---

King Pilatus II couldn't understand the meaning of the words.

No matter how he interpreted them, they didn't mean "Please marry me."

"Huh... What?"

He let out a very foolish sound, not even aware that he was making it.

"I have submitted several petitions, but received no response. Please forgive my impertinence in coming directly."

King Pilatus II couldn't understand the meaning of Chelina's words.

"...Your Majesty? Can you hear me?"

"Huh, oh? U-um, yes."

Chelina's question was quite impolite, but no one reprimanded her. Instead, the prime minister and the ministers were inwardly holding their heads.

"Does His Majesty know that Lord Akira is being held captive?"

Here, Minister Blau Soar realized that if the king said "I don't know," it would still be in time. He tried to advise the king immediately, but it was too late.

"Of course, there is nothing I don't know."

The king's immediate response made Blau hold his head again.

"Then, may I formally request the release of Lord Akira?"

Chelina looked at the king with a serious face.

(I have never seen Chelina with such a face... It's a new face...)

The king looked at Chelina's face with a hint of fear.

She was sincere, serious, and her eyes held a strong will. She exuded an aura that seemed to overflow from her back. She was not the fragile, beautiful flower he had always imagined. If anything, she was a solitary rose blooming on a cliff, a red rose that no one could touch, blooming alone.

King Pilatus II felt a chill run down his back.

"Of course, I am not asking for his release without compensation. I have prepared a generous reward. This is the list."

Merwin quickly took out a piece of parchment from his pocket and held it above his head, face down. Minister Blau descended from the dais, took the list, broke the wax seal, read it, and his eyes widened in shock.

"Are you serious? Veriello..."

"What does it say? Blau."

Blau handed the list to the king and whispered in his ear.

"Probably, if we convert these to money, it would be around 300 million... no, 340 million yen."

"What?!"

The king was speechless. The Kingdom of Pilatus was a small country. The current national budget was around 300 million yen, and it was decreasing every year. The amount Chelina offered was more than 10% of the national budget. It was impossible not to be speechless. Blau immediately calculated that it was probably more than 70% of Veriello's assets, excluding land.

The king finally realized that something extraordinary was happening. The idea that Chelina had come for a marriage proposal was gone.

"Blau, what is this...? Isn't Akira just a merchant?"

"Technically, he is a merchant, but it's unclear if he's just that. He may also have connections with the church."

"What? I haven't heard anything about that!"

"Yes, it's not confirmed yet, so we were investigating. But he doesn't seem to be a typical merchant."

"Different? What about that foreigner with the idiotic face? Is he a spy?"

"That's a possibility. He was a mysterious figure, but I was relieved when the public execution was decided."

"Hmm..."

The king realized something. Blau, who was usually strict about the law, not only didn't object to the execution of the black-haired merchant but also added more charges to the indictment. He had suspected Akira from the beginning.

"Grr..."

He wanted to yell in anger but suppressed it, as it was during the audience. He gritted his teeth.

"Fine. What should I do?"

"The amount is tempting, but I think it's best to refuse this time."

"Why?"

"The amount offered speaks to his importance. Releasing him now would be too dangerous."

"Can't we just take the money?"

"That's not possible."

The king's expression twisted at the firm response.

"...Understood. The man will be executed. It's a done deal."

"That's correct."

The king ended his whispered conversation with Blau and turned to face Chelina. He frowned at her for a moment as she stared at him with a straight back and a blank expression.

"...The treatment of Akira has already been decided. It cannot be changed according to the laws of the kingdom."

"May I hear the details of his treatment?"

"Akira will be publicly executed tomorrow."

"What?!"

Chelina's expression crumpled, and she stood up. The guards, who had been hiding in the shadows, appeared but stopped at the king's gesture. Unnoticed by everyone, Hagg and Yarrai's bodies twitched.

Standing, trembling, and sweating profusely, Chelina asked:

"Why... why such a thing..."

Blau answered her question.

"His crimes are treason, poaching, disrespect, fraud, illegal entry, and illegal trade. He will be publicly whipped and crucified tomorrow."

"What?!"

Chelina was speechless.

A moment of silence followed.

Suddenly, Chelina sat back down. The face she raised to the king was, strangely, quite cheerful.

The king and the prime minister were taken aback.

At that moment, Chelina had realized something. Whether by someone's guidance or the king's will, they wanted to eliminate Akira, even if it meant framing him. Perhaps Akira had talked, or his power had been discovered. No, if that were the case, execution would be impossible. So, there were only two possibilities: they judged Akira to be a dangerous person, or it was the king's jealousy. There was no other explanation.

So, Chelina took a gamble.

"Your Majesty, I don't know what misunderstanding there is, but if you will release Lord Akira..."

She paused.

Elegantly standing, with the best smile, she made the deepest bow.

"I will do as you wish. Use me as a wife or a concubine, as you please."

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