Chapter 55

"Gunpowder manufacturing method for cannons? You’re really trying to eat it raw, aren’t you!"

The Count of Rubein shouted in an agitated voice. Gunpowder was an asymmetric power that had recently begun to be secretly imported into the Central Continent from the alchemists of the Moorish Empire. The key to stabilizing firearms using gunpowder was crucial, and while no country or mercenary group had yet successfully integrated personal firearms into combat, cannons as siege weapons were often being put to practical use. And the Kingdom of Gallico was widely regarded as the best at it.

"Then, are you offering the position of the first in line to the throne of the Etruscan Kingdom, the spouse of the heir, to the daughter of a mere duke, not the Grand Duchess Susanne?"

This time, the Count of Marquez did not back down.

"I acknowledge that the Kingdom of Gallico has developed remarkably over the past 20 years, but the Kingdom of Gallico is not an empire!"

Having pushed his opponent this far, the Count of Marquez now changed his approach and began to gently soothe the Count of Rubein.

"Twenty years ago, when Queen Marguerite came to marry, she received the Gaeta region as a dowry, and in return, we sent 20,000 ducats as a bride price and lent 80,000 ducats as a loan. Isn’t that what brought about the prosperity of the Kingdom of Gallico today? We can draw a good conclusion by following the good ‘cooperation’ example of our predecessors."

"Good ‘cooperation’ example? Ha!"

The Count of Rubein snorted.

"If the Kingdom of Gallico had any power back then, it wouldn’t have traded the Gaeta region and 100,000 ducats for anything! Trading territory and cash, and at such a low price! Is that even a reasonable amount?"

As a person from Etrusca, where finance was well-developed, he could not agree with the Gallican bumpkin’s view that land was more sacred than money.

"Without those 100,000 ducats, would the Briang dynasty still be on the throne today? The timely provision of that money allowed the Kingdom of Gallico to quell the civil war and maintain the dynasty! What we received as a dowry and returned as a bride price was the ‘lifeline’ of the Briang dynasty, not just simple cash. If you really think that way, Count Rubein, you have no sense of the importance of ‘timing’!"

The arguments from both sides were intense. If they were to declare a breakdown and return home, they would have to make concessions somewhere. The Count of Rubein put forward a compromise.

"You say that Grand Duchess Larissa is still insufficient, not Grand Duchess Susanne. We propose that Grand Duchess Larissa herself visit the Kingdom of Etrusca."

This was an extremely rare case in diplomatic etiquette. Royal family members with succession rights rarely left their kingdom’s borders due to personal safety concerns, and those involved in political marriages chose their spouses based on a single portrait and public reputation. This was true whether the marriage party was the king of Gallico or the prince of Etrusca.

"Actually meet her and see what Grand Duchess Larissa is really like. She’s not the kind of person you think she is."

The Count of Marquez wondered if the Kingdom of Gallico was really confident in the Grand Duchess Larissa card and if they were sending her out because she had no succession rights. Sensing this, the Count of Rubein quickly offered a solution.

"The issue of the Grand Duchess’s status can be resolved by elevating her status. This is the proper course of action. His Majesty Philip IV is considering adopting Grand Duchess Larissa as his own adopted daughter and sending her to Etrusca. This adoption will grant her a succession right equal to that of his own children."

When it came to pushing, one had to push all the way. The Count of Marquez made the most obvious counterargument.

"In that case, Grand Duchess Larissa would be a fifth cousin to Prince Alphonso! This violates the Church’s prohibition on consanguineous marriage."

"They are not really related. This can be resolved with the ‘exceptional decree’ from His Holiness Ludovico."

The density of the negotiations remained tight, and the atmosphere was rough. The Count of Marquez took a gulp of water. It had been a long time, and it was already late afternoon, or rather, early evening.

"Of course, I cannot decide this on my own. Since all the topics for today have been discussed, I will report to my superiors and we can discuss again."

"I agree. The next meeting will be held according to the previously agreed schedule."

The representatives of both countries wiped their sweaty foreheads with the wet towels provided by the attendants and left their tents. It was time to hear the real decision-makers’ intentions.

* * *

"Oh, this isn’t good. The sun is setting faster than I thought."

Cesare and Ariadne were finally finding their way back, with Ariadne riding the horse and Cesare leading it on foot.

"We’ve been walking south for a while, and the forest is getting denser."

"We should have met other participants in the hunt."

The hunt was a one-day event, and they were only prepared for a day trip. They had no equipment for camping or spending the night in the forest.

"Hey, can you hear the sound of water?"

Hearing Ariadne, Cesare listened quietly.

"You’re right. There must be a stream."

He led the horse in the direction of the water.

"Let’s go that way."

As they moved, he began to grumble.

"Seriously, how could Lady de Mare make the man who saved her and got injured pull the reins like a beast while she rides the horse like a coward?"

He exaggeratedly shook his left arm, saying it hurt, and then really winced.

"Then I’ll get down! You ride! You forced me to get on in the first place!"

"How can a gentleman let a lady walk and ride the horse himself? Just sit quietly in front of me. Ugh, you’re so picky."

Cesare’s grumbling seemed endless.

"Why didn’t you accept the saddle I sent? If you had used the saddle I sent, the stirrup would have been open, and your foot wouldn’t have gotten stuck."

Cesare was a master of horsemanship and had a hobby of modifying saddles and bridles to his liking.

"Was there such a feature?"

"You didn’t even open it."

He continued to grumble.

"And, hey? Why did you provoke your cousin and end up like this? If I, Count Cesare, hadn’t saved you, it would have been a disaster."

Ariadne was already annoyed by his grumbling, and with this, she decided to consider the debt of gratitude for his help, which had left him with a broken arm, as paid off.

"Then are you telling me to just listen to that and do nothing?"

Ariadne’s sharp rebuke made Cesare chuckle.

"Your temper. You should have stabbed that guy in the ass with a knife first."

He pulled the reins and looked up at Ariadne.

"You almost got into big trouble because of that fight."

Cesare added.

"If there’s a problem, come to me, Count Cesare. I’ll show up and take care of everything."

Ariadne smiled bitterly. In my past life, I saw you dozens, hundreds of times.

"Liar. You’re not that kind of person."

In response to Ariadne, Cesare exaggeratedly feigned surprise.

"How did you know I’m a liar?"

He walked while holding the reins, staying as close as possible to Ariadne, who was on the saddle. His horse was a particularly tall stallion, so his face only reached up to her thighs. It felt as if his breath was touching her thighs.

"Miss, aren’t you actually more interested in me than anyone else? I even knew you were carrying a club."

Ariadne took a deep breath. Cesare had hit the nail on the head.

Yes, I’m more interested in you than anyone else. I know everything about you. I watched your every move for 14 years. I just watched. I won’t live like that anymore.

"That’s not true. Leave me alone."

"Wow, cold."

Despite his best efforts to break down her defenses, Cesare clicked his tongue at Ariadne’s impenetrable wall.

"Do you know that you’re the only one who treats me like this in San Carlo?"

"I’m just not part of the trend."

Faced with Ariadne’s stiff attitude, Cesare gave up and started talking about himself.

"I came here today to catch the ‘Golden Deer.’ If I catch it, the hunting contest is mine!"

Ah, the ‘Golden Deer.’ The ‘Golden Deer’ that Cesare had been talking about in his letters. The story of the ‘Golden Deer’ was well-known, separate from Cesare’s obsession. It was a legend passed down in the Orte Forest. The ‘Golden Deer’ lived in the Orte Forest, drinking from the fountain of eternal life, and it is said that it brought an olive branch to the first king of the Etruscan Kingdom, Justino I, when the kingdom was founded. Bathing in the water of the fountain of eternal life would give one an irresistible charm, and catching the ‘Golden Deer’ would lead to the throne. If one was not in line for the throne, it would bring success in life. Of course, since the Orte Forest is located north of the capital and is a place where many people come and go, if there were a real fountain of eternal life, it would have already been connected to the San Carlo palace. Ariadne thought the story of the ‘Golden Deer’ was just a legend. However, in her past life, Cesare claimed he had seen the ‘Golden Deer’ in the Orte Forest as a child and that his good