I Won’t Pick Up The T*ash I Threw Away Again - Chapter 83
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
#83
On the way back to her room after finishing the meal.
Baron Azef asked Diane.
“Is that princess the one you said was bothering you?”
Diane nodded her head instead of answering.
Baron Azef stroked his chin.
“Hmm, she didn’t seem that way to me.”
“You have no eye for these things, Uncle.”
“This brat and the things she says.”
Baron Azef clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“But if she bothers you so much, why did you ask that princess if she’d attend the conference? It would be more advantageous for us if she didn’t participate.”
“That wouldn’t be any fun.”
Having arrived in front of her room, Diane turned around with a mischievous smile.
“I’ve prepared so much for this, so it would be boring if it were one-sided. Isn’t it better to have at least one obstacle?”
“Just an obstacle, you think.”
“For now.”
Diane continued as she opened her door.
“Whether she’ll remain just an obstacle, or become a massive boulder blocking my path, we’ll have to wait and see tomorrow.”
* * *
According to the schedule, the conference was set for this coming Wednesday at 2 PM.
However, since Viscount Valdir might pull some strange trick again, I constantly checked the schedule.
While doing so, I also steadily prepared to attend the conference.
I organized the materials I had and made plans.
I wasn’t sure about the others, but Diane was definitely not someone to be taken lightly.
‘I need to plan thoroughly.’
If I showed even the slightest gap, she’d immediately pounce on it.
I considered various scenarios while reviewing and revising my plans.
With the finalized plan in hand, I went to find the butler of the Hutton Viscount Family.
“Could I use a magic messenger bird?”
“What do you need it for, Miss?”
“I’d like to contact His Majesty the Emperor.”
“I’ll need to ask the master, so could you wait in your room?”
“Of course.”
How long did I wait after returning to my room?
The butler came with a magic messenger bird.
“Many people have been using it, so there isn’t much mana charged. The mage said you could use it for about 10 minutes.”
Ten minutes was a bit tight, but it couldn’t be helped.
I nodded and took the messenger bird.
“Thank you.”
“When you’re finished, please return it to me through a maid.”
“I will.”
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
The butler bowed politely and withdrew. I placed the messenger bird on the table and wound the spring.
The bird’s yellow beak moved up and down as it spoke.
[This is the Imperial Communication Department. Please state your identity and affiliation.]
“This is Leilah Tebesa, serving as advisor to His Majesty the Emperor. I would like to contact His Majesty.”
[We will verify your identity and contact you again.]
The voice disappeared and the spring stopped. While waiting, I was checking my plans when the messenger bird flapped its wings.
It meant contact had come from the Imperial Palace.
When I wound the spring again, the beak moved.
[Leilah.]
“…Your Majesty?”
I naturally thought the Imperial Communication Department would contact me, but it was Kalian.
Startled, I called out to him, and Kalian chuckled softly.
[You contacted me first, so why are you the one who’s flustered?]
“I didn’t expect Your Majesty to contact me back directly…”
[It just worked out that way. So what’s the matter? From your voice, it doesn’t seem like anything bad happened.]
“Does it show?”
[Very much.]
Really? I thought I was speaking the same as usual.
“I contacted you because there’s something I wanted to ask Your Majesty.”
[What is it?]
“It’s about this conference.”
If I had more time, I would have explained everything step by step before asking, but I didn’t have that luxury.
In my urgency, I asked whatever came to mind.
“How far can I act on my own discretion?”
A moment of silence passed. Belatedly realizing I had said something strange, I hurriedly tried to recover.
“I apologize, Your Majesty. That’s not what I meant to ask, it’s just…”
[Anything.]
Kalian cut off my words with his answer.
His voice didn’t sound angry. Rather, it seemed like he was smiling.
[As long as you’re not selling out the country, you can do anything. Right now, you are my representative.]
* * *
The long-awaited day of the conference.
I was so nervous that not only did I lose sleep, but I also skipped lunch.
After confirming once more that the conference was scheduled for 2 PM as planned, I entered the conference room 10 minutes early.
I thought I was fairly early, but people were already seated in the conference room.
There were three empty seats.
The seats for Viscount Valdir and Baron Azef, and my seat as the Emperor’s representative.
Whether what I said at the dinner two days ago had worked properly, my seat was right next to Viscount Valdir’s.
When I sat in that seat, the Empire’s nobles stared at me intently. Their gazes were uniformly disapproving.
The foreign nobles were indifferent, but the Empire’s nobles, who were supposedly on the same side, were acting like this, making me want to laugh bitterly.
It felt like the number of enemies I had to deal with had doubled.
Surely they wouldn’t pick a fight saying it was absolutely unacceptable, even if what I did benefited the Empire.
“You came.”
Diane, sitting across from me, smiled and greeted me.
“Of course. It’s a place I naturally had to come to.”
The smile on Diane’s lips deepened. However, her gaze toward me flashed sharply, different from before.
“Then please take care of me today.”
It meant she wouldn’t go easy on me and would attack mercilessly.
“I look forward to working with you too.”
That was exactly what I had hoped for. That way, I could comfortably counter their attacks and launch counteroffensives.
Shortly after, Viscount Valdir and Baron Azef entered, and the conference began.
Initially, Viscount Valdir stepped forward to express regret and apologize for the damage the Empire had caused to the Kingdom of Natsha.
While subtly presenting the compensation amount set by the Empire, Baron Azef immediately objected.
“The only compensation our kingdom desires is the territorial rights to Kan.”
Baron Azef’s bold demand caused Viscount Valdir’s expression to subtly contort.
The expressions of the other nobles weren’t good either.
At this, Diane smiled and said.
“I hope you won’t think too poorly of us for demanding the territorial rights to Kan. We’re simply trying to reclaim our own land.”
“Are you saying that Kan is territory of the Natsha Kingdom?”
“Yes.”
At Diane’s answer, the Empire’s nobles began to murmur.
Marquis Malpen asked Diane.
“On what grounds do you make such a claim?”
“As everyone knows, the ancestor of our Natsha Kingdom is the Randel Union.”
The Natsha Kingdom was a country composed of seven islands that was called the Randel Union about 700 years ago.
Then the leaders of each island joined forces to establish a kingdom, which became the current Natsha Kingdom.
“At that time, Kan belonged to the Randel Union. This is the evidence.”
What Diane presented was an old document.
The document contained content stating that 700 years ago, Kan belonged to the Randel Union, along with what was presumed to be the seal of the person who was the leader of Kan at that time.
“Is there proof that this document is genuine?”
When Marquis Malpen asked cautiously, Diane immediately responded.
“Let me ask in return. Is there evidence that this document is fake?”
Since there obviously wasn’t any, Marquis Malpen closed his mouth.
Diane attacked immediately without rest.
“And the Cardin Empire must also know why Kan, which belonged to the Randel Union, was transferred to the Empire.”
Of course they knew. It was a fact anyone could learn with just a little investigation into Kan.
While the leader who ruled Kan at the time was bedridden with a serious illness, his uncle arbitrarily sold Kan to the Empire and took his share.
However, at that time Kan was too far for the Empire to manage directly.
It took a full five days by ship to get there from Hutton, the closest city to Kan.
In contrast, it only took three days from the Natsha Kingdom.
Moreover, even if the Empire possessed Kan, there wasn’t much to gain from Kan other than expanding territorial waters.
As a result, the Empire didn’t properly manage Kan, and because of this, Kan became a pirate den.
When disputes arose between nations due to this, the Empire belatedly tried to deploy the navy to Kan to resolve the situation, but it was already too late.
There would certainly be many casualties in eliminating the pirates.
But it was too valuable to hand over to another country – in short, Kan was like meat that’s hard to swallow but too good to spit out.
Diane exploited this point and appealed that it would be better for the Natsha Kingdom to manage Kan.
The Empire’s nobles began to waver at Diane’s eloquent rhetoric.
“May I ask why the Natsha Kingdom so desperately wants the territorial rights to Kan?”
Viscount Valdir, who was barely holding onto his reason, asked.
“The people currently living in Kan are descendants of the Randel Union, sharing the same ancestors as our Natsha Kingdom.”
Diane’s sharp eyes curved slightly with sadness.
“However, His Majesty our King feels very sorry that the residents of Kan are not receiving proper protection and are suffering at the hands of pirates.”
Evoking sympathy? It wasn’t a bad strategy.
Baron Azef joined in to drive the point home.
“Therefore, our kingdom has decided that it would be good to reclaim Kan at this opportunity, even if we must bear losses.”
Them bearing losses meant profit for this side.
Since it was said to benefit the Empire, the nobles wavered greatly once again.
Even Viscount Valdir, who had been barely holding onto his reason, seemed to have been won over by the Natsha Kingdom’s brilliant rhetoric.
It wasn’t unreasonable. Their story was perfect, after all.
…At least on the surface.
“In any case, we understand that the Cardin Empire currently lacks the capacity to manage Kan.”
As if not wanting to give our side time to think, Diane poured out words like rapid fire.
“So we believe it would be good for both the Empire and the Natsha Kingdom if we took over and managed it. Don’t you think so?”
Viscount Valdir thought for a moment, then nodded.
“We will accept the kingdom’s opinion…”
“We cannot hand over the territorial rights to Kan.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
