Chapter 19: 19

Chapter 19 – Real Negotiations

“Why is everyone like that? Isn’t this good news?”
“What?!”

Charlotte was furious, and the stepmother sighed.

“Wasn’t the breakup what we wanted? We’re returning to normality from strangeness.”

Is his teenage rebellious phase about to begin? Mitch’s eyes were getting slanted.

“Shall I give you more good news? The parliament is about to introduce the ‘Rochester Bill’, which gives commoners the right to vote. The world really is changing. I’m going to run to the streets with my comrades. I’m going to fight. It is impossible to obtain freedom and rights without spilling blood…”
“Oh my God, Mitch…”

The stepmother put her hands together as if praying to the heavens, but the child paid no attention.

“And Emilia. Darrenton Hockney’s grandson goes to my school. You have heard of Hockney, right? The famous Revolutionary Party member.”
“Well, I don’t know who it is, and I don’t really want to hear it.”
“I don’t know how his grandson knew, but he asked me about you. At first, I thought he was going to criticize us like the other jerks, so I told him to get lost. But he went like this. He asked me if you’re living a hard life because you are engaged to such a noble guy against your will. So, I told him everything. How much that Meyer jerk has been harassing you.”

Whether he was aware that his sister’s face was turning pale, Mitch was excited and ran his mouth.

“Whether it was a dinner party or something, he held a strange meeting once a year and called you and then ignored you…”
“Stop.”
“Even if it’s an engagement only in name, that scumbag, without thinking…”
“Stop it, Mitch!”

Emilia ended up raising her voice.
She wasn’t really angry. She understood why Mitch was saying that. But she had to stop the child that was out of control.

“Did you forget what you promised in the carriage a while ago?”

Only then did Mitch seem to come to his senses, saying “Ah…”, while blinking his eyes.

“Let me clearly tell you one thing, don’t make your own judgements. And not too long ago, Mrs. Meyer came to visit. We have agreed to break up the engagement peacefully.”
“What?”

The younger brother opened his eyes wide.

“Contrary to your opinion, I don’t hate Hadius that much. He was engaged to Bianca Reinen when he was young. Maybe they really liked each other.”
“Ha!”

Mitch laughed. However, human emotions are not rational or logical. To some degree, Emilia wasn’t like that either.

“It’s not a relationship that started because we liked each other. Every time I go to the house once a year, it’s a bit… Difficult, but it’s all over now. Again, we promised to break up the engagement peacefully. So please, don’t say anything to Hockney’s grandson. Don’t cause trouble. Do you understand?”

Mitch couldn’t say anything, as if he realized that his sister’s eyes were very firm. The child, who looked at the stepmother and Charlotte alternately, soon nodded, slowly.

***

In the late evening, after washing the dishes and putting Charlotte to sleep, Emilia walked out of the house to find Mitch. As expected, the child was sitting on a swing under a dark tree.

She could tell just by looking at him kicking the ground with his feet. That her younger brother was regretting.

Just before Emilia reached out her arm to the child, a rather small voice was heard first.

“I’m sorry. Emilia.”

Instead of answering, Emilia pushed Mitch’s back lightly.

When did this rascal get so big? Unlike before, the swing barely moved forward.

He had become quite big, but as she looked down at the back of the disheartened child, the anger simply disappeared like snow melting. A smile secretly appeared on Emilia’s mouth.

“What if you’re sorry? Will you do me a favor?”
“Favor?”

Mitch replied, kicking the ground. Emilia pushed the swing at the right time. Suddenly, Mitch’s body, which had cut through the air, went up high and came down again. Emilia waited for the right time and pushed him hard again.

“I have to practice dancing, so play the man’s role for me.”
“Practice dancing?”

Emilia took a moment to catch her breath. She opened her mouth carefully, hoping that the fiery temper that had just subsided would not come back.

“I have to go to that person’s graduation ceremony.”

The child’s back stiffened in an instant. Emilia spoke hurriedly.

“Of course, I won’t go if we break up before that.”

The child’s fist, holding the swing rope, still showed signs of dissatisfaction.

“You shouldn’t be so emotional. You know now, too. In the end, this is also the King’s command. I don’t know what could happen if people like us disobey a royal command.”
“…”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to suffer anymore. Maybe this is just vanity…”

Emilia laughed alone, as if she was embarrassed.

“I want to shine the most there. Beautifully. Dignified and elegant… A splendid person like that.”

Emilia mumbled and pushed the swing hard. The swing Mitch was riding went up quite high.

“So, help me. You know I can’t go to the Cavendish mansion, grab someone and ask them to be a dance practice partner. Let’s go to the boutique together, too. The people who will attend bet their lives on their appearance. I will dress up perfectly, dance perfectly, and give everyone a blow.”

When the swing came down again, Mitch chuckled and spoke.

“As expected, I can’t beat my sister.”

Emilia pushed the child’s back again, with all her might. The swing soared very high, as if touching the moon.

***

A sunny morning. The milky white beam that came in through the gap in the curtain crossed the desk and stopped in front of a sheet of paper.

It was a contract. Stamped with the Trunian royal family’s seal.

He had all three mines in his possession.

It wasn’t easy. He was on the verge of being discovered near the border and surrounded by dozens of rebels armed with guns. If he had taken a bodyguard or attendant with him as other people advised, perhaps his identity would have been discovered and he would have been shot on the spot.

Even after arriving safely at the King’s hideout, things didn’t go smoothly. The negotiations were difficult from the beginning. Even though his life was at stake, the King never opened the door, asking why the successor had come.

The last tug-of-war ensued, and in the end, he was victorious.

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While looking at the contract, Hadius fell into a very strange mood. As if his body was floating with a palpitating heart. His heart, which was rarely shaken, was about to break its shackles and jump out.

“Young Master, the preparations are complete.”

Hadius made up his mind. He shouldn’t let his emotions run wild.

“On the cliffs in Tiso, there is a small mountain cabin by the waterfalls. You can meet His Majesty, the King there.”

Hadius headed straight to Tiso on his horse.

Crossing the steep mountain path alone, without his entourage, was a difficult journey. However, when he was a cadet, he had become accustomed to the drill of riding a horse on bumpy mountain roads. Although there were several difficulties, Hadius was able to reach his destination without much trouble.

The waterfalls were easy to find.

Was it 10 years ago?

A royal hunting competition was held here. Hadius remembered passing the waterfalls, following his father.

He didn’t go to school at that time. It was when he was in the middle of receiving ‘successor education’, under the guidance of a tutor and nanny who visited the mansion.

The daily routine of waking up at dawn and falling asleep again at dawn was sometimes suffocating; but it was something that he had to accept if he was going to inherit the power. Like when the tide rises, it goes down; and when the moon is full, it wanes.

People always pointed at Hadius, who was not even 10 years old, praising him for being born with cool-headedness, precision, and determination. They expected the perfect heir to clear the darkness that came with his father’s illness and continue the fame of his ancestors.

Hadius was never once dissatisfied with his life. Those who reach the top must bear the weight. Even if that means giving up a little bit of one’s pleasure as a normal human being.

He stood next to a large boulder, staring at the flowing stream, for a long time.

After a while, a white horse carrying the King, Josef, appeared in the distance. Josef was completely different from the greedy and simple Trunian King. He was smart enough to be acknowledged by his mother, Caitlyn Meyer. Hadius was more experienced and skilled at negotiations than her.

“Your Majesty, how have you been? Hadius, the eldest son of the Meyer family, greets you.”

He bowed with courtesy.

“Hadius Meyer, how many years has it been? 4 years? It seems like yesterday that I saw you as a jockey at Elfort’s entrance ceremony, but you are already graduating.”

Josef, dressed in an equestrian uniform, got off the horse and opened his arms. The two hugged lightly.

“I wanted to talk leisurely and listen to what you have to say, but as you know, the freedom I have is very limited…”
“It’s the same for me.”

Josef carefully looked around and led Hadius to the small cabin.

The door closed with a thud and the King lit the lamp himself.

“Time is tight, so let’s get to the point.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.”
“Is it true? That you’re giving me one of the Trunia mines?”
“Yes.”

The pitch-black eyes facing Hadius shook greatly.

“And the conditions?”
“I have three.”

The King nodded his head, as if telling him to continue.

Josef suffered a big loss at gambling a few days ago, and because of that, he had to be nagged at by the Minister of Finances.

But that cheeky heir had made a secret offer to give him a gold mine bonanza as a gift, so he was ready to hear not three, but thirty conditions.

“First, please support me in becoming completely independent. As soon as I graduate, I will fight regardless of the means and methods.”
“Fight? With whom?”
“My mother and her allies.”

He pretended to be surprised, but it was the answer Josef had expected.

He was promising since he was young.

Hadius Meyer was only 10 years old and already had the ruler’s eyes on him since the moment he came here with his father. Someone like him cannot tolerate being subordinated.

The foolish Caitlyn Meyer did not see through her son’s nature and meddled in and restricted him by attaching a spy to him. It was a tragedy that was already foreseen since that moment.

“But, no matter if I am the ‘King’, how can I recklessly interfere in your family’s succession process? Your Father is still alive, and your Mother has every right to decide.”
“I don’t mean for Your Majesty to interfere. All the preparations are done by me. Your Majesty just needs to observe and give me a little help when I need it.”
“Don’t tell me… You are trying to murder you Father?”
“No way. I will become the Duke of Meyer by a proper and legitimate process.”

The King asked, “How?”, with a suspicious look.

“I will tell you the plan in detail when the deal is concluded.”

The King rubbed his chin in disbelief. Still, he couldn’t help but ask.

“And the second condition?”
“It’s about my engagement.”
“… Do you want to break it off?”
“Yes.”

As expected. The King rubbed his chin in order to maintain his facial expression.

It will have to be. No matter how unruly the heir is, Van Drake Meyer is still alive, and Caitlyn Meyer holds all the power.

As she owns all the family seals and wealth, as well as business shares, she will not hand anything over to her son until he marries the youngest daughter of the Reinen family. Since she is almost risking her life for her alliance with Reinen.

“Hmm…”

Josef pretended to think about it.

He is still dissatisfied with the Meyer family’s excessive increase in power. However, aren’t politics a repeat of betrayal and compromise?

If, in such confusing times, you cannot make yesterday’s enemy into today’s comrade, it is difficult even for a King to save his own life.

“Alright, it’s not easy to break up this engagement that I notarized myself, but if that’s what you really want…”
“Your Majesty. Please listen until the end.”

Daring to interrupt the King, Hadius’ eyes were shining coldly.

“The third condition.”

When Hadius finished talking a moment later, the King could not hide his embarrassment.

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