Chapter 98: 89

Ludwig’s Terminal Delusion

“What? Is it such a good place?”

Listening to Mia, the emperor was intrigued, and he leaned slightly forward.

“Yes, it’s a beautiful forest and I thought it was a good place to visit for vacations.”

“I see. If that’s the case …”

Ludwig, at the sidelines, was watching the exchange. He couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

I can’t believe Her Highness is handling it like this.

Certainly, if Mia puts the forest under her direct control, Sealence Forest will be saved. The conflict with the Lulu tribe will also be resolved. But in return, they will earn a grudge from Viscount Berman.

Viscount Bellman is not a very useful person in Ludwig’s view. If anything, he looks like someone that should be avoided. However, he is a noble and he has been entrusted to rule a particular piece of land. The reforms that Mia is trying to do (or which Ludwig believes) will inevitably require the cooperation of many nobles. It has been decided that it is better not to earn unnecessary grudges as much as possible. Any new enemy made is a potential ally lost.

Or maybe Mia decided that the issue with the Lulu tribe is something that should be set right even if it means earning grudges. It would be justice and it would be the right thing to do. It is an act that is commendable for a princess…

But still, I thought that if it was her… she would be able to present a better solution. There should be a way to solve this problem without sacrificing her cause… Or am I too blinded by my devotion to her? Am I making her out to be more than she actually is? Was I wrong to put faith in her potential?

Indeed, Ludwig has gone too far into his own delusions that he is now starting to feel disappointed in his own delusions. He is suffering from a terminal disease of Mia-phrenia. Normal delusions were not enough to satisfy him. He was now putting delusions into his delusions. As a master of self-deception himself, he has masterfully deceived himself.

The good thing about this is that the rose-tinted glasses by which he sees Mia is about to be removed from his eyes. After all, Mia is neither a saint nor a sage. Only a princess. And if anything, a disappointing little princess. The fog from Ludwig’s mind was slowly clearing up. He was just about to reach a truth… but then…

“Then, Viscount Berman, I want you to build a castle for Princess Mia beside that forest… no… not just a castle, but build a town and call it Princess Town.”

The words of the emperor registered into Ludwig’s head stopping him from reaching the truth about the princess. As he thought about the implications of the emperor’s orders…

Of all the things… that’s exactly adding oil to the fire!

Not only was his territory going to be reduced, but he has to build a town and even a castle. This is all from his own resources.

While it is true that if you order Viscount Berman to build it, you will not waste the money of the empire; but that will buy you an extra grudge. As if the man is not upset already, he will be further antagonized!

Ludwig rubbed his temples and let out a quiet sigh. Then he looked at Berman’s face…

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“Oh, oh… Your Majesty, thankful moons… that’s…”

Ludwig is confused. The viscount was clearly trembling… but it wasn’t because of anger… but rather from excitement. In fact, it seems that the viscount is very close to tears!

What in the moons is happening now?

Ludwig desperately racked his brains. He came to a realization that terrified him…

Is that what’s happening? No… no way… but… if that’s so… then, heavenly moons!

If they had been dealing with a merchant, then Mia’s decision would have caused a great deal of ill will. After all, she is using her imperial power to requisition assets. It was an order that he cannot disobey whether he likes it or not.

But this situation is different. Berman is not a merchant. Berman is a noble. And like every noble, he values honor above everything else.

Mia did not want to make Berman an enemy. Instead, Mia has completely grasped the personality of Viscount Berman. She offered him what he wanted the most: honor.

Why did Viscount Berman started making trouble in the first place? It was because he felt slighted that he had to be compared with Outcount Rudolvon. Mia recognized what Berman really was thirsting for. So, she gave him the honor of having a special territory of the princess within his domain. And he gave him the honor of constructing the town and castle for the princess. For the nobles, this was an honor beyond measure. After all, if that forest becomes Mia’s territory, of course, the emperor will have more opportunities to visit his territory. That honor is irreplaceable for the aristocrats.

Am I seeing this right? Did Her Highness just establish a permanent protection without a cost to herself?

In addition, by building the Princess Town beside the forest, she is preparing a way of prosperity for the Lulu tribe. It will serve as an apology to the troubles they encountered lately, but it will be up to them to take advantage of the current situation. Having the Princess Town nearby will make the logistics easier. The flow of goods will surely improve in their lands. But most importantly, Princess Mia was able to earn Berman’s gratitude instead of his ill will.

If it was me, I would dispose Viscount Berman through a political plot. If it was Captain Dion, he would most probably eliminate the Viscount through some bloody means.

However, neither of these options were the best. Nobles or lords are important cogs that keep the empire running smoothly. Even if something goes wrong, it should not be removed suddenly. Doing so will only lead to confusion. No matter how quickly a replacement can be placed, it would create unavoidable harm to the people who lived there. A change of ruler would cast a shadow of uncertainty over the land, damaging productivity and stability.

How can Mia avoid this from happening? It’s easy. Don’t replace the ruler, make him work for her instead.

That’s exactly what she did. She made it look so easy, as if doing it was as easy as saying it.

This is surely not the end of it. There is surely more that she is planning with this move. She’s probably even considering how she can make it up to Outcount Rudolvon as well…

—

 

Sadly, Ludwig’s terminal delusions seem to be proven right. The next week arrived, and so did a letter arrive that totally rob Ludwig from recovering from his terminal delusions. It was a letter for Mia from Tiona, the daughter of Outcount Rudolvon.

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