Chapter : 110
Ever since he had been captured and thrown into the underground prison, he had been trying desperately to maintain his composure, but his face was now contorted as if he had lost all reason.
“I—!”
Yet his expression and words stubbornly refused to align.
“I fail to see what the Kingdom of Basmah has to do with me. I have lived solely in the Empire since birth.”
Ah, what do you plan to do if you act like this once we leave here?
They won’t even be able to implant anything here.
He ground his teeth audibly, yet continued to chatter as though trying to mask his agitation.
Even:
“To think that trade with the Kingdom of Basmah has resumed… as a true citizen of the Empire, I am most pleased.”
Despite clenching his molars so tightly that the pronunciation of “pleased” was completely mangled.
Well, it didn’t really matter.
Once he faced the king, that bravado would inevitably shatter.
“I’m glad you think so. Mr. Gilad, then I shall see you at the dinner with His Majesty the King of Basmah in three days.”
With that, I gracefully exited the underground prison alongside Duke Lopez.
“What?! Why would you take a criminal like me to such a meaningful occasion as the resumption of trade?!”
A meaningless echo of his voice followed us, but neither Duke Lopez nor I responded.
The dinner with the King of Basmah was held as scheduled, three days later.
“I am truly pleased to be able to meet Your Majesty the King of Basmah like this.”
At the dinner, the Emperor greeted the King of Basmah warmly.
“The pleasure is mutual. It seems that at last, Basmah and the Empire can look beyond the past toward the future.”
The King then extended his greetings to Duke Lopez as well.
“It has been a long time, Duke Lopez.”
“Yes, I never imagined that the last time would be when I hurried back due to the unfortunate events concerning the late Imperial Consort.”
Duke Lopez spoke politely and bowed once to the Emperor and once to the King.
“I apologize for my shortcomings in many matters.”
“Nonsense. Both you and your predecessor warned me many times that no matter how well-intentioned one may be, one cannot change the mind of someone already consumed by prejudice.”
The King of Basmah, slightly embarrassed, had his attendants pour wine for Duke Lopez.
“I should have heeded that advice. If I had, relations between the Empire and Basmah would not have been severed for so long.”
At the King’s words, Duke Jamoti, attending the dinner under the Emperor’s orders, flinched slightly.
‘Impressive that he managed to understand the implication.’
It was a pointed critique of his incompetence.
During the fall of the Basmah Consort, both the king and the citizens were greatly angered.
Nevertheless, because the Lopez family had worked diligently on the aftermath, if only a little more effort had been made, relations could have recovered over time.
But Duke Jamoti…
“Shameful as it is to admit, honestly, there was no legitimate reason to contact the Empire first. And it seemed the Empire paid little attention to our country.”
Indeed, he had made almost no effort to win over their hearts. While records indicate formal requests for audiences were rejected, most were merely procedural.
‘Did they really just keep reporting that the kingdom had its ears closed all this time?’
Even the Emperor, who once favored the Fourth Consort, repeatedly rebuked Duke Jamoti over this matter.
After such scolding, he would show a token effort for a while but quickly reverted to his old ways.
Naturally, the Emperor tried to appoint someone else in charge of diplomacy, but each time, Scaletti Jamoti intervened, prolonging the stalemate.
‘Moreover, whenever such a situation arose, he would cite achievements with other nations to block the Emperor’s orders.’
This was a flaw caused by His Majesty being cowardly yet obsessively valuing justification.
The obstruction of Basmah hindered southern trade, which was a blow to us, but Basmah also suffered, so they must have been pleased as well.
Thanks to Duke Lopez’s careful handling of multiple requests once given authority in diplomacy…
Even if we had secured Gilad Basmah, it would have been difficult to bring the King of Basmah forward without such preparation.
‘Even if I tried to request it myself, Duke Jamoti would have blocked it.’
For them, the trade was of no real benefit, except to the merchant class or the imperial coffers.
Now, however, Duke Jamoti was stuck trying to navigate the situation, barely able to eat half a meal.
The King of Basmah cut a steak and, seeing Duke Jamoti coughing as he choked, glanced at him disdainfully before turning his gaze to the Emperor.
“I am truly grateful that the Empire extended its hand first.”
“You understand your responsibility in this, King of Basmah. And as Duke Lopez must have told you, it’s somewhat embarrassing to claim this success solely for me or Duke Lopez.”
His Majesty the Emperor, unusually modest.
While inwardly scolding, I noticed the King’s gaze shift to me.
It seemed he had been gathering information over the past three days.
“Duke Lopez informed me. I was astonished to hear she is a young lady with only a few years since her debut.”
“I agree. I am often surprised myself. Even this time, she spotted something suspicious during the applicant test.”
“Thank you for your efforts, Count Clupea.”
The King’s direct praise made me bow politely in acknowledgment.
For some reason, the Emperor looked bewildered, but I decided to ignore it and addressed the King of Basmah.
“However, as I conveyed through Duke Lopez, final confirmation is still needed.”
“Yes, she refuses to accept even when presented with clear evidence.”
“Exactly.”
The King sighed deeply at my words.
“Even after all these years, she seems unchanged. I feel as though she need not even take the test.”
He shook his head as if pained, but it was not a refusal.
“All the more reason, then, to show my inadequate younger brother reality, as is fitting for an elder.”
At the King’s words, I signaled, and Gilad Basmah entered, his hands bound with thin chains.
The same person who had urged cooperation at the dinner, promising a gentle demeanor with the Emperor…
Yet as soon as Gilad appeared, the King’s face turned icy.
“To think you would bring a minor offender like me to such a noble gathering… is it you, Assistant Salice?”
Habitually rude toward me, Gilad unusually restrained his tone, but the arrogance in his words remained.
The problem was his overly insolent address to me.
Bang!
Hearing this, the King leapt to his feet, chair toppling backward.
“Still, still! Haven’t you matured at all?!”
He clenched his fists as if about to shout.
“…I do not understand why you speak to me as if you know me, Your Majesty.”
Gilad Basmah still clung to his usual persona.
“I am merely Baron John Sering, who blamed others for my lack of skill and caused a commotion, landing in the underground prison.”
“Do you think I am unaware there is no such baron?”
The King of Basmah was infuriated by his absurd claims.
The rational composure he had moments ago seemed a lie.
So I intervened.
“Your Majesty, there is no need to exert yourself. With this, there is no need for verbal proof.”
I produced a bloodline verification relic, entrusted to me by Wesley Morel.
“Saint Wesley Morel himself made this relic. If a strand of hair from each person binds together, you are blood relatives. If it comes apart, you are unrelated.”
The face of the man known as John Sering stiffened.
He realized there was no verbal escape.
“The saint’s certification is here. If you wish to dispute the result, you may appeal directly to the temple.”
The King nodded approvingly, while Gilad Basmah looked worried, scheming to wriggle out.
So I added a friendly explanation.
“If you are not blood relatives with His Majesty the King of Basmah, we shall apologize respectfully and release you today. Otherwise—.”
Smiling gently, I saw Gilad stiffen like a trained animal.
It seemed he had finally learned: when I smile like this, it means he is about to be thoroughly defeated.
“Then, let us begin.”
At my words, Gilad struggled to prevent even a single strand of hair from being taken.
But it was futile.
Cassian Artez, who had been silently watching, spoke:
“I can cut it for you myself, of course, unless you insist on losing all your hair.”
His calm words sent a chill through Gilad.
The result was as inevitable as expected.
No matter how Wesley had crafted it.
“Brother! It’s MINE! Fighting is bad; it clearly shows who is at fault, so apologize quickly.”
The bloodline detector not only recognized the hair but also the relationship between the two instantly.
It was the first time the relic had ever spoken like that.
Unable to oppose the temple, Gilad Basmah, cornered, turned and shouted desperately:
“Consort! You must protect me! I only did what you instructed all these years ago!”
“Was it not you who proposed the deal to me all those years ago?”
His voice was full of grievance, as though truth itself flowed in it.
