I bought the villains with money — Chapter 25

THIS IS...!

THE TWILIGHT MANSION...

I TOLD YOU IT WAS SOMETHING PRECIOUS TO YOU, YOUR HIGHNESS.

THAT'S WHY I REALLY WANTED TO GIVE IT TO YOU AS A GIFT.

I USED TO... READ BOOKS HERE WITH MY MOTHER QUITE OFTEN.

DIANA, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I WON'T... FORGET THIS KINDNESS.

DON'T MENTION IT, YOUR HIGHNESS.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT IN THE FUTURE, JUST SAY THE WORD.

I'LL PROVIDE EVERYTHING FOR YOU.

YOUR MAJESTY, I AM REPORTING A MOVEMENT THAT MAY CONCERN YOU.

INTELLIGENCE HAS COME IN THAT A GUILD WITHIN THE KINGDOM IS SWEEPING UP ALL THE TIMBER.

TIMBER...?

COULD THEY BE BUYING UP TIMBER IN ANTICIPATION OF A NAVAL WAR?

THAT WOULD MEAN SOMEONE ELSE HAS READ THE BOARD...

ALSO, A RUMOR IS SPREADING WITHIN THE KINGDOM THAT "THE KINGDOM OF BROOKE WILL SOON START A WAR,"

AND THE SOURCE OF THAT RUMOR IS SAID TO BE LADY DIANA.

WHAT?

HOWEVER, SINCE THE SUBJECT OF THE RUMOR IS A YOUNG LADY, FORTUNATELY, IT SEEMS ALMOST NO ONE BELIEVES IT.

PERHAPS THAT TIMBER...

WAS BOUGHT BY LADY DIANA.

TO OTHER NOBLES, SHE MUST LOOK LIKE A SPOILED CHILD WASTING MONEY.

BECAUSE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WAR IS STILL INTELLIGENCE HELD ONLY BY ME.

SHE SAID SHE WOULD PROVE HERSELF... SHE WASN'T JUST TALKING.

KARL, SUMMON LADY DIANA TO MY OFFICE.

I BELIEVE I HAVE SOMETHING TO HEAR FROM THE YOUNG LADY.

I GREET THE RADIANT LIGHT OF THE KINGDOM, HIS MAJESTY THE KING.

YES, I HAVE HEARD OF THE AUDACIOUS SCHEME THE YOUNG LADY IS PLOTTING.

I HEAR YOU ARE BUYING UP THE KINGDOM'S TIMBER.

YES, THAT IS CORRECT.

AS EXPECTED OF HIS MAJESTY KARMAN. HE'S QUICK WITH THE NEWS.

TO THINK HE EVEN NOTICED THAT I HAVE AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE.

WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU INTEND TO DO WITH THE TIMBER YOU BOUGHT?

I INTEND TO SELL IT TO YOUR MAJESTY.

IF YOUR MAJESTY REFUSES,

I WILL HAND IT OVER TO THE KINGDOM OF BROOKE, WHICH IS PREPARING FOR A NAVAL WAR.

SHE'S CLEVER, BUT THAT ALONE ISN'T ENOUGH.

HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE THE KINGDOM OF BROOKE IS PREPARING FOR A NAVAL WAR?

THE KINGDOM OF BROOKE HAS LONG BEEN DISSATISFIED WITH TRADE PASSING THROUGH THE KINGDOM OF DONETTE.

KINGDOM OF BROOKE

KINGDOM OF DONETTE

RECENTLY, AS THE KINGDOM OF DONETTE RAISED PORT USAGE FEES, THAT DISSATISFACTION GREW EVEN GREATER.

IN SUCH A SITUATION, THE KINGDOM OF BROOKE IS BUYING UP TIMBER FROM NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES TO BUILD WARSHIPS...?

ISN'T THE INTENTION TO START A WAR OBVIOUS?

IT'S NOT JUST A SIMPLE HUNCH, IT'S A DEDUCTION WITH SOLID EVIDENCE.

HMM...

VERY WELL, IF IT'S AS THE YOUNG LADY SAYS, I MUST BUY THE TIMBER.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU THINKING?

I DON'T NEED MONEY. WHAT I WANTED WAS ONLY ONE THING FROM THE START.

MARRIAGE TO CASION.

IF YOU THINK THIS IS INSUFFICIENT TO PROVE MY ABILITY,

I SHALL PLAY ONE MORE CARD I HAVE.

AND WHAT IS THAT?

IT IS A MOTION SICKNESS MEDICINE DEVELOPED BY THE EXCLUSIVE DOCTOR OF EHRENBERG.

WHEN WAR BREAKS OUT, YOUNG MEN WHO HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN NEAR A SHIP WILL POUR INTO THE SEA.

IF WE PREEMPTIVELY SECURE AND EXPORT THIS MEDICINE, WE CAN REAP ENORMOUS PROFITS.

EVEN IF WE DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE WAR,

WITH JUST THIS MOTION SICKNESS MEDICINE AND THE TIMBER, WE CAN TAKE SPOILS NO LESS THAN THOSE OF A VICTORIOUS NATION.

...YOU'VE COME VERY THOROUGHLY PREPARED.

THEN, WILL YOU... RECOGNIZE OUR MARRIAGE?

LADY DIANA, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE AN EXCELLENT CANDIDATE FOR HEAD OF HOUSE.

IT MUST BE THANKS TO THE LATE DUKE EHRENBERG TEACHING YOU WELL.

NOW, AS THE CURRENT KING, I MUST ASK AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.

YOU CHOSE CASION AS YOUR SPOUSE INSTEAD OF DEISON.

DO YOU SEE SOME SPECIAL QUALITY IN CASION THAT I AM UNAWARE OF?

CURRENTLY, QUEEN QUEEN'S INFLUENCE IN THE ROYAL COURT IS STRONG.

EVEN IF KING KARMAN WANTS TO PUSH CASION AS THE SUCCESSOR, WITHOUT A PROPER JUSTIFICATION, IT WILL BE REJECTED BY THE QUEEN.

THAT'S WHY HE'S ASKING ME WHAT THE CLEAR JUSTIFICATION FOR SUPPORTING CASION IS.

SOON, SOMEONE WILL ARRIVE TO PROVE PRINCE CASION'S QUALITIES.

PLEASE DECIDE ON THE MARRIAGE AFTER MEETING THEM AND HEARING THEIR STORY.

ARE YOU OKAY WITH TAKING MORE TIME?

I HEARD THERE ISN'T MUCH TIME LEFT UNTIL THE DECISION DATE FOR THE EHRENBERG SUCCESSOR.

MY HONEST HEART WANTS TO GET PERMISSION RIGHT NOW, BUT...

I WANT TO SECURE HIS MAJESTY'S FIRM SUPPORT. THERE'S STILL TIME UNTIL THE FAMILY COUNCIL.

I ASK FOR A DECISION BEFORE THEN.

...I UNDERSTAND, YOUNG LADY.

I SHALL GIVE IT DEEP THOUGHT.

YOUR MAJESTY, YOU HAVE A VISITOR.

DID I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY?

THERE WAS NO APPOINTMENT FOR AN AUDIENCE, BUT...

KING KARMAN.

WHY DIDN'T YOU INFORM ME THAT CASION HAS THE QUALITIES OF A MAGE?

QUALITIES OF A MAGE? CASION?

WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

?

YOU DIDN'T KNOW AT ALL UNTIL NOW? YOUR HIGHNESS IS REALLY TOO MUCH.

WELL, WHATEVER. I, GADRIAN, INTEND TO BECOME CASION'S MASTER.

PLEASE PREPARE A RESIDENCE IN THE ROYAL PALACE FOR ME.

WHY DIDN'T YOU INFORM ME THAT CASION HAS THE QUALITIES OF A MAGE?

WHAT DO YOU FIND SO FUNNY?

TO THINK I KNEW SO LITTLE ABOUT MY OWN CHILD... I'M JUST APPALLED AT MYSELF.

VERY WELL, YOU SHALL STAY IN THE ROYAL PALACE. AS PETRORA, WE HAVE NO REASON TO REFUSE.

THAT ASIDE, EXACTLY WHAT ARE THESE QUALITIES OF A MAGE THAT CASION HAS...

PLEASE TELL ME IN DETAIL.