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Chapter 79. Determination Of A Girl In The Wilderness

King Pilatus II of the Pilatus Kingdom. King Cobel Pilatus looked down at the beautiful redhead who bowed in front of him with a disdainful gaze. He was convinced that this day had finally come. 

Normally, he would never wake up first thing in the morning, but as usual, he was awakened by the tactless Blow Soar. At first, he showed no sign of listening, still at the peak of his bad mood. 

However, the moment he heard that Cherina Veliero had come to visit, he kicked away the two concubines lying beside him and jumped up, immediately ordering an audience.

But he decided to heed the advice that it would be more dignified to take a bath first. Suppressing his impatience, he had his body washed thoroughly.

The thought of when he should execute Blow, who repeatedly failed to acquire Cherina, vanished in an instant.

After King Pilatus bathed and cleaned himself, despite his annoyance at the maids' slow dressing, when he finally finished preparing, Chancellor Genor Boru approached him.

"Your Majesty, about this audience... there are too many unreadable matters. Can we postpone it to another day?"

"Are you stupid? Cherina, my Cherina, has come for marriage! Why should it be postponed?"

"Well... I've heard they're carrying what seems to be dowry items, but they won't tell the reason for the visit. It could just be a high possibility of negotiations. If that's the case, can't we know the details..."

"Enough! Who brings dowry items to negotiate? Nonsense! Let them through!"

"But!"

"No 'buts'! It's my command!"

"Well... hahaha..."

"Hmph... you're as useless as ever."

"...Your Majesty, but... um..."

"Shut up! Go quickly!"

He threw a nearby vase at the departing chancellor. But it got shattered against the wall.

"Really, nobody has any sense!"

King Pilatus II understood this.

Cherina had noticed her own charm and came to propose to him, infatuated. 

He couldn't see himself objectively. 

He didn't realize that he had no charm at all, neither in appearance nor in character. Even the women he forcibly made concubines were converted in his mind to have fallen for him. 

So when they showed a frightened expression at night, his emotions exploded, and he could only treat them as tools, unable to see how his actions further alienated them. He didn't realize his own contradictions.

But Cherina was different, she always smiled. Unlike other women, she didn't smile with resignation or fear. 

She always offered a flower-like smile, the best woman he could ask for.

They rarely met.

Of course, they rarely met. Even though it was a major trading company, the king rarely had direct meetings. 

That's why the king desired Cherina. He wanted that smile all to himself.

No, in his mind, that smile was meant for him, exclusively.

That's why he wondered why Cherina had never become a concubine or a queen.

So he searched for his own reasons.

Surely because of the trading company, because the trading company was important, she couldn't come. 

It was absurd to think she had something more important than him, but he couldn't completely dismiss it. 

For her, the kingdom itself might be as important as anything else, so he reluctantly accepted it.

The prime minister and the ministers shared the same opinion. 

That's why they took the time to devise a plan to undermine the trading company. 

Otherwise, they wouldn't have spent so much time waiting.

He was at his limit. Dealing with the dead-eyed queens and constantly trembling concubines was exhausting.

He had resorted to coercion once, but for some reason, the kidnapping failed. The deputy general would have to be replaced eventually. 

That's why this time, the king was thinking of using force, even if it meant using the entire army, to obtain Cherina. 

And then, just when the king was thinking of this, Cherina's visit happened.

There was no way the king wouldn't be excited.

And yet, the prime minister and the ministers were getting in the way. It was truly infuriating.

But all that anger disappeared when he saw Cherina waiting calmly in the audience.

At first, she didn't sit in the chair but kneeled and waited.

When the king took his seat on the throne, he ordered the chancellor beside him to let Cherina sit.

And when Cherina lifted her head after bowing, she was like a beautiful flower.

"Oh, my beloved Cherina, I was surprised by your audience!"

Cherina was a flower emitting even more beautiful light than usual. So he was convinced.

"Of course, it must be good news, right?"

The king put on the most refreshing smile.

Cherina slowly opened her mouth. Her lips looked soft.

"Yes. It will surely be good news."

For the first time in his life, King Pilatus felt his heart beating violently. But it wasn't unpleasant. 

It was excitement, not anger, something he had never experienced before. Cherina was special.

"Well then, tell me. I am generous."

"Yes. Then, please allow me to speak with your permission."

What could be so rude? While the king eagerly awaited Cherina's words, the two on either side turned pale.

"In fact..."

"In fact?"

The king cleared his throat.

"I would like Akira-sama to be released."

"...Huh?"

The king's expression twisted like Takuan's.

――――

King Pilatus II couldn't understand the meaning of the words for a while. No matter how he translated it, he couldn't interpret it as "Please marry me."

"Huh...?" He let out a terribly foolish voice. He probably wasn't even aware that he was speaking aloud.

"I have submitted petitions several times, but there has been no response, so please forgive my direct impudence."

King Pilatus II couldn't grasp the meaning of Cherina's words.

"Your Majesty? Can you hear me?"

"Huh, oh? Uh, yes."

Cherina's question was quite rude, but no one reprimanded her. Instead, both the chancellor and the ministers were inwardly troubled.

"Your Majesty, are you aware that Akira-sama is being held captive?"

At this point, Minister Blow Soar noticed that if the king still claimed to be "unaware," it would be better. He tried to advise the king immediately, but it was too late.

"Yes, I know everything."

The king's immediate response made Minister Blou Soar hold his head again.

"Then, could you please reconsider releasing Akira-sama?"

Cherina turned her serious gaze to the king.

(I don't know Cherina's face like that... It's the first time I've seen that face...)

The king glanced at Cherina's face with a hint of fear.

He felt a strong will in her eyes, sincere and earnest, with power in her gaze. A strong woman exuding an aura from her back. She wasn't the fragile and beautiful flower he had imagined before. If he had to compare, she was like a lone rose blooming on a precipice. A red rose, solitary and unapproachable, blooming on the precipitous cliff.

King Pilatus II felt his back grow cold.

"Of course, I won't simply release him. We have prepared ample gratitude. This is the inventory."

Quickly, Melvin took a parchment from his pocket and held it up overhead without looking at it. Minister Blow descended from the dais to retrieve the inventory. Breaking the seal, he read it and widened his eyes in astonishment.

"Is this serious? Veliero..."

"What does it say, Blow?"

Blow handed the inventory to the king and whispered.

"Probably, but if you convert these into money, it would be around 300 million... no, maybe 340 million yen."

"What?!"

The king was speechless. The Pilatus Kingdom was a small country. The current national budget was decreasing every year, around 3 billion. In other words, the amount Cherina presented was more than 10% of the national budget. It was unimaginable. Blow quickly calculated that she had brought more than 70% of the assets other than the land Veliero owned.

The king finally understood that an unusual situation was occurring. His casual feelings about Cherina's marriage proposal were gone.

"Blow, what is this... what's going on?"

"The... merchant may have some connections with the church."

"What do you mean? I'm not listening."

"Yes, it's not confirmed yet, we are still investigating, but it seems he's different from an ordinary merchant."

"Different? What's with that idiotic foreigner? Is he some kind of spy?"

"That possibility can't be ruled out. He's an unknown figure, but honestly, I was relieved when the public execution was decided this time."

"Hmm..."

The king realized then. Blow, who was usually strict about the law, not only didn't complain when he decided on the execution of that black-haired merchant but also supported it, increasing the false charges. He had suspected Akira from the beginning.

"Grr..."

He wanted to shout in anger for a moment, but he was in the middle of an audience. He managed to restrain himself and clicked his tongue.

"Fine. So what should we do?"

"While this amount is tempting... it's advisable to reject it this time."

"Why?"

"Offering such a large sum indicates that he is an important person. Releasing him now would be too dangerous."

"Can't we just take the money?"

"That's impossible."

With a firm denial, the king's expression twisted.

"...Understood. He will be executed. It's a decision."

"That's right."

The king finished his whispered conversation with Blow and turned to face forward. Cherina, who stared back at him expressionlessly, made him frown for a moment.

"...Akira's fate has already been decided. According to the laws of the kingdom, it cannot be changed."

"Even if I ask about his fate?"

"Akira will be publicly executed tomorrow."

"What did you say?!"

Cherina's expression immediately crumbled, and she stood up. T

he guards hidden in the shadows of the pillars appeared, but they stopped moving when the king gestured with one hand. 

No one noticed, but Hagg and Yaralai twitched slightly.

Standing up, trembling, sweat dripping from her face, Cherina looked at the king.

"W-Why would you do that..."

Minister Blow answered her question.

"His crimes include treason, poaching, blasphemy, fraud, illegal entry, illegal trading, and he will be publicly whipped and crucified tomorrow."

"What?!"

Cherina was speechless.

There was a moment of silence.

Suddenly, Cherina sat back down. When she looked up at the king again, her face was strangely smiling.

The king and the chancellor were startled.

At that moment, Cherina realized. Whether it was directed by someone's hand or the king's own will, they wanted to eliminate Akira, even if it meant framing him. 

Maybe Akira had spoken out or been investigated, or his power had been exposed. If so, execution was impossible. 

In that case, there were only two answers: either the decision was made because Akira was considered dangerous or out of the king's jealousy. There was no other explanation.

So Cherina took a gamble.

"King Pilatus, if you could release Akira-sama, I would be willing to..."

Cherina cut her words there.

She gracefully stood up, smiled brightly, and bowed deeply.

"This body is at your disposal in any way you wish. Whether as a wife or a concubine."