for the Taking
"When one empire sickens, another man's ambition begins to breathe."
After the ceremony, when Sissair moved to guide the Katzen delegation, the Prince Regent hurriedly stepped in front of him.
"Allow me to attend personally to our distinguished guests from the Empire. This way, Your Highnesses."
It was his first opportunity to impress the Katzen nobility. The Prince Regent had no intention of conceding such a crucial role to a pale, untested youth.
"Your Royal Highness, you must have endured great hardship to bring your precious personage all the way to rugged Valdina."
"Over there is the main palace where Your Highness will reside. It is the largest and finest among all guest residences in Valdina's royal compound—"
"Hardly. It's smaller than the annex of my own palace."
The Princess's tone dripped with disdain, clearly attempting to recover pride crumpled only moments ago.
The Prince Regent, however, accepted her slight with a gracious smile, showing no hint of displeasure.
"Naturally, our circumstances in Valdina are modest. We cannot compare to Katzen, so richly blessed with gold and jewels."
He looked every bit the leech clinging to power. Valdinian subjects shook their heads in unison.
The Prince Regent's groveling… doesn't he look more like a servant than a sovereign?
However small Valdina might be, in a thousand years of history it had never once become Katzen's vassal.
Not once.
The Prince Regent never realized that his obsequious display was, in fact, stirring Valdina's dormant patriotism.
"What are you thinking, Your Highness?"
Medea watched the delegation's retreating backs in silence before answering.
"Only... wondering when they'll be leaving."
"Exactly. I wish they would depart quickly as well. To be so arrogant on the very first day…"
Saya exhaled heavily. The Katzen nobles, who behaved as though they feared nothing and no one even in the slums, had already worn out her patience.
"Don't worry."
They won't be leaving as quietly as they came.
In the classically appointed residence assigned to the Katzen delegation, Jason stood by the window, gazing into the gathering dark.
Only two people occupied the spacious salon—Jason and his closest aide.
The Grand Duke's red eyes lingered on the night-darkened glass for a long time.
"I never heard that Valdina's Princess was so beautiful. You'd be hard-pressed to find such a woman even in Katzen."
Even Jason agreed with Jared on that point.
Beautiful women rarely possessed spine, and women with spine were rarely beautiful.
"Grand Duke, I look forward to our time here. You've finally met your match."
Jason's lips twitched at the memory of Jared's lascivious gaze, following the Princess and giggling to himself.
How dare that brute set his sights on her?
During the welcome ceremony, Jason himself had been startled when Medea's true identity was revealed.
The girl whose image refused to leave his mind turned out to be the Princess of Valdina.
Is this not a revelation from God to me?
His heart pounded heavily.
Valdina might be small compared to the Empire, but it was renowned for its warriors.
In particular, the King's personal guard—Agema—was famous for overwhelming military prowess. If they stood behind him…
"The Emperor's guard becomes a trivial obstacle. I could even dream of seizing the capital."
"But, Your Highness… you know as well as I that the real threat in the capital is not His Majesty."
Jason's aide cast a chill over his fantasies.
"That's obvious. It's why I've been wary of that damned curse from the start."
Jason had only begun serious maneuvering after learning the true nature of the First Prince's "illness."
"The First Prince may have left the palace under the guise of illness, but many still support him in the capital."
The aide's concern was not unfounded.
The fact that First Prince Cesare's influence remained so strong despite three years of absence spoke volumes about the scale of his power.
If not for that curse, I'd never have set foot in the capital again—only to find my head rolling at Cesare's feet.
"His reputation is unmatched. When he first marched to war and unified the southern states, everyone assumed he'd died. Perhaps this time too..."
Though Cesare lay stricken now, his cruel nature was widely known across the continent. His forces clung to him less out of loyalty than fear.
They knew well that if they betrayed him, he might someday return—only to pour poison into their cups.
"Nonsense. If you doubt me, then at least trust Katzen. No—trust a thousand years of history in the Middle Continent. Has a single person ever survived the original curse?"
Jason spoke sharply, irritation flaring.
"I'm not the only one targeting the First Prince. Even the Emperor fears his recovery. Once he dies, what will become of his faction?"
The aide fell silent.
Jason clapped him on the shoulder with renewed confidence.
"We'll swallow his forces, General Jared, and the Princess of Valdina. With those two at my side, my odds of success are excellent."
With troops surging northwest, they could directly challenge the Emperor.
Once the First Prince fell, his remaining adherents would have no choice but to bend the knee.
"God is fair. Life has its rise and fall. Just as the First Prince's ascent was my hell, now the roles are simply reversing."
Jason gazed ahead at an imagined, rosy future.
"Investigate the Princess. What she likes, where she goes, who her companions are—everything."
"Understood. But she is the Princess of Valdina. If we become too obvious—"
"Hardly. When have you seen me move for reasons other than necessity?"
Despite his words, the image of the girl standing upright, veiled yet unshaken, would not leave his mind.
Due to their rank, the Fourth Princess and the Grand Duke were housed within the palace itself.
Count Kensington remained there as well—to advise, and to keep a close watch on Angelique.
"Where are you headed, General?"
Raju watched as General Jared lingered instead of following the others.
His ingratiating bow and oily smile carried their own particular stench.
"If you've no prior engagements, might you accompany me to Duke Claudio's estate? The Prince Regent has long admired your bravery; he'll consider it a great honor to receive you."
Jared grinned, amused.
"Duke Claudio, hm? I recall hearing that the Duchess and the Princess are famed beauties in Valdina..."
Raju's stomach lurched.
"Ah—yes, I neglected to mention. Neither is currently at the ducal residence. They're still at the Queen Mother's palace."
In his eagerness to secure Jared's favor, Raju had nearly forgotten that crucial detail.
Jared's reckless tendencies had made even Katzen's Emperor click his tongue in frustration.
This was a man among the Empire's top ten—one of its rare Ten-Star Knights. Once Jared decided to do something insane, no one could stop him.
"The Duchess is convalescing at the Queen Mother's palace, and the Princess is recuperating abroad."
Upon learning that none of the women he was interested in were present, Jared shook his head, abruptly losing interest.
"Forget it. I'm a crippled man now—I've no patience for cumbersome etiquette. Don't worry, I'll report to the palace on time."
Only after he departed did Raju fully grasp his own narrow escape.
Even if Jared is a brilliant swordsman who helped win the succession war, this is too much.
I almost brought that monster into my place of rest.
"Let's head to Duke Claudio's estate."
"Yes, Count."
Raju puffed out his chest as if to erase the memory of bowing and scraping before the Princess. Through the carriage window, the sunset over Valdina spread in muted reds.
"This wretched little country is as backward as ever."
It was nothing compared to the Empire's bustling avenues, overflowing with dazzling spectacles and endless entertainments.
The earthy scent of soil and wild grass rode the wind. Raju immediately wrinkled his nose.
"Light the scented candle."
As the rich fragrance favored by Katzen nobles filled the carriage, he finally felt at ease—as though he'd re-entered the only world that truly suited him.
---