Emperor Jovanes decided to attend the conference room where the aristocratic council was held.

  That’s to end the last fierce Eastern tax debate.

  "Today Lombardy’s face will be amazed."

  The sarcastic Ferdick Angenas was heard by all the nobles around him.

  "Haha! I’m looking forward to that!"

  People around him were busy helping him with a word or two.

  Lord of Angenas shook his legs hoping the meeting would begin soon.

  In the past few days, Ferdick Angenas has been walking in and out of the Palace gate.

  Every day he met the Emperor to persuade him to collect taxes from the West. [1]

  Thanks to this, the Emperor, who has little opinion at first, seemed to have completely crossed over to this side after hard work.

  He showed positive signs, listening and nodding whenever he spoke.

  Every time those things pile up one by one, Ferdick Angenas called for pleasure.

  We can finally beat Lulak Lombardy!2

  It didn’t matter what happened in the East.

  But, the fact that Lombardy’s contempt on such a controversial political issue is largely symbolic.

  It also meant that the Emperor decided to support the Angenas, that Lombardy’s status wasn’t the same as before, and that the Angenas would eventually become the best family in the Empire.

  Ferdick Angenas intended to smile at Lulak Lombardy’s face the moment the Emperor ordered to ’collect taxes in the West!’. [2]

  When the Angenas became so unbearable, the door to the conference room opened.

  Mm-hmm.

  But the Emperor wasn’t alone.

  He was with Lulak Lombardy.

  "Huh."

  Ferdick Angenas didn’t like it but tried to pull himself together.

  No matter how eloquent Lulak Lombardy was, he will not be able to break the ball he’d collected for days at once. [3]

  The Emperor took the highest seat, and start the meeting.

  It was the Emperor’s turn, following the chairman’s brief opening remarks.

  Gulp.

  Ferdick Angenas clenched his fist invisible.

  "The Lord’s opinion on the severe drought in the East, which continued this year, was divided in half."

  Jovanes’s loud voice rang throughout the conference room.

  "I’ve read the opinions of both groups and I’ve pondered over them. To be honest, it’s so simmering that it’s hard to pick one hand."

  The Emperor stopped talking and finally swept his beard as if he were agonizing over it.

  Even in that short of time, Ferdick Angenas was restless and go crazy.

  He squeezed the armrest of the chair with his sweaty hands.

  "But I’ve made up my mind."

  Finally!

  Ferdick Angenas looked at Lulak Lombardy with a smile around his mouth.

  It just so happens that Lulak was looking this way.

  One corner of Lulak’s mouth was slowly facing up.

  Why are you laughing?

  I’m the one who will won.1

  At the moment, an ominous premonition passed strongly.

  And Jovanes declared.

  "I feel sorry for my people in the East who are suffering from drought, so I will not collect taxes this year."

  "Oh, no!"

  Ferdick Angenas screamed loudly at the moment.

  He tried to cover his mouth with one hand, but it was too late.

  The Emperor’s eyebrow frowned and nobles were looking at Lord of Angenas.

  "Are you dissatisfied with my decision?"

  Jovanes asked squeamishly.

  "Well, it’s not that……"

  Ferdick Angenas quickly rolled his head and came up with an excuse.

  "Last year…… Didn’t you already exempt from the Eastern tax last year? However, I am worried that if we do so this year, the national treasury will be empty……"

  "Oh, I didn’t know Angenas was so worried about my pockets."

  After all, the treasury was the property of the Emperor.

  The Emperor said he would not collect taxes in the East even if he lost money, so, the aristocrat had nothing to say.

  They just hoped the spark wouldn’t hit them and the tax levy wouldn’t rise.

  "Well, of course. Angenas is always wholeheartedly for His Majesty……"

  "Yes, for my sake, Angenas will have to pay enough taxes this year."

  "……Yes?"

  Ferdick Angenas bit his tongue late but it was already spilled.

  "Thank you, I am very grateful that I have lightened your heart, and I have vowed to pay more taxes this year in front of all the noble associations."

  "Then I’ll be back."

  After completing his business, Jovanes left the conference room immediately.

  What has he done now?

  Ferdick Angenas, leaning on the backrest, looked straight ahead.

  And met Lulak Lombardy’s eyes again.

  Lulak Lombardy was smiling.

  It was the smile of the perfect winner.

  It was the same smile that Ferdick Angenas said he would make at a critical moment.

  * * *

  Kuang!

  The door to Pellet’s office opened violently.

  "Huf, Huf……?"

  The owner of the Panting Breath in the doorway was none other than Bate.

  "How did you know……?"

  Bate asked when he walked straight toward me.

  "What’s that?"

  Instead of answering, I pointed to the heavy red box in Bate’s hands.

  "It’s a dessert. I have to pretend to be a courier to come to Pellet in broad daylight."

  It’s just like Bate.

  Moving forward, Bate placed the two heavy boxes on the table and plopped down in front of me.

  "Please tell me. How did you know that?"

  "Oh, I guess you’ve heard about the East."

  I asked again as I looked at Clerivan, nodded his head, he carried a plate to move the dessert to make it easier to eat.

  "That’s…… oh, that strawberry, Clerivan."

  "Yes, Lady Florentia."

  "Oh, come on!"

  Bate couldn’t stand it and looked at me reluctantly.

  I should stop teasing you.

  You’re going to cry.

  "Why did Bate think that the Emperor would collect taxes in the East from the beginning?"

  "That’s it……"

  Bate answered my question easily.

  "If we don’t collect taxes for whatever reason, we don’t have the state treasury. Besides, this isn’t the first time, so the burden will be even greater."

  And Bate’s explanation was a little longer.

  It’s inevitable because there’s so much information he knows.

  Bate’s words ended only when I ate the whole piece of cake, I got a little more greedy and ended up eating more half cake than violet give me.

  "Yeah, you’re right."

  "Yes, but why not? The Emperor decided to betray all these reasons, and did Lady Florentia know that!"

  "Certainly, this time, as Bate said, it would have been right to collect taxes from the East. But there’s one important fact that Bate didn’t know."

  My words made Bate’s face serious.

  "What’s that?"

  "It is that Emperor Jovanes is a very greedy man."

  "Greedy……?"

  "Yeah, it’s more than people think."

  For the Emperor, greed was a genetic trait that had been handed down for generations.

  But Jovanes is more prominent.

  "But then all the more tax-paying……!"

  "What if there was any other way for Emperor Jovanes to take advantage of the Imperial people by not collecting taxes in the East this year?"

  "Another…… way?"

  I showed a piece of paper to Bate, who was at a loss.

  It was part of Violet’s report today.

  "This is the current state of the grain possessed by the Empire’s Tops ranks."

  Bate read the paper carefully.

  "There are some familiar names there. Our Pellet Company, and Lombardy’s Tops in rank 4 too, right?"

  "Yes, but what clues does this have?"

  Bate asked as if he couldn’t stand the question, though his pride was very hurt.

  "Not long ago, Lombardy was the second on the list."

  "But why did they fall so far? Without suddenly having a fire in the warehouse if it selling it in bulk to someone…… but it would be a big loss."

  "Right, Lombardy sold a lot of its grain to the other top. Right up here."

  I pointed out the name of a top with my fingertips.

  It was the sixth on the list.

  "Red…… Tops?"

  Bate frowned.

  "I’ve never heard of that name before."

  "Maybe so. It’s a newly built Tops."

  "But how can they have so much food?"

  "Our Pellet Company also sold a lot of to them."

  "How come……"

  "Think about it. Who would have the money to buy this amount of grain at once although a new Tops, and not available for free?"

  "Ho, maybe……"

  "Yes, this Red Tops is belong to Emperor Jovanes."

  Bate’s mouth opened silently in astonishment.

  "And with the help of Lombardy, the Reds Tops are going up to the far East."

  "Huh! Huh……"

  "I understand Bate’s feelings. It would be frustrating not to be able to read the whole picture because you didn’t know one piece of information."

  Bate, who dropped his head, with a despondent smile, said.

  "I admit, I…… I’ve completely lost."

  "I don’t mean to comfort you after winning. This isn’t because Bate’s ability is insufficient. It’s just that the level of information coming in hasn’t been high yet. On the other hand, I was more aware of internal affairs. And another difference is……”


  Bate looked at me.

  "Bate is just a person who collects information from outside, and I am a person who directly intervenes in important things that can be informed."

  "Direct intervention……"

  "I’m a person with the ability to generate information."

  Bate’s brilliant amber eyes shone brilliantly.

  "Oh, and the fact that I’ve experienced Emperor Jovanes and my grandfather in person?"

  This was actually my advantage over Bate as well as anyone else.

  "Who would have predicted that the Tops of Lombardy would sell the grain he had at a loss and carry the Tops of the Reds up?”


  "……What’s the reason?"

  "My grandfather hates losing as much as I do. That’s enough to step on Angenas."

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  I would’ve done the same.

  Bate, who became quiet, was lost in thought again.

  And when he looked up at me again, I asked, feeling like I was casting the last fishing rod. [4]

  "What do you think, Bate? Why don’t you work with me?"

  It was a great achievement to have Bate and ’Caramel Avenue’ on my side.

  So I throw another bait.

  "While you’re working with me, rent is free."

  "All right, let’s do that."

  Bate snapped and took the bait.

  "We look forward to your kind cooperation, the landlord."

  Bate reached out to me.

  "I look forward to your kind cooperation too, Bate."

  I said to myself, ’This is great! I got it!’, and held her hand tightly.

  [1] ’서부 [Western]’ - well actually aristocracy council is now discussing Estern tax. So I thought this one is a mistake made by the author, it should be ’동부’ [Eastern]’ not ’서부 [Western]’. Refer to line 2 and 14 this chapter and chapter 98 when Tia provoked Bate.+

  [2] Well this one is also Western is it really miatake? Eastern is Ruman and Western is Angenas (prev. Brown fams). I was forget whose family territory get drought this year? Is it Ruman?

  [3] ’공을 [lit. Ball]’ - if we look at the sentence it same as ’공을 들이다 [Play the ball] that mean ’Put efforts into something / somebody’. Ferdick Angenas put effort to convince the Emperor.

  [4] Like ’Throw the bait’.