Chapter 68: Chaotic Negotiation Meeting

The fatigue from traveling hadn’t completely worn off, so I ended up sleeping in a little. As expected, Xavier was nestled comfortably in my arms.

‘This has become a habit now.’

To fully absorb the effects of holy power, physical contact was necessary. Kissing worked well, but it wasn’t as if we could stay glued at the lips all night. Hugging with bare skin was the best option.

“You sleep so soundly, like a baby.”

“…Mmm.”

A strong arm wrapped around my waist.

“Are you pretending to sleep?”

“I have to go to a meeting.”

“Already? It’s still morning. We just arrived yesterday.”

“It’s better to deal with these matters quickly for everyone’s sake.”

Even with his eyes closed, he burrowed further into my embrace. His black hair, shimmering faintly with silver under the morning sunlight, sparkled. I was so mesmerized by his long, closed eyelashes that I let my guard down.

“Hm. You smell so good.”

“Oh my! Are you crazy?!”

He kept rubbing his face against my stomach like a cat, making my face flush instantly.

“Your skin feels so warm.”

“How could it not when you’re hugging me like this?”

“My wife is just too enchanting. Hah, I’m losing my mind.”

Could he be any more dangerous? His teal eyes, wide and round, were utterly lethal. As he looked up at me while holding my waist, my heart melted.

“What am I supposed to do with you?”

“I’m completely ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“Did you forget I’m a man? Mornings are when I’m full of energy.”

“Did you forget about the contract?”

The smile that had been playing on Xavier’s lips slowly faded.

“Right, the contract.”

The way his head drooped gave him a wistful air, and my chest tightened.

If only he would confess with those lips. I had only just realized that I liked Xavier.

But I wasn’t ready to confess yet. Still, I wanted to know. I wanted to ask.

Do you love me too? Not because I’m the Saintess, but just as a woman?

“Xavier.”

“Yes, my wife?”

How should I say this? My heart began to pound loudly.

Yesterday, he said things like “you’ve conquered me” and “let’s make this forever,” but would it be okay to confess?

What if that wasn’t what he meant?

“Yuria?”

“Ah.”

I can’t do it right now. What if he rejects me? Then what?

“We’re going to be late. Hurry up and go to your meeting.”

“I don’t want to.”

“Go already.”

I pushed against his chest with both hands.

“I’ll go if you call me ‘honey.’”

“I already did that last time.”

“That was ages ago. It’s all scattered into the air by now.”

Reluctantly, I gave in and called him, pretending to be defeated.

“Honey, please go now.”

“If my wife insists, I must go.”

Finally releasing me, Xavier got out of bed and changed into a fresh shirt and trousers that the servants had brought in.

His tall figure peeked out from behind the partition, and he occasionally glanced back at me, catching my eyes.

The thought of our one-year marriage contract weighed heavily on my chest.

＊

The grand conference hall of Berg Castle, where the war reparations negotiation meeting was being held.

The King of Berg, who had provided the venue, sat in the center. On the right side were the representatives of the victorious Brillante Empire, and on the left were the delegates from the Beast Kingdom of Moirai.

Naturally, the representative for Moirai was Crown Prince Lucas. Unlike the gluttonous raccoon he usually resembled, he now carried himself as a dignified prince. With furrowed brows, he stared intently at Arthur, the Crown Prince of the Empire.

“You’re saying the agreed amount of reparations is being revised?”

“Unfortunately, Brillante suffered massive losses during this war.”

Arthur waved his hand gently, smiling.

Seated beside Arthur, Xavier observed the Crown Prince’s elegant profile with narrowed eyes. The veins near his temple throbbed in frustration.

What is the Crown Prince up to now?

During the war, during the post-war meetings, and even now, Arthur had only exercised his authority on paper, never showing up in person. Now, out of nowhere, he appeared to ruin everything when the reparations were nearly finalized. Xavier was speechless. The issue, which could have been resolved with just a signature, was now back to square one because of the Crown Prince.

‘What a headache.’

Xavier couldn’t fathom Arthur’s true intentions. Lucas, equally exasperated, glared at Arthur and voiced his dissatisfaction.

“No matter how much Moirai is a defeated nation, suddenly increasing the amount from 600 billion gold to 1 trillion gold is quite the bold move for the Empire.”

1 trillion gold. That was twice Moirai’s annual budget.

Despite Lucas’ biting sarcasm, Arthur responded without a hint of discomfort.

“If the amount is too burdensome, you can cede land instead.”

“Land?”

“Since you’re asking as if you don’t know, I’ll answer honestly. A new magic stone mine was recently discovered in Moirai, wasn’t it?”

“……!”

Lucas froze, his pupils dilating like the night sky. General Tiger, who was attending as the delegation’s representative, and Eaglin, his aide, couldn’t hide their shock either.

The newly discovered magic stone mine was estimated to be the largest in Moirai, a land blessed with natural resources. Lucas himself had only been briefed about it a few days ago.

‘How does the Crown Prince of Brillante know about a state secret?’

Though he tried not to show his agitation, Lucas couldn’t hide his expression as he stared at Arthur. Xavier was equally startled by the revelation.

‘Was this his target all along? How does the Crown Prince know something even I didn’t?’

When it came to intelligence on the Beast Kingdom, not even the Crown Prince could surpass the Auguste family. After all, the Imperial family was always on the receiving end of reports. Yet, in this moment, Arthur exuded complete confidence.

“Don’t be so surprised. I have eyes that see the future.”

Arthur’s golden eyes curved into a smile. He felt no pressure since no one would believe him anyway.

‘This is the merit of regression.’

Some things had changed, but others remained constant.

While people could change, major events and established truths were not so easily altered. This was Arthur’s belief.

‘That damn Crown Prince.’

Lucas gritted his teeth and scowled. But there was no way he could hand over the magic stone mine, which was worth hundreds of times that amount. Doing so would mean ceding part of Moirai’s territory and sovereignty to Brillante.

That was absolutely unacceptable. As for the money, he could find a way, even if it meant dipping into his personal funds.

Lucas spoke without hesitation.

“I refuse.”

As if waiting for this response, Arthur countered immediately.

“In that case, the exchange of Moirai’s prisoners of war will be postponed.”

“Are you going to keep pushing like this, Crown Prince Arthur?”

Unable to hold back, Lucas slammed his fist on the table.

The King of Berg, sandwiched in the middle, flinched in surprise. Having maintained strict neutrality, the King had only attended as a witness. But as the atmosphere grew increasingly hostile and the air seemed to grow heavier, he became visibly anxious.

A menacing black aura began to emanate from Lucas, while a chilling frost seeped from Arthur. Though neither was an aura master, the power radiating from these individuals, who were near that level, was terrifying.

“Both of you, please calm down!”

“Your Highness!”

Xavier and the aides from both sides tried to intervene, but it was already too late.

Rumble.

The table trembled, and the documents on it slid off, scattering across the floor.

Crash! The windows shattered into pieces, sending shards flying in all directions. Several attendants waiting in the hall were struck by the falling debris.

“Ahhh!”

“Ugh…”

Even as groans filled the hall, the oppressive energy only grew stronger, coalescing like smoke above Arthur and Lucas’ heads. Sparks crackled as their energies clashed, creating a situation on the verge of explosion.

‘These lunatics.’

To unleash their power in a confined indoor space like this… both of them were insane. Xavier raked his hands through his hair in frustration. At that moment, he desperately missed Yuria.

In the end, the negotiation meeting was postponed to the next day due to the injured participants.

＊

While Xavier was at the reparations negotiation meeting, I had my own responsibilities. As the Duchess of Auguste and the Saintess, I had been invited to a tea time with Queen Amin of Berg.

“Enjoy your time, my lady.”

“Thank you, Maya.”

“My lady, please return safely.”

Rosetta had returned to my side. Though her beautiful smile remained, she no longer clung to me or acted affectionately as she used to.

Maya, who had heard the details from Rosetta, said that Lulu’s presence had made it difficult for her to approach me.

As expected.

“Rosetta, are you upset? I didn’t bring Lulu; he followed me.”

“I know. I’m just a little tired, so don’t worry about it.”

Rosetta smiled sweetly.

She was clearly sulking. Normally, Rosetta would have said, “My lady, have a great time! Show that Queen who’s boss. Go get ’em!” But now…

“Well then, I’ll see you later.”

Feeling a pang of guilt, I left the room after taking my parasol, glancing back at Rosetta, who bowed politely. How should I make it up to her?

Outside the door, a maid was waiting to guide me. She had likely been sent by Queen Amin as a courtesy.

“Please follow me.”

Following the maid, I came to a long stone staircase leading to the garden.

To describe it, Berg Castle was massive but simple in design, built from rough-hewn stone. Verdant ivy climbed its walls, giving it the appearance of a fairy tale castle.

The Kingdom of Berg, the only neutral nation in this world, had an Imperial king and a Beastfolk queen.

If I recall correctly, in the original story, Count Willem, the Beast Kingdom’s representatives, and Xavier, had gathered here for the reparations meeting, and it had concluded successfully.

‘Xavier must be having a hard time. With the Crown Prince showing up out of nowhere…’

At the victory banquet, at the camp, and now again, Crown Prince Arthur was acting differently from what I remembered.

‘Something is definitely strange…’

“This is where they’re waiting.”

The maid’s voice interrupted my thoughts. Naturally, I turned to where she gestured.

The castle garden seemed to connect to the Queen’s private residence. The maid led me to a gazebo in the Queen’s garden. The arch-shaped wooden gazebo blended well with the stone castle.

‘It looks like the entrance to a fairy tale world.’

At the center of the gazebo was a table set for tea, with three chairs. Two were occupied—a woman who appeared to be the Queen and a child. Surprisingly, the Queen rose first to greet me.

“Welcome, Saintess.”

Her delicate white hands rested on her chest as she bowed, resembling a daffodil. With her snow-white hair styled elegantly and her blue eyes, the Queen looked like she had stepped out of a classic film… except for one detail.

Drooping ears and curled horns atop her fluffy, lamb-like hair? Who put those on her graceful head?

“Welcome, Sainess.”

Looking down, I saw a small white-haired head with sheep-like ears perked up. A little boy, about five years old, was holding my hand before I even realized it. His blue eyes sparkled, and his chubby cheeks were tinged with a rosy hue.

“Ah, your scent is so nice.”