The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 80 - 80 8 Temptation

?Chapter 80: Chapter 8: Temptation Chapter 80: Chapter 8: Temptation Komer immediately recalled the information about the woman before him, and after a fleeting change in his expression, he regained his composure, “Princess Katya, please be generous with your words, those are but the baseless talks of deluded men. How could a daughter of Your Grace ever deign to notice the likes of me? Could it be that some ill-intentioned individuals are spreading these rumors, intending to undermine the relationship between His Highness Prince Hoffman and Grand Duke Philip?”

Komer intentionally raised his voice, ensuring that those around him heard it. The relationship between the kingdom’s heirs had always been strained, especially among the predecessors, whose rivalry had been cutthroat. Komer had heard of this before coming to Versailles, and Caffrey had specifically warned him about it, advising him to be extra careful not to get drawn into the struggles among the kingdom’s upper echelons, lest he end up dead in the street without even knowing why.

Amidst another bout of provocative giggles, the enchantingly seductive lady with crimson lips let slip some light words, “Your baron, you seem quite nervous. What has you so terrified? Could it be a guilty conscience? I have heard that in Cyprus you were quite the charmer, freely frolicking through the flowers.”

The woman, having achieved her aim, did not persist in her pursuit, but her boldness continued unabated, her alluring eyes roaming freely over Komer.

Komer just felt a numbness creep over his scalp. He was no greenhorn, nor was he a prudish paragon of virtue. To say that the fiery allure of the woman before him held no attraction for him—especially after having led an ascetic life since arriving in the Caucasus—would be a lie.

But he was more keenly aware of who she was: a person of the Royal Family, a formidable contender for the throne of Nicosia, known as the “Black Widow” among Jazair’s upper society. He was but a Small Aristocrat, too green, compared to those who were accustomed to the court’s constant scheming. Komer was all too clear about his own power.

However, this was also an opportunity.

Even without Tracy, the relationship between Hoffman and that old man Philip was incongruous with the interests of the Caucasus. From the moment Komer left the Caucasus for Jazair, he had gradually learned to view matters from the perspective of a Caucasus Lord. Especially after learning from the Internal Affairs Manager that His Majesty the King seemed not so fond of Philip, which matched the intelligence he had received.

If that were the case, he could cautiously exploit the situation, of course, there were risks. But without risks, there would be no rewards—a truth well established.

“Princess, I don’t think I’m quite as exaggerated or despicable as you suggest,” Komer said with a helpless, wry smile, his voice much lower, “You’ve achieved your goal, so we don’t seem to need to continue this topic any further. Perhaps choosing another topic would be more suited to the mood of tonight’s soirée, don’t you agree, Lady?”

A flash of surprise sparked in the beauty’s alluring eyes, and she uttered softly, “Oh? It seems Your baron would like to engage in more extensive conversation with me?”

Katya felt intrigued. Initially, she had intended to use this man as a temporary prop, but to her surprise, the prop appeared to have thoughts of its own. She found it interesting that he seemed to know her purpose and didn’t seem to care about the troubles she was wrapping around him.

“Lady, Prince Hoffman doesn’t seem very friendly toward you. I’ve heard some rumors in Cyprus, which seem unfavorable to you,” Komer said, swirling the wine in his high-footed glass, his gaze calm as if discussing a matter that didn’t concern them.

“Is that so? It seems I, as a sister, have offended my brother somewhere. Alas, all in vain, as I even sought an appropriate fiancée for him.” The beautiful woman and Komer chuckled and whispered, appearing to onlookers as a pair of warm, intimate friends. She naturally took Komer’s right arm, “Shall we go for a walk over there?”

Komer could tell that the woman paid great attention to the words he had just said. Although she had considerable power and influence in the Royal City, she had been staying in Jazair for an extended period and was not very familiar with situations outside the Royal City. Hearing him speak such deceptive words today, she immediately became somewhat nervous and wanted to learn the inside story from him.

The two walked out of the hall arm in arm in silent agreement.

Upon exiting the hall, the cool, fresh air hit them head-on. In the small courtyard, the grove was luxuriant, and the tree-lined path bent into a zigzag pattern along both sides of the garden. The fountain sparkled under the night sky and stars with flecks of silver light. The soft grass was partitioned into many irregular patches by a checker-patterned stone frame, and the two strolled along the stone-edged path.

“Your baron, I hear that your visit to Versailles this time is to recruit a batch of labor, targeting those refugees staying at the border region?” Evidently, this news was no longer a secret, as after the kingdom’s Four Great Lords rejected the proposal of the Internal Affairs Manager, these refugees had become a hot potato in the kingdom’s hands.

The kingdom couldn’t handle it and couldn’t expect the allied countries to take in these refugees. The allies used this opportunity to pass the buck, and facing the approach of a severe winter, all, including the kingdom, were under immense political and moral pressure.

The Three Kingdoms of Myron, Meine, and Susoer had been destroyed, trying to repel the Beastmen invasion, and as the allies showed reluctance in helping the refugees seeking asylum in their lands, it reflected poorly on all of them.

Especially since many of these refugees were nobles from the fallen Three Kingdoms, they had extensive networks in Nicosia, Naples, Netherland, and Medea, and they used these connections to lobby, bringing significant political pressure to those allies who were reluctant to take charge.

Particularly, some news media, driven by various reasons, egregiously exaggerated the plight and living difficulties of the refugees, causing even the common people who originally did not care much about these matters to become greatly disappointed and angry with their country’s handling of the situation. All public opinion was directed towards demanding countries to help resolve the refugee crisis. The smaller allied nations unanimously shifted responsibility toward the leader among the allies—The Kingdom of Nicosia, which felt a mix of pride and bitterness.

Nationally, the Four Great Lords jointly vetoed the kingdom’s request to distribute the majority of refugees across their territories. Aside from Count Boninski who was willing to accept a portion of able-bodied laborers as serfs, nearly all lords opposed the suggestion.

After all, the arrival of these refugees could bring instability to their lands, and with a harsh winter approaching—an unusually cold one predicted for this year—it would be hard to get so many refugees through the difficult times without adequate housing, clothes, fuel, and food. And come next spring, the lords would need even more land and job positions to accommodate the refugees, and should any issues arise, they would have to bear all political consequences.

Clearly, this was a significant burden, and naturally, the lords did not wish to witness it—refusal was their best option.

Particularly, the Four Great Lords, who had denser and wealthier populations, even counter-proposed demanding His Majesty the King settle these refugees in the king’s own fiefs, letting the kingdom shoulder the responsibility, which greatly annoyed His Majesty, who had not officially commented yet.