Wolner sat alone on a stiff chair, the cold sweat in his palm nearly soaking the silver box that held his daughter's photograph.
He glanced around. On the wall hung a map of Wasser Fief, marked with lines and symbols of different colors indicating mining areas, factories, and railway plans.
Every minute, every second, stretched on for an eternity.
He endlessly rehearsed the potential conversation in his mind, imagining countless scenarios of how Lacey might threaten him.
He had even prepared for the worst-case scenario: giving up his title and fief, asking only that his daughter's life be spared.
Just as he was about to be driven mad by his own imagination, a small side door opened.
Lacey walked in.
He wasn't wearing the ornate robes of an Elector, but a simple set of work clothes, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong forearms.
His face even carried a hint of fatigue, as if he had just finished a long meeting.
No guards followed him, only Serafina, who carried two cups of hot water.
"Your Excellency Wolner, my apologies for the wait."
"It's a long journey from the Schtong Grand Region. You must be tired."
This utterly ordinary opening remark made all of Wolner's prepared speeches catch in his throat.
"No... not at all," Wolner stammered, getting to his feet awkwardly. He found himself at a complete loss before the other man.
Lacey gestured for him to sit, then took a seat in another chair beside him.
He took the cups from Serafina and pushed one towards Wolner.
"Please."
Wolner was completely stunned.
He had no idea what trick Lacey was playing.
He mechanically picked up the cup and took a sip.
Lacey didn't mention the letter. Instead, he began to talk about Wasser Fief.
"Your Excellency Wolner, coming from the border, you must have seen the highways we're constructing." Lacey's tone was as if he were chatting with an old friend.
"It can't be helped. The mess Otto left behind was just too rotten. If the roads aren't fixed, ore can't be shipped out, grain can't be brought in, and nothing else matters."
"We plan to build a highway network covering the entire fief within two years, connecting all the towns and mining districts."
He stood up, walked over to the map, and picked up a pointer.
"Economically, we've abolished the exorbitant taxes from Otto's era, returned the land to the farmers, and have the government provide seeds and tools for a unified purchase of the harvest."
"This year's grain yield is projected to be triple that of last year. Besides satisfying the fief's internal needs, we can also export it in large quantities."
"Industrially, we've revitalized the Blackstone Quarry and built three new steel mills and two cement factories."
"The people's enthusiasm is high. We've implemented a piece-rate wage system with bonuses for exceeding quotas. Workers' incomes have generally increased by over fifty percent, and production efficiency is far beyond what it used to be."
Lacey's pointer moved across the map, tapping the area bordering Caplania.
"This is the railway project we're collaborating on with His Excellency Meklen."
"Once completed, it will allow for the rapid circulation of Wasser Fief's inexpensive industrial goods and Caplania's consumer products."
"His Excellency Meklen estimates this railway alone will double his current trade volume. To that end, he has already invested an astronomical sum."
Wolner listened blankly.
With every sentence Lacey spoke, his heart sank a little deeper.
He was beginning to understand the meaning behind Lacey's words.
He was demonstrating, in an undeniable way, the immense power he possessed.
He could make the land yield more, he could win the support of the people, and he could make the wealthiest Elector in Leithanien willingly become his partner.
And himself?
Wolner felt like a naked child standing before a fully armed giant.
The giant didn't even need to lift a finger; the mere shadow cast by his immense form was enough to suffocate him.
"We've opened night schools for literacy, giving every worker a chance to learn to read and write."
Was he implying that he could easily find out anything he wanted to know?
"We've established a special people's court to try the local tyrants who used to prey on the common folk."
Was he warning that he could expose his secret at any moment and let him face the judgment of the people?
"We are forming a brand-new army. The soldiers are all liberated workers and farmers, fighting to protect the fruits of their own labor. Their morale is high."
Was he flaunting his military might, implying that any resistance was futile?
Sweat had soaked through Wolner's undershirt. He felt the air in the throne room growing thin.
This unspoken pressure was far more terrifying than any overt threat.
Finally, Lacey's presentation concluded.
He put down the pointer, turned around, and calmly gazed at the pale-faced Wolner.
He slowly walked back to his seat, picked up his cup, and blew on the steam.
Then, he asked a question.
"Your Excellency Wolner, don't you think a Leithanien like this is something to look forward to?"
Lacey's question instantly threw open the floodgates of fear in Wolner's heart.
A torrent of despair washed over him, drowning all his reason.
What kind of Leithanien did he look forward to?
He only looked forward to his daughter growing up safely, and his family surviving through these turbulent times.
"Your Excellency Lacey..."
Wolner finally mustered his courage, ready to lay his cards on the table, even if it meant begging on his knees.
"About that letter..."
"Letter?"
Lacey interrupted him, a look of confusion on his face, as if he genuinely had no idea what he was talking about.
Then, as if remembering something, he smiled with an air of sudden realization.
"Oh, you mean the letter Gertrude sent."
"That's just one of the ways our Workers' Party makes friends. A bit direct, I hope it didn't frighten you."
He brushed it off so casually.
This nonchalant attitude, handling a grave matter so lightly, made Wolner feel powerless.
He realized that from the very beginning, he had been caught in the other man's rhythm.
Lacey never intended to use this secret to humiliate, extort, or threaten him.
What he wanted was far more than that.
Lacey leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, his gaze turning sharp.
"Your Excellency Wolner, let's speak frankly."
"This broken ship of Leithanien has reached a point where it must be repaired."
"The Twin Empresses sit at the prow, watching that pack of old nobles in the hold beat each other bloody over a few scraps of rotten meat, all while ignoring the holes in the hull."
"The era of the Witch King is over, but not a single one of the problems he left behind has been solved."
"Class stratification, rival nobles, powerful external enemies circling us..."
"How much longer do you think this ship can stay afloat?"
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was a dagger to the heart.
"A great change is coming. If not me, someone else will set it in motion."
"In this upheaval, those as stubborn as Otto Gladstone will be crushed to dust."
"Those as clever for their own good as Count Austin will be thrown from the towers."
"And as for those who harbor secrets from the old era..."
Lacey's gaze fell on the silver box clutched in Wolner's hand, and his tone shifted. "...their secrets are merely catalysts that will accelerate the process."
"With or without this secret, you don't actually have many choices."
"Either you cling to your poems and art albums, and get swallowed by the tide of the new era along with the rest of the Hochberg family."
"Or..."
He paused, leaving Wolner ample room for imagination.
Wolner's breathing all but stopped.
He waited for Lacey to state his terms.
He was already prepared to cede territory, pay reparations, and give away his entire family fortune.
However, what Lacey said next was completely beyond his expectations.
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