"Princess, is it truly wise to lend your aid so readily to the development of another territory?
Skilled artisans are a territory's treasure.
And they are also subjects who contribute valuable tax revenue.
Not only would their skills flow out of the territory, but even if only temporarily, our tax revenues might decline as well.
Have you given any thought to that?"
The sneer in his voice made his intention painfully obvious: he meant to stop Liliana from so easily agreeing to cooperate.
Worse, the way he had brazenly cut in and interrupted the conversation made it equally clear that he had no respect for her as the ruler.
His gaze all but seemed to tell Liliana that a woman lord ought to remain nothing more than an ornament.
Ah, how infuriating.
Suppressing the urge to let out a small sigh, Liliana kept her expression composed and turned her gaze toward the leading noble of the Gideon faction.
"If it serves the development of the frontier as a whole, then I believe sharing some of our techniques will, in the long term, benefit my territory as well."
At that, the leading noble of the Gideon faction gave a small snort and curled his lips in a chilly smile.
"But Princess, what if a neighboring territory develops rapidly and then turns against us?
What if it comes into conflict with us?
What assurance do we have that the resources we give them today will not become a threat to our lands tomorrow?"
He was doing nothing more than hurling troublesome questions her way, hoping to cast doubt on Liliana's judgment.
"Is it not by building mutual trust that we achieve true stability and prosperity?
This is a sign that my territory intends to build its relationships on cooperation rather than confrontation.
Besides, the Reberk Barony is our vassal house.
No parent would refuse to lend strength to a child."
At Liliana's words, he let out an open, contemptuous snort.
"You keep calling them a vassal house, Princess.
But can a child truly grow up sound if its parent does nothing but indulge it?
Is it not rather a parent's duty to be stern and temper the child properly?"
Then, lowering his voice even further with all the malice he could muster, he went on.
"And to extend such favor to the Reberk Barony alone...
Surely you do not harbor some special feeling for Lord Strauss?"
Wearing a thin smile, he continued pressing on.
"Being relied upon in this way is questionable in itself.
If one territory after another starts coming to you, Princess, expecting to benefit from your 'power,' will that not do nothing but increase your burdens?
I say this only out of concern for your well-being."
He dressed it up as concern, but the sneering tone in his voice could not hide his intention to undermine Liliana's rule.
As she listened to him, Liliana struggled to keep her anger in check.
Still wearing that nasty little smile, he shifted his gaze to Yuri.
"So then, Lord Strauss.
If we entrust precious golden eggs to a poor territory such as yours, what exactly do you expect them to produce?"
The leading noble of the Gideon faction looked Yuri up and down as though weighing him like merchandise.
He was not merely neglecting the courtesy due to Yuri as the head of a vassal house—he was making no attempt whatsoever to hide his contempt.
I'm sorry... If only I had more power...
Liliana ground her teeth inwardly, her chest tightening with guilt.
And yet Yuri did not so much as flinch at the provocation.
Without losing his smile, he answered evenly.
"What I seek are tailors skilled in working silk.
And what I can offer in return is cloth woven from silk thread produced in my territory."
Having said that, Yuri turned his eyes once to Liliana, then returned his gaze squarely to the leading Gideon noble and continued in a firm voice.
"I understand that you import silk thread from the Imperial State.
The March of Ishurias is a land of salt and silk.
By tailoring silk and exporting it to the Empire, your March serves as one of the lifelines supporting the Kingdom of Oltania."
Liliana could not conceal her astonishment.
She was first struck by Yuri's nerve, answering with a smile even after enduring such insults.
Then she was struck anew by the depth of his knowledge—his complete understanding of the March of Ishurias's position.
And then—
At his words that he was producing, within his own territory, silk thread that should only have been possible in the Imperial State, her eyes flew wide and she caught her breath.
Silk thread... outside the Imperial State?
Could such a thing really be possible?
The shock hit her so hard that her thoughts came to a momentary halt.
But Liliana was not the only one left reeling.
The leading noble of the Gideon faction had also gone wide-eyed, his mouth hanging open.
For several seconds he remained frozen, as if he had just seen the impossible.
Then, in the next instant, his face turned crimson and his expression hardened.
"W-What idiotic nonsense is this!
It is an established fact that silk thread can only be produced in the Imperial State!
And you claim your impoverished territory can make it?
Who could possibly believe such drivel!"
His voice shaking with fury, he went on as though spitting the words out.
"Are you trying to deceive us?
To mislead your liege with lies and falsehoods is a grave crime, Lord Strauss!
If... if what you say is true, then disclose the method here and now!"
The leading noble of the Gideon faction glared at Yuri, shoulders heaving with anger, his breath growing ragged.
Yuri regarded him coolly, then gave a faint shrug and said in exasperation,
"Are you an idiot?
Why would I reveal the method here?"
At that single remark, the nobleman stared blankly, opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish.
"I am speaking with the Margravine of Ishurias at the moment.
You have done nothing but barge in from the side and cut off your ruler's words...
Perhaps you ought to squeeze a little more thought out of your meager wits before speaking."
Yuri's calm words froze the entire hall.
Y-You said exactly what needed saying!
Liliana felt a rush of emotion, her chest suddenly warming.
"Y-You insolent wretch!
Do you even know to whom you are speaking!?
To insult me—a retainer of the liege house...
there are limits to such discourtesy!"
The leading noble of the Gideon faction's face was red with rage, and he shouted as though he might explode at any moment.
Yuri, however, remained perfectly calm and merely tilted his head a little.
"Oh?
Are you one of Her Excellency's retainers?
If you truly served Her Excellency, I believe I would have remembered your face.
Ah, yes, of course—I simply was not acquainted with the names of Lord Gideon's retainers.
My deepest apologies."
When he said it in that blandly innocent tone, the air in the hall froze even further, and the leading noble of the Gideon faction's face went scarlet with rage.
Liliana, too, inwardly applauded and clenched her fist ever so slightly at Yuri's response.
Still... this is going a little too far.
Taking a slow breath, Liliana spoke in a firm voice.
"Lord Strauss, I apologize for the discourtesy shown by one of my retainers.
However, I must ask that you restrain yourself from going any further as well."
At that, the leading noble of the Gideon faction threw his eyes wide and shouted bitterly,
"Wh-What!?
Princess, do you truly intend to heed the babbling of some provincial baron-consort!?"
That remark made Liliana's expression sharpen at once.
She turned a cold gaze on him and cut him off with a single sentence.
"You will be silent."
A gasp rippled through the hall.
The leading noble of the Gideon faction trembled with humiliation, yet still glared at Liliana.
Ignoring him, Liliana turned back to Yuri and studied him anew.
Until now, she had thought of him only as a sincere-looking gentleman who had married the Lady Celine she so admired.
She had never imagined he could also be this audacious.
He must have been trying to shield me...
Thanks to him, the Gideon faction should be kept somewhat in check.
And beyond that, there was the possibility he had just brought before her: domestic silk-thread production.
There had been times when imports of silk thread from the Imperial State had been cut off.
If it could be produced within the kingdom, a stable supply could finally be secured.
And that might bring immeasurable benefit not merely to her territory, but to the Kingdom of Oltania as a whole.
Liliana's expression tightened of its own accord.
"Let me ask you once more.
You cannot disclose the method, is that correct?"
"No. On this matter, the future of my territory is at stake.
I can only say that we rear magical beasts native to the Demon Forest and extract the material from them."
Yuri bowed his head slightly, sounding apologetic.
Liliana kept her gaze fixed on him and continued in a calm voice.
"I understand that disclosing the method would be difficult.
However, if the Reberk Barony alone continues to profit from this, resentment will eventually arise from other territories, and friction will follow.
That could even escalate into armed conflict.
If that were to happen, I would be responsible for protecting the March as a whole.
What are your thoughts on that?"
At Liliana's words, Yuri fell silent for a moment, his expression turning serious.
Then he let out a slow, deep breath and answered her with plain sincerity.
"You are quite right, Your Excellency.
I understand as well that if the Reberk Barony alone profits from this, it could become a cause of discord.
For that reason, once our silk-thread production has stabilized, I am prepared to share the profit through trade with the March of Ishurias.
It is my hope that if your people can prosper through this technique alongside us, the frontier as a whole will prosper."
Liliana felt both surprise and satisfaction at Yuri's earnest answer.
It was clear that he was not merely pursuing the interests of his own barony.
He was thinking about the stability and prosperity of the frontier as a whole.
Looking at him with grave focus, she asked,
"Specifically, what sort of arrangement do you intend to offer?"
When Liliana asked, Yuri paused to think for a moment, then turned back toward her.
"To begin with, I intend to grant the Santo-Elmo Trading Company exclusive sales rights.
I would also like to arrange training in silk processing and dyeing techniques so that such instruction can be conducted within your territory as well."
Yuri's eyes were clear, and it was easy to see the sincerity that lived within them.
They were nothing like the eyes of those who pursued only their own profit.
In that expression, Liliana could plainly see his wish for the March and for the kingdom itself to prosper.
"Do you mean that you would grant exclusive rights to sell the silk thread and cloth in the royal capital?
If so, would that not prevent you from selling them yourself, Lord Strauss?"
Liliana's question drew an answer from Yuri without the slightest hesitation.
"Yes. We would find it difficult to establish a sufficient sales network in the royal capital by ourselves, so I would like to entrust that to the Santo-Elmo Trading Company Your Excellency introduced me to."
"I see... Then what of the tailors you mean to recruit?"
"I intend to sell garments made in the Reberk Barony and open up a new market."
At Yuri's answer, Liliana gave a quiet nod.
Lady Celine truly did find herself a fine man...
I confess I am a little envious...
Liliana was impressed by how thoroughly his plan had already been thought through.
If it were up to her own feelings, she would have approved the dispatch of those artisans without attaching any conditions at all.
But Liliana also had responsibilities as a ruler.
If she were too lenient, the Gideon faction would see her as weak, and her fitness to rule might well be called into question.
Feeling a little apologetic, she gathered her thoughts and decided to lay out her terms.
"Very well. I will permit the dispatch of craftsmen skilled in silk tailoring.
However, there are conditions.
First, you must obtain the guild's approval.
Second, the period of exclusive sales must be no less than five years, after which it shall be renewed annually.
Third, I would ask that three-tenths of the profits from garments made in the Reberk Barony be paid to the March."
They may be a little harsh, but...
Liliana felt a slight pang of guilt inwardly, but these were not terms she could afford to yield on if she wished to preserve her authority as ruler of the March.
Yuri lowered his gaze for a moment as if weighing the conditions.
Then he bowed deeply to Liliana.
"I accept Your Excellency's terms.
I intend to meet them in good faith."
Hearing that, Liliana finally let out the breath she had been holding.