While the prince busily maneuvered, Sophia moved with equal diligence, careful to remain unnoticed.
Naturally, Ivania, ordered to keep a close watch by the prince, did not miss these movements. Sophia had become a thorn in Ivania’s side, having taken the spot beside the prince that Ivania wanted. With a bright smile, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman approached Sophia.
“It would be wise to avoid any rash movements, Princess.”
Ivania issued her warning with a confident posture. However, Sophia remained unfazed, countering with a new proposal.
“…Now that I think about it, you’ve had feelings for His Highness, haven’t you? How about this: I’ll turn a blind eye if you were to have an affair with him.”
“?!”
Thus, the negotiation was a resounding success. Thanks to Ivania’s silence, Sophia urged her father, Stefan, to raise an army once more with Hungary’s support. Yet, as Sophia struggled, the prince, her competitor, achieved victories effortlessly. His accomplishments included the remarkable recapture of Athens and central Greece.
This stood in stark contrast to Serbia, which barely avoided missteps and remained anxious.
Centered around the prince, Morea swiftly secured control over the reclaimed territories, demonstrating the prince’s exceptional decisiveness and judgment. It was only then that Sophia realized she had underestimated the prince, despite her high regard for him.
She lacked the tactical experience to comprehend his prowess fully.
However, she acutely felt his strength in the unstable balance of power. Defeating the formidable Ottomans underscored his capabilities. Sophia’s thoughts shifted; continuing to oppose the prince would only push her further from power.
‘Improving my relationship with His Highness is essential.’
Though he might lack finesse in dealing with women, as a leader guiding a nation, there was none quite like him. Had her father, Stefan, been half as capable as the prince, such blunders wouldn’t have occurred.
Now that Stefan had practically submitted to Hungary, Sophia had no allies to support her. Bowing to the prince was a highly rational decision.
From that point, Sophia utilized her greatest strength—her network of Jewish spies—to gather rumors that would pique the prince’s interest. While informing him of Constantinople’s reactions wasn’t a bad idea, Sophia knew it wouldn’t truly captivate him. Understanding the prince to some extent, she focused her efforts accordingly, and the results were successful.
The prince’s eyes flickered upon hearing Sophia’s news of “Edirne’s blockade.”
Sophia relayed all the information she had to the prince. Although she couldn’t provide details about the city’s internal situation due to the Ottomans’ thorough blockade, she ensured he understood that something significant was occurring within the Ottoman court.
“At a time like this, Edirne’s under blockade…”
Even as he muttered to himself, the prince’s mind was racing with countless thoughts. Why was the capital suddenly sealed off now, after the war had ended? This was a scenario he had always feared, but the timing made it even more alarming. The flood of words that passed through his mind further fuelled his anxiety.
One word stood out most clearly…
“A coup, perhaps.”
Sophia’s offhand remark struck the prince, catching him off guard and shaking him. If a aggressive ruler were to replace the current sultan, who had chosen diplomacy over war, the implications were clear. Could he have managed the situation better if he had known the sultan’s political foundation was so fragile?
…His brief contemplation soon concluded with a resounding no.
Even if one hoped for the current Sultan’s regime to continue, the recapture of central Greece was a necessary development for the Empire to prepare for a counteroffensive. It was a swift and correct decision to act when Serbia began to act recklessly, even if it led to the downfall of the friendly Sultan.
Meanwhile, the prince shuddered at how little was known about such a significant event. To only now learn of a nation’s capital being blockaded was alarming. He could not claim he hadn’t been paying attention; all of the Empire’s intelligence efforts were focused on monitoring their nemesis, the Ottomans. Yet, to be outpaced by a private organization belonging to a foreign princess reflected the Empire’s decline.
Alternatively, the central government might have abandoned further cooperation, threatened by Morea’s growing insubordination. The possible causes were numerous, but as always, there was a lack of time and funds to address the root issues. The prince needed strategic assets he could deploy immediately.
Of course, the possibility that Sophia was lying could not be dismissed.
He entertained the notion that she might be stalling for time with some deceptive maneuver. Yet, what could she achieve by stalling? Nothing came to mind. Despite this, the prince couldn’t shake his wariness of Sophia. Her actions still bore many dubious aspects, making his caution understandable.
But…
‘A tenuous path to the future.’
Amid overwhelming national weakness, this much had been achieved. Though it might be challenging now, gradually building strength could eventually reverse the balance of power.
Thus, the prince’s primary goal was to overcome the darkest “present.” In that context, Sophia’s proposal was, in many ways, familiar. Just as the Empire had sold its ports before, it had to sell its future to survive the present.
The future can only be found by overcoming the present.
Repeating this thought endlessly, the prince looked up at Sophia. The seductive smile on her greedy face suggested she knew his answer was already decided, exuding confidence. The prince wasn’t generous enough not to be irritated by her demeanor.
Yet, irritation, pain, and distress were mere emotions compared to his resolve to protect the Empire. Pursuing a rational decision, the prince gave Sofia the answer she sought.
“The terms?”
“The same as before. We’re re-negotiating from the start.”
Empress, huh. An empress involved in an affair could easily be deposed. No matter how she struggled, the proud Empire’s nobles would not tolerate such a scandal. If the aristocrats’ protests were combined with an accusation of breaking marital vows, annulling the marriage would be simple.
‘If I can use her until then, I will.’
Whatever scheme she was planning didn’t matter. The prince resolved that no matter how Sophia tried to entrench herself, he would uproot her entirely.
“I am honored to have such a wise wife, madam.”
“Heh… As expected, what a remarkable change in attitude. I look forward to our time together, Your Highness.”
Were those eyes filled solely with greed, or did they also harbour contempt for the prince’s change in stance? Their cold exchange of gazes contained nothing but mutual wariness.
There was no exchange of trust between them.
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