Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 84

“Ha! You there!” Was it really necessary to bring up His Majesty the Emperor? But since he took the lead like that, there was nothing to say in response. Count Mereloff just kept tugging at his beard and groaning. ‘By the way, it dies if it touches snow? I thought I saw Gula even in winter. What a wretched crop. It grows in water and sand, but it’s poison to snow.’ There were no greenhouses in the Mereloff territory. They hadn’t focused on farming in the first place, so they weren’t prepared for winter farming at all. If Ian’s words were true, they had to buy Gula immediately and start greenhouse work while cultivating it. “…Thirty coins.” “I’m sorry.” “Thirty-one coins!” “Count.” “You, look to the future. How much time do you have to live as a head of the family? Let’s stop here. It’s the true attitude of a noble to bury each other’s faults. Thirty-two coins.” He even made a ridiculous threat with such elegance. The reason Ian set a rather high price of fifty coins was because of that. He knew they would try to cut the price by almost half. As if waiting for this moment, Romandro cleared his throat, and his subordinate outside intervened with perfect timing. Knock knock. “Ian, Lord Romandro. I have something to report briefly.” “Oh? Is it urgent? We have guests here.” “I apologize. It will only take a moment.” “Oh, excuse us.” It was a strategy to calm the heated atmosphere a bit and give the Countess of Mereloff a chance to persuade the Count. She kept making a troubled expression and whispering something to the Count. Squeak. As Ian and Romandro left the reception room, the Countess raised her voice slightly and frowned deeply. “Fifty coins means a total of 5,000 gold coins.” “Crazy. 5,000 gold coins for weeds.” “But the situation is a bit special this year. We need to save the territory as soon as possible. I heard that in Bratz, they are proceeding with temporary distribution and then collecting more taxes next year.” You can’t revive the dead. That much was certain, if nothing else. The Countess subtly probed the Count. “How much do you think is the maximum price per sack?” “If I had my way, I wouldn’t spend even one gold coin.” “No, I mean realistically.” Realistically, she was asking what the compromise between Ian and the Count would be. The Count twisted his beard, clearly displeased with the situation. “About thirty-five coins.” “Hmm. Thirty-five coins.” The Countess repeated his words as if pondering. Then, the Countess knew what to say next. “Do you think Lord Ian will agree to that? From what I saw, he seems determined to make a good profit.” “Exactly, the young one is just greedy for money, tsk tsk. He won’t live long like that.” “I think it would be better to settle around forty coins. As you said, if it snows, the price might go up even more. Then, it won’t be a matter of price but the supply itself….” The Countess’s concerns were valid. Things had gone wrong, and that’s how they ended up in this situation. They thought there was no way to retreat, but there was always a bottom. “If the discussion goes between forty and thirty-five coins, it’s best to sign the deal right away.” “Hmm.” “Instead, how about asking for half of the Gula with small seeds and the other half with large ones?” Half was for cultivation, so they could fill the sacks with as many small seeds as possible, and the other half was for consumption, so large ones were better. The Count sipped his half-cold tea and groaned thoughtfully. “Hmm.” The Countess continued to persuade him. The key was to focus on making a deal at a reasonable price rather than trying to buy Gula as cheaply as possible. Soon, Ian and Romandro returned to the reception room. “I apologize. The matter took a bit longer than expected.” “Ahem. The tea has gone cold.” “Oh, I apologize. Hanna!” “Yes, Master.” Count Mereloff cleared his throat, trying to take the lead, while the Countess fiddled with her earlobe, looking troubled. Clack. The sound of her fancy earrings and nails clinking caught Ian’s attention. She spread three fingers once, then caressed them with all five. Ian understood the signal and sat on the sofa. ‘I called for fifty, but thirty-five is the maximum.’ It was hard to tell if they were being difficult or if that was the maximum Mereloff could offer. But Ian decided to trust the Countess’s cooperation. ‘It’s better than not selling at all. And more than anything, there are other things to trade with the people of Mereloff territory besides the Count.’ 100 sacks would be 3,500 gold coins. It was like gathering one-third of the taxes they had to pay to the central government. Ian made eye contact with Romandro and began to speak. “How did the discussion go regarding the price?” “Lord Ian. Fifty coins is too much. If the market is held at the mansion and the price is this high, it sounds like you’re openly saying you don’t want to trade with us.” The Countess tilted her chin slightly and spoke sharply, while the Count nodded with a solemn expression. Ian frowned, pretending to ponder. “Alright. Then, I have one condition.” “A condition? What is it?” “I will give it to you for forty gold coins per sack. But in return, you must sign a pledge not to interfere with any economic activities that take place in this territory in the future.” “…Not interfere with economic activities?” At the unexpected condition, Count Mereloff’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. The Countess was the same. Although she was on his side, she didn’t know what this condition meant. “Is it not to your liking?” “No, it’s not that it’s not to my liking, but….” It was quite a meaningful condition. The Count looked at the warriors of Chunryeo [a fictional tribe] passing through the hallway and guessed that they were trying to collude with the border tribes. Were they trying to smuggle something to that side? ‘What a foolish condition. Even if we don’t interfere, if we report it to the central government, they will stop it. Tsk tsk.’ But Ian had seen through the Count’s thoughts. The meticulous Count was good at hoarding money, but he didn’t seem to have the ability to see deeply. ‘He seems to suspect the Chunryeo tribe. He’s got the wrong idea.’ A long silence, disguised as contemplation, followed. Romandro was just watching their expressions, and the Countess broke the silence by picking up her teacup. “Lord Ian, aren’t you the head of the family appointed by the Emperor? The economic rights of each territory are the same as the autonomy of the head of the family, so it’s strange that you’re setting such a condition.” “Is that so? If it’s natural, then there’s no need to adjust the price.” At those words, the Count glared at the Countess with wide eyes. It was a silent warning to shut up if she didn’t know anything. The Countess pretended to be embarrassed and lowered her eyes, but Ian knew that it was her intention. “Good. I don’t know how you see Mereloff, but it’s natural to guarantee each other’s rights. In return, you also promise not to object to Mereloff’s economic activities, and let’s settle it for thirty gold coins.” “Count. I said forty coins.” “Goodness, alright. Thirty-one coins.” “Isn’t it too much to change the first digit twice, Count?” With the price going down from above and up from below, the midpoint between forty and thirty was set. After several back-and-forths, Count Mereloff finally reached his limit. “Thirty-five! I absolutely cannot go any higher.” Thirty-five coins. It was the price the Countess had secretly told him. Ian crossed his arms and made eye contact with Romandro. It was a kind of show to make the deal satisfactory for both sides. “Haa. Alright.” That was it. A sigh and a word that he had no choice but to concede. Ian smiled lightly as if he had given up. “Thirty-five gold coins per sack, 100 sacks. I will trade for a total of 3,500 gold coins.” “Good. You made a good decision. Let’s draw up the contract.” While Ian and the Count shook hands, Romandro took out the basic contract that had been rolled up. It was ten pages long, but they were all basic clauses common among nobles, and the important points were only on the first and last pages. Clack. The Count began to examine each word as if he were going to chew it. He even loosened his outer garment, which meant it would take quite a while. “Here, let’s change the word ‘fresh’ to ‘one week after harvest.’ Is that alright?” “Hmm. Instead, please add that it may vary depending on the harvest schedule.” “Alright. Bring new paper.” “Here it is, Count.” Tear! They kept correcting and correcting like this. At his feet, the contracts that had been torn from the wall of revisions were scattered. It was while Ian and Romandro were taking turns dealing with him that the Countess couldn’t stand it anymore and tapped her waist. “Are you tired, Countess?” “Ah. I’m sorry. I was being rude.” “No, it’s alright. It seems like it will take longer, so how about you rest comfortably in another room?” Ian turned to the Count and asked, but he was still focused on the contract. “Honey. Are you listening?” “Just take care of it. Don’t bother me.” “……” The Countess didn’t seem hurt at all, but rather smiled as if she was grateful for the lack of attention. Ian left the Count to Romandro and got up from his seat. “Countess. I’ll show you the way. I also need to get some fresh air.” At those words, the Count’s eyes followed Ian. He was going himself instead of sending a servant? Why? His jealousy surged, but the Count was a noble. He couldn’t show such a disgraceful sight in front of the advisor of the Imperial Palace. “Count?” “Ah, I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?” “If you correct Article 3, Clause 3, you must also correct Article 5, Clause 1 at the back to maintain fairness. Shall we do that?” “Hmm. Yes, let’s do that.” Squeak. As soon as she came out into the hallway, the Countess leaned against the wall and sighed. “Thank you for your hard work, Countess.” “…What about Clark?” “He’s living the best life in the mansion. He’s just getting food in his room.” They said they weren’t lovers, but as soon as they were out of the Count’s radar, she was looking for Clark. Ian gestured as if to follow him. “If you wish, I can hold your arm.” “It’s okay. My waist is just a bit sore because of the corset, but my legs are fine.” She grabbed the hem of her dress and walked with dignity and grace. He wondered if more bruises had bloomed on her that night, but Ian didn’t ask. Wounds hurt just by thinking about them, in any way. Instead, he casually brought up another topic. “Have you ever seen Count Mereloff’s younger brother?”