History of the Greatest Estate Design - Episode 199
199fury. The snake's survival method (2)
Crunchy! Crumple!
Lloyd's hands were busy..
I stuffed various clothes, gloves, boots, and a bandana into my backpack..
We packed sacks and canteens for food..
All this time he didn't say anything..
As if it was a waste of time to talk.
As if there was no time to waste.
I was completely focused on packing my backpack with a fierce and blind spirit..
Maybe that's why.
“……Hey, what are you doing??”
An attendant from the special envoy came and insinuatedly asked:.
Only then did Lloyd raise his head..
I glanced back at the attendant..
“As you can see, we are in the process of packing..”
“load? what burden?”
“It's luggage for a late-night getaway..”
“Late night… … getaway?”
“yes.”
Rustling rustling again.
Lloyd's hands got busy after answering..
Meanwhile, the attention of everyone who was laughing and rejoicing in the guesthouse's reception room was focused on Lloyd's room, which was located on one side of the reception room..
“Escape at night. What does that mean, Prince Frontera??”
Finally, the special envoy, Count Ventura, approached and asked:.
A wry smile appeared on Lloyd's lips as he glanced back at the Count..
“It's exactly as you said. Is there any special meaning to running away at night?.”
“Are you saying you're going to run away? here? tonight?”
“yes.”
“why?”
“Because I just found a reason to do so..”
Even as he answered, Lloyd's hand did not stop..
Lloyd said as he packed grain oil to use as a substitute for sunscreen in the desert and blankets to protect against the harsh nights..
“You told everyone a little while ago, right? About the outcome of negotiations that went much better than expected..”
“It did.”
“That's why.”
Lloyd continued..
“They said that the Sultan acknowledged responsibility for the Monster Domino incident, accepted the level of compensation requested by us, and proposed an agreement to prevent a recurrence of the incident before deciding to proceed.?”
“Of course I did. Is there a problem with that??”
“yes. It's only a problem for me.”
While still packing, a wry smile appeared on Lloyd's lips..
“The Sultan here is not a very generous person. I'm not even a stupid person. But if everyone nodded their heads to such unconventional conditions, they must be aiming for something, right?.”
“no way… … Are you trying to tell me that what the Sultan is after has something to do with you??”
“yes. You might not believe it, but.”
“No, believe me. tell me more.”
The envoy Count Ventura's eyes became serious..
It was Count Ventura who now fully recognized Lloyd's abilities..
It was obvious.
Would we have been able to negotiate if it weren't for Lloyd's?.
It would never have been.
We could never have dreamed of such a huge diplomatic achievement today..
However, these were the words of Lloyd, who had made great achievements..
The Count thought that he could never listen to it in vain..
“Others may not know, but I will believe what you say. tell me more.”
“Yes, thank you for saying that..”
Lloyd's bitter smile deepened..
“This is purely my opinion, but I think the Sultan is probably trying to tie me up..”
“your feet?”
“yes. He wants to make me his son-in-law..”
“……haha?”
“It's true. When I was visiting the Kandahar region, I had already appointed one of my daughters as my escort..”
“Did that happen??”
“yes. I didn't say anything because it was a personal matter and it wasn't something to make a fuss about publicly..”
“okay. So what you're saying is that the Sultan meekly accepted all the terms of this negotiation in order to make you his son-in-law??”
“Maybe so.”
“why?”
“The intention is to show off one's generosity..”
“It's generosity.”
“This is just my personal guess. Through this negotiation, he probably wants to emphasize that the Sultan himself is of great character and that his virtue as a monarch is outstanding. If my prediction is correct…….”
“If it's right?”
“As soon as the sun rises tomorrow, the Sultan will summon me to the palace..”
“To boast of the great character and virtue of a monarch that you just mentioned.?”
“yes. In addition, they will try to entrust me with a new job..”
Count Ventura tilted his head at Lloyd's words..
“It's work. If you don't accept it?”
“They will probably put pressure on me to overturn the results of today's negotiations..”
Lloyd's calm answer.
Count Ventura's mustache twitched..
“How dare you overturn a diplomatic agreement just to get one person? Does the Sultan covet you that much??”
“Well, it feels a bit burdensome to say that out of my own mouth. Because something doesn't seem to make sense. But no matter how much I think about it, it's troubling because it seems like such a ridiculous situation will really happen..”
The bitter smile on Lloyd's lips reached its peak..
It was really difficult because I thought that crazy prediction would turn out to be true..
In fact, the image of the Sultan I had seen and experienced so far was even more difficult..
‘That guy, Sultan, was obsessed with pretending to be cool on the outside..’
It was like that when we met yesterday.
I was there to report on the completion of Qanat construction..
It was a sultan who showed blatant greed towards him..
However, the sultan made a deal that could be considered unreasonable.?
perhaps.
really.
I kept having a feeling that they would invite me in and put some strange pressure on me..
It seemed like they would take the conditions offered in the negotiations hostage..
Get your own work.
Otherwise, I will break up the negotiation..
Then you are also responsible for the breakdown of the negotiations..
It seemed like he was going to cast a ridiculous reversal..
Then this one?
‘I guess I have no choice but to accept the job while crying and eating mustard. Only then will negotiations be maintained and peace continue. We need to prevent the disaster of Frontera territory being embroiled in war..’
If you get caught up in the sultan like that,?
‘It's an ant hell. Will the task be completed just once? No, you're welcome. I'll never do that. When you finish one, do another, and then another. She keeps holding on like that.’
Once that happens, the game is over..
You'll be stranded here forever.
In the meantime, you will have to be tempted by numerous recruitments from the Sultan..
No, if you are tied up like that for a few years, you too will become shaken..
When I came to my senses, I found myself sitting here..
When I actually lived it, it wasn’t that bad..
It becomes like that..
‘It's a really unfounded guess and an insane prediction, but this guess is actually pretty good..’
It was an instinct that had been honed through numerous practical encounters..
It was especially like that when I was staying at the gosiwon..
There were times when the entrance exam fee was slightly short..
There was a time when the daily wages that should have been paid were pushed back..
Then, I was inevitably pushed back by a few days and had to pay the entrance exam fee..
How you reacted at that time was important..
‘I had to keep a close eye on the Gosiwon secretary’s movements. I had to check to see if the Gosiwon secretary was nearby just by looking at other people's tone of voice or changes in behavior..’
When going to the public restroom at the end of the hallway.
Or especially when I was making ramen in the shared kitchen..
If you fail in the battle of wits and run into the secretary,?
I had to listen to the interrogation of whether I didn't pay the fee without making a move..
I had to look as pitiful as possible and beg for just a few days..
A cockroach-like insight trained through countless practical encounters(?).
That feeling was still evident even now..
‘Ugh, I don't like it..’
What happens to your future if you get caught up in the Sultan's tricks?.
Lloyd, who had predicted this, shook his shoulders..
I quickly shook off the goosebumps that came over me and said,.
“That's why. If the other side is acting recklessly, this side should also respond with recklessness. in the fastest, simplest, and most efficient way possible..”
“……So you're saying you're running away at night??”
“yes. Anyway, my business here is over. Even if my prediction is wrong and the Sultan doesn't come looking for me, I won't have to lose anything by running away at night..”
That was also true.
There is no harm in running away at night..
Maybe you can avoid the Sultan's tricks that might happen..
Or, there is nothing bad about being wrong..
“So, Count. I need you to do me a favor..”
widely.
Lloyd, who had already packed his backpack for a night getaway, turned around..
I put my backpack on my shoulder and smiled at Count Ventura..
In front of that smile, Count Ventura had to nod without realizing it..
♣
next morning.
Magentano's envoy, Count Ventura, was summoned by the Sultan as soon as daybreak..
No, to be precise, he went to meet the Sultan ‘on behalf of Lloyd, whom the Sultan had called to the palace.’.
“Envoy Count Ventura. Why did you come here and not the one I called?.”
The royal palace with shiny black marble.
The Sultan's question was asked there..
The envoy, Count Ventura, swallowed his saliva as he heard the Sultan's voice filled with both puzzlement and dissatisfaction..
and thought.
‘The eldest son of the Frontera family, was that young friend's prediction true?.’
I remembered what Lloyd said the previous evening..
He said the sultan would call him to the palace in the morning..
If that's really the case.
Did you say that your prediction should be considered correct?.
‘You seem like a really smart friend..’
A bitter smile came out of me..
And the Count remembered.
The request Lloyd left just before he ran away at night..
“The reason I came here in response to the Sultan's call is not that grand..”
“It's not grand. Please reveal the reason, Emissary of Magentano..”
“Yes, Sultan. Lloyd Frontera, who was called by the Sultan this morning, is currently in the process of returning to his home country..”
“……moore?”
The Sultan paused..
Count Ventura's explanation continued..
“To be honest, it's a pity that Lloyd Frontera has fallen victim to a terrible endemic disease. Perhaps because she had been away from her home country for too long, she was forced to make the reluctant decision to return home first..”
“……I'm sure you're not trying to use the excuse that it's for medical treatment..”
“It's a pity, but it's true that he urgently needed medical treatment in his hometown..”
“Do you think Jim will believe that excuse??”
“It is indeed a pity…….”
“That's it. That's enough.”
The Sultan waved his hand..
A bitter smile was already on the lips of the desert ruler..
‘Lloyd Frontera. Could it be that he saw through Jim’s intentions?.’
It was sad.
I deliberately accepted most of Magentano's negotiation demands..
I tried to use that as an excuse to give Lloyd a new job..
They tried to put pressure on me by saying that if I didn't accept the job, I would invalidate the negotiation..
I tied my feet like that.
Even if I force you to sit down.
I tried to make him my subject..
‘Did you get a sense of Jim’s intentions just by looking at the results of yesterday’s negotiations? He even ran away at night under the pretext of recuperation.?’
How can there be people like these cockroaches?.
The more I thought about it, the more I couldn't help but laugh bitterly..
At the same time, I had no choice but to admit defeat..
‘You lost. I lost. How can we bring back a subject from another country who left us on the pretext of illness?.’
You can do that if you use unreasonable numbers..
It is possible to issue a wanted order nationwide..
But then it looks really bad.
It's like holding a person who is going to seek medical care by force and forcing them to sit down..
Moreover, in such a situation, if you try to entrust work by holding the result of the negotiation hostage,?
Your intentions are revealed too clearly..
Moreover, even Lloyd's position becomes awkward..
If you forcefully accept the job in such a situation, that alone will be like blatantly declaring to the public that you will abandon Magentano..
In other words, it is an unreasonable number for both yourself and Lloyd..
‘under.’
A simple nighttime flight took away all justification from his plan..
Even the reality of both sides was completely erased..
I can't hold on to it.
Even the meaning it should have is gone..
That's what created that situation..
‘So how can I not be greedy?.’
The Sultan stopped laughing helplessly..
He motioned for Count Ventura to retreat..
The throne left alone.
I sat there and was deep in thought..
‘I'll just let it go this time. But don't think you can shake off the burden forever..’
Lloyd Frontera.
I will definitely make it my own someday.
Whether to make him a son-in-law or to give him the next level of power after the crown prince..
I will use the power of that insolent man to lay a foundation that can support the kingdom for a thousand years..
The Sultan promised and promised again..
But at this moment, there was one thing the Sultan was completely unaware of..
Confidence that burns ambition to recruit talent.
I am determined to get my hands on Lloyd..
While I don't care.
One of the most promising talents has escaped his command. Rather, she went on a long journey to meet Lloyd..
It was not until the next day that the Sultan realized the truth..
“……what? Serazade? disappeared?”
The child with the most potential among my children..
A daughter who was expected to become a sword master someday..
The Sultan, who received the letter left by Serazade, held his back tightly without realizing it..
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