Chapter 92

The ceiling of the private room in the inn where she was staying in Yuritania is something that she was already familiar with.

Looking up, Sofia Theodore slowly opened her eyelids and woke up that morning in a completely different way than usual.

No, ‘unusual’ is not the right word.

If I were to put it more correctly―――it was as if her waking, which had been so different lately, had finally returned to normal.

Sofia is a morning person. She took a few deep breaths on the bed, and her thoughts immediately started to come to life―――.

“Ahh, what have I been up to……?”

Looking back at her recent actions, Sofia couldn’t help but let out a sorrowful voice as she held her forehead.

It’s been about half a month now, or maybe a little longer, the last 30 days or so.

Sofia’s memories for that period were somewhat disturbing.

‘Hazy’ is not the right word either. Surprisingly, the memory itself is clear.

However, there was something about Sofia that made her feel as if her actions for the past 30 days or so were not her own. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of discomfort.

It was as if my body had been manipulated by someone other than herself… she could even feel the fear.

At least, the more she looked back and tried to remember. It was clear that Sofia’s actions over the past 30 days had been not in the least bit like herself.

She was able to meet directly with the Empress Yuri of the Yuri Empire but was unable to take advantage of the opportunity, Sofia was probably already crazy ・・・・・・.

Thinking back, at that audience. Why was I so obsessed with proposing a ‘pain-sharing’ peace?

―――Sofia doesn’t even know why now.

Even though there has been no direct military conflict, the Principality’s position is a defeated nation. If you think about it, it should have been obvious that they were not in a position to propose a ‘pain-sharing’ peace.

When the Empress Yuri of the Yuri Empire visited the previous evening party held at the palace of the Principality, she sent a ‘Heavy Snow’ over the entire capital city of the Principality, perhaps out of anger over the letter of intent that Duke Drapon had sent in the past, which was filled with terrible provocations and insults.

Along with the heavy snowfall, the unseasonable extreme cold hit the duchy’s capital, Dellane, causing serious damage to the citizens.

The snowfall completely paralyzed the movement of peddlers to and from the cities in the Principality, causing a shortage of supply of various goods, especially salt, in the capital, and the market prices had to skyrocket.

In addition, the snowfall was so extensive that it spread to the villages around the capital, Dellane. The crops grown in the surrounding villages would be completely wiped out before the fall, and it was obvious that the Principality would suffer a serious food crisis this year.

―――The food crisis caused by poor harvests is usually not as serious as it would be under normal circumstances.

This is because if a nation requests ‘assistance from a humanitarian perspective’, the Eight Gods Religion will not refuse it. If we ask the High Priest for assistance, the critical state of the principality will be conveyed to the facilities related to the Eight Gods Religion in various places, and food will be brought in promptly from the lands where there is a surplus of food.

Since the Eight Gods Religion exists beyond the borders of nations, they are not restricted by the agendas of each country. It would have been possible to buy food for the price of normal times plus the cost of transportation, and this would not have been a problem.

However, the current Principality is under the situation of being excommunicated from the Eight Gods Religion.

There’s no way that the cathedrals of the Eight Gods set up in various countries will be able to help a principality that has been labeled by the Pope of the Eight Gods Religion himself as ‘a nation that disrespects the main god’.

If we continue to do nothing and face the winter, it is clear as daylight that a large number of people will die of starvation in the Principality with each passing day.

We are no longer in a situation where we can think about waging a war against the Yuri Empire or not. The Principality is already clearly ‘losing’ without a fight.

The only thing that the current Principality can do is to immediately bow to the Yuri Empire as a defeated nation, beg for peace, and ask for forgiveness from the Pope of the Church of the Eight Gods through the intercession of Empress Yuri.

That’s why Sofia, despite her young age, was chosen as the one with the most experience in foreign affairs in the Principality, and she promptly came to the Yuri Empire as the plenipotentiary ambassador.

Sofia’s father, Cadain Theodore, had given her permission to offer up to two cities of any duchy for peace negotiations with Empress Yuri.

The fact that he is willing to put any city―――even the handing over of the official capital of Dellane―――on the table for peace negotiations shows how serious her father is.

Sofia was also present at the duchy’s evening party the other day. Empress Yuri herself and her entourage, which she saw briefly at the evening party, seemed to be intelligent people.

At the very least, she didn’t seem to have the kind of personality that would be emboldened by the sight of someone who bowed to her.

So, if Sofia, who came as a representative of the Principality, took the initiative in bowing down, apologized, and expressed her willingness to give up the capital, she would not be treated roughly by Empress Yuri.

―――That’s what she had predicted. Sofia thought that this negotiation would not be too difficult.

And yet, for some reason, she was foolish enough to suggest that they only share the pain. As expected, she was immediately kicked out of the negotiation.

“What a blunder……”

Sofia hugged her head on the bed.

I’ve been funny lately・・・・・・but I can’t help it.

With what kind of face should I report the results to the people of the principality and my father?

I don’t know if it was because she felt bad about it, but Sofia continued to stay in Yuritania, the capital of the Yuri Empire.

The role of a messenger is to return home as soon as negotiations have broken down and inform the country of the situation.

The fact that she was too afraid to return home and face the wrath of the government, or that she couldn’t even act in such a natural way―――there was no other way to describe Sofia’s mental state these days than to say that it was truly abnormal.

So, just after waking up from sleep, Sofia was trapped in a state of remorse and regret.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

It’s probably one of the knights guarding her. Since Sofia had a private room, the knights who were guarding the envoy had rooms on either side of her.

Sofia said, “Come in.” As expected, Grace, the knight who serves as the captain of the mission’s escort, immediately came into the room.

“I’m sorry to bother you so early in the morning. It’s important, Sofia-sama.”

“Important……?”

What could be more important than the current situation where the peace negotiations with the Yuri Empire have successfully broken down?

―――Thinking about this inwardly, Sofia replied Grace.

“Her Majesty, Yuri, has requested to see you, Sofia.”

“―――Her Majesty, Yuri!?”

Grace’s unexpected words took Sofia by surprise.

Normally, a messenger who has been kicked out of negotiation would not be able to request a meeting with the other country’s lord or chief retainer again.

In most cases, they would not be taken seriously by the soldiers guarding the gates and would not be allowed to make the necessary arrangements.

So Sofia thought that now that the negotiations had broken down, she had no choice but to return to the principality and report the situation as soon as possible.

However, if the other party to the negotiations wanted to meet, that would naturally be a different story. She’s allowed to talk to Empress Yuri again.

The room for renegotiation, which should not have been left in the slightest, came to me―――.

“Please tell the messenger that I will be visiting the palace immediately.”

Of course, there was no way she could say no to their request for a meeting.

Sofia shouted with joy in her heart at this once-in-a-lifetime chance to make up for her blunder.

“No, no. Sofia-sama, that is…”

“………? Can you please keep your report brief?”

Grace, who usually deals with everything calmly, was slurring her words.

Sofia felt strange as if she had seen something unusual.

Grace is one of the knights that Sofia has known since she was much younger.

Sofia, who grew up watching Grace’s constant calmness, has always admired it and has tried to be like her.

“Her Majesty, Yuri has personally come to this inn.”

“……………… Yes?”

The Empress herself had come to the inn to meet Sofia, who was merely an emissary visiting from another country.

Sofia instantly understood the significance of this fact, and it was no wonder that the Grace in front of her lost her usual calmness.

―――At the same time, she also couldn’t keep her composure.

Still, Sofia was able to calm down her confused thoughts in about a minute. The only reason she was able to calm down was that she saw Grace in front of her, who was even more confused than Sofia.

It’s surprisingly easy to stay calm when you have someone in front of you who is more confused than you are.

―――This was the first moment in her life when she learned that.

“We can’t have her waiting. I’ll be ready in a moment.”

“Yes! Then I will bring Her Majesty, Yuri here.”

“No, I’ll answer it myself, so there’s no need to escort. As long as the other party has come in person, it would be best for me to receive her in person.

―――Grace, help me change my clothes. I’m not going to answer in my nightgown.”

“Yes, I understand!”

She quickly changed into her dress, Sofia thought back as much as she could about the recent events.

For the past 30 days, Sofia seemed to be a person who could only think stupid thoughts, as if she was not herself. Fortunately, the memory of the period of stupidity itself was clear.

During her stay in the divine city of Yuritania, Sofia had been watching the images that Empress Yuri was ‘broadcasting’ every night.

So now, unlike when she first came to Yuri Empire, she has a fair idea of Empress Yuri’s personality through her broadcasts.

The Empress tends to make a clear distinction between friend and foe, and while she is fierce towards those who turn on her, she seems to be very sweet towards her allies.

She also seems to be a woman who is a womanizer at heart and has a tendency to show affection to any person, young or old, adult or child, as long as that person is a woman.

(―――Ahh. That’s why my father ordered me to be a negotiator, isn’t it?)

After all this time, Sofia finally understand.

I don’t think he even knew for sure. Perhaps my father had learned of the possibility that Empress Yuri was a womanizer.

If not, he would have probably gone to the negotiations himself.

Sofia also has a certain amount of experience as a foreign affairs officer of the principality. Even so, as a youngster, her accomplishments are minor compared to the many foreign affairs accomplishments of her father, Cadain.

And yet, he dared to leave the negotiations to his daughter, Sofia and arranged all the knights in her bodyguard as women. The reason why my father did this was that he thought that it might give him some leverage at the negotiation table.

―――The daughter of a nobleman always exists to be used as a bargaining chip.

As a duke’s daughter, Sofia naturally understood this through her education.

As a daughter of a duke’s family, she had always been prepared for the possibility that she would someday be used as a bargaining chip with another country.

And now the perfect opportunity to make use of it is right in front of Sofia.

And―――the opportunity to make up for her mistake has come.

Sofia was inspired by the chance to make up for her blunder.