I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 406 Nonsense
Not long after the Bohemian prince left with heavy bills and a cheerful mood, the delegation from the Kingdom of Minicia arrived in Tavitsky.

The leading envoy was no ordinary person... Princess Phyllis Stuart, the twenty-five-year-old princess, did not choose a grand procession, but only brought a few capable ladies-in-waiting and guards, requesting an audience in an almost low-key manner.

……

With Chris's permanent presence and the emergence of the Anvil Railway Station, the Anvil Fortress is practically becoming Chris's palace.

Therefore, it has undergone some modifications to make it more suitable for habitation, and is no longer a purely military-oriented building complex.

Princess Phyllis Stuart, led by her attendant, entered the small reception room that Prince Chris used for private meetings.

Her brown, jewel-like eyes began scanning the room the moment she stepped inside... Every detail of the room held the key to understanding the young regent's inner world.

It was completely different from the ubiquitous, almost overwhelming Baroque extravagance that Phyllis had seen in Bohemian courts.

This small living room has no gilded and silver-inlaid furniture, no layers of heavy brocade curtains, and no magnificent murals depicting the epics of the gods on the ceiling.

The space is small, even somewhat cramped. The light mainly comes from a moderately sized arched window with simple, heavy glass. Sunlight streams in, cutting clean, crisp patches of light on the dark oak floor.

The walls were bare, polished, dark gray stone, cold and hard, with only a medium-sized double-headed eagle banner hanging above the fireplace.

This flag is the only object in the room with strong political symbolism, but it is the only one; there are no other decorations that signify royal power or merit.

The fireplace itself was made of the same dark stone, with square and hard lines. At this moment, there was only cold ashes inside the hearth, which seemed a bit too "calm" in this slightly cool weather.

The furniture was scarce, consisting of two high-backed armchairs made of dark hardwood, facing each other, with a small, square coffee table of the same material in between.

The chair has no cushions or elaborate carvings, only a basic curve in the backrest to conform to the human body's curves, so it probably won't be very comfortable to sit on.

Apart from a set of plain white porcelain tea set, the coffee table was completely empty, without even a decorative vase or ornament.

Seeing this, Phyllis understood... practicality comes first, power is unquestionable, and emotions and comfort are superfluous.

This is indeed the iron-fisted figure described by outsiders as someone who only cares about power and control.

She then gracefully turned to the side and almost imperceptibly reached out her hand to the personal maid behind her who was holding a small brocade box.

The maid understood immediately, quickly opened the box, and took out a fine silk scarf with a soft color.

Phyllis naturally took it, smoothly wrapping the scarf around her neck and tying a simple knot in front of her chest, perfectly concealing the deep cleavage beneath the low neckline that had been carefully designed for some purpose.

Just then, Chris pushed the door open and came in.

Phyllis reacted as swiftly as a cheetah.

Almost as soon as she heard the soft creak of the door hinges turning, she rose lightly and smoothly from the hardwood chair.

Her dark skirt swirled and fell like the night, without the slightest hesitation. She stepped forward and performed a perfect courtly curtsy, her movements textbook-perfect, displaying both respect and royal bearing.

"Your Highness the Regent."

Her clear, melodious voice, tinged with just the right amount of respect, broke the silence of the room.

Chris didn't respond to her greeting immediately. He went straight to another hardwood chair, sat down, and then raised his hand.

"Your Highness, there's no need for such formalities. Please have a seat."

Phyllis's smile froze instantly.

Shame, great shame!

Of course, Phyllis had no choice but to endure it and sit down again, her velvet skirt spreading out.

The servant, who had been standing in the corner like a stone sculpture, silently stepped forward and poured boiling black tea into the plain white porcelain cups in front of the two of them.

The amber-colored tea swayed gently in the cup, sending up wisps of white steam that added a faint warmth to the cold stone chamber, but could not dispel the somber atmosphere.

Chris glanced at Phyllis. This cousin was clearly dressed up carefully, making herself sparkle, like a European noblewoman he had seen in movies before. Although the style of her clothes was old-fashioned, they were also very sexy.

Unfortunately, Chris is immune to such allure.

Phyllis keenly caught the utter indifference in Chris's eyes.

It wasn't deliberate ignoring, but a deep-seated indifference, as if everything she had carefully presented was merely part of the background. This made her heart sink slightly, and the last shred of hope she had had to use her gender advantage to ease the atmosphere dissipated.

She picked up the teacup, feeling the warmth emanating from the porcelain with her fingertips to calm herself and buy herself a moment to organize her thoughts.

She put down her teacup, the porcelain clinking against the hardwood coffee table with a crisp yet faint sound.

His brown eyes lifted, meeting Chris's deep, calm eyes. His voice was clear and resonant, yet devoid of any deliberate gentleness, revealing only the clarity and composure befitting royalty and a politician.

"Your Highness the Regent."

She omitted the term "cousin," which could have offended the other person.

"The Kingdom of Minicia has sent me here with His Majesty Charles's sincerest wishes. We earnestly hope that this opportunity will end the hostility between our two countries caused by misunderstandings and ambitions, and usher in a new era of peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit."

and then?
Chris continued to wait, without saying a word, neither objecting nor being sarcastic.

Phyllis could only continue, her tone more earnest, trying to infuse some emotional strength.

"Past conflicts have devastated the border between our two countries, leaving countless families displaced. The blood of both the brave soldiers of Baghnia and the defenders of Miniscia has stained too much land. Continuing the conflict will only tighten the chains of hatred and cause more suffering to the people. We believe that with Your Highness's wisdom and foresight, you will see that the value of peace far outweighs endless warfare."

She played the "peace" card, attempting to evoke moral resonance and consideration for people's livelihoods.

This is the most commonly used and basic diplomatic rhetoric.

"Oh, of course, our two countries have entered a period of peace."

Chris replied, "Although it's only temporary, I really don't have time to get entangled with the Kingdom of Minicia lately."

"I have withdrawn my troops. As long as your country does not provoke us again, the war will not reignite."

Well, that's obvious. The war will reignite once Chris finishes farming, or when the 20,000+ players get impatient. As for when it will start, he doesn't know.

Phyllis breathed a slight sigh of relief after Chris said, "Our two countries have entered a period of peace."

He acknowledged the current situation!

This was much better than the worst rejection she had anticipated.

Although the other side's subsequent statement, "As long as your country stops provoking, the flames of war will not reignite," sounded more like a warning than a promise, it at least provided a foothold.

Phyllis's face blossomed into an even brighter and more genuine smile, and hope shone in her brown eyes.

"His Highness the Regent's magnanimity and wisdom are admirable. It is a great honor for the Kingdom of Minicia to hear you personally confirm your desire for peace, and a blessing for countless people of both countries!"

She leaned forward slightly, as if trying to close the distance in this cold space, her tone carrying just the right amount of eagerness.

"In order to consolidate this hard-won peace and to enable our two countries to truly work together towards a prosperous future, Minicia sincerely hopes to engage in in-depth cooperation with the Kingdom of Bagnia in more fields."

She was laying the groundwork, preparing to reveal her true objective.

Chris simply looked at her calmly without saying a word, his eyes seeming to say, "Continue."

Phyllis took a deep breath, knowing that the crucial moment had arrived.

"We have learned that your country's great creation that changed the times... the steam train, possesses unparalleled transport power."

The Kingdom of Minicia suffered severe damage to its infrastructure during the previous turmoil, and urgently needed an efficient force to transport massive amounts of supplies in order to rebuild homes, restore production, and provide relief to disaster victims.

We earnestly request the Kingdom of Bagnia to consider selling us a few steam locomotives. We don't need the most advanced models, just those capable of handling heavy freight transport. This would not only accelerate our country's reconstruction but also serve as a symbol of peace and cooperation between our two nations!

She packaged her reasons for buying the train under the guise of "reconstruction," "cooperation," and "symbol of peace," adopting a humble and pleading stance in an attempt to capitalize on Chris's recent "goodwill" in acknowledging peace.

However, Chris's reaction was so quick that it chilled her to the bone.

"No."

His voice was flat and his refusal was crisp and decisive, like a cold piece of iron hitting the ground.

Phyllis's smile froze instantly, and her bright radiance dimmed.

But she quickly composed herself, because she had anticipated such a thing.

"Your Highness..."

She tried to win him over.

“Minesia is willing to pay a reasonable price and accept all necessary restrictions and supervision…”

Chris raised his hand, making an unequivocal gesture to end the conversation.

"This isn't about money; if it's no, it's no."

She put down her teacup, her expression turning serious. She decided to abandon the train altogether and bring up other things.

"Your Highness the Regent."

She carefully lifted the snake-man.

"Do you know anything about the Lamia snake people?"

Chris suddenly became a little impatient. He even regretted talking to Phyllis, who was spouting nonsense.

"I don't know, and I don't want to know. Is there something you need?"

Chris's cold and impatient "What is it?" was like a bucket of cold water poured over Phyllis's head, almost shattering the elegance she had carefully maintained.

His lack of cooperation made it impossible for the conversation to continue.

The meeting ended unhappily, with both sides feeling unhappy.

But the matter did not end there.

Because the day after the meeting ended, both the Church of the Earth Mother and the Church of the Goddess of Agriculture submitted applications to meet again.

(End of this chapter)