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n?Stepping out of the jewelry store, Howard immediately sensed something amiss.

nHolding an item of immense value, its packaging starkly contrasted with his attire.

nHe realized the potential danger of encountering malfeasants again could lead to dire consequences.

nTherefore, Howard said to Nia, “I apologize for not revealing my true identity earlier. I have other matters to attend to now. You should head back on your own and be careful on the way.”

nNia asked, “Are you trying to leave me behind? Will I ever see you again?”

nHoward replied, “Yes, you will. Go on now.”

nNia clenched her teeth, refusing to leave, and said, “I will go with you! If you don’t leave, then neither will I!”

nAn hour later, Howard and Nia, having returned to the VIP hall of the jewelry store, were met by Laurent and a group of guards.

nHoward looked at Laurent and asked, “How are you? Are you hurt?”

nLaurent responded, “I’m fine. It’s Your Majesty we’ve been worried about, having not heard from you.”

nHoward reassured, “There’s no issue now.”

nLaurent glanced at Howard’s attire and then at Nia, who was holding tightly to the inside of Howard’s arm, and asked Nia, “Did you save His Majesty?”

nNia, a bit nervous, accidentally bit her tongue and said, “Yes… it was me.”

nA smile appeared on Laurent’s face.

n“Very good.” He then looked at one of the attendants, who understood the gesture and took out four or five gold coins, intending to place them in Nia’s hand.

nNia resisted, but the attendant forcibly opened her fingers to give her the gold coins.

nAt that moment, Nia realized accepting the gold coins would mean severing all ties with Howard, never to see him again.

nAll her dreams of a more glamorous life would turn to dust.

nAfter spending those few gold coins, she would remain a commoner or a pauper in Venice, still far from the life she yearned for.

nWith a scream, Nia pulled away her hand, exclaiming, “Enough!”

nFollowing Nia’s unexpected reaction, the attendant couldn’t hold onto her hand, and the four gold coins clattered onto the marble floor, rolling before coming to a stop.

nAt this point, Howard said, “Enough, let her come back with us.”

nLaurent gave Howard a profound look.

nAt five in the afternoon, Howard, dressed in a lavish suit, prepared to attend the birthday celebration of the eldest Sheffield daughter.

nDespite not being personally invited by the Sheffield family’s daughter, the well-connected Laurent secured an exclusive invitation for Howard.

nNia, in an exquisite dress unlike any she had ever seen, twirled in front of the mirror, her skirt swirling with her.

nHoward remarked, “It suits you very well.”

nAs Howard readied himself for Catherine Sheffield’s birthday party, Nia expressed her desire to accompany him.

nLaurent, with a meaningful tone, said to Nia, “Miss Nia, do you realize that Catherine Sheffield shares her name with His Majesty’s wife?”

nNia was taken aback.

n“Howard is married?” Laurent corrected her, “You should refer to him as His Majesty. Yes, he is indeed married to Catherine, the daughter of Count Terni, and they have been wed for some time.”

nNia inquired, “Married for some time… do they have children?”

nLaurent, feigning not to hear, walked away.

nSeizing an opportunity, Nia descended from the third floor to the second and insisted to Howard, “I want to go to Catherine’s birthday party.”

nHoward, with a smile, replied, “Why would you? That’s a genuine aristocratic gathering, not like our conversations where I make an effort to accommodate you. There, the dialogue is laced with noble etiquette. If you can’t keep up, it could jeopardize my plans.”

nNia persisted, and when Howard refused and ordered Laurent to take her home, promising to pick her up later, she wouldn’t have it.

nSeizing a moment, she clutched at Howard’s clothes, but he did not look back.

nAccidentally, Nia fell to the ground, evoking Howard’s sympathy.

nTurning around, Howard said, “Oh, what’s the hurry? Alright, alright, I’ll take you with me. But let me make it clear, once there, you need to speak less. Just watch what I do, understand?”

nNia agreed.

nAt 6 in the evening, Catherine’s birthday banquet officially began.

nHoward saw Markhan, who, as the current Governor of Venice, delivered some speeches for the birthday celebration.

nMarkhan extended his blessings to Catherine Sheffield, and the room erupted in applause.

nThen, it was time for gifts, with Howard’s being the most lavish, eliciting gasps of amazement from everyone present.

nCatherine Sheffield gave Howard a profound look.

nMidway through the birthday banquet, Catherine Sheffield approached Howard and asked, “Why did you give me such a precious gemstone?”

n“It should have been given to your wife, not me.”

nHoward, appreciating her directness, spared the intricacies and straightforwardly revealed his true intentions within a few sentences.

nCatherine’s gaze shifted away as she said, “No one can sway my father’s opinion. If that’s what you came for, I must say you’re wasting your effort.”

nAs she turned to leave, Howard reached out to stop her, saying, “I’m not asking you to convince your father for me. Just grant me an audience with him.”

n“That’s more reasonable. Wait here,” she responded.

nAbout five minutes later, Howard saw Catherine Sheffield waving at him from a corner of the venue.

nThey went upstairs to the second floor and entered a room that radiated an air of antiquity.

nCatherine left after declaring that she had cleared the debt of radiated an air of antiquity.

nCatherine left after declaring that she had cleared the debt of Howard’s gift, stating that from then on, she would have no further connections with him.

nHoward thought to himself, the price for arranging this meeting was indeed steep.

nHoward was introduced to Gallieni Sheffield, a man of old-

nfashioned tastes, as evidenced by the antique pen holder to his right.

nHoward remarked, “The decor of this room truly pleases me. Such vintage charm is rare to find in Venice.”

nGallieni, with a proud smile, responded, “Of course. Though Venice is often labeled as a city of nouveaux riches, our Sheffield family boasts a long history.”

nHoward, having researched the Sheffield family beforehand, knew this was Gallieni’s way of boasting but chose not to dwell on it.

n“Well, then I would like to propose a negotiation with the venerable Sheffield family. Would that interest you?”

nGallieni wrote an ancient imperial character and showed it to Howard, inquiring about its meaning.

nHoward replied, “It means money.”

n“Clever. Since the esteemed King of Oli Kingdom has graced Venice with his presence, let me ask you, how much are you willing to offer for this negotiation?”

nHoward answered without hesitation, “Money is a trivial matter, but aren’t you curious about the demands I wish to make?”

n“It’s not a trivial matter. It’s because of money that Venice transformed from a ducal territory into a commercial republic. In Venice, merchants found a nation, and money forms the basis of a merchant’s existence.”

n“As for your demands, I assume they pertain to the upcoming voting meeting of the five major families. You hope I will cast a vote for Oli Kingdom, aiming for Venice to join your realm?”

nHoward said, “I’ve heard that the Pibb family has already issued warnings to you. If you have any demands, just state them outright. I’m not a skilled negotiator. It might be better for both sides to lay all their cards on the table from the start.”

nGallieni spread out a map, depicting a newly explored province in the New World.

nHe queried, “Once Venice is incorporated into Oli Kingdom, will it operate under a kingdom system or a duchy system?”

nHoward responded, “A kingdom system. Venice will become a duchy under my control.”

nThough slightly disheartened by this response, Gallieni had anticipated it.

nGritting his teeth, he proposed to Howard, “In that case, you must grant the Sheffield family the territory of Baslan. You need to appoint me as the governor of Baslan, with the assurance that this position remains unchanged thereafter.”

nThis took Howard by surprise.

nFrom what he knew, Venice barely paid any heed to the New World colonization schemes.

nIt was a commercial republic that lacked not only the knowledge but also any substantial implementation regarding immigration.

nSo, how could the head of one of Venice’s five major families, the Sheffields, suddenly possess knowledge about immigration?

nHoward asked, “How did you know I established a new base in Baslan? That information should be among my top secrets.”

nGallieni refused to disclose his source.

nHoward then shifted the conversation, stating, “Baslan is vast, but its significance isn’t confined to just one territory. I aim to connect the north and south of Baslan.”

n“Now, let me ask you, why do you think I would hand over such a large territory of Baslan to you?”

nA sly gleam flashed in Gallieni’s eyes as he responded, “The fact is, even a king may find himself in need of assistance. Is this matter truly that difficult? If you don’t grant me Baslan, I won’t cast my vote for you.”𝑖𝘦.𝑐𝘰𝘮

n𝘳𝑎.𝒸ℴ

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