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n?”You currently have but two votes; one garnered from the corrupt Markhan and another from the feeble Leon family. Yet, you lack the crucial third, the vote that is paramount.”

n“Without my vote, you stand to lose all of Venice!”

nHoward let out a cold laugh, “Hmph! Are you threatening me? You think without your vote, I’ll be brought to my knees?”

n“You must realize, Venice is governed by not three, but five elder senate families! Besides your Sheffield, there are the Pibb and the Daddaro!”

nGallieni, rising in agitation, slammed his hand on the table, causing it to emit a resounding thud.

nHoward could sense the Sheffield patriarch’s irritation and shifted his tone.

nWith a glint of murderous intent in his eyes, he spoke, “Given that, I suggest you reconsider the worth of your vote. Is it worth the permanent governorship of Baslan?”

n“We are negotiating here, and I bring something to the table, unlike you. I control territories vast as empires, while you merely possess a fifth of Venice!”

n“If the Sheffield family wishes to thrive in the long run, you’ll need to lower your demands in this negotiation!”

nJust then, Catherine Sheffield entered the room, her face etched with sorrow, addressing her father, “Father, please, let it be. They hardly need our vote. Even if they fail to secure the voting council, they could find a pretext to attack us next time. We can’t withstand them in Venice.”

nGallieni swiftly approached Catherine, rage fueling his actions as he slapped his daughter across the face, bellowing, “Get out! Leave this instant!”

nCatherine Sheffield, covering her struck cheek, ran out of the room, crying.

nAnd from the sound of her footsteps on the floor, it was evident Catherine had made her way back downstairs.

nWithin the room, the Sheffield patriarch seemed to age decades in mere moments.

nHe turned to Howard and said, “I apologize, my daughter has made a fool of herself before your majesty.”

nHoward’s face bore a look of regret as he softly spoke, “There was no need to hit her. Matters could have been resolved through conversation.”

nGallieni sighed, “I’m getting old, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to manage her. Though she doesn’t say it, I’m sure the gift you presented her today was far too lavish, prompting her to speak on your behalf.”

nHoward skillfully replied, “That might not necessarily be the case. Consider this, could the Sheffield family afford to purchase that ruby on their own?”

nGallieni Sheffield, the head of the Sheffield family, didn’t hesitate, “Of course, we, the five great families, bear Venice’s fiscal responsibilities. But in return, we also share 90% of Venice’s trade taxes among us. If I truly wished, I could certainly afford it.”

nHoward shook his head, wagging his right index finger in front of Gallieni, “That’s not what I meant. I mean, if your daughter, Catherine, desired the 2-carat ruby from Rose Jewelers, the most expensive South African ruby they offer, would you buy it for her? Or could she afford it herself?”

nGallieni took a few steps away, his back to Howard as he pondered.

nAfter five seconds, he understood.

nTurning back to Howard, he replied, “Even as the head of the Sheffield family, I don’t have the surplus funds to purchase something purely ornamental, with no military or commercial value.”

n“My daughter, naturally, couldn’t afford it either.” .

n“I grasp your point now. You’re indicating that your nation, the Oli Kingdom, under your leadership, has become wealthier than Venice itself. What we cannot afford, what we must deliberate over extensively before reluctantly forgoing, is for you, merely an item to be purchased on a whim.”

nHoward spoke with profound meaning, “I’m glad you’ve come to understand this principle.”

nGallieni finally bowed his head, conceding, “If even the wealthy Venice falls short of your kingdom’s Oli Kingdom in wealth, then there truly is no aspect in which Venice surpasses you. I concede. As long as I cast my vote for the Oli Kingdom, your majesty can grant me the appointment as the governor of Baslan.”

n“I will no longer demand perpetual control over Baslan by my family. Consider me as you would any ordinary official for the appointment.”

nHoward nodded in satisfaction, shaking hands with the head of the Sheffield family.

nAfter sealing their agreement, Howard descended to the ground floor, where he found Nia sitting on the edge of a bench.

nNearby, several noblewomen were jeering and mocking Nia’s origins.

nA woman in her forties or fifties, dressed in white, held a fan adorned with many goose feathers, concealing her face, yet the venom in her voice could not be masked.

n“Oh dear, Venice truly has descended into chaos,” she lamented.

n“Though we’re neither royalty nor of the grandest noble lineage, at the very least, the upper echelons of Venice’s society were free from the impoverished.”

n“But now, oh, how disappointing.”

nAnother noblewoman, wearing a dark purple gown and also in her forties or fifties, relished Nia’s discomfort, feeling a perverse sense of satisfaction.

n“Heh, if only a certain someone could leave this place. Sharing space with her, I feel as if I myself am being insulted.”

nHoward, with a stern expression, approached the bench in the corner and addressed the woman in the dark purple gown, “Mind your words, madam. This is the territory of the Venetian Republic, not a place for you to behave arrogantly.”

nUpon Howard’s arrival, the two noblewomen became visibly flustered.

nThey were well aware that Howard was the king of the Oli Kingdom, and his displeasure now filled them with fear.

nAccustomed to a life of luxury in Venice, they had long lost any knack for handling such situations gracefully.

nNia’s face lit up with relief upon seeing Howard, placing her hands in front of him and leaning her head against his chest in a gesture of comfort and enjoyment.

nThe woman in the dark purple gown, observing the interaction, jumped to conclusions, her disdain for Nia deepening as she mistook the gesture for opportunism.

nShe offered Howard a forced smile, “Ah, what do we have here?”

n“The illustrious King Howard himself.”

n“I understand your point, but since you acknowledge this as Venetian territory, it likewise doesn’t belong to the Oli Kingdom.”

n“I dare say, please don’t take offense, Your Majesty, but this isn’t a place for the King of the Oli Kingdom to throw his weight around either~”

nHer words were cunningly crafted, lacking the foresight to withdraw promptly but sharply exploiting the discord between Venice and the Oli Kingdom.

nShe aimed to drag Howard into the mire, stirring the situation to escape the discomfort with her dignity intact.

nHoward was unfazed, aware of the might he commanded—

ncountless troops, horses, and cannons at his disposal.

nTo put it simply, as he had mentioned during his negotiations with the Sheffield family, should he be pushed too far, deploying his military might against Venice, which relied mainly on its navy, would hardly be a challenge for him.

nThe lady holding a white goose-feather fan spoke up, advising her companion, “Be careful with your words. He is a king, and we ought to show him respect.”

nBelieving she had defused the situation, she turned to Howard with a cheery smile, “Your Majesty, my friend Mrs. Sando merely spoke without thinking. Please, pay her no heed.”

nHoward looked down upon them, his stance lofty and his anger not fully dissipated.

nHe understood a simple truth: visible acts of malice often hint at greater unseen evils.

nFaced with Howard’s direct gaze, the two noblewomen were at odds—one seeking to minimize the issue, the other intent on exacerbating it.

nThis made it clear that Nia must have faced far greater scorn and disdain in Howard’s absence.

nNia, ever understanding, said to Howard, “Let it be, they have already apologized.”

nCatherine Sheffield also came forward to mediate, prompting Howard to give the two noblewomen a stern glare, warning, “If I ever witness you speaking ill of others again, the consequences will not be as mild as this. Be very careful!”

nAfter Howard and Nia left the Sheffield family’s villa, Nia cried.

nUnderstanding her distress, Howard comfortingly held her close.

nTwo days later, the five major families of Venice convened for a voting meeting.

nAs previously agreed, the three families voted in favor of joining the Oli Kingdom, while the Pibb and Daddaro families opted against it.

nThe final tally stood at 3:2, marking Venice’s incorporation into the Oli Kingdom from that day forth.

nInside the Venetian council, the atmosphere was electric as Howard stepped up to the podium.

nHe announced the conditions previously agreed upon with Markhan, though he momentarily withheld the announcement of Markhan’s appointment as the Duke of Venice.

nAchieving a smooth transition would require much time and effort.

nMarkhan, standing among the audience, trembled as he caught Howard’s approving glance.

nHe managed to suppress his elation, portraying himself as an ordinary citizen marked by a mix of surprise, doubt, and disbelief.

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