Chapter 919: Alternate Timeline: At Celestra (7)

During dinner, Gideon maintained the polished reserve expected of royalty. He spoke little and did not attempt any private conversation.

The meal unfolded amid the soft clink of silverware, the fragrance of roasted meats and spices, and the low murmur of formal discussion.

Only after the meal ended did circumstances shift.

Edward insisted that Gideon personally escort Kiara and Noah to their guest rooms, accompanied by a royal knight.

Once they were walking through the quieter palace corridors, the prince’s formal mask eased.

The rigid posture of royalty softened. The polished smile became more natural. At last, Gideon spoke in a casual tone.

"I did not expect Miss Kiara to skip lunch entirely."

Kiara stopped mid-step. Her boots fell silent against the polished floor. She turned to Gideon, genuinely surprised that he had brought up a matter she had long since dismissed.

When she repeated the same explanation about fuel, Gideon smiled and shook his head.

"Our kingdom maintains spies in every town and village; often, they were under the control of the Prime Minister," he said. "If you had stopped anywhere to purchase oil, Prime Minister Philip would have known. Your vehicle is too unusual to pass unnoticed. An unfamiliar object always captures attention. People are like deer in a forest. The moment they hear a strange sound, every head turns toward it."

His eyes gleamed with quiet confidence.

"The fact that you entered the borders of Cestral by noon and yet we heard nothing until you entered Lunaris tells me that you remained in the wilderness of Celestra for atleast 5 hours. That means your explanation was incomplete."

He spoke the conclusion with the calm certainty of a scholar finishing a proof.

"In my view, either you deliberately arrived late to observe my father’s reaction, or you were searching for something in those mountains."

Then he gave a small shrug.

"In the end, it does not matter. You arrived. We shared a meal. Originally, I didn’t want to embarrass you by pointing it out, but I felt a little sorry for the servants who prepared lunch and waited for a special guest who never came."

Kiara stared at him for a moment.

There was no hesitation in Gideon’s voice, no trace of self-doubt.

He had assembled scattered facts into a precise conclusion as naturally as breathing.

So this was the mind they had praised so lavishly.

Whether she cared about intellect or not, she had to admit the prince’s reasoning was impressive.

Realizing there was no need to cling to a flimsy lie, Kiara let out a faint smile. "And does Your Highness know why I am truly here?"

"Well, the answer seems quite obvious to me." Gideon folded his hands behind his back as he walked beside Kiara through the softly lit corridor.

He tilted his head slightly and gave a small, almost playful shrug.

"You came here to see whether this meeting could bring you something of value."

His tone was calm and matter-of-fact, not accusatory, as though he were stating that rain clouds often brought rain.

Then he continued, his voice gaining quiet momentum.

"But the real question is this: what can our kingdom offer you that you cannot already obtain in the Imperial City?"

Gideon raised one finger.

"More customers? Unlikely. First of all, your firearms are already approved by the Emperor and the Imperial City of Phoenix held population more than the entire Celestra Kingdom. I heard your store has closed several times because demand exceeded your supply. A merchant whose shelves are empty does not need more buyers."

A second finger joined the first.

"Greater business opportunities? We do have wealthy nobles and merchants, but once again, our kingdom is a candle compared to the Phoenix Empire’s bonfire. And those with money care little whether your shop stands in the city center or on a distant mountain. Gold gives people long arms. If they desire something, they will send others to fetch it."

He lifted a third finger.

"Land? You already possess eighty acres in the Desmont mountain range, and your manufacturing facility has yet to be completed. A prudent man does not lay the foundation for a second house while the roof of the first is still unfinished."

Gideon let his hand fall to his side.

"So if we strip away the obvious answers, five real advantages remain."

His eyes turned toward the moonlit garden beyond the windows.

"First, access to the Leon Empire."

He paused, allowing the words to settle.

"Second, access to the ocean."

His voice grew softer, but the significance of his words only deepened.

"From our ports, your goods could travel not only to Leon, but beyond it. To the Dragon Empire, to the northern kingdoms, and even to the Beast Empire. The sea is like an endless road that no kingdom can pave, and no army can easily block."

He glanced back at Kiara.

"Yes, the Phoenix Empire also has a vast coastline, but distance matters. A merchant values not only where a road begins, but also how quickly it reaches the market. And Western Phoenix, though rich in ports, is tied to House Drake. Given your strained relationship with them, they may not stop you entirely, but they can certainly place stones in your path."

The prince’s expression grew more serious.

"Third, no one here possesses the strength to threaten a person like you, a woman who tamed an 8-star rank beast king."

The words were not flattery. Gideon spoke to them with the same straightforward honesty he used for his analysis.

"In theory, if your requests are reasonable, our court would meet them."

For a moment, only the sound of their footsteps remained.

Then Gideon added the final piece.

"And four, if the day ever comes when your relationship with Emperor Alexander Phoenix deteriorates beyond repair, you could relocate your home and your store here. My father would not oppose you, and the surrounding empires would hesitate before violating the ancient treaties that protect our land."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"That is why I believe you are favorably inclined toward expanding your business into Celestra."

Kiara listened in silence.

The prince’s voice had been steady, his logic carefully layered, each conclusion resting atop the previous one like stones in an arch.

By the time Gideon finished, Kiara couldn’t help but stare at him.

Gideon knew nothing of the system.

Nothing of her ultimate plans.

Nothing of the revenge she carried quietly in the deepest chambers of her heart.

But it seemed as if the Prince had seen through her thoughts like an open book.

Kiara turned toward him, blinking in wonder. "You said five real advantages. But you only mentioned four. What’s the fifth?"

Gideon smiled, looking straight into her eyes and answered honestly, "Well... the fifth is marriage prospects."

"Marriage prospects?" Kiara was taken aback; she never even had such a thought, but she would want to hear what this prince had to say.

Gideon answered calmly, "Miss Kiara, regardless of your strength, you are still a commoner. That is something you cannot change. Not even the Emperor could grant you the status of a Noble. And it is an unofficial rule in almost every Empire that a commoner with strength exceeding a 5-star rank cannot be married into Royalty. Even for noble houses, they wouldn’t want you to be a chief consort of the house. You can only be a noble consort of a Noble. An ambitious woman like you wouldn’t want to be second fiddle. Moreover, you seemed to have beef with the Noble Houses of the Phoenix Empire, too. The Northern Empires are too far away, and I don’t think they will trust you enough. In this scenario, if it is improving your social status, the Celestra holds a true advantage over others. Because we don’t have such a culture. Here, there are no such Noble Houses at all. There are only royalty and commoners. If you marry me, your status will be directly elevated to Royalty, and with your strength, you could basically rule this place. And with Celestra as your home ground for your firearms, you could export to the entire world, make deals with other Empires without problems. Because when you were royalty, your deal with other empires becomes trade, not business."

Kiara almost had her jaw drop at his explanation. She didn’t even think one bit of all that logic.

She said with a nod, "That is quite an analogy. "Your Highness has a remarkably broad vision. But there is one small mistake. No, a big mistake."

Gideon, who was smiling at how accurate he was, had his smile falter for a second. His brows drew closer, "What big mistake?"

Kiara replied with a practiced smile on her face, looking straight into his eyes. "I am not looking for a husband, Mister Gideon Crescent. And I oppose the patriarchal system. Why would I share my husband with others? Moreover, I would never give someone the authority to command me. I would rather be a commoner and be the head of my own house, take in a bunch of male consorts to establish a matriarchy rather than becoming someone’s queen."

Gideon blinked his eyes, and he took a step back. There was a genuine look of surprise on his face.

A Matriarchal house?

A woman leading the house? Bunch of Male Consorts?

What in the Blasphemy is this...

Or was she simply pulling his leg?

But then, as a thought came into his head, Gideon’s eyes sharpened with interest, playing along with her.

"Well, in that case, you’d better create your own kingdom, Miss Kiara. Because the things you said are not accepted in society, and the throne decides the rules of society. If you want to take in male consorts, then create your own society and your own rules..."

Kiara blinked this time. "Eh? I was just..."