Belvar, who had been silent for a while, clenched his teeth so hard that his jaw seemed ready to crack.

    The moment he took Daniel’s hand, Belvar would be betraying the Crown Prince.

    It would mean denying the legitimacy of the Imperial lineage that the Bahatrante family had protected for generations.

    For the sake of the beliefs upheld by his ancestors, he was willing to give up his own life without hesitation.

    ‘But what about my family? What crime have they committed to deserve this?’

    To Belvar, family was just as important as his principles.

    And of course, it was.

    Before being the head of the family, he was a father.

    He knew his grown sons’ dreams and how hard they had worked to achieve them.

    Destroying their bright futures for the sake of his own principles was something he couldn’t bear.

    ‘What should I do...?’

    Caught in endless torment, Belvar’s vision momentarily blurred from the mounting headache.

    He knew this wasn’t just a threat.

    The demon standing before him would undoubtedly carry out a massacre if the negotiations fell apart.

    The mercilessness in Daniel Steiner’s cold eyes and inhuman smile made that clear.

    At this moment, Belvar had to make a decision.

    “I....”

    But the words refused to come out.

    Everything he wanted to say scattered before it could escape his throat.

    Principles and family.

    Neither was something he could abandon easily.

    Noticing Belvar’s hesitation, Daniel spoke slowly.

    “...Duke. Do you still believe this is an equal exchange—a negotiation?”

    Daniel let out a low, mocking laugh.

    “This is nothing more than Her Highness and I bestowing mercy and generosity upon the Bahatrante family.”

    In Belvar’s mind, Daniel’s words translated to, ‘And yet you still dare to hesitate?’

    Daniel clicked his tongue as if disappointed and shook his head.

    “Even after being given a second chance, you’re about to repeat the same mistake. I won’t stop you. Then, Duke Belvar of the great Bahatrante family—may you look forward to the destruction that awaits you.”

    Just as Daniel began to rise from his seat, Belvar suddenly bent forward and grabbed Daniel’s hand.

    A wave of terror hit him—the fear that once Daniel left this room, there would be no turning back.@@@@

    “....”

    “....”

    A chilling silence lingered between them.

    Daniel didn’t pull his hand away or grip Belvar’s hand tighter. He simply left it there.

    It was his way of saying, ‘Speak your truth yourself.’

    “I’ll....”

    Tears welled up in Belvar’s bloodshot eyes.

    Closing his eyes, overwhelmed by defeat, Belvar murmured in a trembling voice.

    “...I’ll cooperate. I’ll do as you say.”

    Hearing the confirmation, Daniel finally clasped Belvar’s hand.

    At the same time, he placed his other hand lightly on Belvar’s shoulder.

    “I knew it. I expected nothing less from a wise man like you, Duke. Now that you’ve accepted our offer, the Bahatrante family is completely uninvolved in this matter.”

    Daniel’s grip on Belvar’s shoulder tightened slightly.

    “Furthermore, Duke, you have never sided with the Crown Prince—not in the past, not now, and certainly not in the future. Do you understand me?”

    Belvar, still trembling and unable to speak, clenched his teeth so hard that he couldn’t open his mouth.

    Watching him with an expression of faint pity, Daniel removed his hand from Belvar’s shoulder and spoke.

    She couldn’t believe that the stubborn old fox had waved the white flag after a single negotiation.

    “...Is that true? Duke Belvar actually bowed to me?”

    “Yes. Thanks to Major Daniel’s efforts.”

    Hearing that Daniel had made the negotiation a success, Selvia couldn’t help but be impressed.

    Capturing the Crown Prince’s secret organization had already been a massive achievement.

    And now, forcing Duke Belvar to surrender effectively ended the battle for succession.

    Selvia let out a quiet laugh, a faint smile curling on her lips.

    “My poor brother. He’s lost both arms in one blow. He’s probably screaming in frustration right now.”

    Certain of her victory, Selvia placed her pen in its case and shut it with a satisfying click.

    “So.”

    Her sharp gaze shifted to Hartmann.

    “What do you think of Daniel Steiner, Colonel?”

    She wanted Hartmann’s assessment after witnessing Daniel handle the negotiations firsthand.

    This was also the primary reason Selvia had assigned Hartmann to guard Daniel—

    To determine whether Daniel could be trusted as one of her closest allies.

    “Daniel Steiner is one of the most capable individuals I’ve ever met. However...”

    Pausing for a moment, Hartmann continued with a heavy tone.

    “...he is also an extraordinarily dangerous man.”

    Hartmann evaluated allies based on tactics, strategy, and politics.

    As a member of the Imperial Guard who operated within the capital rather than on the battlefield, Hartmann prioritized political acumen above all else.

    After all—

    A tactician couldn’t defeat a strategist, and a strategist couldn’t outmaneuver a politician.

    And a politician?

    When faced with an equal adversary, they could only maintain a fragile balance.

    But Daniel Steiner was different.

    He had thoroughly crushed Duke Belvar—a man who could have become his greatest political enemy—under the pretense of “serving Her Highness.”

    ‘He couldn’t forgive it. The fact that Duke Belvar tried to frame him for treason.’

    Belvar had used the Security Bureau to accuse Daniel of colluding with spies—

    And Daniel’s fury was evident.

    Yet his anger wasn’t a blazing fire.

    It was a silent poison, flowing calmly and lethally.

    Not visibly threatening but far more dangerous than it appeared.

    And once someone drank even a drop of that poison, they would suffer excruciating pain.

    In front of such a victim, Daniel Steiner would smile and say—

    “I have the antidote. Let’s negotiate.”

    That was how Hartmann saw Daniel Steiner.

    “Therefore, Your Highness...”

    Recalling the image of Daniel facing Duke Belvar, Hartmann warned—

    “You must never make an enemy of Daniel Steiner.”

    Bowing his head, Hartmann felt a cold sweat trickle down his back.

    Because if—

    Just if—Daniel Steiner had sided with the Crown Prince instead of Her Highness—

    ‘The one drinking Daniel’s poison today...’

    It wouldn’t have been Duke Belvar.

    It might have been Hartmann himself.