Chapter 112: King
Alias: The King
"This is the country’s account. It’s under audit daily from different branches and agencies. If I’m going to move more money out, we need to be careful."
"We’ll also have to figure out a good explanation for how that money gets into your bank account. Your account is heavily monitored too."
Fear dripped from the finance minister’s voice as he spoke, but I barely paid attention to him.
My gaze remained fixed on the floor-length window behind my chair, sunlight streaming through it while my hands stayed clasped behind my back.
He continued droning on about securities, precautions, and contingencies.
Ways to protect me from being held liable or caught in any sort of illegal financial conspiracy.
Like that was even possible.
Like there was anyone in this country bold enough to go against me.
Like I didn’t already rule over every single one of them.
"...what happened to bribing them?" I asked finally, finding the sun outside far more interesting than the conversation happening inside the room.
My eyes drifted toward the gardens below.
Large.
Beautiful.
Overflowing with vibrant colors and flowers arranged exactly how I liked them.
Grand.
As they should be.
The mansion I stood in was one of a kind, and everything inside it reflected my status perfectly.
"...some refuse to be bribed," the finance minister answered cautiously. "They have morals."
"Then send their morals to hell with them when you bury them alive," I groaned in annoyance as I finally turned around to look at him.
He still refused to meet my eyes.
Instead, he kept staring down at the papers spread across the table in front of him.
He was tall—almost as tall as me—but he sat hunched in his chair like I was going to bite him.
Maybe I would.
Considering what happened to his predecessor.
"I made you finance minister because I thought you could handle this," I said slowly. "Was I wrong?"
He shook his head vigorously like a frightened child instead of the middle-aged man he actually was.
The sparse black hair on his head and his beard made him look even older than he should have.
I walked closer to my chair and leaned against it, boredom settling across my expression.
With so many eyes constantly watching me, there were plenty of things I couldn’t do anymore.
Things I enjoyed doing.
But why complain?
The position came with privileges, and privileges always came with sacrifices.
"...figure it out," I said coldly. "My job is to instruct you, and I’ve already done that. You cannot keep crawling in here every time you face a problem."
My irritation sharpened into anger just as the phone on the table suddenly rang.
I glared at it before snatching it up and lifting it to my ear.
"I told you, Martha, to hold all my calls," I snapped, my voice low enough to immediately send fear through my secretary.
A fear she seemed to have briefly forgotten.
"...your excellency," she stammered quickly, "it’s Mark. You instructed me to inform you the moment he arrived."
The fear in her voice instantly pleased me again.
Martha wasn’t new, but one of the reasons I still kept her around was because she was excellent in bed.
The second reason was that she knew better than to fail at her job.
"Should I have him wait?" she asked carefully.
She knew my routine well enough to understand that Mark’s importance far outweighed the man currently sitting in front of me.
"Send him in the moment the finance minister leaves," I ordered before ending the call abruptly.
Then I looked back toward the trembling man seated before me.
"Get out."
He immediately bowed, scrambling to gather every paper he had brought with him before rushing toward the door.
Gorinth was still a newly established country, and the entire structure of independent rulership remained chaotic.
All ministers were appointed.
And I was the one who appointed them.
He knew his place.
I watched him leave and waited until the door shut completely behind him.
Then Mark entered.
Tall.
Wearing a suit tailored perfectly to his build.
He looked refined at first glance, but there was still a roughness beneath it all that I appreciated.
Even with the mask covering part of his face.
The moment he approached, he bowed.
"Your excellency," he greeted respectfully.
I waved a hand, gesturing for him to sit.
"I am quite displeased, Mark," I said immediately.
"You promised that within half a year, I would have all the businesses in that city. Exactly how difficult can this be?"
"Clear out the small-time thugs. You came highly recommended, yet I have to admit I’m deeply disappointed."
My expression flattened completely as I stared at him.
Yes, the six months were not over yet.
But every second wasted increased the risk of outsiders getting involved.
Other countries.
Other powers.
Other greedy men trying to claim a piece of what belonged to me.
My pie.
"I apologize," Mark answered calmly. "This kind of diplomacy takes time. I could kill one of them, but if I start eliminating them one after another, people will begin asking questions."
"Most importantly, it becomes easier if they don’t have strong next of kin or large families."
Excuses.
Nothing but excuses.
And hearing them irritated me even more.
"Kill them all if necessary!" I snapped, leaning forward across the table to meet his gaze directly.
"Blame it on a terrorist organization. Turn the city into a war zone if you have to. I’ll help you bring in the military and whatever manpower you need."
My voice hardened further as I continued.
"Whatever you require, I can provide. In exchange, I expect results. If you cannot deliver that, then you are of no use to me."
At least he had enough sense to lower his head respectfully instead of arguing further.
After dismissing him, he stood and left without another word.
I watched the door close behind him slowly.
Mark could never publicly be connected to me.
And because of that, every trace of this meeting was already being erased.
Still, the thought alone was enough to excite me.
It would all be worth it.
The power I would wield as the sole provider of the resource.
I could already imagine it clearly.
I would be king.
