All that was left for him was to leave gracefully and, once alone, to succumb to despair and try to find a way out of the situation.
After giving the defeated man time to fully grasp the horror of what had happened, the count found him in a remote room an hour later. The sight of the man was pitiful. His face was completely white, and his lifeless gaze betrayed him.
Trying to smile at the entering count, the baron managed only a pathetic attempt at a smile, his cheek twitching and freezing in such a way that his face was twisted. The count placed a box on the table in front of the baron.
— Do you want to get your money back? — he simply asked.
The broken man had enough strength to nervously nod his head. Who wouldn't want that in his place? Yanki expected no other answer. Quickly closing the door, he opened the box.
— It's yours.
Though the baron was in complete shock, he had been at court long enough to not even move a finger while looking at the gold coins lying before him.
— What am I supposed to do?
— From now on, you are my man at court, not the chancellor's, — the count said sternly.
— And I don't need to write any receipts? — The losing man was full of distrust towards the old schemer's words.
— No. If you betray me, I'll simply win the money back from you again. So no receipts or oaths. Just your honest word that from now on, my opinion matters more to you than the chancellor's, and nothing more than that.
— And what should I do?
— For now, nothing. You see, I've decided to take the chancellor's place in my old age and am assembling my team.
— Tired of being the shadow puppeteer, Count?
— Yes. I've decided to see what it's like to be in the spotlight.
The count did not mention his new vampire nature or the creatures hiding in the forests of the neighboring kingdom. The weak king, who was only interested in women and hunting, was a complete zero in the kingdom's politics, with everything being decided by the chancellor. The vampires hiding in the Elur forests were either a threat or allies. It was better to find this out with full control over the kingdom, rather than with the scraps he had before.
Thus, the man began to weave intrigues around Duke Chergor, the current chancellor of the kingdom of Ilkhori. Baron Roth was already the third Watcher of the Tower who was supposed to switch sides. Soon, it would be possible to openly challenge the duke and don the hat with towers, the symbol of the chancellor.
— I agree, Your Grace, — the man snapped the box shut and picked it up, — I will support you. I won't recount.
— There is exactly the amount you received this morning from the treasury, my dear. I will keep the personal money you lost.
The count did not intend to be kind to those who, due to their own weaknesses, could throw their lives into ruin. Baron Roth was openly repugnant to him, but this slime had significant influence over the king, providing him with the best courtesans and organizing magnificent hunts, so he was needed. Without money, he would be more compliant, asking the new master for it. Which the baron immediately did.
— Then perhaps Your Grace could gift me a bit more money? After playing with you, I'm completely broke.
The wallet tossed onto the table jingled pleasantly.
— There are twenty gold coins here. If you don't gamble, they should be enough to pay your bills for the rest of the year.
— Thank you, — the baron said cheerfully, whistling as he quickly left the office.
I've got more interesting stuff on patreon
patreon.com/Chill76