“Allow me to begin by apologizing for calling you out here on such short notice. I’m sure you must be wondering why you are here, Mister Omono,” Alexander started the meeting, leaning over with his hand clasped together and resting them on the desk in front of him, a slight frown tugging at the edges of his mouth as he did so. “There was a situation developing in the Far East, particularly in the Yellow Sea. Are you aware that your country has sent a fleet to the area?”

Omono didn’t reply immediately, simply staring blankly back which eventually turned into a frown.

“What are you talking about, Your Majesty?”

“Are you aware that the Imperial Yamato Navy First Fleet is in the Yellow Sea?” Alexander repeated his question, pressing down harder on the desk to keep his expression firm and unmoving.

“I believe you have been misinformed, Your Majesty.”

“Is that the truth?”

“Yes. We have moved no such fleet into the Yellow Sea,”-.

“Well, my defense department told me otherwise. We’ve received a report from our ambassador in the Han Dynasty that there is a fleet of warships in the Yellow Sea, spotted by the fisherman in the area.”That got Omono’s attention. His eyes widened slightly as he stared unblinkingly back, and then he sat up properly. But before he can speak a word, Alexander spoke again.

“Not only that, but we’ve also got a report from the Kingdom of Choson that your army stationed in Pyongyang is mobilizing as we speak,”

“May I ask where are you getting that information, Your Majesty?” Omono asked, sounding mildly irritated now, “Because as far I remember, I’ve never received a word from Tokyo regarding this. If what you say is true then they would’ve notified me to ensure that if both our countries were to be entangled with misunderstandings, we can resolve it.”

“Mister Omono, the reports we’ve been getting from the Far East are confirmed and validated by our forces stationed in Vladivostok. Although we have little to no presence in the Kingdom of Choson we still have other ways of getting factual information.”

“Still, I have no idea what you’re talking about here, Your Majesty. You are clearly misinformed,” Omono denied again, standing up straighter now and placing his hands firmly on the desk. It’s clear he’s growing annoyed by Alexander’s persistence.

Alexander sighed in annoyance himself but remained composed and continued.

“So, are you telling me that my Department of Defense is lying to me?” Alexander questioned, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow.

At his question, Omono faltered momentarily, as if surprised by the fact and slowly shook his head.

“No, Your Majesty, I’m not. I assure you I am not,” he said with determination. “I was just taken aback by your demand and request for clarification.”

“Is that so? I was also taken aback by the fact that you’re not informed of this matter. Especially if what the Yamato is going to do could spark an international incident that could implicate the Ruthenia Empire. Plus, you know that there are hundreds of maritime supply ships passing in the Yellow Sea? If that line is threatened, not only your country is going to receive a verbal condemnation but a sweeping economic sanction as well.”

At this moment, Omono folded and let out a sigh “Fine, I was informed of the fact that my government has sent the first fleet of the Yamato Imperial Navy and the troops mobilizing in Pyongyang,”

“May I ask why?” Alexander leaned forward slightly on his desk, crossing his legs underneath himself.“The Han Dynasty did something that could threaten the national security of the Yamato Empire by selling the region of Manchuria to the Ruthenian Empire. We see this deal as a threat that if we let it go by, the Yamato Empire will be in constant danger, fearing Ruthenian retaliation after its bitter defeat in the war with Yamato.”

Alexander scoffed at his presumptuous remarks. They’ve won the war and that is indeed true however the cocky behavior gets on his nerves. They’ve just won because the Far East is not as industrialized as the homefront and most of the troops there are just made of conscripts with little to no training and education. Plus, the logistics favor the side of the Yamato, thus emerging as a victor is as bright as day.

It pissed him off but as much as he wanted to vent it out, Alexander remained calm and composed. He knew he couldn’t do such a thing without affecting the flow of this diplomatic discussion. His main goal here is to de-escalate the situation not to rile things up.

Diana, who had been silent since the start of the meeting, noticed Alexander’s expression and decided to step in.

“Mister Omono, if I may.”

Omono’s gaze flickered to Diana, looking at her with confusion written all over his face. He doesn’t seem to be expecting any sort of interruption from Alexander’s assistant…wait, is she an assistant?

Omono looked at the appearance of the young lady sitting beside Alexander. Slender arms and legs, a doll-like face, she was beautiful that even he was charmed by it. So the rumors of Alexander doing indecent affairs with beautiful women in this country was true huh?action

Unbeknownst to him, Omono is making a grave mistake by just staring at her so intensely to the point it’s making her uncomfortable. Not to mention, he’s already in his fifties! A wave of disgust ran through her body, still, she had to say something to cool things down.

“I believe I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Princess Diana Rosemary Edinburgh of the Britannia Empire. I’m here in my capacity as Counselor of the Embassy of the Britannia Empire. I was asked to join in this meeting by His Majesty, Alexander Romanoff of the Ruthenia Empire, to find a peaceful solution to the developing situation in the Yellow Sea,”

“Wait…you’re a Britannian princess?” Omono stammered as he realized exactly how ridiculous his assumptions were, assuming she was a mere assistant. Beads of sweat break out across his forehead, he feels embarrassed that he thought she could ever be anything more than that. Not to mention, she’s not just a princess, she’s an heir apparent. Meaning she’s the next in line for the throne.

If Diana can read his mind, there’s no saying what would happen to the relations between the Yamato and the Britannia Empire.

Diana simply nodded at his question “So, let us get this straight. Is the expansion of the Ruthenian Empire in Manchuria a threat to your national security?”

“That is correct, Your Royal Highness,” Omono said as respect flooded through his voice, bowing low towards Diana.

“You haven’t actually answered His Majesty’s question as to why the Yamato Empire is mobilizing. You just told us that the deal is a threat…Can you make it clear to us so we can understand?”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness…the Yamato Empire has sent an ultimatum to the Han Dynasty demanding not to proceed with the land acquisition deal. If they reject it, a state of war will exist between us,”

Alexander and Diana’s eyes widened at Omono’s words.