He turned back, lifted his head to look into the Duke's Daughter's eyes, and said calmly, "Dealings between nations never care about so‑called 'good and evil' or 'relationships'. We only talk about the most basic interests."
"Interests…"
Margaret murmured, as if she had grasped something.
"The only reason I expressed interest in Ark's Feis is simply because their talents are useful to the Empire, nothing more."
Elio forced himself to be patient as he explained to his junior: "In other words, even if the Alliance People in this exchange conference are hostile villains of the Empire, as long as the meeting chaired by Lord Linlan can bring benefits to the Empire, I'm willing to pinch my nose and sit down to coexist peacefully with the Alliance People."
"But…"
Margaret frowned. "Aren't you worried that your honor will be stained because of this?"
