Laos Territory — Lord's Manor, Study
"So," Logos said without looking up from the blueprints spread across his desk,
"How was the sale?"
Lucy sat across from him with a stack of ledgers resting in her lap.
"House Velt left angry."
"House Caster left humiliated."
"Several others left nervous."
Kleber, lounging nearby with one leg hanging over the arm of his chair, grinned.
"And House Orsik bought the central contracts so quickly they nearly tripped over themselves."
Logos nodded once.
"Good."
Lucy watched him for a moment.
"You do not seem particularly concerned."
"They threatened to walk away."
A pause.
"Also, I am discussing money."
Kleber barked a laugh.
"That is probably the most Logos sentence I have ever heard."
Lucy ignored him.
"They are spreading rumors."
Logos finally looked up.
"About what?"
"That Laos is becoming too powerful."
"That you are monopolizing the rail system."
"That no one can compete with you anymore."
Logos blinked once.
"That is because no one can."
Kleber laughed again.
Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose.
"My lord."
"What?"
"You are not supposed to say that part aloud."
"It is true."
He leaned back slightly.
"Besides, it will only take five or six months before others begin copying the design."
"It would be foolish not to recover the investment while we still can."
Lucy let out a slow breath.
"Even so, you need tact."
"Otherwise it will be difficult for you to marry."
"I am fairly certain," Logos replied,
"That the moment I begin looking, old men will start presenting their daughters on silver platters."
Lucy stared at him.
"…That is not the point."
"You just do not sound aware."
"I know political marriages are used to secure alliances."
Lucy closed her eyes briefly.
"Not that part."
"Then what part?"
Kleber leaned back slightly farther with the expression of a man watching someone walk willingly into a trap.
Lucy looked at Logos for a long moment.
Then sighed.
"My boy," she said carefully,
"You have everything a lord could want."
"Wealth."
"Power."
"Influence."
"Intelligence."
A pause.
"But you are also…"
She searched for the word.
"…difficult."
Logos looked genuinely confused.
"How?"
Lucy rested one hand against the ledgers.
"You understand almost every problem presented to you."
"You see patterns faster than anyone else."
"You capitalize on them immediately."
"That is why you have come this far."
Her eyes remained on him.
"But people are not problems."
"And they are not tools."
"You cannot simply use them…"
"…and discard them when they stop being useful."
Logos frowned slightly.
"I do not throw people away."
Lucy raised a brow.
"You literally handed contracts to their rivals in front of them."
"That was funny."
Lucy stared at him.
"You thought that was funny?"
"Yes."
Logos folded his hands.
"I do not know why."
"But seeing them lose composure made me feel good."
Lucy closed her eyes again.
"Saints preserve me."
Logos tilted his head slightly.
"They made unreasonable demands."
"They expected me to negotiate poorly."
"They were wrong."
"That is not the issue," Lucy replied.
"The issue is that you enjoy proving people wrong a little too much."
"I would be lying if I said I did not."
A pause.
"But only when I am right."
"It is not my fault most of these people are idiots."
"They think Sous should be celebrated as a hero…"
"…while looking at someone the same age who built his own army, industry, and rail network…"
"…and assuming he is less capable simply because he looks different."
The room went quiet.
Because beneath the irritation—
There was something else there.
Something sharper.
Kleber noticed it immediately.
Interesting.
Because this was not just frustration.
It was resentment.
"You care more than you pretend to," Kleber said quietly.
Logos looked away slightly.
"I am simply stating the obvious."
His eyes drifted toward the workshop windows.
"I think things would be different if I had more freedom with what I was allowed to use."
"Absolutely not," Lucy said immediately.
Her tone cut through the room.
"You are not going to solve every inconvenience with atrocities."
Logos looked back toward her.
"I was not specifically referring to atrocities."
"That makes it worse."
"You know what I mean."
Lucy leaned forward slightly.
"You are not allowed to kill people simply because they are inconvenient."
"I know that."
"You are not allowed to threaten them into obedience."
"I know."
"You are not allowed to remove everyone who annoys you."
"I know."
A pause.
Then—
"…Even if it would be faster."
Lucy looked at him for several seconds.
Then sighed.
"Yes."
"Even then."
For once—
Logos did not argue.
He just leaned back into his chair.
Thinking.
Kleber watched him carefully.
Because every time Logos became quiet like this—
It meant he was rearranging the world inside his head.
After a moment—
Lucy's expression softened slightly.
"You know," she said,
"You are allowed to want people to like you."
Logos blinked once.
"I do not need that."
"That is not what I said."
He looked at her for a second.
Then away.
"I do not understand why I would care."
Lucy smiled faintly.
"That is because you are sixteen."
Kleber let out a quiet laugh.
"And because your standards for human interaction are somehow higher than your standards for artillery."
Logos looked mildly offended.
"My artillery standards are very high."
"That is exactly my point."
Lucy reached over and gently adjusted the collar of Logos's coat.
He allowed it.
Without complaint.
Without pulling away.
"You know," she said softly,
"One day there will be people who stay beside you not because you are powerful…"
"Not because you are useful…"
"Not because they fear you…"
Her hand rested briefly against his shoulder.
"But simply because they care about you."
Logos was quiet.
"You should not make that difficult for them."
Kleber glanced toward him.
Then quickly looked away.
Because for a second—
Just a second—
Logos looked uncertain.
Not cold.
Not annoyed.
Not calculating.
Just young.
"…That sounds inefficient," Logos said at last.
Lucy smiled.
"It is."
"And it will probably make you happier than anything else you build."
Logos frowned slightly.
"I doubt that."
"You say that now."
He looked toward the blueprints on his desk.
Rail lines.
Weapon designs.
Factory layouts.
Supply routes.
Things he understood.
Things that made sense.
Then he looked back toward Lucy.
"…What if I do not know how?"
Lucy's expression softened further.
"Then you learn."
Silence settled over the room.
Not uncomfortable.
Just quiet.
Then—
Kleber straightened slightly.
"Well," he said,
"At least we know one thing."
Lucy glanced toward him.
"What?"
"If Logos ever does get married…"
He looked toward Logos with a grin.
"His poor wife is going to spend half her life teaching him basic emotions…"
"…and the other half trying to stop him from committing war crimes."
Logos looked mildly offended.
"That seems unfair."
Lucy smiled.
"No."
A pause.
"It seems accurate."