Seeing Roland was angry but still thinking clearly, he was sowhat curious and tentatively asked:
"What are you planning to do? Continue chasing it down? Actually, what Barov took..."
"I have my own way."
Roland interrupted Sahalin and calmly said, "I’ll report for work tomorrow, it’s getting late now, I won’t see you off."
Seeing Roland’s determined attitude, Sahalin did not insist further and took his leave.
He had no personal friendship with Roland and even so private grievances. Although he considered the bigger picture and wouldn’t oppose Roland over past trivial matters, he still harbored a bit of a spectator’s mindset.
Did Her Majesty the Empress gift the Winter Palace to Roland as a real gift or a test?
He was sowhat curious.
After sending Sahalin off, Roland did not return to the main sleeping palace but chose a slightly remote residence as his dwelling.
Back at his residence, he imdiately ignited the Magic Lamp, spread out paper and pen, and began to brew his emotions.
Just as he was writing vigorously, a knock sounded at the door.
"Master Roland, are you there?" A trembling elderly voice ca from outside the door.
"Is it Barov? Please co in." Roland did not raise his head, speaking calmly, while his pen continued uninterrupted.
Soon, the Chief Steward Barov stood at the door, smiling warmly, his forehead full of wrinkles, but outwardly showing no evidence of soone daring to resell Imperial Family property.
"Barov, what do you want?" Roland did not raise his head and casually asked.
"Master, Her Majesty has said that you are now the owner of the Winter Palace, instructing to follow your orders. Please move to the Mirror Palace to rest, as it is the residence of the Winter Palace master."
Roland put down the pen in his hand, looked up at Barov, and calmly said:
"That’s unnecessary. I am rely temporarily replacing Her Majesty Sofia in managing this place. She will return to reside here in the future."
The implications of these words were vast, as Barov’s complexion clearly changed, so much so that he did not dare to make eye contact with Roland.
His brain began to spin rapidly.
Sofia, since seizing power, had never lived here again; she loathed this cage.
What did Roland an by his words? Had Sofia forgotten past pains, or was it...
Barov thought of a frightening possibility, his hands nervously clutching and unclutching.
He thought of all possibilities but did not consider Roland was making things up.
In the Rurik People’s stereotypical impression, nobody dared joke about Sofia, let alone fabricate imperial edicts which could lead to expulsion.
But Roland wasn’t a Rurik person, he dared.
Anyway, Sofia wouldn’t expose his lie, and since Sofia wouldn’t expose it, it beca truth.
As for when Sofia might move back, that would depend on her mood; would Barov dare to proactively ask?
The old steward originally just wanted to spar a bit with Roland, but unexpectedly was facing Sofia, and he was montarily frightened.
He hesitated for a ti and slowly said, "It has been many years since Her Majesty visited, it would be Winter Palace’s honor for her to return."
Seeing Barov didn’t doubt, Roland seemingly ntioned a trivial matter casually, "Barov, I am not too familiar with the Winter Palace, but I noticed the fountain is old and broken, and other things. You wouldn’t want Her Majesty the Empress to return and be furious, would you?"
"What do you an?" Barov asked shocked, looking towards Roland, trembling in his voice.
"I don’t care what thod you use, within a month, fully restore the Winter Palace to the state it was in when Her Majesty left. I an completely restored."
Barov froze.
He stood there dazed, montarily unsure how to respond.
Roland ignored him further, simply motioned with a wave for him to leave.
Barov, struck by Roland’s set of combo punches, was left dizzy, unable to fathom his true intentions, and reluctantly departed.
Watching him leave, Roland continued his desk work.
Tonight he must complete a plan, outlining an imperial future developnt blueprint.
Tomorrow’s Cabinet eting, he wants to make Cabinet mbers understand, he is serious about building the Empire.
He never believed Barov would return what was eaten.
After all, he is a relative of the Dowager, and the Dowager is Sofia’s last softness in the court.
But does it matter if Sofia doesn’t want to argue?
Now the Winter Palace is his territory.
If he didn’t take initiative, it was considered kind enough, but soone dared to reach into his pocket?
If he tolerated this, others might think he is a great benefactor.
Roland wrote the Empire’s basic situation upfront, and added "Under Her Majesty the Empress’s wise leadership, our country has won a series of brilliant victories in the Rodinia war" as an introduction, finally picking up the pen to write about a soul-touching pain point.
Though the Empire seems thriving, the nation’s fortune hinges entirely on Sofia.
Without Sofia’s hold, Vladimir Empire’s internal problems alone could tear the vast empire apart, let alone wage war.
Sofia invited Roland precisely to problem-solve, and of course, he went straight to the heart.
Receiving benefits requires reciprocation; he now has Sofia’s Duke’s Domain and a Winter Palace, plus comradeship forged in the Battle of White Mountain, this favor he committed to repaying.
Outsiders often see problems from different angles; Roland summarized Vladimir Empire’s issues quite clearly.
Unbalanced developnt.
Regional developnt imbalance, the Empire’s tropolis’s prosperity and remote areas’ backwardness appear as two different worlds.
This problem exists in Sussex and Jin Yuan too, but not as severely.
Vladimir Empire’s rural and remote areas even linger in tribal tis; in this era where vile feudalism is nearing its end, many places in the Empire still practice slavery.
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