The Recipe for Dominion

Sometimes, it took a moment; sometimes, it took a lifetime to find what you were looking for. Sometimes, it meant traveling the world; other times, it had been beside you all along, exactly what you needed. For Kuzan, it could only be said that he had bad luck—it had taken him two lifetimes, traveling through two entirely different worlds, to find what he was looking for.

A friend.

Someone who could truly understand him, even more so than his own family. Someone who could pierce through his mask. Someone who could not only understand his madness but surpass it.

"Like what?" she replied casually, seemingly oblivious to the implications of such a request, dropping all formalities between them.

But from the look in his eyes, all it took was a glance for her to surmise his thoughts. He looked at the world like she would at a village, evaluating it with an almost careless intensity.

Kuzan smiled, curious to see her reaction to his proposal. Without words, he gestured for her to bring some pen and paper, eager to prove he wasn't just a pretty face. Writing down his thoughts was not hard; despite what the system stats suggested, he wasn't just brawn. With the intellect of his past life and a natural talent for business, Kuzan summarized his thoughts in a matter of minutes while the Queen patiently waited, her thoughts unreadable even to him.

The system had issued a warning not to try his luck with this target, but not for the reason he expected. Apparently, it wasn't just her intellect that was beyond Kuzan's reach—her thoughts were too scattered, too chaotic even for the system to analyze. Reading the mind of a lunatic was madness in itself.

Kuzan considered it foolish to compare himself to those young masters he had read about, with their gold fingers and invincible luck. Still, he felt a pang of jealousy. Regardless, even without knowing every detail of her life, he felt no hesitation in choosing her as a partner.

Quickly, under her analytical gaze, he finished. What he presented wasn't just a picture but a bunch of instructions on how to create something indispensable. Her eyes grew starry as she read through the sheets, contemplating the impact such a change could have on her kingdom. What had Kuzan provided that left her so excited?

A simple recipe.

"It's called concrete," he spoke lazily, pointing out a few key details that would take time to understand, even with the recipe. "Surely, I don't have to spell out the wonders such technology can bestow?"

She continued gazing at his work, mesmerized, tuning him out as she imagined the ramifications. "It's going to revolutionize your country—your architecture, your castles. Just think about it," he continued, a flash of insanity in his eyes mirroring her own. "The political power you can wield."

She was too stunned to speak, lost in her delusions. But Kuzan thought it best to strike while the iron was hot. "And that's just a taste of what I offer—to this kingdom, to you, to this world! Architecture, agriculture, medicine, culture, business—I have stolen the knowledge of the gods."

He spoke straightforwardly, caring little for the impact his words might have on the young Queen's heart. "That is what I offer, young Queen. What say you in response?" He offered her his hand, palm resting on the table, as if holding the weight of all his knowledge. "Offer yourself up to me, become my servant, and I shall bestow upon you power you could only dream of."

The Queen's entire body tensed at his declaration. Suddenly, with a flash of movement, she drew a knife hidden beneath her dress and attempted to stab the hand that offered her the world. Kuzan, caught off guard, retracted his hand just in time. Though her dagger wouldn't have harmed him, her audacity surprised him.

He grabbed her hands and drove the knife into the table. The force of the blow cracked the table from the knife's tip, causing it to collapse. For a moment, fury burned in Kuzan's eyes before they turned cold and distant, disappointed by what he had found.

'To think I considered her useful...'

Her actions couldn't be justified by foolishness alone, but it mattered not to Kuzan. She had lost the fundamental quality of any relationship—trust. He hesitated to resort to his backup plan, not because of the destruction it would cause, but because it would waste more time trying to find another kingdom after he destroyed this one.

"Why would you do something so foolish, Azuleth?" he asked, disappointment heavy in his tone. He spoke her name without her title, for what was the use of a title when her kingdom would soon be no more?

'Damn it. And to think I had found a miracle in the making,' he thought bitterly.

He had believed she would be easy to talk to, to understand his proposal and recognize his value. Kuzan was no fool. He knew that knowledge was power, but knowledge without the strength to protect it was useless. He needed someone who wouldn't grow greedy upon learning of the knowledge he possessed. Of course, that was impossible, so the only alternative was to scare them with his strength.

However, even such a display, going to war and thrashing kingdoms, came with untold risks and wasted precious time. When Kuzan had learned of the Queen's nature from her younger brother, he had thought he'd won the lottery. A woman as intelligent as he needed, who could offer him any resource, cutting out the middleman and shortening his journey by untold amounts.

But now, he realized he had been too impulsive, relying on the thoughts of a brother overly fond of his sister and judging her by her cover. It had led to disaster.

"I could have given you the world—" he began, but the Queen's gaze met his, burning with as much fury as his own.

"I am not your servant," she declared, her eyes searing into his. "I am not beneath you."

Her words, though harsh, calmed the room. Kuzan's eyes, ready to rage, cooled at her defiance. They chilled.

'Ah, I get it,' he thought, understanding her a bit more, starting to like her even more—but that was just his personal preference.

"I apologize, Ms. Queen. I misspoke." He sat back down, his hands interlaced.

"Your forgiven," she offered, ending playfully, "...Mr. King."

But Kuzan's face remained stone-cold. Instead of continuing his discussion, he spoke with certainty, bringing the meeting to a close. Her actions had done little to regain his trust or repair their rapport.

"It seems I've been too hasty," he admitted. "I cannot continue this discussion with you, Azuleth." His gaze bore into hers. "I need this discussion with the Queen."

Her eyes widened, realizing her greatest secret had been laid bare by an unknown man with incomprehensible strength and knowledge that surpassed even hers.

"And you cannot remain the Queen in my presence."

For the first time since this meeting began, she appeared genuinely worried.

Kuzan thought quickly, his mind enhanced by the system. "So, this is how we shall proceed. You will find me a translator," he declared, causing her spirit to rise. "Earn back my trust, Azuleth. You have half a day to find me the perfect servant—someone who will live for my dream, never betray me, and sacrifice anything for my interests. Someone loyal, someone smart, someone who can keep up with our thoughts."

Kuzan had long realized that if they continued like this, they would only end up like an old married couple constantly fighting, eventually leading to a divorce. So, he decided to bring in a mediator.

"I need..." He chose his words carefully. "I need someone like you, in fact," he said, watching her closely, "but someone who would have said yes."

"If you cannot even do that, what use do I have for you, Azuleth?" he asked, trying to get her to understand. "What use do I have for your kingdom?"

Her eyes flashed as if reading his thoughts.

"Why so patient?" she interjected, the sarcasm in her tone unmistakable.

They both knew the only reason Kuzan still considered such an arrangement was that it would save him more time than the alternative.

"Why are you giving me this task and not the 'Queen'?" She leaned in closer to his face, causing the table to tremble on its last legs.

"The Queen has yet to lose my trust, Azuleth, but you have," he replied. "Plus..." His words were riddles to anyone not possessing their level of understanding. She lamented, but his next words ignited a fire in her eyes. "Just between you and me..."

His eyes darted left and right as if afraid anyone might hear, though they both knew that was impossible in this room.

"I much prefer you over the Queen."

He leaned in, his hand cupping her left ear as he whispered, "The Queen will only ever have a partnership between us, but you... you have the potential to earn a much greater level of trust..."

The temperature in the room rose from the faintest of whispers, as even the Queen felt its effects.

Why else would she release such hot breaths at his words?

"Now, bring me the perfect pawn, and I will make the world your chessboard. Until then..."

His eyes grew misty with absolute adoration, bordering on love, for the first time since the start of this conversation. "Why don't you show me the way to the Royal Library so I can acclimate myself with this kingdom?"

She simply nodded at his words, following his instructions without question. The matters of his identity, purpose, or history were pushed to the back of her mind. Considering that he had yet to bring them up, they tacitly agreed not to delve into such details. It mattered not how they got here or how they met. All that mattered was that they were here now, in this moment, their needs as clear as day to one another. This was the benefit of having superior minds with a dash of madness. A lesser mind might have brought up such trivial matters and ruined what was unfolding between them.

This was not like walking on a tightrope but an agreement where they could indulge in their whims without worrying about the consequences—at least, not for Kuzan. The Queen's composure threatened to collapse after she gave the young man beside her directions to the room of knowledge he sought. She had already lost her composure once; it was the least she could do to make up for it, especially to her benefactor, who had so graciously decided not to bring calamity upon her kingdom.

She herself slowly returned to her throne, under the scrutinizing eyes of three men of varying ages, their questions barely concealed behind their stern faces. She turned, sitting on her throne comfortably, smiling at her subjects—the three men, who now seemed so dull compared to him. Her new toy.

"Hear my will," her tone grew serious, as she was now the Queen addressing her subjects. Of course, the truth of her identity was only known to one of the men in the throne room, a secret shared only with her family. Still, even to him, it mattered little who was behind the mask; he loved them equally.

"By imperial decree..." Her words caused the hearts of the three men to tighten. One was a prince, still gripped with the fear that had overwhelmed him moments ago; another was a warrior who had lost his spirit; and the last was her uncle, whose expression was one of deep concern.

"Princess Serena must return to the Palace of Peace before dawn." The weight of this command was heavy, though it seemed insignificant compared to the greater task at hand. That Kuzan's presence alone was enough to overshadow anything else only added to its gravity.

"By imperial decree, I want the heart of Duke Windslow, Lady Fiana within the next hour." Her voice grew louder, piercing through their wills, leaving them no time to contemplate the ramifications of her orders.

"Vice-Captain Stubborn and Prince Michael shall stay in the Palace of Peace under my protection until and unless otherwise advised by me in person." Her gaze softened momentarily as she looked at her brother, who appeared as if he had just returned from war. It was a look she remembered all too well—a look she had worn herself in this very castle many years ago when their father had forsaken his greatest love for his foolish beliefs.

But she would not make the same mistake.

'A war to end all wars.'

She smiled at the hypocrisy of the thought, for wars would always exist until the world was divided. Her greatest drive, where her father had sought peace for his kingdom, was to seek peace for the entire world. Her father's perfect creation, the Queen he had painstakingly molded to hide her true nature behind a mask. A task that had ultimately failed, for how could peace be achieved with everyone under a single flag? With overwhelming power and authority, unrestrained and unquestioned?

Unfortunately, for once, it was not the persona she needed. Her eyes stirred, flashing from pure, calculated reason to madness. The madness she needed to match Kuzan's own—the man she had become inseparably entangled with, whether she was the Queen or Azuleth. It clearly mattered not to him. Her eyes, devoid of any care for the people around her, for this nation, for this palace, for this peace, for this world. None of these things held any value to her anymore; her new interest lay solely in her new toy, one that she must win, no matter the cost—even if it cost her life, much less the kingdom.

"Prepare a missive declaring my decree," she spoke to Captain Lastrange, her most trustworthy knight and guard, "and should they refuse...

execute them so at least I may have their heads adorned on the castle walls."