I stared at the official’s face for a moment before answering, “I’ve never denied that my background has afforded me certain privileges.” I laced my fingers together on the table, then continued, “That’s exactly why I’ve used those privileges as best I can to help our country. Now, try naming one thing I’ve done as a princess that has harmed the nation.”
Silence.
The official who had questioned my credibility was suddenly speechless.
“If there’s nothing, then I’ll continue with the meeting agenda I’ve laid out,” I said, opening the next page of the documents I’d brought.
The meeting resumed in a more productive atmosphere.
“For today’s agenda, I’d like to propose a cultural and student exchange program. This won’t be like an ordinary exchange program. Students from every corner of the Kingdom of Indonesia will be able to apply. We’ll hold tests and interviews to determine who qualifies. For further details, you may read the documents already provided on your respective tables.”
The documents distributed to the participants contained the program’s complete plan. It began with an initial test covering basic subjects, followed by an English test requiring at least conversational proficiency, and finally an interview.
Through the interviews, we would be able to learn about the background and motivations of every child applying for this student and cultural exchange program.
“I like Your Highness’s idea.”
I turned toward the voice.
Maximilian continued, “Rather than judging them solely by their report cards, we can assess the students’ academic abilities firsthand and understand how seriously they’re taking this program. We can also interview them in English to gauge their communication skills. After all, while they’re abroad, even a basic ability to understand English will be extremely helpful.”
“Thank you, Mr. Lawrence. As for the other ambassadors, I hope you’ll also be willing to participate in this exchange program. I believe it could become a valuable experience in our children’s growth and development,” I said with an eager smile.
The other ambassadors appeared to mull over the offer. Seeing the majority’s reaction, I grew increasingly confident that the result would be positive.
After some time passed, it was finally time to make a decision. Almost all the ambassadors from the various countries agreed to join the program. A few had yet to give their approval, but that wasn’t a problem. I glanced at the official who had criticized me at the beginning, and he immediately turned his face away. He was clearly still struggling with his embarrassment and irritation.
It was decided that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Indonesia would contact each country’s ambassador to discuss the partnership.
“Whew…” I let out a long breath. All the tension drained from me in an instant. Thank goodness, everything had gone smoothly. There had been a little resistance at the beginning, but even that had been resolved peacefully.
A bottle of water was slid toward me. I looked up and saw Maximilian.
“Good job. Proud of you,” he said with a smile and a wink.
I was startled and lowered my head. I felt embarrassed and happy at the same time.
“Thanks,” I said, trying to calm my pounding heart.
“Your Highness, if you’re not busy after this, would you like to have lunch with me?” Maximilian asked.
“Just the two of us?”
“With our personal assistants, of course. But if you’d rather it be just the two of us, I’d be more than happy to go along with that idea.”
“What? N-no, I didn’t mean that, uh…” I fidgeted, stumbling over my words.
Maximilian burst out laughing, while I continued cursing myself for speaking without thinking first.