"The Kingdom of Cyprus?" Serenus was greatly puzzled by Caesar's conjecture.
Seeing his expression, Manuel took out several files from under the table and placed them on top.
"My Chief Minister, you can look at these.
Although you, Justinian, have probably seen them before, putting them together will certainly lead to different conclusions than before."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Chief Minister, half-believing, meticulously reviewed them as instructed.
After reading, he suddenly understood and realized the reason for Caesar's judgment:
The compiled documents Caesar had shown his Chief Minister, when viewed separately, were merely public information about Cairo's recent large-scale troop movements across the country and its diplomatic exchanges with Eastern Mediterranean nations, seemingly nothing noteworthy.
However, when viewed together, it became clear that Cairo's troop deployments were primarily directed towards major ports adjacent to Cyprus, and Cairo had also refused to meet with Cypriot envoys.
Conversely, towards the Knights Hospitaller, Cairo, while maintaining its usual cold relations, had not conscripted the large number of militiamen or large-scale siege engines needed to conquer fortified island strongholds.
Based on this known information, the most likely target for the Mamluks was indeed the Kingdom of Cyprus.
After understanding Manuel's perspective, Serenus immediately bowed and requested Caesar's next instructions, "Your Majesty, what should we do?"
"As the husband of my niece Helena, I will do my best to ensure they do not die on the island of Cyprus." Manuel casually raised a glass of light fruit wine from the table, a smile on his face.
The Helena he referred to was Helena Palaiologos, the daughter of his Brother-in-law, Despot Theodore.
The newlyweds had been united in marriage on February 3rd of this year, with the Roman Curia and the Emperor of Constantinople facilitating the union.
Hearing Caesar's reply, his Chief Minister was momentarily stunned, then broke into a wry smile.
Some time later, Manuel's reply also arrived at the Konya Palace in mid-April, in the morning.
After reading Manuel's letter, Suleiman, who was in the palace, couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
Although he generally understood the other party's concerns, he still believed that his good friend had actually become hesitant and fearful of the Ottoman.
For example, he firmly believed that the Mamluks would never act as Manuel thought, but would instead wholeheartedly assist him.
Because in the Bey's eyes, as a fellow Sunni, he not only understood the other party far better than his friend, but the fact that Cairo was able to deploy troops to several important ports in Syria was enough to indicate that its control over the Levant remained as strong as ever.
As for Manuel's worries, they were nothing more than groundless speculation.
But since Bosporus was unwilling to send troops to help, he had no choice but to temporarily postpone his plans.
Thinking of this, Suleiman summoned his confidant Rutaoglu and ordered him to relay instructions to all the Viziers, changing the original plan.
Meanwhile, far across the Bosporus Strait, Constantine XI was anxiously rushing from the Blachernae Palace in Constantinople to the city outskirts where his wife, Caterina Gattilusio, was located.
Beside him, young Theodore, who had been sent by his Brother-in-law for educational observation, was following his godfather uncle, who had been properly arranged to continue studying difficult classical literary enlightenment with the Lucas Notaras family.
As for why this situation occurred now, it started this morning.
At that time, Caterina, who had been confined to the Purple Palace, grew tired of the boring days and, for the first time, pestered her husband, saying that she needed to go out for a walk for her health and pregnancy.
Constantine, finding himself in a difficult position, simply agreed to her request, allowing his wife to stroll in the city outskirts accompanied by guards.
However, a sudden situation arose less than half a day after leaving the palace: according to the guards' urgent report, the Basilissa suddenly fainted near the city gate on her way back, suspected of being in labor.
Upon learning of this, Constantine XI was so startled that he jumped up on the spot, hastily ordered the city's physicians to provide treatment, and immediately prepared his horse to deal with this sudden situation.
By the time he arrived at his destination, his wife, in labor, had already been taken into a nearby delivery room for some time.
Soon after, an old physician emerged from the room and bowed to the Basileus, reporting:
"Your Majesty, there are two pieces of news—" The physician had not even finished speaking when he was interrupted by the Basileus standing before him.
"Speak, what is the good news?" Constantine's face instantly darkened.
When he heard the physician's words, he had already determined what fate awaited his wife and the child in her womb.
At least, before receiving the bad news, he wanted to know one piece of good news that could barely lift his spirits.
"Your Majesty, your child is a boy."
"Is that so…" Hearing this, Constantine felt a momentary dizziness; he felt that the life he was about to embrace, his own son, carried a heavy weight…
Before the Emperor could finish his silent reflection, the physician continued, "Your Majesty, there is even better news: by the grace of God, Her Highness is ultimately safe and sound."
"Eh?"
Upon hearing this, the complex emotions that had been brewing in the Basileus's heart vanished completely.
Soon after he reacted, they were replaced by genuine joy and anger towards the physician—
"Why didn't you finish what you were saying!?"
Ultimately, because both mother and child were safe, Constantine merely warned the physician to avoid such misleading statements in the future and did not assign further blame, instead hurrying to the delivery room to see his wife and child.
At this time, Caterina had fallen into a deep sleep due to exhaustion, and his son was crying loudly in the arms of the midwife, while the physicians sat nearby, sweating and resting.
Watching this scene for a long time, the Basileus's face showed a rare warm smile.
And when he took his son into his arms, the new father, after a moment of contemplation, gave his son the name he had already decided upon, "Isaac, Isaac Palaiologos, that is this child's name."
At the end of April, when Manuel embraced his eldest son, who had been in Constantinople, from the ship docked at the port of Trabzon, he also received a reply from his Brother-in-law, Constantine XI.
After reading the letter and thus learning he had a nephew named Isaac, Manuel, while genuinely pleased for his in-laws, also pondered what gift he should prepare for the child.
However, while Manuel was engrossed in thought about this, an urgent message from Badars, the Commander of the Guard and head of the secret department, diverted his thoughts elsewhere.
"Is the time right?" Caesar gravely took the classified intelligence from the Commander of the Guard's hand.
It clearly detailed the estimated whereabouts of an important person for the upcoming period, and this person was Mara Hatton, whom he had marked several years ago.