Body as Collateral (2)
Even under the most splendidly sunny weather, it felt like groping through thunderclouds. Naturally so, with Asella shooting daggers at me from across the tea table. The person I was supposed to mainly converse with here was Lady Frieda Shvartsshubaiku, yet she refused to face me directly—instead, she'd dragged her chair right up against mine.
Too close, this woman.
Frieda sniffled through her nose and said, “I still can't forget how you saved my father's life. He's truly a wonderful man. I can't even imagine how I'd have survived without him.”
She'd thrive just fine without the Western Duke. In the future, Frieda inherited his seat, rose to Grand Duchess, and ruled the west with an iron fist. While the duke himself had shrunk back after Asella's ascension to the throne, Frieda hit it off surprisingly well with Empress Asella and rebuilt the duchy bigger than ever. I'd never crossed paths with her directly, so I didn't know her well—just vague rumors of her as the mad dog of the west.
“I wanted to send my thanks right away, but you and Her Highness had that huge incident that day. In the end, I had to leave the palace without seeing you. Still, I'm just thrilled to finally meet you now.”
Frieda spoke with a smile as soft as vanilla ice cream. To me, it tasted like muddy puddle water.
No. 077: Jealousy Incarnate
92% → 94%
It had ticked up again. A quick glance showed her golden mana not just blazing but on the verge of swallowing the whites of her eyes whole.
The Jealousy Incarnate bad ending triggered when I betrayed Asella... or so I believed. Was she instinctively marking Frieda as a big threat? She'd been the same when Heike's faction had tried poaching me.
She might think I'm eyeing the ducal house.
The Moonlight Palace was imperial property, but Camilla's long mismanagement had left it hollow. Only now, with full authority shifted to Asella, was it finally catching fire and starting to grow.
Two thousand gold coins was a massive sum—even for me as the imperial family's chief physician, it'd take a lifetime of work to save up. It was also the absolute max Asella could front me. The ducal house, on the other hand, had casually tossed out ten thousand. No interest, no contract. And they seemed to have me as their real target.
They knew my medical knowledge and techniques were the core of this venture. This was probably bait to lure me away if things soured.
From Asella's view, that could feel like a real crisis.
Does she see me as some money-grubbing traitor?
I couldn't read her true intentions, but if that was it, I was a bit disappointed. After all the loyalty I'd shown.
Still, turning down ten thousand gold outright felt like a waste.
Neria was right—lay the factory's foundation as solidly as possible from the start. Without cash, the ongoing construction would grind to a halt.
First, talk it out with the lady.
“Lady, about what happened at the party—your feelings came through loud and clear. No need to dwell on it.”
“How can mere words wipe it clean? I'm a woman of my word, you know.”
“I get it. It was an honor for me to help such an upstanding man as the duke. But the generosity you've already shown is more than enough.”
“Oh? That sounds a tad ungrateful. Why does it feel like you're drawing a line with me?”
Frieda's eyes narrowed. Why? Because you'll get me killed by Asella.
Of course, that wasn't the only reason. Without a contract, they'd use the seed money as an excuse for endless meddling in our family business down the line. Headache city.
I had two paths: hammer out a solid contract with the ducal house or return the ten thousand gold and pretend it never happened. The latter was impossible right now and risked burning bridges, so best avoided.
What I needed was paperwork.
I gave Frieda a light smile. “Drawing a line? I'm just worried your overly generous reward might become a burden on the house.”
“Hee-hee, gold like that is only right as aid. Don't let it weigh on you.”
“It's too large a sum for that. It could turn into a debt later—how about we draw up a receipt in advance?”
Frieda's expression chilled a degree. She wasn't stupid; she got the polite subtext. The document was a clear promise to repay the ten thousand—no more nosing into our business after that. Someone like her would read between the lines.
“Teacher, I know a way we can skip such paperwork entirely.”
Then Frieda pitched a third option. She smoothly overlaid her hand on my arm resting on the table.
“Hah, what the—?”
I didn't need to look to feel Asella's glare hot enough to melt me.
Frieda purred in a silky voice, “If the ducal and marquis houses were bound by blood, we could handle trivial money or business without any documents, right?”
Bang! Asella kicked back her chair and shot to her feet.
Frieda gazed at her with gleeful chuckles, like she was savoring it.
No. 077: Jealousy Incarnate
94% → 98%
The limit was closing in fast. I had to defuse this somehow.
“Ah, I didn't realize the lady had a younger brother. But my sister Neria's still too young for any engagement talk.”
“Really, Teacher? Still playing dumb?”
Frieda leaned in below my line of sight, peering up at me. Her deeply shadowed cleavage swam into view.
Of course I knew what she meant. She wanted a political marriage as a pretext to fold my medicine into the ducal house.
Even knowing full well I was engaged to an imperial princess, she didn't hesitate to pick a blatant fight. No wonder they called her a mad dog.
“Lady, choose your next words with care.”
Asella murmured in a low tone.
Frieda, who'd been half-ignoring her until now, shot back with deliberate provocation. “Why get so worked up, Your Highness? I'm not poaching a taken man, am I? Everyone in high society knows the Gotberg heir's engagement to the Third Princess is just business.”
“What?”
“I'm not lying—grab anyone and ask. Some even say you spread those playboy rumors to keep the young ladies away from him.”
Frieda Shvartsshubaiku indeed. The future ruler of the duchy had presence as overwhelming as Asella's. Asella outranked her on paper as imperial blood, but socially? Dead even. She didn't flinch an inch against Asella, bulldozing toward her goal.
In the future, I'd seen scenes of the two sharing drinks. But we'd botched the first button.
The problem? I was the one about to get crushed in their whale fight.
“You've chosen war, Shvartsshubaiku.”
“Getting that angry all the time's bad for your skin. Not attractive to men, you know?”
“Worry not. You'll never get the chance to check my flawless complexion.”
Mana whirled in Asella's eyes like a blizzard. Her patience had snapped. She was seconds from unleashing a spell.
The moment I stood to avert disaster—
Asella froze, then wrinkled her nose.
“Achoo.”
She sneezed softly and sniffled. Mortified at showing weakness before an enemy, her face flushed red as she scowled fiercely.
Wind's pretty biting, huh.
Northern climes, and the season for it already.
I shrugged off my overcoat and draped it over her shoulders. “You've been out in the chill too long. You might catch cold—let's head inside.”
“I haven't finished with this vixen yet.”
“Highness, what does your physician say?”
“...I have to listen.”
Asella shot Frieda a sullen glare. I rubbed her arm to warm it, and she settled a bit.
Oddly, Frieda's smug vibe had evaporated too.
“Hmph. A princess who only knows the capital can't handle a little cold? Always needing your doctor—what then? Must be that frail build. Try exercising.”
Frieda recrossed her long, sturdy legs in blatant display.
Provoking to the bitter end. Asella's stress would end up dumped on me anyway.
And Frieda herself came from warmer lands. But against my expectation of an outburst, Asella just gave a leisurely snort toward her.
“With that to seduce a young lord?”
“That? More than Your Highness, at least...”
“We'll see. Who wins.”
Asella tilted her chin up and strode toward the terrace.
I signaled Frieda with a gesture—don't poke the bear anymore—and followed.
In the corridor, Asella spoke up. “Young lord, that plump girl's prettier than me?”
Hmm. Plenty of other things to discuss, but she jumped straight there. Unexpected. Guess even Asella couldn't shrug off a jab at her looks.
Frieda was far more womanly now, but I knew exactly how Asella would grow.
“Of course not, Highness. You possess the greatest beauty under heaven—no need to compare with anyone.”
“Hmph. Right?”
She seemed a touch satisfied.
“The lady's sharp in business. She sees potential in our pharmaceutical factory and wants a piece. I figured a document would cut off future meddling using that seed investment as leverage.”
Asella's mouth parted slightly in surprise.
“You didn't catch my intent?”
“No, I did. I'm just shocked you're even dumber than I thought.”
“What the heck.”
“Hmm... So how'd you take the lady's engagement pitch?”
“She literally said business marriage. That's what it meant.”
“No urge to accept?”
“Why would I? I've got you, Highness.”
Too busy wart removal—no room for extras. Not even for a hundred thousand gold.
“H-hmm.”
Hearing that, Asella's lips twitched like she was stifling a laugh.
No. 077: Jealousy Incarnate
98% → 22%
Good—probability plunged nicely. Not back to normal, but defusing it at the brink counted as a win.
“That woman's stubborn as hell. Headache. I'd love to make her pay for messing with our initial setup too.”
“Make her.”
“Got a way?”
“Who do you think I am?”
Asella flashed a devilish grin and pulled a notebook and quill from her bosom.
“You carry a notebook too?”
“Yeah. Yours looked handy.”
Asella started scribbling in it.
“Whatcha doing?”
“Telling Daddy.”
Eh?
“His Imperial Majesty? For this?”
“Nope.”
Asella giggled, suddenly chipper. “Her daddy.”