Chapter 183: A Polite Refusal
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 183: A Polite Refusal
“I wonder what they’re up to now.”
Loik swept a hand through his hair, his expression clouded with annoyance.
“Do you think rumors about Her Highness’s holy power have spread?” Perel asked, trying to gauge the Empress’s intentions.
“If that were the case, we would have received word.” Loik shook his head, confident that the informants he had planted in the Imperial Palace would have contacted him one way or another.
I, too, couldn't think of a specific reason no matter how hard I tried.
“What should we do?” Perel asked after a moment of deliberation.
“I’m absolutely not going,” I said, rubbing the goosebumps on my arms.
Anyone could see this invitation was suspicious. I had fled to the North just to stay alive; there was no way I was crawling back into the capital.
Loik nodded, looking relieved by my reaction. “Then the answer is clear.”
“But we’ll need an excuse.”
“The Grand Duchess is of a delicate constitution,” Loik said firmly. “She’s in so much pain after even the slightest movement…”
Loik’s gaze suddenly lingered on my waist.
“What? Is Her Highness unwell?” Perel asked, startled.
I flushed crimson and shouted hurriedly, “He—he just means that anyone would be in pain after riding in a carriage for a week! Right, Cecilia?”
“Of course! It’s a grueling journey even for a healthy person,” Cecilia added, nodding along without a clue.
Loik stroked his chin for a moment before turning back to Perel. “Tell them the Grand Duchess is in no condition to travel to the capital. Refuse the invitation as politely as possible.”
Perel was nodding, looking skeptical about whether such an excuse would actually work, when Whitley entered the room after a brief knock. He held out a tray to Loik with a troubled expression.
“An invitation from Her Imperial Highness, the Crown Princess, has arrived for the Consort.”
I choked on the prenatal juice I was drinking, coughing violently. Just what was going on?
At least the Crown Princess had sent the invitation directly to me. It contained a belated congratulation on becoming a member of the Imperial Family and an invitation to the palace so she could introduce me to various figures in high society.
It was only after receiving the Crown Princess’s letter that I realized the motives of both parties. Right now, the Empress and the Crown Princess were locked in a fierce power struggle over the succession to the throne.
‘They want to use me to gain Loik’s support.’
It seemed Loik’s appearance at the theater had caused a much larger stir than I had anticipated. Naturally, I refused both invitations.
‘The problem is, I have a feeling this is only the beginning.’
Well, worrying about it wasn't going to provide any answers. I shook off my concerns and focused on the administrator standing before me. For some time now, I had been receiving the reports regarding the shopping district in Loik’s stead.
“…And the number of tourists from Rondoris is steadily increasing,” the administrator said, comparing this year’s tourist numbers to last year’s.
‘The figures are encouraging compared to last year, but…’
“It hasn't increased as dramatically as I expected,” I said, feeling a bit dejected.
“The biggest issue is that there aren't many places for nobles to stay,” the chief administrator said, presenting the analysis he had prepared.
There were about two hotels in Gold Lane, but they were nowhere near large enough to accommodate the growing number of tourists.
‘And they’re a bit outdated, too.’
Because of this, most nobles visiting the North lately stayed at the estates of acquaintances or rented townhouses.
“We need to strike while the iron is hot…”
Even though the peak of summer—the most popular vacation season—had passed, the number of nobles coming to Blenheim for a late holiday was still on the rise.
“If we lack accommodations, the momentum will die out.”
While the number of inns had increased significantly since ‘Marie’s Inn’ became a trend, the problem was the lack of places suitable for the upper class and nobility.
‘I should have built a hotel in advance.’
But there was no use regretting it now. I looked around at the administrators.
“We need to find a site to build a hotel.”
“Y-you mean right now? Isn't it too late?” one of the administrators asked worriedly.
“Starting now is a hundred times better than not building one at all. Are we not going to accept tourists next year?”
At my words, the aides hurriedly brought out a map.
“…There aren't as many suitable spots for a hotel as I thought.”
Most of the prime locations already had buildings on them.
“Why is this area crossed out?” I asked, pointing to a spot on the map. A village near the Pogen Mountains labeled ‘Porcelain’ had been struck through.
“Ah, that territory was incorporated into the Grand Duchy a few years ago.”
“Incorporated?”
“Monsters kept crossing over, so it wasn't a fit place for people to live.”
He explained that because of the constant casualties, Loik had purchased the land himself, provided relocation funds to the residents, and completely vacated the territory.
“Now that we’ve cleared out all the monster dens in the vicinity, they don't cross over anymore.”
“So it’s safe now?” I asked after a moment of thought. “Is the lord’s castle there large?”
The administrator who had handled the contract with the former lord on Loik’s behalf stepped forward.
“It’s an old castle, so it’s not small. I recall there being several annexes as well. In the North, castles are generally built quite large.”
“What if we renovate the castle and turn it into a hotel? Wouldn't that save a lot of time?”
Unlike shops, hotels take a considerable amount of time to build. If we started building one now, it would be winter at the earliest before it was finished, but renovating a castle would drastically shorten the timeline.
“But Porcelain is right next to the Pogen Mountains, so it’s quite a distance from Gold Lane.”
Distance was indeed an issue. I was racking my brain over this recurring problem when a thought suddenly struck me.
“What if we set up a Gate?”
“I beg your pardon, Your Highness, but the Blenheim Gate is currently closed,” the chief administrator said awkwardly.
I knew that. I even knew it was blocked because of Marquis Frais.
“But wouldn't it be fine if it’s a Gate for traveling within Blenheim?”
The administrators tilted their heads as if they were hearing something bizarre.
“Basically, Gates are for traveling between territories… I’ve never seen them used as a means of transportation within a single territory.”
That was when Adem suddenly spoke up. “Actually, it’s not impossible, is it? It’s not like there’s a law against it.”
Another administrator agreed. “Blenheim is so vast that traveling from one end of the territory to the other is equivalent to crossing several other territories.”
One by one, the administrators began to nod.
“If we could install Gates at key points in the territory…”
“Travel time would be drastically reduced. It would be incredibly convenient.”
“The distribution of goods would become lightning-fast as well.”
“Why don't other territories do this?”
“Money, obviously. Do you have any idea how much it costs to install a single Gate? What lord would invest such a massive budget just for internal travel?”
Silence fell over the meeting room for a moment, and then all the administrators turned to look at me.
“H-how much is it?” I asked, my voice lacking a bit of confidence.
*
It had been an incredibly busy day.
‘Still, I have to stop by the theater.’
— “It’s exactly as Your Highness said! The noblewomen are watching the opera over and over again. There’s even a subtle competition to see who has seen it the most.”
This was the news Cecilia had shared with me this morning as soon as Loik left. The fact that people were watching the opera multiple times meant a solid fanbase was forming.
Feeling a sense of pride, I headed to the theater. I intentionally entered through the back door, but I could still feel the heat of the audience filling the lobby on the other side.
“What is all that?”
“Gifts and bouquets for Antonel,” Alcent replied.
I was marveling at the mountain of gifts piled in front of the dressing room when Alcent gave me a worried look.
“Are you sure you’ll be alright watching from backstage? It’s quite cramped and might feel stifling.”
“I’m used to it, so don't worry,” I said, giving the puzzled Alcent a bright smile.
I had mentioned that I would watch today’s performance from backstage instead of the audience seats. Part of it was because I didn't want to draw attention to myself, but more than anything, I wanted to see the audience’s reaction from the front. Since I had always watched performances from backstage before my reincarnation anyway, it was a familiar place to me.
“Your Highness, you can sit here.”
Alcent placed chairs for me and Cecilia in the wings, the space where the backdrops were moved in and out. From this spot, I could see the actors’ profiles as well as the faces of some of the audience members in the front rows.
“Then, please enjoy the show.”
Watching the performance from behind was more fun than I expected. Especially whenever Antonel appeared—the way the noblewomen’s fans fluttered so vigorously was a sight to behold. The raw reactions of the audience made me want to fidget in my seat with excitement.
As the performance neared its end, someone quietly sat down beside me.
“…Prince?”
It was Lucion, dressed in much more casual attire than before. Cecilia, whose seat had been taken, stood behind us with her mouth pressed shut.
When I whispered the question, he leaned in close and lowered his voice as well.
“I came to the theater and heard Your Highness was here.”
He sounded somewhat out of breath.
“I wondered why you weren't in the audience, but it turns out you’ve taken the best seat in the house.”
At Lucion’s playful remark, I relaxed a little and replied, “I’m better than the troupe leader, aren't I?”
Lucion let out a small laugh. Thanks to that, the atmosphere became comfortable, and we watched together until the curtain call.
Finally, the opera ended. Just as I was standing up while watching the curtain slowly descend, I heard a clattering sound from the ceiling.
Sensing something was wrong, I looked up. The rope pulling up the backdrop seemed to have caught on something and was pulled taut. Just as I was about to warn someone, the hook connecting the backdrop to the ceiling snapped.
In an instant, the massive backdrop tilted and began to plummet toward Lucion.
“Prince!”
I lunged forward and grabbed Lucion by the waist, pulling him back with all my might.