Chapter 73: The Spark of Passion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 73: The Spark of Passion
A short while ago, the Grand Duke had summoned me to report on the progress of the criminals' punishment.
– "I remember you said you would handle it yourself, but..."
When he hesitated before revealing he had found the mastermind, I naturally assumed he would mention the Head Maid.
However, the name that left his lips was, quite frankly, unexpected.
– "Is the culprit you had in mind the daughter of the Arbor family?"
– "Lady Meisel?"
When I asked how he had found out, the Grand Duke explained that the clue lay in the fact that the culprit had received two hundred Danir.
– "Thugs who spend their days drifting from one tavern to another would likely have accepted the job for a mere ten Danir. Given the excessive amount of money provided, I suspected a member of a noble family with little sense of financial scale."
He added that after 'unofficially' investigating bank withdrawal records, Arbor Meisel was the only name that fit the criteria.
In truth, I had also suspected that Meisel might be behind Marzella, but thanks to the Grand Duke, everything was now certain.
‘Meisel gave the orders, and Marzella carried them out.’
The President of the Merchant Association likely cooperated as well.
‘The sudden invitation and the way he gathered the merchants just to see me off were far too suspicious from the start.’
What a detestable man.
It turned out his bumbling face and groveling attitude were all an act.
However, recalling the panicked look in his eyes when the commotion broke out, it didn't seem like he knew the full extent of the plan.
‘He was likely only instructed to ensure a crowd gathered around the Grand Duchess.’
Since the Association President and the Arbor family were close, Meisel could easily have asked for such a favor.
In that light, Meisel was the only common link between the President and Marzella.
"You should have just asked His Highness to punish Lady Meisel as well."
Cecilia was deeply disappointed that I had declined the Grand Duke's offer to penalize Meisel.
‘Though calling it a "decline" is a bit of an understatement; the Grand Duke was quite adamant, and I had to break a sweat to talk him down.’
"It’s unfair that the actual mastermind isn't taking any responsibility."
But punishing a common lady-in-waiting and punishing the daughter of the Arbor family were two entirely different matters.
The Arbor family was one of the most influential houses in the North.
If the Lord of Blenheim were to publicly punish the daughter of a major family, things would become complicated in many ways.
"The day will come when I can pay her back."
Even without a 'public punishment,' there were plenty of ways to make Meisel suffer.
After Cecilia vented her frustration for a long while, she finally retired for the night. I collapsed onto the plush bedding Reta had prepared for me.
While I was certainly angry about Meisel, something else was currently cluttering my mind.
It was from the end of my conversation with the Grand Duke earlier.
His complexion had looked terrible.
– "You must be exhausted. Please, go and rest."
I had frowned at the sound of his voice, which was full of concern for me despite the clear fatigue etched onto his own face.
– "I think the one who needs rest right now isn't me, but you, Your Highness. Is the matter with the delegation still unresolved?"
– "No. Negotiations regarding the schedule and scale are nearing completion. However, I plan to redevelop Gold Lane to coincide with the delegation's arrival, so I expect to be quite busy for a while."
– "Redevelop Gold Lane?"
– "It is currently lacking in many ways to be presented as Blenheim's representative commercial district. It must at least be at a level where we can discuss trade with the delegation."
So, the Grand Duke was aware that Gold Lane was a mess.
As I listened, my curiosity was piqued—after all, this was my area of expertise.
– "Could I perhaps take a look at the details? Noblewomen are the ones who do most of the shopping, so I might be able to help."
– "The Association President did bring a proposal, but it is flimsy compared to the budget he's requesting. It is honestly embarrassing to even show you..."
Though he hesitated, the Grand Duke eventually showed me the proposal when I insisted.
And after reading it, I was momentarily speechless.
‘As a plan for shopping district redevelopment... a total replacement of the roads and repairing the exterior walls with more luxurious materials? What is this?’
No, the problem with Gold Lane is the Association President and the merchants, not the innocent exterior walls!
They had dressed it up with fancy words, but wasn't this just a scheme to remodel their shops using the estate's budget?
Seeing me unable to manage my expression, the Grand Duke let out a hollow laugh.
– "You have the exact same expression as Perel."
The Grand Duke reassured me, saying he wouldn't proceed with it as written anyway, so there was no need to worry.
– "I didn't have high expectations for the Association President to begin with. It’s just that starting over from scratch with the administrators will be quite draining."
He mentioned that he had meetings scheduled all day tomorrow for that very reason.
‘Spending that much money to redevelop Gold Lane? Gold Lane is already beyond hope! It’s like pouring water into a broken pot!’
The Grand Duke had ushered me to my room, insisting that my recovery came first.
But even as I lay in bed, that crude proposal wouldn't leave my head.
Would the administrators really come up with a decent plan even if they racked their brains all day?
‘Gold Lane is rotten.’
The man known as the Merchant Association President was a con artist who lived for political maneuvering and schemes, and the merchants were all lazy and arrogant.
Anyone could see that the stagnation of Gold Lane was due to the people. It was absurd to spend such a massive budget just to line the pockets of the Merchant Association again.
I had even been pelted with eggs because of that man!
Rather than redeveloping Gold Lane, it would be better to just create a new shopping district altogether.
‘A new shopping district?’
As soon as that thought occurred to me, the lakeside naturally came to mind.
‘I was already thinking we needed a tourist attraction to rival Rondoris. What if we turned the lakeside into a resort and tourist destination with its own shopping district?’
In that moment, a vivid image of shops lined up along both sides of the vast lake appeared before my eyes.
I could see people enjoying boat rides and sipping tea at nearby cafes.
‘This actually seems quite plausible.’
As inspiration struck, the passion I had forgotten for so long began to ignite.
It felt similar to my days as a rookie, when I was so full of ambition that I’d give up my weekends just to write a proposal.
I climbed out of bed and sat at the desk in the parlor as if possessed.
Then, turning on the magic lamp that brightly illuminated the space, I began to write down the proposal for the new shopping district.
*
"Ugh... is it still a long way until dawn?"
I had spent nearly the entire night writing the proposal.
The sky outside was still a hazy blue, but I was so eager to show the results to the Grand Duke that I couldn't wait.
‘It’s a bit earlier than usual, but it should be fine to go now, right?’
Holding the carefully written proposal, I headed to the Grand Duke's room.
The door to his room swung open.
Perhaps he had just returned from dawn training, as the Grand Duke was in his training gear with his bangs disheveled.
His gaze dropped slightly when he spotted me, and then his eyes suddenly went wide.
He hurriedly poked his head out into the hallway to check the surroundings.
"What is it? It's just me..."
Soon, the Grand Duke wrapped his large hand around my waist and hurriedly pulled me into the room as if embracing me.
Only after the door was slammed shut did he release me.
When I looked up at him, his long neck was flushed bright red. At my questioning look, he pointedly averted his eyes.
"The, the Consort's clothes..."
"Pardon? What's wrong with my clothes?"
"Are... are you not wearing pajamas?"
"Oh, well. I am, but..."
I had come in my pajamas because I was too lazy to change, but they weren't that different from indoor wear.
They weren't see-through or anything.
However, the Grand Duke seemed to think otherwise.
"You cannot walk around like that. If some ba—... if someone were to see you...!"
He had been speaking while looking elsewhere, but when he peeked back at me through narrowed eyes, our gazes met. He slowly opened his eyes fully and stared at me.
Stopping mid-sentence, his Adam's apple bobbed heavily.
The veins in his neck stood out prominently.
The hand gripping my waist seemed to tighten instinctively.
His long, firm fingers wrapped around my waist without a gap.
The Grand Duke spoke in a tone that sounded almost angry.
"Do you... have any awareness at all?"
"Every day, I..."
He struggled to catch his ragged breath before speaking.
"Do you have any idea what I'm holding back?"
"Holding back what?"
Sigh.
Pressing his lips into a thin line as if exasperated, the Grand Duke finally loosened his grip.
"Regardless, pajamas are not allowed."
He hurriedly rummaged through his wardrobe and brought out a large robe.
"What does it matter? There aren't even any servants around at this hour."
"It still matters."
Biting his lip, he draped the loose robe over my shoulders while keeping his gaze averted.
"At the very least, make sure to wear a robe."
"Alright."
At my answer, the Grand Duke let out a shallow sigh and tightly fastened the front of the robe.
"By the way, what brings you here? So early in the morning."
He finally seemed to remember that I had visited much earlier than usual.
"Ah! There's something I wanted to show you, Your Highness."
"Is it urgent?"
"Not exactly, but..."
My heart is urgent. I wanted to show you as soon as possible.
"Then, could I perhaps visit your room later?"
Only then did the Grand Duke take a hurried step back from me, speaking with an air of embarrassment.