Chapter 24
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Heavy Heart
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That night, Johann headed to Viscount Domos's office.
"I'm here. Whew, I'm beat..."
"You've arrived!"
Johann slipped through the open window as naturally as ever and sprawled out on the wide sofa, legs stretched wide.
Gellpin, who had been buried in paperwork until then, lit up at the sight of him and rose from his desk to approach.
"How did things go... Did everything work out?"
"What do you think?"
Gellpin chuckled at Johann's deadpan retort.
"Looks like I asked a pointless question."
"Good, you get it. Anyway, what about the preparations?"
"As if I'd slack off on something you asked for. I've already rounded up all the craftsmen. Just say the word, and we can start construction tomorrow."
"Perfect. Get it underway."
Gellpin nodded at Johann's order, but his expression wasn't exactly cheerful.
"Understood. Construction's one thing, but there's another issue."
"The trading company for the new route, right?"
"You knew. Exactly as you said. No matter how much we brag about its safety, no one will use the Gurkan Mountains route until a trading company actually tries it and vouches for it."
Johann figured that would be the biggest hurdle in building this trade route.
'Most major caravans have already secured their own safe routes, even if it cost them. They won't take risks. Small outfits won't gamble their lives on a single run either. No fame means rumors won't carry much weight.'
He'd mulled over this plenty, but the answer was clear.
"Can't be helped at first. We'll have to gather a bunch of small traders and merchants, offer loss compensation, and provide free escorts with the territory guard. Push volume over quality to spread the word. Customers will follow in time. Once safety's proven, it'll be worth it."
"Not a bad plan, but what about this, Sir Alpha?"
With that, Gellpin handed Johann a report on a certain trading company. Johann's face grew stiffer as he read it.
"This is..."
"There's a rising new trading company that hasn't secured its own route yet. Recently ennobled as barons, they're drawing attention from nobles and merchants alike. The family head clawed their way up from nothing on pure skill, so they've got guts and nerve. Might be worth meeting..."
"Y-Yeah..."
"What's wrong? Something off about it...?"
"No, great idea. Good work. Busy as you are, digging into this too. I really know how to pick 'em."
"Thank you!"
Gellpin beamed genuinely at the praise, his face lighting up noticeably.
Johann's, meanwhile, twisted like he'd bitten into something foul...
'It's damn near perfect. Except it's House Avangardi...'
A connection he'd thought severed was drawing close again.
"Miss, your etiquette tutor is here. Miss!"
Lilia's personal maid turned pale as death, knocking futilely with no response, and flung the door open in panic.
'No way...!'
"Miss, pardon the intrusion!"
Slam!
As feared, the room was empty—just as impossible to tell if it belonged to a noble lady or a knight without its owner.
Flutter, flutter...
"Sorry, ma'am. Looks like the miss is at it again..."
"Haa..."
The maid bowed repeatedly to the tutor against the backdrop of curtains flapping in the breeze from the open window. The tutor sighed softly.
Both seemed all too familiar with this routine.
Meanwhile, the Lilia they anxiously awaited was...
"Hyaah!"
"Miss, relax your shoulders! Your body's too rigid. Focusing on power alone kills your flow—the most important part. Stay focused."
Knight Cleven, training Lilia, smiled inwardly at her smooth combo even as he corrected her in real-time.
But regret weighed heavy too.
'She's talented and driven. That's why it's such a shame. If she'd been born a boy, she'd have risen high in Bellovan Kingdom...'
It wasn't impossible for women to become knights in conservative Bellovan.
But it was damn near so.
"Good! That's enough for now. Take a break."
"Haa, haa... Why? I can keep going..."
"Rest is training too. Overdoing it wrecks your body—forgot already?"
Splash!
Under Cleven's scolding, Lilia chugged from her canteen then dumped the rest over her head.
She looked utterly spent, water and sweat streaming down as she panted.
"I recall you have etiquette lessons scheduled now, don't you?"
"Yeah. Why do you care, Cleven?"
"Haa... If it's just you getting chewed out, fine. But I get dragged in too and scolded by Madam. If I'm fired, you covering it?"
Unladylike for a knight and his lord's daughter, but they were clearly used to this banter.
"No prob. I'll hire you then."
"I'm not cheap, you know."
"Friend discount. Say, 90% off."
"Might as well say free volunteer work."
"You'd do it for real?"
"Am I crazy? Places begging for me are a dime a dozen."
Lilia smirked at Cleven's reply, gripped her sword, and stood.
Not even five minutes into the break, ready to resume.
Cleven dropped the playfulness and stopped her seriously.
"Rest more. You'll ruin yourself."
"I'm good. Rested plenty."
"Not enough. This is an order from your swordmaster, not your guard. Ten more minutes. Disobey, and my lessons end forever."
"Tch! Always nagging. I'm fine, really..."
"Haa..."
As Lilia grumbled back to her seat, Cleven sighed and asked,
"Miss, what's got you so urgent? Lately, you seem hunted. I know you always give your all, but this is excessive."
"Me? What're you talking about? Same as always..."
"Is it the House Crimford clan party?"
Lilia, trying to brush it off casually, froze when Cleven mentioned the party, mouth snapping shut.
'Figures. She's a merchant's daughter through and through, but no merchant material. Can't hide her face when hit dead-on...'
"Haa... Miss, I told you—that couldn't be helped. He was House Rapelt's heir. Even I'd hesitate to claim victory against him full-force."
"I know. I'm not arrogant enough to think I'm the strongest of my age. Losing to Andrea stings, but it's not something I can't accept. And I'll surpass him, crush him with my own hands next time. Definitely!"
This was the Lilia Cleven knew.
Bold but humble, always charging ahead—a tomboy through and through.
'So why the foul mood? Not Andrea... Don't tell me!'
"Wait—because of Young Master Johann?"
Lilia nodded silently.
Cleven smacked his forehead and shook his head.
"Sure, I get why you resent him—a hundred times over. I was there, saw his insane antics with my own eyes. If glares could kill, I'd have beheaded that bastard hundreds of times."
He fixed Lilia with a grave look.
"But reality's different. If you'd laid a hand on him then... House Avangardi would've ended that day. You know that—why hold onto it...?"
"Even you think so?"
"Pardon? Think what?"
"That Johann just rampaged at me and Andrea without a thought."
Cleven blinked at the odd question but answered honestly.
"It was rampaging, plain and simple. Not just me—everyone there thought so. Right?"
"The process, yeah. I did at first. But replaying it since... the more I think, the weirder and stickier it feels."
"What does? I don't follow..."
As Cleven tilted his head, Lilia laid out her thoughts.
"Ignore the process—look at cause and effect. First, the duel started with me and Andrea. He acted out, but if I'd wanted, I could've smoothed it over. My damn pride poked him instead, sparking the duel. Johann at fault there?"
"No. Not up to that."
"Now the result. Who suffered most?"
"Andrea, obviously? Got trampled by Johann, total mess."
Lilia shook her head at Cleven's answer.
"Earl Hayden and Viscount Howard went to House Rapelt themselves, bowed and apologized. Their status rose higher, Andrea's position solidified. His screw-up buried too. And he's the biggest victim?"
"Then you?"
She shook her head again.
"Not me either. I gained fame from downing Rapelt's heir—lucky break or not. Kept my honor and pride intact; gained more than lost."
"Then who...?"
"The one kicked from the family and confined to the annex again for causing the uproar. Even took all the blame from me, Andrea, and House Rapelt—where it should've gone naturally."
Cleven's eyes widened at Lilia's answer.
"N-No way—Young Master Johann? Come on, that's a stretch. He just indulged his whims and got punished. How's that for you or Andrea?"
"Intent unknown, but we owe him the result. Plus, Father mentioned reconsidering the engagement because of it."
Political marriage or not, forcing his daughter to wed a man who publicly humiliated and harassed her in front of everyone? Beyond fatherly duty, it'd tarnish his noble rep.
"Maybe that's why it chokes me. Only way to clear it—repay Johann. But how...?"
"Miss... I know telling you not to obsess won't stick, so one thing: Keep at it steady like now, no rushing—the chance will come somehow. Don't stress; you'll burn out first."
"Yeah, probably. Alright, break's over! Back at it!"
"W-Wait! I'm not—Gah!"
With that, Lilia swung her sword fiercer than ever, shaking off stray thoughts.
Oblivious to the visitor heading her way...