5. A Conflict Named Desire - 04
5. A Conflict Named Desire - 04
"Young Duke Estel. It's been a long time. My name is Bianca del Castana, and I'm the head of this envoy."
The moment I stepped into the reception room, a subtle fragrance filled the air, and a beautiful woman with crimson hair welcomed me as if she were the master of this place. Naturally, among all the people of House Castana, only one person would say "It's been a long time" to me.
'Bianca del Castana.'
Hair like blazing sunset, red eyes as if set with rubies. A lovely face as though a master sculptor had devoted heart and soul to carving it. Everywhere I looked, she was exactly the Bianca del Castana I remembered. As I stared at that face—unchanged from ten years in the future—a foolish thought crossed my mind: perhaps this woman had also regressed ten years, like me.
"...Yes, it has been a while. Bi—no, Lady Castana."
Looking at Bianca, I had almost called her "Bianca" instead of "Lady Castana" without thinking. I'd grown far too accustomed to calling that girl by her first name.
And as I acknowledged her greeting and bowed my head toward her, I caught it. In that fleeting instant, Bianca, who had been looking at me with an expression of supreme arrogance, wore the faintest of smiles.
"....."
...Did Bianca even know how to smile like that? I'd thought she was a woman who could only manage an insolent, greasy smirk. Perhaps the Bianca of ten years ago had a fairly normal personality.
Whether or not she knew my thoughts, Bianca turned to me with a serious expression and began to speak.
"Young Duke Estel, are you aware of the reason House Castana has sent an envoy, myself included, to the Estel Duchy?"
"Is it not to resolve the matter of the Kitelen ore discovered in the Fault Zone without any unnecessary noise?"
"Yes, that's right. As you well know, Your Grace, the Kitelen ore was discovered in the Fault Zone, which can be considered a border region between the Castana Marquisate and the Estel Duchy. In terms of both ethics and law, this is a situation where neither family can hastily claim sole ownership—a treasure found in ambiguous territory. Truly, it's nothing short of a headache."
Saying so, Bianca let out a sigh that was clearly exaggerated.
"Our position is very simple. As Kitelen ore is an indispensable catalyst in artifact crafting, we wish to proceed with negotiations in a direction that secures the ore's ownership even if we take a slight loss. It's really nothing more than a straightforward matter. Don't you agree?"
"...That is true, Lady Castana."
As Bianca said, it was a straightforward matter indeed. Assuming, of course, that House Castana wasn't going to pull any scheme on our side.
"As someone who has been granted full authority by the head of House Castana, I will make an offer. Since we wish to obtain Kitelen ore in its intact form, we'd like full authority over the entire process, from mining to ore processing. In return, how about House Castana relinquishes fifteen percent of the net profit gained from the Kitelen ore?"
"...Fifteen percent, you say?"
In that moment, I couldn't help but widen my eyes at Bianca's words. Fifteen percent? She's offering to give the Estel Duchy fifteen percent of the net profits from the Kitelen ore? Does that mean we just sit back and collect fifteen percent while House Castana handles the mining, processes the ore into artifacts, and even oversees sales across the continent?
'...Have they gone mad?'
Had all the higher-ups, including the head of House Castana, lost their minds entirely?
Hearing Bianca's proposal made my heart pound. Fifteen percent of the net profit. I didn't know the exact sum, but it was surely an astronomical amount that would easily surpass the Estel Duchy's total annual revenue.
...However, I couldn't rashly utter the words "I accept the offer" to Bianca. The terms were too good. Far, far too good.
Besides, weren't relations between House Castana and the Estel Duchy far too strained for such a favorable deal to be on the table? No matter how I thought about it, it was blindingly obvious that some insidious scheme was lurking behind the deal Bianca was proposing.
"...Hmm."
As I was hesitating, unable to accept Bianca's proposal hastily—
"...Hm, do you perhaps think fifteen percent is insufficient? Well, I suppose you might see it that way."
Seeing that my mind was too jumbled to give an answer, Bianca began to speak something I couldn't comprehend.
"In that case, how about twenty percent of the net profit? I believe this would be a sum the Estel Duchy could find satisfactory."
"...Twenty percent?"
"Yes, and additionally, House Castana has no intention of attaching any other conditions. Ah, although, separately from that, please do keep in mind that there may be a few minor favors I might ask..."
Unfortunately, the rest of Bianca's words didn't reach my ears.
'Good heavens.'
Twenty percent of the net profit, no intention of attaching any other conditions. The instant I heard those words, I forgave Bianca for everything she had ever done to me. Yes, it had all been foreshadowing. The countless times Bianca tormented me and gave me hell in the future—that was undeniably the grand foreshadowing for this very moment.
I'd assumed a woman as insufferable as her could never be of any help in my life—a hasty judgment indeed. I even pictured a ray of dawn shining upon her. I nearly opened my mouth then and there to accept her offer. But—
"....."
The knights of House Castana, standing at attention behind Bianca, were glaring at me with eyes that clearly showed their displeasure with the negotiation that had just transpired. Well, I fully understood their feelings. The side handing over twenty percent of the net profits with no conditions whatsoever was the one with the messed-up head; their complaints about Bianca's decision were, frankly, entirely reasonable.
I was tempted to pluck out the eyes of those impertinent bastards who dared to look at the Young Duke Estel with such insolent gazes, but I decided to forgive them with a generous heart. After all, those guys couldn't do anything besides stare daggers at me.
The spending money I'd earned from the duel with Lucian, the "friendship fee" he paid as a condition of staying here—lately, it seemed the goddess of fortune was smiling upon me. As my mood significantly improved, I looked at Bianca, and she showed me a faint smile.
"Young Duke Estel, this is an extension of what I just mentioned, but would it be possible for the two of us to speak alone?"
"...Just the two of us?"
Having a private conversation with Bianca, of all people, was quite an uncomfortable prospect. Of course, I might have "forgiven" her, but that and this were entirely separate matters.
My body still hadn't forgotten the abuse Bianca had inflicted on me. When I gave her a somewhat reluctant expression, she looked at me with a rather pitiable face and made her request once more.
"Yes, I feel it might be a bit burdensome to discuss in a place with so many others. Would that be impossible?"
"....."
...Surely, nothing will happen. This is my home, after all. She's not crazy enough to cause a scene in someone else's house. Probably.
"Very well."
With those words, I accepted Bianca's proposal. Without a second thought. Innocently.
****
I led Bianca to the flower garden at the rear of the castle. The main castle of the Estel Duchy was an old fortress built centuries ago, and it had one fatal flaw: the soundproofing left much to be desired.
And I couldn't very well take her into some shabby, unprepared room just to share a few secrets. So I chose the flower garden—wide open on all sides with a clear view of the surroundings, it meant no one could easily sneak up and eavesdrop on our conversation.
"...It's beautiful."
Bianca quietly murmured as she gazed at the well-tended garden. She was right. On one side of the garden, golden waves of rapeseed flowers rippled, while on the other, pure white narcissus and magnolias flaunted their silvery-white blossoms. The sight was phantasmagoric, as if spun threads of gold and silver silk had been embroidered across the garden itself.
"It's a garden my mother poured her heart into creating. She was fond of flowers."
It was one of the few hobbies my mother had. She didn't order the gardener to arrange the garden; she was the kind of person who liked to wield the trowel herself and plant flowers, which is why such a beautiful garden could exist.
"...I see. Your mother..."
Upon hearing my explanation, Bianca suddenly bowed her head solemnly. I don't know why, but it seemed something I'd just said had touched some part of her dry sentiments.
"Then, Lady Castana, about what you wanted to discuss in private..."
That was when Bianca turned her gaze toward me and shook her head gently.
"Now that it's just the two of us, don't use such stiff titles. Like before—couldn't you call me Bianca?"
"...Like before?"
"Mm. When we were little, we called each other by our first names. Don't you remember?"
I remember. But wasn't that nothing more than a story from our innocent childhood? Still, since Bianca had already set the tone, I couldn't very well insist on formality now. I let out a low sigh.
"Fine, Bianca. It's been a long time. Roughly ten years, is it?"
"No, to be precise, it's been nine years, three months, and eleven days. We haven't met since Count Roberta's wedding, after all."
"...How on earth do you remember something like that?"
I was well aware that mages as a race are astoundingly intelligent, but I never imagined they carried clocks and calendars around in their heads.
"You're the strange one for not remembering. I've always remembered."
Bianca said that to me with a strangely boastful tone.
"...Yes, I'm happy for you, being so smart."
Since I'm stupid, I can't remember things like that.
"So, what is the matter you wanted to discuss alone with me? Seeing as you asked to speak in private, it must be quite a secret."
I expected it was a follow-up to the earlier story, where she was enticing me with sweet talk about giving twenty percent of the net profits. No matter how I thought about it, it seemed clear there was a trap hidden in that conversation.
"...Hmph. You're a man with no sense of atmosphere. Too hasty, and ridiculously clueless about the fact that such men aren't popular these days—that's just a bonus."
Snorting at me with those words, Bianca then hardened her expression.
"Fine. Since you wish it, I'll start with that topic. What I said earlier—that House Castana would give the Estel Duchy twenty percent of the net profits without any conditions—strictly speaking, that's not true."
"...What?"
"Kain, you had roughly guessed as much, hadn't you? Weren't you suspicious that the terms we proposed were too good? I thought you'd at least have that much intelligence, even if you are a foolish man."
"....."
...Well, of course I had suspected as much. In the first place, relations between the Estel Duchy and House Castana weren't so solid that such a favorable deal would be on the table.
"Then why did you say that in the reception room? How many ears heard our conversation? Did you think you could change the percentage now and have it accepted?"
"Ha, Kain. You still have that bad habit of not listening to the end. I'm not talking about the percentage. I'm talking about the 'conditions.'"
"...Conditions?"
She meant she would attach some condition now?
"But why didn't you say so there, and instead bring it up when we're alone like this?"
"Because it's a request to you personally, not to the Estel Duchy. And, being a personal matter, I didn't have the slightest desire to let others know. It's merely that."
"....."
I frowned at Bianca's words. Whatever was about to come out of that girl's mouth was certain to be something that would greatly exhaust me.
"Don't be so frightened. It's not that difficult a request."
Saying so, Bianca let out a suppressed giggle in my direction.
Why did that laugh feel so ominous to me?