Chapter 24
Chapter 24
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Devious Timing
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With a scrape, Serdian pushed back his chair and stood up.
Lucillea, who was chewing her food, looked up at Serdian with wide eyes.
Serdian looked down at Lucillea with a dry expression and spoke to his aide, Jed.
“Jed, from now on, I'll be taking my meals in my chambers. See to it.”
Jed glanced at Lucillea before bowing his head slightly, as if he had no choice.
“Yes, Young Lord.”
Upon hearing Jed's reply, Serdian turned without a second thought and left the dining hall.
‘Wow…’
[What a jerk!]
‘He is! A total jerk!’
Lucillea readily agreed with Cookie.
‘Does he hate me that much?’
Or was I too forward?
[Maybe both?]
Cookie gave a clear-cut answer.
Sighing, Lucillea picked up her fork again.
She speared a piece of meat she had cut earlier and put it in her mouth, thinking.
This really isn't easy.
Then again, they say it takes a long time and a lot of effort to befriend a wary cat.
And he's the male lead, no less.
The male lead who's only kind to the female lead!
‘And I'm not even the female lead.’
So it was only natural that he'd be more difficult than a cat.
However.
‘But I'm not one to give up so easily, Mr. Male Lead.’
My life is on the line. I can't back down over something like this.
Lucillea chewed her meat thoroughly, a soft chuckle escaping her as she stared at the door Serdian had just left through.
***
“Hey, kid. I heard you made quite a scene with your homework.”
Noa grinned as he watched Lucillea enter the training grounds for her morning lesson.
She was a bit sleepy after having finished off the food Serdian had left untouched, not wanting it to go to waste. Since his question was clearly meant to tease her, Lucillea just laughed sheepishly. “Hehe.”
Noa looked at her, dumbfounded.
“You think this is funny? You nearly burned down your room—no, the entire ducal estate.”
Noa's words reminded Lucillea of something she wanted to say, and she spoke up.
“I have my own complaints about that, you know.”
“Complaints? About what?”
Lucillea pulled out a chair in the training grounds and sat down, pouting.
“You never said I couldn't do the homework in my room!”
“…”
“If I'd known the assignment was that dangerous, I wouldn't have done it in my bedroom!”
“Don't you agree, Master?!” she asked, prompting a dry laugh from Noa.
“Hah?! No, that's—it wasn't supposed to be…!”
*It wasn't supposed to be a dangerous assignment,* he started to add, but then he shut his mouth.
‘Who could have known?’
What happened last night was beyond even Noa's expectations.
For the past eight years, every child with magic chosen for the Elite Corps had gone through Noa's classes.
There had been well over four hundred of them, and he had given them all the same assignment, but nothing like this had ever happened before.
So, naturally, Noa was just as baffled.
‘It's probably because the kid's magic is ridiculously powerful.’
But he had no intention of telling Lucillea just how strong her magic was.
It might make her arrogant.
‘It might be better to just raise the difficulty of her assignments.’
Anyway.
Noa stared at Lucillea.
‘I could have milked that one assignment for over a week.’
Tsk. Noa, who had really been hoping to coast, smacked his lips in disappointment.
At that, Lucillea pointed a finger at Noa.
“Ah, a look of disappointment!”
“…It is not!”
Feeling a pang of guilt, Noa yelled, and Lucillea let out a playful laugh. “Ehehe.”
*Honestly.* As Lucillea giggled foolishly, Noa found himself cracking a smile.
What a funny kid.
Noa hopped off the windowsill and walked toward the desk.
“Enough of that. I'm teaching you something new today, so listen up, kid.”
A cheerful voice followed him from behind.
“Yes, sir!”
And so, the second lesson began.
***
At the same time, in Elbadin's office.
His aide, Riat, entered the office carrying a bundle of letters that had arrived for the Descartes Duchy.
They had been sorted from a much larger pile according to their importance.
Riat walked to Elbadin's side and picked up the letter on top.
Examining the roe deer-shaped family seal on the letter, Riat spoke.
“Your Highness, it's a letter from the House of Marquis Belgar.”
“…Is it from the Marquise?”
“It is.”
A few days ago, Elbadin had sent a message to his sister, Anasis, summoning her to the ducal estate.
He intended to hold her accountable for handling the estate's affairs as if she were its mistress while he was away.
But Anasis had not come.
She kept postponing her visit, offering all sorts of lies and excuses.
In response, Elbadin had given her a final warning.
If she did not come to the estate within a week, he would send the knights to drag her there by force.
And today, another letter had arrived.
Setting aside the document he was reviewing, Elbadin leaned back in his chair and gestured with his chin for Riat to proceed.
“Open it. If it's just more excuses, throw it in the fire. Then send the knights immediately. I've waited long enough; my duty as her blood relative is done.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Just then, as Riat opened the letter and read its contents, his eyes trembled slightly.
Riat stared at the letter in silence before glancing up to gauge Elbadin's reaction.
“Your Highness…”
Riat continued cautiously.
“Marquis Raphael Belgar… is dead.”
“…”
At Riat's words, Elbadin's brow furrowed slightly.
Marquis Raphael Belgar.
Unlike Anasis, he was a man with no greed for wealth or power.
Born into a wealthy noble family, he had grown up to be the son his parents had always wanted.
But there was one time Raphael went against his parents' wishes—when he chose Anasis.
Having fallen for her at first sight at a palace banquet, Raphael proposed to Anasis despite his parents' disapproval.
He was a man who would have given Anasis everything, and in truth, he did.
Naturally, then, everything the marquisate owned would soon pass to Anasis.
Including the exclusive rights to the Terma mana stone vein in the western mountains, which Marquis Raphael Belgar had managed.
For the Descartes Duchy, which consumed mana stones in large quantities, this was not good news.
“…”
“…”
Elbadin looked down at the letter he'd been handed and fell silent for a moment.
After a moment, Riat broke the silence.
“This is… quite sudden.”
Elbadin tossed the letter onto his desk.
“Devious timing.”
“Indeed…”
Riat sighed softly and continued.
“Now that the Marquise has her hands on the vein, she will likely try to overhaul everything, starting with the supply volume.”
At his words, Elbadin crossed his arms and tilted his head.
“Still, not much will change.”
Riat let out a small “Ah.”
“The people in charge of the Terma mine's mana stone trade are still the ones appointed by Marquis Raphael.”
“Yes, and they are exceptionally loyal.”
The Terma mana stone mine was a major source of income for the House of Marquis Belgar.
Marquis Raphael Belgar had realized early on that the future of his house depended on the mana stone trade. Unable to entrust such an important business to just anyone, he had carefully selected those deeply loyal to the marquisate for the job.
“So the Marquise won't be able to interfere right away.”
“That's not all.”
Elbadin scoffed, and Riat nodded in understanding.
“The merchant guild.”
Elbadin nodded.
The Descartes Duchy consumed most of the mana stones from the Terma mine. In other words, they were its biggest customer.
Furthermore, the merchant guild that had managed the trade belonged to the House of Count Millier, a vassal family of the Descartes Duchy.
In other words.
“The leverage is still in our hands.”
“If Anasis starts meddling with the mine, the mana stones from the Terma vein will never make it through the North.”
If that happens, the duchy will take a hit for a while due to the reduced supply, but the marquisate's income will also plummet.
Riat stroked his chin and nodded.
“I will look into other mines we can trade with. They'll be farther away, increasing travel time and costs, but if we can secure a similar supply volume, we can cut ties with the House of Belgar completely.”
Elbadin's gaze drifted toward the window as he murmured quietly.
“We'll decide how to proceed with the marquisate after the funeral.”
It will soon become clear whether Anasis is the type to live for the marquisate or to ruin it.
After a moment of thought, Riat spoke.
“It would be best to send Jed to the funeral. He has the nerve to pay proper respects without being intimidated by the Marquise's presence. He can be our eyes and ears, clearly conveying our intentions while discreetly gathering information on the Belgar family's internal affairs.”
To this, Elbadin replied.
“Yes, it would be good to make a clear statement.”
To show them who has the upper hand in this fight, and what the price is for picking a fight with the Descartes.