Eye for an Eye, Gold for Gold
Dot was vicious, but the Saintess Capia was no less so. Still, Pay had no intention of weighing their sins against each other. If Dot had possessed the Saintess’s status and power, she would have committed the same acts—perhaps even worse.
The Saintess, who had come to the capital to strip the title of countess from Dot, was no different.
Truly, they are both equally cunning.
Cassel sighed.
“Tiana, Pay. You were right. Back then, I could have exposed Dotricia as an impostor in a fit of rage. If I had, Capia would have cut her losses and escaped alone.”
“And she would have had the audacity to approach me afterward, claiming she had been my godmother and had prayed for me every day since the accident when I was six.”
Cassel showed no surprise at Pay’s sharp remark.
“She would have gone even further. Settling for half the justice you deserve is unthinkable. It is only right to proceed with caution. But… will you be all right? It will take time to bring down the Saintess. In the meantime, Dotricia will continue to steal your place and wield her influence. I worry for you.”
She answered without hesitation.
“Yes, I can endure it.”
She was no saint, so it did not truly sit well with her. Yet one reason she could suppress her fury was simple.
At least Cassel is on my side.
She needed nothing else. The people of the Klein ducal house did not belong to the circle of those with whom she could laugh freely, speak with her natural liveliness, and reveal her true self. Perhaps that was why she could remain composed while watching everything unfold.
Cassel’s heart grew heavier.
How deeply must she have been hurt to accept an impostor occupying her place without protest? No wonder she fled to the Magic Tower instead of trying to meet her real family.
Pay’s parents, unaware of his thoughts, urged her to show goodwill toward Dot.
“You summoned me because of the Saintess, did you not?”
“That is part of it, but actually…”
Cassel relayed the information he had uncovered in secret, almost exactly as he had reported it to the Crown Prince.
A grave look settled in Pay’s light-green eyes.
“I never imagined the gold mine would be the spark. Their territories border each other, yet there has been almost no contact between them. Since the conflict broke out in the capital, I never thought to look there.”
“Neither did I. More importantly, we cannot allow them to mine the gold and roam freely with it.”
She searched her memories from books she had read.
“Because of the value of gold coins?”
“That is one reason. The real problem is that our empire’s gold coins are accepted elsewhere. Smuggling or unauthorized mining could severely disrupt the continent’s economy. People suffer when the value of gold fluctuates wildly.”
“That would indeed be disastrous.”
“The same applies to essential goods like salt and honey used in medicine. As for magic stones, you would understand better than anyone, being a mage.”
Cassel’s knowledge ran deeper than surface level, making the conversation genuinely enjoyable.
“You are right. You mentioned they have hidden the small amount of gold they mined?”
“Yes. Even that small quantity cannot be circulated freely within the empire, so they have hidden it near the mine.”
“This is troublesome. Neither house is so desperate for money that they would dispose of it quickly, and leaving it untouched is not an option either. In that case…”
“Hmm?”
A spark lit Pay’s light-green eyes.
“We have no choice but to force the gold vein into the open—by adding the eyewitness account of a distinguished guest visiting the imperial palace.”
“Surely not…”
Cassel watched her lips closely.
Would she propose a plan even bolder than the one that had introduced Lady Ratzel at the Spring Ball, just as the Crown Prince had predicted?
“When the Saintess arrives at the palace, we will commemorate the occasion with a flight on the Drakan. While soaring high above, Momo will ‘discover’ the gold.”
He asked seriously.
“Can a Drakan detect minerals buried in rock?”
“Oh, of course not. But in regions where gold is mined, long trails of it flow down and get stepped on.”
“Trails…? You mean gold dust?”
“Exactly! And there happens to be a river flowing nearby, not just a stream.”
She pointed to a small mark on the map spread across the dessert plate.
“There have been no reports of gold dust found in that area.”
Pay offered a mage’s creative solution.
“We can scatter it there in advance.”
“Scatter…? Ha! Tiana, you truly are remarkable.”
If it could be done, no plan could be more brilliant. They would expose the two houses’ misdeeds through the Saintess’s own eyes during her celebratory visit. If Cassel or Pay—acting as the Crown Prince’s agent—moved alone, the houses might later bare their fangs. But if it appeared as part of the Saintess’s welcome ceremony, they would find it far harder to protest afterward.
Moreover, it was true that the Orleans ducal house and Saintess Capia had a tentative connection. This plan would also increase the chance of driving a wedge between them once more.
Even if the effects were not immediately visible, there was nothing to lose.
“According to records, Drakans are embodiments of greed. If Momo spots glittering gold dust in the river, he will ignore my commands and dive straight down. As his rider, what could I possibly do when he acts on instinct?”
“It is the best option we have for now, but I worry the Saintess is cunning enough to harbor resentment.”
Pay snorted.
“There is no need to worry. We will carry out the plan secretly between the night before her arrival and dawn.”
“The night before? Even if flying with the Saintess poses no problem, reaching the site the previous day to scatter the gold dust will be difficult. People are bound to notice the Drakan’s flight.”
“No, there is a way.”
That method, of course, was Lucius.
Lucius was a mage who had reached the end of the 10th Circle—more precisely, a dragon. Yet even knowing the truth he kept hidden, Pay could not bring herself to dislike him.
Without him, she would have ended her life as Jena, lonely and exhausted, a pitiful child who remembered nothing of who she was and could do nothing.
The ruby pendant would have been sold off at first glance, and unless the ruby itself had been destroyed, she would never have recovered her magic.
More than anything, she…
Pay faltered for a moment.
Why am I thinking of Lucius in front of my brother?
Regardless, Lucius had declared he would provide any help she needed. Scattering gold dust in the river the day before would pose no difficulty at all.
She only needed to ask him to use teleportation magic to take her there. He had already offered to take her anywhere on the continent she wished, even without Momo.
Thinking of him naturally brought to mind the adorable yet fierce-looking Momo as well.
Hehe, Momo will be sound asleep, completely unaware. Later, I would like to fly with just Lucius and Momo.
Hmm?
Cassel noticed a sudden blush rising on his sister’s cheeks as she spoke with him.
He wondered if he had imagined it, but the rosy flush—more vivid and lovely than her neatly tied pink hair—and the smile playing at her lips were unmistakable.
Smiling was harmless, yet it did not seem directed at him. She appeared lost in other thoughts.
What could it be…?
If the object of those thoughts was a person—especially a man—it would not do. Delicious pudding or candy, or perhaps a cute animal, would be another matter.
Pay, who had briefly drifted into another world, returned to the important matter at hand.
“You cannot take part in this, Brother. Once the Saintess’s arrival draws near, you will be working through the night at the palace again, will you not?”
Cassel’s eyes widened before he reluctantly nodded.
“You are right. As knight commander, I have countless duties. This time, I cannot join.”
“In any case, we must inform the Crown Prince in advance and obtain his permission. Please ask Lady Ranya if it would be possible for Prince Astain to accompany us. Lucius, Prince Astain, and I will go together.”
Unlike the previous outing, she had naturally omitted Raphael, but Cassel did not comment. Even if Raphael had sworn loyalty to the imperial family, this matter was too sensitive to involve him.
“You must be careful. The people there are quite different from those in the Sionel territory. Even though it is some distance from the capital, there is a high chance a knight will recognize your face.”
“I will make sure we do not run into anyone. Brother Cassel… well, Lucius is an exceptionally skilled mage. Far more powerful than the Magic Tower knows. Please keep it a secret?”
Is he truly a dragon?
Cassel had already guessed Lucius’s true identity but chose not to press further. He believed Lucius would speak when he was ready. Besides, whether the man hovering around his adorable sister was a dragon who had stolen an ancient name or the real thing mattered little.
All that mattered was his resolve: if anyone made Pay shed tears, he would not let them go unpunished.
“So you insist on bringing Prince Astain purely for his sake.”
“…Yes. He reminds me of who I once was, when I did not even know what I wanted.”
“Understood.”
Before parting with his sister, Cassel pulled her into a tight embrace. No matter how important the task, he hated sending her into danger again and again.
No matter who stood beside her, it would never be enough unless he himself was there to guard her.
Because of his large frame, Pay’s body could only reach his waist and was nearly buried against him.
She giggled in his strong arms.
“Oh, Brother. You hugged me too tightly!”
“I am sorry.”
He released her quickly, though in truth he did not want to let go and send her back to the Magic Tower.
Even he was not free of impulses.
Countless times he had imagined sweeping away the Saintess, the fake countess, and everyone else with his sword, restoring his Tiana to her rightful place. In dreams, he had even achieved that wish—only for the Tiana in his dream to look at him with a sorrowful face and apologize for staining his hands with blood. He would wake drenched in sweat, realizing it had all been a dream.
Pay made her promise twice, then three times.
“Please be sure to tell me the day before the Saintess enters the palace.”
“I will.”
In his mind, there was still plenty of time.
If Capia was as cunning as they believed, she would not head straight to the palace even after arriving in the capital. She would benefit from circling the area, allowing the rumors to spread further while she performed acts of charity.
She would likely visit treatment centers and relatively safe alleys, offering alms and healing, just as she had in the Sionel territory.
His prediction proved largely correct. Around the time the Saintess drew near the palace and darkness began to fall, she finally made contact.