Episode 9
“I have told Your Highness everything I know. That Hagen is conducting experiments to create weapons of their own and intends to seize control of this country’s military power.”
Her skin looked pale in the sunlight. Wearing a fragile-looking smile, Eliza spoke firmly.
“But if Your Highness can help me, I may be able to tell you one more thing.”
“Tell me everything.”
“If Hagen continues using black magic, I will die.”
Magnus paused and spent a moment gauging Eliza’s intentions. It was still impossible to tell whether what was contained in those sparkling eyes was truly sincere.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I told Your Highness that I want to live. With all my heart, that alone is the reason I came before Your Highness.”
A cold breeze silently swept between them. Magnus fell into thought.
How much of this should he accept as the truth? How should he deal with a mere daughter of a count’s family who knew of a prophecy that should never have leaked out?
However, the first clue he had encountered regarding the prophecy was sufficiently intriguing. If what had come from those delicate lips was the truth, then her help would be beyond measure.
Therefore, Magnus decided to put his suspicions aside for the moment and watch her.
“Bring me evidence.”
If there was something else she knew besides what she had just said, it would be advantageous to act amicably toward her in order to find it out.
After all, the name of God could sometimes become a justification that even pushed aside an established position.
Magnus had no intention of leaving behind even the slightest pretext that could become a flaw for him, and thus, he made a rational judgment.
“If you have sufficient material evidence, I, Magnus Elian, will support you and take the lead in driving out those who are insolent.”
As soon as the Crown Prince finally met her eyes and left, Eliza let out a sigh.
Glances from people around her poured toward her.
Today’s meeting between the First Prince and her had taken place in a very public place.
It did not matter even if the time they had spent sitting across from each other had been short. Since the other party was the First Prince, who rarely allowed women near him, people would surely wonder whether this was a meeting between a man and a woman.
‘That’s perfect. He’s exactly the right person to use as an excuse.’
Her family would never allow her to break off the engagement simply because she had fallen in love with someone.
But what would happen if that person were the Crown Prince?
Eliza calculated things carefully in her mind as she returned to the mansion.
‘They already saw us together at the party, too. If it’s His Highness the Crown Prince, surely even Leopold will understand.’
As her thoughts kept drifting back to several days ago, Eliza shook her head repeatedly.
For the past few days, whenever she thought of Leopold, her heart kept pounding.
It was because of fear.
‘It’s driving me crazy that I don’t know exactly when it will happen.’
Before the original story began, Leopold had already awakened his power.
However, exactly when that happened was never described.
The only thing certain was that it happened before the original story began.
‘I have to run away before then…….’
Perhaps because the time for the original story to unfold was gradually drawing closer, she had recently even begun dreaming that Leopold was taking revenge on her for being an enemy of the Hagen family.
After waking from that dream, Eliza added one more thing to her plan. Escape.
Once Hagen’s black magic was exposed and there was no longer any reason for her to be killed, she would run far, far away to somewhere Leopold was not.
Even so, out of loyalty as his childhood friend, she intended to make sure Leopold at least stayed alive.
‘Once he meets the heroine, he’ll forget someone like me completely.’
Leopold had a predetermined fate, after all. An unbelievably noble and beautiful person, the true protagonist of this world.
Eliza resolved to hide herself away until Leopold met her and became completely captivated by her.
***
Just as rumors about Eliza’s meeting with the First Prince were beginning to spread, a guest came to the Waluer mansion.
“It has been a long time. I hope my sudden visit has not caused you any inconvenience.”
“Not at all. Your visit is always welcome.”
Eliza peeked her head out from behind a pillar and watched the back of her father, who was unusually welcoming toward the guest.
The man climbing the stairs beside Count Waluer was the current Marquis of Hagen, Ricardo Hagen.
‘Why did he suddenly come here? Did he notice something?’
Perhaps Hagen had realized that she had caught on to something.
Biting her lip, Eliza stood guard in the corridor leading to Count Waluer’s drawing room.
“Give that to me. I’ll take it.”
“Pardon? Miss, you would do something like this…….”
“I’m just happy to see a guest we haven’t seen in a long time. Give it to me.”
Blocking the trolley, Eliza grabbed its handle almost snatching it away. The maid was momentarily bewildered, but quickly accepted her excuse.
“It must be heavy, so please be careful.”
“Don’t worry.”
As she pushed the trolley toward the drawing room where the Marquis of Hagen and her father were meeting, Eliza racked her brain.
First, she needed to find out the reason for the Count’s visit. Eliza knocked on the drawing room door and entered.
“Eliza? What is it?”
Count Waluer looked at his daughter with a deliberately stern expression.
Rather, it was the Marquis of Hagen who welcomed her with a gentle smile.
“It seems the young lady came to prepare the tea herself.”
“Hm, doing something you weren’t even asked to do…….”
Count Waluer looked Eliza up and down with displeasure. Eliza straightened her back and approached while paying attention to her manner of walking.
“I was happy to see him, so I asked to carry it myself. I hope I haven’t been rude.”
“Oh, of course not. You are always welcome.”
While Eliza answered the Marquis of Hagen with a smile and prepared the tea set, Count Waluer made a request to the Marquis of Hagen.
“Her skills may be lacking, but please bear with her.”
“Lady Eliza’s skill at brewing tea is quite excellent.”
As they spoke, they gathered and organized the documents that had been placed on the table. Glancing at them, Eliza set down the teacups.
“What were you talking about?”
“It’s something you have no reason to be interested in.”
“But I’m curious.”
Eliza widened her eyes innocently. Then, when she blinked at the Marquis of Hagen, Ricardo, he smiled amiably.
“Haha, you’re still very curious. I was proposing an investment.”
“To Father?”
“Hm, Marquis Hagen. You don’t have to indulge her every whim.”
“There’s no reason to hide something like this, is there?”
Pour.
The sound of tea being poured rang out.
Taking advantage of the brief silence as they savored the aroma of the tea, Eliza naturally took out an extra teacup and placed one for herself as well.
When Eliza sat beside him, Count Waluer’s face hardened. However, considering Ricardo’s presence, he did not scold her.
“I’ve suddenly become quite interested in domestic affairs lately. Perhaps that’s why, I find discussions about handling money interesting as well.”
“Yes, you’re already old enough for that.”
“The Marquis always makes good proposals to our family. What kind of investment is it this time?”
“I proposed that Count Waluer invest in a mana stone mine. It was recently discovered.”
Eliza knew about that matter as well. It was used in the original story as a means of showcasing the heroine’s intelligence.
Mana stones were precious minerals, but mining them required not only advanced technology but also enormous costs.
The lord who could not bear the expense agreed to receive investment for the mining costs in exchange for giving up part of the mana stones that were mined.
“It’s the Saxon Territory, right? That’s…….”
“It’s a good opportunity. As you know very well.”
Count Waluer cut her off, the corner of his mouth twitching, perhaps worried that Eliza might make a slip of the tongue.
Considering the large profits he expected to make, even that stone-faced father of hers seemed to be in a good mood.
However, that mine had a fatal flaw. Its nature was certainly that of a mana stone, but its mana absorption rate was less than one-tenth that of ordinary mana stones.
‘It’s an investment with huge losses. It’ll end up being mocked as the ‘Saxon Pebble’.’
Once the Mage Tower classified it as defective, the Saxon mine would lose its value. The families that had invested in it would, of course, also suffer enormous losses.
‘The House of Duke Dominique almost invested in it too, but the heroine saved them.’
Eliza lifted her teacup to hide her expression. Fierce thoughts were churning in her mind.
When she fell silent again, simple business talk began to pass between them once more.
And among it, there was something that caught Eliza’s attention.
“……so, there is no need to worry. As always, we will provide Waluer with as much funding as you need.”
Eliza suddenly realized the reason Hagen had been so kind all this time, and her hand secretly tightened.
‘So it was deliberate. They leaked information about an investment with a high probability of failure to weaken Waluer.’
In reality, Waluer’s debts to Hagen had been accumulating day by day.
So that Waluer would gradually become helpless before Hagen…….
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