《There Is No Need To Be Obsessed》


 Chapter 1

    I was killed.


    I was on my way home after the company dinner party.


    When I got home, I thought I could feel some movements behind me. And abruptly, something sharp stabbed me in the back.


    I collapsed at the sudden attack, and the criminal in a black hat ran away.


    Blood draining from my body gradually pooled on the ground. My consciousness blurred and flickered.


    And when I open my eyes, I am here.


    I was lying on a bed.


    At first, I thought it was the hospital, but I soon realised that was not the case.


    Because there is no room like this there.


    No hospital would use wallpaper with such geometric patterns.


    There is even a chandelier.


    Above all, the room was very spacious, but there was nothing else besides a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the bed I was lying on.


    Medical equipment was nowhere to be found after I had searched around.


    Hence, this must not have been a hospital.


    At this point, I would normally think that I had been kidnapped or something like that, but I had a rough idea of ??where this place might be.


    At that moment, the door swung open and a girl in a maid outfit entered.


    Contrary to the brisk entry, the girl faltered when our eyes met.


    I tilted my head.


    ¡°Miss! I have something to tell you! I can¡¯t do this anymore! My salary has been delayed for five months. But you don¡¯t have to pay me. So, could you just write me a letter of recommendation, please¡­¡±


    Unlike the explicit start, the girl¡¯s voice became smaller the more she said, blurring at the end.


    A lady, in a maid outfit, and a structure reminiscent of a Western mansion.


    I got up, passed the girl, and headed towards the window.


    It was night, so I could see myself reflected on the window glass.


    I muttered a little as I looked at my reflection.


    ¡°This is insane¡­¡±


    I felt the girl flinch when she heard my voice, but I didn¡¯t care.


    Because I looked nothing like myself in the window reflection.


    I opened the window and looked outside.


    There was a purple crescent moon hanging in the sky.


    A purple moon that I could never see in the world I knew.


    Looking at the moon, I felt fed up.


    I¡¯m back here again?


    A strange world, yet, I had been to this place before.


    ???


    It was when I was in high school.


    It was one summer vacation, I was on my way to school to take a reinforcement class before school started.


    It was boiling outside that day, I got struck by the heat waves and fell into a manhole. When I opened my eyes, I was in an unfamiliar world.


    The name of the world I fell into was ¡®Cliff Empire¡¯.


    It was precisely the name of a country.


    The Cliff Empire was a completely different place from where I used to live.


    Language, clothing, architectural style, and even my appearance.


    It was difficult to accept reality at first. But after a day, two days, and a week passed, I had no choice but to acquiesced. That I fell into another world, and that I might die there.


    There was no one to help me.


    I did everything I could to survive. I somehow managed to save up some money, and with that money, I set up a small group of merchants.


    I, who was quite good at business, grew the group brilliantly, and when I came to my senses, the small merchant group I once established had become the best guild in the empire.


    I even had more wealth than the emperor.


    At that time, it had already been over ten years since I fell into that world, and I had completely forgotten about Korea.


    Then once, I was on my way to sign an important contract. Suddenly, my carriage shook and there was a commotion outside.


    When I peeked my head out to check, all those who were escorting me were dead, and there were strangers in white cloaks approached me with blood-stained swords.


    I was helplessly cornered. I could do nothing but to freeze in place and look at them with horrified eyes. And so I died with my head sticking out.


    And when I opened my eyes¡­


    I was lying in the hospital, wearing an uniform.


    At first, I could not grasp the situation very well.


    But when I saw the homeroom teacher with a depressed expression next to me, it hit me.


    Oh, I¡¯m back.


    Back to the world I used to live in.


    ???


    Returning to being an ordinary high school student, who was at the top of the class, I had to adjust to reality¡­And I did a quite fine job I would say so myself.


    After dealing with only those who wanted to make a little profit every day, I felt a little more alive when I returned among the students.


    I studied hard like any other student, passed the KSAT, entered university, took on assignments, graduated, became a job seeker, then got a job and became an office worker, being reprimanded by my boss every day.


    That period lasted for 9 years. ¡®Cliff Empire¡¯ and ¡®merchants guild¡¯ had long since disappeared from my mind.


    But once I died, I came back!


    This time, in someone else¡¯s body too!


    I was frustrated that I died, but God just wanted to play a huge prank on me, so he moved me in dimensions and made me possess others¡¯ bodies.


    I closed the window and looked closely at my reflection on the glass. I wanted to look in a mirror, but I couldn¡¯t. Because there was no other furniture in this room.


    I¡¯m¡­so pretty.


    That thought first came to mind as soon as I saw myself.


    Long, thin platinum hair like a skein of refined threads and eyes of cool blue colour, reminiscent of that of a lake in the winter. Skin so white that it felt as if all the blood veins could be seen, together with a small, slender neck.


    She must be a lady from a prestigious noble house just by the look of it¡­


    The problem was¡­


    I looked back.


    There was a maid still looking at me, unsettled.


    The maid held out her hands to me.


    ¡°Please write me a letter of recommendation!¡±


    Her fingertips were trembling.


    I let out a deep sigh.


    I had a bad hunch that this had to do with some unpleasant things. An annoying feeling was already creeping in.

 Chapter 2

    Once the maid was sent out was when I started to look into the situation.


    From the look of it, it¡¯s definitely of nobility.


    I dug up as many memories as possible from back when I was running the merchant organisation.


    Most of the people who lead businesses were nobles, so I often visited their mansions.


    On that account, I had a high level of understanding of the aristocratic mansion.


    After looking around a few times, I was sure. That this was a noble mansion.


    But why is there no furniture?


    I went out to the lobby just in case, but the situation outside was the same.


    There was nothing at all.


    There was no one to manage the mansion either. It was like a haunted mansion.


    I left the room, wandered from place to place, and by chance arrived at someone¡¯s office.


    The room was a complete mess.


    Books and papers were scattered on the floor, and there were many ink marks that appeared to have been thrown around on the wallpaper.


    I looked at the stack of papers on the desk.


    I recognised what it was at once.


    Debt reminders.


    It was not just one, but countless debt reminders.


    Now I could understand the situation roughly.


    This family was probably in debt. So much that I could not even dare make a guess of the figure.


    As a result, all the furniture was taken away, and even the workers who did not receive a single penny of salary abandoned the mansion and left.


    So that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t want a salary earlier, and asked me to write a letter of recommendation instead.


    Having a letter of recommendation would make it easier to get a job in another family.


    However, it was only for commoners that a recommendation letter was needed.


    The maid from earlier must have been a commoner, the only one left here without a way out.


    There was one particular pattern on the wall that caught my eye. A pattern engraved with flowers and deer. Underneath it was inscriptions in the imperial language.


    House of Craycia.


    This was the Craycia family.


    I found an aristocratic almanac book on the bookshelf and looked through the contents. Based on the pattern, I was able to find what I needed quickly.


    The Craycia was a Viscount family, and the members included Viscount Buddha and his daughter.


    I intuitively knew that I was the daughter.


    Eureia Craycia.


    My name was Eureia Craycia.


    At this point, a question naturally came to mind.


    Where did the Viscount Buddha go, leaving his daughter alone?


    In order to find an answer to that, it seemed that I had to go back to the maid again.


    As I left the office, I found the maid almost instantly.


    The maid was not difficult to find. Because she was hovering around my room door restlessly.


    The maid was muttering something. She did not even notice that I had come.


    ¡°What should I do¡­? No matter how weak the young lady is, she still gives me a hard time. Besides, since the master and the madame were like that, she¡¯s become insane¡­¡±


    Hmm, I guess something must have happened.


    ¡°You there.¡±


    ¡°(Gasp)!¡±


    As soon as I spoke, the maid who came to be aware of my presence was startled, and she fell as she stepped back.


    ¡°Oh, my lady!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to surprise you, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes¡­¡±


    The maid stood up awkwardly and looked at me.


    Apparently, this maid was much more timid than I thought.


    I was wondering how I should ask her, but I just ended up being straightforward.


    ¡°Do you happen to know where my father and mother are?¡±


    ¡°Pardon¡­?¡±


    The maid¡¯s complexion darkened at my question.


    The maid then asked cautiously.


    ¡°My lady, you don¡¯t remember¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I played innocent.


    Moments later, tears welled up in the maid¡¯s eyes. Soon, she replied while weeping.


    ¡°Both of them¡­ are dead.¡±


    ???


    The maid looked at me like I was some sort of patient.


    As for me, I pretended to have lost my memory. That way, it would be more comfortable for me to state my questions.


    As a result, I was able to know more about the situation that the current body¡¯s master, Eureia Craycia, was going through.


    The maid, Eril, explained in quite some length, but to summarise, it was as simple as follows:


    The Viscount, who was famous for being generous and kind-hearted, was deceived by his most trusted friend and entrusted all of his assets to him. In short, he was swindled.


    His debts snowballed, and the Viscount, unable to bear the guilt and pressure, eventually committed suicide, leaving his daughter and wife behind.


    Perhaps because of the shock of losing her husband, the Viscountess also died suddenly after suffering from grief and pain. However, the exact cause was unknown.


    In the end, their daughter, left alone, locked herself up in the mansion, both her mental and physical health gradually deteriorated as time passed.


    Eril said it looked like I was on the verge of dying.


    No, she might have actually died.


    Then it made a little more sense why I came into this body.


    It was said that the debt the Viscount owed and the increased interest alone was enough to build ten mansions. According to the crying Eril.


    ¡°My lady, you better leave this Viscounty and run away. If it goes on like this, you might be sold off as well.¡±


    Eril¡¯s words of concern for me passed through one of my ears and out the other. I asked her.


    ¡°Eril, how long did you say your overdue salary was?¡±


    ¡°Yes? Oh, so it¡¯s been 5 months¡­ About 1 diamond¡­¡±


    The currency of this world included cairns, diamonds, bellings, and cents.


    It was approximately 10 million won. ( around 7,500 USD)


    Eril was looking at me curiously. She must be wondering why I was asking her all of that, while I had nothing to give her.


    I said to Eril.


    ¡°Eril, don¡¯t quit.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? But¡­.¡±


    Eril hesitated. I also understood her situation. Who could have afforded to waste any more time in a place which owed them 5 months¡¯ worth of pay.


    But I said confidently.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you all that money, so don¡¯t quit.¡±


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    Eril¡¯s eyes widened.


    I gave her an assuring smile.

 Chapter 3

    The next day, as soon as sunrise, I got ready to go out.


    In fact, there was nothing for preparation. And there was nothing I could do about it.


    All I could do was change into my casual clothes and tie my hair up neatly.


    ¡°How much is our total debt?¡±


    When asked as I walked through the lobby, Eril answered with a reminder of debt in her hand.


    ¡°A total of 100 cairns, 4992 diamonds¡­¡±


    100 cairns 4992 diamonds.


    It was an amount that could not be easily obtained by the commoners nor the aristocrats.


    Even if the interest rates were excluded, the Viscount still could not have had such brilliance.


    I¡¯ll have to look into the law first.


    With that in mind, I left the mansion. As I walked down the street, I suddenly stopped.


    Eril looked at me, puzzled.


    ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I came out confidently, but come to think of it¡­


    I had no money.


    I looked at Eril with a slightly embarrassed face. Eril tilted her head.


    I asked her with an apologetic heart.


    ¡°Eril, do you have any money?¡±


    ¡°Yes ¡­?¡±


    Eril hesitated and took three cents out of her pocket.


    ???


    Craycia Viscounty was on the outskirts of the capital, so a carriage was essential to get to the central town.


    Riding the cheapest carriage, I caught a glimpse of the capital city that was very different from how I remembered.


    Some are the same, and some have changed.


    As I learned from Eril, it had been seven years since I was killed by the men in white.


    Nine years had passed for the timeline in Korea, but it seemed that only seven years had passed here, time seemed to flow differently on Earth and here.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t important.


    Contrary to the thought that I would not be able to remember well because it had been 7 years ¨C 9 years for me ¨C since I last came here, the memories of the past became clear again when I took the capital city into my view.


    After a while, the carriage stopped.


    After paying for the carriage, Eril ran to me.


    ¡°Miss, what place are you planning to visit at the central square?¡±


    Leaving behind Eril¡¯s question, I looked around once and moved without hesitation.


    Next to me, Eril was constantly babbling.


    ¡°Miss, if you go this way, you will only find a ¡®commercial complex¡¯. You are not planning on going there, are you?¡±


    ¡°That would be correct.¡±


    My casual answer made Eril¡¯s jaw drop.


    Meanwhile, passing the alley, tall buildings began to appear one by one.


    It was a view reminiscent of a Korean commercial district.


    The most incongruous place in this world.


    The place I created.


    As we got closer, Eril¡¯s complexion became paler.


    The voice that dissuaded me also seemed hastier.


    ¡°Miss, are you here to buy something? Commercial complexes are reserved for high-ranking aristocrats. If you need anything, please go to the market¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to buy anything.¡±


    ¡°Of course! That must be a given!¡±


    Eventually, Eril shouted.


    Meanwhile, I stood tall in front of a building.


    The tallest building among the tall ones. Eril¡¯s face turned completely white.


    ¡°M-mi-miss, are you really going in here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Eril shouted in shock at my calm reply.


    ¡°This is ¡®Cheshire Merchant Guild¡¯!¡±


    Cheshire Merchant Guild.


    T/n: from this point on, instead of Cheshire Merchant Guild, I would leave it as Cheshire Guild, Cheshire Merchant, Cheshire Group, or just Cheshire for short.


    I smiled at the name I hadn¡¯t heard in a long time.


    Unaware of it, Eril gave a redundant explanation of the Cheshire Guild to somehow prevent me from entering the place.


    ¡°Miss, the Cheshire is really no good. What kind of place is the Cheshire Guild? It¡¯s Cliff Empire¡¯s leading large-scale organisation! It is a difficult place for even aristocrats to access, let alone¡­ !¡±


    Eril didn¡¯t continue, but I knew what she was trying to say.


    She must have wanted to say ¡®the Cheshire Merchant is not the place for the likes of us to visit¡¯.


    It wasn¡¯t meant to belittle me though. She just meant well.


    Indeed, it was really hard to get into Cheshire. Much more, I, the young lady of a fallen Viscounty, was trying to enter a place that even the Viscount himself would not be able to access.


    But I¡¯m not going to buy anything.


    As I went closer to the door, the glass door slid open to both sides.


    ¡°(Gasp)!¡±


    Eril, who was forced to follow me, mouth agape.


    ¡°Oh, did you see that, Miss? I didn¡¯t even touch it, but the door opened automatically! Is it magic?¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    I answered curtly and lifted my head up to see a purple jewel embedded above the door.


    As expected.


    It was a mana stone.


    Manastone was a stone flowing with magic, and was first discovered about 13 years ago. So, it was discovered three years before I came to this world.


    However, compared to its efficacy, the manastone was not used very actively.


    It was because of the wizards.


    At a time when even the concept of magical power was not well-known, whenever there was a need for help, the ¡®wizards¡¯ took over the work and got paid for it.


    ¡®Wizards¡¯ was a term used to refer to those who could wield natural magic.


    However, through mana stones, even those who could not use magic could produce a similar effect, and the wizards who were wary of it spread the rumour that the magic stone was a ¡®devil stone¡¯.


    People who were ignorant of magical power believed only the wizard¡¯s words and kept away from magic stones. And it was the Cheshire Merchant that produced and commercialised tools with those mana stones.


    The Cheshire Organisation collected money by monopolising the market of mana-stone tools, or the so-called magic tools. In that circumstances, the position of wizards weakened, and magic tools became more and more common.


    This automatic door was one of them. However, this automatic door was not made by me.


    It was just a concept I planned at that time. It was postponed because the technical skills of the workshop were a little limited.


    I think I know who made it.


    It looked bigger than I thought though.


    I smiled and went inside.

 Chapter 4

    The interior of the Cheshire Guild was the spitting image of a high-end department store.


    A fountain in the centre, a bar where you can have a drink, a resting area where you can sit and relax, and an information counter.


    The most alien space for this world. And yet, the scenery was so familiar to me.


    ¡°Wow¡­ It¡¯s like being in another world¡­.¡±


    Eril muttered in ecstasy.


    I told her to wait, and then headed to the information counter.


    The receptionist, who saw me approaching, smiled and spoke to me.


    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡±


    I rolled my eyes, contemplating for a moment.


    Here came the problem.


    How could I meet the guy on the top floor of this building? It was impossible for me to go up right away. In that case ¡­


    I¡¯d have no choice but to make him come down from there.


    I parted my lips.


    ¡°I want to report something.¡±


    ¡°Report? What may it be?¡±


    ¡°About the Cheshire Guild¡¯s missing owner.¡±


    At my words, the receptionist¡¯s expression hardened.


    Her gaze sharpened. Her tone of voice also lowered.


    ¡°Please speak.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult for me to tell you directly, but I think I can to that person.¡±


    ¡°Who might you be talking about?¡±


    ¡°Duke Leone Finisis.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The receptionist bit her lips tight like a clam.


    I smiled at her and told her the real purpose of my coming here.


    ¡°Let me meet him.¡±


    ???


    ¡°You can wait here.¡±


    At my request to meet Duke Leone Finisis, the woman at the counter called for the Guardians. (similar to guards or escorts.)


    Surrounded by guardians, I arrived at the room on the 6th floor.


    They told me to wait and left, leaving me alone.


    I looked around.


    From old-fashioned wallpaper, wooden furniture, to antique decors. On the outside, it looked like a perfect drawing room, but on closer inspection, there are torture tools inside.


    How did I know?


    Cause I made it.


    Occasionally, people trying to find out my weaknesses would sneak in, and I lure them all the way here to make them think they had safely made it in, and then torture them to make them reveal the mastermind behind.


    But I never expected to come back to that room.


    I guess that is why people say you don¡¯t know what lies ahead of you.


    At that moment, I felt a sense a movement from behind. The door opened and a man entered.


    I sat on the sofa and looked at the man sitting across from me.


    Dark green hair, eyes of the same colour, sharp gaze, white skin and silver-rimmed glasses.


    He hasn¡¯t changed at all.


    He was Duke Leone Finisis, who I wanted to meet.


    He was the current owner of the Cheshire business.


    ???


    He was the person I met four years after I fell into this world.


    He was fifteen years old at the time, and he came to me for help, stained in blood.


    As I heard his story, I knew he was caught up in a power struggle, both of his parents died, and he barely managed to escape by himself.


    At that time, I had a lot of wealth and power, but I never interfered with the world of the nobility.


    It¡¯s annoying to get involved in their fight, and I was too busy with business, so I didn¡¯t want to get dragged into someone else¡¯s battle over power.


    And of course, it was also for the reason it would be easy to attract some unpleasant guests.


    So I turned down the boy¡¯s request to help him get revenge on his uncle who killed his parents and also tried to kill him.


    However, Leone stuck to me, and I felt sorry for him, who was on the verge of death after losing both his parents in an unwanted fight at a young age.


    So I made him a deal.


    In return for helping him to avenge and become a duke, he became my assistant.


    At that point, I was struggling to manage the growing merchant group on my own, just right when I was pondering over whether to find an aide.


    I thought that a subservient relationship with a clear contract would be better than simple employment.


    But of course, I also wanted the wealth of the Duchy of Finisis. That said, I broke my own rule of maintaining neutrality and helped him. Eventually, he became a duke safely.


    And as promised, he became my aide and we led the merchant group together.


    It was a subservient tie at first, but at some point, he became my best friend.


    That¡¯s why I came to him. I think he would recognise me.


    However¡­


    ¡°So you¡¯re reporting on our organisation¡¯s head?¡±


    As soon as he saw me, he snorted. His eyes looking at me were cold. More precisely, it was like looking into the eyes of a corpse.


    He looked completely different from when I last saw him.


    ¡°This is ridiculous. If this is a joke, then it not even funny.¡±


    Even his voice¡­.Although it was summer at the moment, his tone sounded cold and inexorable enough to turn the surroundings into winter at once.


    Was that really the Leone I knew?


    He looked so different that I thought he might be someone else, only with the same name.


    It¡¯s only natural that things change, since 7 years have passed after all.


    Was he twenty-eight this year? His build became much larger and his voice was deeper too.


    However, it felt a little unlikely to say it was simply a change according to age¡­


    ¡°Lady Eureia Craycia, daughter of a Viscount family.¡±


    I shuddered as my name came out of his mouth.


    He had come to finish my background investigation during such a short time.


    ¡°The debt to your family is huge.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sad to see you¡¯re trying to pay off your debt, but you have found the wrong way.¡±


    ¡­ No matter what, this change was just too drastic.


    His coldness sent chills down my spine.


    Still, I looked straight into his eyes.


    I didn¡¯t know why he had been so hostile, but I had come this far, I could not back down.


    ¡°Do you still want the information about the head of the Merchant Group?¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    As soon as I spoke, he sneered as if he had heard something funny.


    But it was just for a moment. He quickly hardened his expression and replied in a chilling tone.


    ¡°Seven years, after the reward was raised, how many people have come to visit, and how many scammers do you think there were?¡±


    Ah¡­ I see.


    I now understood why Leone¡¯s attitude was so cold.


    When I disappeared, Leone placed a huge bounty on my whereabouts, and he got endless visits from scammers.


    Though I was dead in the first place.


    It was unknown why my dead body was not found and I was regarded as missing, but the expectations, disappointments, and disillusionment Leone experienced during that time must have been beyond comprehension.


    In addition, I, Eureia Craycia, was in an astronomical debt, so the intention would have been much more obvious.


    ¡°Normally, I wouldn¡¯t have left this alone, but I will just let this slide. Please go back.¡±


    Leone stood up from his seat as if I was no longer worth dealing with.


    Just before he left the room, I opened my mouth, which was kept shut all this time.


    ¡°The owner would often say this. ¡®Actually, I am not from this world. I am from another world¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±

 Chapter 5

    Leone froze at my sudden remark. He turned his head, his movement was so stiff and robotic that it almost seemed like he was made of rusty metal scrap. His stare directed at me was full of doubt.


    I could feel his gaze, but I continued to speak, keeping on touching the empty teacup nervously.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t believe it. Because you thought it¡¯s a fictional story created by her drinking habits.¡±


    ¡°How do you¡­?¡±


    I got up from my seat. Then I moved to fiddle with the decors on the fireplace. Fortunately, everything was the same as before I left.


    I kept moving my lips.


    :But you didn¡¯t know¡­That what seemed like some crazy made-up story was true. Seven years ago, she was attacked on the way to the Miliore Kingdom, and¡­.¡±


    ¡°How do you know that¡­?!¡±


    Unbearable, Leone strode up to me and grabbed my arm.


    It hurt as he was not controlling his strength. Still, I stared at him with an expressionless face.


    Leone could not help but appear extremely triggered and flustered when he heard about a past that only me and him knew.


    I look straight into his eyes and finished.


    ¡°She died on the spot.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But when she opened her eyes, she was back in her original world. There, she lived for nine years, then was murdered and died again. And afterward, she woke up in the body of another woman.¡±


    ¡°¡­What kind of crazy nonsense¡­¡± ¡¤


    ¡°The woman¡¯s name is Eureia Craycia. A poor girl who has lost her parents and is left with nothing but debt.¡±


    Leone¡¯s eyes widened.


    I moved the other arm, which was not held by him and felt the inside of the fireplace.


    Something slightly sticking out at my fingertips, and I pressed on it. Upon that¡­


    (Rattle).


    With a loud noise, the wall where the fireplace was located turned.


    A secret room that could not be seen by anyone appeared.


    ¡°A place like this at the Merchant¡­¡±


    He was bewildered that there was a secret space that he did not even know about.


    When I lightly shake the arm that he was holding, he let go. This situation was so startling and sudden that even his flow of thoughts seemed to have stopped.


    The room was full of all kinds of treasures and purple mana stones.


    A safe was placed in the middle, and in the center of the safe embedded a pink mana stone instead of the basic purple colour.


    It was evident that it was a special manastone that only the person with that one particular soul resided in could use it.


    Leone, who followed me, kept his mouth shut as he watched what I was about to do.


    His eyes were already wandering from here to there at the newly revealed space.


    I put my hand on the mana stone.


    Though my body has changed, my soul remains the same.


    Maybe it¡¯s possible?


    Leone knew who the owner of this magic stone was, so his eyes were persistent on me.


    (Echoing).


    A moment later, along with a resonant reverberation, the door of the safe clicked open.


    Instead of splendid treasures, some documents were placed inside.


    I picked up the document and brought it to the dazed Leone¡¯s front.


    ¡°Now won¡¯t you admit it?¡±


    Before I could notice it, the way I spoke had become more comfortable.


    Leone¡¯s eyes trembled slightly as he received the document.


    It was a compact. The compact was an item cast with a magic spell with stronger control than a contract.


    ¡°This¡­ you¡­¡±


    It was the compact between Leone and me.


    An agreement that I would empower him, and that he would become my person in return.


    ¡°Now you know who I am?¡±


    Leone¡¯s hand tightened as if he wanted to tear the sheet of paper.


    Then he looked at me in disbelief.


    When I met those eyes, I smiled softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Leo.¡±


    ¡°¡­head¡­master¡­?¡±


    It was only then that I was able to properly reunite with him.


    ???


    Of course, Leone did not immediately accept me completely.


    ¡°What kind of drink did the owner often drink?¡±


    ¡°Wine from Cler¨¦ans. As for appetizers, I liked fruits that were easy to eat as a side dish.¡±


    ¡°What was the name of the parrot that the owner loved?¡±


    ¡°Leon. It was named after the wine of Cler¨¦ans because I liked it. But Leone said you didn¡¯t like it because it resembled your name. It was originally ill, so It died shortly after.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was only then that Leone began to accept me as I spoke fluently from the most private stuff to the things he didn¡¯t even know.


    Well, in the first place, that secret room was a place that even Leone was not supposed to know. There was nothing better to prove my identity than that.


    ¡°Then are you really¡­?¡±


    ¡°I told you so.¡±


    I responded leisurely, fiddling with the now filled teacup.


    Leone looked at me with confused eyes and let out a deep sigh repeatedly.


    ¡°If you are truly the head of the Merchant Guild, why haven¡¯t you shown up until now?¡±


    The way he spoke became more polite. Now he looked a bit more like the Leone I used to know.


    ¡°As I said, I went back to my original world and was killed there. When I opened my eyes, I was in this body, and as soon as I came to my senses, I came to find you. So don¡¯t be upset.¡±


    ¡°¡­and you said you died seven years ago?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    As I recalled that time, more strength was unknowingly put to my grips on the teacup.


    ¡°That¡¯s when I was murdered.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember what they looked like?¡±


    I shook my head at Leone¡¯s question.


    ¡°I can¡¯t remember because they covered their faces and bodies with a white cloak. Moreover, it was only in an instant when all the guards were killed, and all I could recall was they went in a group.¡±


    Something suddenly came to mind while I was talking.


    ¡°Come to think of it, their cloaks had a raven pattern on them.¡±


    ¡°A crow you mean?¡±


    Leone rubbed his chin.


    The crows had long represented wizards since ancient times. The reason was simple. It was because they were always wearing black cloaks whenever they performed magic. That way, they could hide in the shadows and perform magic without being noticed by the enemy.


    For that, they got the name owing to looking like a crow hiding in the dark.


    But in my case, it was a combination of a white cloak and a crow pattern¡­


    It¡¯s a combination I had never heard of.


    ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t seem to have found my body. Rather, I am regarded as missing.¡±


    Leone¡¯s complexion darkened. He answered with a distressed look.


    ¡°Yes. I searched all the areas around the carriage you rode in, but found nothing. So I believed you made it out alive¡­.¡±


    ¡°You put a prize on the information of my whereabouts. There must have been a lot of scammers coveting the bounty.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Leone¡¯s head drooped.


    In fact, he was acting like a criminal even though he did nothing wrong.


    ¡°¡­I shouldn¡¯t have let you go alone. If I had stayed by your side until the end, you wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    He seemed to feel responsible and guilty for my death.


    I put my hand on his head. As I ruffled his hair, he looked up, flustered.


    ¡°Own-owner?¡±


    ¡°Why would that be your fault? I had a lot of guards with me, and you must have been busy dealing with other things as well.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, now about the purpose I came here today.¡±


    I changed the subject before he continued further.

 Chapter 6

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what to do next.¡±


    ¡°You must come back. The position of the Guild¡¯s head is left vacant so that you can return at any time.¡±


    I smiled at the lucid answer.


    Had it been for others, they would have taken advantage of the period that I disappeared and tried to somehow take the lead.


    But Leone was not like that.


    During the seven years that I was gone, he only acted as a substitute for the owner and left the seat vacant so I could come back at any time.


    That¡¯s why I liked Leone. A colleague I could trust with peace of mind worthed far more than millions of valuable products.


    Such a trustworthy person did not come easily.


    Leone was special to me.


    I believed in this special loyalty of his, thus, I came to him even with a different outlook.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I should return to my position.¡±


    I nodded in agreement with him.


    The Cheshire Merchant was the fruit of my own hands. That seat was mine.


    However¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible right now.¡±


    ¡°What is the reason?¡±


    I answered Leone¡¯s question, sliding my fingertip on the edge of the teacup.


    ¡°I¡¯m not qualified enough.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by qualified¡­?¡±


    Leone asked, but he must have known.


    Leone had the right to manage personnel affairs at Cheshire, but even so, it was difficult to hand all of them over to an unqualified aristocratic woman.


    Surely, there would be some talk about authenticity.


    For that, I was only able to take over the position after I was properly qualified.


    First and foremost.


    ¡°I will have to succeed to the Viscountess title first. To do that, I have to go through the procedure thoroughly.¡±


    The procedure for succession to the title was of fundamental knowledge, so I was well aware of it.


    First, they had to obtain the majority consent of their relatives, and secondly, obtained the approval of the emperor through a meeting.


    Since the emperor¡¯s approval was just a formality, the majority consent of relatives was, in fact, the more important one.


    But sure enough, they are not going to give it to me that easily.


    Even if all it left was just debt, a title was still a title. No one would want to pass it on to their young niece. It was most likely that they would try to take over the title somehow.


    What should I do¡­?


    Lost in thought, I immediately looked up at Leone.


    ¡°Leone, don¡¯t pay off my debt right away.¡±


    ¡°Do you have something in mind?¡±


    I nodded at his question. I had just come up with an excellent plan.


    A plan that only I could conduct.


    ???


    After the scheme discussion, I left the room and headed for the elevator with Leone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come down.¡±


    It would not be good if the close relationship between Leone and I came to be known.


    It would be best to be the ruin of someone when they¡¯re defenseless.


    Leone, who read my intentions at once, nodded gently.


    Nonetheless, his gaze, lingering on me as I was about to come down in the lift, was filled with sentiment.


    He hesitated and opened his mouth.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re back.¡±


    ¡°Is it because my appearance has changed?¡±


    ¡°No. Appearance doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is you.¡±


    Having said that, Leone looked at me silently for a moment, then gently embraced me.


    It was too much to be described as a mere embrace.


    It would be better to say that he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug.


    I looked up at Leone. He closed his eyes and heaved a deep sigh of relief.


    ¡°I was very afraid for seven years. I was afraid that I wouldn¡¯t be able to see you ever again. I thought that morning was the last moment I saw you. I was so scared and anxious¡­ ¡±


    His voice was shaking. He didn¡¯t cry though.


    But because I knew Leone better than anyone else, I could see how painful he was.


    ¡°Yeah¡­I know.¡±


    Were I to put myself in his shoes, I would have been as devastated as he was.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a dream, and I won¡¯t disappear anymore.¡±


    I was twenty-two when we first met, and he was fifteen.


    Even though he had grown up, our order had been switched and now I was younger than him¡­..To me, he was still that wrecked little boy who came crying to me for help.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, don¡¯t hold back.¡±


    ¡°¡­don¡¯t treat me like a child.¡±


    As I patted his back, Leone made a disgruntled noise.


    I smiled without answering and then parted from him.


    Leone quietly let me go.


    Before the elevator went down, I looked at him proudly. I could see that he had grown up well.


    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Leone asked cautiously as if he was weirded out by my suspicious gaze.


    I smiled at him.


    ¡°Leone.¡±


    It belatedly crossed my mind¡­.


    ¡°Lend me some money.¡±


    ..That I had no money to go back.


    Leone stared back at me, speechless.


    ???


    ¡°Miss! Are you alright? Did anything happen?¡±


    As soon as I got down to the lobby, Eril, who was waiting, hurriedly ran to me.


    She had been restless since I was taken away by the Guardians, so she must have worried a lot.


    Cold sweat was pouring down her face, and tears welled up in her eyes.


    Frankly, she¡¯s kind of annoying, but she was nice.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did you achieve your goal?¡±


    Eril looked puzzled.


    All she saw I did was go up then down, led by the Guardians.


    It was a given as she did not know who I met with.


    However, I didn¡¯t feel the need to resolve that query of hers.


    Even if I didn¡¯t, she would find out eventually.


    I nodded and stepped outside the Cheshire building.


    After leaving the Merchant, I headed for carriage rental with Eril.


    Upon arriving at the carriage rental office, Eril said in a troubled voice.


    ¡°But Miss, how do we ride a carriage when we don¡¯t have any money now?¡±


    To her question, I took out a pocket and handed it to her.


    Eril¡¯s eyes widened as she looked inside it. The inside of the pocket was full of gold.


    ¡°Miss, where did you get this money¡­?¡±


    I answered briefly.


    ¡°I borrowed it from a friend.¡±


    Eril was still skeptical, but it was difficult to reveal the details, so I pretended not to notice her.


    Anyway, it was fortunate that Eril was able to hire a coachman and we could finally return home.


    I got on the carriage heading back to the Viscounty and fell into thoughts as I gazed at the scenery of the passing capital city.


    As soon as I get back, I would have to send letters.

 Chapter 7

    Sending a letter was not that difficult as I utilised the address book in the Viscount¡¯s office.


    After sending letters to a total of nine families, including distant relatives, I took a bath to relieve fatigue.


    Naturally, Eril tried to follow in to help, but I stopped her. I didn¡¯t know about other things, but I could handle as much as taking a bath.


    After immersing myself in the warm water and taking a nice bath, I looked at my reflection in the slightly blurred mirror.


    It¡¯s hard to adjust to this new appearance.


    But I soon came to my senses. If I couldn¡¯t get myself together, I would not be able to take care of myself.


    I can¡¯t afford to do that.


    I would rightfully get back what¡¯s mine. Whether it was the title or the Merchant Guild.


    Rather than getting back the Guild, I¡¯m claiming it once again.


    When I thought of the Guild, I naturally thought of Leone.


    The last time I saw him was when he was twenty-one¡­ so he must be twenty-eight by now?


    Thinking like that, I felt like I had been away for a long time.


    It¡¯s a little unfamiliar.


    At first, I couldn¡¯t really take notice of his change wholely because of the pleasure of meeting him again and the plans for the future.


    But looking back now, he felt like a different person.


    It felt even more strange because I often missed Leone and others while living in Korea.


    Others.


    After realising Leone¡¯s change, I became curious about the changes of others who were once with me as well.


    They wouldn¡¯t recognise me, though.


    I felt bitter in my mouth.


    I desperately needed Leone¡¯s help, so I revealed my identity to him, but I had no intention of doing the same to the rest.


    I don¡¯t think they would believe it in the first place.


    I told solely Leone that I was not originally from this world.


    So I have to hide it.


    Because I did not want to cause any unnecessary confusion.


    I left the bathroom and dried my hair with a magic tool ¨C it¡¯s like a hair dryer ¨C that was bought with Leone¡¯s money on the way back. I then changed into a negligee and lay down on the bed.


    Exhausted, I closed my eyes.


    This fragile body got tired even from a little movement. Had it been my former body, I would have easily overcome working overtime for three days in a row.


    Groaning inwardly, I fell asleep.


    Another day passed just like that.


    ???


    A week has passed since I met Leone. I had been busy since morning today.


    Not just me, Eril was drowned in works as well, since there was only one servant.


    The reason for this was simple. It was because today was the day of the title succession meeting.


    Wearing the cleanest dress left behind after all had been taken by the debt collectors, I stood on the balcony and watched the procession of carriages coming from afar.


    The day is finally here.


    As I watched the carriage getting closer, I felt my heart pounding restlessly.


    There were many more important and decisive things than this when operating the Guild, so why was I so nervous?


    It is the first big thing I do after entering this body.


    And because it was the first step I took to get my place back.


    The preparation is perfect.


    Thinking of the plan I prepared for today, I smiled happily.


    I went down to the lobby on the first floor.


    As soon as I reached the lobby, the front door opened and a man walked in.


    With his big belly sticking out, he looked around and ran straight to me once he spotted me.


    ¡°Oh, Eureia! My dear niece!¡±


    Urgh, it¡¯s dirty.


    Even though it wasn¡¯t hot, he was sweating profusely, and he felt like a wild boar.


    Ew, no.


    I would like to accept it if possible, but it was really unacceptable.


    If he were to fall on me, this fragile body might be crushed to death.


    I slightly shifted my body to the side to avoid him. Perhaps he didn¡¯t expect that I was going to get out of the way, so the man stumbled, losing his balance¡­


    Feeling a bit guilty, I smiled broadly at the man who looked at me with puzzled eyes.


    ¡°Welcome, Uncle Yellun.¡±


    For this day, I had collected all the information about my relatives by searching through the nobility almanac and all the materials the Viscount had.


    The man, half-bald and overweight, was Eureia Craycia¡¯s uncle, Count Yellun.


    When I casually greeted him with a bright face, the Count acted grovellingly, he smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Oh, Eureia. I came a bit late. How have you been?¡±


    How have I been?


    With such negligence yet he had the audacity to ask me that?


    I held back what I wanted to say, and only smiled profoundly without a word.


    Perhaps Count Yellun was able to read the meaning behind it, he wiped the cold sweat with his handkerchief. He then rambled on with his excuse.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t have come to you earlier. I¡¯ve been busy with my business. Please be understanding.¡±


    I knew it.


    I stared at him coldly, but a gracious smile was still hung on my lips.


    ¡°Of course. Come on in. I have prepared refreshments so you don¡¯t get bored while you wait.¡±


    ¡°Ye- yes.¡±


    He could not hide his awkwardness at my seemingly innocuous answer, and headed to the meeting room under Eril¡¯s guidance.


    As soon as he disappeared, I erased my smile instantly.


    Busy because of business?


    How laughable.


    There is no way that is the case.


    There was something I had been digging for over the past week.


    Even if, hypothetically, Viscount Craycia was a stupid human being, it still made no sense for him to trust his friend entirely and entrust all of his fortunes to him.


    He was also a business man. Shouldn¡¯t he have had that much intellegence?


    Then I stumbled upon the theory that someone might have acted as a bridge in the middle.


    A person so close and trusted that Viscount Craycia could not even suspect in the slightest bit.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    And my prediction was accurate to the point of being ridiculous.


    I looked in the direction where Count Yellun had disappeared to, and greeted the relatives who had just arrived with a smile, hiding the blade behind my back*.


    T/n: by ¡®hiding the blade behind back¡¯, it basically meant she¡¯s playing innocent for now, but secretly plotting something.

 Chapter 8

    Nine families each sent a representative.


    They were seated at a large table, and my seat was close to the door.


    It was Count Yellun who spoke first.


    ¡°First of all, I would like to offer my condolence for what has happened to my brother and sister-in-law.¡±


    Then they all joined in.


    A smile of contempt quietly formed on my face.


    To think that they feel sorry¡­


    Didn¡¯t those people leave their niece all alone without even attending her parents¡¯ funeral?


    I glanced at each and every one of them in silence.


    In the eyes of the representatives looking at me, there was only a mixture of pity and disregard.


    Eureia Craycia was a greenhouse flower*.


    T/n: People who grew up preciously, without hardship, under their parents¡¯ love and support are often referred to as ¡°greenhouse flowers.¡±


    She was a pushover who was incompetent in any academic field, including business, politics, and so on. All she could do growing up was knit.


    That must have been why they did not seem the least nervous when I sent them a letter saying I would inherit the title.


    They thought I was an easy girl to deal with.


    ¡°But Eureia, it is never easy to carry the family name on your shoulders. You didn¡¯t even take a proper successor class, did you?¡±


    Count Yellun moved his giblet-like lips.


    ¡°Then how about this? Why don¡¯t you let this uncle take over the authority so you would not need to feel burdened? Don¡¯t worry about the debt. I have thought it all out.¡±


    He coaxed me as if he was luring a child with candy.


    I turned to the representatives. They all looked a little dissatisfied, but no one protested.


    This man must have quite some influence over them.


    Count Yellun was probably the most powerful among my relatives.


    ¡°And your future will be taken care of by this uncle of yours.¡±


    ¡°Oh, by you? How?¡±


    I asked innocently.


    He grinned and chattered like a poacher who captured his prey.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to marry you off to a nice house. Don¡¯t worry. I will take care of your dowry.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°You just have to get married into a decent household and live an elegant life. All the rough work will be done by your uncle, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. So my uncle envisioned my best future as being someone¡¯s wife and living quietly the rest of my life?¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Immediately, I put away my soft smile and stared at Earl Yellun with a touch of hostility. (Earl and Count are the same)


    He flinched at the sudden change of atmosphere, but I didn¡¯t care.


    He promptly raised his voice to take control of the atmosphere again.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You are not really thinking of succeeding the title, are you, Eureia?¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because you are not capable enough!¡±


    As if he had changed his strategy, he began to press without hesitation.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Even if you inherit the title, what are you going to do with that much debt?!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The same goes for your father, my brother. He had had a lot of soft sides ever since he was young. As such, he ended up being scammed. I would never have done something like that¡­¡±


    ¡°True, my father was a very soft-hearted man. He should not have had so much trust in a person, even if it was his own brother.¡±


    Just as Count Yellun said, Viscount Craycia was a very foolish man.


    Originally, as the older brother, he had every right to inherit the title of a Count. But at the request of his younger brother, he inherited the title of Viscount instead. How foolish was that.


    ¡°¡­what?¡±


    It was the moment when he asked back in confusion at my unexpected reply¡­Suddenly, the outside started to get noisy, and the door swung open and five or six knights rushed in.


    ¡°Wha-what is this?!¡±


    The representatives were all baffled at the unexpected situation.


    The knights¡¯ armour was painted with the emblem of the empire.


    Usually, knights wear armour engraved with the crest of the household they belonged to. However, in this case, they wore armour bearing the emblem of the Empire. That meant they didn¡¯t belong to any particular family.


    The Noble Judges.


    They were outside the power range that even the imperial family could not easily interfere with.


    To put it simply, they were the people who judged the high-ranking nobles. Even the imperial family would be punished if they were considered against justice.


    It was an organisation established at the founding of the empire, and its members were not even known by the public. Unlike regular judges that could be found in courts, their work was utterly confidential.


    Normally, there would have to be evidence that a party had committed a great sin in order for them to make a move.


    That¡¯s why it was very rare for ¡®noble judges¡¯ to be on the move. But they had come all the way here to punish someone for their sins.


    The judges¡¯ great helm turned and went around the room once.


    It turned to me, ran through the representatives, and ended up on Count Yellun.


    At that, he tried to run away, but the door was blocked and he couldn¡¯t escape.


    ¡°Count Dimaine Yellun, you are under arrest for fraudulent, embezzlement, and the murder of a relative.¡±


    ¡°Wha- what do you mean by¡­! Fraud? Murder?!¡±


    ¡°Fraud, siding with a close friend of my father and robbing him of his property with false information.¡±


    I turned to make eye contact with the Count, who was brought to his knees by the judges.


    His brown pupils were burning with anger.


    ¡°Murder, you killed my mother.¡±


    ¡°Wha-what?! When did I do that?!¡±


    He screamed and struggled, but I looked at him coldly, unperturbed. The Count was startled by those eyes.


    ¡°The day you dropped by, my mother died. The cause of her death was sudden cardiac arrest, but they found out that someone had injected poison into the IV she was getting. And it matched the record of your purchase of the drug¡­¡±


    ¡°That-, that¡¯s nonsense¡­¡±


    ¡°I also found a lot of letters and blackmails you wrote to my mother. You threatened countless times that you would kill her if she didn¡¯t come to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At my words, the Count was rendered speechless.


    From the moment I woke up in this body, I had always questioned the death of the Viscountess.


    No matter how much she suffered from the shock of losing her husband, she had no medical history, yet she had a sudden death.


    It was so strange that I decided to search her room for clues. And as a result, I found an enormous number of letters that Earl Yellun had sent her long ago.


    They could be interpreted as threatening letters.


    If you don¡¯t leave my older brother and come to my side, I will kill you.


    I¡¯m going to commit suicide if you don¡¯t come to stop me.


    I really love you.


    I will make you regret not choosing me.


    There were numerous creepy and horrifying threats like those, and I also found the IV bags that she had used until the day she passed away.


    Just in case, I asked Eril if the Count often visited our mansion.


    ¡®The Count? Um¡­he did not frequent that much in the past, but after the master was scammed, he came and went often. Oh, he also came on the same day that the miss¡¯ mother died.¡¯


    Convinced by Eril¡¯s words, I sent the IV to the research institute through Leone.


    As a result, toxic substances were detected in the contents.


    Tracing back to the place where the toxic substance was sold, Count Yellun was at the other end.


    Since the substance was rarely used, Earl Yellun was the only one who had purchased it for the past few years.


    The method was sloppy, but Count Yellun must have been at ease. Why?


    ¡°You let your guard down. Since you must have thought Eureia Craycia is stupid.¡±


    Eureia Craycia was a weak, vulnerable woman who could not do anything on her own.


    But I was different.

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Th-this¡­¡±


    Count Yellun, filled with rage, glared at me wordlessly.


    I smiled broadly at him and said my final goodbyes.


    ¡°Goodbye, uncle. May you be at peace on your way to your downfall.¡±


    Anyone could tell murder was a grave crime. He would be stripped of his title and all of his property will be confiscated.


    Count Yellun struggled furiously, but the judges mercilessly dragged him out.


    Now that it had quieted down a bit, I was about to come back to dealing with the others when I noticed that there was one had not left yet.


    He was also a judge, and under his great helm, his eyes were on me.


    I tilted my head. Soon, I remembered something and smiled.


    His shoulders slightly flinched at that.


    ¡°Thanks to you, my parents can finally rest in peace now. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Huh? Didn¡¯t he just want to be greeted?


    He quickly turned around and left the meeting room.


    What was that? Such a strange person.


    Anyway, as the situation had been settled, I counted the frightened relatives one by one with my finger while muttering.


    ¡°One, two, three¡­this is a little troubling. The rule is to get consent with a majority of votes, but the number is now even. What if it turns out to be a tie? Well, for now¡­¡±


    Those who met my gaze trembled.


    It was clearly visible that they were afraid of me, who had made this fuss.


    How ironic to think that they were afraid of me when minutes ago, they were just looking at me with little respect.


    Thinking that they were such cowardly people, I raised one hand with a light smile on my lips.


    ¡°Who agrees for me to take over the title?¡±


    No one raised their hand right away. But as they exchanged glances hesitantly, their hands began to rise one by one.


    And not long after, all eight hands were unanimously raised. At that sight, the smile on my face became bigger.


    Well, even the noble judges came here at my call, of course they wouldn¡¯t want to mess with me, would they?


    I smiled broadly and ended the meeting.


    ¡°Then, I wish you all the best.¡±


    No applause or reaction came back. It was a given anyway.


    After the meeting, the relatives fled as quickly as possible. They were getting away from me as though they were avoiding a fire.


    It must have been because of the fear that the noble judges might return again.


    I shook my head amusedly as I watched several carriages set off on their ways.


    ¡°Pathetic.¡±


    It was pathetic to see them run off like that. Just looking at them made my eyes feel dirty, so I took my eyes off them.


    Behind my back was Eril with her head bowed towards me.


    After seeing the series of events in person, Eril seemed to have grown stronger in her loyalty to me.


    I fell in thought as I headed back to my bleak room with that one bed remained.


    The first challenge is cleared.


    I didn¡¯t have to worry about the relatives changing their choice afterward.


    Since the judges have personally come, they would think that I have some kind of force backing me up.


    The ¡®noble judges¡¯ were like the Supreme Court of the nobility, it was practically impossible for small and medium-class nobles to summon the judges.


    First of all, the process of contacting them was very difficult, and no matter how successful one was, they had to have great power to call for them.


    Therefore, it was most likely that small and medium-ranked nobles could not even see a judge for once in their lifetime.


    Well, in some cases, seeing them meant someone would be judged and punishment would befall upon them, so it¡¯s better not to see them anyway.


    All in all, such a force came because of me. No one would think that I requested them on my own. So they would most certainly think that there¡¯s some huge figure behind supporting me.


    And that is the Duke of Finisis.


    The Finisis Duchy held the most power among the three major dukedoms in existence.


    The power of his family itself was by no means small, but the influence of the Cheshire business, which he was leading, was far greater.


    The Cheshire Guild now topped the highest position among hundreds of guilds and businesses existing in the Empire, possessing enough wealth and power to dominate the imperial market.


    Although he was not the original owner of the Guild, he had no less influence than that.


    The next most powerful family in line is the Duchy of Henness¡­


    Had it not been for the Finisis Duchy with Cheshire, the most powerful family would by far have been the Henness Duchy.


    The Henness family owns the largest mana stone mine.


    The Henness family was a family of wizards with a long history.


    Until the Manastone was discovered, the Henness family was praised as the ¡®family blessed by God¡¯, the only wizard family in the empire.


    They used the power of magic to play an active part in war, in crisis, and in famine.


    For this reason, they were revered as divine beings by other nobles, and they were also famous for giving birth to most empresses throughout the empire¡¯s history.


    In addition, they amassed wealth from the huge amount of wages they received in return for using their magical powers.


    It seemed that their stronghold would never collapse.


    It¡¯s an old perception, though.


    However, as manastones were discovered and magic tools were invented, people stopped looking for wizards who demanded large pay.


    This was obviously because magic tools were much more efficient than hiring them at a high price.


    They stood against the mana stones, but no one listened to them.


    With the spread of manastones, they gradually began to decline, so they reluctantly joined in the manastone business and were able to rise again by excavating the empire¡¯s largest manastone mine.


    It was definitely the Cheshire Merchant that helped them achieve such a revival.


    At that time, the Cheshire Guild had a monopoly on the techniques of making magic tools.


    The Magic Tool Workshop was also owned by Cheshire, so no matter how much mana stones there were, if they did not go through the Cheshire workshop, they were just stones in hands.


    Numerous businesses and families tried to invent magic tools, but most of them failed.


    The Henness family, well aware of such cases, gladly joined hands with the Cheshire Guild and grew together as business partners.


    The head of their family looked kind of normal, but their second son was very handsome.


    I recalled their young second son, whom I had met many times.


    I couldn¡¯t remember much, but I did remember that his light sky blue hair was like cotton candy.


    Perhaps he was about the same age as Leone.


    As my thoughts flowed, I arrived at the room thinking that I should ask Leone about the Henness family later.


    After I took one look at my room, which was so spacious and bleak, I made up my mind to fill this empty mansion before going to the Imperial Palace.


    I would have to hire a chef as well.

 Chapter 10

    Eureia Craycia had no money.


    Even if the debt was cleared with the huge compensation received from Count Yellun, the lack of money remained the same. But I had a lot of money. Like alot alot. To be precise, I, who was the owner of Cheshire, had a lot of money.


    Last time, the secret room I opened before Leone to prove my identity was my safe.


    It was my treasure trove that even Leone did not know.


    In other words, all the treasures filled in there were mine.


    They were not money, but treasures with a certain value. It would take quite some time to convert them into money though.


    In any case, if the stakes held by Cheshire¡¯s owner were added up, my fortune would far exceed that of the Finisis Duchy.


    So money was not a constraint for me.


    After asking Leone to exchange the treasures for money, I furnished the empty mansion and hired servants.


    I bought carriages, horses, and gave Eril a much higher salary. The girl was bewildered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve taken a liking to you, so please take good care of me in the future as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, Miss¡­¡±


    Thrilled, Eril inquired about the source of the money. But her doubt faded at Leone¡¯s visit a few days later.


    ¡°Welcome, Leone.¡±


    I got a message from the Imperial Palace.


    I was asked to come to the imperial palace to receive approval from the emperor to succeed the title a month later.


    Before departing for the Imperial Palace, I called Leone to find out about the current state of the empire and the imperial family.


    Leone, who was said to be difficult to meet even at high-ranking nobles¡¯ request, rushed to me immediately at my call.


    I thought it would be better to have a conversation in private rather than in a drawing room with a lot of people coming and going, so I led Leone to my room.


    In the meantime, the gazes pouring on him and me were unusual.


    It must have had a special meaning to them when an unmarried man and woman of marriageable age met up like this.


    It doesn¡¯t bother me anyway.


    Rather, if there were to be a scandal with Leone, it would be easier to protect Eureia, who had a low position in the aristocratic society.


    I¡¯m sure the shallow ones will be fooled.


    Perhaps Leone was also conscious of it as he walked a little closer to me.


    It was then that I once again realised that he had grown taller.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten taller, Leone.¡±


    Leone looked down at me at my remark.


    Eureia was short.


    I was about the same height as the average woman in the world, but I was about five centimeters shorter than the original me. Before, I was considered rather tall.


    He was higher than I thought and it felt unfamiliar and new.


    ¡°It¡¯s been seven years. A lot has changed, from what you see to what you can¡¯t see.¡±


    His voice became deeper, too.


    There was nothing bad about it, but his soft voice from before had now changed to that of a man.


    The adam¡¯s apple at the centre of his neck moved up and down as he spoke.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone for so long.¡±


    He suddenly lowered his head.


    When he had gotten so close that I could feel his scent, he slowly moved away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±


    I opened the door.


    I was a little surprised, but I went inside first without showing it outwardly.


    He followed and closed the door.


    ¡°This room is small.¡±


    It was the first thing he uttered when he entered the room.


    ¡°Well. I¡¯m satisfied with just this.¡±


    I shrugged.


    If anyone were to listen to our conversation, they would be stunned by how strange it sounded.


    It was hard to describe my room as ¡®small¡¯ even as a joke. Because Eureia¡¯s parents, who loved her very much, gave her the largest room in their mansion.


    But from the perspective of Leone and I, this room was just mediocre.


    My room at Cheshire was so spacious that it occupied the entire floor.


    In Korea, I once bought a room of 16.5 meters square, so this is good enough.


    In Korea, I was never called wealthy. As a matter of fact, it was much closer to a poor life.


    And I had no parents.


    I grew up in an orphanage, and as soon as I entered college, I left the orphanage with empty hands.


    For someone who had been living off the wealth of Cheshire for a long time, sudden poverty was really hard for me, but I somehow managed to survive nine years.


    Hence, I did not dare complain that the room was small.


    Of course, Leone was unaware of this fact, so he must have been feeling pure dissatisfaction.


    Rather, if he knew what kind of life I¡¯ve been leading, he would be more overprotective, wouldn¡¯t he?


    From his appearance, Leone really seemed like a cold-blooded duke. I bet if he were to be poked with a needle, blue blood might come out.


    That cold mask of his only disappeared in front of me. Because I was his only guardian and companion.


    When he had just succeeded to the dukedom, rumours circulated that Leone was my lover. But the rumours quickly died down as I actively took care of it.


    ¡°It¡¯s better for you to come back to the Guild¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? If I sat at the top of the Merchant now, there would be some people that doubt my ability. I don¡¯t want to go back there until I have eliminated all weaknesses and become capable enough to lead Cheshire.¡±


    ¡°¡­. All right. If that is the owner¡¯s will, I will not insist anymore.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As I smiled, Leone¡¯s eyes shook.


    Just in time, Eril came in with some refreshments.


    Eril, whose salary was raised and was even promoted as the head maid, did not commit the rudeness of peeping into Leone¡¯s face. Still, she could not hide her curiosity. After Eril left, I had a sip of the tea.


    It has improved a lot.


    Not long ago, Eril¡¯s tea was terribly brewed.


    I guess it¡¯s a given.


    Since she was a commoner and once she became a maid, she only did cleaning chores. Brewing tea could only be done by an aristocrat¡¯s personal maid. For that, it went without saying that Eril had never even touched tea leaves, let alone made tea.


    But in the future, many nobles would be invited to this mansion. Each time, Eril, as my personal maid, would have to serve proper tea. Thus, Eril practised brewing tea countless times per week, and I was happy to help her.


    She¡¯ll have to practise more, but this is good enough for now.


    I smiled happily.


    It¡¯s always fun to paint something close to blank paper with pretty colours.


    It was like that with Leone, and the same also went for Eril.


    I put down my teacup, thinking that I should compliment Eril once Leone returned.


    Leone got straight to the point and gave me the answer I needed.


    ¡°Currently, the purchase rate of magic tools is showing a steady upward trend. The main market of Cheshire¡¯s products, including magic tools, is the Empire. In addition, export activities have also been active for the past three years. In particular, the response of the Ashan Kingdom, which has a poor understanding of magic, was positive. And we have succeeded in occupying more than 70% of the current Ashan market¡­.¡±


    According to Leone¡¯s report, the magic tools business of Cheshire Merchant was very successful. Especially, the overseas expansion was remarkable.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job coming this far.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At Leone¡¯s words, I glanced at him. The thought of him always brought a smile to my lips.


    Leone, who was looking at me, asked gently.


    ¡°What are you going to do next? Would you like to reveal your identity?¡±


    I shook my head with a bitter smile at Leone¡¯s question.


    ¡°No.¡±


    I added.


    ¡°Tell him I¡¯m dead when he comes back.¡±

 Chapter 11

    ¡°Tell him I¡¯m dead when he comes back.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Leone responded without hesitation. I couldn¡¯t say anything else because I also shared the same thought as him.


    Leone continued.


    ¡°I used to not like him. Remember?¡±


    I nodded at his question.


    ¡°Yeah. You were really giving the newbie the cold shoulders.¡±


    When the memories of that time came back to mind, they naturally made me laugh.


    At the time, Leone was eighteen, and I really valued ¡®him¡¯ who had just joined the team.


    So Leone tormented him in small ways.


    Taking the advantage of being a senior, Leone often asked him to run errands and nitpick in everything he did.


    However, he was calm by nature, so he was indifferent to Leone¡¯s bullying.


    It was an anecdote that in the end, Leone fell exhausted first due to that indifference.


    ¡°Well, Hecard was similar to me. His age, circumstances, and even the fact that he was saved by the headmaster yourself. So I was worried. I was afraid that you would like him more than me.¡±


    I was astonished at the inside story that I was never aware of.


    I didn¡¯t know that¡¯s how he thought of it.


    I thought he was being rude just because they were the same age.


    ¡°So he won¡¯t believe me if I tell him that the master is dead.¡±


    ¡°¡­Even so, to say that I have now entered someone else¡¯s body will only create confusion. So you¡¯d better pretend you don¡¯t know anything.¡±


    ¡°The royals of the Lukdem Kingdom have eyes that can see through the essence of the soul.¡±


    ¡°Hecard is an illegitimate child, so we are not sure if he was born with those eyes.¡±


    Leone nodded at my words. Then he muttered in a heavy voice.


    ¡°Then it would be better to completely hide the master¡¯s identity.¡±


    I asked, tilting my head at his seriousness.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    Leone, who stole a glance at me, soon said with a deep sigh.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything to make you anxious, but I think it would be better for the master to know.¡±


    What was it that made him look so grim?


    I looked at him with curious eyes.


    ¡°Someone has been looking for you for the three recent years.¡±


    ¡°Me? Who is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just confirmed that there is someone stalking the master while hiding their identity with a white cloak. I tried to catch him and interrogate him, but he used magic¡­.¡±


    ¡°A wizard?¡±


    I frowned.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a wizard in a white cloak, it might have something to do with ¡®them¡¯.¡±


    Them, those who killed me seven years ago. Though it was natural since the wizards basically held hatred toward me.


    With the invention of magic tools, the place for wizards to stand has become narrower.


    ¡°Hence, it would be better to completely hide your identity.¡±


    ¡°Right. That¡¯s what I was trying to do anyway¡­ But it¡¯s strange. Why did it start three years ago? It was seven years ago that I disappeared though.¡±


    I rubbed my chin and tried to sift through the suspects, but no one came to mind.


    Does it even matter?


    Now no one knew who I really was, except for Leone anyway.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    As the atmosphere grew heavy, I changed the subject.


    ¡°Oh and, I received a message telling me to enter the palace a month later.¡±


    ¡°Is it because of the title succession?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Should I accompany you?¡±


    I smiled and shook my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s absurd for a duke to escort the young lady of a Viscounty.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Leone. I¡¯ve felt it before, but you¡¯re over worried¡­ or even overprotective one might say.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m always worried about you.¡±


    Leone¡¯s expression was serious. Leone never spoke empty words to me. So this statement must have been undoubtedly true.


    ¡°If not, I shall send you an escort knight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay though¡­¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t turn this down. Unless you intend to drive me crazy with worry.¡±


    Leone¡¯s eyes suddenly became desperate.


    I had no choice but nod and accept his offer.


    And the following day, the escort he sent came.


    ???


    ¡°At the order of His Excellency, Duke Leone Finisis, I have come to serve lady Eureia Craycia. I am Hilary Evotte.¡±


    The knight who introduced herself as Hillary Evotte was a woman who gave off a fiery impression.


    Contrary to her calm appearance, the scars all over her body were proof of how much hardship she had been through. In particular, she had a long scar on her left cheek.


    ¡°Yes, Hillary.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me if you need anything.¡±


    Hillary said quietly. No emotion was detected in her voice. It was the same with her reddish-brown eyes.


    She felt like a doll with no emotions.


    So that¡¯s why Leone chose her.


    Those who served a duke daily would consider it a shame to follow a person of a lower rank than him.


    But Hillary didn¡¯t show any signs of that. She seemed to have won Leone¡¯s favour with it.


    But I was a little bothered by her over-repressed emotions.


    That being said, I nodded casually, as Hillary might be concerned if I let that show.


    ¡°Yes, please take care of me from now on.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Eril! I¡¯m the lady¡¯s personal maid and the head maid of the Viscounty.¡±


    Eril, who was by my side, introduced herself with her nose stuck up in the air.


    It seemed Eril could not sense the heavy atmosphere.


    Hillary nodded towards Eril.


    ¡°I look forward to your kind cooperation, miss Eril.¡±


    ¡°Oh my.¡±


    Eril¡¯s face turned red when she was first addressed as ¡®miss¡¯.


    ¡°If you have any questions, you can ask me, miss knight!¡±


    It came as a surprise, but I thought that those two might get along pretty well. At that,  I moved on.


    Eril asked, following me. Hillary also quietly walked along.


    ¡°Miss, where are you going?¡±


    I answered her question with ease.


    ¡°To buy a lot of dresses.¡±


    I was going to the palace, then shouldn¡¯t I at least look the part?


    I smiled brightly.

 Chapter 12

    Eril chattered as we were on the way downtown in a carriage.


    ¡°There are a total of 14 boutiques in the capital, and the most famous of them is Azang Boutique.¡±


    I nodded at her words.


    ¡°The Azang Boutique became famous when Princess Velvet wore one of their dresses, but the price of a dress was so high that even average aristocrats could not afford it.¡±


    Upon saying that, Eril glanced at me.


    In truth, I was not even what she called ¡®average aristocrats¡¯. I was nothing like them in term of status or weath.


    Money aside, she saw me and Leone together. And for the record, Eril no longer held me back like when she first set foot into Cheshire Group.


    In addition, not only was her pay that had been delayed until now solved at once, but her monthly salary was also increased. Therefore, she was sure that I must have had a source of money that she did not know about.


    That¡¯s true, but¡­


    She would never know that that money was from ¡®Duke Leone Finisis¡¯ and ¡®Cheshire Group¡¯.


    Then I turned to Hillary, who was sitting next to Eril, silently staring straight ahead.


    She really does not have any inquiries.


    Usually, one would ask questions to find out about the person they¡¯re serving, but Hillary didn¡¯t even seem curious one bit.


    She literally felt like a ¡®doll¡¯ made to wield a sword¡­


    It¡¯s probably not just my misunderstanding.


    I was not very interested in people. I could not care less about the things that had nothing to do with me. I was not the nosy kind.


    But when it came to my people, it was a different story.


    At least, I had to figure out what kind of background and personality the one that would accompany me had.


    That way, I won¡¯t be afraid of being stabbed behind my back.


    I put on a bitter smile.


    Around the time the Guild was just established and growing, several people came to me with ill intentions and backstabbed me. I got betrayed so many times that I lost count. From that, I gradually lost trust in people.


    No matter how friendly and harmless one appeared on the outside, I could never read their innermost thoughts.


    I constantly kept watch on them and found out that the majority were scammers who had approached me with ulterior motives.


    So there weren¡¯t many trustworthy people I could keep by my side.


    Of course, since Hillary was the person Leone personally picked, there was no doubt about her deed¡­


    Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to know what kind of person she is.


    I was lost in thought. And before I knew it, the carriage had entered the busy street of the downtown area.


    ???


    Just as the form of a complex as the Merchant, many boutiques centered on this street.


    From the beginning to the end of the road, boutiques were lined up on both sides.


    On the sides of the boulevard, there were lined up from carriages with no crest to luxury carriages engraved with colourful symbols.


    ¡°Why are there so many carriages?¡±


    At my question, Eril answered.


    ¡°I think many nobles are visiting boutiques to look for attires to attend the third anniversary of His Majesty¡¯s accession, which is coming soon.¡±


    The third anniversary of the emperor¡¯s accession to the throne¡­


    I pondered over what Eril had said as we moved on.


    The Azang boutique was right nearby, so I decided we would drop by there first.


    (Ring).


    As the door moved, the sound of a bell ringing could be heard.


    I took a look inside. The lobby was spacious and comfortable.


    There weren¡¯t many gowns on display, but at first glance, I could tell they were of the highest quality.


    ¡°Welcome.¡±


    The owner who came out to greet the guests was startled.


    His gaze swept me up and down once.


    ¡°This is the Azang Boutique.¡±


    The owner added.


    The meaning behind those words was clear.


    I think you¡¯re mistaken, so go away.


    ¡°I am well aware. Can you show me inside?¡±


    Upon reading the obvious meaning, I ignored it with a bright smile.


    Then, the owner¡¯s face crumpled as if she had chewed on a stone. It only lasted for a moment though.


    Apparently, she was quite good at managing her facial expressions as she had dealt with a lot of nobles.


    Still, she can¡¯t hide her displeasure.


    I was just thinking about leaving a while back.


    I wasn¡¯t in desperate need of their dress, and there was no reason for me to be treated like this.


    Shall we take a look around then?


    But I was curious to know how arrogant she could get in front of a nobleman since she was selling such wonderful designs. So I followed her inside.


    There were five more guests inside.


    They were chatting while having tea. They all turned to look at me as I entered.


    ¡°Wait here and I will bring you a design book. You can look at the book and name the design you like.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    I nodded lightly and sat down on the sofa.


    When the owner came back with the design book, I slowly turned it over and looked through it.


    There were many designs that stood out.


    They were glamourous, yet not cumbersome, and the highlights were elaborately tailored, making them quite eye-catching.


    At the bottom of the design, the price was specified, and it certainly seemed too burdensome for ordinary aristocrats to pay.


    The cheapest design was 7 diamonds.


    Which design would be better?


    Should I just grab something and quickly go back?


    As I was contemplating, someone spoke to me.


    ¡°Oh my, Craycia, aren¡¯t you overdoing it?¡±


    It was one of the women who came first.


    Does she know me?


    I rolled my eyes without saying a word in response.


    If she called me by my last name without the honorifics, it seemed that she knew me well¡­


    No matter how I look at it, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re friends though?


    My doubt turned into certainty at her next words.


    ¡°I heard that you are still struggling with debt¡­ Are you sure it¡¯s appropriate for you to come to a place like this? Oh, in case you don¡¯t have a job, come to my family. I will hire you as a maid without an interview.¡±


    At her words, the party who was with her burst into laughter.

 Chapter 13

    Judging by how she knew the financial condition of this body¡¯s original owner, it seemed that the other person did know me.


    They don¡¯t seem to be on good terms whatsoever.


    I had the thought to retort, but I just let it go.


    Such a simple provocation was just too much of a hassle to deal with.


    This and this are better. Shall I buy about 10 sets¡­?


    I thought to myself.


    After taking over the title, I would have to attend banquets and social gatherings anyway, so shouldn¡¯t there be a few more gowns for going out in the public?


    As I was immersed in my thoughts, the woman¡¯s face turned red from my ignoring her words.


    ¡°You¡¯re ignoring me¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah, how noisy. I can¡¯t concentrate at all.¡±


    I cut off the woman¡¯s words and moved on to the next page.


    At my apathy, the woman began shaking with rage. Shortly after, she snorted.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of looking at it if you are unable to buy it? Drop the act already!¡±


    She shouted. Subsequently, she shook the bell on the table. At that, the owner approached her.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to buy four sets of this, this, this, and this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡±


    The owner bowed toward her.


    The woman looked at me with a triumphant face.


    Did you see the difference between you and me? Her eyes seemed to say that.


    ¡°Craycia, you can¡¯t even buy one dress here anyway. Why don¡¯t you marry an old, rich man while being treated like a ¡®glass doll¡¯ just like how it was at the academy? I think that¡¯s the only way you can revive.¡±


    So they were in the same academy.


    I still took it easy at her absurdity.


    I relaxedly crossed my legs at her blazing orange eyes. Seconds later, I rang the bell in front of me.


    (Ring, ring).


    The owner, who had been watching the situation with a gaze mixed of interest and discomfort, looked at me in bewilderment.


    When she didn¡¯t come right away, I shook the bell again and spoke quietly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna take my order?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡±


    Only then did the owner approach me with a sullen face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss, but for our business to not be at a loss, you must at least order three sets.¡±


    She left a note before I even placed my order.


    Behind those words was the conviction that I would not be able to buy more than three outfits.


    The other women giggled at the owner¡¯s words. They might want me to run away in shame, but¡­


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t triggered at all.


    There was nothing to be offended about. Because it didn¡¯t apply to me. Even now or in the future.


    ¡°Then I will buy all the dresses in this design book.¡±


    I opened the design book and, without designating the design, tossed it on the table.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As I stated my order, there was a suffocating silence.


    After a while, the owner asked in a shaky voice.


    ¡°Excuse me¡­? Could you repeat that? You said¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to order the whole design book. Did you catch it this time?¡±


    ¡°Craycia, are you crazy? What nonsense¡­¡±


    The woman, who was watching, intervened. But I ignored her and finished what I had to say.


    ¡°First of all, within a month, make about ten dresses on page one and send them to Craycia Viscounty. You can send the rest slowly afterward.¡±


    Though I was done with my order, the owner was still dazed.


    I got up from my seat and was about to leave the store when I turned around and came in front of the annoying woman from before.


    The woman¡¯s eyelids were trembling as she looked up at me.


    I chuckled and raised one corner of my lips.


    ¡°You¡¯d better take a close look at the other person first before you decide to mess with them.¡±


    ¡°¡­you¡­¡±


    The woman was at a loss for words and pressed her lower lip due to anger. The people around her looked at me and the woman alternately.


    They would have noticed it too. That Eureia Craycia was not her usual self.


    At least now, she was not the ¡®glass doll¡¯ from the academy days they knew.


    As she stared at me rigidly, I lowered my head toward her side¡­.


    Her orange hair was entangled with my platinum hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this but¡­.¡±


    I brought my lips close to her ears and whispered.


    ¡°I forgot who you are. So next time, please refrain from pretending to be close to me. It¡¯s annoying.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°And next time I see you, you¡¯ll have to call me ¡®Viscountess Craycia¡¯ instead of ¡®Eureia Craycia¡¯, miss.¡±


    I deliberately emphasised the words ¡®Viscountess¡¯ and ¡®miss¡¯. And at that, her face turned pale.


    There was a very big difference between being the young miss of a Viscounty and being a Viscountess.


    Unless they were princesses, it was difficult for them to ignore one¡¯s title.


    By then it must have been deeply engraved in her mind.


    That I and her were on completely different levels.


    I straightened my posture with a delighted face.


    ¡°Then see you next time, my lady.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Of course, there was no answer in return.


    I took one last look at the owner before stepping out of the door.


    ¡°If you want to do business for a long time, you should change your arrogant attitude. Do not let today¡¯s incident repeat if you don¡¯t want otherwise.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, I will keep that in mind.¡± The owner lowered her head with a red face.


    The owner, who followed me, bowed her head vigorously.


    ¡°Please come again!¡±


    Her words were not accepted. Because I would never visit this horrible clothing store ever again.

 Chapter 14

    I headed to the carriage with Eril and Hilary. The maid was still stunned by what had happened in the boutique. And the knight, though did not show much, seemed a little surprised.


    ¡°Mi-miss, is everything okay?¡±


    The carriage departed, and Eril asked cautiously.


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking about my finances, then don¡¯t worry.¡±


    I answered softly.


    Of course, it was more than I expected, but this amount didn¡¯t do much harm to my financial situation.


    Despite my confirmation, Eril still looked anxious for a moment. But soon she nodded with relief after what she had just been through.


    Then she chimed.


    ¡°Actually, I was really angry when I saw those people mocking the Miss, but it was so refreshing to see her destroy their arrogance!¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I can¡¯t believe I am serving such a wonderful person¡­I am such a blessed maid!¡±


    Eril¡¯s eyes twinkled.


    She looked like a puppy that had just received a snack. I smiled faintly.


    ¡°All right then, I shall continue to work hard to become an even more wonderful master for you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already great the way you are now.¡±


    As I listened to Eril¡¯s continuous praises, I glanced up at the setting sun.


    With this, I¡¯ve solved the matter concerning attires.


    I shut my heavy eyelids. During the academy, Eureia¡¯s nickname was not ¡®Glass Doll¡¯ for nothing. Albeit, I had not been inside this body for that long, I could still tell the reason why. Just as the fragile impression that the name gave off, this body got exhausted just by moving a little.


    I guess I wouldn¡¯t be able to swing the sword again.


    Back in my days as the Guild¡¯s head, I hired a teacher to learn swordsmanship.


    The reason was obvious. As the Merchant was expanding rapidly, there were some people trying to kill me.


    It was not uncommon for an assassin to infiltrate at dawn.


    Usually, it was handled by the guards, but there were assassins who broke through the security and successfully made it in, so I inevitably had no choice but to learn swordsmanship to defend myself.


    I pride myself on having some talent with it.


    At that time, the swordsmanship teacher even called me a genius.


    However, that was when my physical strength and body supported me. But now?


    It would be better to carry at least one weapon for self-defense just in case.


    No one would pay me some visits right now, but once I became a Viscountess and join the Cheshire Group, there would definitely be some uninvited guests.


    For now¡­should I take a nap?


    The chain of thought was broken with the consciousness slowly being submerged.


    ???


    Time flew by quickly.


    Other than finding a dress to wear to the imperial palace, there were a lot of small things left that had to be done before my departure.


    ¡°I am supposed to follow you and look after you¡­¡±


    On the way to see me off, Eril said tearfully.


    ¡°According to the Imperial Palace law, it is only allowed to have one companion. And I feel more comfortable leaving the mansion to Eril than entrusting it to the new hires.¡±


    ¡°Hic¡­¡±


    At my words, Eril¡¯s teary eyes widened. She had a change of mind almost in an instant.


    ¡°Yes! Please trust me! I¡¯ll be perfectly guarding the Viscounty while you¡¯re away!¡±


    Actually, I didn¡¯t really have high expectations for Eril, but I nodded anyway, pretending to have a bit of faith in her words.


    ¡°Hillary, please take good care of my lady.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only natural because it¡¯s my mission to protect lady Eureia.¡±


    Hillary nodded stiffly.


    ¡°Well then, take care.¡±


    ¡°Yes, have a safe trip!¡±


    After I bid Eril goodbye, I got into the carriage together with Hilary.


    The carriage set off at once.


    It took less than an hour to get to the Imperial Palace from the mansion.


    Inside the moving carriage, I became pensive.


    It¡¯s been three years since the new emperor took over the throne.


    I looked back on the information I had gathered in advance through Leone.


    ¡­ through a rebellion.


    A lot has changed in the seven years I was gone, but the biggest change was the replacement of the imperial power through the rebellion.


    He¡¯s the former emperor¡¯s illegitimate son.


    A person who rebelled, beheaded the emperor and ascended to the throne by himself.


    I heard that he grew up hiding his identity and suddenly appeared and started a coup d¡¯¨¦tat.


    After a year of chaos, he was now evaluated as the best ruler among all emperors.


    I wonder what kind of person he is.


    Curiosity ensued, as he was the trigger of the biggest event that had ever happened during my absence here.


    Maybe he could also form a friendly relationship with Cheshire.


    The former emperor was on good terms with Cheshire.


    Of course, it would be a lie to say that the emperor was not wary of us and wanted to keep us in check. After all, the organisation held more than half of the national finances. Nonetheless, thanks to the magic tools, the Empire advanced a few steps from other countries and achieved a dazzling golden age.


    But he could not be called a good emperor.


    The former emperor was, indeed, a war-maniac if he were to be described in one word.


    He kept mingling with the neighboring countries day by day, and if he was displeased with something, even a little, he led the troops over and started an invasion.


    The Lukdem Kingdom was also one of them.


    The Cliff Empire¡¯s territory was expanded by the emperor¡¯s indiscriminate invasion and conquest, but there were also a number of victims.


    I used to stay apathetic, and it did not matter to me whether the emperor was going to war or not¡­


    But after meeting Hecard, I changed my mind.


    When we first met, Heckard was on the verge of death. The scars of war were etched on his body.


    Tragic.


    As I was deep in thought, the carriage abruptly stopped.

 Chapter 15

    As I was deep in thought, the carriage abruptly stopped.


    Hillary, who was sitting across from me, hurriedly checked my condition.


    ¡°Lady Eureia! Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The person who answered was the coachman.


    ¡°About that, some kid suddenly bolted out¡­¡±


    ¡°A kid?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, it seems the child who got in the way is a beggar.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Hillary¡¯s complexion darkened. Then she said in a slightly lowered voice.


    ¡°I will take care of it. Please wait for a moment¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    I answered briefly and alighted the carriage. Concerned, Hillary followed me.


    ¡°Please¡­ Please, sir.¡±


    ¡°No, you brat! Come on, get out of the way!¡±


    The coachman was angry. His feelings were understandable. Had there been an accident, it would have been a big deal.


    ¡°My-my lady¡­¡±


    The coachman, who came to notice my presence, was at a loss for what to do and bowed helplessly.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°But¡­.¡±


    I passed the troubled coachman and looked at the trembling child lying on the ground with her face down.


    It¡¯s closer to a teenage girl than a kid.


    Although she was all skin and bones, her build was quite developed.


    I suppose she is either thirteen or fourteen?


    The girl, who felt my presence, raised her head and looked at me. Her pink eyes were tinged with a murky colour of despair.


    As soon as my eyes met hers, the girl pressed her body down even more and begged.


    ¡°Your ladyship, my brother has not eaten anything for a week and is dying. I too, haven¡¯t eaten anything today. If it goes on like this, we might really die. Please, please help me¡­!¡±


    ¡°You..?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Instead of responding to her plea, I made a slip of tongue at her startling appearance. And the girl looked up with her quivering pupils.


    I looked at the girl more closely.


    Her pink hair was sparse, revealing reddish scalp, and her skin was swollen with unhealed wounds.


    The clothes she was wearing were also ragged, not suitable for the season of autumn.


    That¡¯s not to mention her physique.


    It¡¯s true that I thought she was about fourteen years old, but in terms of her stature, she was as small and dwarfed as a 10-year-old child.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I-, I am fine. But¡­my brother is different. He has been weak since birth. We do not have money, so he¡¯s not getting any treatment.¡±


    The girl, upon saying so, once again hit the ground! She hammered her forehead against it quite hard.


    Blood flew from her forehead.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask for your help for free. If necessary, you can enslave me. Please just help my little brother get only one decent meal, your ladyship.¡±


    Her voice trembled, but she was not crying. She looked so drained that she couldn¡¯t even shed a tear.


    ¡°Milady, there are not one or two children like this. If you help one child, other ones might rush in too.¡±


    The coachman advised me.


    What he said was true. In fact, I could already feel the eyes staring at us from time to time.


    If I were to give her money or food, then as soon as I left, the poor girl would be attacked and robbed.


    ¡°She is a pitiful child, but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. It would be easier to pretend you didn¡¯t see it.¡±


    ¡°Right. I don¡¯t think I can help her right now.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ please¡­¡±


    The girl who heard my murmur let out a desperate plea.


    ¡°But I can¡¯t just move on and ignore what I¡¯ve already seen.¡±


    ¡°Pardon? What do you mean¡­?¡±


    Leaving behind the perplexed coachman, I bent my knees and made eye contact with the girl.


    Her eyes widened as I lowered my posture. Hillary also looked surprised, which was a rare sight I might say.


    I brought my lips to the girl¡¯s ear. Those words could only be heard by Hillary, who was close to me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything for you here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Go to the Cheshire Guild. Go there and show them this. That way, you should be able to get help.¡±


    I secretly put a small card in the girl¡¯s hands.


    It was a VIP card that Leone gave me. It was also issued by Leone himself.


    If she showed it, the guardians would take the child to Leone, and Leone would recognise my card and help the child.


    ¡°It¡¯s a gift from me for your being brave.¡±


    ¡°I am? Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are. That¡¯s all for now, there are many eyes watching, so be careful. You know what I mean, right?¡±


    I withdrew myself and smiled softly.


    The girl looked at me with wavering eyes. Moments later, she got up and slowly took her steps back. Then she ran away.


    Looking at the girl¡¯s back, I got back in the carriage after telling the coachman to start moving again.


    I sat down and looked out the window.


    As I felt a persistent gaze on me, I turned my head to see Hillary looking at me with strange eyes.


    ¡°Is there anything you want to say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    But Hillary¡¯s face said otherwise.


    After minutes of hesitation, she parted her lips.


    ¡°Why did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Do what?¡±


    As I played dumb, Hillary looked at me with trembling eyes.


    ¡°You could have just ignored it. Don¡¯t you think she should be punished for obstructing the way? Why did you help the girl?¡±


    I stared at Hillary for a moment, who was earnestly waiting for the answer.


    Looks like it had quite an influence on her.


    I did a background check on Hillary.


    She was an orphan wandering on the street.


    At a young age, she was captured by slave traders and sold to an acrobatic troupe where Hillary was forced to put on a Sword show. Without proper training or safety equipment.


    The dangerous sword show left rough scars on her body. So they decided that they no longer needed her, and the acrobatic troupe sold her back to the mercenaries.


    The mercenaries put her on the front line, making her the so-called human shield.


    Having to endure all incoming attacks with her small, flabby body, Hillary learned swordsmanship in order to survive.


    She then caught the eye of Leone on one of the expeditions and she was scouted.


    That was her story until she came to my side.


    Perhaps Hillary saw herself in that girl from before. So she¡¯s bound to be confused.


    It must have been a kindness she had never experienced before.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    How should I answer her?

 Chapter 16

    Actually, there was more than one intention behind my helping the girl.


    Having a knight¡¯s favour meant having their loyalty. Therefore, it was kind of an action to open the tightly shut door to Hillary¡¯s heart.


    But that wasn¡¯t the only reason.


    The reason I helped her¡­


    ¡°Because I can.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I was only helping because I was capable. It¡¯s not like she has committed a major sin against me. And if I can afford it, I think it would be much better to help each other between human and human.¡±


    ¡°¡­.only for that reason¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, for that reason.¡±


    Hillary was speechless.


    She bit her lower lip as if in thought.


    If there were to appear even one tiny crack in her frozen heart¡­that would have been enough for me.


    I turned my head and looked out the window.


    Come to think of it¡­


    Something similar happened a long time ago.


    When was it?


    I could not remember the exact time, but I did remember it was quite a while ago.


    It was at a slave auction house.


    My client had chosen the place for entertainment. He took me down to an underground chamber, saying he would show me something interesting.


    It was a slave auction. Selling and buying people.


    Having lived in a democratic country, I felt disgusted at the time.


    As I vowed to withdraw from the contract once I returned, a boy came up on stage.


    What did he look like?


    Again, it was a long time ago, so I did not have that clear of a memory. The impression that came to mind was blurred.


    Actually¡­ does it even matter at this point?


    It¡¯s already an old-time story.


    I didn¡¯t dig into my memory any further.


    Anyway, if I could win Hillary¡¯s favour, it was quite rewarding for a start.


    Looking at the same scenery, I started to get bored.


    I leaned my head against the window with the intention to close my eyes for a while until we reached the Imperial Palace.


    ???


    I promise. Once I grow up and become an adult, I will definitely stand by Master¡¯s side.


    Is that so. Very well. I¡¯ll be waiting.


    I adore you, Master.


    (Rattle).


    ¡°Lady Eureia, we have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­¡±


    I opened my eyes to Hillary¡¯s soft voice. I must have slept all the way here.


    A dream?


    I remembered having a brief dream before waking up.


    I think someone made a promise to me.


    Nothing came to mind other than the young voice that emphasised the promise.


    I suppose it¡¯s just a silly dream¡­.?


    With that, I got out of the carriage.


    Immediately, the maid who was waiting approached and bowed toward me.


    ¡°Welcome, my lady. I am Chia. I have come to serve you, lady Eureia Craycia. I shall be in your care then.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°First, I will guide you to your room. Please follow me.¡±


    The maid, who introduced herself as Chia, turned her back in a stiff manner.


    The room Chia guided me to was one of the guest rooms on the third floor of the main palace.


    ¡°I will tell you when it¡¯s time for the audience with His Majesty. Please rest until then. We will allocate a room for you too.¡±


    ¡°Go on, Hillary.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    When Chia and Hillary disappeared from my sight, I threw all my grace away and just fell flat on the bed.


    As the bed firmly supported my drowsy body, a languid sigh came out.


    Riding a carriage for a long time is truly uncomfortable.


    It would have been a little more convenient if I teleported.


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Teleporting requires the emperor¡¯s permission, so it¡¯s virtually impossible unless you¡¯re an envoy.¡±


    I used it as much as I could during my time at the Guild.


    What about this emperor? Could there still be such flexibility?


    As the time for the audience approached, my curiosity grew.


    A while passed since I fell into the spiral of queries. The appointed time came and Chia came to pick me up.


    The woman guided me in front of a certain door.


    ¡°He is in there. From here on, escort is not allowed.¡±


    Hillary with her sword couldn¡¯t go any further than this.


    Leaving her alone, I went inside.


    The meeting place was actually the emperor¡¯s office.


    It was a simple formal meeting. It was inevitable because the emperor had a lot of work.


    I went inside with my head bowed.


    At first glance, the emperor was sitting at his desk, minding his business. It was natural.


    ¡°I greet your Majesty the Emperor. I am Eureia Craycia.¡±


    ¡°Raise your head.¡±


    I shuddered slightly at the sound of his voice. Then rose.


    The emperor was just scribbling with his pen. His tired face was not directed at me.


    He is handsome.


    That was my first impression of him.


    I already heard that he was a young man. So it was no surprise that he was youthful.


    But he was much more good-looking than I expected.


    Silver hair like it was dyed with moonlight, dark red indifferent eyes, lips closed in a straight fine line, and sturdy large build.


    The word ¡®alluring¡¯ would best suit him. Since his beauty could not be called picturesque. Unlike the delicately refined ones, the emperor looked untamed, wild, and ferocious.


    The emperor did not continue his next words right away, whilst I could not dare to speak first. So silence engulfed the room.


    (Scribble).


    (Scribble).


    All I could hear was the sound of his pen moving.


    The silence was not uncomfortable, but I felt a little irritated because I wanted to finish it quickly and go home.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    As if reading my thoughts, a low voice gently broke the silence.


    It was nice to hear a moderately calm voice without excessive highs and lows. I also heard languid mixed in somewhere in his voice.


    ¡°So you want me to grant you permission to succeed to Craycia?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    The audience with the emperor for succession was, in fact, only a formal procedure.


    It would just be over once he had gotten a glimpse of the face of the next aristocrat to the title. And it then ended with him approving the documents.


    However¡­


    ¡°Do you think you are worthy?¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    I widened my eyes at the unexpected question.

 Chapter 17

    He stared at me with empty, dark red eyes. Like a corpse barely moving by magic.


    ¡°I only take in valuables. If you, miss, were to become a viscountess, you would become a vassal of mine, but don¡¯t you think you have to be worthy enough? Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    For a moment I wondered if he was trying to test me, but soon realised it wasn¡¯t.


    He was being sincere.


    More precisely, he had no interest in me at all.


    It¡¯s annoying.


    As a result of operating the Guild for a long time, this type of thing was the most cumbersome.


    It was not like I wanted anything out of him in particular but at the same time, I could not manage to lose face here. So I had to play the part right.


    The emperor looked at me with emotionless eyes, as if he didn¡¯t want me. He just seemed to think of me as an annoying fly.


    Even if I were to step down here, the Emperor would eventually give his approval with a rough scribble at a time he felt right.


    The problem is that I don¡¯t know when would that be.


    But what I don¡¯t like more than that¡­


    Those eyes seem to be looking down at me.


    I really didn¡¯t like the way he looked at me.


    Approval was important, but I wanted to fix that gaze first.


    ¡°Enough. If you have nothing to say, leave¡­¡±


    ¡°The pen that Your Majesty is using, it is from the small kingdom of Epen.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°¡­The pen of the small kingdom of Epen is very famous. Its feather is that of a yellow peacock, which is said to be rare in small kingdoms, and the pen is a high-quality handmade product made by weaving the stems of Clarac Grass, which is famous for being flexible and durable.¡±


    ¡°You seem quite knowledgeable about it. That¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Anyone who has ever used the quill of the small kingdom of Epen can never write with any other pen again, which is a very famous story. It boasts a very high price, but there is a steady demand, so it¡¯s like Epen has monopolised the stationery market.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But, as Your Majesty knows, there are many gaps in that market. First of all, there is relatively little competition as it is a monopoly system of the small kingdom of Epen.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Also, writing was originally exclusive to the nobles, but the market is gradually expanding as more commoners learn to write recently, but the quantity produced in the small kingdom is extremely limited. Even if one wants to get a pen, they can¡¯t find it, so there is a shortage.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why the value of the pen in Epen is soaring.¡±


    The Emperor put down his quill and looked at me as if he wanted to listen more.


    I said softly.


    ¡°When the price goes up, the value increases as well. However, there are times when the market is temporarily brought to a pause due to shortages.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The emperor¡¯s gaze darkened.


    I had heard of this while trying to figure out how the market dynamics had changed during my absence.


    The Cheshire Group was not so attentive because they did not mainly focus on stationery such as pens¡­


    But the emperor would be different.


    It had been three years since he ascended to the throne.


    State affairs had reached a period of stability, and now it was time for the emperor to show some personal achievements to the nobles and the people.


    By achievement, it was to refer to a significant business under the name of the royal family that he was the head of¡­


    Recognised what I was hinting at, the young emperor said.


    ¡°However, it would not be easy to make pens with the quality that could match the quills of the Epen Kingdom. It takes a lot of investment to make the finest products. I can¡¯t waste time and money on uncertainties.¡±


    ¡°There is a big difference between business and gambling. But there is some sense to Your Majesty¡¯s words. So how about this? What if I could make a high-end kind of pen without consuming a lot of money and materials?¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me that such a thing is possible?¡±


    ¡°I do not have any dangerous hobbies such as bantering with the Emperor.¡±


    I nodded leisurely.


    ¡°Your Majesty told me to prove my worth. That is my worth.¡±


    I raised my head and made eye contact with him.


    ¡°The judgment after that is up to Your Majesty. Even if Your Majesty do not believe me, that is my value.¡±


    ¡°¡­ that¡¯s interesting.¡±


    The emperor, who looked at me as if I had lost my mind, pulled the corner of his lips up into a cold smile.


    Like a beast that found a small animal to play with, the emperor looked at me silently and suddenly muttered.


    ¡°When I see the young miss, a certain person comes to mind. Even though you two don¡¯t look alike at all.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°The results of the approval will be notified before the anniversary banquet is over. Just go back and wait for it.¡±


    I bowed, puzzled by his weird remark.


    ¡°May the sun shine on Your Majesty¡¯s future.¡±


    (Click).


    As I left his office, I leaned my back against the door and let out a short sigh.


    I¡¯m exhausted.


    It had been a long time since I last had an exchange close to a nerve war like this. I had officially lost all my energy.


    If he wants to know how to make the pen in question, he¡¯ll approve the succession.


    I just had to wait for that.


    But if my succession were to be rejected¡­


    I have no choice but to think of another way.


    There was also a choice of buying a title with money, and what¡¯s more, it wasn¡¯t completely impossible to sit in the top position without a title.


    However, they would take a lot of time and can cause some trouble and stir up some unnecessary talks.


    After all, it was best to inherit Craycia Viscounty.


    Well, the result seems to have been decided. I¡¯ll just have to wait and see.


    Hillary, who was waiting, approached.


    A few steps in the direction of my room with her, I stopped in my tracks and looked back.


    But is it just me?


    As the emperor¡¯s visage passed through my mind, I tilted my head.


    I think I have seen him somewhere before.


    But where could I have ever seen the Emperor himself?


    Soon after, I continued walking, dismissing it as me being mistaken.


    More importantly, I had to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s ball.

 Chapter 18

    At night, the emperor, Kaishan, who had finished his work at night, leaned his entire body onto the sofa after taking a shower, exhausted.


    As he poured the prepared wine into a glass, he suddenly chuckled lightly, feeling ironic.


    I didn¡¯t bee the emperor for this.


    He did not bee the emperor just to look at documents all day long.


    He had a clear goal of being emperor at the start. For it, he was willing to shed blood and cut his flesh.


    Four years ago, as soon as he turned twenty-three, he finished his magic training and left the magic tower. He went looking for her¡­.


    However¡­


    He couldn¡¯t find her anywhere.


    She had disappeared three years before he left the tower.


    The reason for her disappearance was that she was attacked by unidentified people while on a business trip.


    Bloodstains and corpses were all around her carriage, but only she could not be found anywhere. Not even her body.


    Both in the Cheshire Guild and in the Finisis Duchy, he searched for her with all his might.


    No one of Cheshire nor the Duchy of Finisis was able to escape the search nets.


    But she was never found. So he¡­


    I became the emperor.


    In order to find her, he needed an excellent information network and the power to enpass everything.


    Therefore, he beheaded the blood and flesh that had abandoned him and became the emperor. In order to find the owner of the Cheshire Group, who vanished into thin air.


    It¡¯s already been three years.


    T/n: if you look back to the conversation between Leone and Eureia before she entered the palace, at some point Leone also mentioned someone¡¯s looking for her during the 3 recent years. And you know what that means


    It had been three years since he ascended the throne to find her. Yet, he still could not find her anywhere.


    As if she has never existed in the first place.


    At that moment, there was a faint sound from the window.


    It was a very small tap, like a bird pecking with its beak.


    (Tock. Tock.)


    The emperor shifted his gaze towards it, and after a moment the window opened and a black shadow got inside.


    ¡°Any clue?¡±


    When the emperor questioned, the shadow bowed apologetically and answered.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find her. I searched all over the Empire, but could not even find someone with a similar impression. I even inspected the slave traders, brothels, and mines, to see if she was sold somewhere, but the result was the same.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s hand, holding the glass, tightened at the report that was repeated every week.


    Eventually, the surface of the glass cracked, and the emperor rubbed his tired eyes.


    ¡°Expand the search network further and search all the surrounding kingdoms. If that doesn¡¯t work either, search all over the continent. You must find her.¡±


    ¡°I shall follow your order.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    The emperor slowly lifted his eyelids. His cold blood-red eyes shook slightly.


    ¡°Always keep an eye on the Duke of Finisis. If she appears, she will certainly find Duke Leone Finisis first.¡±


    A bitter smile appeared on the emperor¡¯s lips as he spoke.


    Saying these words, he felt like grabbing the guy mentioned by the neck.


    ¡°¡­I got it.¡±


    After reading the chilling atmosphere, the shadow quickly answered and disappeared as quietly as it had e.


    The emperor, who was left alone, noticed the cracked glass while pouring wine, and decided to drink the whole bottle.


    The drunk emperor frowned slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡±


    The bottle he put down had the country of origin ¡®Mount Cler¨¦ans¡¯ written on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not alcohol, it¡¯s more of a drink.¡±


    He grumbled lowly.


    As he said, the wines of Cler¨¦ans were characterised by low acidity, low alcohol, and strong sweetness.


    Therefore, it was a drink enjoyed by young girls who had just reached adulthood.


    It was somewhat inappropriate for the emperor, a strong man in his late twenties, to drink.


    Besides, he did not like sweets very much. It was close to disliking.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The emperor, who looked at the bottle with dissatisfied eyes, picked up the bottle again and began to gulp it down.


    Having finished drinking the wine, the emperor threw his bottle casually on the table and tilted his head back.


    The colour of the wallpaper on the ceiling was platinum.


    When he saw the colour, someone came to mind.


    Eureia Craycia¡­


    She was the woman who had an audience with him today to get approval for a succession.


    She was a very bold woman.


    He was not serious about proving one¡¯s value. Since he did not expect anything from the beginning.


    He was just moody and annoyed with his life being buried in papers, and wanted to vent his anger. And she just happened to be right in front of him.


    The emperor expected her to return without a word. And when the banquet was over, he was going to give the approval eventually.


    It didn¡¯t matter to him whether she became a Viscountess or not. Because her very existence was as invisible to him as the dust floating in the air.


    However¡­


    ¡®There is a big difference between business and gambling. But there is some sense to Your Majesty¡¯s words. So how about this? What if I could make a high-end kind of pen without consuming a lot of money and materials?¡¯


    She really managed to get back at him for ignoring her.


    ¡®Your Majesty told me to prove my worth. That is my worth.¡¯


    She was confident, showing no hesitation. It¡¯s like the image of a particular woman overlapped with her.


    I don¡¯t like it at all.


    Eureia Craycia was much more slender and smaller than her.


    She looked as if she was about to fall over with a single stroke. Which was pletely different from her.


    But why? Why did he see her in Eureia Craycia?


    It bothers me.


    The emperor got up and looked down at the world immersed in the darkness of the night.


    The banquet would take place on the following day. She would most likely attend the ball too.


    I guess I¡¯m seeing her again..?


    He thought they should have a proper talk.


    But why?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The thought of seeing her again made him feel strange. It was an emotion that was difficult to describe. The emperor himself did not know why he felt this way.


    ???


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    I got up with a stiff body. It was dawn outside.


    ¡°Is it because the bed changed¡­?¡±


    I let out a long sigh, patting my shoulder with my fist.


    ¡°What a strange dream¡­¡±


    Unlike the last one I had on the carriage, this dream was quite clear.


    Black hair.


    I thought it might have something to do with the dream I had before.


    This time I saw a boy. The boy had a pretty face with black hair.


    He was dressed in ragged clothes and had broken shackles hung from his hands, arms, and neck.


    He grabbed my hem with his wounded hands and moved his lips.


    ¡®Master.¡¯


    ¡°I think there was once a kid like that.¡±


    Based on the dream, I traced my memory.


    I met him for the first time three years before I was murdered, so it was ten years ago.


    I must have found him at a slave auction.


    It was a long time ago, so I did not remember very well, but the child was a slave.


    (Knock knock).


    ¡°Lady Eureia Craycia, this is Chia. May I e in?¡±


    The train of thoughts was interrupted.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    At my answer, Chia went in.


    Behind her, assistant maids followed, carrying dresses and accessories one after another.


    Upon seeing it, I sighed deeply. The time had arrived at last.


    ???


    At night, the emperor, Kaishan, who had finished his work at night, leaned his entire body onto the sofa after taking a shower, exhausted.


    As he poured the prepared wine into a glass, he suddenly chuckled lightly, feeling ironic.


    I didn¡¯t bee the emperor for this.


    He did not bee the emperor just to look at documents all day long.


    He had a clear goal of being emperor at the start. For it, he was willing to shed blood and cut his flesh.


    Four years ago, as soon as he turned twenty-three, he finished his magic training and left the magic tower. He went looking for her¡­.


    However¡­


    He couldn¡¯t find her anywhere.


    She had disappeared three years before he left the tower.


    The reason for her disappearance was that she was attacked by unidentified people while on a business trip.


    Bloodstains and corpses were all around her carriage, but only she could not be found anywhere. Not even her body.


    Both in the Cheshire Guild and in the Finisis Duchy, he searched for her with all his might.


    No one of Cheshire nor the Duchy of Finisis was able to escape the search nets.


    But she was never found. So he¡­


    I became the emperor.


    In order to find her, he needed an excellent information network and the power to enpass everything.


    Therefore, he beheaded the blood and flesh that had abandoned him and became the emperor. In order to find the owner of the Cheshire Group, who vanished into thin air.


    It¡¯s already been three years.


    T/n: if you look back to the conversation between Leone and Eureia before she entered the palace, at some point Leone also mentioned someone¡¯s looking for her during the 3 recent years. And you know what that means


    It had been three years since he ascended the throne to find her. Yet, he still could not find her anywhere.


    As if she has never existed in the first place.


    At that moment, there was a faint sound from the window.


    It was a very small tap, like a bird pecking with its beak.


    (Tock. Tock.)


    The emperor shifted his gaze towards it, and after a moment the window opened and a black shadow got inside.


    ¡°Any clue?¡±


    When the emperor questioned, the shadow bowed apologetically and answered.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t find her. I searched all over the Empire, but could not even find someone with a similar impression. I even inspected the slave traders, brothels, and mines, to see if she was sold somewhere, but the result was the same.¡±


    The emperor¡¯s hand, holding the glass, tightened at the report that was repeated every week.


    Eventually, the surface of the glass cracked, and the emperor rubbed his tired eyes.


    ¡°Expand the search network further and search all the surrounding kingdoms. If that doesn¡¯t work either, search all over the continent. You must find her.¡±


    ¡°I shall follow your order.¡±


    ¡°And¡­¡±


    The emperor slowly lifted his eyelids. His cold blood-red eyes shook slightly.


    ¡°Always keep an eye on the Duke of Finisis. If she appears, she will certainly find Duke Leone Finisis first.¡±


    A bitter smile appeared on the emperor¡¯s lips as he spoke.


    Saying these words, he felt like grabbing the guy mentioned by the neck.


    ¡°¡­I got it.¡±


    After reading the chilling atmosphere, the shadow quickly answered and disappeared as quietly as it had e.


    The emperor, who was left alone, noticed the cracked glass while pouring wine, and decided to drink the whole bottle.


    The drunk emperor frowned slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡±


    The bottle he put down had the country of origin ¡®Mount Cler¨¦ans¡¯ written on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not alcohol, it¡¯s more of a drink.¡±


    He grumbled lowly.


    As he said, the wines of Cler¨¦ans were characterised by low acidity, low alcohol, and strong sweetness.


    Therefore, it was a drink enjoyed by young girls who had just reached adulthood.


    It was somewhat inappropriate for the emperor, a strong man in his late twenties, to drink.


    Besides, he did not like sweets very much. It was close to disliking.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The emperor, who looked at the bottle with dissatisfied eyes, picked up the bottle again and began to gulp it down.


    Having finished drinking the wine, the emperor threw his bottle casually on the table and tilted his head back.


    The colour of the wallpaper on the ceiling was platinum.


    When he saw the colour, someone came to mind.


    Eureia Craycia¡­


    She was the woman who had an audience with him today to get approval for a succession.


    She was a very bold woman.


    He was not serious about proving one¡¯s value. Since he did not expect anything from the beginning.


    He was just moody and annoyed with his life being buried in papers, and wanted to vent his anger. And she just happened to be right in front of him.


    The emperor expected her to return without a word. And when the banquet was over, he was going to give the approval eventually.


    It didn¡¯t matter to him whether she became a Viscountess or not. Because her very existence was as invisible to him as the dust floating in the air.


    However¡­


    ¡®There is a big difference between business and gambling. But there is some sense to Your Majesty¡¯s words. So how about this? What if I could make a high-end kind of pen without consuming a lot of money and materials?¡¯


    She really managed to get back at him for ignoring her.


    ¡®Your Majesty told me to prove my worth. That is my worth.¡¯


    She was confident, showing no hesitation. It¡¯s like the image of a particular woman overlapped with her.


    I don¡¯t like it at all.


    Eureia Craycia was much more slender and smaller than her.


    She looked as if she was about to fall over with a single stroke. Which was pletely different from her.


    But why? Why did he see her in Eureia Craycia?


    It bothers me.


    The emperor got up and looked down at the world immersed in the darkness of the night.


    The banquet would take place on the following day. She would most likely attend the ball too.


    I guess I¡¯m seeing her again..?


    He thought they should have a proper talk.


    But why?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The thought of seeing her again made him feel strange. It was an emotion that was difficult to describe. The emperor himself did not know why he felt this way.


    ???


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    I got up with a stiff body. It was dawn outside.


    ¡°Is it because the bed changed¡­?¡±


    I let out a long sigh, patting my shoulder with my fist.


    ¡°What a strange dream¡­¡±


    Unlike the last one I had on the carriage, this dream was quite clear.


    Black hair.


    I thought it might have something to do with the dream I had before.


    This time I saw a boy. The boy had a pretty face with black hair.


    He was dressed in ragged clothes and had broken shackles hung from his hands, arms, and neck.


    He grabbed my hem with his wounded hands and moved his lips.


    ¡®Master.¡¯


    ¡°I think there was once a kid like that.¡±


    Based on the dream, I traced my memory.


    I met him for the first time three years before I was murdered, so it was ten years ago.


    I must have found him at a slave auction.


    It was a long time ago, so I did not remember very well, but the child was a slave.


    (Knock knock).


    ¡°Lady Eureia Craycia, this is Chia. May I e in?¡±


    The train of thoughts was interrupted.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    At my answer, Chia went in.


    Behind her, assistant maids followed, carrying dresses and accessories one after another.


    Upon seeing it, I sighed deeply. The time had arrived at last.

 Chapter 19

    The preparation started in the morning and finished in the evening. I would not go into detail about the suffering period of time.


    Anyway, my appearance after the makeup was touched up was very beautiful.


    ¡°You really look like a doll.¡±


    Chia repeated the words ¡®beautiful¡¯, ¡®like a doll¡¯, and ¡®like a fairy¡¯ several times.


    I looked in the mirror and nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Truly.¡±


    It was self-praise, but no one would think of me as arrogant. That was how dazzling Eureia¡¯s appearance was.


    She really looks like a doll.


    Her thread-like platinum blonde hair was nicely bed and fell loose gently. Her white, bare neck was so thin that it could be caught with one single hand.


    At first glance, the light reflected by the amethyst embedded in the earrings fell gently on her collarbone, as though it was replacing her necklace.


    Her gown was navy blue. The dark colour of the dress emphasised her white skin even more.


    ¡°You have worked hard, everyone.¡±


    I smiled with satisfaction and got up from my seat.


    Just in time, the bell rang, signaling the start of the banquet.


    As I left the room, Hillary approached me.


    There was a long distance between the main palace and the detached palace where the ball was held, so we came there by carriage.


    Hillary escorted me out of the carriage.


    ¡°I will be waiting here. Don¡¯t worry, I will run to you right away if anything happens.¡±


    Those with swords were not allowed to enter the ballroom. Knights and escorts were no exception. So Hillary decided to wait outside.


    ¡°It won¡¯t take too long.¡±


    To be honest, I didn¡¯t intend to stay at the ball for long. I just intended to get a glimpse of the nobles¡¯ faces, to have a rough idea what they look like these days.


    As I entered, the gatekeeper announced my arrival. Surprisingly, no one paid any attention.


    Well, I guess with many big names and faces gathered here, they wouldn¡¯t pay attention to some young lady from a Viscount House.


    Rather, it was more fortable for me. To me, attention was nothing but a nuisance.


    But for a while, the men who were blind by Eureia¡¯s appearance began to approach me. I stepped back as far as I could to avoid them.


    I was bored, so I got myself a piece of cake and some chocolate on the plate.


    I hummed with delight after taking a bite with a fork.


    As expected, sweet things are the best.


    I liked sweets. Sweets made me feel good and energised.


    Conversely, I hated the bitter taste.


    For that, whenever I wanted to get drunk, I drank sweet wine instead of bitter alcohol. That was the wine of Cler¨¦ans.


    Feeling better, I hummed while engraving in my mind the faces of key figures I had learned in advance.


    That man is Count Lebrando, who has recently made considerable achievements in the trade business, and next to him is the heir of the Locked family, which is famous for its recent papermaking techniques¡­


    Finding the big faces wasn¡¯t difficult. It was because many large and small groups were formed around the grand figures.


    The groups were disbanded for a moment when the gatekeeper announced the next entry.


    ¡°Princess Carlia Velvet and Lord Carlos Velvet are entering!¡±


    T/n: As you must have already known, daughter of a duke is called ¡®princess¡¯.


    At the brief and concise call of the gatekeeper, the noisy conversation was cut off.


    I looked at the two people entering through the open door. It was a young duo of a man and a woman.


    A huge figure among the big ones gathered here.


    The siblings of the Velvet Duchy.


    The Velvet Duchy was a prestigious family with numerous businesses.


    For the record, there were more than ten businesses that were directly managed, and many more affiliated businesses.


    In particular, the Velvet Merchant Guild, which was intensely operated, was only second to Cheshire.


    We collide with the Velvet Guild in every way.


    Currently, Cheshire was still the leading Merchant of the empire. But it¡¯s just because the magic tool¡¯s achievement was huge.


    Had it not been for the invention of magic tools, we would never have been able to rival the Velvet.


    Now that it¡¯s mentioned, I remembered Duke Velvet was the worst.


    He was a detestable person.


    Whenever we met, he often ignored Cheshire¡¯s staff, and did not hesitate to make all kinds of negative ments.


    In fact, some even went to court battles.


    After I disappeared, Cheshire Group¡¯s growth slowed down, and they took advantage of this to thrive.


    At this point, it would be a reasonable suspicion that the Duke of Velvet was the one who instigated my assassination. He had the power and motive to do that after all¡­


    That must be his children.


    The woman was Princess Carlia Velvet and the man was Lord Carlos Velvet.


    They have really grown a lot.


    The last time I saw them, they were only little kids, but now they had grown into full-fledged adults.


    Both of them boasted such a beautiful appearance that could not be found anywhere else and no one could be pared.


    Especially, the looks of the older sister, Carlia Velvet, was dazzling.


    Her low-saturated red hair was similar to that of a rose, and her eyes reminded me of an elegant cat.


    I remembered that the Princess was brilliant.


    Having visited her academy a few times for business, I came to know that the status of Princess Velvet in her academy was great.


    She was a gifted student who never failed to get the first place in the whole school since her admission.


    There was once quite an uproar among the public, saying that she was a genius, along with Leone.


    On the other hand, Carlos Velvet, the younger brother, was behind in grades and was often in trouble.


    I watched as the distinguished pair of siblings exchanged greetings, surrounded by the crowd.


    So the rumour about the duke¡¯s condition being quite critical must have been true.


    Since he could not attend such an important event.


    Looks like the next successor will be decided soon.


    If so, would it be the princess? That would make things difficult for me.


    Since the princess was the eldest daughter and was much more intelligent than the young lord, it was likely that she would be the next head. As soon as she graduated from the academy, she took charge of one of their affiliated panies and achieved outstanding results.


    Just as I thought that I must return to Cheshire before she became the next head of the duchy, I heard a whispering conversation.


    ¡°Did you know? About Princess Carlia. They say she is to be married off.¡±

 Chapter 20

    ¡°Did you know? About Princess Carlia. They say she is to be married off.¡±


    ¡°What? Really? But once she gets married, she can¡¯t inherit the family.¡±


    ¡°I know! Do you know what that means? It¡¯s like unofficially announcing that the duke of the next generation is not the princess, but the lord instead.¡±


    Hearing the gossip, I looked at Princess Carlia, who was smiling amidst the surrounding crowd.


    Come to think it, the Duke of Velvet was a very conservative man.


    The idea that women should be homemakers and men should be breadwinners was deeply ingrained in him.


    That¡¯s why I remembered every time I ran into him, he frowned, and pretended he did not know me.


    As such a duke, it would not be surprising if the dense lord became the head of the household instead of the clever princess.


    It would be really unfair for the princess.


    ¡°Well, it none of my business anyway.¡±


    It was already a headache to just think about my future, I didn¡¯t have time to worry about others¡¯ affairs.


    What¡¯s more, it was far more advantageous for me to have the stupid young master become the heir than Princess Carlia.


    However¡­.


    I put a piece of cake in my mouth as I gazed in Princess Carlia¡¯s direction.


    Men were already fawning over her when they heard that she was to be wedded.


    Even though it looked burdensome enough to make me tired of seeing it, Princess Velvet never dropped her smile and responded in a leisure manner.


    No matter how I looked at it, she looked like a born entrepreneur.


    I wondered if she really¡­


    Is she willing to accept this reality?


    But soon I shrugged it off.


    Briefly after, the next person entered.


    ¡°His Grace, Duke Heights Henness is entering!¡±


    The next attendant was the Duke of Henness.


    As soon as he made his entrance, women shrieked and threw themselves at him.


    He hung a troubled smile on his lips at the sight of the women going wild with their talks.


    Heights Henness.


    The Head of the Henness Duchy, famous for his magic among the three great dukes of the Empire.


    Soft sky-blue hair, white skin, doe-eyed and a tiny tear mark.


    He was fulfilling all the conditions to stimulate the female¡¯s affection.


    ¡°Heights Henness.¡±


    I mumbled his name.


    I first saw him back when he was a boy, on the day he followed his father to the Guild.


    He was already so pretty from a young age that I thought he would be even more handsome once he matured. But he grew up much better than I thought.


    Although the Henness family maintained a friendly relationship with the Cheshire Merchant  after the excavation of the manastone mines,.¡­


    I recently heard from Leone that the behavior of the Henness family was suspicious.


    It¡¯s still difficult to pinpoint exactly what was off, so we would have to wait a little longer.


    After the disappearance of his older brother Wolfgang Henness 12 years ago, he succeed the household.


    T/n: seriously, there are some weird names in this novel.


    Wolfgang Henness, three years older than Heights Henness, was a so-called genius wizard.


    From a very young age, he was capable of using advanced magic and was expected to become an great wizard.


    He was the face and pride of the Henness family. It was obvious that he would become the next head of the household.


    However, with the sudden death of the former Duke of Henness and the impending succession to the state, Wolfgang Henness suddenly disappeared.


    No trace of Wolfgang could be found anywhere, and the second eldest son, Heights Henness, took over the duchy.


    Heights Henness became a duke because he was left with no other choice. One could say that he was forced to.


    Perhaps that was why even after becoming a duke, he did not show any remarkable performances. Making the Henness the least prominent of the three ducal families.


    That¡¯s why his reputation is not that far-reaching.


    After handing the finished plate to a servant passing by, I folded my arms and leaned my back against the wall.


    I was observing Heights Henness as he was surrounded by women, when he suddenly made eye contact with me.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    At first, I thought it was just that our eyes met by chance while shifting our gaze.


    However, as time passed, Heights did not move his gaze away from me.


    What? Does he know me?


    His blue eyes seemed to shake for a moment, then he cut through the crowd and started approaching me.


    Huh? What is it?


    I was flustered. I could just stare at him as he was getting closer.


    ¡°Eureia.¡±


    Suddenly. someone grabbed my wrist as a voice called out to me.


    I turned my head.


    I thought it was another man who approached because of Eureia¡¯s beauty, but it was someone unexpected.


    My eyes widened at him.


    ¡°Leone?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for a while.¡±


    He smiled softly. He was not wearing the silver-framed glasses he always had on.


    I glanced him up and down once.


    He was wearing a formal attire.


    The short tied tail of his hair still remained. However, the purple pierced earring in his right ear were quite impressive. It was usually not visible as it was covered with his hair.


    As I touched the piercing, Leone¡¯s gaze followed my hand.


    ¡°This is the gift I gave you.¡±


    This pierced earring was given to him as a gift when Leone first entered the Guild.


    ¡°You used to struggle to sleep alone at night back then, so I had to come to your room. I put you to sleep because you were quite scared.¡±


    ¡°Ack, owner¡­ no, Eureia, that¡­¡±


    Leone¡¯s face turned red as I reminded him of that time.


    I burst into laughter briefly as his cold and insensitive impression was replaced by a red flush.


    At that time, Leone was stuck in the trauma of having witnessed his parents¡¯ death with his own eyes so he had trouble sleeping at night.


    Even after he had dealt with his uncle, he feared that he would come and kill him.


    At that, I gave him this piercing as a gift. It was an amulet that I made to get rid of nightmares.


    After that, Leone was able to sleep well at night.


    ¡°By the way, how did you get in? I didn¡¯t hear you enter.¡±


    ¡°I was the first to arrive. It¡¯s a little annoying to see people crowding around.¡±


    Upon saying that, Leone glanced at the crowd.


    Heights Henness, who failed to approach me, was surrounded by people again and was in trouble.


    ¡°So I quietly searched for you. I figured it would be better for me to be with you than to be alone¡­¡±


    Leone clung to me like an escort knight.


    We were so far in a corner that no one noticed Leone¡¯s existence.


    I and Leone stood side by side and chattered.


    Being alone wasn¡¯t bad, but having a friend by my side made me feel at ease.

 Chapter 21

    ¡°How was your audience with the Emperor? Did you succeed the Viscounty safely?¡±


    Leone asked, taking a piece of chocolate from the new dessert plate they had brought and putting it in his mouth.


    Naturally, I was taken aback by it.


    ¡°Um, well¡­¡±


    I did not know if I should say that I succeeded the title safely or not.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll get it, but¡­¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°I provoked the Emperor a little.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Leone was bewildered as if he was having a hard time understanding what I said.


    Feeling a little embarrassed, I told him what had happened¡­


    ¡°¡­so that¡¯s what happened.¡±


    ¡°This time, I was too careless. If I had waited without the need to provoke, there wouldn¡¯t have been a chance of losing the approval.¡±


    I sighed lightly.


    What¡¯s so wrong with being treated like a fly that I had to do that?


    When I first fell into this world, I was treated even worse than that.


    Nevertheless, it had been a long time since I was last treated like that, and my self-control was disrupted.


    ¡°That might be better.¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°If the Emperor¡¯s business goes well with Eureia¡¯s advice, it can be a source of strength when you return to the Guild.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡±


    Maybe it was because my first impression wasn¡¯t good, but somehow I didn¡¯t want to get involved with the emperor anymore.


    Well, if I planned to return to the Merchant, I would have to be associated with him sooner or later even if I didn¡¯t want to anyway.


    ¡°But you¡¯d better not get too close with him, Eureia.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because he became the emperor by rebelling. Besides, something about him is off. In fact, it is unknown what kind of life he lived before the rebellion.¡±


    There was a point I also partially agreed with. It was difficult for me to know what kind of person the emperor was. Even though I prided myself on having an eye for people.


    ¡°For that, just use him as a tool for you to get back to Cheshire. Don¡¯t get any closer than that.¡±


    Use the emperor as a tool.


    If someone had heard Leone¡¯s words, they would have been stunned.


    Of course, no one was listening to our conversation, and I did not have any problem with Leone¡¯s words.


    ¡°All right.¡±


    I nodded meekly.


    ¡°But you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Leone was startled as I grinned looking at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been calling me Eureia for a while now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been able to call a woman¡¯s name now. You truly have grown a lot, Leone.¡±


    ¡°¡­don¡¯t make fun of me.¡±


    It was rare for Leone to call anyone by name, let alone a woman. But I couldn¡¯t believe he called Eureia so casually.


    Even though I knew that Leone would be embarrassed, I couldn¡¯t help but mess with him. I actually wanted to tease him a little more.


    ¡°Huh? No matter how I am, aren¡¯t you addressing me too comfortably? I thought you¡¯re a shy person, but guess you aren¡¯t though. Come to think of it, it¡¯s already been 7 years since I disappeared¡­¡±


    I slowly rocked my head back to forth.


    ¡°It¡¯s enough time for you to experience a romantic relationship.¡±


    ¡°No way¡­!¡±


    I was only trying to make fun of him a little, but Leone grabbed my shoulder in an exasperated voice.


    Startled, I blinked blankly.


    Leone, who saw me up close, muttered with a distorted face as if he was about to cry.


    ¡°¡­that can¡¯t be. How could I¡­when you¡¯re gone¡­¡±


    Leone¡¯s eyes fluttered. Seeing him biting his lips as if in pain made me think that I shouldn¡¯t have said anything.


    I was just teasing you.


    The time I disappeared must have been very painful for Leone.


    Seeing him, someone who was not that expressive of his emotions, reacted so intensely¡­


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°¡­No. I¡¯m sorry to have startled you.¡±


    He nodded softly at me and said.


    ¡°And I called you by your first name because I thought it would be awkward for me to address you as ¡®young viscountess¡¯ or ¡®lady¡¯. But I¡¯ll call you that way if you want. Should I?¡±


    At his question, I took a moment to visualise how he would call me ¡®viscountess¡¯ or ¡®lady¡¯.


    Well¡­


    The title of ¡®Viscountess¡¯ was probably too awkward, and ¡®Lady¡¯¡­ To be honest, it cringed.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Just call me by my name.¡±


    ¡°Thought so.¡±


    Leone chuckled as if he had expected it.


    If anyone in this place had seen Leone like this, they would have been shocked.


    It¡¯s a bit of a shame.


    By the time Leone¡¯s dessert plate emptied, the noisy surroundings became quiet. And there was a loud announcement.


    ¡°His Majesty Kaishan Euclid Cliff arrives!¡±


    The curtain on the podium was lifted and a man walked out.


    The light of the chandelier fell on his silver hair.


    Cold dark red eyes swept through the crowd.


    He was still indifferent as ever.


    ¡°Thank you all for attending my third anniversary ball today.¡±


    His deep voice resounded through the ballroom clearly. He seemed to have used amplification magic.


    ¡°Since it is a special day¡­¡±


    His eyes moved as if looking for something.


    His gaze then stopped at one point.


    Leone, who felt the same gaze as me, whispered quietly.


    ¡°Eureia.¡±


    I nodded quietly.


    The emperor looked at me and the corner of his mouth went up. Like a hunter who found a prey he had been waiting for.


    ¡°I hope you enjoy it.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the paused performance resumed.


    The song was a waltz.


    According to the traditional ceremony, the emperor, the main character of the event, would have a dance first. But the emperor, without a partner, buried himself in a huge chair.


    The crowd looked at the emperor and went out to the center one by one.


    Under the twinkling lights, men and women dancing was a splendid view.


    Of course, I had no intention of partaking in that spectacle, so I backed off again.


    My only purpose for today¡¯s ball was to get to know the faces of those who stood at the top of the empire.


    But as Leone followed me back to the furthest corner, I glanced at him and asked.


    ¡°Are you even supposed to be here? There will be a lot of people you need to meet.¡±


    ¡°Eureia is here, so where should I be?¡±


    ¡°I am not a child¡­¡±


    I grumbled a little, saying he was overprotective, but it wasn¡¯t too bad after all.


    Well, I too have just entered Eureia¡¯s body, so I still need time to adjust. And with Leone by my side, there would be no man approaching me unnecessarily, so it was comfortable.


    But there were also inconveniences.


    ¡°Sweets.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°It is not good to eat too much. Do you know how many plates has it been already? Didn¡¯t you promise me before? The amount of sweet food for a day¡­¡±


    As I put the macarons I had taken into my mouth one after another, I frowned and protested at Leone¡¯s continuous nagging.


    ¡°Oh give me a break. Today is a special day. I¡¯m barely holding back my desire to drink fruit wine here.¡±


    ¡°Haa, seriouly, you are really¡­¡±


    Leone sighed deeply at my words.


    Who said he was a cold duke again? Reality had proven that he was just a nag.


    I watched the people with one earful of Leone¡¯s never-ending nagging.


    Then I suddenly felt someone¡¯s gaze and turned my head.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A man with light blue hair, as soft as cotton candy, along with blue eyes.


    Heights Henness was watching me from the crowd.

 Chapter 22

    When our eyes met, he looked away. I wondered if he was embarrassed.


    Looking back at Leone, I parted my lips.


    ¡°Leone, what do you know about Heights Henness?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s Heights Henness, you mean Duke Henness?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I whispered into Leone¡¯s ear as the sound of the music overlapped the sound of words. All the while, I did not take my eyes off Heights Henness.


    Naturally, Leone bent his back.


    ¡°I am only aware of the publicly known facts. Shall we find out about him?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I nodded and looked away from the back of Heights¡¯ head.


    ¡°From trivial things to interpersonal relationships, I don¡¯t think it would be bad to know. I¡¯ll have to renew the contract concerning the exploits of manastone mine soon.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Briefly after, someone came to us.


    Judging by the clothes, it was a servant.


    He bowed towards us and said to Leone.


    ¡°Your Grace, Duke Leone Finisis, His Majesty would like to see you.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty?¡±


    My head naturally turned around at the unexpected words.


    He, who was on the highest position, was looking down at us languidly like a lion on its pride rock.


    Precisely, he was looking at me.


    He was said to be looking for Leone, then why was he staring at me?


    ¡°Eureia.¡±


    ¡°Please go ahead, Your Grace. I will be waiting for you.¡±


    I added the honorifics because we were in front of the servant.


    ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    At the Emperor¡¯s order, Leone moved away from me.


    He looked uneasy, so I waved my hand at him as an assuring sign.


    That just seemed to have aggravated his anxiety.


    Leone disappeared and the ball grew riper.


    As the men and women who came together began to come to the corner for a chat, I decided to move.


    There was little space between the scorching heat, so being alone was my spec.


    While thinking about where to go, I found an empty balcony.


    I went there thinking it would be nice since no one would approach me if I put up the curtains.


    ¡°Oh, I should bring a drink along.¡±


    On the way to the balcony, thirsty, I picked up a glass of white wine from the tray of a passing servant.


    As I stepped out onto the balcony, a cool breeze ruffled my hair.


    At the tickling hair strand beside my cheek, I tucked it behind my ear with the other hand resting on the railing.


    I leisurely swirled my glass while looking at the expansive garden of the imperial palace. After taking a small sip, a tangy, sweet scent sank in.


    It tastes pretty good.


    I liked the white wine I brought with me, so I down a few more sips and rested my chin on my hand relaxedly.


    The stardust and the purple moon were beautiful in the dark night sky.


    Come to think of it, how long had it been since I could last be this carefree?


    As soon as I entered this body, I was distracted by the succession issue.


    Even before I died, I suffered from overtime work.


    Besides, it had also been a long time since I last attended a ball like this, so it was a quite new feeling.


    I just wanted to go back and rest right away, but I thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt to stay a little longer.


    However, soon after, an uninvited guest appeared.


    ¡°Eureia Craycia?¡±


    A man¡¯s voice broke the silence.


    I turned my head slightly and glanced at him.


    ¡°It is you! Eureia Craycia the Glass doll!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me? It¡¯s me, William Acreman. I¡¯m quite disappointed. We had such a good time at the academy though.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh.¡±


    I responded indifferently.


    He seemed to want me to recognise him, but how was I supposed to know? I was not the real Eureia.


    The man was bewildered as my reaction was blander than he expected.


    I just didn¡¯t like the guy for breaking my peace.


    What¡¯s more¡­


    I definitely came in with the curtains down.


    Pulling the curtains down meant that there was someone on the other side, which also meant that the person wanted to be alone.


    But the man knew I was here and followed me in. He was after me all along.


    How annoying.


    I was too lazy to deal with him, so I just walked past him.


    ¡°What is this? What¡¯s with your reaction? We were still the representative couple of the Academy in name, so is this really okay?¡±


    When I heard he mentioned ¡®representative couple¡¯, I took a glance at him.


    He stared back at me and said with a low chuckle, as if he had expected it to happen sooner or later.


    ¡°Are you still mad? Please forgive me. To be honest, having an affair is not that much of a big sin. Isn¡¯t that so? I reflected on myself, too.¡±


    The man leaned close to me. He held my wrist firmly.


    ¡°But Eureia, you seem to have gotten prettier since then. Is it just me? Back at the academy, you looked like a sick person¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of relationship I had with you nor what you did wrong.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The man tilted his head. Promptly, his mouth drew a smarmy smile.


    I couldn¡¯t understand what was going on or where this was heading.


    ¡°It¡¯s annoying that you¡¯re clinging to me like this.¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡±


    (Splash).


    The man could no longer speak.


    It was because I abruptly threw wine at his eyes.


    ¡°Ah! You¡­!¡±


    The man with wine in his eyes screamed in panic and let go of me.


    That¡¯s going to sting a lot. It¡¯s carbonated after all.


    I took this opportunity to get out of the balcony.


    I could never understand such a shameless kind of human.


    It¡¯s best to just give them a shot and get away quickly.


    I was about to leave behind the man covering his eyes in pain, but at that moment, he pulled my hair hard.


    I was dragged and thrown to the floor.


    F*ck.


    ¡°You-, you crazy b*tch!¡±

 Chapter 23

    The man, barely managing to open his eyes, approached me threateningly.


    It seemed that there was not as much carbonation as I thought, and the damage was less than expected.


    This would be difficult.


    I was hoping that someone would discover the abnormal state of this place through the slightly gaped curtains.


    However, people were all absorbed in dancing and showed no concern for this place.


    To make matters worse, the man quickly closed the curtains separating the balcony and the main hall again.


    ¡°You b*tch¡­all I did was say how you look prettier than in the past, but you dare splash water at me?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not water, it¡¯s alcohol¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Just you wait!¡±


    At that, the man began to approach menacingly.


    I looked around. There was no such thing as a proper weapon.


    No, there was one.


    I wriggled my hand under my dress so the man wouldn¡¯t notice and took off one of my shoes.


    It¡¯s not a very high heel, but it¡¯s a fairly hard shoe.


    A blow to the stomach or philtrum would cause enough shock and buy enough time for me to escape.


    I deliberately pretended to be defenseless and waited for him to come closer, so I could get a more accurate shot¡­


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    But my wish didn¡¯t come true.


    Light filled the dark space again. I then heard a man¡¯s voice.


    He was obscured by the jerk standing in front of me, but I could tell he was angry.


    Leone?


    At first, I thought it was Leone who found me.


    No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s him.


    But I soon realised that wasn¡¯t the case.


    The voice was different.


    Leone had a much colder and lower voice than that.


    The current voice sounded angry, but somehow soft and warm. Like cotton candy¡­


    ¡°Duke-, duke Henness?¡±


    The man¡¯s voice was trembling, as if he was flustered.


    ¡°I will not stand still unless you get away from her this instant.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m-, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    The man fled at once at his harsh words.


    ¡°¡­pathetic.¡±


    I muttered as I looked at the back of the man who had just run away. Subsequently, I turned to look at the large hand that suddenly reached out in front of me.


    ¡°Are you okay? Are you injured anywhere?¡­. Take my hand and get up.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I looked up at Heights Henness. There was concern in his deep blue eyes.


    This man was quite¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re quite kind.¡±


    ¡°Pardon¡­..?¡±


    I lowered my tired eyes and put down the shoe I was holding tightly.


    It was then that Heights realised the existence of the shoe, and his eyes shook.


    He probably noticed that I was trying to take the man down with it.


    I calmly put on my shoe, took Heitghts¡¯s hand and stood up from my seat.


    Actually, I didn¡¯t need his hand, but it was no other than Heights Henness himself. And I thought it wouldn¡¯t be bad to create a little connection.


    I stood up and smiled at him.


    ¡°Thank you for your help. I was really in trouble¡­¡±


    If he had shown up a little late, the man would have just rolled on the floor of the balcony, froth at his mouth.


    But I didn¡¯t have to say anything useless, so I kept it to myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite amazed by the way. How did you find out and help me?¡±


    I leaned back against the balcony railing and looked at him.


    His gaze was slightly deflected from me.


    ¡°Come to think of it, we met eyes a lot today too.¡±


    He looked like he knew me. He also made several attempts to approach me before this.


    Was there any relationship between him and Eureia?


    If there was a relationship that I was not aware of, it would be safe to point it out clearly.


    ¡°Do you know me?¡±


    I was going to make a guess or figure it out myself, but I ended up choosing the regular method.


    For some, this method may backfire, but after watching for a while, I had a feeling that it would be okay to push straight forward if it was duke Henness.


    Since he looks nice.


    At my words, Heights Henness¡¯s shoulders shuddered slightly.


    He seemed to be at a loss for a moment before making eye contact with me.


    Blue eyes.


    A man who looked like the embodiment of the sky itself as a whole.


    He left a good impression on me.


    ¡°Milady, I¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know you.¡±


    The answer that came out of his mouth was surprising.


    ¡°Then why did you keep watching me? How did you know I was in danger?¡±


    His answer was contradictory.


    He claimed he didn¡¯t know me but his attitude said otherwise.


    Does he have unrequited feelings for Eureia perhaps?


    I thought that might be the case. Since Eureia Craycia was beautiful enough for any man to fall in love with her at first sight.


    If he really fell in love with her at first sight, it¡¯s not a bad thing.


    He looked like he could be useful for business.


    But the answer that came back was not that.


    ¡°By chance¡­¡±


    ¡°By chance¡­.?¡±


    ¡°I came across this by chance. I saw the man follow the lady, so¡­¡±


    ¡°By chance, you say¡­¡±


    I giggled.


    This man¡­


    ¡­is not good at lying one bit.


    The pupils that I met with were fluttering. He didn¡¯t look straight at me.


    The man¡¯s lies were so obvious.


    From the look of it, Eureia and Henness did not seem to know each other.


    And that was all.


    It meant there was nothing to be bothered about.


    This man, Heights Henness, was someone I would have a lot of ties with once I became the Guild¡¯s owner.


    There was nothing wrong with leaving room for a relationship in advance.


    As soon as I asked how he came to help me, Heights¡¯ confidence shrank a little.


    I smiled at him. Just in time, a breeze swept through my hair.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Heights¡¯s expression looking at me was a little dazed.


    It seemed that the beauty effect I secretly used on him worked.


    I acted naturally and said.


    ¡°Then how about this?¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Heights asked back one beat slower.


    ¡°Your Grace helped me this time, so next time please give me a chance to reciprocate your kindness as well.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m saying I¡¯m going to repay the favour. But since I can¡¯t repay the kindness at will, so when the time comes in which you really need help, please give me the opportunity to return the favour. What do you think? It¡¯s not a bad proposal, is it?¡±


    I took a step closer and stood next to him.


    Heights¡¯ blue eyes, which were looking down at me from right above, were trembling.

 Chapter 24

    ¡°¡­ I understand.¡±


    As I tried to get closer, he responded quickly.


    I smiled satisfactorily and stepped back.


    Promptly, I gently bowed toward him, who stood dumbstruck, and said.


    ¡°Then, see you next time, Duke Heights Henness.¡±


    Leaving him behind, I leisurely walked out of the balcony.


    As soon as I entered the hall, Leone ran to me at once, he had probably been looking for me.


    ¡°Eureia!¡±


    He called my name out loud, not paying attention to the people around us. Perhaps he was nervous because I suddenly disappeared.


    All of a sudden, all attention was shifted to me.


    ¡°Your Grace, Duke Finisis.¡±


    Leone was startled when I did not call by his first name but by his surname and title.


    It was only then that he came to his senses and was conscious of people¡¯s gaze.


    Avoiding the pouring stare, I went out to the garden with Leone.


    ¡°Why were you so impatient? It¡¯s unlike you.¡±


    I was implying about his calling my name out loud in the hall.


    I smiled lightly, but Leone didn¡¯t. He lowered his head.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I was on the way back, but I couldn¡¯t see you¡­Nevermind¡­¡±


    With a deep sigh, he dragged his hand down his face.


    I looked at Leone with confused eyes.


    Back when I was the Merchant¡¯s owner, Leone was one of my closest aides. How hard had it been for Leone after I disappeared? So much to the point that he was restless when I was out of sight for only a moment?


    In fact, I was also aware that Hillary was actually a watchman that he had attached to me to make sure I wouldn¡¯t vanish again.


    If Leone is to this extent¡­


    Then the other guy must have been the same.


    Despite knowing he¡¯s a tough guy, my heart ached as I felt like I had given him an indelible wound.


    Leone seemed to be out of control of his emotions.


    I was as sympathetic toward him as when he first appeared.


    Perhaps he himself was most shocked by his inability to control himself.


    I stretched out my arms, contemplating what to do with him.


    And he hugged Leone¡¯s head.


    ¡°¡­Mas-, master?¡±


    Flustered, he forgot to call me by my name and stumbled upon his words.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright now. I won¡¯t disappear anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t disappear again, so you can stop being afraid now.¡±


    ¡°¡­Please let me protect you this time.¡±


    Leone pleaded with a desperate voice, almost pitiful.


    I nodded slightly.


    ¡°Okay, I got it.¡±


    Only then did Leone heave a sigh of relief.


    I hugged him until he was more stable and gently patted his head.


    Though I pretended not to know¡­someone was watching us.


    Maybe Leone didn¡¯t notice because he was drowned in joy.


    The mysterious presence soon disappeared quickly, and I acted normally all the while in hopes that Leo would find more stability.


    Even if Leone and I were to be known as lovers, there was no big deal about it.


    That¡¯s how my first ball as Eureia Craycia came to an end.


    And the next day, the emperor called me.


    ???


    I was supposed to leave the palace today.


    Normally, banquets were held for as short as four days or a week at most, but there was no need to participate in them every day.


    I had gotten familiar with the faces of major businesses.


    I had also formed a relationship with Heights Henness.


    It was a great harvest.


    In addition, my body was already drained, not to mention I had to do a lot of work, so I had to go back.


    I have to be prepared in case the succession approval is not granted.


    As I was about to pack up and go home, the emperor summoned me.


    Following the servant sent by the emperor, I thought about why the emperor had called for me.


    ¡­ Actually, there was nothing to think too deeply about.


    It¡¯s either for the best or worst.


    Unlike the last time when the meeting took place in the office, today was an audience.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have brought lady Eureia Craycia.¡±


    After announcing my arrival, the servant opened the door.


    I stepped inside and the door slammed shut.


    The audience room was wide and vacant.


    The knights supposedly guarding the emperor were nowhere to be seen.


    On the ceiling, there was a large inscription of the imperial family, and at the front was the emperor.


    He looked as relaxed as a predator looking at his prey as it walked into his den.


    However, his gaze was tenacious.


    ¡°Closer.¡±


    As he commanded, I moved closer.


    ¡°More.¡±


    The emperor, dissatisfied, ordered me to come even closer.


    I think I¡¯m close enough already though, how much further does the Emperor want me to get?


    I thought to myself and took a few more steps ahead.


    The emperor hardened his expression as if this also displeased him.


    But at least he did not ask me to come any closer.


    For a moment, silence evaded the spacious room. Meanwhile, I was secretly praying that he¡¯d get to the point quickly, so that I can make plans for the future.


    ¡°Eureia Craycia.¡±


    When he spat out my name, I slowly lifted my head.


    The cold, dark red eyes met mine.


    He looked down at me without saying a word for another minute or so before opening his mouth.


    ¡°I will allow the succession to the title. From today onward, you are one of my vassals, Viscountess Eureia Craycia.¡±


    My eyes widened at the unexpected words. But I quickly regained my composure and bowed deeply toward him.


    ¡°As Viscountess Eureia Crayciia, I pay my allegiance to Your Majesty, Emperor Kaishan Euclid Cliff.¡±


    I did not have a sword, so all I had to do was put my palm on my heart.


    ¡°I want to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Yes, please do.¡±


    I thought he¡¯s going to ask about the ¡®pen¡¯ I talked about last time.


    But the question that came out was completely different from what I expected.


    ¡°Duke Leone Finisis¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    ¡°What is your relationship with him? Are you lovers?¡±

 Chapter 25

    ¡°What is your relationship with him? Are you two lovers?¡±


    ¡°Pardon me?¡±


    I was so baffled by the unthinkable question that I forgot formality for a moment and asked again with a stupidly twisted face.


    No, why would he¡­


    Why did the emperor wonder about my relationship with Leone? He also mentioned lovers¡­


    Oh, don¡¯t tell me¡­


    Was it the emperor who I felt spying on us for a moment the previous day?


    Certainly, if anyone were to see it, they would have misunderstood.


    Since an unmarried man and woman were doing something like that.


    How was the relationship between Finisis Duchy and the Imperial family again?


    I knew it was not very good, but it could not be said to be bad either, and I was also aware that it was a relationship that had no major contact points.


    Thus, my being in a relationship with Leone shouldn¡¯t have any particular effect on the Emperor.


    Above all else, I had no ties with him, so there shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a special relationship.¡±


    I could not say we¡¯re lovers because clearly, we were not.


    It would be absurd to deny what seemed to be so evident the day before. Hence, I came up with a comprehensive and ambiguous answer called ¡®a special relationship¡¯.


    Well, it¡¯s not wrong.


    In response to my reply, the emperor just looked at me in silence.


    But somehow, I didn¡¯t feel like he was looking at me.


    Rather, it was as if he was looking at someone else through me¡­


    ¡°Nevermind. It¡¯s none of my business what¡¯s going on between the Viscountess and the Duke anyway.¡±


    The emperor, who spoke bluntly, quickly turned his head.


    His face was expressionless as usual, but to me, he looked quite¡­angry.


    Why?


    ¡°I¡¯ve given you my approval, so you can go now.¡±


    ¡°Is that all you are curious about?¡±


    I asked him as the conversation seemed to be coming to an end.


    Why doesn¡¯t he ask about the pen? Wasn¡¯t that why he called me?


    If it was about the succession approval, it could be delivered through a servant or through a letter.


    But instead, he called me this early in the morning.


    And I was so sure that he would be asking about the pen.


    But he wants me to just go?


    All he asked me was ¡®what¡¯s my relationship with Leo?¡¯


    That¡¯s all he had to ask¡­?


    What did that have to do with him?


    Even if Leone and I were lovers, it wasn¡¯t serious enough to call me out and ask about it.


    I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s inside his head.


    Until now, the emperor was the first person that I found hard to read.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask about the pen?¡±


    The emperor flinched as if he¡¯d just remembered the existence of the matter at that very moment.


    He was silent for a moment, then got up first and turned around.


    ¡°Later. I will hear about it later.¡±


    Leaving those words behind, the emperor left the audience room.


    After he left the audience, I got on the carriage which had been waiting for me in advance and left the palace.


    As I gazed at the imperial palace, which was gradually growing distant, I recalled the last image of the emperor I had seen.


    By the way.¡­


    I opened the window slightly and closed my eyes. The cool breeze of the early morning air chilled my forehead.


    A figure of a man was drawn in front of me.


    Stainless silver hair without a single spec of dust, almost felt like it belonged to a holy being. Dark red eyes seemed to be indifferent to everything, as if there was no emotion in them. He was a man so beautiful that one might go blind just by looking at him.


    I was sure it was my first time seeing him, but¡­


    Why do I keep feeling I¡¯ve seen him somewhere?


    I had no contact with him in the past either. That¡¯s why it was really weird.


    It must be my hallucination.


    I shoved the unknown familiarity to the back of my head and closed my eyes again.


    With that, I fell asleep for a while.


    When I woke up, I had arrived at Viscounty Craycia, which was now my home.


    ???


    Three days had passed since I returned from the Imperial Palace.


    In the meanwhile, the banquet ended and Leone visited me.


    ¡°Now that you have successfully succeeded to the Viscounty as you wished, you must return to the Guild.¡±


    Having said that, Leone looked at me with a slightly anxious face.


    I nodded.


    ¡°I should indeed.¡±


    Leone¡¯s expression brightened.


    He seemed to be worried that he would be rejected again.


    ¡°Then I shall convene the executives right away¡­¡±


    ¡°No, not like that.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you mean?¡±


    I leisurely tasted the herbal tea that Eril brought. The flavour had gotten richer. It seemed that her skill had improved.


    ¡°I plan to join as an apprentice.¡±


    ¡°An apprentice, you say¡­¡±


    Leone¡¯s complexion darkened rapidly.


    The hierarchy at the Cheshire Merchant Guild was classified from bottom to top as follow: apprenticeship, lower-rank unit, intermediate unit, upper executives, director, owner¡¯s representative, and the owner (headmaster).


    And I said that I would join as an apprentice member there.


    ¡°Do you need to go that far?¡±


    Leone asked with a puzzled face, but I firmly nodded.


    ¡°There is a saying that goes ¡®a hundred battles a hundred victories¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°It means that if you know your enemy and know yourself, even when you fight a hundred times, you will win all the hundred times.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course, Cheshire is not my enemy, but it is true that a lot has changed during my absence. Don¡¯t you think that I should take a quick look at the downer department before I get down to real business?¡±


    Leone did not respond to my words. It¡¯s probably because he also agreed with my viewpoint.


    It was always the lowest class of a system that could see the most naked side of it.


    And that was the apprenticeship at the Cheshire Merchant.


    Of course, there shouldn¡¯t be too big of a discrimination in different groups.


    I thought there wouldn¡¯t be much problem since it was Leone who managed the Guild. Nonetheless, on the other hand, since only Leone could manage Cheshire, his eyes would not have been able to reach every corner.


    I was trying to see that corner.


    A corner that may have been secretly rotten and corrupted.


    ¡°¡­All right. Then we shall arrange an apprentice position for you.¡±


    ¡°Please choose a role that can experience as many chores as possible.¡±


    ¡°I will. One more thing¡­ Eureia, can you promise me one last thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    I tilted my head at Leone¡¯s seemingly serious look.


    ¡°You must allow me to assist you again at any time.¡±


    Suddenly, I wondered if there was any term about restraint in the covenant that Leone and I had shared. Sometimes Leone just showed too much loyalty to me, even though my existence would not be so absolute to him now.


    Seeing Leone like that, I had a complicated feeling.


    I was grateful for his kind heart, but on the other hand, I was worried that he might be too attached to me.


    But at the moment, I was more grateful for his heart for me¡­


    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±


    Only after hearing the answer did Leone finally smile.


    He then started preparing for me to join the Cheshire Group in earnest.