Chapter 34
“We’ve arrived. Thanks for the ride.”
Though the carriage had stopped, Exarch sat there blankly.
‘He must have a lot on his mind.’
Baeksan simply got out of the carriage.
As she was about to kindly close the door, Exarch hurriedly followed her out.
“Minervina.”
Seeing his somewhat anxious face, Baeksan asked in surprise.
“What?”
“…”
Exarch’s lips quivered. Then he suddenly asked with a serious gaze.
“Do you… dislike meeting me?”
…What kind of question is this.
Baeksan smirked.
“With you being a Grand Duke, how could it not be burdensome…”
“But you don’t really care about that.”
“…”
Quick to catch on.
Exarch was still steadily gazing at her. His eyes were serious.
Baeksan felt somehow complex inside and unnecessarily fiddled with her bangs.
‘I could give a vague answer but…’
It was difficult to do that with Exarch.
Because she knew he always treated people with sincerity.
Finally, Baeksan spoke with hesitation.
“…That’s not possible.”
“…”
“I don’t dislike it, and it’s not burdensome.”
At that moment.
A smile bloomed on Exarch’s face like spring flowers, different from his usual faint smile – one that conveyed happiness.
“…I’m glad.”
“…”
Baeksan froze, startled by the radiance of his smile, and unconsciously whipped her head away.
“Can I go if you’re done?”
Then she turned and started running toward the dormitory.
She heard him softly calling her name from behind but ignored it.
‘Ah. That startled me.’
What was there to smile about like that?
Her heart was pounding from the surprise.
Baeksan calmed her chest with deep breaths. At times like this, thinking about work is best.
‘Anyway, this forced quest is finally resolved. I learned a lot too.’
First, understanding that the system could force her actions.
Second, seeing how flexibly it wrote “In case of failure” suggested it was more adaptable than expected.
“Whew.”
Baeksan looked up at the sky.
‘I need to prepare for when there might be an inescapable penalty later.’
* * *
Business as usual at Sophs Appraisal House.
The clerks were discussing how the Emperor had returned from death’s door while waiting for the afternoon opening.
At exactly 1 PM, a large shadow fell across Sophs’ entrance.
Bang!
“M-Miss Elize!”
A footman rushed in and hurried upstairs.
All the clerks looked curiously toward the door.
Agnes did too.
‘What’s going on?’
Then another footman threw the door wide open.
“P-p-please enter!”
Beyond the footman’s urgent cry, they could see the door of a large, elegant carriage.
Agnes’s eyes widened in surprise when she saw the crest on the door.
“The red lion crest…!”
People around gasped as they saw the same thing.
In Orquenina, the red lion was the Schröder imperial family’s crest.
The silver-haired, red-eyed woman who appeared next confirmed their suspicions.
“My first time at Sophs.”
A relaxed smile and bearing.
The famous Princess Bathilda.
Just then, Elize came rushing down from the second floor, barely avoiding a fall.
“Y-Your Highness!”
“Yes. I am Bathilda Rohik Schröder.”
Princess Bathilda smiled slyly.
“You must be Sophs’ Deputy Guild Master Elize Barrett?”
Elize stuttered before regaining her composure and bowing.
“Yes. But what brings you…”
“Don’t worry. I have business with one of your employees.”
Princess Bathilda looked around.
Employees were coming down to the first floor. Elize seemed to be clearing the second and third floors for the princess.
Mine was among them.
For a moment, their eyes seemed to meet.
‘…What was that? I thought I just saw Mine make a disgusted expression.’
But it must have been her imagination. Mine quickly returned to her usual blank expression.
Bathilda approached Mine, and people parted like the tide. They seemed to instinctively know who she was here for.
In Sophs Appraisal House, renowned for both magicians and appraisers, someone worthy of a princess’s visit.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
Mine greeted with a deadpan face.
“Mine. How could you leave like that that day? You should have at least visited my palace.”
Despite Mine’s curt response, Bathilda smiled slyly.
“How could someone humble like me visit such an esteemed place?”
“You really are good at jokes.”
“…”
Mine seemed to grimace again before composing herself.
‘Mine, you’re talking to the Princess…!’
If Agnes felt this way watching, how must the others feel?
But Princess Bathilda seemed rather intrigued by such prickliness.
“Don’t worry, I’m not here just to joke. I’ve brought what you rightfully deserve. Sir Dominic?”
The princess snapped her fingers.
At her knight’s signal to the carriage, palace servants began carrying things in.
The clerks’ jaws dropped again.
“What’s all this…?”
“G-gold coins?”
The servants were carrying chests full of gold coins.
While everyone’s eyes trembled, Mine looked disgruntled.
“…Why bypass convenient thin bills. Why ignore perfectly good banks.”
“It’s more impressive this way.”
“Too heavy to lift though.”
“I’ll have it deposited in your name at Stellone Bank. This is just for show.”
Thunk.
The servants set down the chests of gold coins.
Bathilda laughed heartily and patted them.
“Ten thousand gold in total.”
“…!”
“T-ten thousand…”
The average monthly living expenses for commoners was 200 gold.
Yet here was 10,000 gold.
An amount some people would never even see in their lives.
At that moment, Mine sighed deeply. Then she approached the princess and whispered something.
Agnes couldn’t hear, but the conversation went like this:
“Your Highness. Rumors are already spreading about someone receiving a reward for treating His Majesty, and if you bring something like this…”
“Don’t worry. I made it look like I was delivering His Majesty’s reward while visiting the Meteor District.”
“Even so…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Soon, the physician who treated His Majesty will mysteriously disappear while concealing their identity.”
Bathilda grinned and stepped back, speaking loud enough for all to hear.
“I know it’s overwhelming, but accept it. Thanks to you, we discovered Pavela’s ‘Lily of the Battlefield’ at the Blue Moon Fair.”
The clerks and those coming down from the second and third floors were simultaneously shocked by this continuing revelation.
“Pavela’s egg craft?”
“The one that sold for 2.09 million at the Gahasu auction?”
Mine found that at the Blue Moon Fair?
Agnes unconsciously let out a small gasp of admiration.
She knew Mine had good judgment, but this level would put even appraisers with decades of experience to shame.
Elize’s eyes widened too.
…Though they quickly changed to ‘why didn’t you give it to us instead of Bathilda?’
Under everyone’s gaze, Mine made a pained sound.
Finally, she nodded.
“…Thank you for your generosity.”
People murmured again weakly. Must be true. This is no joke….
“Looking forward to next time. Understood?”
“There won’t be a next time.”
“Or you could quit Sophs and work as my personal appraiser. I’ll cover any contract penalties.”
Elize was startled, but Mine’s answer came faster. This time she didn’t hide her disgust.
“You’re joking, right? I really must decline.”
“How disappointing.”
As if she’d expected the rejection, Princess Bathilda laughed heartily. She turned to leave.
“I just stopped by to show you this. I’ll be going now. Then, ‘see you again.'”
* * *
“Excuse me. I’m interested in Yaka Street 77.”
Ralph, a real estate agent in the capital Ulm, peered at his visitor over his newspaper.
