Chapter 39
“Why do you think that? I don’t care what happens to the common people.”
“For someone who doesn’t care, you’ve provided substantial funding for dam construction in the Alt Region, which has been struggling with drought lately.”
This time, surprise flashed in the Marquis’s blue eyes.
“How did you…”
“I have rather excellent sources. I also know you’re providing the second-highest amount of support for national projects, after the Grand Duke’s house.”
“…And what of it?”
Baeksan shrugged.
“You’ve recently turned to the Emperor’s faction. You wanted to curry favor with the Emperor publicly while cleaning up his mess from behind, didn’t you?”
“On what grounds…”
“I heard that House Lille’s finances aren’t doing well. So I thought: you must have hit your limit trying to help from behind while maintaining neutrality.”
“…”
Marquis Lille immediately glanced at the Exarch standing beside her.
The Exarch shook his head.
Right, it wasn’t him.
This was a combination of information from the System and those golden-glowing documents in Bathilda’s office.
After a long silence, Marquis Lille sighed and brushed back her hair.
“How amusing. You’re no physician, are you? No, you never were.”
“I’m not.”
“Then. Are you some legendary sage?”
Baeksan merely shrugged.
The Marquis seemed irritated by this.
“If you know all this, why did you treat the Emperor? You could have let him die this time.”
“Because Princess Bathilda was falsely accused. She doesn’t need to bear the stigma of being a daughter who killed her father.”
“Do you take me for a fool? Wasn’t it the Grand Duke who spread those rumors?”
Oh. This excuse won’t work.
“Then how about this? If the Emperor had died, Prince Felix would become Emperor. Is that what you want?”
The Marquis hesitated.
‘That hit the mark.’
Though Baeksan had never seen Crown Prince Felix, from what people said, he clearly wasn’t fit to be Emperor.
The Marquis seemed to think the same, as deep wrinkles formed on her forehead.
“…He’d be better than the current Emperor. Probably.”
“How romantic. Throwing everything away for an uncertain future.”
“…”
“I apologize. I wasn’t trying to mock you. I just want to make things more certain.”
“More certain?”
Baeksan took a breath before speaking.
“I, and His Grace the Grand Duke, don’t want to be involved in this. We had to cure the Emperor for unavoidable reasons, so please leave us be.”
Marquis Lille burst out laughing in disbelief.
“Listen. I understand the Grand Duke. He has no reason to help the Emperor. But you.”
For some reason, Marquis Lille cut off her words. Then she continued.
“…Anyway, if you wanted me to believe such words, you shouldn’t have treated the Emperor.”
“I’ll help you believe it.”
“Huh? How?”
“About the Emperor’s illness.”
The Marquis flinched.
“Thanks to the medicine using Haniel flowers, his condition has improved. However, since the medicine itself strains the body, excessive doses would actually harm him.”
“…”
“I may be just a powerless fallen noble, but if someone with power and authority wanted to, they could secretly plant someone in the Imperial Medical Institute to increase the dosage. A truly wicked thing to do, of course.”
Marquis Lille stared at Baeksan with sharp eyes, seemingly trying to understand the true intent behind sharing such information.
‘You thought I wouldn’t know, didn’t you? Since matters concerning the Emperor’s health are top secret.’
Baeksan smiled slyly.
“Additionally, I hear there’s going to be a major development centered around 77 Yaka Street. I’m just a commoner so I don’t know much, but someone of Marquis Lille’s status could make good use of such information.”
“Yaka Street? There’s nothing there.”
“That’s why they’re building something. Perhaps a large memorial hall…”
“Memorial hall…? Could the shortage of stones for dam construction be because…”
Marquis Lille frowned and began muttering something.
Baeksan watched this with amusement.
‘With a major investor like Marquis Lille involved, it won’t fall through. Though I’ve secured the prime land, if she invests in the remaining plots, surrounding property values will rise too.’
Baeksan made a final comment.
“Of course, you’re free to ignore this. But that amount should be enough to clean up after some royal waste.”
“…Ha.”
Marquis Lille let out a weary laugh. She shook her head and stood up.
“I should go. This is a night for drowning myself in whiskey.”
From those words, Baeksan realized she had decided not to make any more moves against her.
Baeksan brazenly accompanied the Marquis to her carriage, with the Exarch following quietly behind.
“It won’t take long. They’ll start land acquisition soon, so you’ll need to move quickly.”
The Marquis kept sighing.
When they reached the carriage, the Exarch helped her in.
Seated, Marquis Lille looked Baeksan up and down and said.
“This is absurd. To be completely seen through by a kid like you.”
“It was just luck…”
“You, where are you working now?”
“Pardon?”
Marquis Lille pulled out a cigar and lit it without looking at Baeksan.
“I’ll pay you well. Come work for our house.”
“…What?”
“Marquis. Please return home.”
The Exarch interjected, gentle but firm.
Baeksan, hidden behind his shoulder, had no choice but to step back.
Seeing this, Marquis Lille narrowed her eyes and smirked.
“Neither the Princess nor the Grand Duke has staked their claim yet, so what’s wrong with me joining in?”
“That’s a crude way of putting it.”
The Exarch responded with unexpected blankness.
The Marquis just kept chuckling.
“You were calling him trash earlier, so what does it matter? My, I’ve never seen someone treat the Emperor with such contempt.”
…Perhaps I was too direct.
But it seemed my bluntness had convinced her of my disdain for the Emperor.
The carriage door closed as the Marquis shook her head one last time. Just before pulling the curtain shut—
After seeming to hesitate, the Marquis spoke.
“…What about Lexi?”
“…?”
“…”
Seeing Baeksan’s puzzled face, she made an unfamiliar bitter expression.
“So you really have lost your memories.”
“…”
As Baeksan stood there bewildered, the curtain was drawn.
From behind the fabric, the Marquis spoke again in her characteristically haughty voice.
“Until we meet again, little con artist.”
* * *
The carriage departed.
‘Really now. Con artist is a bit harsh…’
Baeksan’s expression remained neutral as her eyebrow twitched.
Well, at least things seemed resolved well. There would be no more nighttime visitors breaking windows.
‘More importantly, she not only knows I’m Minervina Rethor but even deduced my memory loss… What a formidable woman.’
And it seemed she had some connection to the original Minervina Rethor.
‘I’ll need to be careful.’
Baeksan casually spoke to the Exarch, who was still gazing intently after the carriage.
“Thanks. Was the acting convincing?”
It was a bit embarrassing, but she had asked the Exarch to act as if he was smitten with her.
That was more convincing than saying the Exarch had sided with the Emperor, his father’s enemy, and was therefore protecting the physician who treated him.
It had been a necessary device, as Marquis Lille probably wouldn’t have acted if they had just pretended to be neutral.
Then the Exarch muttered.
“Well… Was I acting?”
“Huh?”
“…”
At Baeksan’s question, the Exarch suddenly seemed to snap to attention and gave a quick smile.
“I’m glad everything went according to plan.”
“Yes. Thanks for your help.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Such a gentle response. Baeksan rarely smiled.
“As you heard earlier, I’ve bought some land. A memorial hall will be built there. I’ll sell it right away when the Imperial family tries to acquire the site, so please just wait until then. Once I have enough money, I’ll buy a house and move out.”
At those words, the Exarch froze.
