Chapter 72
Chapter 72
‘Chapter 9. Lu and Cream’
“So?”
The room wasn’t particularly luxurious.
Or rather, it was designed to appear that way.
However, upon closer inspection, every single item filling the room was clearly a masterpiece crafted by the finest artisans of the era.
In this peculiar room, a woman sitting elegantly on a couch spoke.
“So who is this Irina Seike?”
“She served as the acting Countess of House Seike for the past five years before recently passing the title to her younger brother.”
“Hmm.”
The woman nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
Before her knelt a middle-aged man, trembling visibly.
He was balding, with a protruding belly, and his attire was so gaudy it bordered on vulgar.
His ill-fitting coat was embroidered with golden thread and covered in ostentatious jewels.
While undoubtedly expensive, these adornments did little to enhance his dignity.
If anything, they only served to make him appear more tasteless.
The woman tapped her shoe against the vulgar man before her, tilting her head slightly.
The man kept his head bowed, grinding his teeth.
Though he tried to hide his emotions, they were plainly visible, causing the woman to let out an amused snicker.
“Marquis Cloi. This isn’t the time for such behavior.”
“N-no, of course not.”
“So, is this really all you’ve learned about Irina Seike?”
‘A Luwin bloodline, yet nothing special.’
Hearing her muttered comment, Cloi’s petty pride flared.
“Not at all! While I don’t know exactly who Irina Seike is, she suddenly paid off an astronomical debt and then headed straight to Luwin!”
“And?”
“Surely Cassis must have seduced her with his pretty face. That stiff, insufferable nephew of mine may be good-looking, but seducing some country girl from the South would be child’s play for him. He must have noticed her ability to pay off Seike’s debt so quickly, and lured her to the North with promises of paying off Luwin’s debts.”
Marquis Cloi was famously jealous of his nephew.
He harbored resentment over not inheriting Luwin.
To think he was passed over for succession merely because he was born second – how could anything be more unfair?
So when he heard the news of his brother and sister-in-law’s death in an accident, he thought his chance had finally come.
However, the succession laws of the Grand Duchy were quite thorough.
The succession rights, established by both magic and law, would never pass to him as long as Cassis lived.
The highest position he could hope for was becoming the regent of the Grand Duke of Luwin.
“So you’re saying this Irina Seike went there to save the failing House of Luwin?”
“What could a mere noble lady possibly accomplish?”
The woman wiggled her foot at the Marquis’s words.
Her precariously balanced shoe wobbled, then fell and struck his head.
The Marquis ground his teeth at the insult and tried to rise.
“His Majesty shouldn’t know about the Hatard embezzlement.”
But at her muttered words, he had no choice but to bow his head lower and assume a more submissive posture.
‘I hid it so thoroughly, how did she know?’
The Marquis lowered himself, trembling, and the woman clicked her tongue at his predictable behavior.
“You disgust me.”
“…My deepest apologies.”
The woman gestured toward the door with her chin.
“Leave.”
“Please don’t forget your promise to give me Luwin.”
“We’ll see how you perform.”
And just like that, Marquis Cloi was dismissed from the room.
With the large man gone, the room felt more peaceful.
The woman stretched and whispered to herself.
“Luwin has such good fortune despite being so undeserving.”
“…”
“Rose, respond.”
At the woman’s words, a figure standing behind her glided forward.
Silver-white hair cascaded down gracefully.
Rose Bistin, the Saint, bowed her head and answered.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Leily Jackmüller, the Imperial Princess and shame of the Imperial family, smirked.
She nodded while brushing back her dark brown hair.
Her snow-white skin appeared even paler in contrast to her dark hair.
She had an overall elegant and subdued appearance, but this created a jarring discord with her tyrannical demeanor.
That dissonance amplified her unique air of intimidation.
Her temperament didn’t match her youthful appearance at all.
She stroked the Saint as one would pet an animal.
“Good.”
With the beautiful silver-haired Saint cowering beside her, Leily muttered as if tired.
“How heartless of God, not even noticing his little lamb trembling so pitifully.”
* * *
After the Imperial ball ended, I finished my commissioned work quickly and returned to the North faster than anyone else.
Unlike the Capital with its crowds, endless work, and constant incidents, Leknes, the central city of Luwin, was peaceful.
When I emerged from the gate, I couldn’t immediately adjust to the silence that enveloped the space.
I must have grown that accustomed to the noise.
When I first came to the North, I thought the people here must be bored with how quiet and lifeless it was.
But now that I’ve lived here, I understand.
There’s a calming effect in the quietness.
I didn’t realize it while in the Capital, but coming to this quiet place made me aware of how hectic my life had been.
Only after returning to Orsha Palace, unpacking, and changing into a comfortable indoor dress did I finally feel at home.
I used to think only Seike could feel like home.
It’s strange that I now feel the same way about Luwin.
Apple, who had returned to Luwin a day earlier than us, prepared a simple meal.
As I dipped some bread into soup, I said:
“I think I could live here.”
“You’ve become quite the Northerner,” Roen said with a soft laugh at my response.
“True. Isn’t House Blende located in the northeast?”
“In the mountains, yes.”
Roen shrugged his shoulders as he spoke.
“But I grew up in the Capital, so I don’t really know what our ancestral home is like.”
“Ah, that explains why you know the Capital so well. You were a Capital gentleman.”
Roen laughed, “haha” and looked up at the air briefly before speaking.
“When I was young, I caused a big incident at home, and the Countess said she couldn’t handle me anymore and sent me to a boarding school in the Capital.”
Oho.
He doesn’t look it, but he must have caused quite a lot of trouble during his school days.
“In my opinion, that’s probably House Blende’s biggest mistake in the past hundred years.”
“Why?”
Roen asked, confused by Cassis’s words.
“Well… if you hadn’t graduated from the Academy in the Capital, you would never have met me.”
I sighed internally.
It was almost a wistful sigh.
Our Cassis seemed fine on the surface, but his self-esteem hit rock bottom when it came to the people close to him.
[At least he doesn’t act like this with everyone.]
‘It’s worse because he only does this with people he cares about.’
Still, everyone had gotten used to it by now, reaching a state of “Oh, there goes our Cassis again, protect that self-esteem at all costs.”
Roen laughed heartily and shrugged his shoulders.
“Actually, our family isn’t the type to serve as vassals anywhere.”
But despite being able to inherit the position of Count Blende, Roen had abandoned that position.
They said they were from the same Academy.
Roen, who had admired Cassis, his senior by one year, followed him to the North immediately after graduation.
It must have been fine when Luwin was wealthy.
“Well, it was my choice anyway.”
“You couldn’t have known it would turn out like this.”
“True. But senior, I could have left then if I wanted to. The Count even asked me to return.”
Roen couldn’t quite meet Cassis’s eyes, as if this was the first time he’d brought this up.
“But I just stayed.”
“Why?”
“Because it didn’t look bad.”
Cassis pressed persistently.
“Everyone said it was bad, what did you see?”
“Faith in Luwin’s magic stone mines?”
“…”
“Marquis Cloi’s stupidity?”
Cassis remained silent.
His red eyes stared intensely at Roen.
Sitting next to Roen, even I felt tense and swallowed dryly at his unyielding expression, but Roen seemed unconcerned and even gave a small smile.
“And your diligence and loyalty, Lord Cassis.”
Because I know how hardworking and dedicated you are…
“And since even the Lemiere heir recognizes you, I thought it would be fine.”
Having said this, he suddenly turned to me.
“You understand, right, Irina?”
“Huh?”
I was startled by the sudden shift in topic to me.
“Even ‘the’ Roen Blende, once considered heir to House Blende, believes in Lord Cassis – that’s what this means.”
“…I see.”
Not knowing how to respond, I nodded mechanically.
Roen shook his head, saying that wasn’t it.
“You absolutely must not abandon Luwin. Don’t give up.”
[Ah, so that’s what he meant?]
[Well, it’s understandable he’d worry. They finally got someone useful, what if she gives up and runs away?]
‘Right. Since I’m the type to do the work of 100 people by myself, Roen must be worried I might run away.’
But it was Cassis who poured cold water on this atmosphere.
“But Irina, if you ever feel it’s not working out, you should leave without hesitation.”
“Ah, Your Highness, what does that make me then?”
The two started their familiar bickering again.
I smiled slightly.
Though they might be desperate, I was probably more desperate than both of them.
After all, there wasn’t much time left until the original story began, and returning to the North reminded me of Sian Terezia, whom I’d momentarily forgotten.
My anxiety grew, and I felt like time was running out.
[Still, Irina, your time in the Capital wasn’t wasted.]
[Right. First of all, the debt has been reduced astronomically.]
[And we saw the potential of ice cream.]
[We also discovered some good talent!]
That’s true.
The past month and a bit I spent in the Capital wasn’t wasted at all.
First, I found some good talent, and I got hints about holy power and skills.
Plus, I got my cute pet, Vroom-Vroom…
Vroom-Vroom!
As if knowing I was thinking about it, Vroom-Vroom, who was let loose in the garden, started hopping around, its roof occasionally visible through the second-floor window.
“Aww, Vroom-Vroom is cute. That’s enough jumping now.”
Vroom-Vroom…
Vroom-Vroom became dejected at my scolding and disappeared with a ‘poof’ sound.
[SYSTEM | User ‘Irina Seike’s pet ‘Vroom-Vroom’ has been unsummoned due to great disappointment.]
