Chapter 94
Behind the two who were gazing only at each other stood Lione and Becky.
In truth, it was closer to say that Becky had moved away when Einar approached Riina, but in any case, she hadn’t gone elsewhere and instead approached Lione.
“What a… mess.”
She didn’t know exactly what had happened.
But it was clear that Lione’s current condition was so poor that it would be strange if he didn’t faint at any moment.
“Oh, really.”
Becky crouched in front of him and pulled out a handkerchief.
Through Lione’s hazy vision, he saw Becky’s disapproving face and the handkerchief firmly pressing against his forehead, which was damp with cold sweat.
Though she made it clear she was doing this reluctantly, the fingertips wiping away the dust were surprisingly nimble, causing Lione to smile unconsciously.
At the sound of his deflating laughter, Becky’s brow immediately wrinkled.
“Why are you laughing again…!”
But she didn’t finish her sentence and quietly moved aside.
Einar was suddenly standing next to them.
Becky glared coldly at Lione, who had gone from laughing like a madman to freezing up.
Soon, however, she tightly clutched the dust-covered handkerchief and quickly returned to Riina’s side.
As Becky’s small back receded, Einar spoke.
“Lione.”
“Y-yes, Your Highness.”
Einar smiled slightly and placed his hand on Lione’s shoulder.
“You should quit being a servant.”
Watching from quite a distance, Riina sighed as she pressed her forehead, seeing Lione looking up at Einar with a vacant expression, but the pounding of her heart wouldn’t stop.
Around the time Einar was helping Lione to his feet.
In one corner of a large forge on the outskirts of the capital.
“You’re here.”
“Yes. I heard it was completed.”
The blacksmith promptly brought out a small box from inside in response to the smiling client’s words.
“Here it is.”
Max received the box, opened the lid, and then rummaged through his clothes to produce a heavy, very heavy pouch.
“Thank you for accommodating my unreasonable request.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. That fellow Hans didn’t tell me not to make more than one or not to give them to others.”
In truth, for the blacksmith, it was just a somewhat curious device that allowed him to test his skills.
He had no idea where his creation would end up or how it would be used.
If he had known that this device was a crucial component of Jane’s dangerous plan, which Hans cherished so much, he wouldn’t have taken it so lightly.
But the blacksmith hadn’t heard anything of the sort.
If Hans had been even slightly more cautious, he would have imposed various conditions on the blacksmith, warning him about his words and actions, but…
No, even then, Hans had been so fixated on being the first to complete the device and deliver it to Jane, ahead of the Third Prince.
Hans probably would have nodded even if Max had demanded a replica of the device along with information in exchange for the parts.
Ting.
The blacksmith, looking troubled, advised Max as he lightly flicked the transparent part of the device.
“It’s better not to touch that part if possible. I crafted it with great care, but the glass section is so small that its durability is significantly reduced. If you’re not careful, it could backflow.”
Max nodded and rolled the blacksmith’s creation in his palm, smiling broadly.
What did Bolshevik’s shadow, who wanted this device, intend to do with it?
Out of pure curiosity, he had secretly observed the Bolshevik estate and discovered Jane treating this device with great care.
Well, a device that could secretly inject something would hardly be used for good purposes.
“Should I dig a little deeper?”
“Pardon?”
When the blacksmith asked quizzically, Max shook his head.
“It’s nothing. It was a good deal.”
“Ah, yes. Farewell.”
Leaving the forge, Max placed the device in his bosom and abruptly turned his head toward the Bolshevik estate.
Bolshevik’s shadow plotting something suspicious, the terribly unlucky heir to Bolshevik.
And the Second Prince blessed with heaven-sent luck.
I know enough. Knowing more would make it less fun, wouldn’t it?
Although he could do many things that ordinary humans absolutely could not, the reason he remained merely an observer was singular.
Fun.
So it would be better not to do anything that might diminish the fun even slightly.
Well, to see, hear, and experience the amusing events to come, he’d have to linger around them.
Just watching from hiding wasn’t enough.
“And that’s too much like a criminal.”
Though he occasionally peeked when he couldn’t resist his curiosity or had a premonition that something might be more entertaining, that was as far as it went.
Clicking his tongue, Max turned his gaze toward the Imperial Palace.
After Sebastian had confirmed Max’s identity to Einar in the past, Einar had cut away all the tangential matters and asked:
‘You said you came to collect payment. Tell me what you want.’
To which Max had replied without hesitation:
‘Let me stay by your side.’
No sooner had his words ended than Einar’s resolute answer came back:
‘I already have someone I love.’
A tomb-like silence fell between them.
How much time had passed?
Just as Max was about to open his mouth after blinking several times, Einar shook his head firmly, leaving no room for even a needle to pass through.
‘I refuse.’
Only then did Max frantically wave both his hands and head.
‘No! That’s not what I meant! An assistant! I meant let me be by your side as an assistant!’
But Einar didn’t readily answer ‘very well’ this time either.
A merchant who appeared utterly ordinary, with clear signs of embarrassment.
However, according to Sebastian, the man before him was by no means an ordinary merchant.
A magician.
Wasn’t he a being whose very meaning wasn’t properly defined?
But Einar soon chuckled.
Weren’t he, with his heaven-sent luck, and Riina, with her heaven-abandoned misfortune, just as inexplicable as a magician?
He tilted his head and asked Max:
‘For what purpose?’
Max smiled broadly and exclaimed:
‘Because it seems fun!’
The vigorous voice, sparkling eyes, bright smile, and forward-leaning posture.
It was such genuine sincerity without a trace of falsehood that the smile spreading at the corner of Einar’s mouth deepened a little more.
‘Fun, you say.’
‘Yes!’
‘Is that paltry reason all you have for wanting to be by my side?’
Max grew serious and stepped back significantly from Einar.
‘I absolutely do not love Your Highness.’
‘Fine. I grant permission.’
Just as Max was about to fall into a cauldron of excitement at the unexpectedly generous permission:
‘But there’s one thing you must keep in mind.’
‘Yes! Whatever you say…’
Max, who had been making an exaggerated bow with a clenched fist against his chest, couldn’t finish his words.
Einar’s ashen eyes had sunk so low they appeared almost black as they tore into him.
‘If you harm Riina, hurt her, or even just approach her, I’ll kill you.’
Then he bared his teeth in a fierce smile.
‘Whatever you are doesn’t matter. If you disobey me, I’ll stake everything I have and kill you. No.’
His voice, which had been low, grew even lower, as if crawling up from the deep abyss.
‘I will erase your existence.’
Recalling that conversation, Max scratched his cheek.
Not ‘kill’ but ‘erase.’
And the one who had uttered those words was none other than Einar.
The words of one blessed with heaven-sent luck could never be ignored.
Well, though he was a being both human and not human, he was still bound by various constraints.
And above all else.
“I can’t miss this entertaining story.”
Placing the small box in his bosom, he looked toward the Bolshevik estate before taking a step in the opposite direction.
“Now then, let’s go carry out what His Highness has commanded.”
In granting Max permission to be by his side, Einar had simultaneously decided to put him to work.
‘I can’t let you have all the fun, can I? So I must have some fun with you as well.’
A suspicious group that had infiltrated foreign merchant companies and was fanning discontent and hatred toward the Empire.
Einar had entrusted Max with investigating them.
Of course, he would also be running around himself, and would employ various methods such as placing requests with information brokers in the back alleys.
But for directly contacting these suspicious groups and pretending to sympathize while digging deeper, Max, as a “foreign merchant,” would have an overwhelming advantage.
Max’s footsteps toward the alley where the foreign merchant group was slipping away were light to the point of frivolity.
At the time Max was leaving the forge.
Einar, who had assigned him the task, had also been about to leave the palace but had changed his direction.
He crossed the Imperial Palace toward the youngest prince’s palace, located quite on the outskirts.
There was no special reason for visiting Sierre today, at this moment.
He had simply decided to visit because it had suddenly occurred to him as he was leaving the palace.
As the youngest prince’s palace came into view, Einar’s steps slowed.
“Perhaps I should have sent word ahead.”
But soon he shrugged his shoulders.
It wasn’t as if he were visiting the Third or First Prince, and he had already told Sierre he would come.
He certainly wasn’t expecting any grand welcoming ceremony, so this should be fine.
But before long, Einar’s steps slowed again.
“S-Second Prince, Your Highness!”
“The Second Prince?”
“Y-Your Highness is here!”
The servants of the youngest prince’s palace were startled to see Einar, hastily bowing and stepping aside.
The next moment, a great commotion arose throughout the palace, and Einar narrowed his eyes.
