How Can You Pay Back The Kindness I Raised With Obsession?

“Why?”

 

“Ah… So, was there a harvest?”

 

She shook her head as if nothing had happened to the Grand Duke who asked in a light tone. The Grand Duke bit his lower lip, nodded his head, and smiled with his eyes wide open.

 

“It’s fine. There must be a way. We always found a way.”

 

That was correct. From the threat of assassination in the imperial family to natural disasters in the territory. They found a way to solve any problem together.

 

“Because we have time until dinner…”

 

They decided to look for more books at the library. It was a time when we sat side by side at a large table and leafed through the books they had gathered together.

 

“However…”

 

The Grand Duke, who had been quiet the entire time, asked cautiously.

 

“You were interested in becoming the next Empress, but I didn’t arbitrarily reject you, right?”

 

“Yes? Why me?”

 

She was so startled that she failed to control her voice. Her voice echoed throughout the huge library.

 

“The Grand Duke’s enemy is my enemy.”

 

She lowered her voice and whispered.

 

“But that guy doesn’t have any holy power.”

 

The Grand Duke turned his gaze back to the book and muttered sullenly.

 

“I know. That’s crazy. But now any man without holy power looks better than me.”

 

The best groom in the empire said something like this? Was he jealous now? He was so jealous that it didn’t suit him. It was cute. But this man was so serious that she couldn’t make fun of him.

 

“In my world, there are no men except for your highness.”

 

The corner of the man’s mouth curved upward as he glanced at her.

 

“By the way…”

 

She changed the subject.

 

“Was I the only one who felt mana from the crown prince a little while ago?”

 

“So did I.”

 

The Grand Duke crossed his arms and stared into space, lost in thought.

 

“Why did I feel mana from that guy?”

 

Was there even a wizard in the library? No. It felt like mana was gushing out from the prince’s body.

 

“Ah!”

 

She clapped her hands as a sudden realization struck her.

 

“The dagger the crown prince wore on his waist.”

 

“That obsidian sword?”

 

“Yes, I can feel the strong mana there. Could it be that the handle and scabbard were made of something like a monster horn?”

 

“Things like that happen, too. But…”

 

“Your Highness.”

 

She heard Sir Daniel’s voice from behind her.

 

“The dinner is starting soon.”

 

In the end, she left the library without much success. The next event was the Emperor’s birthday banquet with the royal family.

 

“And what was it like meeting the Emperor?”

 

She asked the Grand Duke who was walking side by side with his hand wrapped around her waist. At that moment, the Grand Duke’s brow furrowed. It must be painful to have to laugh at the enemy who murdered his parents. But that wasn’t everything.

 

“The guy who called me said something…”

 

Only after confirming that only the Grand Duke’s guards and servants were following them did the Grand Duke lower his voice and tell them what had happened in his throne room.

 

“They say they will give me the territory of the former Kingdom of Billund as a reward for my contribution during the war.”

 

“The land…”

 

“It’s like a wasteland.”

 

Farming was impossible due to the harsh cold in the north. They make a living by herding reindeer and hunting swarming monsters. In short, it was a land of frozen monsters.

 

“Besides, the rebellion hasn’t been properly suppressed there yet.”

 

Billund’s dynasty fell, but some regions still fiercely resisted the imperial army. The intention was to pass on the responsibility of suppressing them to the archduke.

 

Ugh…

 

A sigh came out of her mouth. The Emperor was someone whose bowl was so small that his small ribs look like the size of a whale. It was a wonder that this empire had not yet collapsed. The Grand Duke was probably thinking the same thing inside. He has the right to succeed to the throne, so if he did something wrong, he could be accused of being a traitor, so he just couldn’t show it on the outside.

 

“I was wondering why it wasn’t my turn to give rewards these days because they are giving out rewards to people who have contributed. Of course, there was no expectation of a reward, only fear.”

 

In the end, the hunch was correct. But at the same time, she had that thought. Usually, resources like oil or coal were found in such land, right? Maybe it’s not just a complex.

 

“Try to visit next time.”

 

She decided to believe in the power of clichés. The royal family had not arrived yet, so they were the only ones at the banquet hall. Since there were only five people attending the dinner, the table was set up in a small room rather than the large banquet room where the banquet was usually held. However, as the person she was having dinner with was her partner, it did not feel cozy or cozy at all.

 

“Hazel this way.”

 

The Grand Duke pointed to her seat, bit his servant, and took out his chair with his own hand. From that day on, they treated each other as if nothing had happened. No, maybe it’s closer and more awkward than before. A new wall rose where the wall collapsed. It was a feeling that could only be explained that way.

 

“His Majesty the Emperor, His Royal Highness the Empress, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince are coming.”

 

When the servant said that, they stood up. The door opened wide and the Emperor came in accompanied by the Empress and the crown prince.

 

“Your majesty.”

 

As we greeted each other politely, the emperor lifted his chin high and gave an order.

 

“Please sit down.”

 

After they sat down, they exchanged formal well-wishes, such as congratulating them on their birthdays and saying that they should spend their birthdays with their families.

 

Whew… 

 

She had to hold back a sigh. They had to wish their parents’ enemy a happy birthday. She felt sorry for the Grand Duke who persevered in doing something he couldn’t do. All they had to do was call them and give them a reward. Why did they invite people to eat together on their birthdays? Were they really trying to harass her? Since public sentiment toward the Emperor was not good because of the war, was he trying to appease public sentiment by pretending to live in peace with the Grand Duke? But why was she, who was only a lover and a commoner, invited? The Emperor did not even pretend to know her. No, what is all that about? They treated her like she didn’t exist and didn’t even look at her. She guessed they think we are not in the right class to sit at the same table. Then why did they invite her?

 

Before the meal arrived, the palace servants came rushing in. She wondered what they were going to do and it was to test for poison. But why only tableware for the imperial family? They didn’t even touch theirs. Slowly, she started to feel worse. Are you afraid we may have applied poison in the meantime? For some reason, it seemed like he was asking me to look at him on purpose. They really had to worry about poisoning! Of course, unless the Emperor was stupid, he would not murder the Grand Duke in his own home. She used to believe that, but these days things were a little different.

 

“If you’re blinded by jealousy and the desire for power, you can’t do anything? You only have one life, so be careful.”

 

She remembered what Sir Daniel had said out of concern before they came here. This meant that the Emperor, blinded by jealousy and power, might try to kill the Grand Duke, who was at the peak of his popularity thanks to his outstanding contributions in the war. 

Once he was murdered, the Emperor would do something to clean up the case by framing the Grand Duke, but that was the end of the Grand Duke’s family after losing its leader. So they were in a position where they had to test for poison. But that wasn’t possible. The Emperor invited her  to a meal, but he tested her plate for poison right in front of her eyes. It was certain that you would be told that you were insulting the Emperor.

 

‘Well, if you only look at appearances, it’s not polite.’

 

Just like what the emperor was doing now. She had no choice but to fiddle with the bottle of detox pills she kept in her dress pocket. After the poison test to suppress their momentum, delicious dishes were brought to the table one by one. She didn’t know what the carrot piece she was putting in her mouth tastes like because she thought it might have been poisoned. If her grandmother found out that she was doing this in front of the dinner table, she would say that she left it in front of the dinner table and recited it… Please see this for her grandmother too! She just gnawed and secretly looked around. However, she kept making eye contact with the crown prince. The crown prince looked worse than he did in the library a moment ago. He was sweating even more than before, so much so that the collar of his shirt was wet.

 

‘Is it really painful? Then why are you sitting here when you should be resting?’

 

The reason she kept making eye contact with the crown prince was because he was looking at her so intently that she felt uncomfortable. Contrary to the Grand Duke’s thoughts, he treated her as if he were hunting rather than a woman.

 

‘I feel bad either way.’

 

The Grand Duke seemed to be in a bad mood, but while talking with the Emperor, he occasionally cast sharp glances at the Crown Prince. The prince’s impression seemed distinctly different from before. He used to look a bit fierce, but now he’s dark… What did they say? Black flame dragon? Hmm, that’s not true. Black… fury. okay! It felt like it had become black. It seemed true that he suddenly became smarter.

 

“Elliot, I hope you don’t feel upset that we handed over land that we can’t use.”

 

The crown prince suddenly brought up a topic that one might want to avoid. That also hits the nail on the head.

 

“I’m sorry. That actually makes me sad.”

 

If the other person said something like that, the Grand Duke had no choice but to lie and say that he was not upset.

 

“We recently sent a scouting party north of Billund. Do you know what was discovered in the Breten Swamp?”

 

“I heard that rumor too.”

 

She didn’t hear it. As she listened to the conversation between the two, she finally learned that coal was mined near that swamp.

 

‘Wow, so there really are natural resources?’

 

But why was the Grand Duke, who already knew this, upset about receiving the land? Even now, the Grand Duke’s expression was not very bright as he talked about the newly discovered resources in Billund. He was listening, occasionally smiling, but his behavior seemed polite. While she sat like a sack of barley and listened to the conversation, appetizers and main dishes came and went, and before she knew it, pasta was placed in front of her. It was a dish of pasta resembling penne mixed with green pesto sauce.

 

‘Is it basil?’

 

While the scent of basil was fragrant, she could also vaguely sense a spicy scent.

 

‘…What is this?’

 

—————————————————————

Translator Note: