Cian and Stefan, both dressed in training uniforms, faced each other in the training area.
Rachel and Graham sat on chairs a bit further away.
Seeing Stefan smirking, Cian chuckled along.
“Do you enjoy sparring with me that much?”
“Yes.”
“I should have offered sooner. I didn’t know you liked sparring so much.”
“You clueless Archduke. It’s not the sparring that I enjoy… Ah, never mind. Hey, kid!”
At Stefan’s shout, Graham jumped up from his seat and held a flag bearing the Archduke’s emblem high.
A moment later, the child lowered the flag energetically. With the sound of a flutter, Stefan kicked off the ground and rushed forward.
“Hah!”
He swung his sword widely and aimed at the top of Cian’s head. It was the same movement he made the night he came to Cian’s mansion. At that time, Cian lightly turned his body to avoid Stefan’s attack.
In such a bright place, with such a straightforward attack, Cian could repel and counter it even with his eyes closed. Stefan knew better than anyone how elegant and beautiful Cian’s movements were.
A smile appeared on his face as he thought of Rachel exclaiming in excitement as she watched his friend’s movements.
However, Cian defied Stefan’s expectations.
Stefan’s sword stopped just before it touched the top of Cian’s head. A few strands of Cian’s hair were cut off by the sword and scattered.
Graham, who was watching from afar, hesitantly raised the flag and stuttered.
“Uh… Is… Duke Stefan is the… winner…?”
Everyone except Cian blinked in surprise.
Stefan’s sword trembled. It was the first time in 20 years he’d come this close to Cian’s body with a sword.
“What… what are you doing?”
“Can’t you tell? I lost.”
“Why didn’t you dodge? You’re supposed to be sparring, yet you didn’t even draw your sword or dodge. What’s the matter with you?”
“You told me to pay my debt. Didn’t you want to win? I wasn’t confident I’d be able to lose if I drew my sword.”
“…Wow, you’re such an annoying guy, aren’t you?”
“Are we done now?”
“Done? How could we be? Would you be satisfied if you were me? Winning like this in front of spectators means nothing.”
“I asked if it was okay to do this now, and you said it was fine.”
“Ha.”
Stefan genuinely wanted to beat Cian.
Stefan, who often roamed with his merchant group, could easily handle any bandits he met on his travels.
But even after years of fighting, he couldn’t win against Cian. Partly because of his outstanding skills, but also because he never let his guard down, whether day or night, sleeping or awake.
It frustrated him, fueled his determination, and made him want to win.
But not like this. He wanted to defeat Cian through skill, not someone who didn’t even draw his sword.
Moreover, this sparring session was meant to showcase Cian’s cool side to Rachel.
Stefan stepped closer to Cian and whispered. He was frustrated by his sharp and intelligent but romantically clueless friend.
“I didn’t ask you to spar because I wanted to win. I set this up for you to show off your impressive skills in front of Countess Rachel.”
“…What?”
Cian’s eyes widened, and he glanced at Rachel sitting on the chair.
“…I didn’t realize that was your intention.”
“Damn you. You better be grateful to me.”
“Alright. I’ll retrieve the gift I threw away in the trash and keep it.”
“What, you threw it in the trash? You… you…!”
Stefan was about to burst out with harsh words, but Cian’s figure disappeared momentarily. Exclamations erupted from the two people sitting on the chairs.
A cold sweat ran down Stefan’s back.
‘Damn, he really always was holding back a lot, wasn’t he?’
Cian, who’d escaped from Stefan by lowering his body and stepping back, drew his sword. His sword, gleaming brightly in the sunlight, swept over the training ground.
Cian moved smoothly and gracefully, exuding a chilly aura toward Stefan standing opposite him.
It was a tactic Cian often used against opponents. The opponent would be captivated by his movements and overwhelmed by his aura, freezing in place.
Cian’s sword swept around Stefan. The training clothes at Stefan’s arms, legs, chest, and back was slashed, but not a single scratch was left on his body.
Stefan, who knew how much precision and control were needed for such movements, was at a loss. The actions were so fluid and flawless that he couldn’t counter or block the sword.
Cian’s sword finally aimed for Stefan’s neck.
Standing behind Stefan and holding his sword close to his neck, Cian smiled.
“Thanks for not moving. I was able to make some big moves for the first time in a while.”
“…Shut up.”
It’s not that he didn’t move, it’s that he couldn’t move, but his pride was hurt so he didn’t say it out loud.
Graham raised the flag high and shouted.
“Master, no, Archduke Cian, victory!”
Stefan grinned. Though his pride was a bit bruised, he felt proud.
Rachel was looking at Cian with her hands tightly clasped and her mouth open.
With Graham gone to visit Dolorosa, Cian, Stefan, and Rachel sat together in the drawing room of the Archduke’s mansion.
Rachel continuously praised Cian’s swordsmanship.
“I’d heard rumors of your impressive skills, but it was truly wonderful. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Consider it an honor. Seeing Cian’s sparring as your first experience is a great fortune. There are many in the capital eager to watch Cian spar. Tickets would sell out in no time if they were available.”
“I guess I saw something incredible.”
Cian shook his head.
“An honor? It was my honor to be able to swing my sword in front of Countess Rachel.”
“What do you mean?”
“There are quite a few people who want to show off their skills in front of Countess Rachel. After your dismissal of Berengella at the party, your popularity has skyrocketed.”
“Really?”
Rachel blinked her large eyes, hearing this for the first time.
What Cian said was true. Rachel’s composed response to Sigar’s test and her calm critique of Berengella’s misdeeds became a hot topic among the nobility.
Curiosity and rumors about Rachel, who rose up after experiencing her husband’s affair, filled the social world. The rumors about her grew even stronger as the only party she appeared at was Cian’s.
Cian felt good about the fact that only he knew Rachel like this. He felt like he had her all to himself.
Stefan pursed his lips between Rachel, who bowed her head humbly, and Cian, who looked at Rachel kindly, feeling somewhat cheated.
“By the way, I forgot to tell you, but I ended up buying another mansion because of you.”
“If it’s because of me… Is it because of what happened at the last party?”
“Yes. I got called in, scolded thoroughly, and agreed to buy another mansion. This is already the thirteenth mansion! Does this even make any sense?”
Rachel’s eyes widened as much as they had when she saw Cian’s swordsmanship.
‘Thirteen mansions! The Iacobs family is truly wealthy. I’m envious of this real estate tycoon.’
Stefan’s face suddenly seemed to shine with a golden light.
Cian smiled wryly.
“I really appreciated your help that day. If it’s alright, I’ll cover the cost of that mansion.”
“You’ll cover the maintenance costs too.”
“Sure, the maintenance costs as well.”
Despite the easy answer, Stefan sighed deeply.
“Ha. When will this endless mansion buying stop?”
Rachel tilted her head in confusion. Stefan didn’t seem happy about the increasing number of mansions.
“Your Excellency, may I ask why you’re sighing? Wouldn’t it be good to have many mansions?”
“Having a lot of mansions is not good at all. You pay a lot of taxes and high maintenance costs.”
“Can’t you include the tax or maintenance in the rental price?”
“The problem is I can’t rent out these mansions.”
“You can’t rent them out? What do you have thirteen mansions for then?”
“They’re kept as reserves for special circumstances. We don’t know when or how they’ll be used, so they can’t be rented out. Even though we haven’t used any since they were purchased and probably never will.”
Rachel found it shocking.
Having thirteen buildings that couldn’t be used or rented but still had to pay taxes and maintenance costs! No wonder he was troubled.
Rachel thought seriously for a moment.
‘He wasn’t an ordinary real estate tycoon.’
Though she didn’t get all the details, there was something unclear about Stefan’s explanation.
‘If they’re kept as reserves, wouldn’t one or two mansions be enough? And he’s never used them? Why does he keep buying them? Could it be…’
After considering, Rachel cautiously spoke.
“Your Excellency. Are you perhaps in need of a psychological safety net?”
“…What?”
Stefan glanced at Cian, who shrugged.
“Told you she was sharp.”
“I thought it was just an exaggeration.”
“Have I ever exaggerated someone’s praise?”
“No. Damn it. I know it’s not just an exaggeration, but it’s still surprising to hear it directly. How did she figure out it was about needing a psychological comfort?”
“Countess Rachel. Please explain why you mentioned the psychological safety net. It seems the idea you have might be quite helpful for Stefan.”
“Alright. Let’s hear it.”
As the two men focused their attention on her, Rachel nodded.
“If you keep buying new mansions but never use the old ones, it indicates that the new purchases are not out of practical need. Since you’re maintaining them without using them, it suggests they serve as a psychological comfort rather than a physical one, and if this is the case, I would recommend renting them out to nobles or wealthy merchants short-term.”
Stefan looked like he had a lot to say but held back.
“Rent it out? Why?”
“If you rent out the mansion and receive money, you won’t have to worry about taxes or maintenance costs.”
“So, you’re saying psychological stability comes from not having to worry about money?”
“Of course not.”
Rachel glanced out the window.
At the training ground where Cian and Stefan had sparred earlier, the knights guarding the Dicarsignac’s mansion were already out there and training.
“If you need a place to rely on for psychological comfort, the safer that place feels, the more at ease you’ll be.”
“…That’s true.”
In reality, Beatrix bought more secluded and sturdy mansions than large and beautiful ones.
“Wouldn’t a mansion guarded by many knights feel safer than a mansion guarded by one or two knights?”
Stefan’s eyes widened.
That’s right. The mansions purchased by the Iacobs family were only guarded by two knights each at the gates. Hiring more knights for an unoccupied mansion would be extravagant.
But what if someone lives in the mansion?
It was possible to hire far more knights than just two, and as the number of knights increased, there was a high possibility that Empress Beatrix would feel ‘safer’ there.
The issue was renting.
Stefan put his hand on his forehead.
“It’s a great idea. But as I said earlier, the problem is renting. How can you rent out a mansion when you don’t know when you’ll need it?”
“That’s why I suggested ‘short-term rentals.’”
“…Short-term rentals? What’s that strange thing?”
Stefan tilted his head at the unfamiliar term, and Rachel smiled.
