“Haha.”
A faint laugh slipped through my lips. It was hard to believe that such resolute words had come from Lady Mary, who had seemed so delicate.
‘Wow, she got me good.’
I stared at the teacup on the table for a moment before raising my gaze to look at Lady Mary again. She was still looking at me with unwavering determination.
A satisfied smile crept onto my lips.
“Three years versus thirty, huh? I don’t even need to weigh it; it’s obvious which would benefit me more.”
This is why they say you can’t judge someone by appearances alone. Who would have thought that the timid Lady Mary, who couldn’t even make eye contact with me at first, would boldly propose a deal to me, the Grand Duchess?
And with a touch of veiled threat, no less.
What’s more, there wasn’t a single flaw in what she had said. After all, titles are passed down through inheritance. Whether it’s Lady Mary or her brother Brian, whoever becomes the head of the family three years from now would surely remember the help I provided.
Even if someone else is sitting in my place three years from now.
On the other hand, if I turn a blind eye to this, it’s uncertain whether either Mary Merry or Brian Merry, whoever inherits the title, would maintain favorable relations with the grand duchy.
‘The relationship might be a bit strained for the next three years…’
But there’s a reason why people say parents can’t win against their children. Diana, who will take my place, is more than capable of handling that much.
Of course, it would be inconvenient if Brian Merry didn’t get accepted into the Biblos Academy after I personally recommended him. But as long as he gets in, things would definitely work in my favor.
Besides, there was no chance he wouldn’t get accepted.
‘And even if things get complicated, there are ways to resolve this if I step in.’
After all, I do have a knack for persuasion.
I stared at her for a moment longer before nodding with a mischievous smile.
“Very well, but there’s a condition.”
Lady Mary’s eyes widened in surprise.
“A condition…?”
“If I deliver this portfolio myself, it would mean I’m trusting both your request and Brian’s talent.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“You’ve convinced me of your sincerity today, but trusting Brian is a separate matter.”
Lady Mary blinked rapidly, as if she thought I was rejecting her outright.
“But, Your Highness, my brother is truly talented in art—”
“Which is why I will meet Brian personally before making a decision.”
“…Pardon?”
Lady Mary blinked her silver-gray eyes in shock. I tilted my head nonchalantly.
“Why are you so surprised? Is there a problem with me meeting the future student I’ll be vouching for?”
“No, no. Of course not,” she quickly waved her hands in denial. “It’s just… I never expected Your Highness to take the time to meet my brother in person….”
The confidence and resolve she had shown when discussing the future of the family had vanished, replaced by the timid demeanor as she hunched her shoulders and mumbled.
It was quite fascinating to witness.
‘Does she have some kind of switch?’
Amused, I shrugged.
“In any case, I understand your point, but I will meet with Brian myself. After all, this involves my reputation and the honor of the grand duchy. No matter how excellent his artwork is, it won’t do if his character is lacking, right?”
“…That’s absolutely true.”
Lady Mary, with nothing to refute, nodded obediently.
Leaning back in my chair, I lightly tapped the armrest with my fingers.
“I heard that the Marquis family is still searching for Brian’s whereabouts. That can’t be true, though. Judging by your behavior, you must know where he is. You’ll need to tell me.”
Lady Mary bit her lip, her eyes darting around. There was a hint of hesitation in her gaze.
“That’s not difficult, but….”
“But?”
“I’ve done all of this without consulting my brother, so I’m worried that if Your Highness goes to see him, it might lead to unnecessary misunderstandings….”
Watching her murmur awkwardly, I let out a small chuckle.
“Ah, no need to worry about that. I have a plan in mind.”
“A plan?”
I gave her a playful wink, leaving her with only that as an answer.
“If you have no objections, we’ll proceed as discussed. Oh, and one more thing.”
“Please, go ahead.”
Looking over Lady Mary’s shoulder at the tapestry adorned with the emblem of a blue hawk in flight, I spoke.
“This is something I’ll handle as the ‘Grand Duchess of Cloud.’ So, if you’re going to discuss relationships between families, the focal point shouldn’t be me, but the Cloud Grand Duchy.”
It was my way of telling her to manage things well even after I’m gone, but there was no way the still-young Lady Mary could understand that.
“What do you mean by that…?”
“For now, just take it as is.”
I answered with a bright smile. Lady Mary, who had a momentarily blank expression, slowly nodded.
“Yes, I will do so.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Lady Mary left the grand ducal mansion about an hour later, not too late into the evening. After she left, I returned to my office, flipping through the portfolio she had given me, casually looking at the works.
“My brother is staying in Marisen, a small town in the northeast of the continent, in the Obel region. Honestly, I only exchange news with him from time to time, so I don’t know his exact whereabouts… but I’ve heard from a guild member that he’s been working as a rather well-known street artist in the area. He goes by the name ‘Lion.’”
“Hmmm.”
Marisen was a city renowned for its art, often referred to as the artistic hub of the Levant Empire. Its people were known for being particularly welcoming to wandering artists, and occasionally, notable figures would visit the area to scout emerging talent.
Because of this, it became known as the city of romance and art, attracting countless unknown artists from all over the empire who came to chase their dreams.
‘I’ve heard it’s like Montmartre in Paris in the old days.’
The only issue was that it was a bit far from the capital.
‘It takes about three days by carriage….’
Lost in shallow thought, I turned another page. It was a painting of a young girl with cream-colored hair smiling under the pouring spring sunlight.
“He really is talented….”
Though it was hard to fully grasp the intricacy of the work through the portfolio alone, the lifelike quality of the subject made it seem as if she might move at any moment. After flipping through a few more pages, I closed the portfolio.
“One way or another, I need to take a closer look at Biblos Academy.”
With that, I left the office and headed for the library. Just as I was about to enter, I ran into Ian, who was coming out of the library. My expression was one of surprise.
“Ian? What are you doing here?”
He, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed by the encounter. With his usual indifferent expression, he lightly waved the book he was holding.
“I needed a specific book.”
“You came all the way here just to get that one book? It’s the complete opposite direction of your office.”
Isn’t this the kind of thing usually left to the servants? Especially for someone who constantly orders Kyle around.
I stared at Ian, feeling it was oddly out of character. His head tilted slightly as he gazed back at me.
“You mentioned you’d be in the library.”
“…What?”
I blinked, not immediately comprehending his words. But Ian, without any hint of annoyance, continued in his usual calm tone.
“I thought I might see you under the pretense of picking up a book. You weren’t here, though.”
“Wait….”
The moment I fully understood his words, my ears flushed bright red.
‘How can he say something like that without even batting an eye?’
For some time now, Ian had remained as composed as ever, while I felt like I was constantly being toyed with by every word he said.
To hide my burning ears, I hastily turned my head.
There was a time when I found Ian’s blunt manner of speaking so irritating that I wanted to give him a light smack. But now, his straightforward words and actions felt unbearably disarming, and it was driving me crazy.
How could someone be so raw and unfiltered?
It’s as if he didn’t know how to speak in circles or keep things hidden.
As I struggled with my embarrassment, Ian, who had been watching me intently, adjusted the book in his hands.
“Now that I’ve seen you, that’s enough. Please, go on with your business.”
With a nod of his head, he politely greeted me and walked past without hesitation.
I, on the other hand, had to take several deep breaths, feeling as though my heart was racing uncontrollably like it was tied to a heavy weight.
‘Get a grip. There’s no way I should be feeling this way about him now, of all times.’
I should be steadying myself, not the other way around!
After tapping my chest a few times to calm down, I suddenly remembered something I hadn’t said, and I turned around.
“Oh, right, I also have something to say to you.”
♧♧♧
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