I wasn’t sure how long I had my eyes closed.
By the time the sunlight streaming through the window had slanted slightly, I opened my eyes and sat up. I needed to summon Kyle.
I took the ruby ring from the jewelry box, slipped it onto my index finger, and rubbed it three times in a circular motion.
As if by magic, Kyle appeared. He flinched when he saw me and took a step back.
“Your Grace, I am just a powerless commoner. I only did what I was ordered by my lord….”
The fact that he rushed to explain meant he thought I had summoned him because of what happened earlier at the swordsmanship department’s training grounds. It seems he was worried about the consequences after all.
I gave Kyle a disapproving look before shaking my head.
“That’s not why I called you.”
“Really? Then what can I do for you?”
“I need you to prepare a long-distance communication stone. I need to contact the Levant Empire, so it should be a high-frequency one.”
Kyle’s red eyes widened.
“It’s not difficult, but… is there some kind of problem?”
“No, it’s for personal use.”
I shrugged nonchalantly, and Kyle took a deep breath. His red eyes scanned me suspiciously.
“Your Grace has been quite busy lately. What exactly have you been up to?”
“Me?”
“I can always tell.”
Kyle raised an eyebrow.
“You’re always up to something. You’ve been spending a lot of time going out on your own as well. My lord doesn’t seem to mind since he’s so aloof.”
As expected of someone who contributes to The Aria Bulletin, this wizard was annoyingly perceptive. However, I couldn’t exactly tell him I was preparing to leave in a year’s time.
I narrowed my eyes and snorted.
“Let’s focus. How long will it take to install?”
“I can do it right now. As long as the receiving party isn’t royalty, since you know how complicated the procedures are with them.”
“That’s a relief, it’s not the royal family.”
Nodding at my answer, Kyle immediately set up the communication stone in one corner of the living room.
“I’ll be off now since it seems like I shouldn’t be listening in. I’ll also put up a soundproofing spell before I go, Your Grace.”
With a casual salute, Kyle vanished without saying anything further. For once, he was being uncharacteristically quick.
Watching him, I realized why Kyle hadn’t been fired despite constantly provoking Ian. He had a knack for knowing when to push and when to retreat.
Once I was certain Kyle had left, I stood in front of the communication stone. I then made contact with the Olson Count family. Shortly after, a blurry image of the Countess appeared over the stone. She was wearing glasses, likely interrupted from her work.
“Your Grace?”
The Countess called me with a curious expression, looking much healthier than before.
‘She’s gained some weight. That’s good.’
When we first met, her haggard appearance made her look at least a dozen years older than me, but now she looked closer to my age. I smiled softly.
“It’s been a while. How have you been, Countess Olson?”
“Thanks to Your Grace, I’ve been well.”
“Were you in the middle of work?”
“Oh, yes. After putting it off for over a year, I have quite a lot to catch up on.”
The Countess scratched her cheek awkwardly.
“That must be keeping you busy.”
According to Levant Empire law, if the head of the household dies without a proper heir or relatives to succeed them, the spouse assumes control of the family. If the spouse also passes away or remarries, the title is reclaimed by the imperial family.
Therefore, the Countess, the de facto head of the Olson family, would be kept busy for quite some time.
‘At this rate, she might discover that mine sooner than expected.’
I smiled in satisfaction and spoke.
“I contacted you because I have a favor to ask.”
“If it’s a request from Your Grace, I will do whatever I can. What would you have me do?”
Her immediate willingness to comply without even asking what I needed almost made me laugh, but I held it back. At times like these, her upright nature was certainly an advantage.
“I was curious about the silverite mining in the Olson territory. Is it going well?”
“The mine was recently expanded, so we’re extracting silverite without any issues. If you need silverite, I can send it to you right away.”
It seemed she was prepared to deliver silverite directly to the Grand Duke’s residence, so I quickly shook my head.
“No, I’m not the one who needs it.”
“…Not Your Grace?”
“Yes. Soon, someone will contact you to purchase a small quantity of silverite. When they do, I’d appreciate it if you could sell it to them without asking any questions, and preferably at a reasonable price.”
The Countess’s face showed a flicker of confusion at my request, which was likely not what she had expected. But it only lasted a moment. She quickly nodded in agreement.
“I understand.”
“You’re not even going to ask who it is?”
“If Your Grace goes out of your way to make contact, then I trust there’s a good reason.”
Her calm response caught me off guard. The fact that she trusted me this much left me with a strange feeling.
“Is that so…”
However, I had always intended to introduce Diana to her.
That way, they could establish a connection and continue a stable business relationship in the future. I subtly added another remark.
“And if there are no major issues, I hope you’ll consider future transactions with that person as well.”
“…Now that you’re saying this much, I’m getting a bit curious about who this person is.”
The Countess spoke with a tone that was half-joking, half-serious. I chuckled.
“Would you like me to tell you now?”
“No, I’ll wait and see for myself.”
I thought so. The Countess Olson was the type who preferred to experience things firsthand rather than hear about them, even if that person was me.
I shrugged lightly at her expected answer.
“Very well, thank you. That’s all I needed.”
“I was wondering why you contacted me, and now I feel like I’ve received an unusual request.”
She laughed softly.
“Is there anything else you need?”
I was about to answer no to the Countess’s gentle question, but then a thought crossed my mind. I hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
“Make a good impression on that person. They might become a long-term customer of yours.”
“A customer?”
“You’ll understand later.”
I forced a smile, though a bitter taste lingered on my tongue. The Countess looked at me with a questioning gaze but soon nodded without further inquiry.
“Understood. I’ll do as you ask.”
“Thank you. Let’s meet when I return to the country.”
“Very well, Your Grace. Until then.”
With a respectful bow, Countess Olson’s image faded from the communication stone. Even after her image disappeared, I stared at the empty space for a while before turning around.
❖ ❖ ❖
Ian returned to the residence three hours later, well into the evening. I had been sitting quietly on the sofa, gazing at the setting sun through the window, when I heard his footsteps and turned my head.
“Ian, you’re back?”
“Yes, sorry I’m late.”
Ian tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment, his hair more tousled than usual.
‘He must have worked harder than expected in his practical training.’
I was used to seeing him perfectly groomed, so this slightly disheveled appearance felt unfamiliar.
As I quietly observed him, he looked at me curiously from across the room and tilted his head.
“You came home early, but you haven’t changed yet.”
“…Oh.”
Only then did I realize I hadn’t called for Vivi once since returning to the residence. My mind must have been too preoccupied.
Letting out a foolish little sound, I started to rise from the sofa, where I had been lounging.
“I’ll go change now.”
But I didn’t manage to stand up completely. Before I could, Ian walked briskly over to me and placed a hand on my forehead. The unexpected touch of his cool skin made me flinch.
He frowned slightly as he studied me intently.
“Your complexion didn’t look good yesterday either. Are you sure you’re not sick?”
The intensity of his gaze made my heart, which I’d been trying to keep calm, race all over again. Without thinking, I raised my hand and smacked his away with a sharp sound.
“No, I’m fine.”
Ian paused and looked at me, surprised by my sudden reaction.
‘I feel so strange.’
A mix of nervousness and awkwardness swirled within me, leaving me confused. Unable to meet his eyes, I averted my gaze and hastily stood up, putting some distance between us.
“…Let’s eat dinner. We agreed to have it together, didn’t we?”
I hurried past Ian, blocking him from my view. Because of that, I didn’t see him turning around behind me, watching me for a long time.
♧♧♧
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