Episode 113

I stared up at the vine-covered mansion and asked, “Is this really the Tilender estate?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And the staff?”

“They were dismissed when I moved to the Empress’s Palace.”

“So this massive mansion has been vacant for two years?”

“…Yes.”

Aiden’s sheepish expression brought back something Tito had once mentioned. At the time, Tito had said the estate only had four staff members left and was rumored to be haunted. There was even a bizarre claim that Aiden ate gold.

I had brushed it off as exaggerated gossip, but now, looking at the mansion before me, it was impossible to deny: this was every bit the haunted house the rumors described.

“Aiden, do you eat gold by any chance?”

“I do not.”

Relieved that he didn’t have such peculiar dietary habits, I was left more perplexed than ever.

If he didn’t eat gold, then where on earth was all his money going?

“Then do you have debts? Is it that you don’t have the funds to maintain the house?”

“I have plenty of money.”

“Plenty?”

I asked in disbelief, but Aiden mistook my question as doubting his claim. With a calm determination, he brushed aside the broken front door and offered me his hand.

“This way.”

Holding his hand, I followed him up the steps and into the mansion. The interior showed faint signs that someone had occasionally passed through, but the overwhelming state of disrepair made it clear that no one had truly lived here for years.

We ventured deeper into the mansion, ascending a grand staircase to what must have once been the Duke of Tilender’s personal quarters. The large room was flooded with light from curtainless windows, which was a small mercy—this was definitely not a place I wanted to visit at night.

Aiden led me to a dust-covered bookcase and opened a drawer hidden within. Watching cautiously to avoid the grime, I stood back as he reached into the drawer.

With a soft thunk, the bookcase slid back, revealing an ominous hidden passage.

“A secret passage?”

“Nothing so dramatic,” Aiden replied with a faint smile.

As he pushed the bookcase further, sunlight poured into the space, illuminating the room beyond. And there it was—a dazzling display of gold.

The hidden chamber wasn’t small, and every inch of it was piled high with gold.

All this time, Aiden hadn’t spent his wages; he had been stashing his salary in this secret room.

Judging by the sheer volume, this hoarding habit wasn’t exclusive to Aiden—clearly, generations of Tilenders had no idea what to do with their wealth.

If this much gold was going to waste, they might as well have eaten it.

“I told you—I have plenty of money,” Aiden said, looking both proud and utterly serious.

I turned to him, incredulous. “Instead of letting the mansion fall into this state, why didn’t you use this money?”

“I assumed I would always be by Your Highness’s side, so I left it as is. If you wish to move here, I will begin renovations immediately.”

“Renovations? This place looks like it needs to be completely rebuilt!”

“Then it shall be rebuilt,” he said, his crimson eyes blazing with enthusiasm.

Behind him, the glittering mountain of gold seemed to share in his determination.

My beloved Aiden was adorable, strong, upright, kind, and attentive—but he had absolutely no sense of financial planning.

If that much gold suddenly entered circulation, the market value of gold in Brincia would crash, and the value of gold coins would undoubtedly plummet.

“Hold on. Let me discuss with Lothania whether the imperial treasury can purchase this gold from you.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

Lacking economic sense but ever obedient, Aiden nodded agreeably.

* * *

As we left the haunted mansion behind and made our way back to the palace, curiosity about the Tilender duchy crept into my mind. I remembered Tito mentioning that the estate hadn’t been managed properly in a long time.

I turned to Aiden and asked, “Have you ever been to the Tilender duchy?”

“Never,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“Never? Not even once?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I suppose that’s not unheard of. Vassals often handle the management of estates… Do you at least communicate with your vassals there?”

“I do not.”

“Does the Tilender duchy even exist?”

“I’m not entirely sure.”

The idea that a lord might not even know if their domain exists was almost laughable.

Compared to that, the state of the Tilender mansion in Brincia seemed relatively fortunate.

The northern region houses twelve noble estates, the largest of which is the Tilender duchy. Bordering the northern frontier, it’s a key defensive position, so it must exist… right?

Given that the founding pact exempted the Three Beasts from taxes indefinitely, the imperial administration had no way of monitoring the condition of their domains.

Now that the Three Beasts were freed from their pact, shouldn’t the Tilender and Kidmillan duchies be taxed? Perhaps I could use this as an excuse to visit the Tilender duchy myself.

“When winter passes and the weather improves, let’s visit the Tilender duchy,” I suggested.

“It’s not a suitable place for Your Highness,” Aiden replied.

“We have to go anyway, to return the wolf’s claw,” I countered, holding up the claw the lake spirit had given us.

At the mention of the claw, Aiden nodded in agreement. The forest beneath the snow-capped mountain the spirit described lay within the Tilender duchy, so we had no choice but to go.

That visit would reveal the state of the duchy.

Another unresolved matter loomed: what to do about the lake spirit.

Rumors about the spirit’s love for shiny objects were already spreading. While no one had yet thrown valuables into the lake, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen in the future.

The thought of having to drain the entire lake crossed my mind as we arrived back at the palace.

To my surprise, an unexpected guest was waiting for me at the Empress’s palace.

“Marquis Wolffs?”

“Your Highness! May I ask where you’ve been?”

The marquis greeted me with great enthusiasm, bowing deeply.

Since the fall of the Senwood Marquisate, the Wolffs family had become the de facto leader of the noble faction. While currently aligned with the imperial family, the marquis was one of the nobles I had to handle most delicately.

I served him tea and asked what brought him here. With a cautious tone, he began, “I’ve come to consult with Your Highness about Her Majesty the Emperor.”

“About Lothania? What is it?”

“As you know, the Luminal line currently has only Her Majesty. The prosperity of the imperial family ensures the prosperity of the empire. Shouldn’t Her Majesty establish a family of her own as soon as possible?”

While Lothania was only fifteen and still too young for marriage, his concern was not without merit.

If something were to happen to her without an heir, the empire would likely descend into chaos over the next succession.

Still, it was the marquis’s underlying intent that made me wary.

Ever since Lothania ascended the throne, a subtle competition had emerged among the nobles. The marquis, eager to secure his family’s influence, was likely trying to place his son in the position of consort before another noble family could act.

This wasn’t the first time he had brought up the matter; I’d been deflecting his advances for the past two years, citing Lothania’s youth. But now that she was emperor, that excuse no longer held.

Smiling sweetly, I said, “I appreciate your concern for the empire and Her Majesty, but Lothania already has someone in mind.”

“You mean that young scribe?”

“Yes. It’s no secret.”

“Your Highness, how can a commoner possibly become the Emperor’s consort? Having a favorite companion is one thing, but a consort must be different.”

With Lothania now in power, the marquis had shifted tactics.

Was he suggesting Melbrid remain a mere favorite while his son took the official title of consort?

Marquis Wolffs might have been satisfied with his son as a figurehead, but there was no way I’d let my daughter endure a marriage of convenience as I had.

Feigning agreement, I nodded dramatically.

“You’re right. The law does impose restrictions on the consort’s status.”

“Exactly, Your Highness! Please, speak with Her Majesty about this.”

Mistaking my response as support, the marquis beamed. I returned his smile and replied, “Very well. I’ll suggest restoring the Zernia ducal title.”

“What? But, Your Highness, the Zernia family is disgraced! How could—wasn’t Lian Zernia a traitor who kidnapped you?”

“He wasn’t aiming for the throne, so it wasn’t treason. Besides, the empire abolished the policy of collective punishment. Lian committed crimes, but Melbrid did not. There’s no reason to prevent the restoration.”

“B-but, Your Highness, that’s not—”

“Best to address this promptly. I’ll propose it as an agenda item at the next council meeting.”

Flustered, the marquis stammered an excuse and hurriedly left.

I smirked as I watched his retreating figure.

Lothania is the kind of daughter who would give me the entire empire if I asked.

And he expects me to arrange a political marriage for her? Ridiculous.

As I fumed, Aiden’s eyes flashed ominously as he asked, “Should I kill him?”

Seeing him grip his sword with such seriousness, I burst into laughter, my anger dissipating.

When I held out my hand to stop him, his warm hand enveloped mine as always.

I thought of the love and freedom my daughter had given me and resolved once more:

No matter what, I will ensure Lothania’s happiness—even if I have to move heaven and earth to make it happen.