“I found this pendant by chance and tried to open it to find its owner, but it wouldn’t open. So, while trying to check for clues, I found the former empress’s name engraved on the bottom of the pendant.”
The emperor received the pendant from the magician and checked the bottom.
‘Florin de Heyra Spenbaum.’
Although the writing was small enough to be mistaken for a pattern if not looked at closely, it clearly bore the former empress’s name.
The emperor chuckled.
‘Father, just how much did you love Mother?’
The letters engraved on the artifact were not just simple letters.
When there’s nothing, it activates according to the owner’s will, but if letters are engraved, the artifact recognizes them as activation words.
Unlike the previous emperors, the emperor, who had loved the former empress all his life, secretly engraved her name on the artifact to honor her.
The emperor knew that his parents had a good relationship, but this was too much.
Not only did he gift the artifact that protected the imperial palace since the founding, but he also made the activation word the former empress’s name.
Shaking his head, the emperor sighed as he looked at Ian.
‘I was trying to get a big payoff.’
In fact, the emperor wasn’t very interested in the direct line fight of the Loenbaum family.
It was common for nobles to fight among themselves, and Loenbaum’s military power was already as good as collapsed.
Though they had helped with the founding of the country, that was hundreds of years ago, and since they hadn’t caused any special problems until now, he didn’t pay much attention.
If they were to self-destruct, he would simply elevate one of the noble families from the military and send them to the north as a duke.
Nevertheless, the emperor gave advice and showed concern, all to get a big payoff.
But now, everything was ruined.
If it had been something else, it might have been different. But the duke had handed over the artifact responsible for defending the imperial palace.
The emperor sighed and waved his hand.
“Fine. I will assist with what you requested.”
“I offer my deepest thanks to you, Your Majesty.”
As Ian was about to leave the audience room after expressing his gratitude,
“Duke, what is your relationship with Edelmar?”
Despite the sudden question, Ian answered immediately.
“There is nothing to speak of. While traveling to the capital, I stayed in a village and couldn’t find an inn, so the grand duke offered me a room.”
“A room?”
“Yes, there is nothing more.”
The emperor tapped the armrest of his throne.
Seeing that Ian was waiting for more questions, the emperor waved his hand again.
“You may leave. The attendant outside will take you to the child.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
After Ian left the reception room, the attendant guarding outside spoke.
“I will guide you to where the grand duke is.”
“Yes, please.”
Following the attendant, Ian entered a reception room not far from the audience room.
“Rose?”
Inside the reception room, only Rose was there, taking a nap. Edelmar was nowhere to be seen.
Just as he was about to approach Rose, thinking Edelmar might have briefly left, a man suddenly appeared in the air.
Quickly on guard, Ian watched as the man bowed and spoke.
“Due to a pressing matter, the Duke departed earlier than expected. He instructed that once your business are complete, I should bring the young lady back to the palace.”
The man disappeared as quickly as he had appeared. Despite the man’s disappearance, Ian remained alert, but detected nothing.
‘Is he a secret guard?’
If he could use magic, he would cast a detection spell, but unauthorized use of magic in the imperial palace was punishable by death.
‘It would be better to return quickly.’
Ian immediately picked up Rose.
“Hmmm.”
“Shh shh. You just have to sleep now.”
He gently patted Rose, who was stirring in her sleep, and left the palace.
***
The head servant, watching the scene, spoke to the emperor.
“Your Majesty, it is time to return.”
“Phapesar, why do you think Edelmar is behaving like this?”
The head servant bowed and replied to the emperor’s question.
“How could I possibly guess the grand duke’s intentions?”
“I don’t know either.”
While the emperor’s nobles warned to be wary of Edelmar, he showed no interest in the throne. In fact, it was more accurate to say he had no particular thoughts about it.
Despite being born a prince with so much, Edelmar’s world was empty.
He studied diligently in fields that impressed others and mastered both magic and swordsmanship, but all of it was to fill his emptiness, nothing more, nothing less.
The late emperor, empress, and the crown prince—who was himself—all tried to fill his void.
Realizing that family could not fill his emptiness, they thought a lover might help, and introduced countless women to him, but all efforts failed.
The child’s emptiness was a curse that couldn’t be filled.
Worried that he might die in some foreign land, the child found a way to forget his emptiness rather than fill it.
It was through war and slaughter.
At the age of 15, he ran away to a kingdom at war and forgot his emptiness there. Since then, he was too busy seeking wars to return to the palace unless summoned by the emperor.
They forcibly gave him a title and territory, and imposed work on him. Despite this, the child, who seemed to think of himself as part of the family, did not refuse the tasks given to him.
Occasionally, his excess energy led to incidents, but they were manageable with the emperor’s authority. In fact, the emperor preferred these incidents as it made him feel like he was supporting his younger brother.
Still, the emperor worried about the child, who remained empty, uninterested in anyone, and kept no one by his side.
He wished Edelmar would at least keep a friend, if not a lover.
“Did he say that they’re friends, right?”
The word ‘friend’ had come from the mouth of someone who had never let anyone close.
The emperor had permitted the audience solely because of the word ‘friend.’
“Phapesar.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Investigate the Duke of Loenbaum.”
Edelmar’s assistance to the duke might have stemmed from the late empress’s influence, who had instilled in him the idea of helping those in trouble.
But if that was not the case.
“Investigate thoroughly. He could be my Edelmar’s first friend.”
***
Sunlight streamed through the large windows, making his hair shine like gold.
Ian, who had returned home after his audience with the emperor, was issued a certificate proving Rose’s legitimacy, so he no longer attended the gatherings.
Sebastian, his butler, seemed to wish Ian would attend the gatherings and build connections with the nobles in the capital, but Ian ignored it.
After all, if they were to separate and form a principality, connections in the capital would be useless.
Most importantly, until they gained independence, it was best to continue as they were.
If they made any suspicious moves and drew the emperor’s or other nobles’ attention, they might face annihilation instead of independence.
Thus, Ian stayed in the townhouse for several days, only handling necessary tasks within the capital.
Once his last task, a public speech, was completed, he planned to leave for another journey.
After finally finishing all the tasks in the capital, Ian signed the last document and stretched leisurely.
“What is Rose doing?”
Wondering if the time Rose spent with Edelmar at the party had a positive effect on her, Rose had regained her brightness as she had in the duke’s mansion.
Hearing the sound of laughter outside, Ian looked out the window and saw Rose playing tag with the maids.
“She’s having fun.”
As he watched Rose laughing while catching a maid, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
“Duke!”
The one who burst into the room was May.
Since arriving in the capital, May had been busy.
She suspected something was wrong with the contract with Gimmel. After days of investigation, she found out that Gimmel was indeed underpricing.
Instead of proceeding with the contract right away, May began negotiations with Gimmel.
However, Gimmel insisted on sticking to the original terms, causing an indefinite delay in the contract.
“Miss May?”
May, with a flushed face, slammed a piece of paper onto Ian’s desk.
“I did something big!”
“Something big?”
Ian picked up the paper from his desk. It was a contract with an unexpected jeweler’s name on it.
“Berry G? Isn’t Berry G a boutique?”
Berry G was a royal-certified boutique known for selling not only clothes but also jewelry, cosmetics, and accessories.
“Yes, that’s right. They used to supply accessories crafted by jewelers, but now they are making them directly.”
“Berry G is making them directly?”
“That’s not the important part! This! This part is important!”
May pointed to the price section.
“250,000 gold for 1 carat?”
Typically, 1 carat diamonds were supplied at 150,000 gold, so 250,000 gold was significantly higher.
Seeing Ian’s surprised expression, May laughed, covering her mouth with her little finger.
“Our diamonds aren’t just any diamonds! They’re better than top-quality diamonds! How can we sell them at the same price as ordinary ones?”
As May said, the appraised diamonds were of the highest quality, the cleanest ever mined.
But raw stones were still raw stones, and Ian’s trading company was newly established.
Usually, trading companies take a loss on their first deal, but starting with a 100,000 gold profit was extraordinary.
“How did you manage to sign a contract with Berry G?”
“When we got the appraisal yesterday.”
As soon as they arrived in the capital, May had the diamonds appraised first and received a certificate for top-quality diamonds.
“Thinking it was worth a try, I went to Berry G with the diamonds and the appraisal certificate, and they wanted to sign the contract as soon as they saw the diamonds.”
“As soon as they saw the diamonds?”
“Yes.”
May laughed softly.
“It means our diamonds are really good!”
Ian nodded.
Although it was described in the novel, no diamonds mined anywhere else matched the quality of those from the northern mountains.
Seeing Ian’s expression, May whispered.
“The owner of Berry G said he’d like us to supply other gems if we have them.”
Seeing her expectant eyes, Ian smiled.
“When all of Duke’s castle matter is organized, we will also be able to begin mining for other gemstone.”
“Really? Do you really know mines with other gems?”
“Didn’t you already tell them there are other gems?”
May, caught off guard, scratched her cheek with a sheepish laugh.
“So, are we done in the capital?”
“Yes, we’re all done.”
“Then go ahead and leave first.”
“Oh? Aren’t the duke and the lady coming with us?”
Ian nodded.
“We have another place to visit.”
