Count Kale was an ambitious man.
Expanding the trading company, creating debt with the Loenbaum family, and captivating the side branches were all strategies to secure the dukedom.
What he desired was not money, but power.
Such a person would never easily abandon his ambitions.
“It’s difficult to uproot everything at once.”
“The side branches are just offshoots of Loenbaum. Uprooting them isn’t the right term.”
While the root is the core of the tree, the branches and leaves also had their uses.
Rotten branches needed to be cut off, but those that could bear fruit should be preserved.
Therefore, Ian did not intend to eliminate all the side branches.
Unless someone did something completely nonsensical or directly opposed him, he had the grace to overlook minor disloyalty.
“I’m sorry. I worried unnecessarily.”
When Fred bowed his head in apology, Ian waved it off.
“That’s your job. Oh, will you be coming to watch as well?”
Fred shook his head. Despite his resentful look, he replied softly.
“I’m sorry, but I think it will be difficult for me.”
Ian chuckled as he hugged Rose and was about to get up when the door suddenly burst open.
“My lord!”
It was Logan, his hair in disarray.
“Logan?”
Logan approached Ian with a broad smile.
“The magic stone has been sold! And for an incredible price!”
“Really?”
Logan pulled a check out of his pocket and handed it to him.
“It’s not just any price. It’s 100 million gold! We sold one magic stone for 100 million gold!”
Fred gasped.
With 100 million gold, the duchy’s debts could be more than covered.
“I see.”
Logan thumped his chest in frustration at Ian’s nonchalant response.
“My lord, do you not realize how much 100 million gold is?”
“Logan.”
“Yes.”
“How many mines do we own? And the businesses?”
Despite the sudden questions, Logan answered smoothly, and Ian nodded.
“Now it’s just the beginning, but once we’re established, 100 million gold will seem trivial. Do you plan to get excited every time that happens?”
“Oh.”
Logan’s face turned red.
Realizing that Ian was right, once their current endeavors, including the mines and the trading company, succeeded, 100 million gold would indeed seem trivial.
“Rose, enjoy your time. I’ll see you in the evening.”
Ian kissed Rose’s cheek, took the check from Logan.
“Follow me.”
Logan clapped his cheeks and followed Ian out.
***
“What was the Tower’s reaction to the magic stone?”
“They were very pleased. They asked where we got it and if we could get more, and requested that if we obtained more, we sell them to the Tower.”
As expected, Ian nodded.
“And about the other thing you asked me to look into. The wizard in charge was away, so I didn’t get an answer. However, the Tower Lord said they would send the wizard to the duchy as soon as they return.”
“Oh, they’re sending someone to the duchy?”
“Yes, the Tower Lord seems to think we’re hiding a magic stone mine.”
Ian chuckled.
Because they were indeed hiding one.
“Alright, we’ll discuss it further once the wizard arrives.”
“And about the lady…”
“We’ll use the breathing music box..”
This time, Logan chuckled.
“So, we’ve crossed the point of no return.”
“They’re struggling to cross it themself, why should we stop them?”
This would put an end to any more rumors about Rose’s birth among the side branches.
With that, the matter concerning Rose could be settled.
Ian paused for a moment to look out the window.
He saw knights training in the snow.
“We need someone to train the knights.”
“Isn’t William available?”
“William is needed elsewhere.”
Ian was deep in thought about William.
The novel didn’t describe him much, so Ian initially didn’t trust him.
However, considering William’s position, he was the best person to keep an eye on the side branches.
William, as Ian had observed, was a loyal and exemplary knight.
‘If he were going to defect, he would have done so already.’
Now that Ian trusted him, he planned to help William overcome his limits.
However, overcoming those limits would be a strenuous task, and he couldn’t do it while training the knights as he did now.
“Do you have anyone else in mind?”
“No, I don’t.”
The constellations spoke of the flow, but the novel Ian read was written from the heroine’s perspective.
As a result, it focused more on romance than on the overall situation or the remarkable knights and talents that might appear in the future.
‘It can’t be helped.’
Suppressing his disappointment, Ian continued walking.
***
With a thud, a figure in a black mask hit the wall.
“Grrrrr.”
Fenrex, with his tail raised, bared his fangs as he held Rose.
“Lady, please step back a bit.”
Before Rose could move at Claude’s words, Fenrex made her step back.
Claude, without lowering his guard, drew his sword.
If he had acted as he was trained, he would have ended the masked man’s life in one stroke.
But the lady was present.
Ian had given Claude one command: protect the lady. This included not hurting Rose’s feelings.
Therefore, he couldn’t deal with the masked man here. All he could do was incapacitate him.
“Sir Claude!”
As the knights rushed over at the sudden commotion, Claude pointed at the masked man.
“Take him away.”
As the knights bound the masked man, Claude knelt before Rose.
“Are you hurt anywhere, my lady?”
“No.”
Claude carefully examined the nodding Rose.
Despite the sudden appearance of the masked man and the blade, Rose’s face remained calm.
She looked like a child who didn’t understand what had just happened.
‘Her mind is also intact.’
Claude smiled proudly as he stood up.
“Wait a moment.”
Rose, freed from Fenrex’s grasp, reached out to Claude.
“My lady?”
As he checked her outstretched hand for any injuries, Rose hugged Claude’s neck.
“Thank you.”
Feeling the small warmth, Claude’s body stiffened. Rose was so small that a wrong move might hurt her.
But the warmth quickly disappeared.
Fenrex, blinded by jealousy, pulled Rose away.
“Rose, don’t cling to that man.”
“Why? I was just thanking him.”
“That… that’s…”
Penrex racked his brains. He remembered what Ian had told Rose.
‘Rose, you shouldn’t go to any man other than your uncle. Got it?’
“He’s a man! You shouldn’t cling to any man other than your uncle!”
“Not allowed?”
“Yes.”
Rose blinked and wriggled out of Fenrex’s arms.
“Rose?”
“I get it. I won’t do it anymore.”
“Good. That’s a wise decision.”
Fenrex smiled with satisfaction and tried to hug her again, but Rose avoided him.
“Rose?”
“Uncle said not to go to any other man. You’re a man too, aren’t you?”
Fenrex looked shocked.
“Rose is right.”
Ian picked Rose up.
“Good girl, my Rose.”
He kissed her cheek and asked Claude,
“How many have come so far?”
“Including the recent one, that’s the tenth.”
Ian let out a dry laugh.
Claude had captured ten, but Ian had captured twenty-seven over the past three nights.
It had only been four days since the side branch meeting ended.
The fact that so many people had come after them meant that every guild that specialized in assassination had been contracted.
‘I had planned to act when May left for the capital.’
With the gems being mined from the mines Ian had acquired, May had headed to the capital for the second round of negotiations and store interior design.
Ian thought that the attention would be focused on May outside the duchy rather than on Rose.
However, the side branches seemed more intent on eliminating Rose than May.
Ian sighed.
He wanted to delay using the breathing music box for as long as possible.
He wanted to give Rose time to heal after meeting the side branches had hurt her.
But if her safety was at risk, he had no choice but to proceed.
No matter how thoroughly Ian and Claude protected her, there was always the chance a gap could be found.
“Claude, I’ll stay here. Go tell Logan to send invitations to the side branches.”
“Understood.”
***
As Rose twirled, her dress flared out like a morning glory, sparkling.
The pink dress, matching Rose’s eyes, was made of a beautiful fabric that shimmered even when she stood still.
The hem was decorated with light purple silk lace and ribbons, making Rose look even more adorable.
Unlike the dress made for presenting to the Emperor, which was as solemn as possible, this dress emphasized cuteness to the fullest.
It wasn’t just Ian who thought so; everyone watching her let out exclamations of admiration.
“The lady is so adorable.”
Sebastian, along with three maids and Fenrex, nodded at his words.
“Really?”
“Yes, really cute!! Rose is the best!”
Shouted Fenrex, his face turning red.
As Rose, embarrassed, scratched the floor with her toes, Ian knelt down on one knee to meet her eyes.
“Like the wolf said… Fenrex is right, Rose is the prettiest and most lovable in the world.”
Just as Ian was about to hug the sweetly smiling Rose with her flushed cheeks, he stopped and extended his hand.
“Lady, may I escort you today?”
Rose burst into laughter as if something was funny.
Ian took Rose’s small hand and stood up.
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes,”
Rose replied, her laughter still mixed with her words.
Sebastian and Fenrex, following Ian and Rose, also smiled.
“What did I tell you about greetings?”
“Nice to meet you. I am Rose Loenbaum, the lady of Loenbaum.”
“Good job.”
Ian gently patted her head to keep her tied-up hair from getting messy.
“And what about the things the people inside say?”
“They’re all lies because they’re jealous of Rose.”
“And whose words should Rose listen to?”
“Uncle’s words.”
“My Rose is very smart.”
Ian couldn’t hug her to avoid wrinkling her beautifully dressed gown, but he found her answers so endearing that he couldn’t help but lift her by her waist.
“Yay!”
Rose screamed in delight as Ian gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.
“If anyone scares you or does anything bad, tell your uncle. I’ll scold them.”
“Okay, okay.”
After giving her a small kiss on her forehead and rubbing his nose against her little one, Ian set Rose down in front of the conference hall.
The maids immediately came forward to smooth out the slightly wrinkled dress.
“Fenrex, you stay here. Rose, let’s hold hands again.”
Ian and Rose entered the conference hall hand in hand.
“Uncle said not to go to any other man. You’re a man too, aren’t you?”
Our Rose is really smart! Lol 😂