Seraphie suddenly stopped walking and turned to look beside her. The hallway, adorned with bright decorations, gleaming marble floors, and beautifully arranged flowers and vases, stood out. Even the late spring flowers blooming in the garden outside the window filled the air with the sweet scent. The unusually sunny weather reflected off the chandelier above, making it sparkle.
However, Seraphie’s heart was far from clear. Instead, dark clouds seemed to be gathering. Despite the effort she had put into securing her position and honor, it now seemed to restrict her actions. The gossip she had overheard in the boutique was along the same lines.
“…”
A slow sigh escaped from Seraphie’s puffed-up cheeks. As she slowly opened her tightly closed eyes, a resolute determination to overcome the situation was evident in her blue pupils. But before anything else,
“Should I bury them alive…?”
She felt the need to put a stop to this wretched marriage proposal. The idea of getting involved with the crown prince’s close confidant was something Seraphie absolutely wanted to avoid, especially considering how she needed to utilize the original story to her advantage.
“The garden is spacious, so burying a whole family should be possible, right?”
“Of course not.”
Seraphie’s eyes widened in surprise. The familiar voice above her head made her quickly turn around. In doing so, she lost her balance slightly.
“Take it easy.”
Orkis reached out his arm, squinting slightly as if expecting this. Thanks to him, Seraphie safely steadied herself against his outstretched arm.
“T-Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Orkis, who had just helped Seraphie back to her feet, turned to look out the window. There, not far from where Seraphie had been contemplating a burial, was the flowerbed.
“Are you planning to start a funeral business?”
“Well, the weather is nice, after all.”
“Burying a whole family just because the weather is nice…” Orkis let out a hollow laugh as if he couldn’t believe it. “If the weather is nice twice, we’ll all be wiped out.”
“Why don’t you wait in the parlor?” Seraphie, feeling awkward, pouted.
“The murderous intent felt too strong for that.”
Curious, Orkis had come out to the hallway and found Seraphie muttering about burial early in the morning.
“…You’re joking, right?” Seraphie asked in a startled voice.
“Who knows.”
Orkis had a strange expression that was hard to read—whether it was a smile or not.
“Shall we go?” He extended his hand, gloved in white.
* * *
Seraphie and Orkis met twice a week to discuss a joint venture in which they, as representatives of their families, would excavate The Land Abandoned by God.
Thanks to this, I feel like we’ve become a bit closer.
The proof was the hand Orkis extended to her. Whether it was to help her onto the carriage or simply out of habit, it was clear that they had grown close enough for him to show her this kind of kindness.
It feels comfortable being with him.
Strangely, when Seraphie was with Orkis, she didn’t feel the need to force a smile or be overly cautious. Orkis also seemed to act naturally around her, maintaining basic manners but otherwise treating her without pretense.
The carriage, carrying the two, soon departed. Their destination was one of the lands Seraphie had acquired, the closest wasteland to the capital. After inspecting the site, they planned to discuss the official excavation date and prepare what was needed.
“You’ve already visited with my father, I believe,” Orkis said as he flipped through the documents he was reading.
“I did visit once.”
Though it was a trip she didn’t want to think about again, Seraphie replied as she checked the documents handed to her. They listed companies with the heavy equipment and technology needed for the excavation. Among them was the Magic Tower.
“The Magic Tower is on the list too?”
“Nothing has been confirmed yet.”
However, in terms of potential, the Magic Tower was the most promising.
“There’s no place that can match the Magic Tower in terms of technology.”
“I thought the Magic Tower was only focused on magic.”
“That was centuries ago.”
The image of the Magic Tower as a secluded place for magic research had long since changed. The current Magic Tower was a pinnacle of advanced technology and vast information centered around magic.
“…Is this common knowledge?” Seraphie hesitated as she asked, realizing she had learned something new.
“Yes, it’s common knowledge.”
“Damn it…” Seraphie buried her face in her hands.
“It’s something you can learn if you don’t know.”
Orkis offered what seemed like consolation, but his dry tone made it sound more like sarcasm than comfort. However, Seraphie wasn’t embarrassed because she alone didn’t know something everyone else did.
Something feels off. It was like a hangnail she discovered while washing her hands.
The original story is a bit… strange?
When she read it, she didn’t notice much, but as she lived each day within it, something uncomfortable was growing in her mind.
Peonia was supposed to be the next Magic Tower master.
However, in the original story, there was very little description of the Magic Tower. So little, in fact, that there wasn’t a single explanation or event related to the Magic Tower. If the Magic Tower was indeed a significant entity, as Orkis suggested, the lack of focus on it in the original story was troubling.
Is it because it’s a romance novel?
If the focus had been on the characters’ emotions and love conflicts rather than the Magic Tower or fantasy-like events, it wouldn’t be so strange.
Maybe I’m overthinking it.
Seraphie pouted her lips. Lost in deep thought, her eyes remained fixed on the words ‘Magic Tower’ written in the documents.
Orkis, who had been staring at Seraphie, finally spoke up. “Who…”
Seraphie raised her head at the sound of his voice.
“…were you planning to bury?”
“Huh?” Seraphie tilted her head, her expression showing she didn’t understand what he was talking about.
“Weren’t you considering wiping out an entire family at the mansion earlier?”
“Hey, could you not twist my muttering like that?”
Seraphie was annoyed by Orkis’s half-serious, half-joking question. She had only used the word ‘bury’ out of frustration, without intending any bloody connotations like ‘annihilation.’
“As a knight, I can’t easily overlook such talk.”
“Right now, I want to bury you alive.” Seraphie crossed her arms and replied curtly. Then she stared intently at Orkis.
Should I tell him?
She had momentarily forgotten, but Orkis was portrayed as a very sinister villain in the original story. Selfish, unkind, and cruel, he was not someone who cared for others.
But he’s the only one I can confide in…
However, her experience with Orkis so far has been completely different from how he was depicted in the original story. Although a bit arrogant and self-centered, Orkis was polite and considerate of others’ feelings. In fact, his only flaw was that he could be a bit too nagging.
“…Actually.” Feeling that it wouldn’t hurt to share, Seraphie began to speak. “I’ve been receiving a constant stream of letters lately.”
“That’s only natural, given how strongly you’ve made your presence known,” Orkis advised that Seraphie should get used to it. “It will be an experience to figure out which families will be helpful and which ones to discard.”
“I agree with that.”
Seraphie had been sorting through the letters, investigating the families as she went. Though she was currently declining invitations due to poor health, she planned to accept a few once the business officially started.
“But marriage proposals make me uncomfortable.”
“Ah.” Orkis chuckled. “They’re transparent schemes.”
The slowly burning intensity in his purple eyes was chilling enough to make anyone feel uneasy.
Yeah, he must find this ridiculous too, right?
Despite the frightening intensity, Seraphie was glad that Orkis seemed to understand her feelings. After all, Orkis was too decent a person, far from being a villain.
“Just thinking about it makes me sick.” The unpleasant memories resurfaced, causing Seraphie to cross her arms, her expression tinged with annoyance.
“Can I ask which family it is?”
“The Katio family.”
“Oh dear.” A flash of sympathy crossed Orkis’s face at the mention of the name.
Startled by the fleeting change in his expression, Seraphie quickly asked, “Why? Are they really that terrible, enough to warrant burying them alive?”
“Let’s put the idea of burial aside for now.”
Orkis calmed her down, suggesting there were better methods than resorting to something as messy and incriminating as burial.
“I’m guessing the letter came in a yellow envelope with a rose seal.”
“Yes! That b*stard—I mean, that family!” Seraphie nodded vigorously, her neatly curled bob bouncing with the motion. “But they’re just a baron family. Can they really send a marriage proposal to a count family like this?
The constant, inconsiderate letters were rude enough, but in this class-conscious society, it seemed like a serious problem for a baron family to act this way toward a count family.
“Judging by title alone, it would seem so.”
But Orkis’s response was unexpected.
“But that’s not the whole story.”
Title was only one of many factors that determined a noble’s reputation and status. Orkis found it a bit disconcerting that he had to explain such basic knowledge to Seraphie.
She really knows nothing. While he had anticipated that she might not have received a proper education given her family background, Seraphie seemed like someone who had come from another world entirely.
It was on the first day they discussed their joint venture.
“…Is there such a thing?”
“Wow, what’s that?”
“What, is this even possible?”
“Isn’t this practically a crime?”
“Is this a common knowledge?”
Seraphie’s ignorance was shocking. It wasn’t that she lacked intelligence or had a low level of knowledge. She simply had no understanding of basic, common knowledge that any citizen of the empire—or even any resident of this world—would have.
As a result, their first discussion was so unproductive that Orkis had to spend time teaching her various things. It was hard to believe that someone in her state could have won a trial and obtained The Land Abandoned by God.
But what was remarkable was that despite her ignorance, she wasn’t lacking in intelligence. Once something was explained to her, she grasped it very quickly. Thanks to that, Orkis felt the situation more intriguing than frustrating.
“The Katio family owns a gold mine in the northwest.”
A flash of understanding appeared in Seraphie’s eyes.
See? Orkis’s gaze reflected his satisfied expectations.
Hi, if you enjoy the story, please leave a review in the Novelupdates. Thank you~
To gostando bastante…
Aposto que ela consegue ir pra “casa” só quando ela não quiser mais
Thanks for the update 🇧🇷 😸 🥰