“Your Highness.”
Orkis called out the crown prince. His gaze, which had been fixed on Seraphie and Lillie, naturally turned toward Orkis.
“If you wouldn’t mind, could you pick out a pair of earrings that would suit my sister?”
Trips narrowed his eyes. “Since when were you someone who cared so much for your sister?”
“It’s not me. Countess Vallidus wanted to buy her a gift as thanks for helping with the mining operation,” Orkis replied nonchalantly. “Neither I nor the countess know her taste very well, but if Your Highness chooses, I’m sure she’ll be pleased.”
Trips stared silently at Orkis. Because the countess asked… It seemed that their relationship was closer than he had anticipated. This is different from the report.
His subordinate, who had been sent to the wasteland, had reported that the relationship between Orkis and Seraphie seemed strictly professional.
They said it seemed like a business relationship. And since there hadn’t been any rumors about the two, the crown prince hadn’t doubted the report. But coming to a jewelry store together like this suggested a closer relationship.
This is becoming troublesome. Trips clicked his tongue inwardly. Considering the status of Felicia family, it would be unwise to cause unnecessary trouble with someone who had a good relationship with his fiancée’s family.
And on top of that… Seraphie herself was proving to be far more unpredictable than he had expected. He had held some expectations, but seeing such disgraceful behavior made him want to leave immediately. Her drool from coughing and her disheveled face wouldn’t make it surprising if she dropped dead on the spot. He was even uncomfortable approaching her.
“The yellow one,” Trips said, picking the largest pair of earrings from the display. “They’re big and flashy. They’ll suit her well,” he added, remarking that a bold impression suited such items.
“Then I’ll purchase the one recommended by Your Highness,” Orkis said, asking the clerk to wrap them up and commenting that his sister would be pleased.
By then, Seraphie, somewhat recovered, was leaning against Lillie’s arm, breathing slowly. “Thanks to you, I feel much better. I truly appreciate it.”
“White magic exists to help people. I’m glad I could be of service,” Lillie responded kindly.
The two were already chatting warmly.
“Lillie,” Trips called for her.
“Ah…” Lillie quickly stood and went to his side.
“Let’s go.”
“But…”
“There are plenty of other stores.”
At Trips’s urging, Lillie had no choice but to agree.
“It was nice meeting you,” Lillie said.
“Thank you for your help,” Seraphie responded, bowing to Lillie and then to Trips. “Your Highness, I apologize for today’s rudeness…. Cough. Please forgive me for showing such a shameful appearance.”
“Take care of yourself,” Trips said dismissively as he and Lillie left the store.
“…”
“…”
Seraphie and Orkis silently stared at each other. It was Seraphie who spoke first.
“What was it you wanted?”
“After thinking about it, a ring would be nice. To deceive the crown prince further, we need to act like we’re in a relationship. Shall we both get matching rings?”
“That sounds practical. When training, you can wear the ring on a chain as a necklace.”
“Alright, let’s do that.”
They ordered rings on the spot, but when they left the store, there was nothing on their fingers yet. The rings needed time to be made, so they would pick them up later. Instead, they left with a jewelry box containing the yellow sapphire earrings chosen by the crown prince.
“What was that just now?” Orkis asked as soon as they were in the carriage.
“Give me a moment. Let me catch my breath first…” Seraphie finally relaxed and took a deep breath, letting out an odd sound as she exhaled.
I was really on edge. She couldn’t help it. Meeting both Tripos and Lillie at the same time was enough to make anyone collapse the next day.
“…You saw it earlier, right?” Seraphie asked Orkis.
“If you’re talking about that b*stard crown prince trying to flirt with someone other than Peni, yes. I saw it.”
Orkis was seething inside. He had clearly seen the moment when Trips had tried to put his arm around the lady’s waist. And then Trips had the audacity to call that lady as ‘his guest.’ The shamelessness of it all made Orkis furious.
Why on earth Peni…
If Seraphie hadn’t been there, Orkis would have likely punched Trip’s smug face right then and there. But even without Seraphie, he probably wouldn’t have been able to do it.
“What about Lady Albeolus?”
“The white magician…”
Yes, that’s what Orkis found most curious. Trips had clearly shown interest in the blonde lady standing beside him. Yet, the lady herself didn’t seem to reciprocate in the slightest. In fact—
“…She looked like a hostage.”
Seraphie agreed with his assessment.
Another error in the original story. This was the most significant inconsistency she had found so far—one that made the entire premise of the story fall apart. She doesn’t like him…
Lillie didn’t like the crown prince.
“Were you acquainted with her?”
“No.”
“So, what was that earlier?”
Seraphie’s exaggerated coughing fit in front of Trips was clearly an act to make herself seem unlikable, but Orkis was more confused by what she had whispered to Lillie.
“It seemed like Lady Albeolus found the crown prince a bit uncomfortable.”
“Isn’t that a relief? If that wasn’t the case, I would have killed her.”
Orkis’s cold words froze the atmosphere in the carriage.
…Wow. For the first time, Seraphie saw the ‘villainous’ side of Orkis.
“…So, I pulled a few strings,” Seraphie said, rubbing her arms as she spoke. “I offered to help her to get into the Magic Tower.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Do you know who I am?”
She was the Countess Vallidus, who owned the Land Abandoned by God.
“Do you want to leave the imperial palace?”
“…Yes.”
“Do you want to learn magic from Lady Felicia?”
“Yes!”
“Then, how about following my plan?”
Seraphie had no hesitation in messing with the original story.
* * *
God’s treasure was finally released on the market.
“…”
And Seraphie clutched the receipt that had just arrived in her trembling hands. At last, the profits from selling God’s treasure had been deposited into her family’s account.
“Is this even real?”
The office was empty, with only Seraphie present. But she couldn’t contain her overwhelming joy. Right now, she had to let out everything she was feeling like a mad person.
“Look at all this money.”
Yes, just look at this money.
“Look at all this money!”
The amount on the receipt was so dazzling that she could hardly believe it.
“I’m really rich now!”
Seraphie carefully placed the receipt on her desk and started bouncing around the office like a madwoman. It was less of a joyful dance and more of a frenzy. Eventually, exhausted, she collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.
“I’ve finally made it…!”
The memories of all the struggles she had endured flashed through her mind. When she first opened her eyes, it had been hell. She had fought tooth and nail to escape that hell, slowly clawing her way up to where she was now.
“…”
Thinking of all her hardships, her nose started to tingle.
“Well done.” Seraphie patted her own head. “You’ve done a great job!”
The profits deposited into her account were more than ten times the advance she had received from the Felicia family. And that was after subtracting various expenses, including the advance.
I never have to worry about money again. With that burden lifted from her heart, Seraphie slowly stood up. A bit embarrassed by her earlier outburst, she dusted off her wrinkled skirt.
“Master.”
Just then, Marine entered the room.
“It’s time for your outing.”
“I’ll be right out.”
Seraphie brushed off her wrinkled skirt with a few quick pasts and stepped out.
“It’s your first overnight stay, isn’t it?”
Marine carried a small suitcase with her. Inside were a change of clothes, undergarments, lotion, and a comb for Seraphie.
“…Hey.” Seraphie suddenly stopped walking. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
When she turned to look at Marine, she saw that her maid was staring at her with teary, emotional eyes. Seraphie was baffled.
“Well, it’s just that Master…” Marine sniffled. “You’re finally going to spend time with friends like other young ladies do.”
“It wasn’t like I was going out to have fun.”
This overnight trip had been arranged by Peonia and Lunie as a kind of consultation session. And to top it off, the venue of this so-called consultation session was Lunie’s newly renovated shop.
“But you’ll be eating delicious food with your friends, wearing pretty pajamas, and chatting all night long!”
Marine were always worried. She wondered if her master, who worked tirelessly for the household, would ever get to live like a lady her own age. As just a maid, Marine knew she shouldn’t be thinking such things, but sometimes, she saw a certain side of Seraphie that made her wonder.
Seraphie always kept a distance. She was kind to her servants but maintained an oddly distant relationship with them. It would have been fine if that distance had been reserved for her servants, but that wasn’t the case. She kept the same distance even with her mother and with Orkis, who had helped her immensely. It was as if she was someone who was destined to leave at any moment.
“Friends are a good thing!”
Marine wished for her master to find happiness by making friends and letting someone into her life.
“…Well, yeah.”
Oblivious to Marine’s heartfelt concerns, Seraphie smiled affectionately, thinking how cute her maid looked.
“Let’s just say I’m going to meet friends.” Seraphie climbed into the carriage. “But since they’re not really my friends, you better not go around saying that.”
“Your personal maid would never make such a mistake!”
“How reliable.”
With a dependable maid seeing her off, Seraphie headed to her destination.
* * *
“Countess Vallidus!”
A middle-aged man she didn’t recognize greeted her with open arms. If his hair hadn’t been the same pink color as Lunie’s, Seraphie might have slammed the carriage door shut and ordered the coachman to reverse immediately.
“…Count, Mars?”
Barely managing to step out of the carriage, Seraphie shot a sideways glance at Lunie, who stood quietly beside the man. What’s going on here?
“Sorry,” Lunie mouthed apologetically without making a sound.
“I heard Countess was coming to the shop today to see my daughter, so of course, I had to come.” The booming voice of Count Mars was almost deafening.
“…”
Understanding the situation, Seraphie gave a polite smile and extended her hand to Count Mars. “It’s an honor to meet you. Your daughter has been a tremendous help to me. She’s truly remarkable and talented.”
“She’s my pride and joy, to say the least,” Count Mars said, draping an arm around Lunie’s shoulder with pride.
“Father, please…” Lunie, embarrassed by the public display, gently pulled away.
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Thank you for the translation 💜🇧🇷🥰