Episode 89

“…Lady Ellie said Your Highness sent her?”

“Yes,” Marie nodded.

I looked down at the documents in my hands.

They were clearly drafted before the auction, yet they already detailed what the Duke would bid on, how much he would pay, and the purchasing plans—all pre-arranged with the heads of merchant guilds.

‘This is clear proof that the auctions themselves were orchestrated by the Duke as a pretense to funnel money through these purchases.’

On top of that, the names of the merchant guilds offering the goods were listed. With a little investigation, it would be easy to uncover that they were agents of Ullico.

“Her face looked very solemn,” Marie added.

It had been quite a while since I’d first passed along my suspicions about the Duke and Ullico to Lady Ellie through Marie. It seemed she had taken the time to think it through, investigate, and come to her own conclusion.

‘That’s why she waited for the right moment and stole the documents.’

Since the auction plans were already set, the Duke wouldn’t be double-checking those documents. Still, it had been a very risky move.

‘For a mistress, she really stepped up.’

Considering how much Lady Ellie usually wanted to run away and stay uninvolved, it must have taken a great deal of courage. Well, I had already made sure she had a safe escape route for the future…

As long as she made it out safely, she’d be able to live a quiet life in peace.

“You did well too, Marie.”

When I praised her, Marie flushed red. Chris, reviewing the documents I had handed him, responded.

“There are some merchant guilds here that deal with the North quite regularly.”

“…Do you think the Duke is trying to reach his influence into the North as well?”

“That’s something we’ll have to look into… but at the very least, we can secure the people from those guilds who travel between here and the North.”

Then, something even more surprising came up in the documents.

“…Your Grace.”

“……”

It might not have been something Lady Ellie had intended to send. It seemed to have been accidentally included among the papers hastily gathered.

“…The North’s magic stone mine…”

It was a report showing the mining output had reached a critical level. I felt a fresh wave of guilt.

‘Maybe it wasn’t supposed to be depleted this quickly.’

Even in the original novel, there hadn’t been any mention of the northern mines. They hadn’t been that significant, so I never imagined they’d be in such dire straits.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing, my lady?”

Chris gave a bitter smile and tried to reassure me.

“…We have a new mine now in the North.”

“……”

Knowing full well that Thule was a useless mine—yet saying that for my sake—it hurt more than I expected.

“…I’ll make it up to you.”

“……”

“I swear I will. Someday.”

Even if the northern mines ended up barren, I knew how much symbolic meaning they held for the North. Chris, however, just responded calmly.

“You could see it another way. The magic stone mine now belongs to the Duke, so it means his profits are drying up.”

Even that sounded like something he said just to comfort me, which left me with a heavy heart.

Just then, Marie, who had been listening intently, glanced at the clock with a serious look.

“Is something urgent, Marie?”

At my question, both Marie and Chris looked momentarily startled. I expected that reaction from Marie, but seeing the same from Chris made my eyes widen.

“You have to get ready for the engagement, my lady! The performances must already be underway!”

“Oh…”

“There’s less than an hour left! You need to change immediately!”

‘Is it that time already…?’

We had decided to announce our engagement right after the Harvest Festival auction and performances, just before the Grand Temple mass.

The Grand Temple’s Harvest Festival mass was open to the public, and it was also the place where Chris and I had first met during the communion service. Noble families making announcements before the mass wasn’t unusual, so it seemed like the perfect occasion.

We decided to hold the engagement swiftly there—before anyone else could interfere.

“Surely you didn’t forget?”

“As if I would.”

“I’d have been disappointed if you had.”

Chris said something again, and I couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not. He did seem slightly excited.

“You need to stop by the boutique now.”

“If you just helped dress me up…”

“No! We need professionals for this! Honestly, I wish you’d go for something a bit flashier today.”

Since the engagement was practically a surprise operation, there wasn’t much room to prepare anything extravagant.

“Still, it’s fortunate we have two people to help today.”

“…What?”

Marie and I turned to Chris at the same time. His expression was a bit odd.

“That maid who’s been loitering around the carriage since earlier—wasn’t she meant to help with the preparations?”

Just as he said that, Marie quickly peeked outside.

“Eek!”

We saw a maid dashing away at full speed.

One of my villa’s maids.

【 The Meaning of the Southern March of the Monsters and the Shackle 】

“How arrogant.”

Servi growled in a thoroughly unpleasant voice. The joyful, ongoing festivities of the Harvest Festival outside felt completely distant to him.

And it was no wonder—considering who had summoned him here.

“I’m sure I’ve told you several times already that I’m uncomfortable continuing dealings with your group.”

“My, my, little lord.”

The red-eyed man chuckled with a languid smile.

“I’m debating whether or not to give you valuable information, and you show up with that attitude?”

“Information? What information? You think I don’t know your performance has been pathetic ever since the communion service?”

Servi snapped. Assad’s lips curled slightly.

It was true that at some point, Assad had begun feeding the duke’s house low-quality intel. It had started after Servi retaliated by cutting off a few trade deals.

That began a cycle of bad blood, and now the Oracle and House Reinhardt were on the verge of breaking ties.

‘But they’re still too valuable to give up completely.’

To Assad, Duke Reinhardt was still a powerful man of the Empire, wealthy and influential. Practically a golden goose.

‘…It’s not worth severing all ties just because of one woman.’

Even so, whenever he thought of Mindia’s golden eyes, a shiver ran down his spine.

The bold, clear gaze she had—it made his fingers itch. That old habit of his, of stealing what he wanted, threatened to rise again.

Still, the merchant side of him remained stronger for now. He had yet to decide whether to align with Mindia or the duke’s house.

So Assad had summoned Servi one last time—to test the waters.

“So? Did you bring the deed recognizing ownership of the northern mine?”

“You’re overstepping.”

“So you did bring it, since you’re not denying it.”

Assad had kept his senses sharp ever since Mindia came to him.

He was the only one who noticed she was trying to buy the Thule Mine—back when no one else paid her any mind.

‘There must be a reason for buying a dead mine.’

Assad knew Mindia wasn’t the type to move without purpose.

‘Like when she started the Cape and Core wine barrel trends…’

There were quite a few movements that had passed through her hands. This time too, she clearly had a plan.

As he turned it over in his mind, Assad recalled the duke’s mine.

‘Rumors came in not long ago that the northern magic stone mine is running dry.’

Then there had to be something about Thule that could be used in response to that.

The reason he specifically asked Servi to bring proof of the duke’s mining rights was…

‘I need to confirm how much of the northern mine’s claim the duke has swallowed and calculate the potential damage.’

The more rights the duke held, the greater the damage would be.

“Surely a little lord like you wouldn’t lack access to that document.”

“Who do you think you’re looking down on?”

Provoking Servi was easy. A few comments like that were enough.

“You dare ask to see a top-secret document, so your information better be worth it.”

With dramatic flair, Servi pulled the deed from inside his coat.

“I can’t show you everything.”

“I understand.”

Assad nodded and skimmed the partial document. In an instant, he calculated the extent of damage to the duke’s house.

‘Interesting.’

As expected, the duke would suffer considerable losses. If this was evident from just part of the document, the full picture would be even worse.

“Now, give me your side of the deal.”

Servi urged him. Assad raised his cool gaze and smiled.

“You seem rather desperate.”

“Do I look like someone with time to waste?”

“Certainly not. Especially not with your wild younger brother out of control.”

Grit. Servi ground his teeth. Lately, Seth was beyond his control, acting however he pleased. For all Servi knew, he might be throwing money away at some tavern right now. And even worse…

“I heard he bought a slave recently? I thought slavery was outlawed.”

“She wasn’t a slave. I sent her back and got the money returned. It’s all been handled—none of your business.”

He’d met the child in the slums—one who resembled Mindia as a child. He’d tried to buy her from her parents to beat her, but was stopped by the maids who rushed to report it.

A scandal had already stirred in the duke’s house. Not wanting rumors to spread further, Servi had the girl’s parents killed to silence them.

He had also ordered one of Aria’s maids, who had been present at the time, to “take care of it.” She would’ve done something.

“Enough with the cheap shots. Just give me the information.”

“Thule.”

“What?”

Assad said only that.

He had always honored his principle: information for information. Now that he’d gotten what he wanted, he would give something in return—though only in equal measure.

They hadn’t shown him everything, so he wouldn’t either.

“You mean that trash mine? You call that information?”

“I told you what matters.”

“You bastard…!”

Just then, a servant rushed into the meeting spot.

“L-Lord Servi!”

“What is it?!”

“At the High Mass right now—!”