Chapter 37
Kestian tilted his head at Winston’s voice, which carried genuine regret.
When Kestian gave him a questioning look as if to ask what he meant, Winston rubbed his chin.
“I thought if I placed a composed and mature kid by your side, you’d learn something too despite her age. But Count Brilloxen didn’t allow it. He said she’s not yet of age and will wait until his daughter chooses someone herself.”
“…Is that so?”
Kestian muttered quietly, narrowing his brows.
Winston, looking puzzled, glanced at Kestian, who had suddenly stiffened and cast his gaze downwards.
Seeing Kestian suddenly freeze with a serious look, Winston tilted his head in curiosity.
After a brief silence, Kestian finally raised his head again, the lighthearted expression gone and replaced with one of seriousness.
“At the last banquet, Lady Brilloxen danced with the Duke of Rippleton.”
“I heard. It’s been quite the talk in society.”
“The wise lady dancing with the Duke of Rippleton, who’s surrounded by rumors, must have her reasons. Don’t you think, Father?”
Kestian stood up, lifting the coat draped over his chair.
As Winston awkwardly stood up, Kestian put on his coat and ran a hand through his tousled bangs.
“Interesting, isn’t it? The countess’s daughter dances with the duke, a man called a beast. A woman who tames a wild beast no one else could is always fascinating.”
“What are you thinking?”
Winston asked, and Kestian shrugged.
Kestian’s expression was full of confidence, brimming with energy.
“The usual, of course.”
Kestian’s lips curled into a smooth smile as he recalled Sierra heading towards Arden outside the minibar.
* * *
“Come in.”
With that short reply, the door opened.
Bellieta, who had been sipping her tea, stood up when she saw Viscount Cramble enter the room.
As Bellieta smiled and extended her hand, Cramble took it with both hands, bowing politely.
“Welcome. Thank you for coming on such short notice, Viscount Cramble.”
“It’s nothing. When Lady Bozbourne calls, I must come.”
Despite Bellieta not having formally inherited the title of duchess or handling any official affairs, Cramble maintained a very deferential attitude.
Even considering the powerful presence of Duke Bozbourne standing behind her, his humility seemed almost excessive.
Bellieta, watching Cramble bow deeply, smiled and offered him a seat.
“Thank you again for coming. I know you’re busy with work, and I appreciate you making the effort to come all the way here.”
“It’s no problem at all. How could I pass up the rare opportunity to see such a beautiful lady? Only a fool would decline.”
Cramble laughed heartily, trying to lighten the mood, but his nervous eyes, the way he licked his dry lips, and his fidgeting hands gave him away.
For Cramble, Bellieta was a lifeline he couldn’t afford to lose.
And Bellieta knew that even without him saying it.
Watching Cramble calmly, with an air of relaxed observation, Bellieta gave a small smile, which Cramble awkwardly returned.
“I’ve heard things have been hectic for you lately. I understand the military supply law revision you’re pushing for has been difficult.”
“That’s right. My family has grown through the military supply business. It’s been our livelihood since my grandfather and great-grandfather. We’ve managed to keep it going until now, but recently, they’ve slapped a heavy tariff on external exports. I’ve been trying to get it reduced since last year, but there’s been no progress.”
“And what’s the reason for the delay?”
Bellieta’s question was the one Cramble had been waiting to be asked.
However, as a minor noble, it wasn’t something he could easily speak about, so he hesitated.
When no immediate answer came, Bellieta smiled to ease the tension.
“You can trust me. I called you here to help you, Viscount Cramble.”
Cramble hesitated for a moment, seemingly debating with himself, but then nodded and revealed the truth.
“The Palieva family is opposing the tax reduction.”
“Why? Wouldn’t reducing the tax increase exports?”
“The Palieva family has had a near-monopoly on the military supply industry for centuries. As you know, the military industry is closely tied to the empire’s security, so it’s been highly exclusive. That exclusivity started to ease about 30 years ago, and since then, most families besides Palieva have focused on exports.”
“In simple terms, the Palieva family is reinforcing export regulations because they’re afraid that families who grew externally through exports will take over the domestic market?”
Cramble nodded.
Bellieta leaned back in her chair, thinking for a moment.
But in reality, her thoughts were already organized—this brief reflection was just an act.
After a few moments of quiet, Bellieta lifted her gaze.
“That’s not right. The Palieva family has indeed contributed greatly as a prestigious family of the empire, but we can’t let personal greed shrink a business that could grow even more.”
With that, Bellieta stood up and approached Cramble.
Her smile was soft, even though her words were serious.
Cramble could now understand why so many people were drawn to Bellieta.
“Bozbourne will support your path, Viscount. So, please, do your best.”
“Really?”
“Of course. There’s nothing more rewarding than joining forces for a good cause.”
Bellieta smiled warmly as she extended her hand to Cramble.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Cramble took her hand with both of his and bowed deeply.
“Thank you! Thank you, my lady!”
As Cramble bowed so low that his back was fully visible, Bellieta’s eyes softened as she looked down at him.
Her lips curled into a subtle, mysterious smile that Cramble couldn’t see.
* * *
“You’re here early. I look forward to working with you again this year.”
Count Ricardo, who oversaw the biannual military supply meeting, greeted me with a respectful bow.
I returned the gesture and took the bag from the maid beside me, slipping my hand inside.
“You must go through a lot of trouble preparing for these meetings every time. Here.”
“Is this a gift?”
“A bribe.”
Count Ricardo looked over the wine box I handed him with a curious eye.
His gaze lingered over the ornate wrapping on the solid wooden box, and his face lit up with delight.
Count Ricardo was a wine enthusiast.
And on top of running the military supply meeting, he also oversaw the capital’s merchants’ guild.
There was no reason for him to be displeased.
“A bribe, you say. Well, if it’s this kind of bribe, I’d happily take a hundred of them. I’ll drink it gratefully.”
Smiling, I gave him a nod.
Count Ricardo called for his butler to show me to my room.
After unpacking and changing clothes, I called for Ripert, who had come with me.
I spun my chair around to face Ripert, who had just walked in.
“Any news about the deputy commander yet?” I asked.
“No, nothing yet. But, as you instructed, we’ve assigned people to keep an eye on him, so he won’t be able to run or do anything suspicious.”
“Good. Keep monitoring him. Oh, and I need the updated list of attendees for the meeting. I got the original one before we left, but I heard some changes were made. Could you check on that?”
“Understood.”
“Thanks for your hard work. For the meeting, I’ll have someone else take care of my security, so just focus on assisting me as my deputy.”
Ripert gave a short nod and looked at me as if asking if there was anything else.
Still such a quiet guy.
I chuckled softly and shook my head.
With a brief bow, Ripert turned and left the room.
After he was gone, I skimmed through the agenda for the upcoming meeting. Suddenly, I remembered something from the past.
“Come to think of it, this tax law caused quite a stir, didn’t it?”
I recalled the time when the regulation to reduce taxes on military exports was passed, creating a lot of chaos.
The Palieva family especially took a hit.
The external export market thrived while the domestic market shrank, leading to a significant loss for Palieva. At one point, military supply prices skyrocketed because domestic demand couldn’t keep up with the limited supply.
“Is this the main issue on the agenda?”
I was still going over the details when I heard some commotion outside the door.
Curious, I stood up and opened the door.
There, I saw a familiar face—a man standing with the guards.
“Lord Palieva? What are you doing here?”
“Lady Sierra, could you please tell these people that I’m the eldest son of the Palieva family?”
He was a mess, covered in dirt, and had been detained by the guards.
I waved a hand, signaling the guards to let him go. Once they released him, Kestian let out a sigh of relief.
Where had he been rolling around? Or had he been in a fight? His clothes weren’t just dirty—they looked like he’d been crawling around on the ground.
Noticing my gaze, Kestian gave me an awkward, sheepish smile.
“I was catching a mole. It looked a lot like a platypus, so I wanted to compare them.”
“A… platypus?” I asked, confused.
“Yeah, something like that. But more importantly, it’s been a while, and I apologize for my appearance. I came because I have something for you. Please excuse the state of my clothes.”
While still babbling about moles, Kestian reached into his coat and pulled out a small box.
It was just about the size of my palm, and if it weren’t so plain, I might have thought it was a ring box.
When he opened the lid, a clear marble-like object was inside.
“It’s just a prototype, but I thought you might want to take a look,” he said.
“What is this? It looks like a marble… What’s it for?”
Kestian was about to answer but hesitated, glancing at the guards. I stepped back, allowing him to enter, and closed the door behind us.
He took the marble from the box in my hand and grinned.
“It’s a bomb.”
“…Excuse me? A bomb?”
