Chapter 13

Prince Orca Lupes. In the novel, he appears to have stepped back from the throne competition due to his frail health, but in reality, he is an ambitious figure who travels across the empire under the pretext of convalescence, collecting talented individuals to be on his side.

'That Orca's finest collection was Altear.'

His brothers, who had underestimated him and not considered him a competitor, were helplessly defeated by him, led by Altear. After Orca overcame even the emperor, the nobles who did not support him fell one by one. Nadia, too, was swept up in that bloodbath and had her head cleanly cut off.

'Ugh...'

Just thinking about the cruel purges described in the novel made her shudder all over.

"When is the meeting?"

"Two months from now."

It was neither too close nor too far away.

'The meeting of the man who will become the villain and the man who will lead him down that path.'

Her neck, which was already feeling cold, made her rub it, and Altear frowned, approaching the bed in quick strides to cover her up to her chin.

"Anyway, rest now. Your face is pale."

"Yes..."

She answered obediently and closed her eyes tightly, but sleep had already fled far away.

'Did Altear and Orca first meet and grow close during this hunting season?'

But in the novel, it was said that the two met and formed a bond on the battlefield. When a war broke out with a neighboring country across the border, the emperor sent Prince Orca to the front lines to project the image of 'the royal family taking action for the empire!' Given Orca's usual frailty, it was as good as sending him to his death. Everyone thought he would die on the battlefield. However, Orca defied everyone's expectations, returned to the capital with a great victory, and began to reveal his true colors from then on.

'Maybe there was a hidden setting not revealed in the novel.'

Perhaps Orca and Altear knew each other even before the war broke out, or perhaps their bond began during this hunting season...

"Enough."

Altear's firm voice cut off her thoughts. Surprised, she opened her eyes wide, and he lightly tapped her forehead with his finger.

"I can hear your mind working from here. You have two months before meeting the eastern nobles, so there's no need to think about it yet."

"But I wasn't thinking about that..."

"Sleep."

Before she could say more, Altear's large hand covered her eyes. Instantly, a deep darkness descended, and a strange sense of calm enveloped her. Moreover...

'His hand is surprisingly warm.'

The warmth from Altear's hand on her face brought back the drowsiness she had forgotten, and as countless thoughts gradually faded, she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"I will attend the eastern nobles' meeting during the hunting season two months from now."

After checking on Nadia and returning to the study, Altear's declaration made Pavel, who was tidying up the scattered documents, tilt his head in confusion. When the previous baron was the master of Eilsworth, Altear often attended the meetings with his parents. But this was the first time since he inherited the title.

"Why there? You always said such things were troublesome and ignored them."

"It's decided."

Altear spoke simply, but it was far from a simple matter. Other nobles would appear in splendid attire with large retinues, but Eilsworth was in no such position.

"Lord, there's a lot to prepare. You know that, right?"

When Pavel asked, confirming the situation, Altear nodded with his usual expressionless face.

"We need to hire servants. We've managed without them so far, but now that we have a lady of the house, we can't just get by as we used to."

"That's true."

It wasn't wrong. Eilsworth's situation, which had maintained extreme efficiency, was unique. Normally, both Nadia and Altear should enjoy what they were entitled to.

"But the funds are a problem... Ah!"

Pavel, who had been worried, suddenly brightened up, recalling some good news.

"Did Lady say it's okay to use the dowry money?"

Nobles maintained strict distinctions between private property even after marriage. The dowry brought by the wife was entirely her property. Even in the event of a divorce, this money would go back to her, so it was considered petty for the husband to touch it. However, wives often contributed their funds for the sake of the family. After all, they were one family, sharing both good and bad times. Perhaps the kind lady, after checking the estate's situation, had willingly offered her dowry. But Pavel's beautiful imagination was shattered by Altear's next words.

"Did we have time to discuss that? The dowry is the wife's property. Even if she offers it, we should refuse. Don't covet strange things, Pavel."

"Do you think I want to squander Lady's property? I'm just saying it because the situation is so bad. Preparing for the meeting alone..."

"I plan to accept the commission from the Remberg territory."

Altear cut off Pavel's rambling, sounding annoyed. Pavel's eyes widened in rare shock.

"But you already refused that! You said it was too dangerous with too many variables."

"The reward is substantial. One trip will last us a year."

"That's true, but it's too dangerous. We're not dealing with ordinary monsters but dragons..."

Pavel couldn't bring himself to finish and tightly closed his mouth. Dragons were the most powerful of the troublesome monsters in the eastern mountains. Their skin was so tough that ordinary swords couldn't even scratch them, and only knights who could use aura could face them. Altear was the only knight in the east who could handle aura. Remberg territory, which suffered the most from dragon attacks, had offered a large reward out of desperation, but Altear had refused, considering the safety of the accompanying knights. But the situation had changed.

"I'll go with only the elite, excluding any troublesome elements. I'll inform the knights. You prepare the necessary supplies for the expedition."

"Why not just ask Lady for some help..."

Altear glared fiercely, and Pavel couldn't complain further. This was the Eilsworth barony, and the lord's orders were absolute.

"I understand."

Pavel bowed with a sullen face but was already thinking hard.

'If Lord can't do it, I have to.'

It might be presumptuous for a mere steward, but Lady would understand the situation. It was amusing that he already had such a strange belief, but he didn't think his confidence was misplaced. * * * Thanks to resting in bed all day, my body felt very light the next day. However, the unresolved questions made my heart heavy, and I was deeply lost in thought as I looked at the invitation Altear had given me.

'Why did Altear team up with Prince Orca and become a villain?'

Considering that Altear had asked me if I knew Prince Orca, it seemed that the current Altear had no connection with Prince Orca. I tried to organize a few possible scenarios in my mind.

1. Altear became loyal to Orca because he liked him.

2. Orca, who was desperate for money, lured the financially struggling Altear with the immense wealth of the royal family.

3. An event occurred that made Altear think he needed power, and it just so happened that his interests aligned with Orca's.

'Number 3 is something I don't know yet...'

Number 2 wasn't a concern.

'If we find the mithril mine, what's the point of being poor? We'll become the richest in the empire!'

I erased number 2 from my mind. That left only number 1.

'Orca in the novel was definitely someone who could easily win people over.'

The delicate prince with silver hair and orange eyes was popular with everyone. His constant smile, which often made his eyes almost invisible, only added to his charm.

'But when he wiped the smile away and opened his eyes, he had a sharper look than anyone else.'

In short, he was a fox-like person. He had a natural talent for charming people. If Altear really became Orca's man for a reason like number 1, how could I possibly prevent their alliance? No matter how much I thought about it, the only solution that came to mind was something childish like 'try to say as many bad things about Orca as possible to prevent Altear from liking him!'

'Well, I won't meet Orca for two months anyway.'

For now, I should focus on what I can do immediately. Finding the mithril mine and making the estate wealthy.

'To find the mithril mine, I need to explore the mountains.'

It might seem strange for a lady who came from the capital to suddenly claim there's a mine in the mountains, but this wasn't the time to worry about such perceptions.

'I should probably ask the knights for help with the search.'

The Eilsworth knights knew the mountains better than anyone and could handle the occasional monsters, making them the most suitable for this task.

'Of course, I don't know if the knights will agree to my request...'

If I consult with Altear first and proceed with the plan, I might easily get the knights' help. But I wanted to handle things informally until the existence of the mine was confirmed. If a formal, large-scale search ordered by the lord fails to find the mithril mine, it would damage his reputation. I was also worried about being criticized by Altear for mobilizing resources with a lie, which could lead to being chased away for not being a suitable wife.

'So, let's keep it a secret for now!'

I organized my thoughts and sprang up from my seat. * * * To ask someone for a favor, a bribe is often necessary. I filled a large basket with sandwiches made with the help of the sturdy cook and headed to the training ground. The basket was so full that it was heavier than I expected, and I felt like I might break out in a cold sweat just from carrying it.

I already knew the location of the training ground. When I reached the entrance and cautiously peeked inside, fortunately, I didn't see Altear.

'The timing seems right...'

I hesitated, wondering if it was okay to disturb the knights who were training hard, when I caught Blan's eye. He was sitting on the ground, wiping sweat with a towel. Feeling awkward in the unfamiliar situation, I managed a smile and waved, and Blan jumped up as if struck by lightning.

"Lady?"

When Blan called out softly, the knights who were training hard one by one stopped their movements. As everyone's gaze turned to me, I felt more embarrassed and my face turned slightly red.

"Lady?"

"Lady is here!"

"What? Why is Lady here?"

The murmurs made me want to run away immediately, but I had to ask for a favor, so I couldn't. I mustered my courage, stepped into the training ground, and extended the basket forward.

"I thought everyone must be tired, so I brought some snacks."

"Huh? Snacks?"

Blan ran up to me in one leap and took the basket.

'It was definitely very heavy...'

Seeing Blan lift the basket easily with one hand, I felt a bit wronged and opened my mouth wide. Cain, who had approached, looked into the basket and asked me.

"You made these for us? Lady?"

"Yes. They're sandwiches. I'm not the best at making them, but the cook helped..."

The knights stared at me as I babbled, and I felt my courage, which had been full when I left the room, gradually waning.

"If you don't like them, you don't have to eat them..."

As I said this and tried to take the basket back, the knights suddenly cheered and rushed toward the basket.

"Wow! Thank you, Lady!"