Chapter 156
A few days ago, the proceeds from the proper settlement of the sales of the treatment medicine at the House of Count Ellesia finally came through.
When Seres saw the amount, she was left speechless for quite a while. It was far larger than she had expected.
This is all thanks to that uncle and aunt.
Thanks to the three of them placing orders while shoving advance payments into her hands, she’d made an enormous profit—enough to clear all her debts.
Even aside from that, word had spread among mercenaries and knights recently, and the medicine was selling like crazy. Apparently, they couldn’t keep up with demand.
“……”
Kainel stared silently at the check for a moment before standing up. He went to his desk, gathered some documents, and returned to his seat.
“What’s with that expression?” Seres asked.
“What expression?” he replied.
“You really don’t know?”
Why do you look so sulky?
“What, you don’t like that I’m paying back my debt?”
Because you wanted to keep using me, and now you’re upset that I’m paying it off?
Seres glared at Kainel as he sat down.
I mean, hey, I seriously never planned to cheat you out of it.
But still—how could you hound me like that, telling me to repay the money—
Riiip!
“…?”
Seres’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of Kainel tearing the documents in his hands straight down the middle.
“Why are you tearing that up?”
“If anyone’s going to tear it, it should be me.”
“Take it.”
“What?”
Ignoring her bewilderment, Kainel picked up the check on the table and handed it back to her.
“I never intended to take it in the first place.”
“…Hey.”
You expect me to believe that?
“Think about everything you’ve done to me.”
“Me? What did I do?”
“…Ha.”
Wow. Shameless.
Who was it that dragged me all over the place, telling me to pay up?
So what—was I just following some stranger around? Huh?
Smack!
Seres hit Kainel on the head with all her strength.
“Ow.”
“Don’t pretend that hurt.”
He could’ve easily dodged it, yet he didn’t—and that made his act even more irritating.
“Take it. And don’t say something different later.”
“I don’t need it. I told you I won’t take it.”
“……”
I’ll say it again—think about everything you’ve done to me.
Just yesterday, you dragged me to a conference telling me to repay the debt. That’s not something you get to say now, is it?
“How am I supposed to take money from you?”
“…You’re good with words.”
Suppressing the urge to hit him again, Seres grabbed the check and firmly pressed it into Kainel’s hand.
“I’ll return those words exactly as they are.”
Just like you don’t want to take money from me, I feel the same.
“Why would I owe you money in the first place?”
She knew. Ever since they were young, they’d shared everything.
What belonged to Artia was hers, and what belonged to Kainel was also hers.
‘Alright, Alti. I found an apple in your pocket. So who should eat it?’
‘Me!’
Smack!
‘Aah!’
‘You should share.’
‘Hng, that hurt.’
‘But I’m really hungry. So who should eat the apple?’
‘We should share!’
Smack!
‘Aah! Why did you hit me again?!’
‘I said I’m hungry. That means I should eat it.’
‘Why? It’s mine!’
‘There’s no “yours” or “mine” between us.’
‘Ah… but earlier, Grace ate candy all by herself.’
‘That was because there was only one.’
‘Huh? Even one should be sha—’
Smack!
‘If there’s only one, I just eat it.’
‘Waaah! Kai, Grace keeps hitting me!’
‘…Just nod quietly. You’ll get hit less, like me.’
‘…Okay.’
That’s why early education is important.
She’d trained them thoroughly from a young age, so they grew up always yielding.
A philosophy of “What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is also mine,” drilled straight into them.
But this is different.
Strictly speaking, this wasn’t even her debt.
Kai, you have absolutely no reason to take responsibility for it.
“……”
Kainel stared at Seres for a long moment, then let out a soft sigh. Judging by her resolute eyes, persuasion was pointless.
If he didn’t want money, he could give her something else instead.
There was a good building for sale in the capital recently…
Buying that and handing it over would work.
Kainel casually folded the check and tossed it into a corner.
Knock, knock.
Just then, the office door opened, and Del, his aide, hurried inside. His expression suggested something serious had happened.
“We’ve received word from the homeland.”
From the Principality of Persia, a piece of news had just arrived.
“I think it’d be best if you see it yourself.”
Del handed over the stack of documents, thinking it’d be faster than explaining.
“……”
As Kainel scanned the report, his brow slowly furrowed.
“An epidemic?”
“Yes. There’s an outbreak spreading through the Principality of Persia.”
A few days ago, the first patient had appeared in a village called Eto.
At first, people thought it was just a common cold—but as symptoms progressed into difficulty breathing and vomiting blood, they realized it wasn’t.
Before they could react, cases multiplied rapidly. Now it wasn’t limited to Eto—other regions were reporting patients as well. Deaths had begun to occur.
“The news has likely already reached the imperial court.”
An epidemic wasn’t just Persia’s problem, so the empire had been notified.
“An epidemic…”
Standing beside Kainel and reading the report, Seres frowned. The speed of transmission was far too fast for a normal disease.
The symptoms were alarming too. Vomiting blood before death—she couldn’t make a judgment without seeing patients directly.
“Prepare.”
“Yes?”
“We’re going back.”
“Ah—yes! I’ll prepare immediately.”
Del nodded quickly. Kainel was returning to Persia.
“You’re coming with me.”
“…?”
Seres finally lowered the documents and looked up at him.
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
Why would I? I’ve already paid everything back—why should I follow you…
That’s what she wanted to say.
“Come with me.”
She couldn’t say no when he spoke in that weak, almost puppy-like tone—his final plea.
“Please.”
“……”
…You sly bastard.
In the end, Seres let out a long sigh.
* * *
“No.”
“I object.”
“Absolutely not!”
Why is it that the three of you only agree so perfectly at times like this? Normally you can’t agree on anything.
Seres shook her head slightly at the sight of the three dukes raising their hands in unison to oppose her.
“Why do you have to go there?”
“Exactly. Do you even know where the Principality of Persia is?”
“It’s a land crawling with monsters. Even without a Black Forest outbreak, monsters are everywhere. And now there’s an epidemic on top of that.”
When Seres said she planned to visit Persia briefly, all three tried to stop her.
She’d only intended to ask them to look after Antonian and Yulia while she was gone. If she’d known this would happen, she would’ve just left quietly.
“I’m curious.”
“About what?”
“……”
…About the epidemic.
But saying that outright would only make them panic more.
Seres had brought Kainel’s report home with permission and studied it carefully.
The more she read, the more it felt different from an ordinary epidemic—its speed, its symptoms.
And worst of all, the symptoms felt familiar.
This is just like…
…Back then. Three hundred years ago, when she was Grace.
“Seres.”
She snapped out of her thoughts at Duke Schweiss’s worried call.
“What’s going on?”
At his concern-filled question, Seres shook her head slightly.
“I’ll explain once I’m back.”
Her firm tone made it clear the decision was already made. The three dukes groaned silently.
It really is that man’s fault.
I knew I didn’t like him from the start.
Our innocent Seres is going all the way out there because of him?
Their hostility toward Kainel flared anew.
“By the way.”
Unaware of their thoughts, Seres looked at something with interest.
“You’re all wearing the same ring.”
She hadn’t noticed before. Each duke wore an identical ring with what looked like an amethyst—elegant and finely crafted.
“Oh, this? It’s from Se—”
Thud!
Smack!
“Urgh!”
Just as Duke Norea started answering without thinking, fists flew in from both sides. He shut his mouth instantly.
Duke Schweiss and Duke Elkaine glared daggers at him.
Didn’t we agree to keep it secret for a while?
That mouth of yours! That mouth!
…I forgot.
Norea laughed awkwardly, eyes darting around. Seres’s gaze bore into him, and the murderous stares from his two friends didn’t help either.
