[CHAPTER 52]
***
Kalad Territory to the capital took five days.
We reached the Kreuz Viscounty townhouse without trouble.
The townhouse was nicer than I expected.
Considering the family finances, I thought it would be the size of a hut, but it turned out to be a surprisingly decent residence.
It wasn’t flashy or grand, but it was neat and charming in a small way.
We were introduced to the steward and servants, rested in our rooms, and shook off the travel fatigue.
The next day, everyone began their own tasks.
I went with Greta to meet a capital merchant Til had arranged.
Soon, a stout middle-aged man with a long mustache appeared in front of me.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jena Kreuz.”
“Ahem, I’m Danilo. Til told me you were coming, but…”
The merchant trailed off in an odd way and dropped onto the sofa.
His eyes swept me up and down with a bored expression.
“I’m not someone you can trade with easily. If we sign a contract, what can you offer me?”
“What do you want me to offer?”
“You should present something yourself. Must I explain everything to you? Tsk, this is why people who don’t know better are troublesome…”
He clicked his tongue and spoke rudely without hesitation.
It was our first meeting, yet he acted sloppy and talked like a thug.
I was irritated, but for Til’s sake, I decided to endure it for now.
But the merchant seemed intent on testing my patience.
“Fine. I’ll be generous and propose terms myself.”
“…”
“I’m not a greedy man. Guarantee me half of all sales as pure profit.”
He wanted half the revenue as his profit, when there were production costs.
Instead of getting angry at the shameless demand, I smiled.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“…What?”
“Did you just start doing business? You call yourself a merchant but make such absurd demands. I’m shocked.”
His expression twisted violently.
He snapped back at once.
“What would you know to say that!”
“Hmm, probably more than you. At least I know you calculate net profit after subtracting total expenses from revenue.”
“Ha!”
He clenched his fist and glared at me.
Did he not realize I was a noble?
He seemed aware, yet behaved this way anyway.
Just when I wondered at his recklessness, he finally crossed the line.
“Are you even a real noble?”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I looked into the Kreuz Viscounty, and nothing solid came up! Are you some kind of ghost family? Ridiculous!”
Was he insulting us for being small and poor?
Annoyance pricked my brow.
“Unbelievable. I’m done. I won’t trade with you.”
Working with someone this insulting would only bring trouble.
It was a pity, but cutting ties was the best choice.
He looked startled as I stood up, then lifted his chin arrogantly.
“Then explain what kind of family Kreuz is! If I’m wrong, I’ll apologize and adjust my profit share.”
“No.”
Why should I?
His face flushed red with wounded pride.
“I knew it! You’re one of those frauds pretending to be nobles! I’ve seen plenty! Trying to scam me, aren’t you?”
“You can misunderstand however you want. But don’t forget the Empire has laws against insulting nobles.”
He flinched and shut his mouth, still seething.
Bold when he thought I was fake, scared at the possibility I was real.
I sighed at his pitiful behavior and walked out.
Greta followed quietly and asked,
“Is it all right to leave like this? With his loose tongue, I can discipline him lightly if you wish.”
“No. I won’t trouble you because of someone so pathetic.”
Where had Til even found someone like that?
So I couldn’t explain what kind of family we are.
Other than everyone being good-looking and us being poor, what did I know about the Kreuz family?
Realizing that, a small weight settled in my chest.
“Greta, you know our family well, right? Can you explain what the Kreuz Viscounty is like?”
“Why so suddenly… Is it because of what that merchant said?”
I didn’t deny it.
Greta frowned slightly.
“If that’s the reason, don’t let it bother you. He only said that to shake you.”
“But I’m personally curious about our history too.”
“…The Kreuz family…”
Greta spoke slowly.
“It is small, so I can’t say it is a long-established house. I fear I may say something rude if I speak further.”
“Oh, I see. All right.”
She looked genuinely troubled, so I stepped back.
I’ll research it myself later.
* * *
In a maze-like alley, Aizen moved quietly with a black robe draped over him.
He stopped in front of an old building.
It looked like an ordinary general store from the outside, but inside, a hidden passage led elsewhere.
He gave a code to the shopkeeper and passed through a secret door, then removed his robe.
Someone who arrived earlier lounged on the sofa and waved.
“Long time no see, Duke Kalad.”
“I hope you have been well.”
Aizen bowed and added,
“Your Highness, Princess Victoria.”
Short black hair to the jaw, gray eyes, sharp and bold features.
Victoria lifted the corner of her mouth.
“Thanks for coming. Sit. I prepared tea for you.”
“Thank you.”
After Aizen took a polite sip, Victoria went straight to business.
“The late Crown Prince of Nerdel’s fiancée said he used to enjoy massages, but after hiring a new masseur, he changed.”
“In what way?”
“He became violent and aggressive. He also suffered severe delusions, convinced someone was trying to kill him.”
Eventually, despite warnings, the Crown Prince rebelled, seized the throne, and started a war with Bellium.
“The fiancée questioned the masseur, but he bit into poison hidden between his teeth and died. They recovered only this.”
Victoria pulled out a small glass vial containing a dark purple pill.
Aizen’s eyes narrowed.
“Do you know what this is?”
“Yes. I’ve seen it before.”
“When?”
Aizen paused before answering.
“When a spy tried to commit suicide.”
It was the poison Jena had meant to take before losing her memory.
Victoria studied the vial with interest.
“The masseur died with it too. It’s traded often among assassins, so that’s not strange, but…”
“…”
“The man who killed the Hoffmann young lady used the same poison. That bothers me.”
Aizen’s brow twitched.
“There’s testimony that the Hoffmann young lady was secretly in contact with someone before she died. No one knows who.”
“Hoffmann must have been hired to spread the plague in our duchy.”
“Want to know something more interesting? Nerdel’s war ended early because a plague broke out there too.”
“Is it the same illness?”
Victoria nodded.
Nerdel had hidden the truth while dealing with the aftermath, but the Crown Prince’s fiancée told Victoria everything.
“This is all I’ve learned. To uncover the truth, we’ll need to dig deeper. Will you help me?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Satisfied, Victoria smiled.
Then her expression turned mischievous.
“So, how is it, having a wife even if she’s fake?”
“…No different.”
“Knowing your way of speaking, that means you like it quite a bit.”
She leaned her chin on her hand, eyes gleaming.
“Jena, was it? What kind of person is she?”
“…”
“Come on. Don’t sit there silently. Describe her.”
After thinking about it, Aizen finally spoke.
“She’s like a puppy.”
Small, white, with big round eyes.
He meant it seriously, but Victoria found only a new opportunity to tease him.
“Calling a woman a dog is a bit much.”
“…I said puppy.”
His jaw tightened.
Victoria waved her hands quickly.
“I’m joking. So she’s lively and friendly, I see.”
“…Yes.”
“How is she as an apothecary? Do you think she can recreate your cure?”
Victoria was one of the few outsiders who knew about Bingham Disease.
Aizen nodded.
A brief shadow crossed Victoria’s face.
“If she’s that talented… could she wake my father too?”
She meant the Emperor, who had collapsed two years ago from an unknown illness and remained unconscious.
Aizen replied with care.
“I’m afraid I cannot guarantee that.”
“Ha. Then bring her to me soon. I’ll judge for myself.”
She patted Aizen’s shoulder with her usual confident air.
“…Understood.”
He had planned to avoid involving Jena, but arguing with Victoria was pointless.
I can only hope nothing happens when they meet.
