Chapter 74
“How did you hear that news? My lady, you seem to be more well-informed than I thought.”
“Isaac, we don’t have time for wordplay.”
At her serious tone, Isaac roughly brushed his hand across his face.
“Yes, it seems that under Duke Desimo’s initiative, a mercenary guild managed by the duke’s house has been established.”
“How can it be so obvious?”
“Exactly. Even the royal family is being excessive.”
Voices of frustration followed, as people spoke about how clearly the move was intended to interfere with what they knew was the North’s new hope.
“The master has stepped away briefly to gather information. Business is competitive, yes, but this is unprecedented. Anyone can see that they’re trying to crush our enterprise entirely…”
Isaac fell silent midway through his explanation. He decided there was no use continuing and that this wasn’t something he should discuss in front of her.
“We’ll just have to watch and wait. Don’t worry; it’s not completely ruined yet.”
Even in his attempt to sound optimistic, his words carried a heavy gloom, as though he assumed failure was imminent.
Flora patted his shoulder, seeing the despair in him.
“Don’t worry, Isaac.”
“Huh?”
“There’s a difference between someone who jumps into business unprepared and someone who starts after careful preparation.”
Even if Duke Desimo’s side was wealthy and trustworthy, their goal wasn’t the growth of the mercenary guild—it was to block Lucifer’s path.
What could succeed if it’s done with such a corrupt purpose?
“And we have an amazing business idea ourselves.”
Above all, the North had the Shalia fruit.
If they could create excellent self-defense items from this fruit, mercenaries would naturally be more interested in Lucifer’s guild than Duke Desimo’s.
And not just the mercenaries—ordinary people too.
“I trust that our territory will prosper. So it’s too early to give up.”
“…My lady.”
In Isaac’s eyes, weary, irritated, and on the verge of surrender, there was a faint sheen of tears.
Flora, sensing how heavy his expression was, decided it was enough and waved goodbye.
“Anyway, the target will be reached soon. Let’s give it our all until then!”
Before leaving the office, she made sure to add a final word of encouragement.
Seeing her small fists clenched and her determined cheer, Isaac regained some energy and nodded earnestly.
However, Flora’s hopes were about to be dashed sooner than she expected.
“…Why isn’t he here?”
She had quietly waited in the garden, eating a snack while expecting Count Vitora, but even long after the appointed time, he hadn’t appeared.
“Are you sure the letter was delivered?”
“Yes, I made sure, and he even replied that he would see us shortly.”
Janet looked aggrieved, as if to say there was nothing wrong with her performance.
Flora quickly patted the little sparrow’s head, reassuring her that it wasn’t a question of trust.
‘He received the letter, even confirmed he would come… so why isn’t he here?’
Could he be embarrassed because the results weren’t good?
‘No… yesterday he said things were going smoothly. And it was he who said he could show today’s sample…’
Impatient, Flora sent Janet to find the count. She needed to know what was keeping him away.
Time passed. The sun, high in the sky, had begun to set.
But there was still no word from the count, nor had Janet returned.
‘The walk will end soon.’
Just as she thought this, Dafina’s voice called from nearby.
“My lady, it’s almost time for dinner.”
Since Flora’s kidnapping incident and the influx of guests at the castle, moments of solitude had become rare and precious.
The broken promise and the loss of free time immediately soured her mood.
‘If he’s skipping for some trivial reason, he won’t get away with it.’
Already irritated by Duke Desimo’s interference in her business plans, she was even more sensitive.
Flora outwardly appeared calm but clenched Dafina’s hand tightly.
And soon, the unexpected news arrived.
“Master, no matter where we searched, that man has disappeared. It’s as if he vanished entirely from the castle.”
Flora, drinking warm milk before bed, spat it out in shock.
“My goodness, my lady! Are you feeling unwell?”
Elena, who had come to help Flora sleep, panicked at her sudden reaction and began checking her.
Despite Elena wiping her mouth and gently rubbing her stomach, Flora couldn’t immediately say she was fine.
No, all she could hear was Janet’s voice echoing in her mind.
“Could he have run away? Humans are inherently unreliable, aren’t they?”
‘No… it can’t be…’
But the timing was bad.
‘Just when the news about Duke Desimo’s guild arrived.’
It made sense that a business-minded count would pay attention to a more promising venture.
At this thought, Flora’s anger faded momentarily into shock.
She had been kind to a stranger purely for the sake of helping Lucifer, and yet this was the betrayal she received.
She had given him every opportunity… and he ran away?
Her rising anger made it hard to breathe.
“I’ll fetch the doctor immediately.”
Dafina, sensing the unusual reaction, rushed off, while Elena continued to comfort Flora, rubbing her back.
The doctor arrived quickly but could only remark that the lady seemed overexerted—no clear diagnosis was possible.
“Flora!”
Even though she had only spat out milk, word had spread, and Athanas ran to her room, hair disheveled.
“Are you okay? I heard your stomach was upset, and your complexion looks bad.”
The warmth of his hands on her face brought Flora back to her senses, despite the anger that had built up.
“…Dad.”
“Yes, Flora. Daddy is here.”
Despite her anger, hearing Athanas’ voice brought a wave of sadness.
Seeing her frown, Athanas anxiously lifted her into his arms.
Flora, in his large embrace, couldn’t resist and hugged him tightly.
“It’s okay, Daddy’s here. It won’t hurt at all.”
“Waaah, Daddy…”
“Yes, yes. You’ll be fine.”
Even amid the chaos of a sudden rival business, the knowledge that her father prioritized her above all else brought her comfort.
Flora’s anger nearly overwhelmed her, but Athanas helped her regain her composure.
‘If he ran away, I can just fetch him.’
No matter why he disappeared, it was time to show that anyone messing with a person—or a great demon—would regret it.
“I’m okay now.”
Flora smiled weakly in Athanas’ arms, pretending to sleep.
Once Athanas left and the maids guarding the door disappeared, she opened her eyes.
“Janet.”
At the whisper, the little sparrow fluttered to land on her hand.
“You’re all I can trust right now. Don’t disappoint me, got it?”
“Of course, my lord. Give me any command, even to cut down the emperor—I will accomplish it.”
Flora’s lips curled into a satisfied smile at Janet’s unwavering loyalty.
The news that the count may have betrayed her almost made her lose her composure, but upon reflection, something felt off.
Would someone, knowing that Shalia only grows in Lucifer’s territory, foolishly team up with Duke Desimo?
‘As an alchemist, he knows the value of ingredients. He doesn’t seem like the kind to make such a foolish choice.’
It wasn’t a matter of trusting Count Vitora—it was trusting herself, confident in her own judgment.
‘Then there’s only one possibility left. Someone trying to undermine Count Vitora.’
It could be a resentful retainer who disliked his focus on business, or someone planning to eliminate him because he might interfere with a new venture.
‘For example… someone like Duke Desimo.’
