Chapter 25

HP: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♡♡♡♡

“Thank goodness.”

Seeing that Etias’s health had recovered to six hearts, my tension finally ebbed, and I sighed in relief.

It meant he had made a recovery before it could drop further.

The dealer had given me a proper antidote after all.

With my mind at ease, I stretched languidly and got out of bed.

He’ll be fine now.

Then, it was time to focus on other things…

Perhaps checking the status of my assets.

After a quick breakfast, I settled at the desk in my office and leafed through the updated ledgers that Heros had organized.

More than half of House Elemoer’s resources were already invested in Montela, yielding returns at two or three times their worth.

Meanwhile, I had secured various business rights from the collateral branches of the family.

They had handed them over to save themselves from being denounced in court, making them fairly profitable.

After reviewing the list, I had Heros contact the Scavengers.

Soon, Cain, the Scavengers’ action captain, arrived, and I handed him a contract for a business right that would pique their interest.

“…What is this?”

“As I said before, you can expect even more returns in the future.”

It was my compensation for obtaining the item I’d requested from Fadelmon.

With the legitimate distillery rights, the Scavengers could now gain a stronger foothold in the surface world.

That meant access to even more areas of influence.

And even if Etias became emperor, he wouldn’t touch the smaller business rights of regional lords unless they were openly treasonous.

That was one of the reasons the regional lords quietly supported Etias’s rise to the throne.

So, the rights transferred to me from the collateral branches, and those I handed to the Scavengers, would remain safe for a long time—as long as their holders weren’t part of a purged faction.

If that happened, the rights would eventually become Etias’s.

“Ah…”

Cain was momentarily speechless. He gazed at me as if shocked by the gift.

Converted to imperial currency, the worth of this right was roughly fifty thousand den. Not an easy offer to accept.

I smiled faintly, seeing the suspicion in his eyes.

“Would you do me a favor?”

Although Etias appeared robust, a strong figure akin to a comic book hero, he had suffered years of deprivation and harsh environments. An injury or illness would take its toll more easily than others.

If the story remained faithful to the original ending, Jeffrey Whistler, the guildmaster of the Scavengers, would one day demand Etias’s lung for a special operation.

And Etias, soon after becoming emperor, would succumb to illness and wither away.

I refused to allow that ending.

“Introduce me to your guildmaster, Jeffrey Whistler.”

At this, Cain flinched.

“Although there are many rumors about him being dead or missing, I know he’s alive. And I know you can tell me where he’s hiding.”

With a wary expression, he spoke.

“The guildmaster is not someone we can see on a whim.”

“Then he must be hiding at the guild’s headquarters, right?”

That was the case in the original story.

My sharp gaze narrowed as he averted his eyes, trying to obscure the information he possessed.

“Only when he wishes to see someone can he be met. That’s all I can tell you. However…”

After a long silence, he added quietly,

“This may be presumptuous of me, but I believe the guildmaster has a favorable opinion of you, my lady.”

Favorable? Towards me?

“Although this is just my personal thought, I expect you’ll be able to meet him soon.”

With that, he handed the contract back to me.

“Since I can’t accept a request we cannot fulfill, I must return this.”

I smiled brighter and pushed the contract towards him again.

“As I said, this is a favor, not a request. You don’t have to reject the reward for that.”

“Lady Katrin…”

“And as for the actual request, it won’t be as challenging as the last one, but it will still require some effort. I’ll be asking you to storm Fadelmon’s mansion soon.”

Fadelmon had been growing desperate, even sending an invitation, after trying and failing to kill me.

Once I’ve gathered enough evidence of his crimes, I’ll charge him openly.

Cain regarded me quietly for a moment before bowing his head.

“We will do our utmost to repay the trust you’ve shown us.”

Meanwhile…

In Fadelmon’s modest residence, far humbler than the Elemoer family’s estate, the man halted upon seeing Katrin seated comfortably in the parlor.

She was resting, legs crossed, and calmly enjoying a cup of tea as if this were her own home.

“Please don’t scold the servant. I poured it myself,” she said, not bothering to rise.

Fadelmon frowned. Though well aware of the brazen nature of this troublesome niece, he still felt the sting.

With a gruff cough, he waved a hand and spoke sharply.

“Even if I invited you, you ought to wait for the host to arrive. Helping yourself like this — how rude! Is this how you were taught?”

He shrugged out of his jacket and passed it to a servant.

“Since your parents have passed, it’s fallen upon me to teach you some manners. Truly a tragedy.”

Katrin merely twisted her lips in a faint smirk.

‘Trying to assert dominance, are we? Whatever gives him a sense of control.’

“Then you must understand why I called you here today.”

Fadelmon sank into a chair across from Katrin, brushing down the fabric of his pants.

He had watched her grow from a tiny girl — an orphan he had hoped would shrink away from an elder’s scolding.

“Set down your teacup. Sit properly, knees together. Listen like a person of status ought to.”

With a sharp voice, he tried to impose authority.

“Breaking off the engagement with Philios, mishandling family wealth, bringing shame upon the Elemoer name… how can I possibly stand by?”

He hoped for some sign of guilt or intimidation, but Katrin didn’t flinch.

She watched him with faint amusement, as if dissecting some intriguing beast.

In the past, before the possession, the old Katrin might have been briefly intimidated by an elder like Fadelmon. After all, the death of the Duke had left her as an isolated young noblewoman.

But now? Not even a hint of hesitation crossed her serene expression.

“Then it can’t be overlooked, can it?”

At those words, Fadelmon furrowed his brow. “What?”

Katrin leaned forward slightly, locking gazes with him.

“Then was that why you tried to kill me, Uncle?”

Her voice was sharp as a blade, cutting cleanly through the room.

Fadelmon froze.