Chapter 28

Revolutionary Army Status

• Military strength: Lacking [More]

• Equipment and supplies: Lacking [More]

• Comfort level: 62%

• Funds: 450 Den

• Revolution Progress: 66%

Equipment: 170/300 (Lacking)
Food: 100/300 (Enough for 20 days)
Medicine: 130/300 (Enough for 30 days)

HP: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♡♡♡♡

I looked at the revolutionary army info on my watch with a satisfied smile.

The equipment had almost been useless before, but thanks to the recent supplies, it had improved to just being “lacking.”

‘I’m glad I told Ety to visit the villa.’

While reviewing the Duke of Elemoer’s documents after the funeral, I discovered that the former empress’s villa was in the frozen northern land he managed.

And, as it turned out, the Duke had once selfishly used that place as a warehouse for storing military equipment.

The records showed there were still a good amount of supplies left.

Which meant?

I could legally hand over a hidden weapons stash to Ety—without anyone else knowing about it.

That would definitely be a huge help to the revolutionary army.

Feeling pleased, I stretched and turned my attention from the watch to the ledgers.

As for my current wealth:

I had invested 10 million Den into Montela, which had now tripled.

And I still had about 8 million Den left in the empire.

That includes this mansion and the family’s mines.

The business rights I’d squeezed out of the collateral relatives were worth another 1 million Den or so.

I was now wealthy enough to rank among the top ten richest people on the continent.

‘It’s a shame… If only I could bring some of it back to the modern world…’

I could live in luxury for life.

I clicked my tongue in frustration.

Then another thought came to mind—

There were still parts of the Duke of Elemoer’s inheritance that hadn’t been opened yet.

‘Maybe I should check those soon.’

Who knows—there might be something mysterious hidden inside.

I closed the ledger and stretched again.

Not long ago, I had even sold off Fadelmon’s debt to a nasty loan shark for half the value in cash.

The loan shark would probably show up at Fadelmon’s door before the prison guards did—but hey, that’s his problem, not mine.

‘Or maybe he’ll get desperate and try to dig his way out somehow.’

Either way, he’s a rat trapped in a cage.

By the way, while I fully intended to ruin him, I didn’t plan on killing him just yet.

Why? Because Fadelmon still had one last use.

The House of Elemoer had once helped the current emperor steal the throne from Etyas. They were currently considered national heroes… but would eventually become known as traitors.

I needed someone to take the fall for me when I disappeared and left Elemoer’s crimes behind.

Fadelmon was the closest male relative in the family—former Duke Elemoer’s younger brother.

If Fadelmon got arrested and beat up in my place, no one would come looking for me in Montela.

He was my scapegoat.

“Struggle as much as you want until then,” I muttered.

I got up and stretched out.

When I opened the door, the maids quickly bowed their heads.

“L-Lady, the butler has the carriage ready,” one of the maids said with a trembling voice.

She was one of the few brave enough to even make eye contact with me these days.

That changed ever since I called her name.

“Anes.”

She gave a nervous smile and quickly replied,

“Yes! My lady!”

“Could you bring me a bucket of water?”

For welcoming our guest.

“Yes!”

Etias stood in front of the mirror, buttoning up his government official uniform.

The clothes were old and worn out, but in the face of his appearance and presence, that didn’t matter. Like how a dragon is still a dragon no matter what color its scales are.

His jet-black hair was neat and shiny. Below it, his sharp eyes gleamed with icy blue, paired with a strong nose and a smooth, defined jawline.

Whenever he left the house, women’s eyes would follow him.

Some tried to talk to him. Some sent letters.

But Etias never paid attention to any of them. He was focused only on his goal.

Before leaving his room, he walked over to his desk and opened a drawer.

Inside were the wedding ring he brought back from the Empress’s villa, and several notes he had recently collected.

[Move somewhere warm! (๑’ᗢ’๑)ฅ]
[Cotton-lined clothes aren’t that expensive ❉(◕˓˳◕ )❉]
[Let’s go ride horses together =͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪ ‧̣̥̇)]

His index finger slowly brushed across the notes.

Whenever the revolutionary army was in danger of running out of money, bags of coins would appear.

And whoever it was always seemed to know exactly what the army needed most.

A sponsor.

Whoever it was likely stayed anonymous because revealing their identity would be too dangerous.

That’s why Etias never tried to figure out who it was.

“One day, I’ll meet you,” he whispered quietly.

During the moment of revolution, Etias was determined to find this mysterious person.

He wanted them to stand at his side and enjoy the victory together.

For the sake of that silent supporter, he had to win—no matter what.

After closing the drawer again, his eyes became sharper, colder.

“Your Highness.”

Caron, disguised as a palace gardener, was waiting for him.

Though he wanted to serve Etias directly, Etias had the lowest official budget in the government. Caron couldn’t work for him officially.

So instead, he joined the palace as a gardener—just to stay close, accompanying him to and from work.

“Let’s go.”

Etias nodded and stepped out.

Right away, voices were buzzing through the morning air.

“Prince Etias!”

A rough, sharp voice shouted impatiently.

“Come out right now!”

Etias immediately recognized the voice.

It was Philios Regallo, who had been imprisoned recently for disrespecting the emperor. Judging by the look of him, he’d just been released.

And he was completely soaked. What a sight.

With his eyebrows raised, Philios was now looking for Etias.

“Don’t engage, Your Highness,” Caron advised in a low voice.

But Etias didn’t care. He answered back.

“What do you want, Regallo?”

At the sound of his name, Philios whipped his head around.

“Ha! There you are!”

He stomped over, furious.

Caron frowned and tried to scatter the curious crowd watching. A few revolutionaries helped him keep people away.

“You—! It’s all your fault!” Philios shouted, pointing a finger at Etias with bloodshot eyes.

“It’s your fault Katrin changed!”

The name Katrin made Etias’s eyebrow twitch slightly.

“She was always so kind to me—even if she wasn’t to others. She understood men so well. She even supported me financially! Sure, I worked hard to win her over, but still!”

Etias’s brow darkened more and more.

Philios kept ranting, not noticing.

“But then she broke up with me—and defended you! That was the first time she ever did that!”

After that, vicious rumors flooded society, and Philios had been completely shunned.

He used to boast that he had tamed the infamous villainess Katrin Elemoer like a docile lamb.

He’d gained fame among men as “the one who conquered Elemoer” and became popular with women too.

But now, without Katrin, no one cared about him—not even his own father.

“Say it clearly! Prince! What’s going on between you and Katrin?! Huh?! You’re together, aren’t you?!”

He was huffing as he demanded answers.

Etias looked at him coldly and opened his mouth.

Katrin… he only had a tangled, bitter connection with her.

She had tormented him in the past. Even now, she looked at him with those ever-hostile violet eyes.

Strictly speaking, she was a loyalist of the emperor’s faction, and so naturally opposed him.

But as Etias looked at this selfish, ridiculous man—crying about “losing his woman”—he had no desire to answer politely.

“You must not have heard it from her directly,” Etias said coolly.

Philios exploded like he’d expected this.

“Damn it! I knew it! Right after I got out, I went to her house—and a maid dumped water on me!”

That explained why he looked like a wet rat.

“I knew I was right! Damn it! Because of that filthy orphan witch you’re messing around with, I got thrown in prison! I’ll report—”

Philios never got to finish his sentence.

“G-gack!”

Because Etias grabbed him by the collar and lifted him right off the ground.