Chapter 64
Inside the carriage, I looked at the ring on my fourth finger and tilted my head.
It looked important—was it really okay for him to give this to me?
I was planning to sell off the mine and run away to Montella anyway.
And what did he mean by that?
“You’ll have the whole world someday.”
Those blue eyes that had stared at me… They were completely different now compared to when I first met Eti after possessing this body.
His once-cold eyes now held emotions so intense, they felt like those of a beast ready to devour everything.
I felt slightly shaken and brushed my shoulder. Then, I checked my watch for updated status info.
Revolutionary Army Status
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Military Strength: Stable
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Equipment and Supplies: Sufficient
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Comfort Level: 78%
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Funds: 13,800 den
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Revolution Progress: 92% (Near Completion)
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HP: ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♡♡
With better nutrition and higher comfort, Eti had reached 8 hearts.
Smiling slightly, I looked again at the ring, feeling like a game character had gifted me something.
When I return to the real world, I’m taking this with me.
The next day, the emperor was scheduled to visit the Elemoer estate.
It was obvious why he was coming.
It was because of the article I had recently published about the Elemoer mine.
[Traces of Eladium found in the Elemoer mine—experts say large deposits likely…]
[Elemoer estate to become richest on the continent?]
[Philios Regallo misses out on Eladium heiress, still ugly.]
“I lied about there being tons of Eladium in my mine.”
If the emperor were foolish enough to buy it without checking, it would’ve worked out for me—but he wasn’t dumb.
So he brought the best mining expert to inspect it.
And that expert? None other than Duke of Montella.
“The Scavengers must’ve passed him information about me—it won’t be hard.”
In the original story, the Duke of Montella had a condition called Beast Peak—a transformation into an animal he couldn’t control.
He once visited the Empire to look for a lost family-made cure. The episode was short, but it existed.
He probably also contacted the Scavengers in the original, but came back empty-handed.
“Because the cure recipe was actually in the Elemoer library.”
And the greenhouse plants like the Kyria plant, and Aglia’s weakness… The Elemoer Duke really did keep a lot of powerful secrets.
All of it had been inherited by me—now it was mine.
Rumors said the Scavengers had the cure, but that was because they had some rare ingredients.
I had already ordered the cure to be made at the Elma Pharmaceutical lab I’d set up.
In the distance, the emperor’s fancy carriage arrived.
Two carriages stopped—one likely belonged to the Duke.
Soon, two men stepped out of the carriages.
“I greet His Imperial Majesty.”
I placed a hand on my chest and bowed properly.
The emperor’s snake-like eyes scanned me up and down.
Ugh. Gross.
Then I turned my gaze to the other man approaching.
“So this is him…”
A tall, broad-shouldered man with pretty silver hair and emerald-green eyes.
The ruler of Montella, a land blessed with nature.
He didn’t exactly match the sleek, handsome image I imagined from the novel—but he was still good-looking.
“Catrin Elemoer greets the Duke of Montella.”
Still, no one was as handsome to me as Eti.
The Duke replied calmly in a low voice,
“Duke Lancelot Ovier of Montella. A pleasure to meet you, Lady Elemoer.”
I gave him a soft smile and met his gaze.
He was the future ruler of the country I planned to rely on—best to leave a good impression.
But then…
“Why does he feel… familiar?”
Later, in the Elemoer estate’s garden, we sat for tea.
The air was full of fragrance from the blooming flowers.
“The scent is rich.”
“The tea leaves are from Mount Daunon. Quite rare.”
The emperor nodded, satisfied with my hospitality.
Meanwhile, Lancelot held his teacup and calmly looked around the garden.
“A chance to speak privately without the emperor… I’ll just have to make one.”
Catching my signal, Heros approached with a plate of biscuits.
The rich, buttery smell made the emperor immediately grab one and bite in.
“Duke, do you have someone you’re seeing? A fiancée, perhaps?”
“No, not yet.”
“Oh? Then how about Lady Elemoer here?”
“She’s recently broken off an engagement and is my right-hand woman. Her title ceremony is coming up soon.”
What kind of nonsense is this guy saying?
I frowned slightly, but Lancelot just kept calmly observing me.
“Let the young ones get to know each other first, take their time and—ah-CHOO!”
Suddenly, the emperor began to sneeze.
“Achoo! Achoo! AH-CHOO!”
Three sneezes in a row. He rubbed his nose, scowling.
“What’s in these biscuits?”
Heros answered from behind:
“Just flour, butter, salt… and a little basil.”
“Basil? Dammit! Why the hell is that in a biscuit?!”
He sneezed again, face scrunched in frustration.
The emperor was allergic to basil.
It caused red rashes and sneezing fits—but this wasn’t publicly known.
I knew because I’d read the original novel.
I made a sorrowful face and apologized with concern.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry, Your Majesty.”
“Do you have any allergy medicine?”
“It’s faster if you get a shot in the estate’s medical room. Heros, why are you just standing there? Go!”
I stood up, pretending to be flustered, and raised my voice to Heros. The emperor also stood, still sneezing.
“Lady Elemoer is an investor in Elma Pharmaceuticals. She must have medicine on hand.”
Suddenly, Lancelot spoke while sipping his tea.
I turned to him with a smile and replied softly,
“Yes, of course.”
I nodded to Heros, and he helped the emperor away with the attendants.
“I’ll stay here and take care of His Majesty’s guest. Please rest well, Your Majesty.”
“Achoo!”
The emperor sneezed in response and disappeared from sight.
I sat back down, now calm and composed.
With the emperor gone, silence fell between me and Lancelot.
“If you knew I had something you needed, why didn’t you reach out first?”
He could have contacted me after dealing with the Scavengers—but instead, he came here with the emperor.
And it’s not like he was close with the emperor either.
Lancelot, sipping only tea, furrowed his brow and said:
“I did try to contact you directly.”
“…?”
“But Beast Peak activated… so it became a different kind of meeting.”
I had no idea what he meant.
“After that, I had no chance. You’re always so busy.”
Still, it meant he wanted to talk. If he needed my cure, then this conversation mattered.
“I’ll just assume we missed each other, then.”
Lancelot gave a quiet chuckle and said,
“I’d only heard rumors about you, but I see now they’re not to be trusted.”
Not wrong. The rumors probably started before I was even really me.
“What do you want in exchange for the cure?”
“Today…”
I smiled and lifted the documents I had brought in a briefcase, placing them on the table.
These were investment papers for Montella—documents I couldn’t let the emperor see.
They contained proof of my massive investments in Montella after realizing I had possessed this body.
“I want to make two deals with you, Your Grace.”
Lancelot’s emerald eyes trembled as he looked at the documents.
He turned to me with surprise—clear and intense in his gaze.
