CHAPTER 36
It was a round, pumpkin-shaped, pink carriage.
From top to bottom, it was covered in jeweled decorations, sparkling dazzlingly.
The carriage was pulled by two white horses, both wearing pink gemstone-studded ribbons around their necks.
This can’t be it. This really can’t be it. Where do I even begin?
“Um… Siegren. This kind of carriage won’t do.”
“Why not? It’s flashy.”
He asked innocently.
“We have to advertise to everyone that we’re working hard on a new business venture. And most importantly, this is your style. I put a lot of effort into preparing this.”
Over his shoulder, I spotted a neatly packed picnic basket placed inside the carriage.
‘It just keeps getting worse.’
There’s been a serious misunderstanding here…
“Thanks for preparing all this, but it’s a no. First of all, the carriage is too small.”
“Too small?”
Siegren tilted his head.
“How much bigger do you want it? Should we ride in an eight-seater or something?”
Just then, the doors behind me burst open and knights of the ducal house came pouring out in a noisy crowd.
“My lady, shall we go?”
Siegren looked flustered.
“What?! The two of us are enough! We don’t need your subordinates. Don’t you know that my strength alone surpasses several knight orders?”
Oh my. That’s exactly why we shouldn’t go just the two of us.
Siegren was simple-minded and sometimes more beast than man… but still, he was undeniably a transcendent being.
And he’d just reminded me of that fact himself.
I said coolly:
“That doesn’t make sense. Just a moment ago, you said your wound hadn’t healed, and your body wasn’t back to normal. Now you’re saying your power outmatches entire knight orders?”
“Well, that’s…”
“And one more thing you’ve overlooked — those knights aren’t my subordinates. They’re Father’s. They’re not coming to protect me, they’re coming to watch me. Father personally sent them in case I do something disgraceful to His Highness again.”
I jerked my chin at the knights.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes, my lady!”
The knights and I all climbed into our family’s massive carriage. Sieglen had no choice but to follow.
“……”
He looked somewhat sulky.
Squeezed in the middle of a bunch of knights and rattling along in what felt like a military wagon — this was clearly not the scenario he had imagined.
‘Poor thing. He’s a prince, after all…’
But still, he’s a prime suspect to me.
If I do my job well and earn the right to interrogate him, I’ll be able to confirm Sieglen’s guilt for sure. But until then, I have to be cautious.
Just in case something unexpected happens, it’s best to at least have a witness or two on hand.
Thinking that, I turned my gaze out the window, leisurely taking in the passing scenery.
It wasn’t the most comfortable ride — it was a military carriage, after all. But thankfully, we didn’t have far to go. The imperial mining site was located near the capital.
Actually, it could have been even closer. According to the meticulous guide Aunt Royal gave me:
“The location of the mine where the ‘Lullaby of the World Tree’ is acquired can be determined by the contractor. So usually, it’s hidden in one of the contractor’s own mines for convenience.”
The problem was, I didn’t own any mines. All of mine had been seized due to poor management.
‘That’s why I had to temporarily borrow one of the imperial mines.’
I watched carefully as the scenery flew past the window.
“Is that it?”
Beyond the wide road built for transporting ore, a desolate mining site came into view. Supervisors and miners bustled around, busy with their work.
We had made arrangements in advance, so as soon as our carriage arrived, everyone stopped working and gathered around.
“Your Highness, my lady! Welcome!”
“No need for formalities! We’ll look around on our own, so just carry on with your work.”
“Ah, yes.”
Siegren immediately dispersed the crowd. Then he turned to me.
“See it?”
“Wait a sec.”
I pulled out the contractor’s symbol — a wooden token given to me by the Great Spirit.
‘Aunt Royal said she had linked it to this place…’
A tiny, butterfly-like light fluttered out from the wooden token and tapped my eye.
The next moment, I saw one of the mines glowing faintly. As my gaze focused on it, the light grew even brighter.
“I think it’s over there.”
As I walked a few steps in that direction, a transparent barrier suddenly enveloped me.
The bustling mine scene disappeared like a mirage. At the same time, a magical-looking sigil appeared on the ground.
From it, soft and warm light poured out, surrounding me on all sides.
“Where? I don’t see anything. Oh — is it here?”
Siegren quickly stepped inside the transparent barrier.
In that instant, the light transformed into sharp spears that encircled him, as if issuing a warning.
“What the—?”
He immediately stepped in front of me protectively.
“Don’t worry. You’re safe with me.”
A red aura — the power of the Red Dragon — flared from his hand as he shifted into a defensive stance, his body like a living weapon.
But…
“Siegren.”
I called him quietly. He looked back and froze in confusion.
Columns of light were affectionately bobbing toward me. If the light surrounding Siegren was a wild beast baring its fangs, the one around me was like a puppy rolling over to show its belly.
“I thought we were going into battle or something.”
“Khmm…”
Embarrassed, Sieglen’s face turned red.
“Calm down. I’m the one paying for this place. I’m just here to inspect the goods because it’s the first transaction.”
Hearing that I was the financier, the lights around him calmed down — though they still hovered warily nearby.
“This is a first…”
Sieglen tilted his head.
‘It must be because of this.’
I glanced at the symbol on the inside of my wrist.
Besides the contract, I had received a special request through the World Tree from some powerful being.
That must be why I was receiving this unusual protection.
‘Not bad at all.’
Just as I was thinking that, the World Tree’s mine finally revealed itself before me.
Calling it a “mine” felt like a stretch, though.
The entrance was draped in thick green vines like a curtain, making it look more like the entrance to a secret garden than a mine.
I approached it.
“Do I just go in?”
“Wait. Hold on.”
Sieglen gestured for me to stay back.
“I’ll go in first. Just in case there’s something dangerous.”
He stepped forward and pushed aside the curtain-like vines, peeking inside. He tilted his head.
“There’s nothing here?”
“Really?”
I looked over his shoulder.
The interior looked like the bark of a long-dead ancient tree — rough and shriveled, utterly devoid of life.
But…
“Let me try something.”
The moment I stepped inside as the contractor, the entire space changed.
From the cave-like mine, a mysterious melody began to play, and droplets of sap began to form on the old, bark-like surface.
Green gems — containing the song of the World Tree, its lullaby.
“Ooh…”
Sieglen looked around in awe.
His golden eyes reflected the glow of the emeralds, like a dragon staring in wonder at a Christmas tree.
“Go ahead, Aristina. Try harvesting one.”
Right. Before I can cash in, I need to verify that the product works.
I reached out and plucked one of the glowing green gems from the wall.
“Here. Try it out.”
“Hm…”
Sieglen took the gem and looked around.
“That spot looks good. Aristina, don’t look, okay?”
He went into a darker corner of the mine and cautiously lifted his short top.
Underneath was a layer of white cloth. As he pulled it back, a long wound came into view. It had missed any vital areas but looked serious.
“Ah.”
He gently removed the cloth to avoid aggravating the wound. Then, he glanced back to check if I was watching…
And froze solid when he saw me staring with wide eyes.
“W–Wait! You said you wouldn’t look!”
“When did I say that?”
I explained kindly:
“You said not to look. But I never agreed. That means I might look, doesn’t it?”
“B–But…”
“Besides, telling me not to look is suspicious in itself. What if you’re up to something in the shadows? In fact, this is exactly the kind of situation where I need to watch carefully… Huh? That’s amazing.”
Sieglen began glitching like a broken machine.
“You— You— You’re a grown woman, how can you shamelessly look at a man’s chest and say something like th-that—”
“What are you talking about, Sieglen?”
I pointed to his wound.
“I meant the effect is amazing.”
“…What?”
Only then did he look down at his chest.
The wound, previously scabbed and stuck together with dried blood, was healing rapidly on its own.
It was the light — his body was absorbing the radiant glow from the green gem like a sponge.
As if it had been starving for it.
