“We still need to submit a statement of reasons to the Central Court for now. What should we write?”
Hedmilton asked as he took out his notebook.
Liselotte, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, answered casually.
“Ah, well… say the Head of the House is out on a subjugation, or that I’m busy dealing with proof issues related to defamation. Just write something vague.”
It wasn’t even a lie.
Dragging things out was a kind of strategy.
‘The more time we drag out, the more unstable the East will become.’
Basically, the Four Great Houses require considerable maintenance costs.
For now, they could hold out with the funds they had set aside, but with their subjugation force unable to properly bring back byproducts, no matter how much wealth they had accumulated, it wasn’t a situation they could endure recklessly.
“Understood. I’ll send it with what you said.”
Hearing Hedmilton’s light voice, Liselotte flopped down onto the bed.
“Oh, and add a line that says all negotiation-related contact must go through our aides.”
“Do we really need to? Even if it’s not about negotiations, Sir Ail and I are already receiving the correspondence from them.”
With a blank look, Hedmilton tilted his head.
Liselotte raised her index finger and lightly waved it through the air.
“It’s to force them to approach us as negotiators — and make sure they remember what we’re willing to trade. For example, handing over information about the Eastern monsters for a lower penalty.”
The longer the pressure dragged on, the more money would be lost, so there was a high chance the East would end up desperate for even a single coin.
Wasn’t it a deal worth considering, to deduct a large amount in exchange for handing over some information?
‘Of course, their pride would be shaved down at the same time.’
Even now, if they simply complied and terminated the contract with Virki, and acknowledged the provocation they had directed at the North, it could all end far more cleanly.
To begin with, House Keilos had never intended to hold them accountable.
If they hadn’t been the ones to bring up compensation for damages after claiming the magic stone mine had collapsed because of them, things would never have come this far.
As if he had read Liselotte’s thoughts, Hedmilton replied in an offhand voice.
“They will never accept it. Not the Duke Gloria I’ve dealt with. We should be grateful if he isn’t already shaking with rage.”
“That does sound likely.”
Liselotte lightly fiddled with the edge of the rebuttal brief using her fingertip.
It was still nothing more than a parrot-like string of words, repeating that they had acted according to the contract, according to Eastern regulations.
They hadn’t even bothered to separate the two lawsuits when sending them, as several sections were identical down to every last word.
“The Eastern side’s lawyer was Miro, wasn’t it? There’s no sincerity here.”
Such a mechanical rebuttal brief.
She had no idea what the East was relying on to be able to act so arrogantly.
***
Late morning, nearing noon.
It was quiet around Eren as he sat at the desk in the office.
Ail, waiting in front of him for approval, maintained silence as he always did.
It was a familiar, ordinary sight in the Keilos manor.
Scratch, scratch. The only sound was that of papers being reviewed and signed.
That calm yet somehow unstable silence was soon broken by a loud voice.
“Lise, Lise! Look at this. It’s a healing magic tool I made for you. What do you think?”
“Uh, you’re just giving it to me?”
“Yeah. Since you didn’t even charge a separate legal fee, Lise.”
From beyond the corridor came the sound of steady footsteps.
Following that, the irregular patter of hurried running was unmistakably Virki’s.
Stop. Eren’s hand, which had been signing documents, came to a halt.
“…Lise?”
For some reason, his words were curt.
Ail, immediately understanding Eren’s short remark, promptly reported.
“Ah, for the past few days, Lord Virki has been calling Her Highness the Grand Duchess that.”
As if to prove his words true, Liselotte’s voice could be heard growing smaller.
“If it’s a thank you gift, I appreciate it. I’ll make good use of it.”
“You don’t know how to use it, right? I added a bit of effect to match my pretty Lise. I’ll teach you!”
“Alright, but could you let go of me for a moment? It’s hard to walk.”
Eren, who had been looking at the documents, finally raised his head.
Liselotte seemed to accept all of this as if it were part of everyday life.
Ail, for his part, didn’t seem particularly bothered.
“Lord Virki is very childlike and pure, so it seems Her highness treats him comfortably as well.”
“That’s quite large for a child.”
“That is true. Then I will amend it to mental age.”
Ail subtly lifted his head and checked beyond the window.
Even though Liselotte and Virki wouldn’t be visible anyway, it was just a habitual action.
“I asked Sir Taebon, and he said that once he gives his heart to someone, the Tower Master tends to open up completely. Thanks to that, we have also been getting some help regarding magic tools.”
Seizing the opportunity, Ail gestured toward the documents with his eyes.
“If you look at page 20 of the documents in your hands, you will see the types of magic tools that can be made from Northern byproducts we consulted Lord Virki about…”
Eren’s eyelids creased slightly.
Ail’s explanation was no longer reaching his ears.
The text of the report on magic tools, which he had eagerly anticipated and had prepared, had already faded from his awareness.
Instead, something immediately irritating, like a burr caught against his nerves, tormented him.
The cause was clear.
That was why it was unpleasant.
‘How many times have they even met, for him to call her by a nickname?’
It was a sensation that couldn’t be put into words.
Like the nerve-grating discomfort of seeing something in front of one’s eyes that deviated from the rules.
It was instinct.
As Eren’s expression turned fierce, Ail, not understanding why, cautiously asked while reading the room.
“If the manor has been too noisy, I can inform Lord Virki that future discussions related to the lawsuit will be handled at the Magic Tower.”
“No. It’ll be done in the North.”
“If it’s uncomfortable, there’s no need to insist on that…”
“In the North.”
Rising from his seat with a scrape, Eren moved, and Ail’s gaze followed him.
To him, Eren delivered a notice.
“And from now on, I’ll be attending matters related to the Magic Tower as well.”
“That is an excellent decision!”
Ail’s eyes flashed for a brief moment.
He grabbed the magic tool list that had been on the desk and followed after him, speaking as he went.
“If this goes through, the North’s standing will change. Haven’t we been rather passive about processing byproducts until now? Turning them into magic tools like this…”
Swoosh. Eren snatched the documents and openly held the papers up in front of him.
“I understand. I’ll hear the explanation directly for this as well.”
Overcome with emotion, Ail nodded vigorously and shouted.
“Please do!”
***
Sitting at the tea-time table, Liselotte stared daggers at Eren, who was seated across from her with his arms crossed.
Behind her, Virki was hiding with a frightened expression.
“Lise. He’s not mad, right?”
“No. That’s just his natural expression.”
“No way. His eyebrows are all raised. That means he’s angry.”
“You shouldn’t judge people like that based on their looks.”
“Wuh…”
At her clear, firm voice, Virki’s voice grew smaller.
Having shrunk even more, he had already wrapped an arm around Liselotte’s shoulder and was clinging closely to her.
Eren said nothing and merely stared down at the documents.
Since he sat down, not a single page of those documents had been turned.
‘…He said that from now on, instead of reports, he’d hear things directly when it comes to the Magic Tower.’
She understood the intent.
The opponent was the Magic Tower, after all, and even if Virki looked somewhat insignificant on the surface, she had come to keenly realize that he was a heavyweight.
Ever since seeing Virki unhesitatingly pay a court deposit as large as 6.4 billion gold, Liselotte had come to feel an even heavier sense of responsibility.
And yet, for someone who claimed that his involvement was necessary, Eren’s reaction was oddly off.
Liselotte tapped the table lightly with one hand.
“Your Highness. At least have some tea.”
Without complaint, Eren did as she said and lifted Marsha’s strong tea to drink.
His eyelids were still slightly creased, but aside from that, there was no noticeable reaction.
He merely kept his gaze fixed on the report whose pages were not even being turned.
“…Do you realize you have been looking at the same page for an hour now?”
The moment she finished speaking, the page fluttered over.
‘He isn’t some kind of system where I put something in and get an automatic response…’
Confused by his inexplicable behavior, Liselotte’s eyes narrowed.
