WARDV 77

CHAPTER 77…

Unlike his usual relaxed look—wearing a gown or a comfortable shirt—Idris was now fully dressed with a vest and necktie.

“Are you going somewhere today?”

“They said the airship hull is nearly complete. I thought I’d go inspect it and maybe prepare for a test flight.”

It seemed the airship development was going smoothly.

Well, it had gone smoothly in my previous life too…

Until His Majesty the Emperor died.

Only then did I remember what I had completely forgotten.

Come to think of it, ever since the Founding Festival, I’d completely forgotten about the Emperor’s death.

I’d almost died myself trying to save Rudian, and then had to deal with Elise immediately afterward, so I hadn’t had the time to think about it.

The one who tried to harm Rudian is probably the same person who killed the Emperor in my previous life.

And based on everything I’d analyzed so far, the most likely suspect was…

“Idris, I just thought of something… We still haven’t caught the mastermind behind the crown prince’s assassination attempt during the festival, right?”

Idris looked momentarily puzzled by the sudden question, but soon gave me the answer I’d expected.

“Deon Zahir.”

Just as I thought.

He was the very suspect I’d had in mind.

“Of course, there’s no solid evidence yet—just circumstantial.”

“Ah, I see.”

“He’s always had ambitions for the throne. Just like the late empress.”

Considering Idris had watched Deon closely for years, he probably had insights I didn’t.

“I see… It’d be good if we could uncover the mastermind soon.”

“Don’t worry too much. The imperial family and I are both tracking him down. We’ll figure it out soon.”

Seeing Idris trying to reassure me made me truly feel that things were different from my previous life.

Back then, Rudian’s incident was dismissed as an accident, so no one even suspected a hidden perpetrator.

But in this life, the imperial family and Idris knew it hadn’t been an accident. They’d continue pursuing the culprit.

Still, it was too early to relax.

Until the mastermind is definitively exposed, anything could go wrong. I need to keep checking in regularly.

While I sorted through my thoughts, breakfast was served.

As he sipped a bit of aperitif, Idris hesitated a moment before asking cautiously:

“By the way… are you planning to visit the agency again today?”

“No. I already told them to contact me if anything promising comes up. For now, I’m going to focus on the bazaar.”

At that, Idris’s expression noticeably brightened.

Before I could even question his sudden change in mood, he made an offer.

“In that case, I’ll look into that for you. You focus on the bazaar—it’s an important event, after all.”

His unexpected offer widened my eyes.

“I’d appreciate that… but are you sure? Isn’t it a hassle?”

“Not at all. Helping a lady is a gentleman’s joy.”

Since he insisted, I had no reason to refuse such kindness.

“Then I’ll leave it to you. Thank you.”

With so much on my plate lately, I was feeling rushed. His offer gave me a welcome sense of relief, and I started eating with a more peaceful mind.

As we ate in comfortable silence, Idris suddenly seemed to remember something and asked:

“Speaking of which, how are you planning to handle the bazaar?”

“Her Majesty the Empress said she’d entrust me with full responsibility. I’m a bit nervous, but I thought it was a good opportunity, so I accepted.”

Being entrusted with full responsibility meant that the imperial family trusted me.

Just like Her Majesty assumes I’ll eventually marry Idris, others probably think the same.

But I couldn’t reject the offer just because of that assumption, so I ended up accepting on the spot.

Still, it wasn’t a bad thing.

Actually, it was a great opportunity.

The charity bazaar was a meaningful event aimed at helping the less fortunate. Participating in it would improve the image of my business.

Even people simply buying something from our booth would feel like they were doing a good deed.

“Besides, since Her Majesty held a tea time event for me, I should return the favor.”

Her Majesty’s rare social event—tea time—had fizzled out because of Elise.

Of course, the real goal was to bring about Elise’s downfall, so in that sense, it was a success.

But from Her Majesty’s perspective, it was a missed opportunity.

That’s why I want to successfully host the charity bazaar—to repay Her Majesty’s kindness.

The only concern was that the event hadn’t been held for a while, so I was worried it might lack appeal.

If this year’s bazaar succeeded, it could reignite long-term interest in future events.

“That’s why I plan to offer something really enticing this time.”

The charity bazaar would be held in an auction format.

That way it would be more exciting and encourage competitive bidding, ultimately raising more donations.

“Now I’m curious too. What kind of item could it be?”

Seeing Idris’s curiosity reassured me. It meant others would likely be intrigued as well.

I grinned and began to explain.

“Well, it’s going to be…”

“So, you’re saying you want to unveil a limited edition product at the bazaar?”

Amon repeated my plan to confirm what he’d heard.

I nodded.

“Our boutique is all the rage in high society lately, right? If we only reveal a limited edition product at the bazaar—just there and nowhere else—people will come out of sheer curiosity.”

My plan was to launch a limited edition item only at the charity event.

“Ooh, that’s a solid idea! It’ll generate buzz for the bazaar and promote our boutique at the same time. I think it’s a great plan, Boss.”

Wig, who had been quietly listening, strongly agreed.

Amon nodded as well, seeming to understand the logic.

“However, whether it’s possible or not depends on you, Amon. Think you can do it?”

“If it’s not doable, we’ll make it doable. It’s a great chance to gain exposure—and more importantly, it’s for a good cause.”

As he spoke, Amon’s eyes drifted to a painting Aria had drawn, hanging in the corner of the studio.

“As long as the materials are ready, it should be possible.”

“Great. Then I’ll be counting on you again, Amon.”

Watching Amon speak so confidently, I smiled and turned to Wig.

“Wig, can you check right now if we can quickly source the materials we need?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Amon wrote down the list and handed it to Wig.

As dusk began to fall, I added a reminder to Wig just before he left the studio.

“It’s getting late, so just check on the materials and go home after that. Give me a status report tomorrow.”

At that, Wig’s normally gruff face broke into a beaming smile.

“Thank you, Boss! I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He gave Amon a little bow and left the studio with a light step.

Though my business here was done, I still had tea left, so I made small talk.

“How’s Aria doing lately?”

“Thanks to the tutor you found, she’s doing really well. Sometimes I think she likes the teacher more than me—makes me a little jealous.”

He said that, but it was clear that he no longer felt pressured to be a “perfect father” all the time.

“I’m glad to hear that. Then… I guess you won’t be needing me to watch Aria anytime soon?”

“Lady Leticia, you’ll be far too busy preparing for the bazaar. Still, if you ever visit her, she’ll be thrilled as always.”

“Hmm… I bet she’s more excited to see Idris than me, though.”

Amon laughed at my joke but didn’t deny it.

“Once the bazaar’s over, I should go visit her again. It’s been a while.”

“I’ll tell her to keep drawing in the meantime. She’s working hard on her art—wants to be a fashion designer like me.”

“Oh? Now I’m looking forward to seeing her work.”

Just then, I finished the last of my tea.

Setting the cup down, I stood up.

“Well, I should get going. Don’t overwork yourself. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes, take care!”

When I came down from Amon’s studio, the boutique’s madam—who had no customers to attend to—came to see me off.

I got into the carriage, ready to head back to the mansion…

…Wait?

We hadn’t gone very far when the carriage suddenly came to a stop.