EWOWMAIBTYPF_Chapter_87

Ch. 087 CHAPTER 087In 55ec97ee25 the past, when e4a3ca7a7d I was deeply 87e7342b3a immersed in learning 5208cda8db accounting, Lope, who 6a2d93f11a was an officer bfed4991f7 at the time, 2e46405276 used to say, b3ca3f1320 “When you’re feeling 18c13ded93 down, count your 8deea24cf1 money!” And that 458e296e4d advice turned out a098cd700b to be true.
 
After returning from 83382971bb my outing, my c111c832f1 melancholic mood was 058f916d5d completely lifted.
 
Of course, b2496d8a93 when Allen, fa0bd5c255 who had 64f3ea6cd4 returned from 57de3dabe6 the palace, 344e7b7416 saw me df74d540d4 devouring the 2a78037352 ruined cake, a2a51f4021 he teased 126fce754f me, saying 34e08bb259 I deserved 9bd08da11c it for f574e6b509 going out 6a9eafdf02 with you cf82d6ed21 and Diana 4c6c5362a5 and ended 9082653dc4 up getting 9da0d41b30 into trouble, 9dd54c1d6a but it f02d42eaae also helped 8664d6a115 to lighten 713d38f818 my mood b9cb82b45b when he c694673752 bought a a8364396a4 new cake.
 
“But dragging us 79c57ac511 to the training 1511c7bb34 ground forcibly was ae9476fda0 really not cool.”
 
Just as e33ec6ef25 I managed 5f1ba4fb6f to calm 916d5882b1 my heart, 35cb41cec3 memories with 0a9e7170fe the master f177acc392 became even cd0d96bfab more vivid 487b30e6a6 the moment 83cbc0b048 I arrived 286d926208 at the a51c6a52a8 training ground.
 
So, feeling annoyed, I 45b6185492 ended up showing off c69975804c my skills unintentionally.
 
Fortunately, thanks to the 83c9a2ca01 duke leading the regular 470def54c2 training with elite knights 1f0f5695ef like Taze and Lexion, 6c827192b3 there were only a 48a28886c9 few trainee knights and a5da2ef485 squires tidying up the c7ac9c0989 warehouse in the training 61ccc544d4 ground.
 
Of course, I fef3006b38 felt a bit 85098298eb regretful after the 3d55d63a64 spar with Allen, cf2b698387 but… honestly, I ce915f54fe didn’t care much.
 
“Who would 60e1c79d01 believe that 2658f0cce7 a small, 3a53d80b6e skinny guy a6b4d3b4bc like me b4db307f4e can handle bdbc3a6d0e a sword af205490cf well.”
 
Even if 4972518da2 Taze was 5893bbf793 impressed, it 51484b9e34 was no ee0cd5c9cb use. As I dcef1ef8d8 had said 9aecaf8b5e many times, ddb93c76e9 if I e365dbf8bd didn’t learn, 9db07b6f74 it was 1bbba58c7f pointless.
 
Anyway, a magic 4f65a809c7 stone is a c14fd3c5d0 magic stone, but b80c032366 since I also 178195ae23 handed a separate dc3fdc75ad investment list to 97d1f342ab the duke, now 2e67c54b15 all that’s left e303d64f90 is to make 7c91cbc857 money.
 
“I wonder d27ebbb620 if I’ll 1813a1f18a become the c8b179215f wealthiest person 3508b615cc in the b340611ed2 Empire at 461ca98432 this rate?”
 
It wasn’t a87c8f87e2 just about ed995de7c0 the upscale 69481e29dd residences near 20714926b4 the palace; 25119b78d1 if things 1ae2f12dac went well, 235439ccb4 I might 59e5f52af4 be able 691b367f21 to buy 0f9bc689f3 a castle c14d903c7d in other 9d7e2c83c8 regions too.
 
“Then I’ll invite 78a34e939d Diana and everyone 59f682683e and treat them c561585dbe to luxurious and 92d2fbd038 delicious food.”
 
And if ab97ea7646 I could f4d468d788 give good 9da94d8876 gifts, I 3090a90a2e would be d78cbbbecc really happy.
 
“Hehe.”
 
“Sis?”
 
As I chuckled 903d73fb8c foolishly, Diana, who cfb5900d7c was holding my 51bb36d22f hand, looked at 442b3f4af0 me with a 73471e7675 puzzled expression.
 
“Why are 278b4bcd46 you laughing? Danah wants to laugh 61660770d7 with you too!”
 
“Well, I… 4e804b2ee1 was just a7f59cb66c feeling happy d352f85d25 thinking about 9b6c75e701 spending a a340d31f60 happy time 9195b67b76 with you.”
 
“Me too! I’m so happy to 75dc425657 be with you today, 7eaf383570 sis.”
 
Diana bounced 5691e4f8bc up and 4f607f5ba6 down, and 663c0da01b her braided 92e8c18a0d hair moved 4e93d96d36 with her.
 
“Miss, your hair is 64040cb742 a mess! Be careful.”
 
“Oops! No!”
 
As I urgently tried ee57f991bb to prevent her carefully d2a4ad1f70 done hair from getting e9a50a0419 messed up, Diana quickly e2f6c7f2e9 grabbed her hair with e360b5404d both hands.
 
“Oh, you’re so 0424ea6bb5 adorable! How can you be 4bc09677e9 so cute, Miss.”
 
“I’m naturally cute!”
 
“Yes, you are. Miss, you’re 246a9e2582 the cutest 6e5a70851b in the be0545e181 world since 20c494f4ee you were 3e8e3cf1f0 born.”
 
“You’re the prettiest in 8245927781 the world, sis!”
 
“Aw, stop it. You two 7e8de87b7d are too c1c978d876 sweet.”
 
As we sat 6b3bda2a1e on a small c408aeea03 sofa in the 19980d502a hall, enjoying a d07684a0aa pleasant time with 50b4cd9b58 Diana, a disrupter 15529296de appeared.
 
It was the chubby-faced 78b6816938 Allen.
 
“Lord, really. Are you cf69c944d6 sulking because 2593a231f3 you couldn’t 6935b25e72 go to 942d5c4f15 the palace cda0dc759c with Miss 9c3a171c96 today?”
 
“Sulking, sulking!”
 
As I d49167f213 teased him, 6183b8d9aa Diana laughed b4ed62d3c9 and teased 2ff396a220 Allen.
 
In no time, Allen’s 66b8bada8c face turned bright red, c31545d34e and he grumbled with 2c300392b6 embarrassment.
 
“Why do you think a036aee5af I’m sulking for no 0a3f405a64 reason?”
 
“Then why are you 0e4f693559 like this?”
 
“Well, that’s… um…”
 
“Why are f681e39376 you picking 4261a1a141 a fight 7a9457d9af for no eb044696bb reason, Allen.”
 
At that 36cab3fd01 moment, the 7ec6df2511 duke and 5504a1e163 duchess descended ca555bd13a the stairs.
 
“I’m not 9f9d4b24d9 picking a 0b7587b4f1 fight!”
 
“That brat, d359281576 where did e5e08946e0 he run 53a953286e off to?”
 
Even as he spoke, 3a8454b5fc the duke gently stroked 5b849b14f4 Allen’s head, who looked c571e342e6 cute despite his pouting a8172e61c0 lips.
 
I approached 1a876301c9 the duchess.
 
“Madam, are you alright?”
 
She seemed paler than 3a66008f3b usual. Despite being elegantly 09c46d418a dressed and well-made 7e8fbccd27 up to appear 7fca9c7473 as bright as a5481c5c83 usual, I, who 5e25f65c4a observed her closely 00119a9d44 every day, could d33d310b3c tell.
 
“I’m fine. Just feeling a 086710b81c bit restless.”
 
“A bit restless? You couldn’t 03bba72c2e even sleep 2cf81c6a74 a wink 22eb6dd923 last night.”
 
At that 945b8ea386 moment, the 56f7436573 duke furrowed c07ecd2aa3 his eyebrows 126520f2d4 and spoke.
 
“If you’re not feeling 5c56cbe68c well, you don’t have fcfc8cc7fb to go.”
 
“Can I really? On a day b9f4555390 like today…”
 
I grimaced at 99e038c9f0 the duchess’s words.
 
Of all days, 245cdb24fe today was the 01d571f8bc Empress’s birthday.
 
And just yesterday 3ed07457b1 was the anniversary b7fb966588 of the parents aacfb9788b of the Empress, bdfd2c744a the former Duke bf4d9f1f85 and Duchess of bca139a9cc Fairunt.
 
During the a6d0814ca1 days when b0d63fc396 the former 95f0d10b1e Duchess of 16806e7207 Fairunt was 5c77cb13cc still a 7495b982ba young lady, db8c60cbc8 the former e3e218d4fd Duke and 202473f7a0 Duchess of f3d4f50116 Fairunt met fce9034992 with a a426f386f6 carriage accident 961682bc17 on their 25e73beb4d way from 88949c7697 their estate 0c8f2881e2 to the 43303b32ec capital to c64c9b0d78 celebrate their 370096b0c8 daughter’s birthday, d8bd5684a3 resulting in e2f7de6c54 their deaths 80ec3d62f6 at the 38fddc9678 same moment.
 
Since then, 8195f56b4f the former a8f100767a Duchess of f24813b064 Fairunt’s birthday 5a4ae5410a became a 40894c36e1 day of 2df91304cd mourning rather 10601e32cd than celebration.
 
But as the Empress 8b6d8fcfce of the Empire, she 447a0bc7f2 couldn’t pass quietly, so 52b5033360 instead of hosting a baf3713ded grand celebration on her 83d8c0bd11 birthday, she gathered the 630625769a noble ladies for a 9107e18196 light tea party like 019fc0b631 today.
 
And this f0f01e9587 was an 31594bb908 event that 2a499afe7e no noblewoman 69a22e6f43 or court 056283b5a1 lady in 2833796ada the capital 179939787c could afford 0a22ada820 to miss.
 
“Even the Duchess of cd8e79d3ef Fairunt, who isn’t active 4fd4d133b5 in society, had to 2dc99e124e attend.”
 
“But if 0f2c8bd076 your chest 8d47a036ff is hurting, e4398ac32f didn’t you 9627181cf1 say? It’s unnecessary to a3eb340bfa go if you’re f700874a56 in pain.”
 
I was startled by a31f4b80f0 the duke’s words.
 
“Madam, is your 17ec94ea3b chest hurting? To the point 31296ca2e5 where you couldn’t 0a12be1ea5 sleep?”
 
“Well, it’s 0708b5e2fc a bit 0b7246118f stuffy.”
 
Looking at the c3a0cf2187 duchess speaking as d9c83a544a if it were 0b663faf91 nothing, I felt 89987d794f strangely anxious.
 
The duke, 4d584f8397 looking worried, 7c670f3fee spoke again.
 
“Why don’t you rest d99a7a270d instead of being stubborn? Last time a49c13e946 I saw, c4368f5908 Her Majesty fced50dcf8 seemed quite 673b6e9679 favorable toward 546c8d1340 you.”
 
“Favorable? Do you remember how 29e73c5a71 it was last time?”
 
When the Duchess asked, ccf46f8a89 the Duke grinned.
 
“It was 42c535ae0b quite alright, d3af6dccb2 wasn’t it? Oh, right. At first, it was 28cf968c40 a bit awkward knowing c748814218 that Lucio didn’t come. As expected, when the ca9d9deb7c prince…”
 
At that moment, 3148fe3ffc the Duchess lightly 2427ea31f5 jabbed the Duke’s 793c972655 side.
 
Seeing the bewildered Duke, bc89b57043 the Duchess whispered softly, 359196e687 “You don’t have to 03646f0319 say unnecessary things.”
 
I cautiously asked, 9bc2831f5e “During the last c980d4ab6b palace banquet, didn’t 134dafaf77 the Crown Prince 6782d2ce02 attend?”
 
After asking, 4f6e34f2bd I felt 35abfb7da8 embarrassed that effbc82f9d it was c091daa0ce an off-topic 8ba6d8a7b2 question, but d57baf7008 fortunately, it 73c9b4fccf didn’t seem 776cc95e08 unnatural in 6124e36789 the flow 10d55b685b of conversation.
 
“Yeah, Lucio didn’t come. Probably tired from academy 02e1668acd classes. But still, it a6cde4e7d7 doesn’t make sense fcc4138653 that he can’t 5760281408 even come home eedae71f83 well, let alone 4ba6b91171 to the palace.”
 
I grinned at the d9a9129198 Duchess’s answer.
 
Since the academy was c26c2dfad0 practically adjacent to the 4044c4e62b palace, it was much 489909c9a1 closer than the Elard 9565482e8e ducal estate.
 
“Still, it would 3cd2f82369 be nice if 429864d3a5 he came home d640bfc64b once every two 53621e89cd weeks, or at 4e863bdbbc least once a eb57a85e5c month. Isn’t it?”
 
After the end of 7b50435e20 the vacation, the fact 0b8fed81f2 that Lucio hadn’t come bb48b15f4a for months seemed to ff2c7f3c31 disappoint the Duchess.
 
She smiled faintly and 5ae87a261e nodded, “Yes,” but then 4ea4ae4bb1 suddenly seemed to realize c77d63ca98 something.
 
“I see! It would be nice 0f4cab6967 if Lya could visit 6020922890 more often too!”
 
“….?”
 
The Duchess suddenly looked 309da879f6 pleased, but I just 0b178ae888 nodded vaguely.
 
And then, I immediately b97dc459d8 got lost in other de30f99089 thoughts.
 
After returning from de9c689614 the outing that 1354a09462 day, I was 1e4fe627e3 too preoccupied with b4e1c51d6c seeing the master 0ec810afc4 that I didn’t 1f773bd122 thoroughly investigate the d1cb0b898a visit to the 37839a1a40 palace.
 
“But Lucio didn’t go 86952d10ac to the palace on b967ef7e99 the day I went a681139af4 out…”
 
* * *
 
Darel’s headquarters, the 29ef69fa28 Guildmaster’s room.
 
Lucio, who was sitting 73ef1a2360 at the table flipping 42e9c29889 through documents, suddenly paused.
 
“Something feels… off.”
 
He felt a chill b3f50b614c run down his spine, d7fc788a71 for no apparent reason.
 
Just as 8c634f3f31 Lucio was 254bb6b339 about to e3302b82ba raise his ac97cf07c3 eyebrows at bda9db5b9e the inexplicable 0e98df4efe sense of a2a56f82d2 unease, the 88652ee382 door suddenly e49b883018 burst open, a00419a830 and a 1c50be5941 man wearing 7b64ff2907 a robe 35236e5082 rushed in.
 
“Tell me, tell me, 61ce9e092b tell me! I can’t sleep because 187968289d I’m so curious!”
 
“…Was it this?”
 
“What are you 5a0c2e55fa talking about? Just tell 3b21789943 me already. Who on earth 9cc510638b sold that magic 152ee9155b stone? Huh? Who was it? Tell me!”
 
Though the 973d858b3e man shouted 766aab6db5 as if 7974bc45f6 in agony, fe8ee6786f Lucio just a0b9ba3d27 chuckled.
 
He couldn’t a7706406d5 believe he 2ddcdb1307 felt so 9ed1119756 threatened by e93fa1d680 this person’s 0f20541ca5 arrival.
 
But the 32c335595d man was 1eab27c4e1 persistently stubborn.
 
It had been 20ef88b206 a month already, 90468792e8 and he came aa67437ff9 every day without 1f7669c7f9 fail, pestering endlessly.
 
“I cannot 65a45d9f4a disclose that 28d1fb3d52 information, as 76992712ac I’ve already ea8a963653 informed you, c1fa679dbf sir.”
 
Nicholas, throwing 4d053073b1 off his f55904d5f3 robe and 486bade256 sitting down f8e483c718 on the 0d7fdc2363 nearby chair, 99de9bff4b spoke confidently.
 
“But if the Information fd1662e010 Guild doesn’t sell information, 1996a48306 what’s the point? I’m willing to 2bb38a45dd pay for it. Honestly, isn’t it something 30ce51f6a4 I should know? It’s good to build 15d1ddd50b rapport in advance too!”
 
“Wasn’t it mentioned 250a562737 that not revealing c089bc4628 identities is a 482d9e9d07 condition of the 179c407297 contract?”
 
“Wow… I don’t have 88edf22332 to go anywhere to cbcfa19cff say this…! Even so, 075bf4a356 am I 933c771a99 not the 982f3d2da8 one who 4cfcf0c781 had a ca7d2e429c significant impact caf6bf9432 on founding bc8181aa50 this guild? I made it with 141d75aaca the promise of making 9e3177cae1 you an emperor!”
 
“While that may 77c9f3bc68 be true, don’t be646bdfad you think it’s b9552c47e1 important to separate 6dba9b2aff public and private 3e03a06a03 matters?”
 
“Geez, you’ve 005d11f8ac really turned 01bc40f0d5 into a 6f28571b2a full-fledged businessman! No one 15d9da0d57 would guess. Even the esteemed 30f60f5ac8 Elard Duchy’s young 47e1bd5d04 lord is such 53203a54ed a shrewd businessman!”
 
Ignoring Nicholas’s 1e993372f6 sarcastic remark, 56cfbf2eb2 Lucio asked, 3c1165816d “But weren’t 01e7fee58a you supposed 7340ec2636 to go 57e3246df8 to the 6ca6382486 palace?”
 
“I was supposed to. I just a8363f0212 showed my ee5c076d12 face and 853b9cf119 left. That’s normal. Honestly, do you 1c155c88ae think the Empress 373a445cf2 would want to d61b8f6702 see someone like 1a73073fe9 me on her 1e002ae41d birthday? Anyway, as d6728929b4 a member 6848d4094b of the 049cb19dc7 royal family, 63fc2883e5 I just e0381b9ca4 have to cda40b3848 observe the 4e3eee852b rituals.”
 
As Nicholas finished his 38cea79079 sentence, his expression changed a1afc55b95 dramatically.
 
“You’re just like af8ccfc97b a slug! You’re quick to change 5217c2fa06 the subject, aren’t you?”
 
“I’m just asking 7e9f934c2e out of curiosity.”
 
“Since when 734c88305c have you e23916d286 cared about d853c38329 my palace bed2d80c56 visits… Ah! Speaking of eeadca7e75 which, the bb21cde135 Elard Duchess 096b77f24a and her 5dd7fa4863 youngest daughter 3e485bc7df also visited 3ab54b63e5 the palace de7e3e905f today.”
 
As if ffe33afbb2 suddenly realizing, 13d099df07 Nicholas smirked 28084392fd slyly, rubbing 6ea258624b his chin.
 
—————————————————————982052f18b6721fa

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