Chapter 93

The crown prince’s smile 7a214c6f02 left me momentarily dazed.31e290805ba0a9c3

It felt different from 309c03f961 his hearty laughter earlier.d84df9ee9d9b4cb9

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‘That description about him smiling like a fully bloomed rose when wooing the female lead… it feels just like that.’689620cae08fc985

Shaking off the 5f14dc01d2 uneasy feeling that 818a6e4c5b crept up on 894b4cd71b me, I convinced 3d9c3b2533 myself it was 65b8da3f2e nothing. Why would a male lead 80f7eea9b6 candidate flash that kind of 4e71c49269 smile at me instead of ce6d015d56 the female lead?07e1003f227e635c

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“I want to repay your kindness somehow.”261960fd7124bb6b

“Huh? Th-that’s okay!” I replied belatedly, still caught up in my thoughts.a8cc0d2c676391eb

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“I mean, you already bought a hundred bottles of the miracle cure.”9c7db6a6c180c0c9

“That was only 100 gold. Isn’t that too little for saving my life?”11b496b294d3bd48

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“Still…”7dfc097032e38f18

“That’s why I have a proposal for you.”a064c0b557f1744a

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As I hesitated, the f6deac3267 crown prince continued as 4437cc46a4 if waiting for this 09727c9788 moment.62f28c79bfbadb6b

“A proposal?”75f2a2987d96b2d2

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“Yes. You’re planning to open a shop on Main Street and officially start your Fairy Herb business, right?”6234a4b5af2dfd1f

His words made my eyes 55c2d16b61 widen in shock.6c0a7bba19a38e30

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“H-how do you know about that…?”d8038a1e3af20812

“You’ve been visiting Main Street every day since the festival ended.”73197e403106c0d1

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He was right.075e52f20dae0d0d

Grandpa Gordon probably thought 30349f53d3 I was wasting gold a2e5b3f702 like water and just 2e285ad2cb playing around, but I d1486cf6d9 was actually quite busy.d04bb5ad58aec524

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Still, how did the a4577565fb crown prince know something dc90a8a95f that even my business bd05c29b26 partner didn’t?4c70c2a24427aa3b

“S-stalker…?!”2165d707c5fd1f11

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“What nonsense.”a2ee6035a20741f0

The crown prince looked at 09c04e4814 me as if I’d lost e38d1b6d7d my mind.463bddc0c536928d

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“As part of tracking the entrepreneurship contest participants, any significant real estate activities get reported automatically.”53a00768d7193412

“Oh…”b49df1271e412ceb

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Embarrassed, I quickly tried to 0e6f461137 change the subject.aab6abf390b018db

“Hm-hm… Stalky, stalky bunny, where are you hopping to…?”a16b2d5f4a961aca

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“Couldn’t find a shop to rent, could you?”2657c766a4d2bf93

Thankfully, the crown prince 9a3c907639 ignored my nonsense and 84f347619a went straight to the 2b5e600ad1 point.875b0c74eff9ce60

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I nodded glumly.4fb9d9e5eeb72a8a

“…No.”bb736673741f609a

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“If you want, I can provide one for you. Not just a shop but an entire building.”bbe3e4753a2e04b3

“What?! An entire building?!”2bc18b9acfb0ac22

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My jaw dropped 9e47bbba9a as I stared 11970ea8b4 at the crown 086ccdaad9 prince.57c135e49435cb13

Just moments ago, I had wished he would stop meddling with me. But hearing the words “property owner” made me see him in a whole new light.09e1016d910db930

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‘This is a windfall! I’ve been struggling with 909d691af9 funding, and here comes 8e46e32440 a miracle!’0a72716f293d6bb8

Sure, accepting it 8b5e2ca5bc as someone who b9f45d07b0 saved his life b4e7013c74 made me feel 2606d95a89 a little guilty. But… so what?3c445bbc416010a5

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‘I’m already shameless enough as it is!’16f5f2fe09949621

“If you insist on giving it, I won’t refuse…”741adf59d3169e89

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“But there’s something I’d like you to do in return.”a84a22dc9fa08771

“Huh? What is it?”da5800816c7e9402

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“It’s not difficult…” he trailed off with a sly smile. “I want you to gather useful information from the nobles who visit your shop and help me set up a bit of a slush fund.”ee69e58a77e1e11b

“A s-slush fund…?”79aa53506379fb27

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“Yes. Of course, I’m not asking you to use your own money. I’ll provide the initial funds, and you just need to manage them through your shop. Simple, right?”f21291884f35accc

“Uh…”6bf3728609d27002

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My jaw fell open again.de9abb5cf45793bc

‘Simple, my foot. Who asks a d2af0acbf1 five-year-old to do e8ae7889c9 something like that, d980d0842a you lunatic?!’39ba1d757a33a1d1

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It finally dawned on me why the crown prince had personally hosted the “Children’s Entrepreneurship Contest.”49b21e50fa9960a1

‘He’s trying to create allies.’dbe6cfd36f990305

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I recalled a brief mention 0717747d80 of this in the original ff728f676f story.1a503491dd993c43

The description from the original f5a26ab8ba story resurfaced in my mind.45322ff98e0c84ee

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[To counter the second prince, the crown prince created trusted allies outside the imperial palace early on. They secretly raised 97cf39ad5c private soldiers, laundered 866979f517 funds, and spread cac2788f95 rumors to manipulate e6c16cf118 the political landscape 8b226b28cd from the shadows.]0c0a318d3f9593c0

‘Well, if you’re a male lead, shady schemes like this are a given.’a3542559b5eb89f4

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Even Duke Kallios’s 630a674ec9 household had a eec767f1f5 similar organization—the Shadow 8740191f12 Corps.6ec0fe9bed7c87ec

But the idea 1e2ae8791d of placing me, cd8eaf9eca of all people, 80355e845a in such a c4f9713df1 critical and sensitive e6ad37355c position was utterly bd0d57b280 shocking.54ac1b6e344efb02

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I couldn’t help 8caa99b649 but feel a 9445d27dd4 twinge of pity.979e60e1ab8dd6f1

How untrustworthy must the f73b58fbaa crown prince find those f473b8fc87 within the palace to 0583eb71c3 even consider me as 55d5ac5495 an ally?e2c57387fb26a975

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Though I pitied 3f2545075a him, my answer 02a4af9d49 was clear: I 886bf27b6a would refuse. Not only was I f43b0731ba not the ally mentioned b899d1a321 in the original story, 50b833f50c but I had no 2dac3c5d8e intention of getting entangled 271efca3b7 with male lead candidates 5f2f4b9af3 any further!549d1de82accb6b4

“I… um… I think…”e6160e31346422eb

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I was about to 0a9fe50713 reject him outright when 446808fc0f an inexplicable unease held 18b6e5de8a me back.39375c3bfc965e66

‘…Why does something about this feel so wrong?’2e897bee5039518d

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As I hesitated, 34dc63f8d0 emerald-green eyes moved 79dbf69480 alarmingly close to 0cda2ee76f mine.5771fe6ad5cc3440

“Still unsure, Belze?” he asked with a low whisper.8762a8a498601bed

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“Ahhh!” I yelped, startled, and instinctively flung myself backward.99fedf9ca96df9d7

The soft cushions of 27a98e22c4 the sofa caught me, 38310faa59 jolting me back to 6d2db25605 my senses. The crown prince chuckled d6dbbaf2d7 softly as he watched f67f350761 me.638e8fe0d5af8142

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“Or did I make it too complicated? Feel free to ask if there’s something you don’t understand.”297e0d91f22bdf37

“T-that’s…”e45c40816c8134a0

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“Yes, I’m right here.”1fe5747b9a9e152f

He gave me that 980bfef076 sly smile again, his cb462ba85d eyes curving in amusement.6c1d2b6a91057644

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‘This sly fox is at it again with that grin!’0f4b86686a374945

His natural charm was maddening. I stared at him, flustered, before finally blurting out loudly, “I-I refuse!”c7ac333055bdbbb3

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“Why?”75b46f94d3235d00

The crown prince’s immediate retort took me aback. Ever since the “What are you staring at?” incident, I’d noticed he had a persistent streak.2e42fc645b1a2c86

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Feigning ignorance like a f6ca0384eb clueless child seemed like c941490ee4 the best strategy.6c5c07f622b6d90b

“Uh… What is a slush fund? Belze doesn’t know. It’s too hard for me.”cf902c6be5428165

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“Ah.”151801684e9a82e2

To my dismay, 3a2f838da5 he kindly offered 45a3973751 an explanation instead 1cd6533070 of doubting me.d0065542af626a41

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“It’s when someone secretly sets aside money. That’s all a slush fund is.”737f5cae993c79f7

I was taken 1b0dbd7f10 aback by how 43909fa559 casually he described 7ebe060fc6 it. Entrusting money to fa04c069bd someone like me 267c8899d4 wasn’t exactly a 2c313b7674 small matter. Surely he should’ve been 4a81ee95b8 more cautious.2bc360e417fb824d

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‘This won’t do. Time for Plan B!’352ff152382ef06c

“Um… but!” I began.ef4d4645c0845365

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“Yes?”e80eb6c4addaa34e

“Isn’t this supposed to be a free gift because I saved your life?”67dd52c2f8ea4902

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I was essentially asking why d4a2713fa7 there needed to be strings 5db73addb4 attached.fa9b89ebb5ca8497

“It is practically free,” he replied, tilting his head thoughtfully. “I’ll provide a building to start your business and funds to manage the slush fund.”7b439294d290cbf5

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“…”71a3351c3c7e5ab0

“All you have to do is gather a few pieces of information, Belze. It’s a steal, really.”66da0830a6270a08

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“…”db1d19748926afc3

“And you know, if you’re too greedy for freebies, you might go bald someday.”ffe0ba0a1c1afcda

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“Th-that’s a terrible thing to say!”08033cd66d09f2c6

The crown prince’s aead950948 sharp tongue caught ce121f019f me off guard. That line was something I’d 94490903dd only ever yelled at a b0d1b3d449 mangy mutt!c1976ec8b87f4302

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As I glared at him, e1219ea730 the crown prince laughed lightly, 976781e5aa raising his head.2cea67824c190fa6

“See? Having even one small task is better than nothing. And you won’t go bald if you’re working for it. Right?”af59a63a7ce184ed

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“Uh…”d23dc838227c2869

“Jordan, bring it over,” he ordered.62f84e12583eb607

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“Yes, Your Highness!”06137dad6a5c24c2

The aide swiftly moved 336146ec9b and placed a document 6db26a258f on the table before 70c38c0218 excusing himself.f95b6cdde6adbe63

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“I’ll step out for a moment. Please speak freely.”5fe8b6a3230f247d

It didn’t take long to bbd621f947 understand why the aide had 2c47b91a53 left.c033b51a3aedd29a

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“Here. This is a non-disclosure agreement. Just sign here,” the crown prince said, pointing to the bottom of the page.94a76d8156bf2d0c

The situation progressed so smoothly fd3022ae31 and naturally that I found 5a31427479 myself dumbfounded, staring at both 9adef43bd8 the prince and the document.25a27d39816ff614

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An NDA? And he expects me 2f3abf251a to just sign it?2fa64286d3c9c810

‘What a shameless fox!’bc487edb089ac8e1

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Suppressing the words that 43abc0a8f4 threatened to burst out, 92d5cfd5cc I maintained my composure. If this was truly 9dff5e16b8 a simple matter, why 65274d57d1 go to the trouble 6c00afcd1e of hosting a contest 2c04af4325 to find candidates?75d19a0b17ed4016

‘He’s as slippery as they come. I have to stay dbe42058a3 sharp or I’ll end 36f0233119 up stamping my seal 81f7d4c3d5 without realizing it.’cd576f4d251c648b

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Resolving not to 5f07b54ed3 be fooled, I 3f357b5225 took a firm 5229333967 stance.1c2147f1b146a9f4

“I-I’ll just find a building with my own money!”e9d954a94542fce4

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“Why? You haven’t found one yet.”240371180df2a29e

“I don’t want to do something scary like secretly stashing money! Belze wants to make money honestly! Besides, the duke said he’d help me!”68fd8044d260734d

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Of course, the duke 52724aa9a5 hadn’t said anything of 5804d75864 the sort. But sometimes, Duke Kallios b79884d2ee was the perfect shield.c333bd58434ae330

“Ah… I forgot about him,” the crown prince muttered, his expression darkening slightly.131049d09d584bcf

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“The duke even offered to provide you a building… I suppose that makes sense, seeing how he’s followed you even here.”ff52f60165047e78

Muttering to himself, the crown 132197569b prince eventually pulled the document 3c23f21cd7 back, clearly dissatisfied.defde1f54163ea7a

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“Fine, then. It can’t be helped.”83717d488b7fa44a

“My apologies!”2b8bb1c40f6839a0

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“In that case, I’ll give this to another winner.”dbd3d5509c48258f

I froze mid-bow acc3069c29 at his words.4e02f16c75872ff1

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“Another winner…?”0101a840fde15e07

“Yes.”41f7173b77e66e74

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The crown prince smiled smugly. “Someone who was originally in second place, but I’m thinking of promoting them to first.”0ee57095292d7064

“That’s not fair!”d513e43882cb5f3f

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“Why not? I’m the host.”062c15646caf358b

“Ugh…”19c3afd06d0af6ce

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“Relax. I’m not taking your first place away, just awarding it jointly.”68d3703364c86e0c

That was a relief, though 923431a163 it still left a sour 50cc928e2c taste in my mouth. Going from sole winner to 2f07a9e4ed sharing the title felt like 559c8d7e36 being given something only to 06ca2dfb0f have it taken away again.4cfc500b797e9276

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‘Tch!’6e56062b34a2a218

Pouting, I puffed cdd8ba1f23 out my cheeks 8b51b8ccad in frustration.0405b5a26e5bcf2a

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Seeing this, the crown prince leaned in and said in a low voice, “If you want to be the sole winner, you just have to team up with me.”b9d091b7cf2356c3

“No thanks!” I snapped.5d471c60850e68de

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“Adorable,” he teased, grinning.3b5266129ef986cb

‘What’s with this guy? Is flirting his second nature? Do it with the 33d5ac8203 female lead, not me!’77baca44183a0b81

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Just then, a e68095b35b knock interrupted us.5497d29b33661019

“Your Highness,” the aide called, re-entering with a serious expression.4983f1d8c0dd50ca

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“What is it?”311644df6cc829ba

“We just received an urgent message from another winner.”61798c5278ff77a8

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“A message?”5ded401434b72059

“Yes. The Galagos trading fleet encountered a kraken on their return voyage, so they won’t be able to attend today.”7c737e66ba24ed9a

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“A kraken? That’s unusual. They’ve been quiet for a while.”4c8262bca748f2fe

It seemed the crown prince was discussing the joint awardee. He asked indifferently, “Was there any significant damage or injuries?”8bc94db942158e78

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“No, fortunately not.”62fd706bbd78e72c

“Good. Did they request any assistance?”066d2243db40f4e7

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The conversation was 4e109c66a2 open, so I 34e03373a1 listened curiously. While it appeared the ee3503c749 incident was resolved without 01eb0d304a major issues, something about b33b09b08e the name struck a f0763b3c59 chord.1086d712344a3a4a

‘Galagos… why does that sound familiar?’7d39fdd3c1ea71a7

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As I racked my brain, e41c0dc1e4 a name flashed vividly in 93ed0d5bcc my mind.af80ba03e4a1c586

“Adolf Galagos?!” I exclaimed.c2d127d9cbff0bd0

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Both the crown a657600e24 prince and his 38653cd080 aide turned to df993919a6 me in surprise.5d61e2ef8aa6324b

“How do you… know the other winner’s name?” the crown prince asked.487c6015e6c394a3

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‘How could I have forgotten that cursed name?’a50c529f96761c8e

Adolf Galagos.83785301b9267f3a

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In my previous life, 5f9cdd0e9f he was the one 0530568dfa who had handed me c83dd78a00 the poison meant to 8f0a6b64dd kill Diana.cbc3e847a1d20084

He was also one a06be5f35c of the crown prince’s 22a777f3e3 most trusted aides.bebd14d1bbef66bd

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