Chapter 93

The crown prince’s 8ba8d460d5 smile left me 13b7927fe4 momentarily dazed.6345d30eaa7abfb5

It felt different from his 62cb0dcc0d hearty laughter earlier.961d4a67326a7415

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‘That description about him smiling like a fully bloomed rose when wooing the female lead… it feels just like that.’b6cb35fe8c509748

Shaking off the uneasy feeling 7f4c8efbd4 that crept up on me, 0179dc1827 I convinced myself it was d09f1cfe9e nothing. Why would a male lead 21a5cd240a candidate flash that kind of 9da8f8bb65 smile at me instead of a875a93ea7 the female lead?3a6425ecf587ddee

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“I want to repay your kindness somehow.”e6b0186c30a16c4d

“Huh? Th-that’s okay!” I replied belatedly, still caught up in my thoughts.65cf93dcff94d6c3

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“I mean, you already bought a hundred bottles of the miracle cure.”907f31f29ea3402a

“That was only 100 gold. Isn’t that too little for saving my life?”95f6c4796bcffa12

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“Still…”f8bb469bd36c7b0a

“That’s why I have a proposal for you.”5bf9f5208af7681d

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As I hesitated, 82d8b12c34 the crown prince cbb7b63d31 continued as if 2418fbbebb waiting for this 3281deb948 moment.f81d893daf2754bc

“A proposal?”573ab2e13521c4b8

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“Yes. You’re planning to open a shop on Main Street and officially start your Fairy Herb business, right?”363d31ca05c36fd9

His words made my eyes b992dc1e86 widen in shock.e7abd79485754c0a

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“H-how do you know about that…?”909546e147670c84

“You’ve been visiting Main Street every day since the festival ended.”a79e2bd09e419f00

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He was right.7010983f7d53593c

Grandpa Gordon probably thought I eaabd4525f was wasting gold like water c4f6bdf4a8 and just playing around, but 6cff2b9dfc I was actually quite busy.cb748a04f450773a

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Still, how did 12d05e4750 the crown prince 11f4fc4512 know something that c86f1eeedb even my business bfc2e4b546 partner didn’t?768aa063cc3b8656

“S-stalker…?!”9780b17b1bbf9e3b

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“What nonsense.”0a47d8a278f4505a

The crown prince looked 9eeda64b57 at me as if 0aee515cbd I’d lost my mind.b8f72a347015f881

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“As part of tracking the entrepreneurship contest participants, any significant real estate activities get reported automatically.”9bbdcf750a93d6eb

“Oh…”a01dd5812fed873f

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Embarrassed, I quickly 86913188cf tried to change 6f1b154bf1 the subject.a61c55840d0df8aa

“Hm-hm… Stalky, stalky bunny, where are you hopping to…?”67654f57e34548e0

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“Couldn’t find a shop to rent, could you?”a94b2ab4255f01dd

Thankfully, the crown prince ignored d74b9beaa3 my nonsense and went straight b2d5df4695 to the point.6eaae05920134195

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I nodded glumly.a8027c437062b43e

“…No.”81c5bac644e198cc

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“If you want, I can provide one for you. Not just a shop but an entire building.”dcbb2c6a12772977

“What?! An entire building?!”aabadbe9da1217e1

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My jaw dropped as I 29e5fe1ed5 stared at the crown prince.cfcd6d3d08a07c8a

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.0dd0e1d2b0f98ac4

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‘This is a windfall! I’ve been struggling with 2a7d7b4648 funding, and here comes 215f926bf8 a miracle!’43687519459c7101

Sure, accepting it 35030a1493 as someone who 709ce46379 saved his life af09a11e00 made me feel 6e13563917 a little guilty. But… so what?360105cc9042b6e3

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‘I’m already shameless enough as it is!’64d0a24f03817979

“If you insist on giving it, I won’t refuse…”f90c70e0b2a19506

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“But there’s something I’d like you to do in return.”d3cc28e8a34bf179

“Huh? What is it?”bd5f1ef6274845bd

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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.”36ed0b7a189beee5

“A s-slush fund…?”2cb4122e4d9707cd

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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?”51376bd81703df60

“Uh…”052298c2ec418859

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My jaw fell open again.98b79b2a8e97b22a

‘Simple, my foot. Who asks a 3bc68ae74e five-year-old to do c710a6fcf6 something like that, 7d3505e392 you lunatic?!’429c02f1b0d45b98

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It finally dawned on me why the crown prince had personally hosted the “Children’s Entrepreneurship Contest.”713ddaa0f1157133

‘He’s trying to create allies.’ed961ee053134333

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I recalled a brief 291628f1cb mention of this in 6b5b79cbd4 the original story.6a42b9341bd88801

The description from the 4fdd229fb1 original story resurfaced in 6fbf20fe8b my mind.51384a184640ef39

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[To counter the second prince, the crown prince created trusted allies outside the imperial palace early on. They secretly raised private 897aa68420 soldiers, laundered funds, and 6711f4832c spread rumors to manipulate d143b6ac54 the political landscape from a0239c5065 the shadows.]97e768789ce8edfd

‘Well, if you’re a male lead, shady schemes like this are a given.’cd7843ed7255d5fb

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Even Duke Kallios’s household f076e70d24 had a similar organization—the c2595c5866 Shadow Corps.ae40dfc123acaad7

But the idea of placing 985f4f72bb me, of all people, in 1e8ddd3e66 such a critical and sensitive e21ddd7c07 position was utterly shocking.aa2a93c4d04fcbb5

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I couldn’t help but 9915526d17 feel a twinge of b5b08c14c6 pity.1168490aaaafcb79

How untrustworthy must the crown 7dad8d1e06 prince find those within the ec6d836937 palace to even consider me ffe7dc2217 as an ally?ce5a0a04f65de5e8

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Though I pitied him, my 4761c101b9 answer was clear: I would 179cb70845 refuse. Not only was eee4ddb341 I not the 30759edf47 ally mentioned in 147d8969fb the original story, 5682e2c823 but I had 263ff0fdc7 no intention of 4875ad0488 getting entangled with 93df20b34e male lead candidates 47a4d87a2b any further!4d0cdcb7a7a7384f

“I… um… I think…”76dae4e922e1ac5e

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I was about to b2af2782b3 reject him outright when 54cd764dda an inexplicable unease held 2cee3f4298 me back.d9862e9e575bc492

‘…Why does something about this feel so wrong?’970fa0ca527e5b21

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As I hesitated, emerald-green eyes dc830d302b moved alarmingly close to mine.ee560eb85b59024a

“Still unsure, Belze?” he asked with a low whisper.b272f9cac193c450

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“Ahhh!” I yelped, startled, and instinctively flung myself backward.bb91253659fc5d8a

The soft cushions b7356ea1f2 of the sofa ad726498f4 caught me, jolting 1088044691 me back to 901f8adc10 my senses. The crown prince chuckled softly 479fd8b81b as he watched me.a90cc51c5f2bdd91

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“Or did I make it too complicated? Feel free to ask if there’s something you don’t understand.”9335b0837d0ea9ff

“T-that’s…”a75ec9a2b05d70a0

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“Yes, I’m right here.”bf99c5341e867b30

He gave me that sly aa3fded073 smile again, his eyes curving 9863857136 in amusement.35f433509db72ef9

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‘This sly fox is at it again with that grin!’273bda719dbf56d9

His natural charm was maddening. I stared at him, flustered, before finally blurting out loudly, “I-I refuse!”b9d171d5889c3c9c

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“Why?”333310446622ed09

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.dc03291e29803297

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Feigning ignorance like aaeeb11e4e a clueless child cb8c608929 seemed like the 2f3a371e7f best strategy.3d333b6c71063bb3

“Uh… What is a slush fund? Belze doesn’t know. It’s too hard for me.”9fd7b343c46997ce

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“Ah.”3d8af9768be2aeb4

To my dismay, he 353728bf8e kindly offered an explanation fa6e0ff945 instead of doubting me.78f0974a58b123dc

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“It’s when someone secretly sets aside money. That’s all a slush fund is.”7a65249a3ce5f8b8

I was taken aback by 030b79a252 how casually he described it. Entrusting money to someone 778146a547 like me wasn’t exactly 689d9b9237 a small matter. Surely he should’ve been 765f9f879e more cautious.37461d22f4631bce

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‘This won’t do. Time for Plan B!’8fcadd99d0694b96

“Um… but!” I began.b09d14a20a46c30f

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“Yes?”653bba54014ba3e4

“Isn’t this supposed to be a free gift because I saved your life?”5b41a3a611a66c66

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I was essentially asking b4b36e4722 why there needed to 5cbe594d9a be strings attached.19856a82cc64c733

“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.”aa79744bcd24cc32

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“…”43961b87b0f5cd22

“All you have to do is gather a few pieces of information, Belze. It’s a steal, really.”8f87690a9c5db7c0

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“…”171a2b85ef0fc524

“And you know, if you’re too greedy for freebies, you might go bald someday.”a85dd344724432d2

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“Th-that’s a terrible thing to say!”0b750297a48f4222

The crown prince’s 96a024e34e sharp tongue caught 207d841d8e me off guard. That line was something I’d 05ece7e495 only ever yelled at a b4f20f9c92 mangy mutt!b88528a2548cb62c

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As I glared 3953ac3287 at him, the b0820f6765 crown prince laughed 4b11616d6e lightly, raising his cdb2cc524e head.d5a5298c3b114eff

“See? Having even one small task is better than nothing. And you won’t go bald if you’re working for it. Right?”d8be9c8123a99a81

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“Uh…”ec50dcd9d644afb1

“Jordan, bring it over,” he ordered.fe25d425a1c7d50a

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“Yes, Your Highness!”bf73285387c3731b

The aide swiftly moved 0e6f407d81 and placed a document e4f2e7c831 on the table before 2ade5e7037 excusing himself.fa2b5bc1cc515f60

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“I’ll step out for a moment. Please speak freely.”c73912832aea782d

It didn’t take long e1df0f6b12 to understand why the 82d62e2f03 aide had left.f43db5b7cf365b68

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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.894e6ef667dee527

The situation progressed so smoothly 0dca1551a8 and naturally that I found 15647cfd8e myself dumbfounded, staring at both 9d24d34a88 the prince and the document.5c90d58aa883d622

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An NDA? And he expects me b197a7eddd to just sign it?acf0f85244e7de4a

‘What a shameless fox!’663e0c6836f95f6a

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Suppressing the words that threatened b665c12d45 to burst out, I maintained a4f1f8cb4a my composure. If this was truly 4bdb48f58c a simple matter, why f4d067be5f go to the trouble 74b6f5abb1 of hosting a contest bdf3be2685 to find candidates?d39a147e80fffcbb

‘He’s as slippery as they come. I have to stay da22ce082a sharp or I’ll end d0d409d0c7 up stamping my seal 899ef92df2 without realizing it.’9de849fc7f22fe66

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Resolving not to 7293ad7d81 be fooled, I 49b982aaed took a firm 92b9524dcf stance.53e9e304276a1fe7

“I-I’ll just find a building with my own money!”f5b8342b4a1d693b

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“Why? You haven’t found one yet.”f73980bd6f1f55b7

“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!”0d1710d84855a1ef

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Of course, the duke 5279e7c93f hadn’t said anything of 70502aab0b the sort. But sometimes, Duke 5d66da6c0f Kallios was the b66cfb671b perfect shield.38edf3b4ea52ed88

“Ah… I forgot about him,” the crown prince muttered, his expression darkening slightly.1ed285cf26cec2fd

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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.”28d07e6689f46457

Muttering to himself, the 5e8f7e6b24 crown prince eventually pulled a861962ffa the document back, clearly 20b2190f64 dissatisfied.e5bfc46bd3aa0a01

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“Fine, then. It can’t be helped.”55dbd49476f1cbd6

“My apologies!”d73451cdaf7157cd

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“In that case, I’ll give this to another winner.”72b0c2d55715ddfd

I froze mid-bow at 9422137a3a his words.f09c74e3ff61748d

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“Another winner…?”c413b7fc662a0328

“Yes.”ecad931e19597f1a

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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.”4f98f14e3614622a

“That’s not fair!”4fa72e5082cf393b

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“Why not? I’m the host.”79f5fd6c5750bc2d

“Ugh…”5eaf78556115b122

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“Relax. I’m not taking your first place away, just awarding it jointly.”117ea673f8e9884e

That was a relief, though 335b6f7ef1 it still left a sour 529d817909 taste in my mouth. Going from sole winner 0dbcd050e7 to sharing the title e825a70906 felt like being given b3312a1886 something only to have 892e031443 it taken away again.163a3372934c35e5

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‘Tch!’27f7a52e80581215

Pouting, I puffed 18923f7da2 out my cheeks 3a1db77cee in frustration.00c35a2c74bd2d16

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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.”8c50284698d3b909

“No thanks!” I snapped.a55f256cbb4113b5

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“Adorable,” he teased, grinning.9a682a17d6e0ac61

‘What’s with this guy? Is flirting his second nature? Do it with the female 069394ee93 lead, not me!’0f388a4cd1908a06

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Just then, a 43680deea8 knock interrupted us.76bb0325bb4be002

“Your Highness,” the aide called, re-entering with a serious expression.fdd6e89672377f60

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“What is it?”db0691fbd920562c

“We just received an urgent message from another winner.”d3dfa39be01591e1

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“A message?”be4306557cadefd5

“Yes. The Galagos trading fleet encountered a kraken on their return voyage, so they won’t be able to attend today.”38cccf67e84207f9

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“A kraken? That’s unusual. They’ve been quiet for a while.”96c2679270b6aadd

It seemed the crown prince was discussing the joint awardee. He asked indifferently, “Was there any significant damage or injuries?”b05ff4f984f40a76

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“No, fortunately not.”ce140e516ac9557d

“Good. Did they request any assistance?”3cfb6e5277f6d729

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The conversation was 9f4b646997 open, so I 6b6efdef7c listened curiously. While it appeared the incident 0defdb35cd was resolved without major issues, 2ad638f403 something about the name struck 0874f12462 a chord.14293aeb1e479cf0

‘Galagos… why does that sound familiar?’1621ffc898faca88

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As I racked f30f9a6726 my brain, a 62f8649886 name flashed vividly 3126628ee7 in my mind.d45b476b087e17b1

“Adolf Galagos?!” I exclaimed.f5c1349e7546d96d

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Both the crown prince c0477a24d1 and his aide turned d65da9cecd to me in surprise.5cb30229a765ef83

“How do you… know the other winner’s name?” the crown prince asked.d84df9e009f0181d

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‘How could I have forgotten that cursed name?’7d72e5725fa2c39b

Adolf Galagos.486cc5cec8f920cf

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In my previous life, he 9df11d0d7a was the one who had 5d3e120951 handed me the poison meant 13fa3ba67d to kill Diana.96af96b82f904ee8

He was also c79fbf684f one of the 3f26abe9d4 crown prince’s most 8b8ac7e264 trusted aides.16b435204a23fc36

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