Chapter 46
“Creator! That thing — it’s absorbing the life force of others to increase its power!”
Just as Gari said, the sphere that had absorbed the pirate’s body was now glowing a dark, blood-red color.
“That’s not just crude — it’s downright despicable trickery!”
“To win, isn’t it fair to use whatever means necessary?”
The sorcerer gritted his teeth and shot back at the Grand Duke.
He tried to hurl a few more red spheres toward the pirates, but the Grand Duke, burning with fury, unleashed waves of sword energy without pause, forcing the sorcerer to defend himself instead of attacking.
I began to grow uneasy.
“Feels like we need one decisive blow. This stalemate can’t go on.”
Should I step in?
But as if he had read my mind, the Grand Duke barked out:
“Gianna, stay out of this.”
He kept sending out blade after blade of sword energy with the hand gripping his sword, while his other hand reached down to pull a dagger from his thigh.
“Heh. I didn’t want to use this — it hurts my pride.”
But the grin spreading across his lips didn’t look like wounded pride. It looked like a man on the verge of ecstatic delight.
“You said one should use any means necessary to win? Fine, you’re right. First, we win — then we talk.”
From the Grand Duke’s left hand, the dagger began to radiate a fierce, blue aura.
***
Arines stifled a yawn and forced a polite, professional smile.
Touring a fan factory was hardly a thrilling way to spend the day.
Watching rows upon rows of identical products rolling off the line was, frankly, boring.
Then Victor suddenly turned to her with a question.
“What do you think, Your Highness? Are you satisfied?”
“Yes. It’s exactly as I imagined. The color, the texture — I’m quite pleased.”
“That’s a relief.”
Victor, who had been personally guiding Princess Arines through every corner of the factory, looked visibly relieved.
As they stepped out of the dusty facility, Arines found herself longing to return to the palace.
“The Tower Master is supposed to visit this evening. I’d better go back early and freshen up.”
The thought of meeting the Tower Master quickened her steps.
Victor, noticing the princess walking faster, hesitated before speaking up.
“Um… Your Highness?”
Lost in thought, Arines flinched and blinked herself back to reality.
“Yes? What is it?”
“How did you become so close with Gianna?”
Arines froze in place.
“Gianna?”
“Yes. I asked her too, but she just brushed it off and wouldn’t really answer.”
“Ah…”
Arines gave a vague smile, trailing off. Her mind suddenly felt tangled.
“That girl! She should’ve cleaned things up properly before leaving!”
Some people had wondered how Arines and Gianna had grown so close — deeply, even — in such a short time.
No matter how much they shared similar interests, could two people really bond that tightly in just a few months?
“I swear, I’m calling her tonight to give her a piece of my mind.”
Arines grumbled inwardly.
Her eyelids twitched in surprise, but thankfully, Victor didn’t seem to notice.
“Well… it’s kind of a girl’s secret. Do you really want to know?”
Her teasing question made Victor look instantly flustered.
“N-no, of course not. I don’t mean to pry into something private between you two.”
“Good thinking. Thank you.”
Victor went quiet for a moment, then asked again, more seriously:
“Then, may I ask you one favor?”
“What kind of favor?”
“Actually… Gianna is my first love.”
Arines’s pupils widened.
“Gianna? Victor’s first love?”
She wasn’t the most perceptive person, but even she could tell — Victor’s first love was Gianna, not Seo Ha-yoon.
Because Gianna was a possessed body.
The Gianna Victor had reunited with after ten years might look the same, but inside, she was Seo Ha-yoon.
“Oh dear, that’s… tragic.”
Arines clicked her tongue inwardly, pitying him.
Victor, unaware of anything, continued earnestly.
“Your Highness, I care for Gianna, but I realize I hardly know her. Could you tell me what she likes — everything you know?”
“So, you’re asking me to play matchmaker?”
“Well… something like that, yes.”
Victor’s eyes didn’t waver.
Seeing that earnest gaze, Arines hesitated.
“Hmm… this man is the total opposite of Seo Ha-yoon’s type.”
Victor had long, wavy brown hair, tanned skin, and a bold, rugged look.
But Gianna’s designed ideal type — Duke Lupellen — had platinum-blond hair, fair skin, and a lean, graceful physique.
“In terms of looks, the Duke wins by a landslide!”
Still, Victor had qualities of his own.
“He’s diligent, hardworking — rose to become a merchant guild master at a young age. A true self-made man. And he’s not cocky — approaches things sincerely. I like that.”
It was a tough call.
“This is tricky. The Duke — gorgeous but insufferably arrogant — or Victor, not quite her type but loyal and kind?”
They say other people’s love lives are the most entertaining — now she understood why.
But ultimately, it wasn’t her choice to make.
Arines carefully picked her words.
“Gianna likes spending long hours talking with someone — whether it’s about little daily things or the secrets hidden deep inside.”
Victor quickly pulled out a notebook, scribbling everything down, before drooping a little in despair.
“She likes spending time together? But she’s not even here…”
“And when she finds delicious food, she prefers giving it to others rather than eating it herself. Says she gets more joy watching someone else enjoy it.”
Victor’s head sank even lower.
He couldn’t help picturing the Grand Duke — bound to Gianna by contract — eating the meals she made every day.
“She’s also a bit meddlesome. She can’t walk past someone in trouble without getting involved.”
That, Victor already knew well.
Even as a child, she’d proudly declared she’d “dig up clams to feed the whole village.”
And as an adult, she hadn’t changed a bit — after meeting Caroon, she’d vowed to “set him straight” with the same fiery passion.
“Anything else?”
“Hmm… she likes handwritten letters. Says she can feel the person’s heart through them.”
Letters, huh? Maybe I should start a postal business.
“And she really loves surprises — unexpected parties, unexpected guests showing up in unexpected places.”
An idea struck Victor like lightning.
He’d go to the Empire to see her — surprise her. He could already imagine her wide-eyed delight and flustered excitement.
“Still, I can’t just show up empty-handed.”
He’d need a very special gift. Something she’d truly love.
As his mind raced, Victor smiled and bowed gratefully.
“Thank you, Your Highness. I won’t forget your kindness.”
“I’m not exactly on your side,” Arines whispered with a sly smile. “You just looked so hopeless, I figured I’d give you a few hints.”
She leaned closer.
“Money or fancy gifts won’t work on her, got it? Anyway, good luck.”
At that moment, the perfect gift came to Victor’s mind — something he was certain Gianna would adore.
***
Meanwhile, at that very moment—
Duke Lupellen stood, sword in one hand and dagger in the other, unleashing relentless waves of sword energy at the sorcerer.
His one-handed sword strikes were already fast, but with both hands moving — the speed was on a completely different level.
The shapes of the two kinds of sword energy differed slightly, but their power was almost equal.
Barely seconds had passed since the Duke had drawn his dagger, yet the sorcerer already felt as if he were fighting two opponents at once. Of course, he was the one outnumbered.
The sorcerer, driven to desperation, shouted furiously:
“You filthy, dishonorable bastard!”
“Who was it that said one should use any means necessary to win?”
Calm-faced and unflinching, the Duke mocked him while his blades kept flying.
The sword energy hammered endlessly at the sorcerer’s protective barrier — and soon, it shattered.
Shreds of the sorcerer’s robes and hair were torn apart by the Duke’s relentless strikes.
