Chapter 48
“A promise?”
“Ah. Yes. The Duke made a promise to me.”
“Promises must be kept!”
April jumped from the sofa and dashed to Kylen, thrusting the stack of papers she held into his hands.
“This! This is the promise we made to read it together!”
The stack of papers was the storybook I had made.
The Winterford Castle library had almost no books suitable for children, and the few that existed weren’t appropriate for April.
I had scribbled down a few stories, East and West alike: Hansel and Gretel, Kongjwi and Patjwi, The Little Mermaid… just whatever came to mind, on scrap paper.
And April had been clutching that book happily ever since.
“I’ll read it to you! Princess!”
For my little hero, reading a storybook was no problem.
I felt a little embarrassed that Kylen might read what I had written, so I got up and went over to April.
But she shook her head vigorously. Her tousled black hair flew in all directions as she stood there, newly awake.
“Brother! Brother promised! Promises must be kept!”
Her eyes shone with determination, sharper than ever since coming to Winterford.
I ran away.
While April read the book, I quietly slipped away.
Then, when Lea came to find April to help prepare water for washing up, April was caught and taken out, leaving Kylen’s office in silence.
Kylen glanced over the tattered storybook April always carried.
April clearly loved the book I had made; she proudly showed it off everywhere.
Reading it myself, I understood why she had been so attached.
The characters were diverse, the stories entertaining, and the lessons meaningful.
The Duchess had many talents. She worked well, wrote well, and even negotiated effectively.
As Kylen flipped through the pages unconsciously, he noticed the thread binding the holes in the paper had loosened.
He untied it and tied it again, thinking briefly of Eliana’s expression earlier.
Her large eyes had trembled with a light brown hue.
Eliana seemed capable of anything, yet hiding her expressions was not her strong suit.
Ah. She also couldn’t dance well.
Kylen let out an involuntary chuckle.
Startled by his own laughter, he quickly straightened his mouth.
“What are you doing?”
Dylan entered with a coffee pot.
“Ah. That’s the princess’s storybook.”
He poured coffee into the empty cup in front of Kylen, filling the room with the aroma.
“No matter how I try, I can’t make coffee taste like the Duchess’s.”
Kylen looked at Dylan as he took the cup. Dylan sniffed the pot’s lid and shrugged, unsure why.
Kylen took a sip and nodded. Dylan had been right; it tasted different from the single cup the Duchess had brewed.
Perhaps it had a deeper flavor.
“By the way, why did the Duchess come here earlier?”
After sipping, Kylen placed the cup on its saucer and handed Dylan the papers Eliana had brought.
Dylan, taking the papers, examined them carefully.
“Did the Duchess make this too?”
Kylen nodded as he lifted his cup again.
Returning to the first page, Dylan read slowly, eyes gleaming.
“Good… work.”
Standing there, Dylan read the business plan until Kylen finished his coffee and adjusted his glasses.
“Converting empty spaces into workshops reduces construction costs, and the road from the castle to the station is well-paved, so distribution won’t be an issue.”
Initial funding was a concern, but could be easily handled with profits from the Chegre mines.
“And one more thing. What happens to used Torpaz these days?”
“Disposed Torpaz? Usually, it’s just collected. Once it has no value, it’s basically a rock.”
“Is there a family responsible for it?”
“I heard the royal family pays a dedicated group, but we’d need to find out which one. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing yet. Just find out.”
“Understood.”
Dylan handed Kylen the Kisty business report, bowing slightly.
“Good morning!”
As Dylan hurried back to his place, Isaya burst in, cheerful as ever.
“Fighting today too! Dylan!”
Grabbing Dylan’s hands and shaking him vigorously, Isaya then approached Kylen.
“Friend! Heard the news! Don’t be discouraged. Keep trying and good news will come!”
“Why are you so annoyingly energetic this early?”
Kylen extended his foot to block Isaya’s reach.
“After being so disappointed… tsk tsk.”
Isaya barely avoided Kylen’s foot, eyebrows drooping as he clicked his tongue.
Isaya knew that Kylen and Eliana’s marriage was contractual.
Spotting an opportunity to tease, Isaya couldn’t resist. Kylen considered loosening up a little after a long time.
Unaware or not, Isaya went to the trolley and poured all remaining coffee into cups.
“Better stop teasing. Almost got hit by the Duchess too.”
Isaya marveled at how both Kylen and the Duchess could glare so fiercely, then took a sip and grimaced while opening the sugar container.
He poured in an excessive amount of sugar, finally satisfied, smiling with bright red lips.
He had already gone to the Duchess to chatter away.
Dylan shook his head as he returned to his spot.
“Why did you come again today?”
“Why again! It’s boring and cold here; something fun has to happen.”
Isaya grabbed a random book from the shelf and collapsed on the sofa.
“How’s the Crown Prince’s side lately?”
Flipping the first page with a bored expression:
“Quiet… for now.”
Kylen, still looking at the papers Eliana had brought, replied.
“Are you sure?”
Both Dylan and Kylen turned to look at him.
“No. It’s weird. A Crown Prince, constantly picking fights and causing trouble, has been quiet for over two months.”
Kylen and Dylan exchanged glances. Dylan frowned, shaking his head. Kylen stood up.
“Did you hear something?”
Isaya, still with eyes fixed on the book, spoke:
“A letter arrived telling me someone appeared at the slave market.”
He looked at Kylen, unusually serious in his golden eyes.
“Ferdinand was there.”
“What?”
“Well, the slave market is illegal, and everyone hides their faces, but it looked like the Crown Prince.”
“Who told you?”
“You know… Viola Crudup.”
Viola Crudup, Queen of the Black Money. Almost all underground empire transactions passed through her hands. She had recently been in contact with Isaya.
“Viola saw Ferdinand?”
“Yes. Apparently, he just sat quietly and left.”
Kylen glanced at Dylan. Dylan nodded and left the reception room quickly.
How had Kylen not known this?
He slammed the table.
“Ah! You scared me!”
Isaya, about to sip coffee, flinched. Spilled coffee on his shirt, he cleaned it up while shaking his head at Kylen’s sharp expression.
“If it weren’t for Viola, no one would have known Ferdinand was there. So stop blaming yourself.”
Even Isaya’s words couldn’t soften Kylen’s hardened expression.
No matter how meticulous, Kylen couldn’t monitor everything Ferdinand did.
The notorious playboy Isaya had fed information under the guise of sending elaborate letters. Usually, Kylen would know, but this time he hadn’t.
“Anything else?”
Kylen asked, voice heavy.
“Nothing.”
“Give me the exact date and time Ferdinand appeared at the slave market.”
Isaya nodded, lowering his legs from the table.
Ferdinand had a reason for being there. He didn’t act without purpose; it wasn’t simply to buy or sell slaves.
Kylen felt anxious, realizing he might be missing something crucial.
