Chapter 42
“But what are you going to say about the fact that Cassia has been protecting me all this time?”
“I’ll say I used you. I’ll act like you were too naive to realize. Even though you’ve been cast aside by your family, I’ll frame it like you’re still useful to keep around. That’s how I’ll spin it.”
Hearing that didn’t feel good, but I had to admit—it was entirely plausible.
“But is there a particular reason why you want to bring that up when meeting those people?”
“Yes. I want them to see that Lady Hestia has entrusted me with full control over the gold mine in your territory. You don’t know how much gold is being produced or who’s transporting it, so it’ll look like I’ve been embezzling without your knowledge. I’ll make it seem like I’ve been using you.”
I shook my head in disbelief, partly impressed that he’d thought things through even down to the choice of bribe.
“What do you think?”
“It’s a solid plan. I think it’ll work on them. They’re probably dying for a reason to drag me down—this’ll make their day.”
“Right?”
Cassia glanced at me, checking to see if I was offended by what he said.
“Lady Hestia, you’re not upset, are you? You know I don’t actually think of you that way, right?”
“Of course. I’m not angry. Just surprised. Honestly, I learned a lot from that. You always think several steps ahead. I don’t really do that.”
“What are you talking about? The fact that you’re still here is proof that you’re not just anyone. I heard everything from Lady Beatrice about how brilliantly you’ve handled things. You really don’t need to think that way.”
Cassia beamed, his face lighting up.
Each person was so precious. It made me think—how did I get lucky enough to meet people like them?
Once Cassia was sure I wasn’t upset, he took me to the mine.
Beatrice joined us there as well, and her expression turned sour as she listened to Cassia’s plan. She didn’t like the idea of discussing my situation with others, no matter the reason. Still, she understood that filling the queen’s seat as soon as possible was important, so she said nothing.
It had been a long time since I’d last visited the territory.
Technically, it was my land, but it barely functioned as such. Most of the residents had already left, and those who remained were mainly workers living there to extract gold from the mine.
Since they were part of the Jayfron merchant group, they followed Cassia’s orders.
The mine had developed significantly since our last visit. Mining operations were in full swing, and everything was being carried out with an emphasis on safety. I expected nothing less from something Cassia managed.
Given how far things had progressed, it was now easier to estimate how much gold was left.
I didn’t have to be there to check that, so I wondered why Cassia had brought me along—but I realized he wanted me to know. He wanted me to see firsthand that all of this was functioning under my authority.
“How much help will this be in preparing everything we need?”
“If we’re thinking about raising and arming soldiers, it’s still not enough—but not so little that it’s laughable. It’s enough to put together a fighting force. And with the funds you provided, Lady Hestia, we could handle a battle against one territory. After that, we’ll have to sustain ourselves with war spoils.”
He had already thought out the details.
“Have you talked to Luzenbic?”
“Yes. He’s working on choosing the most strategic location.”
“And where will the soldiers come from?”
“We’re considering a few options. We might recruit people from the Pelmon Kingdom, or if we manage to rescue some prisoners from here, we’ll see how many we can gather from that.”
I realized then how much work Luzenbic had ahead of him, and that our safety needed to be guaranteed first.
Cassia also brought that up.
“Luzenbic needs to get to the Pelmon Kingdom as soon as possible, but it feels like our merchant group is holding him back. It’s been weighing on me.”
“Don’t say that. Without the Jayfron merchant group, none of this would’ve even started.”
When Beatrice said that, Cassia gave her a bitter smile.
On the way back, we passed the site where the merchant convoy had been ambushed. The area was wide open with no good place to hide, which made it even stranger.
It didn’t look like the attackers had been lying in wait—it was more like they had simply stood there and launched their attack when the time came.
“This is really strange.”
I tried to push away the thoughts of Rotron that kept creeping into my mind.
I couldn’t help but think—if this was magic, could it have come from the Meidern family? That house had many privately trained mages. If they’d been secretly developing magic formulas and artifacts, it wouldn’t be impossible.
“Sir Cassia… do you think the Meidern family could be behind this?”
I asked the question while hoping he’d deny it—but instead, he let out a small sigh.
“The more I think about it, the more suspicious they seem. They have the money to recruit mages even now. The money they gave back to you, Lady Hestia, is probably nothing to them. That family has had people lining up at their doorstep for years trying to bribe them—it’s not surprising. Even Sir Erkan brought it up.”
I focused on Cassia’s words.
“Apparently, a large number of assistants from the Eastern Magic Tower suddenly disappeared. Sir Erkan said when he left the tower, he put powerful seals on his research and took most of it with him, but when he returned to check something, they were gone.”
“You don’t think they were kidnapped?”
“Sir Erkan says there’s no way anyone could’ve taken them unless they left voluntarily. He even crafted special artifacts to protect them. But if they ended up joining the Meidern family, that would be a serious problem.”
I let out a long sigh.
“That’s why Sir Erkan is working on multiple plans to protect you, Lady Hestia.”
“That’s very reassuring.”
Still, the idea that someone could target me at any time and attack whenever they pleased was deeply frustrating.
I’d rather they show themselves openly and face me head-on.
After seeing Luzenbic easily crush the royal knights, I had faith. Even if Rotron showed up with more people, I was confident he could handle it.
Then my eyes met Cassia’s. I had a feeling he might be thinking the same thing. But I didn’t ask—it wasn’t a conclusion based on evidence, and I didn’t want to spread unnecessary fear.
When we returned to the merchant group, Luzenbic still hadn’t come back.
“Then I’ll be off, Lady Hestia,” Cassia said, transferring to another carriage.
He was heading to meet high-ranking officials, and it was clear he’d dressed the part.
“Go ahead, Hestia.”
Beatrice must’ve noticed I wasn’t in the best mood.
“I still remember the first time I saw the Duke of Meidern. His face was so perfectly handsome that I let my guard down. I thought he was someone I could trust, someone I could lean on. I had no idea he was the one behind it all.”
She gave a short laugh and shook her head slowly.
“Then we met again at the palace, and he acted like nothing had ever happened. He told me my future was up to me. I thought… maybe he was giving me a chance. But then the beatings began. And I couldn’t think anymore. At first, all I wanted was to kill him. But as time passed, I just kept wishing I could escape.”
“Beatrice…”
I took her hand gently.
“Luzenbic will kill him. He knows everything that man has done. So don’t be afraid. We’ll endure it together.”
I nodded.
After we talked for a while longer, we went to our respective offices, and I got back to work.
There was so much to do, but the king and Rotron were constantly getting in the way. I hated how they kept dragging my attention away, but there was nothing I could do.
As I was thinking about all of this, a wave of sleep suddenly hit me.
It wasn’t the time of day I usually got drowsy, nor was it a particularly tiring moment. Something felt off. I stood up to open the window for some air.
But before I could reach it, my body collapsed where I stood.
As I fell, a pair of arms caught me.
…Luzenbic?
