Episode 75
A few days later, Ren arrived with the items he had promised.
I admired the lights with the small hanging stars and moons.
“The best. They’re so pretty.”
When I hung the lights above the baby’s crib, they shimmered softly.
‘The baby will like them, right?’
The thought made me smile automatically.
“Hey, Ren. I think it would be nice to hang these lights in one place and have them slowly spin around. Can we make them move automatically, like the rocking chair?”
Unexpectedly, Ren promptly pulled out a contract.
“Alright. This is the lighting contract with the Magic Tower as the main party. It states that Louise conceived the design and takes 40% of the generated profit. We contracted the glass workers separately.”
“…Just from talking about it? You’re giving me 40%?”
He gave a soft laugh.
“In cases like this, you’re supposed to haggle for more. It’s your design, after all.”
Then he pulled out another contract.
“This is the rocking chair contract you wanted. You intend to give the contract to the furniture craftsman, right?”
“Yes.”
The main party of the rocking chair contract was the furniture craftsman, with me and the Magic Tower set to receive the pre-agreed share of profits.
‘I haven’t yet told the craftsman that 40% must go to the Tower…’
While I was worrying about that, Len also demonstrated a sample of the self-rocking chair.
“Wow…!”
As the low rocking chair moved back and forth, purple magic stones on both sides of the chair legs glowed.
He had done something to the wood, making the armrests have a glossy surface.
“Calculating about six hours of use per day, it would take roughly two years for the magic power to be fully depleted. You could replace the magic stones if desired, but it would be costly.”
“That sounds fine. What price do you think we should set?”
Ren answered indifferently.
“A thousand crowns.”
“What?!”
A thousand crowns was equivalent to the price of that Duchess’s furniture set Ernst had bought at the auction.
Ren shrugged.
“I told you, Magic Tower artifacts are worth whatever price you name. This is a luxury item anyway; the more expensive it is, the more people will want it. Frankly, the fewer I make, the easier it is for me.”
That meant I would earn a hundred crowns per chair.
The furniture craftsman would have five hundred crowns left even after giving 40% to the Tower.
‘Since this is very small, the material cost should be low too.’
I unconsciously placed a hand on my rounded lower belly.
‘Baby, just in case, Mommy will save up a lot of money.’
But either my expression was too transparent, or Ren seems to be a mind-reader.
He laughed incredulously and reached out to pinch one of my cheeks.
“Lu, are you seriously worrying about money right now? You know that’s both novel and absurd, right…?”
Thinking of the potential fathers, worrying about money seemed utterly useless, but it’s best to be prepared for the future.
A future might await where the child isn’t any of theirs, or where Rurik banishes me from the imperial palace.
“It’s not worry, it’s just that you can never have too much money.”
I tried to excuse myself, but it was futile to convince Ren.
He raised an eyebrow with a suspicious look.
“…You haven’t been getting overly close with the Grand Duke lately, have you?”
Ten Days Later, The Imperial Capital
In the audience chamber filled with all the officials, the Empress knelt, pleading with tears.
“Deposed?! What crime has the Crown Prince committed to warrant discussing deposition?! Your Majesty! How can you do this!”
The Emperor growled lowly.
“He is not your son alone. Do you think I am at ease? I told you clearly not to be greedy.”
An old minister stepped closer to the Empress and bowed his head.
“If His Highness the Crown Prince holds onto his will to live and endures, if we wait a little longer…”
He was from a branch family of the Empress’s house, Damiani, but it seemed none of the other nobles in the chamber sided with the old minister.
The Emperor ignored the minister and coldly commanded.
“Tower Master. Explain the Crown Prince’s condition.”
Ren spoke immediately.
“I apologize, but His Highness the Crown Prince has shown no improvement since his collapse. I surmise his life force is maintained solely thanks to stasis magic. If the magic is withdrawn, he might not even survive tonight…”
“How dare you!”
The Empress sprang to her feet and shouted.
Tears streaked down her smudged makeup.
She yelled at the assembled nobles.
“Have you all forgotten who you owe your positions to?! I am Doroteo Damiani! My son is alive and well! If this isn’t an insult to me, what is?!”
The Empress screamed hysterically, but the nobles merely bowed their heads, avoiding her gaze.
It had been less than a year since the grueling territorial wars ended.
The Empire needed a Crown Prince who was more than just biologically alive.
‘And that’s not all. Rurik’s attitude has been unusual since the training grounds incident.’
So, for the Emperor, this was also an opportunity.
He didn’t want it to seem he was bestowing the Crown Prince position on Rurik because Hart was dead, but rather that he was choosing Rurik even while Hart was alive.
The Emperor asked the Chief Justice.
“Chief Justice. What is the procedure for deposing a Crown Prince due to health issues?”
The Chief Justice in his robes stood there, largely ceremoniously.
“There is no precedent, but as His Highness the Crown Prince cannot appear in court, the trial may be omitted.”
Trials in the imperial palace were often held to showcase imperial fairness to the nobles, so the Chief Justice was always the first and most thorough to take the Emperor’s side.
“Th-this…!”
The Empress, exhausted from crying, staggered, but the Emperor pressed on with his declaration.
“We cannot endanger the Empire due to personal circumstances. I hereby depose Crown Prince Hart Theuderic Brentania.”
“Your Majesty…!”
As the Empress alone collapsed, sobbing, the nobles bowed in unison.
“A most fitting decision, Your Majesty.”
And so, after fifteen years, the era of Crown Prince Hart came to an end.
On the eve of the last night of the year, the masks Ernst had ordered arrived.
“Wow! It’s so pretty, Your Highness!”
The mask he had ordered for me was bright red, covering half my face, with silver lace wings, like a butterfly, centered around the eyes, making it incredibly gorgeous.
“You try it too, Phoebe.”
Phoebe’s mask was entirely made of lace, beautiful and comfortable to wear. It seemed it was made considering she didn’t need to hide her face like I did.
“To think you cared for mine too… Thank you so much.”
Phoebe thanked Ernst happily.
I took out the remaining mask from the box and asked.
“Which one is yours, Erni? Can I see?”
Ernst reached out and took the black mask I was holding.
The pitch-black, glossy mask was adorned with an ornate gold rim, and its asymmetrical shape was stylish.
When Ernst put on the mask, his golden eyes, visible between the gold lines, sparkled like a fantasy.
“It suits you really well, Erni.”
I was dazedly admiring it when, meeting his eyes, I straightened my expression and snatched the mask off.
“But covering your face is such a waste.”
Ernst suddenly blushed.
His beautiful golden eyes darted around,不知所措.
“Lu, saying things like that…”
Why? It was completely true, wasn’t it?
I was baffled by his reaction when Callisteon appeared.
“Where’s mine?”
He seemed to have just arrived, starting to look for his mask as if he had left it here, without even a greeting.
Ernst gestured with his chin towards the remaining mask in the box.
Callisteon bent down to check the mask and his face instantly contorted.
“…Are you joking?”
The mask Phoebe picked up for him was a white fox mask.
A pure white fox shape with a glossy surface, its crimson eyes slanted sharply.
Ernst shrugged brazenly.
“What’s wrong with it? You said I could decide the design as I pleased?”
The atmosphere was dangerously tense, as if Callisteon might storm out any second.
Phoebe rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, signaling for me to help.
Having no choice, I took the fox mask.
“Oh my, it’s pretty.”
It wasn’t a lie.
Then I approached Callisteon.
“Come sit here, Carl. Let me put it on for you.”
