Chapter : 62
“What?”
“In reality, mines that received permanent suspension were not eligible for the standard market price through the magic stone exchange.”
Only by trading through the magic stone exchange could one leave a margin based on the average market price.
Since getting nothing at all would be worse, someone had advised that it would be better to at least receive a lower-grade sales certificate—and Count Fabinho clenched his teeth at that.
“Damn it…! Even so, how could it possibly be Grade 4?!”
The magic stone market was divided into five grades. The higher the grade, the greater the amount of magical power contained in the stone and the stronger its luminescence.
That was why, the moment he had first seen this glittering mineral, he had been certain it was at least Grade 2.
Otherwise, how could it scatter such beautiful light?
Moreover, it was a mine that had been under Iglesia’s jurisdiction. There was no way it would yield a mere Grade 4.
All of Iglesia’s magic stones had been sold as Grade 1.
“…!”
At that moment, the count realized it.
“They knew even before mining!”
It wasn’t simply that they hadn’t mined it because it was inconvenient due to the distance from existing mines and the workers.
They had abandoned mining because they already knew that the minerals buried in Valenka’s magic stone mine had significantly low sales value.
“They… they deliberately dumped this worthless tin-can mine on me!”
They had acted so troubled, pretending it was all for his sake, putting on a perfect show—only to deceive him completely like swindlers.
“Damn Iglesia…!”
Count Fabinho, his entire body trembling, bit down hard on his lip until it bled.
“Will you sign, or not?”
The exchange employee openly pressed him. With a twisted expression, Count Fabinho grabbed the documents the employee held out.
A servant approached Sol Rike. Taking the small note the servant handed him, Sol read it and let out a short laugh.
Rosetta, who glanced sideways at Sol as he tucked the note into his pocket, slowly swirled the champagne glass in her hand.
She had no idea how many hours they had already spent in the banquet hall.
The nobles who had been roaming the hall like the ebb and flow of the tide—laughing, drinking, chatting, and dancing—were now, one by one, collapsing under the weight of their revelry.
Looking down at the banquet hall as it settled into a lull, Rosetta murmured,
“By now, the count must have learned the truth about the Valenka mine, right?”
At her words, Sol smiled and lifted his champagne.
“Probably. It was at the stage where all he had to do was mine. It’s a shame I couldn’t see the moment he realized it was empty inside.”
Rosetta smiled and nodded.
“This is just the beginning.”
All the ingredients were already prepared.
The mine ownership transfer contract, disguised as a standard contract, would itself slowly tighten the noose around Count Fabinho’s neck.
“Mr. Daniel Crawford will probably try to find some angle to sue, calling it an unfair contract—but it won’t be easy. Even to me, the contract looks favorable to the count’s family.”
What kind of unfair deal in the world would have one side—especially the former owner—sign a contract that benefited the new owner?
Iglesia had completely relinquished ownership, and this side even agreed to bear the investment costs that had already gone into the development stage.
It was as if Fabinho had acquired ownership of a dish that was nearly finished—he only had to grill it.
All he had to do was light the fire and eat the completed meal.
So even a judge would decide that this was entirely a burden Fabinho had to shoulder.
“Thinking he’d finally secured the cash cow he’d always wanted, the count must have been running around enthusiastically looking for investment opportunities.”
In fact, once word spread that the Fabinho family now owned a magic stone mine, news came that several nobles had bought up the bonds that were issued.
For those who had been waiting for a promising prospect to stir new winds in the magic stone market, it must have seemed like a perfect opportunity.
“On top of that, we hadn’t yet leaked the fact that we’d cut ties with Fabinho, so people must have invested even more boldly. Once the count realizes the mine is worthless, he’ll struggle desperately to cover it up. The more he struggles, the more he’ll be unable to escape the sinking ship.”
Hehe—wearing satisfied smiles, the couple raised their glasses to each other in a toast.
Perhaps because it was alcohol prepared by the imperial family, it was sweet and smooth, but extremely strong. Just one sip brought a dizzy sensation.
When Rosetta squeezed her eyes shut and emptied her champagne glass, Sol scolded her.
“Drink slowly. You don’t want to end up crawling on all fours like them, do you?”
“It’s fine. I’ll just let you carry me.”
“That’s an order?”
Despite his incredulous reply, Rosetta just grinned.
Her head growing heavy as the alcohol crept up on her, she leaned her head against his chest. Beneath his formal wear, she felt his chest muscles twitch briefly before settling to support her head.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The steady rhythm of his heartbeat made her eyelids heavy, like a lullaby.
Just as she was about to drift off—
“Valerie!”
At the booming shout, Rosetta startled and slipped out of Sol’s arms. Sol Rike, who had been about to pull her back in, opened and closed his empty hand and let out a sigh.
“Marquis of Bavaria?”
“I was wondering where you were—so this is where you were!”
Rosetta looked at the marquis with a face now fully awake.
“To still be standing on two legs amid that drunken revelry!”
As expected of a former soldier.
Always composed, no matter when or where.
“Although… his nose has turned strawberry-red.”
Indeed.
It seemed the Marquis of Bavaria had also been enjoying heavy drinking and dancing somewhere, as his large, prominent nose was a perfect strawberry color.
Looking closer, even his hawk-like sharp eyes seemed a bit unfocused.
In that state, the marquis spoke in a quavering voice.
“I’ve been looking for you for quite a while.”
“For me?”
“Yes. I wanted to thank you.”
An elderly man sniffling with a strawberry-red nose was not an easy sight to come by.
As Rosetta stood there unsure what to do, Sol Rike sighed and snapped,
“Just how many glasses did you have, Marquis? Don’t make a drunken scene in front of Valerie.”
“A drunken scene?”
Rosetta’s eyes widened. The Marquis of Bavaria glared fiercely at Sol Rike.
“You always told me to do it in front of you.”
“That meant in front of me—not in front of my wife. Anyway, whenever you get that damned strawberry nose, your mouth gets reckless.”
“And you, Rike, are completely lacking in human warmth! If you’re going to be so perfect on your own, what are the rest of us supposed to do? You could at least get drunk once and show us yourself falling apart.”
“Well, thanks for the compliment.”
So, in other words…
“So that rambling, on-the-verge-of-tears confession is the marquis’s drunken habit?”
It was so cute and dizzying that it was hard to believe this was the normally bold former soldier. Rosetta decided she needed to separate the two of them.
Because—
“You know I’ve been advising you all along to change that sharp way you talk. You’re a man who knows what’s coming—why refuse things that are good for you? You always snort at this old man’s advice, and yet you keep ordering me to do this and that…”
It looked like the Marquis of Bavaria had a lot pent up toward Sol Rike.
He must have been carrying a lot of grievances…
“But just now… didn’t he say he knows what’s coming?”
To know that. It seemed the bond between the marquis and Sol was deeper than she’d thought.
When Rosetta looked at Sol, she found he was already looking at her, and their eyes met.
At the same time, Sol grabbed the marquis’s shoulder tightly—almost as if he were grabbing him by the collar. Smiling, he ground his teeth.
“You’re far too drunk. It would be best to turn in early for tomorrow’s hunting competition.”
“Wait, wait!”
Pushing against Sol’s chest, Rosetta grabbed the arm of the sniffling Marquis of Bavaria.
End Of Chapter : 62
