Chapter 30
Sorry to say, but it seemed Pipi’s emotional analysis ability still needed some improvement.
Anyway, there was an unexpectedly huge gain today.
A royal wish token, personally bestowed by a member of the imperial family!
It was a chance more precious than gold—and I used it right away.
I’d worried it might come across as too forward, but contrary to my fears, Her Majesty the Empress readily granted my request.
She even seemed slightly amused.
What a relief.
I had gambled, thinking the Empress didn’t seem like someone narrow-minded or overly rigid—and fortunately, that gamble paid off.
The result would soon bear sweet fruit, right into my hands.
It was just as I reached home in high spirits.
“W-what the—? Frisia!”
An uninvited guest was waiting at my house.
It was my uncle’s daughter and my cousin—Siela—glaring at me with eyes that looked ready to pop out.
“Why did you come home in such a fancy carriage?!”
She must have seen me arriving from the window—the carriage was one sent by the imperial palace.
If it had been Lorena, she would’ve said something like, “It looked so odd, seeing someone as shabby as you step out of a carriage like that,” or “How did someone like you manage to get your hands on such a thing?”—roundabout, nasty comments meant to dig under your skin.
Siela, by comparison, was much more simple-minded.
Almost like the female version of Felix.
No, scratch that. Even so, Siela wasn’t nearly as bad as Felix. Even among trash, there are ranks.
As I looked at her quietly, Siela suddenly flinched, covering her mouth. Then she started darting her eyes away awkwardly.
What’s with her?
She looked like a dog that had learned its place and was nervously wagging its tail.
[Analyzing emotions… Currently reading: fear 49%, resentment 22%. After the benefactor seized her by the mouth and “taught her a lesson” last time, it seems the hierarchy was firmly imprinted!]
What the—
So you’re saying one act of retaliation actually established dominance?
What is she, a wild animal?
I decided to test it.
“Siela.”
Flinch. Her shoulders stiffened.
“W-what?”
“Ssshhh.”
“……?!”
“Be quiet. Mouth shut.”
“……!”
And just like that, she pressed her lips together, her face tight with resentment.
Oh my god. She’s actually afraid of me?
[Wow! Benefactor, you’re so cool! What charisma!]
Ahem.
At Pipi’s cheer, I cleared my throat and decided to keep up the momentum.
“So, what brings you here?”
“……”
With a glare that tried to look defiant but wasn’t, Siela obediently handed something over.
A single letter.
The sender was—
“Edward?”
The name written there was my other cousin—my uncle’s son.
[Ah! That arrogant rich-boy wannabe! I remember him!]
Edward didn’t hurl insults the way Siela did, but he always looked at me with this… smug, unpleasant gaze.
Honestly, I found him far more disturbing than Siela.
So a letter from him? Not exactly appealing—but I opened it anyway.
Inside was something completely unexpected.
[The Academy Graduation Ball is coming soon. Surely you know that attending without a partner is social suicide. Since Felix abandoned you, you must be feeling cornered. But worry not—your dear brother will be your savior that night. I shall escort you myself.]
What… what is this?
Edward wants to escort me?
Just imagining that sticky, unpleasant gaze sweeping over me made me shudder.
I gripped the letter tightly with both hands.
“Siela.”
Rip, rip—
Her eyes went wide like a startled rabbit as I tore the letter to pieces.
“Mmff?”
Even now, she obediently kept her mouth shut, just as I told her to.
“Tell Edward this: I’d rather commit social suicide than accept his escort.”
Siela stared at me, stunned.
I shoved the shredded pieces of the letter into her hands and guided her toward the doorway.
“If you’re done with your errand, you can go now. Until Uncle officially inherits the title, this house is still mine.”
I made sure my tone made it clear—I had no intention of interfering with the family succession.
Siela just stood there dumbfounded, unable to say a word until I closed the door in her face.
After witnessing Cayenne’s brazen behavior so often, maybe I’d picked up a bit of that audacity myself. The thought actually felt… satisfying.
Still… that bothers me a little.
After Siela left, I sank into thought.
Edward’s words about attending the graduation ball alone being “social suicide” weren’t exactly wrong.
But it wasn’t as if I could skip it either.
If I don’t show up, I’ll be socially buried alive.
The graduation ball was basically a rite of passage for every academy graduate—
a ceremony to introduce new members into high society.
For people like me, with no close friends, it was nothing short of torture.
Entering alone meant all eyes would turn to me—and most of them would be filled with ridicule.
Even after six long years of enduring it, I’d never grown immune.
If I had to go anyway, it’d be nice to show up with someone, at least enough to avoid attention…
Ah.
An idea flashed in my mind, and I nodded to myself.
Yes. That’ll work.
The next day.
When I arrived at the Magic Tower, countless eyes turned toward me.
“Is it true? That new recruit and the Duke…?”
“How on earth did that happen?”
“I heard she’s really competent. That’s why the Duke took notice.”
“What? The Duke acknowledged her? She must be really good, then.”
“Shh, quiet. They’ll hear you.”
People whispered about me from every direction.
But unlike before, words like “nepotism” or “Cinderella—Tragic Edition” were nowhere to be heard.
The looks I got now were filled more with curiosity or admiration.
Even though the attention was overwhelming, I pretended not to mind and kept walking—until I ran into a familiar mage.
“Ah, Frisia!”
It was Luna. Her face lit up when she saw me, then immediately tensed as if facing someone intimidating.
I quickly waved my hand.
“Just to clarify—there’s nothing going on between me and the Duke.”
“Huh? Then why were you in that ‘Heart-Pounding Romance Mission’?”
Hearing that title out loud made me shiver.
I deliberately spoke loud enough for others nearby to hear.
“He said he came to stop my marriage—because he didn’t want me to quit my job after getting married.”
“Oh my goodness!”
I’d just explained the truth, hoping to squash the rumors, but Luna only looked more shocked.
“So that’s why the Tower Lord personally showed up? Wow! He must really value you, Frisia! So much that he doesn’t want to lose you at any cost!”
“Haha…”
I gave an awkward laugh, and Luna gazed at me with sparkling admiration.
“That’s amazing. I’ve never seen the Tower Lord take such an interest in anyone. You must be incredible, Frisia!”
That kind of gaze was unfamiliar—but not unpleasant.
Feeling strangely fluttery, I headed to my office.
I remembered a line from a biography I’d read as a child:
‘If there is a lord who truly recognizes my worth, I would gladly lay down my life for him.’
I’d always thought that was just dramatic exaggeration—until now.
For the first time, I understood that feeling.
I’d found someone who acknowledged my worth—Cayenne. And I was determined not to lose that trust.
I’ll give it my all. Truly.
Loyalty! Loyalty!
With a solemn resolve, I opened the office door.
“Good morning, my lord!”
I bowed politely—and froze.
The morning sunlight slid down strands of his jet-black hair.
Soft light pooled on his long lashes, traced down his sharp nose, and rested on perfectly shaped lips.
Just looking at him felt like being blessed.
“Ah. The new recruit.”
Cayenne’s gaze met mine.
Snapping out of my daze, I straightened my posture.
“Yes, sir!”
“Have you resolved that ‘matter’?”
“Thanks to you, sir, it’s going smoothly. I’m truly grateful!”
“Good.”
Cayenne’s lips curved in satisfaction.
“Remember this: when money can’t solve a problem, it only means you didn’t have enough money.”
