CHAPTER 14
As time passed, Albert’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed and his eyes widened in realization.
“Yes, I think this could work! I really still have a long way to go. I’ve been so stubbornly clinging to the traditional methods even while trying to create something new. It seems you are the real expert, Lady Louisa. How did you come up with this idea?”
Louisa simply smiled silently.
“How? Because in the original novel, this is exactly what you did.”
She felt a slight twinge of guilt, but thinking positively—Albert was lucky to learn this early, and she would be able to make money faster. A win-win.
“I’ll give you even more ideas. Let’s get rich together.”
That way, she could spend money freely in the future without worrying about marriage.
The smile at the corner of her lips was shameless. But Albert, completely unaware, continued to shower her with admiration.
“I can’t believe such a method existed… I have a good feeling about this. Oh! Would it be possible to revise the contract?”
“…Why?”
“Instead of just being listed as an investor, I’d like to make you a co-founder. You’re helping me so much beyond just investing—it’s embarrassing to say I achieved all this alone.”
“Ah, that’s a bit…”
“Please. Otherwise, I’ll feel too uncomfortable, and it might even hinder production.”
This was bad. He was more of a pushover than she thought.
The bigger problem was that Louisa wasn’t exactly the type to refuse a windfall out of integrity.
“Well, I suppose not… You wanted this so badly… Sigh, in that case, we should revise it as you wish.”
“Thank you! Haha, I’ll do my utmost to serve you from now on.”
Louisa put on a reluctant but touched expression and didn’t stop Albert’s near-devotional enthusiasm.
“I’ll help you hit the jackpot.”
Instead, she rode the momentum, smiled sweetly, and pointed to the agreement section.
“Then let’s start with this side agreement. Just sign here, and we’ll finalize the contract revisions together.”
“Sounds good!”
The quill in Albert’s hand fluttered in the breeze. Strangely, that breeze seemed to carry the scent of money.
Meanwhile…
In a greenhouse filled with the scent of flowers, a dark-haired maid entered quietly.
She knelt on one knee before a woman seated in a refined green dress.
“The First Prince visited Duke Blake’s residence. The security was tight, so I couldn’t find out what was discussed. My apologies.”
The woman did not respond for a while after the maid finished speaking. She remained focused, delicately working on her embroidery.
Only when the golden lion—the imperial symbol—and the six-pointed star of the temple were embroidered into place did she slowly open her mouth.
“Oh dear… he’s hard to handle.”
It was unclear whether she was referring to the embroidery or the First Prince.
The maid cautiously raised her head, looking up at the elegant woman.
“My apologies, Your Majesty the Empress.”
“No need. I suppose we’ve dragged this out too long. I had hoped he would be useless, but he’s become too useful.”
Empress Harlin gazed at her embroidery with a hint of regret, tilting her head gracefully. Her drooping eyelids revealed eyes the color of soft rose-pink.
“Who would’ve thought he’d awaken divine power? And to think they would actually go through with the engagement. If Raphael had simply been absorbed into the temple like he wanted, everything would’ve gone smoothly. I didn’t expect those with such greed to join hands.”
“Fortunately, His Highness doesn’t seem to like Lady Blake.”
“That would be reassuring… if it weren’t so quiet. I expected some conflict—something to stir the waters. But nothing. At the garden party where I hoped they’d clash, they merely passed by each other. And now, a private visit the next day? What could that mean?”
“From what we’ve confirmed, the lady had already left while His Highness arrived. But I’ll double-check to see if we missed anything. Though… there’s one thing I feel I should mention, even if it’s not certain.”
“Speak.”
“I believe the young lady is unwell. She suddenly covered her mouth and left.”
“Hmm… now that’s interesting. If true, that might force an annulment.”
“I’ll look into it as thoroughly as possible.”
“Be careful.”
The empress’s gaze lingered for a moment on the maid’s bowed head. Her tone was gentle—but her expression was chillingly cold.
Back at the mansion…
Louisa lay on her bed, staring blissfully at the contract.
“Ahhh… so peaceful.”
She stretched her arm up and waved it around before letting it flop back down on the mattress and closing her eyes.
She felt completely drained—like she’d poured all her energy into the last few days. All she wanted now was to stay home and do absolutely nothing for a whole month.
“I just want to live like a freeloader. Why do I have so much to do…? For a daughter of a rich family, I’m working way too hard…”
Solving one problem just made her think of all the next things she had to handle.
Maybe my slave mentality from my past life is still too deeply rooted…
Turning over and flopping onto her stomach, Louisa slowly crawled toward the desk like a sluggish caterpillar. She reached out with trembling arms and grabbed a piece of paper and a quill.
“Let’s get organized.”
She began jotting things down:
Her health wasn’t good → so she needed holy water
To get holy water → she needed money
To make money → she now worried about her safety
She had never seriously thought about security before. But after running into the Second Prince, Seinf, at the garden party, she realized she couldn’t take things lightly anymore.
Seinf wasn’t necessarily evil—but the real problem was the Empress, the puppet master with boundless ambition.
She had been meticulously tearing down every threat around her to make Seinf emperor.
In the original story, once Raphael discovered her true nature, things exploded—betrayals, fights, and chaos. It had been brutal.
Now that Louisa realized she was caught up in the middle of all that, the weight of her situation finally hit her.
Even if the heroine appears later and the plot kicks in, the Empress has already been working behind the scenes for years. There’s no way I’ll be left out of her plans.
The root of the conflict was the imperial succession—and before the heroine arrived, Louisa’s role had been to support Raphael in building his political position.
So yeah, it was concerning.
Better safe than sorry.
Louisa wrote “bodyguard knight” on the paper, then crossed it out with an “X.” Then she wrote “heroine’s power” and circled it several times.
There’s no other way. I’ll have to use that method myself…
Having a knight constantly by her side was annoying. But this world was full of strange powers—having a magical artifact of her own seemed like a good idea.
In the original, the heroine didn’t get a gem mine or anything flashy, but she did receive an artifact that protected her body.
To be exact, Raphael had bought the ancient artifact at a secret auction and later gave it to the heroine.
The heroine has all the male leads to protect her—I’ll be on my own!
No choice. Life is first-come, first-served. And in a world where survival is the priority, who has time to worry about others?
But the money I have is going into Albert’s wine… so I can’t just spend freely… What should I do? Oh! Maybe I can ask Damien?
That seemed like a decent plan. Right now, Damien was in a state where he’d probably agree to anything.
Ink from her quill slowly spread across the paper where she’d written “heroine.”
Once he falls for the real heroine later, I’ll be pushed aside. So I need to get as much help as I can now.
Louisa slowly pulled her hand away and muttered out of habit:
“…Ugh, what a hassle.”
Strike while the iron’s hot.
That evening, Louisa went to see Damien.
“You want to go to a secret auction?”
“Yup. I just want to check it out.”
“…By yourself? You’re not feeling well—it’s too dangerous to go alone.”
Damien’s eyebrows furrowed with concern. In his warm violet eyes, Louisa’s blinking, curious face was reflected.
“Huh? I was going to go with you.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Oh—are you busy?”
“No? Not at all! I’m completely free!”
“Great. I’ve really wanted to visit a secret auction!”
“Really? Then of course we have to go. Actually, I heard there’s one happening soon… Oh! Wait right here.”
“…?”
“Louisa, can you wait a moment? I’ll go get us tickets right now.”
“What? It’s already dark out—where are you going?!”
An incredible level of initiative.
She didn’t expect him to dash out that night, nor that he’d actually return with tickets.
Thanks to Damien’s sudden midnight sprint through the city, they secured entry to the secret auction with surprising ease.
But she hadn’t expected this kind of trap…
“…You want me to drink this?”
Louisa stared at the glass of suspicious-looking green liquid with a disgusted expression.
It was the long-awaited night of the secret auction—three days in the making—but just before leaving, Damien brought out what looked like a punishment drink.
“It’s a well-proven remedy that’s good for the stomach. Your physician recommended you try it too. You say you feel fine, but we can’t keep ignoring it. Besides, you can’t rely on holy water forever.”
