Chapter 29
“It’s enormous.”
Shishe frowned as if picturing the massive ruin.
“We couldn’t excavate it all—only a small section. But from that part alone we found about a thousand of those coins. I’m not certain, but it seems each one bears a different magic.”
“A thousand of these…?”
Even a single coin looked worth billions—no, hundreds of billions.
And they found a thousand?
“We’ve uncovered less than five percent so far. Other artifacts will definitely turn up besides those coins.”
Which meant the specific records I wanted hadn’t surfaced yet.
Still, the ruins really exist. That’s enough to keep hope alive.
“I thought you’d failed to find them since there was no news.”
“Well, we almost did. The ancient coordinates didn’t match modern ones, and the entrance was much farther away than we’d guessed.”
“But how did you…?”
At my question Shishe shrugged, still looking amazed.
“A bluebird showed up and guided us.”
“…What?”
“At first I thought it was just being a nuisance, but after a while I realized it was trying to show us the way. I followed it on a hunch—and there really was an entrance.”
“…Did that bird look anything like him?”
I pointed toward Blanche, who was perched on the windowsill pretending to be bored. Shishe’s eyes widened.
“How did you know? It looked exactly like that one. I’d believe you if you said it was the same bird.”
Shishe stared at Blanche in wonder, then nodded.
“Well, if they’re the same species, resemblance makes sense.”
Drawing his own conclusion, Shishe got to his feet, staggered a bit, and stretched out on my bed.
“Hey, come do that thing.”
“That thing?”
“Your singing.”
He blinked slowly and patted the bed.
“I’m tired and want to sleep. Sing for me like before.”
He’d probably fall asleep even without a song.
Still, I went to the bed and sat beside him. As I gently patted his arm and sang, Shishe’s blinking stopped and his eyes closed completely.
When his breathing turned slow and even, I was sure he was asleep and turned to the window.
“Blanche.”
At my call, Blanche tilted his chin up as if proudly claiming the achievement.
I had to admit it.
Even dung can be useful when the time comes.
The room was a wreck.
“What is the meaning of this!”
The man’s anger wasn’t satisfied by merely throwing things; he kicked at the furniture as well.
“You said you’d push that girl to spend her money, yet you’ve only helped her build an even greater achievement! Why didn’t you stop her from buying something so extraordinary?”
“I truly thought it was useless—a complete waste of money,” Kana replied calmly.
“But the ruins turned out to be real! They haven’t even finished excavating, and it’s already bringing in a fortune!”
“So I hear.”
Kana stood before the raging man with her usual composure.
A small scratch marked her cheek, perhaps from a flying object, but she remained unshaken.
She tucked her disheveled hair behind an ear and smiled faintly.
“That girl isn’t ordinary. I thought she was a fool, but it was all a trick to make us lower our guard.”
Kana recalled Danae’s innocent smile.
She’d thought such a simple-minded girl would never be a rival—perhaps even someone to keep close after becoming the Grand Duchess to make herself look better.
“And now what? If you don’t become the Grand Duchess, our family is finished! We’ve borrowed an enormous amount of money.”
That money was Father’s doing, she thought.
Except for the sum lost at the auction to Danae, all the debts were his fault.
But such thoughts were pointless.
He was the head of House Oset. His fall meant hers as well.
If our family collapses, I’ll be married off like property to some aging noble.
When a house fell, women always suffered more. Annoying, but reality.
So the disadvantaged must fight harder.
“What’s your plan now?”
Her father, unusually flustered, pressed her again. Kana was used to it.
“You’re forcing my hand. You should have taken the chance to destroy yourself when I offered it.”
Shaking her head as if genuinely regretful, she smoothed her wrinkled dress.
I let her run wild because she seemed stupid, and now it’s a bigger problem.
“I’ll have to set everything back the way it was. Remember how good things were before that girl showed up?”
“Yes… you’re right. Those were good times,” her father agreed with a sigh.
“But weren’t you the one who said we should lie low? One of the men who attacked that carriage was captured…”
“He knows nothing. If they haven’t tied anything to us by now, they’ve found no leads.”
“Then…?”
“Let’s return to how it was, Father. That’s best.”
But first, something must be removed.
Kana smiled sweetly at her father.
News of the discovery of an ancient magical kingdom’s ruins brought the continent’s top scholars to the winter estate.
Requests poured in from people willing to work for free just for a chance to join the excavation.
Lucas handled all those bothersome visitors, leaving me with little to do—
but I faced a far more urgent, monumental issue.
“Today I’ll dress you as neatly as possible—you’re meeting the family elders for the first time,” Marina reminded me as her careful fingers arranged my hair.
Right.
Today was the day the three-month heir trial would conclude.
As the candidate, I was invited to the Senate meeting where the final decision would be announced.
Though the official result would be given there, everyone in the mansion already treated it as settled.
The achievements I’d presented were undeniable.
Whatever motives or processes the world might imagine, by sheer objective metrics I was the perfect heir.
The artifacts pouring out of the newly opened ruins not only promised immense wealth but also boosted the family’s reputation: “As expected of Ashinov.”
Baratheon had even congratulated me in advance, insisting the Senate’s decision was a mere formality.
“You could cross your legs and shout, ‘Who are you old men to judge me?’ and you’d still become the young Grand Duke.”
Marina finished my outfit and beamed.
“All done, my lady. You look perfectly proper.”
“Thank you, Marina!”
I left the room at an easy pace.
Becoming heir to the Ashinov family was the first step in my grand plan to bring it down.
Today, that first step begins.
Thinking of Pamela weeping in her grave, I walked briskly to the meeting hall.
The heavy door was shut.
Behind it lay the chamber where the family’s great decisions were made.
“Don’t be nervous, my lady,” Marina said.
“We’ll wait right outside,” Hedin added.
I nodded, drew a deep breath, and turned the knob.
It moved lightly, and the door swung wide.
Huh? For such a big door, it’s surprisingly light.
The thought barely formed when I sensed something wrong.
Instead of a grand chamber, there was only darkness—and even the floor beneath me felt… empty.
Puzzled, I looked down and saw nothing but a gaping void.
“What—?”
Before I could react, my body dropped rapidly into the darkness.
Caught completely off guard, I plummeted and hit the ground hard.
