CHAPTER 89………………………..
“…And so they lived happily ever after.”
The gift the girl received from the divine beast Leviathan was called the Star of the Sea.
No one even knew if it truly existed, but in fairy tales it was described as an aquamarine.
“Oh, right.”
Linaria said as she closed the fairy tale book.
“I only told Brother that we’re lovers. Just be careful so no problems come up.”
“Hey, Liri.”
“Mm?”
She felt his hand, which had been fidgeting with her foot, slip around her ankle.
“If we’re lovers, does that mean… this is okay too?”
Kaas lowered his head over the top of Linaria’s foot.
His lips brushed against it.
It tickled.
Her toes curled and she tried to pull her foot back.
But his hand gripping her ankle held her firmly in place.
Looking down at his dark head with slight embarrassment, Linaria managed to answer his question.
“Probably… I guess so.”
“Then how about this?”
This time, it was her ankle.
“Kaas.”
“You don’t like it?”
Kaas slowly rose to his feet.
Just moments ago, when he had been beneath her, he had seemed so gentle.
But now that they faced each other, the difference in size was striking.
She had almost forgotten, since he always made himself meet her at eye level or lower.
And yet, as soon as he lowered his gaze like a puppy with drooping ears, there was nothing threatening about him.
“I was just so happy you told him we were lovers. If I scared you, I’m sorry.”
Linaria realized something.
Kaas hadn’t noticed at all that telling Ricardo they were “lovers” had been nothing more than an excuse.
He had seen through the sweetness of her lies when she whispered that she loved him—yet in matters like this, he was still naïve.
“Kaas.”
Linaria cupped his cheek.
“To me, you’re more than a lover.”
If a “lover” simply meant two people drawn to each other’s charms, then such a word was far too shallow to describe them.
But she held her tongue.
If she said such things, the person he was now wouldn’t understand.
Because Maximilian was not yet a tyrant, and Kaas had never been completely subjugated to him.
“I mean it.”
Linaria looked at his shy expression, ever since the moment she touched his cheek.
He had grown so much—no longer the boy who read fairy tales.
The day he would stand as an equal to Maximilian was drawing closer.
“Kaas.”
“Yeah?”
“Close your eyes.”
Kaas obediently shut them.
Suppressing his own desire, he waited patiently.
She pressed her lips to his.
And she thought:
Even if the day came when she had to witness Maximilian’s despair at failing to become a tyrant, and even if she were forced to behead him, she and Kaas could never be mere innocent lovers.
For now, it might seem like I’m your whole world—but once you step into the vastness of the real world, your perspective will change.
When all was over, she would be seen as a woman consumed by incomprehensible hatred, plotting revenge.
He would come to realize it had all begun from her delusions.
The contract with the divine beast of time is a secret that can never be revealed.
And if, despite that, he still claimed to love her, it would no longer be true love—only blind fanaticism.
Linaria suddenly felt a pang of regret.
Perhaps it was because she no longer saw Kaas as just a tool for revenge, but as a person… no, as a man.
A few days later, in Rozen.
“Miss, are you sure it’s here? It says no entry allowed.”
Anna looked bewildered, pointing at the mine.
“They must have restricted access because it’s abandoned. But we have permission, so it’s fine.”
Using a magical tool to change her hair black, Linaria was disguised as a commoner.
Today she was here as the head of a trading company, visiting the glowstone mine.
“It looks dangerous.”
Anna, who had come along with Linaria and Kaas, kept her guard up.
Indeed, the place looked like it could easily be haunted.
“Do we really have to check it ourselves? If it’s just a survey, why not send someone else? It looks like it could collapse any moment.”
“It’s sturdier than it looks. That’s why it’s stood for decades without issue.”
Though she spoke lightly, Linaria felt uneasy.
Anna is right. It’s been abandoned for ages, with no mining value at all.
If Duke Leviathan hadn’t bought this abandoned mine in her previous life, she would never have thought of it.
The Duke isn’t foolish enough to waste money on something worthless.
Back then she had dismissed it in passing, but looking back, it seemed strange. That was why she came to see the mine herself.
Originally, Leviathan wouldn’t purchase it until about six months later.
Assuming there’s something hidden here, I declared interest in buying it as a merchant and asked for permission to inspect it.
But there didn’t seem to be anything noteworthy.
At least her father had allowed her to enter without an overseer.
Though abandoned, the mine had been maintained, so it wasn’t unsafe.
And since there was nothing to steal, he hadn’t objected.
From Father’s perspective, the mine was worthless whether sold or not. He probably just thought the merchant was eccentric.
It was likely a favor extended out of goodwill, thanks to their prior dealings.
Just like with Brother Ricardo. I only hope we don’t come back empty-handed from this mine.
Otherwise, there’d be no point in coming all the way to Obel.
“Miss, stay close to me! You never know—there could be wild beasts hiding inside!”
Anna clenched her fists, full of energy.
“That won’t happen. Kaas already came once to check that it was safe.”
Last time, Kaas had slipped away on an errand just to scout the mine.
When he returned, he had reported, “There’s nothing there.”
That was why Linaria had brought Anna along.
Normally, it was just her and Kaas, but she felt like she might be overlooking something.
She needed a different perspective.
Besides, if it were only me and Kaas, Anna would be stuck alone at the villa for days. I didn’t want to leave her by herself.
So she revealed she was the head of the Luna Company and asked Anna to join them.
“What?! You’re the one who founded Luna Company?!”
Anna had been shocked, and a little hurt that Linaria had hidden it.
“Honestly, I feel a bit betrayed. I thought I knew everything about you.”
“Sorry, I should’ve told you sooner.”
“You had your reasons, right?”
“Yes. I wanted to keep it secret for now. Not even my father knows.”
“Then that’s fine! That means I know something even Duke Obel doesn’t!”
Anna had beamed with pride.
And now—
“Since it was shut down long ago, there’s no lighting installed. Nowadays, they use glowstones to light everything.”
Anna said it with pride, as though it were her own accomplishment.
Linaria laughed and picked up a lantern to enter the mine.
“Liri, I’ll take this—”
“Miss! I should carry that. Stay right next to me!”
Pushing Kaas aside, Anna even took the lantern from Linaria’s hand.
“What are you doing? A man should be leading the way!”
“….”
Kaas, completely pushed aside by Anna’s blatant interference, said nothing and walked ahead.
Then he suddenly turned his head.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know… it feels like something’s there.”
Linaria followed his gaze, but saw nothing.
“In this abandoned mine? You’re just trying to get out of leading, aren’t you?”
When Anna snapped at him, Kaas muttered, “Must’ve been my imagination,” and kept going.
“If you notice anything suspicious, tell me right away.”
“Yes!”
Inside, the lantern light was their only guide.
There was nothing unusual otherwise.
It was so quiet that even their breathing sounded loud.
“But isn’t it strange?”
“What is?”
Until Anna spoke, Linaria had felt nothing.
“I keep hearing water dripping.”
“What do you mean?”
Linaria couldn’t hear anything. Water dripping?
“Kaas, can you hear it?”
“No.”
“Huh? It’s loud and clear to me.” Anna tilted her head.
“No way…”
At that instant, one possibility flashed through Linaria’s mind.
Leviathan’s treasure, the Star of the Sea, was here.
If that were true, it explained perfectly why Leviathan had bought such a worthless mine.
With that treasure, not only could I surpass Leviathan, Maximilian’s greatest supporter, but I’d also be free from bowing to the Imperial family.
The treasure of Leviathan wasn’t precious only to Leviathan.
And now, Linaria had reached the abandoned mine before them.
That meant she had the chance to take the treasure from their hands.
