Chapter 33
The Emperor’s Bet
“But Your Highness, the Grand Duke was the one most cherished by the late Emperor. If word spreads that he has returned, regardless of his intentions, the late Emperor’s faction will be a nuisance.”
“Even so, there’s no need to stir up trouble unnecessarily, is there? More importantly…”
“Please, Your Majesty.”
“I made a bet with Duke Side.”
“A bet?”
Why on earth was he telling me this?
Feeling a growing sense of foreboding down his spine, Marquis Crow furrowed his brow.
“I don’t care what Hildegard does with that Martin fellow or whatever.”
“As I’ve already told you, Your Majesty, it is not at all the situation you’re imagining.”
“Whether it’s like that or not, I do not care. However…”
“However?”
The Emperor wavered and pushed himself to sit upright.
“At the end of the banquet, the ‘Lady of the Year’ chosen by vote must be Hildegard.”
“Of course.”
Not simply because she was his granddaughter, but Hildegard possessed flawless beauty.
He had seen, many times, how men would do ridiculous things at every banquet just for a single glance from her.
The Marquis nodded with a somewhat indifferent expression.
“So, you are confident.”
“In every way, as far as my granddaughter is concerned, yes.”
“The Duke of Side intends to attend the banquet with his aide.”
The Marquis raised an eyebrow.
“But he claims that his aide will defeat Hildegard?”
“In terms of beauty, you mean?”
At the Marquis’s question, the Emperor shrugged.
“Well, he must be confident, or he wouldn’t have agreed to the bet. And mind you, this is a wager involving the forces of both the Ahendel and the Duke’s house. In fact, he proposed it himself.”
“A bet… with Hildegard at stake?”
The wager with Duke Side technically had nothing to do with Hildegard, but the Emperor nodded to himself anyway.
As always, he had no intention of personally plunging into the fray.
“She isn’t engaged yet, but I hear the Grand Duchess of Side is satisfied with Hildegard. Even in society, the marriage between the two families is nearly taken as a foregone conclusion. Yet he dares to place his aide, side by side with my soon-to-be granddaughter, into a bet?”
Whether the Emperor was listening to the Marquis’s impassioned voice or not, he staggered toward the bedroom.
“You know the Duke of Side, don’t you? Impossible to read his mind. Yet he always manages to pull the rug out from under you in an instant. In any case, the important thing is that Hildegard must not lose to that aide or whatever her name is.”
“…”
“Do you understand?”
The Emperor turned before opening the bedroom door, asking with an air of determination.
“Is there any doubt?”
The Marquis, eyes sharp as a blade, nodded.
Noon had passed, and the streets were bustling with shoppers.
Hildegard, her face half-hidden by a parasol, scanned the crowd.
“My lady, what are you looking for?”
Count Martin, who had been carrying his cane on his arm, craned his neck in exaggerated fashion to peer down the street.
“A journalist.”
“Ah!”
The Count grinned at Hildegard, as if it all made sense. His white teeth gleamed against his tanned skin. Would women ever realize that fixing his once-miserable teeth cost as much as a countryside house?
“Do you want to create a scandal with me that badly? But haven’t you given me another task?”
Hildegard frowned at Count Martin, who let his eyebrows droop as if in sympathy, and spoke sharply but quietly:
“Since it’s a bit chaotic, stay still. You want it to look like a scandal, not actually care about me, so, like a proper gentleman, keep your distance.”
Finally, Hildegard spotted a few suspicious figures at the street corner—a man with a notebook, another in a suit with a hat pulled low behind her—and a satisfied expression crossed her face.
This would be enough to make tomorrow morning’s papers lead with her picture.
Of course, that arrogant man might not be jealous over something so minor, but it would certainly bruise his pride.
Straightening her posture and lifting her chin, Hildegard resumed walking, while Count Martin stared greedily at her retreating figure.
The heir of the Crow Guild and the daughter of Duke Side.
Either way suited him, but Hildegard’s beauty was far more appealing than the Side daughter.
The Side daughter, rumored to be naive and clumsy, would be easier to manipulate at will, but no one claimed she was attractive.
And the Duke of Side himself is awkward to deal with.
For these reasons, Count Martin was reluctant about the task Hildegard had proposed.
Even if he succeeded in seducing the half-hearted daughter Mariana, Duke Side would be right behind her.
Pale silver hair like midwinter snow, icy blue eyes dripping coldness—he recalled the Duke from the last banquet and frowned.
Had he not been in a tricky situation, he would have rejected this proposal outright.
“Why aren’t you coming faster?”
Hildegard, arriving a few steps ahead of Count Martin, frowned.
“My lady, I already have plenty of fine clothes. Is this really necessary?”
Count Martin thought it would be far more practical if she just gave him cash. He had not been out to clubs for several days.
True to the rumors, the shop for the empire’s wealthiest was filled with elegant, dazzling outfits. On one side, accessories reflecting the midday light sparkled brilliantly.
The Count, mesmerized by a sleek white dress in the center of the display, checked the price tag and swallowed hard. That amount equaled several months of his living expenses—assuming he didn’t frequent gambling clubs.
“Consider it an investment. We can’t let it look shabby to Mariana.”
Upon entering the store, a clerk approached.
“Welcome, miss. Are you looking for anything in particular?”
“Show me that one. And bring anything else that might suit this gentleman.”
Hildegard indicated clothes and accessories from the display with the tip of her fan.
“Would you like to wait on the sofa?”
The clerk soon brought out tea and desserts.
“I’ll let you know once the outfits are ready.”
After confirming the clerk had left, Hildegard pulled a document from her sleeve.
“This is the contract I mentioned before. You should read the confidentiality clause carefully.”
She handed the papers to Count Martin.
“It’s ideal if you succeed in seducing Mariana, but even if you fail, there should be enough damage to her reputation. That way, no one can casually reject the next suitor.”
Flawed gems lose their value, after all.
The Count, sitting with his chin in his hand, glanced at the papers briefly before lowering his gaze.
“At first, I thought you were doing this to provoke jealousy in Duke Side.”
A smirk appeared on Hildegard’s lips.
“Jealousy? The Duke… of me? Don’t make me laugh.”
Even if she partnered with the Emperor instead of Count Martin, that man would remain unmoved.
Sometimes it made her feel a little miserable, but…
Shaking off her gloom, Hildegard continued.
“Count, do you believe in this so-called love and romance that’s in fashion these days?”
“Well… I suppose it’s better than a marriage based solely on contracts.”
Hildegard pursed her lips as she picked at her nails.
“And yet, you change lovers nearly every week.”
“I am sincere every time.”
Count Martin’s brazen reply drew a snort from Hildegard.
“Of course you are.”
“Then why do you dislike the princess? I have my reasons for following orders, but I’d like to know yours.”
Hildegard’s eyes went wide; she hadn’t expected that question.
“Oh, there’s a misunderstanding. I don’t dislike Mariana.”
That made the situation even stranger.
The Count frowned, but Hildegard laughed brightly and continued.
“However, as newlyweds, living with an older sister-in-law isn’t ideal, is it? Especially if she receives the love of both mother-in-law and husband. It shouldn’t happen, but if the Grand Duchess later bequeaths a large fortune to Mariana…”
Hildegard shook her head, frowning.
“I’m not one to share much with anyone.”
