Chapter 79…………………….
– Traitor
“I’ve heard that the grape harvest this year was exceptionally good. I’m already looking forward to the wine that will be made in the fall,” Davi said carefully, pouring wine into the emperor’s glass.
“Is your good mood really just because of this year’s harvest?”
“I do not own vineyards, Your Majesty, so it is not that simple. It is because I heard news that would please Your Majesty,” Davi replied.
The emperor, reclining lazily on the sofa with his chin propped on his hand, turned his gaze toward Davi.
“News that would please me?”
A slight smile curved Davi’s lips as he carefully handed the filled glass to the emperor, tilting his head as he spoke.
“I heard that the marriage arrangement between Duke Saide and the daughter of Marquis Crow has been broken off. A fortunate event, wouldn’t you agree? It’s not as though the union of the two families would have been particularly harmonious, is it?”
“Ah, that.”
The social circles have been buzzing about this matter for the past few days.
The emperor clicked his tongue and nodded, feigning displeasure with pursed lips, though the sparkle of amusement in his eyes could not be concealed.
“I was somewhat concerned… and, in a different sense, a little jealous. Duke Saide isn’t exactly inferior to me, is he? And if he had the power of the marquisate behind him, he could have become a rather formidable rival.”
“Exactly,” Davi said.
After the emperor drained the glass, Davi refilled it.
“Davi.”
The emperor’s serious tone made Davi drop his smile and adopt a more formal expression.
“You think Duke Saide will remain so fortunate indefinitely?”
“Well, Your Majesty… would you like me to examine that?”
Without waiting for a reply, Davi spread a crystal ball and a book across the table.
After studying the star map for some time and performing calculations, Davi finally looked up.
“You wish to see the downfall of the Saide family?”
“That should have happened long ago. If only they had perished in the war I sent them to, rather than surviving it,” the emperor replied.
A bitter smile touched Davi’s face as he lowered his head. The emperor no longer bothered hiding his true feelings in front of him.
Whether to feel proud or disgusted—he did not even seem to care.
“Rejecting the marquisate’s proposal appears to have been a grave mistake,” Davi noted.
The emperor clicked his tongue in agreement.
“Surely I don’t need to ask you to know that. I heard the stingy marquis actually offered a generous dowry for Hildegarde. Not only did she reject a beautiful, virtuous wife, but they also lost a substantial fortune in the process.”
“Beautiful and virtuous wife…”
Davi muttered the emperor’s words under his breath.
The emperor raised one eyebrow, glancing between Davi and the crystal ball. It seemed he assumed Davi had seen something unusual through it—something others could not.
Ignoring the emperor’s assumptions, Davi continued calculating, flipping between the star map and the book, frowning in concentration.
“Why not? Do you see something else?”
“…No.”
“Is there a problem?”
Snapping out of his thoughts, Davi shook his head, his usual smooth smile veiling his expression.
“No, it is nothing. I simply noticed a slight discrepancy between the divination regarding Miss Hildegarde and my previous calculations, so I merely examined it briefly.”
“A discrepancy? Do you mean her future has changed?”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, but the future is always in flux. My master once said that even twelve times a day, different destinies can enter and leave one’s path. That is why we should never give absolute advice about the future.”
“Wise… but also somewhat irresponsible,” the emperor commented.
“Yes, I thought so too. Yet in retrospect, there is no better way to express the truth of a person’s destiny,” Davi replied.
As the emperor grew impatient with the philosophical digression, Davi’s lips curved into a faintly bitter smile.
Having lost his entire clan, Davi wandered the continent. His appearance had changed drastically since the emperor last remembered him. The delicate features that could be mistaken for a woman’s had grown more masculine, the light brown hair now faded to appear nearly blond.
Yet as Davi’s appearance changed, so too had the emperor himself. The youthful vigor he once carried had grown indulgent and lax. His stomach protruded, his face, once handsome, now appeared surly due to sagging cheeks.
Perhaps it is only fair, Davi thought with a faint smile.
“You mentioned Hildegarde’s future. What does it hold?” the emperor asked impatiently.
Davi leisurely took out a handkerchief and wiped the crystal ball. Though it was a valuable and beautiful object, it had no actual special powers—its primary purpose was to capture attention and stimulate imagination.
As expected, all eyes, including the emperor’s, were fixed on the ball rather than the star map.
“Look, Your Majesty,” Davi said. The emperor leaned in to inspect the crystal ball. Though it only distorted the background, Davi continued.
“The divination indicates that Miss Hildegarde will become a person of high status.”
“High status?”
The emperor’s eyes widened. How many matches were better than the Saide family? And she had refused him, of all people! Hmph!
Twisting his lips in displeasure, he blinked rapidly as a thought occurred to him.
“Could it be… Hildegarde will become royal?”
Davi smiled awkwardly.
“Your Majesty, the divination does not provide such detailed information. Sometimes it offers specific answers, but in this case, it only provided a general look at the future.”
Even so, hope flared in the emperor’s eyes. His bored, dulled gaze brightened.
“Then I shall rephrase the question: Will I take an empress this year?”
Davi’s steady gaze returned to the crystal ball. The ball remained unchanged, yet he tilted his head thoughtfully before speaking.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty. A virtuous empress is a great blessing for the empire.”
No sooner had Davi finished than a knock sounded. The chamberlain entered, bowing deeply.
“Your Majesty, Miss Crow has requested an audience. How shall we respond?”
Crow Corporation’s most popular items were, without question, jewelry crafted from gemstones.
The previously mediocre jewelry business had suddenly gained prominence when the marquis handed it over to Hildegarde.
She imported moderately priced materials like cultured pearls and mother-of-pearl from the Eastern continent and used them to create exotic combs, mirrors, and hairpins—a resounding success.
Yet as the saying goes, even the most beautiful flower lasts only ten days. With opals gaining popularity, the allure of pearls and mother-of-pearl was waning.
Hildegarde worked quickly to showcase opal jewelry but faced difficulties sourcing raw stones and recruiting skilled artisans.
“This is pretty, but…”
Noticing the customer’s dissatisfaction, a clerk quickly opened another box.
“These are items we manage separately. Crafted by the meticulous artisans of Aeolian, an opal-producing region, they are truly special.”
Hildegarde’s gaze fell on the items she had just displayed. The clerk, seeing this, spoke proudly.
“As you have seen, each piece is far from ordinary.”
“Seen?”
Hildegarde’s eyes narrowed in confusion. Who had seen them? And what exactly had been seen?
