Chapter 80
“Miss! Miss! Our precious little miss!”
News about the contest had come late in the evening through Isaac.
As soon as he entered the room, he rushed over and scooped Flora up in his arms, spinning around in a delighted circle with a huge grin.
“Advisor, are you out of your mind?”
Elena, startled, almost had Flora vomit from how wildly Isaac was twirling her—if she hadn’t intervened in time.
‘Ugh.’
“Just look at how pale Miss Flora’s face has turned!”
“Lucifer—she’ll be fine.”
“She’s still just five years old, before she’s even Lucifer!”
Elena carefully held Flora in her arms as if she were a delicate glass bead.
“You’ve just woken up! What if she got hurt from your reckless behavior? I insist you never act so rudely toward her again!”
“I… I got a bit overexcited and reacted too strongly. Miss, if you’ll allow it, may I apologize?”
Bow in hand, Isaac’s polite gesture left Elena speechless, and she silently accepted.
“Afro, be a bit careful, okay? I… am weak, so be gentle. I’m not your father or brother.”
Though it was a phrase she hated to say, she had no choice if she wanted to reassure Elena.
‘After all, it’s because I’m worried about her.’
“I will keep that in mind. I really will.”
Flora smiled at Elena, showing that she was truly okay now. Elena couldn’t help but return the smile, confronted with Flora’s innocent, beaming grin.
“Elena, tonight Isaac will put me to bed, so go rest.”
“Huh? But I should stay by your side.”
“Elena, you haven’t had proper rest because of me. I’m fine now, so don’t worry and get some proper sleep. Got it? And you’ll check in with Jamila and Daphina, right?”
Faced with this firm warning, Elena covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
“Yes, I understand. I’ll rest well tonight and visit tomorrow. Sweet dreams, dear Miss Flora.”
As always, she left a goodnight kiss on Flora’s forehead before swallowing her reluctance and leaving the room.
“The affection she shows is unbelievable, considering she once disliked Miss Flora. Honestly, I worried about leaving her by your side, but that seems to have been needless.”
“See? My judgment isn’t too shabby, right?”
“Oh, certainly. If not Miss Flora, then who else in this Lucifer residence could I trust?”
Unlike usual, Elena now looked full of life and energy. Apparently, the contest had ended very satisfactorily.
“Now, tell me everything.”
“Where should I begin? Ah, maybe I should start with the most interesting part.”
“Speak freely.”
“Hmm, then let’s begin. About a week ago, when you sent me to the Ice Castle…”
After Flora suddenly collapsed with a terrible cold, the Lucifer residence grew lively once more.
Even when she had been kidnapped by a demon and returned, things hadn’t been this intense. The servants, already conquered by Flora’s charm, eagerly awaited her awakening and hoped to see her moving around in good health.
It wasn’t just the servants who were worried.
Atanas and Benio couldn’t leave Flora’s room, fretting over her health. They huffed and sobbed in bursts, looking as though they themselves were about to burst into tears.
Meanwhile, before the contest officially began, Isaac diligently took over the work in place of the two, as he served the kind-hearted Atanas as his lord.
Recalling what Flora had said before she collapsed, he discreetly headed toward the Ice Castle, avoiding the gaze of others.
In the underground area filled with Shalia trees, he found Count Vitora, unconscious and collapsed.
“Count Vitora? Are you alright?”
“Huh? Uh… I’m fine. I just… dozed off for a moment in a blissful daze.”
Though he claimed he was fine, his appearance was pitiful—dirty and disheveled, as if he had rolled across the floor. Isaac lightly flicked his hand, and the soiled clothes returned to their original pristine state.
“Oh, tidy again. Thank you.”
“No, thank you. But since Miss Flora sent me here, could you explain the situation?”
“Ah… well, it’s a bit long… where should I start?”
Worried if it was okay to reveal everything, Isaac encouraged him by sharing what he knew to keep the conversation flowing.
“You can speak freely about whatever Miss Flora recommended you for.”
“Oh? That explains it. I did think it strange that a five-year-old would know so much about me, a mere count. So she must have had an adult helper.”
Satisfied, he nodded, then recounted the outrageous experiences he’d had: losing consciousness after dining with Marquis Sloard, noticing suspicious glances at his business plans, being chased by strange assassins, and finally reporting the successful test results of the self-defense device made from the Sharoa fruit, combining Flora’s wealth, ideas, and his technology. Only then did the long story come to an end.
“Hmm… good. Surviving the monsters thanks to successful research is excellent news. Winning the contest should be a sure thing. But how did you think to hide in the Ice Castle? And how did Miss Flora find out to relay that to me?”
At Isaac’s pointed questions, Count Vitora pursed his lips, recalling Flora’s guidance:
〈Remember. Don’t mention Janet.〉
〈Don’t even mention meeting me. Everyone already thinks you’re asleep in your room.〉
〈Then how do I explain how I got here? I brought you to the refuge—do you need a reason too?〉
He thought it best to handle things diplomatically to run a business smoothly.
〈This is the final test. If you pass it safely and succeed in the contest, I’ll make you my subordinate.〉
Though it sounded mad to an outsider, Flora left without looking back after this tempting promise, though she only pretended to be cruel.
Count Vitora recalled when he had first entered the Ice Castle. While he was distracted by Sharoa, a hawk appeared from nowhere in the underground area. Its piercing grey eyes and sharp talons gripped a bundle of papers.
‘This hawk…’
A pet of Flora’s, highly trained and intelligent. Thinking the contents might help, he hastily opened the papers and was shocked by the unbelievable information.
‘She told me to handle it myself… huh, but she wanted to help all along.’
Adorable in appearance, clever and meticulous in action.
‘Such a shame she’s still so young. If she were older, she could manipulate Lucifer even more.’
Perhaps precisely because she was young, someone as unremarkable as him was chosen as her subordinate.
‘I don’t want to disappoint her. I must give satisfactory results to the one who trusts me.’
Thanks to Flora’s help, he crafted an excuse so clever that even the smart Isaac would be fooled.
Ending his recollection, Count Vitora, now tense, began to speak.
“Actually, someone recently stole my business plan.”
“…What? Could it be that information about the Sharoa fruit was leaked too?”
Though Vitora was careful enough to recommend Flora discreetly, Isaac frowned at the thought of such a foolish mishap.
“No, no. It was just a normal business plan I deliberately made as a decoy. I suspected someone would try something after seeing my enthusiasm.”
He hadn’t wanted anyone to steal it, but knowing there were hyenas targeting his plan, he couldn’t ignore it.
“I secretly observed my other retainers, and none were as calm as Marquis Sloard. Others moved for even small gains.”
Sighing, he seriously stared at Isaac.
“I also investigated the Marquis and encountered unbelievable news. He’s been colluding with outsiders!”
Furious, he threw the letters he had just received to the ground. As they flew, Isaac caught one and read it, his expression hardening.
“It’s Desimo, Duke of all people, copying our mercenary guild business exactly!”
