[CHAPTER 73]
Fortunately, the lawyer of the Erbinjel Grand Ducal House did not make a fuss like the bank president had.
The lawyer was a young man from the middle class who had earned his law degree with the support of Erin Erbinjel, and Dianu Ortensa already knew him by face.
He approached the consultation with the same polite and efficient attitude he showed when dealing with the Grand Duchess.
Deciding how to manage and invest the newly acquired assets took no more time than it took to drink a cup of tea.
Since he was someone trusted by Erin Erbinjel, Dianu had no reason not to follow his advice either.
The only part that took a bit longer was agreeing on the portion of the assets to be divided for Beric.
The problem arose with the lawyer’s final question.
“Do you have any assets that you are expected to inherit in the future, Lady Ortensa?”
Dianu shook her head.
“All the houses and land of the Erbinjel Grand Duchy will be inherited by my younger brother.”
Her dowry had all gone toward tuition, so the assets her father had intended to leave her were effectively already spent.
Of course, now that she had deposited an enormous sum in the Imperial Bank, it hardly mattered anymore.
That should have been the end of the discussion.
If only Sir Edric Loisen, who had been silently observing the consultation until then, had not suddenly spoken up.
“Lady Ortensa does have assets she will inherit.”
Dianu and the lawyer looked up at him at the same time.
Sir Edric Loisen continued in a calm voice.
“If certain conditions are met, Lady Ortensa will receive five million Era as a lump sum, and in addition, an annual pension of seven hundred thousand Era.”
The lawyer was the first to speak, which was fortunate.
Dianu’s tongue had frozen at the terrifying amount.
“May I ask what those conditions are?”
“I cannot say.”
“And why is that?”
“Because it would be irreverent.”
The lawyer looked carefully up at the stiff-faced knight and spoke cautiously.
“As Dianu Ortensa’s lawyer and asset manager, I ask this. May I receive a copy of that document?”
“You may visit the place where the document is kept and view it there.”
“Then I would appreciate it if we could proceed that way.”
Sir Edric Loisen nodded.
That marked the end of the consultation.
There were many more things she wanted to ask, but Dianu quickly said goodbye to the lawyer and left the office.
The moment she boarded the carriage, she pressed Sir Edric Loisen for answers.
“What was that supposed to mean just now?”
She did not give him a chance to respond.
In her flustered state, her words came out faster.
“That means my name is on His Majesty’s will, doesn’t it? Right?”
Since he could not dare speak of the Emperor’s death directly, Sir Edric Loisen spoke in a roundabout way.
Still, there was no way a capable lawyer would fail to grasp the implication.
“And five million Era, no, seven hundred thousand Era annually…”
“Only ‘if the conditions are met.’ Those conditions will never be met.”
In other words, unless Rision died, Dianu would never actually receive that staggering sum.
But Dianu could not accept the very fact that Rision had revised his will for her sake.
“Sir Edric.”
As fear crept over her, Dianu unconsciously clutched the hem of the knight’s clothing.
“Why would His Majesty go that far for me?”
She loved Rision.
She never doubted that Rision loved her as well.
But it was a relationship that could not last forever.
Dianu had already prepared herself.
She had imagined and accepted, more than once, a future where she would quietly step aside once Rision’s feelings cooled, or once he married out of necessity.
But a will.
The fact that her name appeared on that document, the same document that would bear Elpenlira’s name.
It felt as though he were promising eternity.
“Lady Ortensa.”
Sir Edric Loisen carefully loosened Dianu’s hand from his sleeve.
“When we return to the Oak Palace, why don’t you speak with His Majesty directly?”
“……”
“In my opinion, that would be for the best—”
He stopped mid-sentence and quietly looked out the window.
A chill tension settled instantly.
He gestured for Dianu to move away from the window.
When she obeyed without understanding why, he picked up the sword he had placed in the corner of the carriage.
“We’re being followed.”
“What?!”
“It’s the man we saw at the bank earlier. Judging by the change of clothes and hat, this isn’t a coincidence.”
Sir Edric Loisen motioned for silence and opened the window leading to the driver’s seat.
“Go and have some tea or something.”
“What kind of outrageous behavior is this! Do you have any idea who I am?!”
Sir Edric Loisen merely looked down at him with an indifferent gaze.
“We can take our time finding out who you are once we arrive at the Imperial Palace.”
The blotchy face drained of color, then filled with fear.
“Y-you have no right to detain me.”
“A Palace Knight has the authority to arrest any citizen of the Empire except members of the imperial family. Are you imperial blood?”
“N-no, that’s not what I meant—!”
Watching the exchange, Dianu suddenly tilted her head in confusion.
The face, rapidly cycling between pale and red, felt strangely familiar.
It was an unremarkable appearance, but she was certain she had seen it before.
While the man repeated like a parrot that Sir Edric Loisen had no right to arrest him, Dianu studied his face closely.
If he feels this familiar, it must be someone I met after entering the Imperial Palace…
A palace attendant, or a guard.
Or perhaps an official she had passed by in the Emperor’s Palace.
As Dianu retraced the faces she had encountered since first arriving at the Oak Palace, she suddenly clapped her hands when her memory reached the Founding Day banquet.
“Ah! It was him!”
Sir Edric Loisen looked at her in surprise.
She pointed straight at the man, who was now turning deathly pale, and spoke.
“He’s an underling of Ambassador Nixandor! I ran into him at the Fir Palace.”
“A lady should not be walking alone in a place like this.”
“It would be best if you did not go toward the central court right now.”
On the day of the Founding Day banquet, he had been the Arasas man who tried to lure Dianu away from the central court so she would not interrupt the meeting between the Belua Duke and Ambassador Nixandor.
Because Dianu had shaken him off and secretly observed that meeting, she had been able to uncover the conspiracy surrounding Elpenlira.
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. It’s the same person.”
Contrary to Dianu’s expectations, upon learning the man’s identity, Sir Edric Loisen shut his eyes tightly.
He looked annoyed, as if things had become troublesome.
Seizing that moment, the man lunged forward.
“That’s right! I am an aide to His Excellency Ambassador Nixandor of Arasas! The Catalos Imperial Family cannot touch me!”
Only then did Dianu grasp the true problem.
A massive and troublesome issue, made up of just four characters.
Diplomatic immunity…
