The next morning. Estevan saw Leon entering with a newspaper, wearing a beaming expression.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Of course I am. Your Highness’s reputation is rising day by day. Please take a look at today’s fresh morning paper.”
Estevan unfolded the newspaper Leon handed him.
On the front page, Estevan and Liliana were printed in large size.
[His Highness Prince Estevan and Her Highness the Princess Consort-to-be Liliana attend the Travia charity auction.]
The newspaper showed Estevan and Liliana sitting closely together, watching the auction.
The content of the article was even more something.
“A beautiful pair of swans, if there ever was one…”
Leon joked playfully.
“There are already countless young ladies said to be completely captivated by Your Highness’s handsome appearance.”
“What?”
“They say that after seeing Your Highness in person at the charity auction, all those young ladies went home and fell lovesick, apparently?”
“Nonsense.”
Leon looked at Estevan, who was reading the newspaper like a painting, and pounded his chest.
“Your Highness is truly dense. You possess such a great weapon, yet you do not use it. It is frustrating.”
Estevan had little interest in appearances. It wasn’t something he had obtained by choice anyway.
“Enough of that, report the work.”
As he set down the newspaper and glared at Leon, Leon reluctantly nodded.
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
Dropping his playful attitude, Leon began his report to Estevan.
***
Today as well, Liliana was communicating with Jerdin in the office of the detached Palace.
Through Daisy, she had already sent Jerdin a sample of the magic stone taken from the abandoned mine.
— I never expected there to really be magic stones there.
“Did you check the sample?”
— Yes, it is a high-grade magic stone.
Magic stones were graded according to their purity. The higher the purity, the greater the amount of mana they could contain.
The magic stone Liliana discovered was a high-grade one with 99% purity, an item so remarkable that it could be sold for any price asked.
“Under whose name did you register the abandoned mine?”
— Paris handled it under an alias. The aliases used were Baron Mille and Baron Dansen, and the documents were prepared as if they were merchants.
“Well done. Paris knows business best.”
Jerdin agreed.
“Then, should I contact Paris regarding the development?”
— Yes. If you give the order, Paris will proceed with the development.
“Good. Tell Paris to begin development immediately. He can get the details from Daisy.”
— Understood. And have you decided on a trading partner?
Liliana already had one in mind.
At first, she had thought of dealing with the Magic Tower, but those people were too picky and would likely impose many conditions, so she changed her mind.
“I’ll trade with the magic nation, Baharus.”
The magic nation, Baharus.
A Kingdom built upon magical civilization. Founded by the primordial mage Baharus, its territory was small, but everything within it was crafted through intricate magic.
It was a unique nation where most of its citizens could handle mana.
Because of that, the demand for magic stones to run the Kingdom was enormous.
To meet that demand, Baharus created artifacts and traded them with other countries in exchange for magic stones.
However, a problem had arisen there.
Liliana knew exactly what that problem was.
— I thought you would trade with the Magic Tower, Master.
“At first I did, but the Magic Tower would bring too many troublesome complications. There are too many eccentric people there.”
— That is true.
“Leak the information about the abandoned mine to the Magic Kingdom, Baharus.”
Since it was a place that needed high-purity magic stones, they would come rushing with money to make a deal. Magic stones were an essential material for them.
Moreover, it would also solve the problem they were currently facing.
‘The reason Consort Isabella was able to trade with the magic nation is likely related to that problem.’
Because of that, in the past, Consort Isabella not only gained connections with the Magic Kingdom but also earned a great deal of money.
The abandoned mine was practically a treasure trove for her in many ways, but Liliana had taken it.
‘I can’t hand over something this good.’
— I will follow your orders, Master.
“Thank you. Then, good work.”
After finishing her communication with Jerdin, Liliana went to the Sapphire Palace to meet Estevan.
When she opened the office door and entered, Estevan was there with Leon.
“Welcome, Your Highness the Princess Consort.”
“You seem especially welcoming today, Sir Leon.”
Leon laughed heartily.
“Does it seem that way?”
“Yes.”
Leon joked playfully.
“Actually, I was just getting thoroughly scolded by His Highness, so Your Highness has saved me.”
“Oh my, is that so?”
At that moment, a gloomy voice came from behind.
“Leon, I don’t think you have time to be fooling around.”
“Y-Yes, yes. I am going, I am going.”
As Leon left the office, he gave Liliana a smiling glance.
“Then, please take good care of His Highness.”
After leaving those words, Leon closed the office door and left. Estevan let out a sigh.
“That’s supposed to be my aide…”
“What do you mean? Where would you find an aide as capable as Sir Leon?”
Just seeing how he stayed by Estevan’s side without getting tired of it showed how great his loyalty was.
“Please cheer up and take a look at this.”
Liliana placed several documents on the desk.
“What is this?”
“Just take a look first.”
Estevan checked the documents. As he did, his eyes widened.
“This is…”
“It is a jackpot, right?”
“Is this really true?”
“It is true.”
The documents Liliana brought were about the abandoned mine.
“You purchased this, and you are saying 99% purity magic stones were found there?”
“Yes. I went there myself and saw it. Actually, the reason I stepped away during the charity auction was because of this.”
“You went to check the abandoned mine?”
Instead of answering, Liliana nodded.
“If that was the case, I could have gone with you.”
“Your Highness had to stay. It would have been a problem if both of us left our seats.”
“I would like to hear in detail how it was discovered.”
Liliana explained the discovery of the magic stones in a roundabout way.
“It was truly by chance.”
She mixed truth and lies as she spoke.
Not that she opened it with magic, but that the ground collapsed by chance and when she fell down, there were magic stones.
“It was really just by chance?”
“Yes, it was by chance.”
Liliana insisted it was a coincidence.
Since she kept insisting it was, Estevan had no choice but to accept it.
“So… are you going to develop it?”
“Of course.”
“If you develop it, word will spread. Wouldn’t it be a problem if His Majesty finds out?”
Liliana smiled.
“We will have to tell His Majesty directly.”
“You will?”
“No, Your Highness should go with me.”
“Me?”
“Take a look at the back page of the document.”
Estevan flipped to the back page as Liliana instructed.
“Baron Mille, who purchased the abandoned mine, is my person?”
Estevan was dumbfounded by the scenario written in the document.
It stated that originally, the abandoned mine had been bought cheaply with the intention of turning it into a training ground for a knight order, but while checking the site by chance, magic stones were discovered.
All of it had been arranged by Liliana.
“I have never even met this Baron Mille.”
“I figured you would say that, so I contacted him in advance. He should be arriving soon.”
“What?”
His surprise was brief when a voice from outside announced that a guest had arrived.
As if to say ‘See?’ Liliana shrugged, and Estevan ordered that he be let in.
The office door opened, and a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties walked in.
“I greet both of Your Highnesses. I am Baron Mille.”
“You are Baron Mille?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Estevan looked Baron Mille up and down. His eyes sharpened.
Liliana introduced Baron Mille as the general manager in charge of the mine’s development.
“Truly impressive.”
Everything was proceeding remarkably smoothly.
“For now, you may step outside.”
Estevan dismissed Baron Mille and looked at Liliana.
“What is it, Your Highness?”
“That is what I want to ask.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you going this far to help me?”
“You know already. I said I would do anything for Your Highness.”
Estevan clenched his fist tightly.
“Even without you laying out silk before me, I can accomplish it well enough.”
“Yes, I know. But if, through my help, Your Highness can walk that path more easily, would that not be better?”
Liliana was right. He could use her and walk that path more easily.
He understood it with his head, but for some reason, he didn’t like it.
He didn’t know why. He simply couldn’t understand her endless trust in him.
“I still doubt you. So why do you trust me like that?”
It was something he was deeply curious about.
Of course, there was a prior agreement between them. A relationship that had begun strictly as a transaction.
What Estevan was curious about was what came next.
When the deal ended, what would their relationship become?
He didn’t know why he was curious about such things, but it was a question that had been on his mind lately.
