FLSL 15

Chapter: 15

Useless Land

“Someone as knowledgeable as you actually wants to build a resort city in such a treacherous place? Who on earth would even come?”

“If no one comes, it’ll be quiet. That might be even better.”

Iana said with a spinning laugh. The same conversation had been repeating since morning. Lu glanced between Iana and Yvon. Yvon seemed anxious at Iana’s smiling words.

Most of Yvon’s face was hidden by her long hair and thick-framed glasses, but as she furrowed her brows and bit the inside of her red lips, Lu couldn’t look away. Seeing her delicate red lips and glimpses of white teeth made his chest tingle, and his face flush. Just imagining what her face would look like if she pushed her hair back and removed her glasses made his heart race. Lu wasn’t unaware that the mansion’s maids had recently started acting oddly kind to him because of Yvon.

“Lu?”

Iana’s sudden call snapped Lu back to attention.

“How did it go?”

“As you said, I got 50 francs and 1 Louis. I pushed for more, trusting your advice, and ended up getting the extra Louis.”

“Well done. You should keep the 1 Louis, as promised.”

“Oh, no, Miss.”

Lu smiled wryly, and Iana shook her head.

“No, Lu. This is a fair reward for your hard work. If you take the 1 Louis and work even harder, it benefits me more anyway.”

When Yvon nodded as well, Lu slipped the 1 Louis into his pocket and handed the pouch of 50 francs to Yvon.

“Ah, I’m exhausted. Lu, I have a breakfast appointment with Father tomorrow morning. Make sure I wake up early.”

Lu checked the time quickly and let out a groan.

“But Miss, Your Excellency eats breakfast at six. Even if you go to bed right now, will you be able to get up that early tomorrow?”

“What?”

Iana must have been imagining that her father had some affection for her. Of course, the Grand Duke knew full well that she barely got up before ten. That sly old man! A deep vertical wrinkle appeared on Iana’s forehead.

“Clang!”

Throwing it onto the glass table must have been intentional. The necklace lay scattered among the shards, indistinguishable unless examined closely.

“Did you think I was easy enough to hand over such worthless things?”

The jeweler on the floor trembled violently.

“I specially summoned you because you said you had something rare, and you bring me a fake? Are you mocking me, or is this another one of your scams?”

Either way, the result wouldn’t differ much, yet Vivienne asked slowly.

“Please spare my life.”

“Bring me the real thing, and then I might consider it,” Vivienne said as she sat on the sofa.

“I truly want to, but as I told you, that item has already been sold. I told the maid the same before, but you insist on making me give it anyway.”

The jeweler’s voice was full of injustice. Vivienne’s indifferent gaze swept over the maids standing nearby. When she saw one of them turn pale, Vivienne gestured toward her. The maid sank to her knees and began begging.

“I was afraid Your Highness would be disappointed. I’ve been failing to get you what you want lately, so I wanted to make sure I could get it for you this time. It’s my fault, Your Highness! Please forgive me just this once!”

“Do you know what your fault is?”

Vivienne gestured toward the broken table, and the staff quickly began cleaning. They removed the shattered table and jewelry box and replaced the carpet. Fresh desserts and tea were placed on the table.

“I failed to obtain the item Your Highness desired,” said the maid. Vivienne tilted her head and smiled faintly. The maid felt a glimmer of hope, but Vivienne shook her head.

“No. Your fault is trying to deceive me with shoddy goods. If you weren’t testing me, would you have brought something like that? Had I not noticed, all my other jewels might have been swapped for fakes too.”

“That’s impossible! No, Your Highness, it’s not like that. I swear!”

Vivienne was already no longer listening. Holding a teacup in one hand, she waved her other hand lightly, and the knights dragged the jeweler and the maid away.

Vivienne sighed lightly, setting down her teacup.

“Can’t you just follow instructions? Do you have to make me look like a bad person? I am naturally kind-hearted, so this is genuinely painful for me whenever you act like this.”

Opposite her, someone who had remained silent until now let out a low chuckle. Vivienne shot him a sharp look.

“Why are you laughing?”

“The part about you being kind-hearted made me laugh,” said Luca Shoud’s blue eyes, twinkling mischievously.

“Sir, I wasn’t joking,” Vivienne said sternly.

“I wasn’t joking either, Your Highness,” Luca said, shaking his head.

Vivienne glared at Luca. But what could she do? She had endured until now only because the prince’s advisor and close friend, Luca, had helped. Moreover, being slightly irritable didn’t change the fact that she, a foreign princess, couldn’t influence the situation.

The Shoud family was one of only three ducal houses in the empire. Apart from the Grand Duke of Marseille, they belonged to the top-tier nobility. This mysterious man, whose feelings she could never decipher, remained close to her.

“So, did His Highness the Prince purchase this necklace too?”

Vivienne asked. Luca waved his hand.

“Would the royal family go bankrupt? That necklace was incredibly expensive.”

“Hmph! I tried to buy it, but surely the imperial family couldn’t lack that much money. So, who owns it? Who is the necklace’s owner?”

“How should I know?”

He had been strangely uncooperative lately. Vivienne narrowed her eyes. The Duke Shoud, who supposedly knew everything happening in the empire, couldn’t not know. Besides, wasn’t it the famous Godard ‘Chandelier’?

The ‘Chandelier’—the unfortunate jewel that had toppled old kingdoms in Balu and the previous continent. Vivienne, upon hearing that the jewel had appeared at an auction, wanted it at all costs. A necklace that could ruin a country! How beautiful must it have been? More importantly, owning it would make her the envy of high society. Aside from claiming Prince Karl’s love, she would gain another way to elevate her social standing.

“Sir, when I become Crown Princess, would the Shoud family treat me harshly? Don’t toy with me over trivial matters. You know I’m asking because I have no other way to find out.”

Luca set down his teacup and met Vivienne’s gaze. The woman, called the incarnation of a fairy, was more like a demon than a sprite.

Her refined silver hair and blue eyes seemed noble and innocent, but Luca knew better than anyone how cleverly she used her appearance. While she appeared carefree, nobles constantly schemed to expand their influence, and most young noblewomen raised under such circumstances weren’t truly innocent either.

In this regard, Princess Iana was particularly unfortunate. Her jet-black hair and vivid violet eyes gave her a naturally fierce look without doing anything. Her long black eyelashes emphasized the sharpness of her eyes, and her rose-like red lips added to the effect. Luca could only smile wryly, recalling Vivienne’s delicate pink lips.

“Truly a necklace worthy of its reputation. Called the ‘Chandelier,’ it seemed less like a necklace and more like an article of clothing.”

The first row consisted of seventeen dazzling, hazelnut-sized diamonds, not tight around the neck. The second row hung longer, with teardrop-shaped diamonds dangling as pendants. The necklace extended from her neck down to her shoulders. Luca had never seen a design like it before, so the fake ‘Chandelier’ the jeweler brought even seemed impressive in a way.

“You’ll have to give up on it, Princess.”

Vivienne’s once gentle blue eyes darkened with anger.

“Why? Do you think a princess of a small kingdom can’t handle it?”

“No. Toulouse isn’t a small kingdom. But the person who bought it was the Grand Duke of Marseille.”

Luca smiled teasingly, as if mocking whether she could ever obtain the necklace. Watching Vivienne bite her lips in frustration, he added:

“The Duke said it would suit Princess Iana perfectly and ordered it bought, no matter the price.”

“For Princess Iana?”

Vivienne asked incredulously, and Luca nodded.

“I guess rumors can’t be trusted. They said he hid her away because she was illegitimate, yet he bought such a magnificent item for his daughter.”

“Perhaps. He could say one thing and gift it to his lover,” Vivienne said mischievously.

Luca laughed.

“That would be truly intriguing. The Duke has never had a proper lover or heir besides Princess Iana. A lover, for the Grand Duke, whose only child is Iana? The social scene will be noisy.”

Finishing his words, Luca bowed politely to Vivienne and began walking toward the door.

“Leaving already?”

“It’s about time Your Highness started searching. There’s work waiting as well.”

After saying this, Luca turned and left without hesitation. Finally alone, Vivienne glared at the door with a displeased expression.