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Chapter : 11
Marianne barely managed to set her teacup back in its place and stared at Helene and Fabrice.
Helene was still kneeling, and Fabrice—far from stopping her—was bent deeply at the waist alongside her.
To an outsider, they’d look like criminals guilty of high treason.
Wanting to escape this awkward situation as quickly as possible, Marianne called out to Helene.
“Um, Countess Hill.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“First, could you stand up and sit in a chair? You as well, Aide Hill.”
“But—”
“It’s an order.”
At her firm voice, Helene stood up. Seeing Helene and Fabrice obediently take their seats across from her, Marianne let out a sigh of relief inwardly.
Thank goodness. I almost choked on my tea.
“This is a special herbal tea made by the kitchen. It will warm your body, so please drink.”
Amélie and Chloé, who had kept the tea warm so it could be served at any time, refilled the cups in front of them.
For a moment, the only sound filling the reception room was the crackling of firewood in the fireplace.
“Once again, I sincerely apologize, Your Highness. I doubted Your Highness’s intentions and behaved rudely, committing an unforgivable sin. Please punish me.”
After drinking her tea with precise, disciplined movements, Helene bowed her head. Unsure whether to call it knightly or simply overly rigid, Marianne awkwardly smiled while fidgeting with her teacup handle.
‘At least Cedric isn’t here.’
Pretending nothing was wrong, she changed the subject.
“Looks like you found the vein.”
At Marianne’s words, Fabrice answered in place of Helene, who still had her head lowered.
“…Yes. We found it deep within Mount Xasana, just as you said. A man who worked for many years as a foreman in the mines vouched for it.”
“It must have been difficult with the terrain so rough. Everyone must have worked hard.”
“Yes. Those who went were properly compensated.”
Marianne nodded. As expected of the count’s aide, Fabrice was perceptive and efficient—very satisfying.
‘Amélie is excellent too, of course, but it would be nice to have more people who can handle administrative work.’
Though it was regrettable, she decided to leave that to future Cedric and focus on the present.
“How long do you think it will take until the mine can be properly operated?”
“Hmm. Rather than building the tunnels, I believe carving out the mountain roads will take quite a bit of time.”
“Your Highness, the support you mentioned last time is possible even if the mine isn’t completed yet.”
Helene, who had been quietly leaving the conversation to Fabrice, suddenly clenched her fist and jumped in.
“S-Sister—no, Countess. Please wait a moment.”
Ignoring her flustered younger brother, she continued.
“All discussions with the Hill Trading Company are already complete. Under the count’s name, it would be difficult to assist Sir Cedric smoothly, but using an assumed identity obtained through the company and my personal funds, we plan to provide support.”
She then took out the documents and checkbook she had carefully kept on her person and placed them on the table.
They’ve already finished discussing everything and even prepared the paperwork?
Marianne couldn’t help imagining how dark the circles under the trading company master’s eyes must be—someone she hadn’t even met yet.
‘An assumed identity, forged documents… He must have worked overtime.’
Judging by the company’s name, the master was likely a collateral relative of Count Hill. That meant he couldn’t dare refuse the count’s orders, and since this was nearly classified information, he probably handled it personally.
Hoping the poor man was resting well now, Marianne picked up the documents.
Written in elegant cursive were the personal details.
Jean Croque. Age 31. From the small city of Yuzel. Imperial faction. Once received kindness from Her Highness Princess Marianne’s mother.
In short, it was a heartwarming story: having once been helped by Marianne’s mother—an unofficial empress—he now wished to repay that debt by helping Marianne.
His origin was closer to the capital than the North, and the document even detailed how he had been a fallen noble who rebuilt his family through hard work.
Even if Louis were to suspect this sudden patron and investigate, there was nothing to latch onto—spotlessly clean.
‘…Mother.’
The original story never explained what kind of life Marianne’s mother had lived. It only briefly stated that the emperor loved her, she gave birth to Marianne, and later died as her chronic illness worsened.
Using someone like that left a bitter taste in her mouth—but still.
“Thank you for your consideration, Countess. Please convey my thanks to the master of the Hill Trading Company as well.”
“Yes. Understood.”
It was something Marianne desperately needed right now, so she expressed her gratitude plainly.
After taking a sip of tea, she briefly explained the current situation of the ducal estate to Helene and Fabrice, whose expressions had brightened slightly.
“From now on, it would be best for Jean Croque—he’s a viscount, I see—to visit the estate. As you know, Louis has planted eyes here.”
“…You mean Lady Lusana Biarritz.”
Fabrice responded quickly. Marianne nodded, then sighed as she recalled Lusana, who had tried so hard to insert herself into this meeting.
Please, I beg you, Princess. I’ll be as quiet as a teapot—no, as wallpaper. Please grant me the honor of meeting the Countess as well.
She had practically been in tears by the end. Should she call her a loyal imperial supporter, or an incredible actress?
Shaking her head to banish Lusana from her thoughts, Marianne continued.
“I pushed her back by saying it was an important Northern meeting to discuss the details of the oracle and request aid, but that excuse probably won’t work twice.”
Lusana would surely report to Louis that Marianne had met the Countess of Hill, and pressure or threats would certainly come from the imperial family.
Last time, she’d managed to fend them off with the banner, but if the imperial family sent soldiers directly this time, it would be a real nuisance.
‘I can’t let the ducal estate suffer unnecessary damage.’
She had been considering switching to correspondence only, so she couldn’t help but be grateful that everything had been prepared in advance.
“So let’s conclude all discussion about the mine here.”
“Yes. As for the resources mined, we’ve agreed to process and sell them through the Hill Trading Company.”
“How much will be paid to the company and the laborers?”
“It should be around one-tenth of the projected sales. Once things stabilize and mining speed increases, it may be even less than that—”
Marianne nodded, then spoke before Fabrice could finish.
“Four-tenths.”
“…Pardon?”
“Four-tenths of the mine’s profits will go to the Countess of Hill. Give me only one-tenth, and use the remaining five-tenths entirely for Cedric through the viscount.”
Fabrice stared at Marianne, completely failing to control his expression.
Has this princess lost her mind?
Reading that thought clearly in his wide eyes, Marianne smiled gently.
“…Ahem, my apologies.”
“It’s fine. I don’t need a large sum. But this ducal estate—and the North—need funds. And the Hill territory would benefit from a larger budget as well.”
Her last words were tied to that troublesome oracle—events yet to come. A monstrous beast powerful enough to bring about the world’s destruction would appear in the North.
‘Of course, Cedric will defeat it like the male lead he is—but if there’s an easier path, it’s better to take it.’
If the Countess of Hill’s soldiers—who would become Cedric’s allies—were equipped with better weapons and armor, it would certainly help the story unfold.
And truly, she herself only needed a modest amount of money.
However, the proposal seemed extremely bewildering to Helene and Fabrice, who stood to gain the most.
“But Your Highness, I—no, the Hill territory—feel this distribution is far too generous. Please reconsider.”
“No. I’ve already decided. If the Countess continues to refuse, I won’t take even that one-tenth. The checkbook will be delivered by Viscount Jean Croque anyway.”
Marianne smiled sweetly. It was an unspoken threat: if they pushed further, she’d pour all the mine’s money into the North.
Understanding her intent, Fabrice stopped Helene, whose lips were twitching as if to protest. He leaned in and whispered something to her so quietly that Marianne couldn’t hear.
“……”
When Fabrice straightened up, Helene furrowed her brow briefly, then reined in her dissatisfaction.
“Understood. We will proceed as Your Highness has said.”
No—she agreed far too easily. That made Marianne suspicious instead. She cupped her teacup in her hands and stared hard at Fabrice.
As if he’d expected that reaction, Fabrice merely smiled like sunshine.
“Hm. Thank you for understanding. Ah, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”
“Please say anything. I swear on my honor and my family’s name that I will accomplish it.”
Helene answered with resolute determination. Seeing her, Marianne smiled awkwardly—Helene looked like she’d be willing to cut off Louis’s head and return before the tea cooled.
“It’s not that difficult… At the moment, Sir Miel is the only knight guarding the ducal estate. So I’d like you to send a few knights, under the pretense of being my escort.”
“Yes. Of course. I will assign six excellent knights and around twenty people total, including their squires, to the mission.”
Beside Helene, Fabrice nodded. He then took out a small notebook from his pocket and quickly wrote something down.
“The expenses for the knights and squires can be covered at this level and sent together, correct?”
“I’ll leave it to you, Aide.”
It was a display of sibling harmony—quickly settling matters before Marianne could even suggest paying the costs herself.
‘It’s such a relief that the people who will stand by Cedric are all kind and capable.’
With a smile on her lips, Marianne took another sip of tea. The tea, now lukewarm, tasted sweet.
“Then, Countess and Aide. Even though there may be an uninvited guest next time, you’re always welcome to visit the estate.”
“Thank you.”
It was about time to end the conversation.
Though Miel and Laurent were nearby, Lusana might still vent her grievances to Cedric, and that worried Marianne.
Hoping she wasn’t the kind of person to go that far—but feeling uneasy nonetheless—Marianne spoke first.
“You’ll meet Cedric before you leave, won’t you? Let’s get up together.”
