FLSL 08

Chapter: 08

Iana’s Plan

“Wishing you a speedy recovery.”

The moment Lu saw Prince Karl’s signature on the card, she covered her mouth in shock. So all of this… was a gift sent by His Highness the Prince? And so many of them? Moreover, each meticulously wrapped gift looked incredibly expensive. Lu suspected for a moment whether it was mistakenly sent instead of something meant for Princess Vivienne and examined the card carefully.

“To Princess Iana Marseille.”

“Do gifts like this come often?”

Yvonne tossed the gifts onto the table as she spoke, looking somewhat displeased, though Lu didn’t know why.

“This is the first time I’ve ever received something like this! Wow, really! The young lady should get up and see this immediately. It feels like just yesterday she was excited over some old handkerchief!”

Even though it wasn’t hers, Lu got carried away with the gifts and said more than necessary.

“Old handkerchief?”

Yvonne’s voice was low but sounded cold and sharp. A chill ran down Lu’s back, and a shiver crept along her neck.

“No, it’s just that…”

Should she explain? Would it be okay to explain? Would Miss Iana scold her? While Lu hesitated, Yvonne’s eyes grew sharper. His blue eyes, hidden deep behind his horn-rimmed glasses, seemed to blaze with icy fire. Seeing that, Lu found it increasingly difficult to speak.

“An old handkerchief, a thread necklace with dust-like gems, a shabby bouquet… that sort of thing was sent.”

Iana, who had apparently gotten up at some point, stretched and spoke. Then, groaning slightly, she walked to the table and glanced at the gifts.

“Oh my, I don’t know what’s going on, but this time, someone really put effort into it, huh?”

But in words only—she merely skimmed over the gifts and didn’t touch them. Sitting on the sofa as if uninterested in the presents, she picked up the book she had been reading. It was Lu who felt disappointed at Iana’s reaction. How could someone who once couldn’t sleep with excitement over an old handkerchief now react so indifferently?

“Miss, won’t you open them?”

“Judging by the size, the big one is probably a dress, and the smaller ones are likely jewelry like necklaces or rings. Judging by the wrapping, it looks like they were ordered from Glindale Jewelers, who mainly supply the royal family. Definitely strange. Check if the gifts were sent by mistake. Yvonne.”

“It seems certain these are for the young lady.”

Iana clicked her tongue at Yvonne’s words.

“This is starting to worry me. If someone starts doing things they don’t normally do, it means they’re either about to die or expecting something big from me. And since the sender is the Prince, just how big must he be expecting to receive in return? What a troublesome nuisance. Truly a nuisance.”

Iana shook her head and clicked her tongue. Lu tilted her head, thinking her mistress looked like her grandmother at home. Did Miss Iana have such a habit? Previously, Lu had always bowed and trembled in front of Iana, leaving before she could even notice her habits. While Lu was pondering, Yvonne spoke up.

“Wouldn’t it be better to at least take a look? You should send a reply as well.”

Iana waved her hand lazily at Yvonne.

“You write the reply appropriately and send it. Ah, it’s refreshing to have someone to do the work. Just stash the gifts somewhere. The sender can sell them, or at least put them in a charity auction. If you want to avoid unnecessary chatter, you’ll have to hide them away, unfortunately.”

The thought of gifts left unopened and stuffed into a storage room almost brought tears to Lu’s eyes. In the past, she would have changed clothes and rushed to the palace to meet Prince Karl immediately, but Miss Iana didn’t give them the slightest attention.

Unlike when the gifts were first discovered, Yvonne seemed to be in a much better mood. Though his expression hadn’t changed much, the softened atmosphere and relaxed mouth hinted that his mood had lifted. Lu, still wondering why he had been upset in the first place, simply tilted her head.

As Lu carried the gifts, still wrapped, out of the room, Iana pointed to the opposite sofa.

“Yvonne, sit here.”

Once Yvonne sat down, Iana spread out a map on the table between the sofas. The map displayed not only the Empire but also other continents. Iana scanned the map, pressed her finger on one spot, and asked,

“Yvonne, you’ve been here before, right?”

Yvonne gazed quietly at the area Iana indicated. It was Colmar, on the northern border of the Empire. Across a narrow strait, it faced Toulouse. Strategically, it could be considered an important location, but its rugged cliffs and wild seas served as natural fortifications, leaving only a border garrison stationed there.

The harsh environment made farming impossible, so very few people lived there. A handful of small eateries or general stores serving soldiers made up the only village in Colmar. As it wasn’t worth sending a lord, the nearby Marquis Maurice of Marseille co-governed Colmar.

“I’ve been there before.”

Yvonne hesitated before speaking. It was a painful memory, the last journey he had taken with Alice before her death. Though called a journey, it was closer to a mission—they had passed through the Kingdom of Toulouse for work and were returning. Alice had been repeatedly annoyed because Yvonne, claiming personal freedom, fussed over getting a haircut.

‘Why on earth do you insist on using that perfect face like this? And how dare an aide defy their master? Unbelievable!’

Alice had glared at him, exasperated. Yvonne recalled her even more furrowed brows and smiled bitterly.

“The Duke of Lemacsen seemed particularly fond of it. Barren rocks and cliffs, rough waves, endless sea, chilly even in early summer… the worst conditions for human habitation. Yet he liked it—he was truly a strange person.”

“What?”

Iana frowned at Yvonne, who casually cursed in front of her.

“Why are you saying that? Even the Emperor can be cursed when absent.”

Her audacious expression and shameless reply left Iana momentarily speechless. Yvonne, smiling, continued.

“So, what do you intend to do with Colmar?”

Regaining her composure, Iana glared at Yvonne and began speaking.

“I plan to buy Colmar.”

“This place?”

Yvonne’s eyes widened in disbelief, looking at Iana as if she were mad. The look was wildly inappropriate for an aide confronting their mistress.

After all, it was borderland, no matter how barren. He knew the implications of selling land on the border to a princess of Marseille who wasn’t an Imperial citizen. And what could be done with such a harsh land?

“Yes.”

Iana looked at Colmar, marked as a dot on the map, and replied calmly, as if asking, so what? Yvonne let out a hollow laugh.

“Miss, you could pick any spot on this map and it would be better than Colmar. Rocks everywhere, not even a blade of grass can grow there.”

He tapped the map, continuing.

“Moreover, the weather is terrible—rain every three days. Waves are rough, and when it rains, storms seem to rage even more.”

Yvonne tried every means to persuade Iana. Of all places, why Colmar? It was a location only suited for passing by by accident. Buying it was completely useless.

“I like it here.”

“Ha!”

Yvonne, frustrated, jumped up and paced the room.

“Think again!”

Iana stubbornly shook her head.

“Why Colmar? Why not anywhere in the Duchy of Marseille, where there are beautiful places?”

“I just want to get out of here. So Marseille won’t do.”

“Then I can look for a suitable place.”

Iana shook her head.

“No, I don’t need anything else. I like Colmar. The land is cheap, for starters.”

“You have plenty of money.”

Yvonne stopped mid-sentence and closed his eyes in disbelief.

“It’s not my money anywhere—it’s all my father’s.”

Her voice sounded bitter. Yvonne quickly stayed silent, watching Iana carefully.

“Are you making a resort in Colmar because of the money?”

“Not necessarily. Believe it or not, I’ve earned more money than I could ever want.”

Iana pondered how best to explain her situation.