HCV 29

Chapter 29

The maids exchanged glances.

‘Respect his character? That scoundrel of a Duke?’

‘Physical feedback drive…? That’s just a fancy way of saying he hits people, right?’

‘Doesn’t hold back feedback from incompetent subordinates? Isn’t that just another way of saying he hunts them down like rats?’

While the maids’ silent conversation flew thick and fast through the air, Elzea stared at Frijia with wide, unblinking eyes.

‘This girl… she’s only saying true things.’

She was a young lady with a better eye for character than she seemed.

But Elzea decided to proceed with the test she had planned, just in case.

“Ahem, I see. Your abilities are quite admirable, and I’d like to offer you a good opportunity.”

Frijia’s eyes widened into circles.

Elzea asked, like an angler casting bait.

“There is a White Silver Social Club gathering this week. How would you like to attend as an observer?”

The White Silver Social Club was an organization comprised of the highest-ranking elites in the imperial social scene.

If Frijia were truly the social climber she was reported to be, her eyes would light up at this proposal.

However, the White Silver Club was a den of cunning old foxes, seasoned enough to devour a young upstart like her bones and all without batting an eye.

‘If I throw her in among them, her true colors will show.’

Frijia wore a blank expression.

“The White Silver Social Club… You mean it?”

“Indeed. It’s where the empire’s finest luminaries gather.”

Elzea wiggled the bait more enticingly.

“They hold social gatherings weekly, sometimes engaging in overnight discussions for two days straight. It’s also a place to showcase one’s artistic talents, like singing or dancing in front of everyone.”

“……Pardon?”

Frijia’s complexion rapidly deteriorated.

“And don’t worry about not knowing anyone. They have a five-minute self-introduction session for new members each week, on a rotating basis.”

Frijia’s face grew even paler.

With the lifeless complexion of someone having a severe allergic reaction, Frijia asked, “Must I… absolutely participate?”

‘……?’

“If it is Your Majesty the Empress’s command, then I shall do so.”

Frijia lowered her head and responded with grim resolve, her face like a calf being dragged unexpectedly to the slaughterhouse.

‘What’s this?’

Elzea was taken aback.

For a young noblewoman like Frijia, this was a tremendous opportunity. Yet, instead of being a reward, she was reacting as if she’d been given a punishment, looking utterly horrified.

‘Does she… have no desire to advance in high society at all?’

Elzea fell into thought, feeling confused.

Her excessively meek appearance didn’t match that of a social climber, nor did her attitude.

However she looked at it, it didn’t seem like Frijia had approached Kaien with ulterior motives.

If anything, it seemed more like…

‘It seems she truly became his secretary out of respect for Kaien…’

Erasing all her prejudices, Elzea looked quietly into Frijia’s eyes and spoke.

“If you truly dislike it, then consider it forgotten. Let’s pretend the Social Club never came up.”

“Thank you!”

Frijia’s face brightened as if she had just taken a digestif.

“One last question. Were you sincere when you said Duke Kreuz was your role model?”

“Yep.”

Frijia nodded firmly.

“I want to learn diligently by the Duke’s side so that one day, without fail! I can become someone like him.”

Her eyes sparkled as if she were gazing upon a star she adored.

Seeing that look, Elzea quietly became convinced.

‘This child is sincere.’

Simultaneously, a warm feeling spread through her heart.

Kaien had always been a lonely child.

For a royal illegitimate child to be born with such excessive talent was, in itself, a misfortune.

Although she couldn’t openly reach out to him due to political standing, watching Kaien suffer through all sorts of political machinations since he was an infant had always pained Elzea.

She had wished for an ally who recognized his true worth to appear by Kaien’s side.

Perhaps, unbeknownst to her, that wish had already been granted.

Elzea, who had been gazing intently at Frijia, opened her mouth.

“Your name was Frijia Violet, correct?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Rough seas will likely lie ahead on your path. Therefore, on one occasion only.”

Elzea looked deeply at Frijia.

“I shall grant any request you make. Within the limits of my power, that is.”

“……!”

Frijia’s eyes widened.

Elzea added, as if making a belated excuse.

“This is solely for the purpose of supporting the Magic Tower, an important institution of the Empire.”

“Yes! I will remember that.”

Frijia nodded her head vigorously and smiled brightly.

“Thank you so much for your ocean-like grace, Your Majesty!”

Behind her fan, Elzea allowed the corners of her mouth to lift.

‘Quite endearing.’

Unlike most young nobles these days, she was without pretense.

Just as Elzea was hiding her curiously softened expression with her fan, Frijia, who had been blinking as if lost in thought, cautiously opened her mouth.

“Um, Your Majesty. If it’s not too presumptuous, would it be alright if I made my request right now?”

“Hmm?”

Elzea’s eyes shone with interest.

“What request comes to mind so immediately?”

“Well……”

After hesitating slightly, Frijia slowly and respectfully began her tale.

Elzea’s eyes gradually widened.

A short while later.

“Thank you so much, Your Majesty!”

With a happy face, Frijia paid her respectful farewells and left the reception room.

Watching the servants clean up the space Frijia had vacated, Elzea wore a meaningful smile.

‘To think she would make such a request.’

Despite her timid appearance, she was quite a bold and enterprising young lady, wasn’t she?

Elzea discreetly asked her head maid.

“Margaret. What did you think of that child?”

“Yes. She seemed… a very positive young lady.”

That was one way of putting it, considering she could whitewash that mad dog of a Duke to such an extent.

Elzea nodded with a faint, pleased smile.

“Indeed. I rather like that child myself……. May I see the report again?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Margaret promptly presented Frijia’s report.

Flutter. As Elzea turned the pages, her eyes stopped at a particular section.

[Although she does seem to have a particular fondness for handsome and wealthy men, everyone has their own tastes, right? What do they call such people… a gold digger? A social climber?]

Elzea realized why she had felt strange ever since first reading the report.

‘It almost sounds like they’re saying our Kaien has nothing to offer besides his face and money.’

Reading it again carefully, Witness #3’s testimony was indeed the most disconcerting.

Wasn’t she pretending to be nice, agreeing with everything the previous witnesses said, and on top of that, painting Frijia as a gold digger?

But the Frijia she met in person was completely different from how the witnesses had described her.

Elzea murmured the name of Witness #3.

‘Lorena Belmont.’

The Academy’s top flower this year, was it?

Being selected as the Academy’s Flower was the dream of every female student.

The chosen graduate was honored with a debut at the Imperial Foundation Day ceremony held at the royal palace, introduced by the Empress herself. This held true even for commoners.

It was an opportunity that could literally turn one’s life around.

‘When introducing this year’s Flower, I should look into things more thoroughly before deciding on my introductory remarks.’

A sharp light gleamed in Elzea’s eyes.

“Whew!”

The breath I had been holding burst out the moment the carriage left the palace grounds.

I thought I was going to die from nerves!

But my relief was short-lived. Recalling the conversation with the Empress, a huge question mark formed in my mind.

‘What was that all about? Why did she summon me in the first place?’

I’d heard that the palace’s political landscape was once sharply divided between the Crown Prince faction and the Kaien faction.

Although the Crown Prince himself is said to trust and follow Kaien like a true brother… still.

Because of that, I thought the Empress summoned me for political reasons.

‘I was so tense, imagining terrifying scenarios like being forced to spy and steal information from the Magic Tower or something.’

But in reality, the Empress just asked a few ordinary questions and let me go.

[Don’t worry too much, Benefactor! In the end, I detected 59% fondness and 22% pride on the Empress’s face as she looked at you!]

Oh, Ppippi, please.

Her Majesty the Empress isn’t some kindly grandmother from the countryside. There’s no way she looked at me like that, right?