🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 50
“Rat… a little rat…?”
Anger surged up, forgetting even the fact that I was hiding in a pocket.
Even if I’m hiding like a rat right now, I was once a brave squirrel recognized throughout Black Dragon Castle.
I wanted to stick my head out immediately and correct that statement.
But that momentum fizzled out as if doused with cold water.
Of course, it did.
“D-did we just make eye contact?”
It was because my gaze met Yelois’s through the pocket.
If I can faintly see through the pocket, can she faintly see my shape from outside too?
One thing was certain—
“Scary!”
As expected of Kenih’s sister. Her golden eyes burned like the rising sun.
She was exactly twice as scary as when I got caught escaping Black Dragon Castle by Kenih.
Probably because of all the rumors I’d heard about Yelois until my ears were practically clogged.
Apparently, Yelois was known to have an arrogant personality, filled with pride for dragon kin.
What would happen if she found out that a squirrel like me lived in this Black Dragon Castle?
“Surely… I’m not going to get killed without even a peep, am I?”
I swallowed dryly and watched the situation beyond the pocket.
For some reason, Yelois didn’t take any immediate action.
“Hmm…”
She just let out a humming sound as if intrigued.
Then she slowly parted her lips.
“I hear that my not-so-adorable little brother is rumored to be a serial killer, and the story even reached the Western Continent.”
Her gaze turned toward Ria again.
It was about the Baron’s territory.
“That… was just a misunderstanding because the timing of visiting Baron’s territory overlapped. Even the investigation team sent by the royal family found no further evidence, and the case was closed.”
“I see. That’s why you let Prince Astrahan stay in this castle? And in the Black Dragon Castle’s suite, no less.”
Yelois’s sleek fingers pointed below the floor.
The rumor that Erjin had been imprisoned in the Black Dragon Castle’s underground prison had already spread beyond the walls.
“This Black Dragon Castle really has no secrets at all.”
But it seemed Yelois’s real point was just beginning.
“What was that brat doing while all the rats from the royal family and other noble houses snuck into this castle?”
Her voice was like the cold waves of the night sea.
It was chillingly beautiful to hear, yet it felt as though invisible thorns were embedded in it.
“So that little rat was the rat.”
It was a relief that the “little rat” Yelois referred to wasn’t me…
“Ria, are you alright?”
I slightly lifted my head.
Ria was holding her front pocket with both hands, so her face wasn’t visible, but her trembling hands were clearly felt.
Even the Ria who used to spar and fight with Gerard in front of Kenih had never looked this nervous.
Perhaps Yelois’s fierce reputation was well-known even in Black Dragon Castle?
“True. A leaky bucket leaks outside too.”
I nodded cautiously.
“What happened in this castle?”
Yelois asked, probing.
“It seems like some kind of deal happened between Prince Astrahan and Kenih. No matter how I think about it, I can’t figure it out.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ria replied evasively.
But Yelois was more persistent than expected.
“Something must have happened between the two, and Kenih probably raged, threatening to behead Prince Astrahan. Gerard tried to intervene, but he must have been overwhelmed.”
A-a ghost…!
I couldn’t help but be amazed at how Yelois described the situation in such detail, as if she had seen it firsthand.
“Clearly, Prince Astrahan offered some compensation and the situation was resolved…”
What Yelois seemed curious about was the reason—
Why Kenih Kreuz changed his mind.
“No matter how I think about it, that’s not Kenih’s style.”
Yelois slowly rubbed her jaw as she spoke.
“That brat with a bad temper would have just chopped off Prince Astrahan’s head without hesitation. If nothing happened, then who else was involved?”
“I-I don’t quite…”
As Ria awkwardly smiled, Yelois’s expression hardened and she suddenly reached out her hand.
“Gah! Is she going to strike Ria?!”
That can’t happen…!
I barely managed to clamp my mouth shut before a loud scream would have escaped.
Luckily, her palm landed above Ria’s head instead.
“Ria, you and Gerard are both terrible at lying. You don’t even know how to hide what you want to protect…”
She patted Ria’s head as if encouraging a child.
“The more you try to hide from someone as greedy as me, the more poisonous it becomes.”
In an instant, Yelois grabbed me from the pocket.
“P-Princess…!”
“Chuu, chuuut…!”
“So there were still rats hiding in Black Dragon Castle.”
At that time, in the Duke’s office:
“Gerard, what’s happening with the Gelende mine bid?”
“It’s an undeveloped mine, so we’re adjusting the bid price. We plan to set an appropriate price and submit the bid by the end of this week.”
After burning all the marriage proposals disguised as invitations, Kenih and Gerard were now fully occupied with territory management.
The Gelende Mine.
It was a mine near the duchy that recently caught the eyes of all noble houses.
“There are rumors that crystals are buried there, but it seems just hearsay.”
Gerard checked the documents again.
These “crystals” were said to have formed from condensed mana of ancient divine beasts.
Transparent like diamonds, these crystals contained highly pure mana, becoming the core of all magical tools.
A crystal the size of a fingernail could illuminate a whole street for a year, yet they were only rarely found in a few mines on the Wigdnia continent.
Therefore, their value was immeasurable—
And now a mine that might contain such crystals was up for auction.
“A crystal mine…”
Kenih leaned back in his chair, tapping the desk lightly.
“Not just nobles with money in the capital, but merchants seeking a big score are all eyeing this mine.”
Gerard held up the stacked documents.
It was a list of bidders planning to participate in the mine auction.
The whole empire was abuzz over the crystal mine, yet Gerard’s reaction was somewhat skeptical.
“The test excavation found mostly iron. Even that’s not guaranteed to be pure.”
So until proper mining started, there was no telling if it would be a bust or a jackpot.
“Setting a price isn’t easy either.”
Gerard sighed deeply.
They couldn’t set a high bid just hoping for crystals, nor could they go low.
Any additional information would have been helpful.
“Apparently, crystals were found near Gelende village in the past.”
A rumor whose authenticity couldn’t even be confirmed.
“And that ‘past’ was decades ago.”
Kenih slowly rubbed his jaw in response to Gerard’s words.
“What are the other houses doing?”
“They seem to weigh heavily on the belief that crystals exist. If the auction proceeds, we only need to pay attention to the royal family or Astrahan. Oh, but… I’ve learned that the Rose Guild is also aiming to bid.”
“Your sister?”
“Yes. There were reports that Princess Yelois was seen near the capital’s auction site recently. She was investigating the Gelende Mine.”
Gerard said reluctantly.
Yelois Kreuz.
Even for Gerard, who grew up in Black Dragon Castle, she was a tricky opponent.
She was fearless in everything and didn’t hesitate to use any means to achieve her goals.
A deeply rooted trait of the Kreuz bloodline.
“Surely… she won’t come to the castle, will she?”
Gerard suddenly worried.
The Kreuz siblings always clashed over everything, and those beneath them were the ones who suffered.
What’s worse was another problem—
A tiny squirrel completely out of place in Black Dragon Castle.
“If she sees Cherry…”
Gerard shivered as if imagining a nightmare.
And he wasn’t the only one worried.
“Ah.”
Leaning back in his chair, Kenih let out a short sigh and adjusted his posture.
The one relief was that Princess Yelois visiting Black Dragon Castle was highly unlikely.
Dragons, after all, didn’t care much for family bonds and preferred independent lives.
Especially—
“She despises this Black Dragon Castle more than anyone.”
Gerard nodded in satisfaction.
Clatter.
That was until the elderly steward entered the duke’s office with unusual footsteps.
“D-Duke! H-Here…!”
“Who has come?”
“Yes, Princess Yelois has arrived…!”
