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chapter 52
Kenich, Yelloyz, and I turned our gazes toward the direction of a faint sound.
From a distance, far from the fountain where we were, someone was waving. And that someone was none other than…
“Gerard?”
It was Gerard Viper, Kenich’s aide and Lia’s twin brother.
“Gerard, it’s been a while. But why are you standing so far away?”
The closer Yelloyz approached him, the more Gerard retreated.
“He’s probably afraid of being harassed again. Like Cherry.”
Kenich said this with a look that clearly asked, You really don’t get it?
“Like me?”
Could it be that Gerard had been subjected to doll-like teasing too? If that were the case, it made sense why he recoiled at the sight of the accessories piled on the table.
“Well, both Lia and Gerard are petite, so anything you put on them just looks cute.”
Yelloyz said it casually.
Wait… really?
Petite? Who?
I was momentarily speechless.
It made sense, though; the Viper twins were relatively tall. Even Lia, a woman, was comparable in height to most knights.
With their sharp features and intense eyes, “cute” seemed far from an appropriate description…
I frowned in disbelief but then quickly relaxed.
I understood.
Compared to the overwhelming Kreutz siblings, the Viper twins were practically children.
It wasn’t surprising that Yelloyz, who liked cute things, had fun dressing up the Viper twins.
“That was fun, you know.”
Yelloyz smiled softly, as if reminiscing.
Of course, it seemed like a memory the victims wouldn’t want to remember.
“Ugh, let’s leave the past behind and focus on work.”
Gerard shook his body violently, trying to shake off the resurfacing nightmares. He seemed desperate to rid himself of those memories.
“If you shiver that adorably, it makes me want to play with dolls again.”
But, as expected, Yelloyz was not someone to be easily intimidated.
“Eek… P-Princess, please… just listen to me for a moment…!”
For a while, Gerard’s tearful voice continued through the rose garden.
Black Dragon Castle Reception Room
Thanks to Gerard’s sacrifice—wearing earrings that were the latest trend on the Western Continent—we safely moved to the reception room.
However, another challenge awaited both Gerard and me.
“No! That’s impossible!”
“Why should I listen to you?”
It was the second war of the Kreutz siblings.
I stood between them, utterly helpless and anxious.
Because—
“Cherry is my companion squirrel. So I need to keep her.”
“You followed us here only because of Cherry. If you can’t be with Cherry, there’s no reason for me to listen to you.”
While discussing the Crystal Mines, they were debating who would hold Cherry.
So childish.
Who would believe these were the only rivals of the royal family, Duke Kreutz, and the most notorious villain of Wigdenia?
I sighed heavily.
And it seemed Gerard felt the same. He mediated between the siblings in a voice drained of energy.
“My lord, the Princess isn’t taking Cherry permanently. Couldn’t you at least yield during this conversation?”
He spoke cautiously, but it seemed Kenich didn’t hear him.
Judging by how Gerard tries to convince Kenich, Princess Yelloyz must have something up her sleeve…
There was no helping it.
I quietly watched the chaos and stood up.
Then…
Chop, chop, chop.
I walked across the low table and gently nestled onto Yelloyz’s hand.
“Oh my…!”
Yelloyz had an expression of pure bliss, as if she had conquered the world.
She carefully held me in her trembling hands.
Kenich, on the other hand, was speechless, overcome with a deep sense of betrayal.
“Cherry… how…?”
Chut-chut.
It’s all for the greater good.
I waved my paw toward Kenich.
“Thanks to wise Cherry, we can finally start our discussion.”
Gerard handed me a perfectly ripened chestnut as a gesture of thanks and began speaking.
The topic of discussion between the Kreutz siblings was a certain mine.
“I heard you recently investigated the Gelende territory.”
Kenich started the conversation.
He had erased all traces of childish behavior and asked Yelloyz cautiously.
“Is that so?”
“Any new information?”
“Hmph, why should I tell you? As you know, the Rose Guild will also participate in the Gelende Mine auction.”
Yelloyz twirled my tail with her finger as she spoke.
Following Kenich and Erzin, now Yelloyz too.
Does she have some kind of pheromone in my tail to lure predators?
Chut.
I hugged my tail and listened closely to the siblings’ conversation.
“Do you really intend to participate in the auction?”
“Of course, it’s natural for the Guild to pursue profitable ventures.”
“You know the risks already.”
“Everything is high-risk, high-return. If the mine is discovered as rumored, it’ll be a jackpot. Otherwise… it’ll sting a bit.”
Yelloyz smacked her lips in anticipation.
Wait, crystals?
Crystals are usually used in magical tools, right?
I looked at Yelloyz.
Not something the Rose Guild would normally deal with—jewelry, accessories, or luxury goods for nobles.
Yet Yelloyz’s expression radiated strong confidence.
Kenich seemed to read his sister’s expression as well.
“What makes you willing to take such risks?”
“Isn’t it natural to pursue things that are beautiful and rare?”
Yelloyz leaned back on the sofa, smirking.
“Unlike others, I don’t have an inherited family or a house. I need a lot of money.”
“You could already afford a countship.”
Kenich retorted immediately.
Yelloyz remained expressionless.
She even closed the distance between herself and Kenich, leaving him flustered.
“More money is always better. I plan to craft accessories from crystals.”
“With such expensive minerals?”
Gerard muttered involuntarily as he listened to the siblings.
Given that a baby-fingernail-sized crystal could cost as much as a small house in the capital, it was understandable.
“They’ll go crazy trying to buy it.”
Yelloyz was firm.
“Do you know what the most common complaint is when selling to noble ladies?”
“I wonder.”
“…….”
Gerard tilted his head, and Kenich kept his mouth firmly shut.
“Of course, they wouldn’t understand anything, having no interest in women.”
Yelloyz clicked her tongue in mock pity, then fanned herself and covered her mouth.
“Not something other ladies already have, right?”
From her half-lidded, pretentious eyes to her cautious voice, she perfectly captured the noble ladies of the capital.
Chut-chut!
I was mesmerized and applauded Yelloyz.
“Oh my, thank you.”
Yelloyz was delighted by my enthusiastic response.
“…What are you doing?”
Kenich, her younger brother, looked displeased.
“You really don’t get it, do you, little brother? That’s not the point. The point is, we need something new to create a trend in accessories.”
“Do you think crystals are that thing?”
“Now you finally understand.”
Yelloyz’s eyes narrowed in satisfaction.
