Chapter 25
I only knew because I was close to Esha — but surely, I wasn’t the only one who had noticed.
After all, it wasn’t the first or second time I’d seen the two of them exchanging furtive glances across the ballroom.
“If you’re planning to blackmail her,”
“Blackmail? Come now. What could I possibly extort from Esha that would make that worth doing?”
I gave a casual shrug.
That seemed to ease Loren’s tension a little; his voice steadied.
“I only wanted to confirm something — to see how far you’d be willing to go for Esha.”
If I could handle everything alone, that would be wonderful.
Unfortunately, the things I was planning to do next would inevitably require other people’s help.
“Someone entirely outside the dinner incident.”
It wasn’t simple curiosity about what had happened behind the scenes that had led me to Loren.
If it were just that, a letter would’ve sufficed.
“Let’s make a deal instead. If this succeeds, I’ll make sure your relationship with Esha is recognized — publicly.”
Every bargain needs a reward.
I wagered Loren’s devotion.
“So? Will you do it?”
Loren gazed at the woman.
Perhaps because the offer came from the most infamous woman in society, it felt dangerously sweet.
His wish was a small one.
He didn’t need wealth. He didn’t crave honor.
He only wished to walk under the sun, hand in hand with the woman he loved.
That was all.
Yet that tiny wish was one he could never have — because of the gulf between their stations.
But if this woman could make that impossible dream come true…
If she could become his salvation—
Then I would gladly say it.
“If I can declare my love before the world, what wouldn’t I do?”
For the one who lights up my small world, there’s nothing I’d withhold.
Loren could do anything.
He always had.
Marienne bit her lower lip to stifle the laughter bubbling up.
But pffft — a sound escaped anyway, like air leaking from a balloon.
What a lucky break!
In her hand, the recorder she’d brought from the kingdom was running.
She had followed Laura and some strange man into the imperial garden, suspecting something, and by pure luck managed to record their conversation.
Hmm.
Of course, the recording quality was atrocious.
She’d powered the device using a magic stone salvaged from the broken cold storage, after all.
Besides, Laura and the knight weren’t even romantically involved.
But so what?
Rumors between men and women are always fickle things.
Even if both parties denied it, once a spark of suspicion caught, gossip spread like wildfire.
And the knight’s beloved happened to be a noblewoman —
someone of high rank, whose name he could hardly reveal.
Even if he were suspected of being involved with Laura, he’d probably stay silent to protect her — unable to clear the misunderstanding.
And once the doubt piled up, no one would listen to the truth.
The problem is, I can’t use this myself.
Each magic stone had a unique resonance pattern.
Anyone could trace this one back to the cold storage incident.
Which would mean admitting I’m the one who broke the storage unit at the banquet.
But it was too good a weapon to just let it rot.
“Your Highness, what brings you to my quarters?”
Marienne had gone to see the Second Prince, Malken.
“I thought you might need a little help.”
She smiled thinly.
In the Kingdom of Arietta, before sending a royal into a political marriage, they conducted thorough investigations into their prospective partners.
Among Marienne’s potential matches, Prince Mortum had once been considered.
But the Second Prince, Malken, had been struck from the list — because he had no chance of inheriting the throne.
Meaning, befriending him brought no real benefit.
But he could still be useful.
Because this man needs money.
He was likely preparing for civil war — and gathering weapons for soldiers in secret required far more gold than most imagined.
And since he had to do it all covertly, his hardships must have been tremendous.
“The recorder I’ve given you contains proof that Lady Lueys committed a disgraceful act.”
When Marienne set the recorder on his desk, Malken’s expression was indifferent.
“But,” she continued, “Lady Lueys also holds the funds needed to bury any such scandal.”
At that, his face changed.
After verifying that the recording was genuine, Malken lifted his head again.
“This would indeed be useful to me. But what do you wish to gain by giving it to me, Your Highness?”
“What else?”
Marienne’s laugh was low and soft.
Of course — the destruction of Laura Lueys.
The next day, at noon.
“Thank you — truly.”
Asel, who had barely managed to spare time to meet Laura, expressed his gratitude sincerely.
He was not a man who drew strict lines between work and rest.
It was common for him to hold a fork in one hand and official papers in the other.
But today, he’d set all documents aside.
This meeting was purely to thank her.
On the table was Laura’s favorite Darjeeling tea.
“To think even my aunt, and the other nobles, would praise you.”
“……”
“And I heard there was some kind of mishap that night as well.”
The Laura he used to know would have looked for someone else to blame and an escape route for herself.
But this time, she hadn’t turned away from the problem. She had remained calm and handled it perfectly.
What should have stayed a minor kitchen incident had reached Asel’s ears —
because he was the kind of ruler who never stopped listening to those beneath him.
That was why he was always busy.
He took seriously even the smallest voices that other rulers ignored.
“And… I owe you an apology.”
He hesitated, almost sheepishly.
“Facing my aunt must not have been pleasant for you.”
Years ago, Princess Luigi had openly objected to Asel’s engagement to Laura, finding fault with everything she could.
For Laura, just seeing the Lu of her name must have made her want to flee the palace.
Yet she had treated even the woman who despised her with perfect courtesy.
“It’s all right. I wasn’t particularly hurt.”
But Laura said something unexpected.
“Honestly, I can’t blame Her Highness for doubting me.”
“…?”
“Imagine how worried she must have been — hearing that her only nephew got engaged to a woman with strange rumors, from a suspicious family, with a terrible reputation and a talent for getting into trouble.”
“A-ah… no, I—”
Even Asel had once avoided her for the same reasons, but now that she was openly listing her own flaws, he felt oddly embarrassed.
Someone nearby even coughed, as if voicing his own awkwardness.
“In that sense, I’m actually grateful to Her Highness. Even if she’s far away, it means there’s someone out there who truly cares for Your Highness.”
Asel was struck speechless for a moment.
He hadn’t expected to hear that from Laura.
And at the same time, a thought crossed his mind —
This Laura… could she be a true partner in ruling the Empire?
When they’d first drawn up their contract, he’d thought of her as merely a decorative fiancée.
I thought we’d just endure two years of mutual annoyance…
But now, he found himself envisioning a longer future with her —
and it was strangely heartening.
Of course, that wasn’t something he could say aloud.
“Is there nothing you’d like as a reward for this? Or anything that requires my authority? Perhaps you’d like to know who broke the cold storage? I could order an investigation, expose the culprit, and make sure everyone knows how you resolved—”
“There’s no need for that.”
Asel blinked, surprised.
He’d assumed Laura would want to use this to restore her reputation.
“Why not?”
“Because I already know who did it.”
And at that moment—
CRASH!
Something shattered and fell.
Both Laura and Asel turned their heads.
“Ahem.”
Through the half-open door,
“Well, it’s… nothing important. Please, go on.”
Princess Luigi awkwardly brushed the broken fragments of a hallway statue aside with her foot —
clearly caught after eavesdropping.
Her shoulders hunched as she tried to shrink into herself.
