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Chapter 45
To Grandfather.
I have successfully completed the task you entrusted to me. The residents have returned to their homes, and those who were ill have recovered and regained their health.
……(omitted)……
This time, I intend to try starting a business processing and distributing the raw magic stones we discovered. Processed magic stones are worth more than twice as much, after all.
P.S. Uncle arrived only after I had completely fi.ni.shed the job.
After making a tiny note at the very end that Gilbert had played absolutely no role in this matter, the letter came to an end.
“Perfect.”
Calliope smiled in satisfaction as she lifted her pen. The sheet of paper automatically folded itself neatly into a small square note.
Peep—
A magical carrier pigeon with purple feathers looked at her with sparkling eyes.
“Take this to Grandfather.”
“Peep.”
The carrier pigeon grasped the note in its beak, lightly flapped its wings, and disappeared.
Since it traveled by using the mana in the air as a medium, it would reach Archibald in the blink of an eye.
“I hope he’s taking good care of his health while he’s traveling.”
When Calliope had arrived in the Imperial Capital yesterday, Archibald had been away from the mansion.
His destination was southern Altesion.
The Empire’s food situation had been in terrible shape due to a drought that had continued for several years.
The situation in the south, which had been hit especially hard by locust swarms, was particularly disastrous.
There was even an uprising because people could no longer endure the hunger.
That was why Archibald had hurried south after receiving an urgent request for assistance, taking food supplies with him.
Fortunately, unlike his sudden trip last time, Archibald had brought a magic stone connected to the carrier pigeon so that he could receive her messages at any time.
“If he’s gone all the way to the south, he probably won’t make it back before the New Year’s banquet.”
I should prepare in advance in case additional support is needed.
Having made up her mind, Calliope pulled the bell cord.
Sylvia immediately entered, as though she had been waiting for it, and asked with a bright smile,
“You’re going to wash first, right, my lady?”
“Mm-hm.”
Calliope lived by a fairly consistent routine, and unless there was a particular reason, she never ate before washing.
Of course, there were exceptions whenever something came up or circumstances changed, but they were exceptions all the same.
After quickly washing herself, she ate the simple meal that had been prepared for her.
She ate an appropriate amount of food that wouldn’t burden her stomach while providing enough energy to keep her going throughout the day.
That was one of the principles Calliope followed to maintain her health.
After taking a few spoonfuls of the savory-smelling soup, she felt the warmth spread through her empty stomach.
She also polished off a salad filled with fresh tomatoes, arugula, and olives, then sampled some perfectly grilled salmon.
Then, all of a sudden, Calliope thought of her partner.
“What about His Highness the Prince?”
Since they had only arrived in the Imperial Capital late last night, Lerazier had spent the night at the Count’s residence.
“He ate breakfast early and went to the training grounds!”
“If he moves around right after eating, doesn’t his stomach hurt? I thought I was going to die when I did that.”
“As a Sword Master, perhaps his physical structure is different from everyone else’s?”
“There’s no way, Miss Sylvia. The internal structure of a human being’s body is the same. There’s no such thing as someone having two stomachs.”
Agnes, who had apparently entered without anyone noticing, pointed this out. Sylvia, however, refused to back down.
“But the size of a person’s stomach is different from person to person, isn’t it?”
“That has nothing to do with whether your stomach hurts or not, does it?”
Calliope shook her head as she watched the two bicker before turning her attention back to her plate.
The salmon is especially fresh today.
She had just speared a piece of salmon with her fork when—
“Young Countess.”
What is it with today? Everyone keeps coming to see me one after another.
Calliope looked at Harold questioningly.
“I have something to report regarding His Highness the Prince. Shall I tell you after your meal?”
“No. Tell me now.”
Harold promptly delivered his report.
“His Highness the Prince has requested that five servings of T-bone steak be prepared for lunch.”
“…Five servings?”
Calliope narrowed her eyes.
“It appears the amount of breakfast he was given may have been somewhat insufficient.”
“What did he eat? No, I mean, what did he eat?”
“The menu was the same as yours, Young Countess, but the quantity was approximately four times as much.”
That’s… an enormous amount, isn’t it?
And Calliope hadn’t even managed to finish everything on her plate.
“We prepared it with His Highness being a Sword Master in mind, but perhaps we were still insufficient. I am concerned that something unreasonable might happen to you, Young Countess.”
He was putting it as politely as possible, but what he really meant was:
We’re worried the Seventh Prince might cause trouble because we didn’t give him enough food.
“His Highness is more broad-minded than he appears, so don’t worry about it. Just prepare the steak as he requested.”
“Yes, Young Countess. I’ll do as instructed.”
After Harold left, Sylvia expressed her genuine admiration.
“His Highness the Seventh Prince is such a huge eater! But how can his body possibly be that inhuman?”
“Well, considering how much he eats, you’d think half of his body should be fat.”
Calliope listened to Sylvia and Agnes going back and forth and thought to herself,
Does everything he eats just get converted directly into muscle…?
For some reason, she felt a little jealous. She secretly smacked her lips.
The Imperial Palace—the place where every rumor in the Empire gathered and accumulated.
Rumors about Lerazier and Calliope reached the Imperial Palace faster than anywhere else.
The Crown Prince’s Palace was no exception.
“What is all this supposed to mean?”
Crown Prince Lucius’s voice sank low as he listened to the report.
“You’re saying the relationship between the two of them is more serious than it appears? And what? Calliope Verdi’s partner for this year’s New Year’s banquet is that bastard illegitimate son?”
I hear they even traveled together under the pretext of visiting her territory, like newlyweds!
Anger seeped into the Crown Prince’s voice, and the informant who had brought the news flinched.
The attendants nearby were no different. They bowed deeply, doing their best to avoid making eye contact with the Crown Prince.
“I need to see Mother.”
Fortunately for them, Lucius stood abruptly and strode away.
His footsteps eventually brought him to the Empress’s Palace.
Upon spotting Lucius, one of the maids of the Empress’s Palace hurried inside to announce his arrival.
A short while later, the gentle voice of the Empress came through the opened door.
“Come in, my son.”
Lucius immediately entered and paid his respects to the Empress.
“Mother.”
At Empress Tanesia’s gesture, all the maids in the room withdrew.
Once they were alone, she had Lucius sit down and asked,
“You don’t look well. Tell your mother what happened.”
“You’ve heard the news as well, haven’t you?”
At Lucius’s words, Tanesia let out a brief sound of realization.
“Ah. So that insignificant rumor has upset my son.”
“It isn’t something insignificant, Mother.”
Lucius spoke with a hint of reproach.
“At this rate, we’re going to lose Calliope Verdi to that illegitimate son.”
There was an unmistakable trace of displeasure and frustration in the Crown Prince’s voice.
Tanesia gently admonished her son.
“My goodness. Haven’t I told you many times that you must never allow your thoughts and emotions to show on the outside?”
Her voice remained soft, but Lucius flinched.
However, he had also been taught that the future sun of the Empire must never behave servilely, so he quickly regained his dignified expression.
“But Mother, Calliope Verdi may end up inheriting the Count’s title. What are we supposed to do if that happens?”
When Calliope had publicly announced that she was looking for a husband, Lucius had deliberately refused to respond.
If he wanted to take her as his Crown Princess, Calliope could not inherit her family’s title and become a Margrave.
So instead, he had deliberately obstructed her chances of finding a partner and marrying.
I deliberately encouraged men of inferior ability to send her marriage proposals, while pressuring the families of those who had any chance of becoming Calliope’s partner so they wouldn’t even dare try.
But now, realizing that all of his calculations might come to nothing, Lucius grew impatient.
“If she marries Lerazier, Calliope will automatically inherit the Margrave’s title.”
Of course, there had been cases throughout the Empire’s history where a Crown Princess and Empress retained titles of their own, but Lucius had never even considered that possibility.
“I know what you’re worried about, my son. But there is absolutely no need to worry.”
Tanesia gently covered the back of her son’s hand and continued,
“Calliope Verdi will never inherit her family’s title.”
