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Chapter 69
Cherylotte and Eonian once again disguised themselves as ordinary merchants and met with Duke Esrik.
“……Good day.”
Unlike before, the table in the patio now had fruits like grapefruit, apple, and papaya, along with jasmine tea. For Cherylotte, who had only experienced flour-based pastries during tea time, it was a rather tempting combination.
“So, have you thought things through?”
“Yes. The Countess was quite passionate in her words. She asked why you didn’t attend the wedding.”
Cherylotte silently smiled as she took a seat. But her expression soon stiffened.
“By the way, why couldn’t you really attend the wedding? Was it really because you were so busy?”
“Yes, I apologize, but that’s correct.”
The Duke quickly began the explanation.
“You must have heard that the Law King gave the lands of the Southern Archipelago as alimony to the East?”
“Of course. But the Law King isn’t the head of Vascallia—how was that even possible?”
“It was through loopholes.”
Eonian interjected.
He explained that the territories of the aquatic clans were semi-autonomous, even in the South, governed by administrators and lords in between.
“And among them, there were people like Marquis Cherba.”
“…….”
“The orcas.”
The Duke visibly paled. Her hands clenched tightly.
“……Yes, that’s right. Among Vascallia’s vassals, there were two families leading the aquatic clans.”
One was the House of Duke Esrik.
The other was the House of Marquis Orkis, a single-bloodline family composed entirely of orcas.
“There was a time when the orcas borrowed money from the Law King, using the archipelago’s largest orchard as collateral.”
Here’s the important part: Esrik and Orkis were co-rulers of the aquatic clans.
“That orchard was more like common land, so my father was furious at the Marquis. How could they sell sacred ancestral land for money?”
Collateral isn’t exactly a sale, but from Esrik’s perspective, it was basically the same.
“Later, the Orkis house was annihilated, and by the time only the current members of Esrik remained, it was already too late.”
The Law King gained complete control over the orchard. As time passed, desperate due to Eonian fleeing the wedding, he transferred the collateralized land to the East.
As a result, Esrik was left empty-handed despite having the land before him. The Duke even tried to reclaim it through a lawsuit but failed due to the influence of the Law King and the East.
“On top of that, production has declined rapidly over the years, and even Eastern security forces have begun entering the archipelago. They say it’s for guarding the company and the orchard, but in my eyes, it looks like a setup to station troops.”
“Just like what they did in the North. They’re trying to strip sovereignty.”
The Duke’s hands trembled. Seeing her like a candle in the wind, Cherylotte felt anger gradually rising within her.
‘Helping the South was the right decision. The East is trying to seize the lands of the aquatic clans too.’
At that moment, a faint whisper came from beside Cherylotte.
“……Why do you have to give up one thing to gain another?”
It was Eonian. Cherylotte, moving her lips, asked:
“Are you blaming yourself?”
“Ultimately, it’s because of me. They gave the land as alimony.”
The Duke’s eyes widened in shock. Before she could even shake her head, Cherylotte snapped:
“What are you saying? The Law King who gave it and Odelle who gladly accepted it are the villains here.”
“Clear-cut.”
Eonian gave a bitter smile, fiddling with his bangs.
“But I thought, no matter how bad, it could be settled with money. Back then—”
“Back then?”
“…….”
Eonian suddenly stopped and mumbled.
“Ah, back then… even if I couldn’t consummate the marriage, I at least signed the pledge, so it could have been smoothed over with money.”
“Who? Your sister?”
“……Yeah, something like that.”
Eonian shrugged, ending the topic lightly.
“Anyway, I wouldn’t have consummated it, so it was better to run away immediately and marry you instead.”
“Yeah, good thinking.”
Cherylotte tapped Eonian’s shoulder and turned to question the Duke.
“Do you know of any weaknesses in the Belphe family?”
“……There are many enemies. Even among nobles loyal to the Law King, there are those scheming for that position, and the branch families or elders don’t view him favorably either.”
Branch families. Cherylotte’s gaze darkened for a moment, but Eonian lightly raised his hand.
“I know one thing that I can use now.”
“What is it? Tell me quickly.”
“The eldest son of the Belphe family has a lover.”
The Duke exhaled sharply, nearly having a fit. Cherylotte calmed her down.
‘But sorry Duke, would having a lover really count as a weakness?’
In the East, one or two unmarried nobles wouldn’t even be news. Cherylotte asked:
“So? How are you going to exploit that?”
“Ah, you don’t know?”
“Know what?”
Eonian lowered his eyebrows with a look of pity.
“In the South, which was ruled by Vascallia for a long time, monogamy isn’t just a marriage system.”
“……Ah, no way—”
“Yes, it’s a kind of religious belief.”
Cherylotte’s eyes showed slight surprise.
Failing to maintain monogamy brings greater criticism.
“……And the sperm whale only accepts one partner for life, like a wolf or fox.”
The Duke let out a strangled noise from her throat. Cherylotte’s fingers stiffened.
Then what those foxes were attempting was practically marriage fraud.
“Eonian, why didn’t you expose this before?”
“Well, the Duke’s honor is important, and exposing it posed a problem in itself.”
Cherylotte’s gaze sharpened as she took the Duke’s pale hand.
‘Of course, we must avoid the Law King first, who is so skilled in information control that he even hid the state of the Grand Duke of Vascallia.’
Even if she anonymously tipped a gossip magazine, it would be just that—a gossip column.
‘And if a reporter publishes it using someone else’s tip, it would quickly be buried. The Law King would handle it.’
…Then what if reporters directly witness Belphe’s disgrace?
At that moment, a plan flashed through Cherylotte’s mind. She jumped up and pulled out a comm device from her inventory.
Without hesitation, Cherylotte traced a pattern. The magical signal had only one destination.
-……What, Cherylotte? What’s going on?
Room 1, Academy of Magical Engineering.
It was her ally, Koveric.
“Uh, hi. Calling after a long time. How’ve you been?”
-Your voice sounds softer? What’s up?
Oh no, he noticed too easily.
At times like this, dodging would allow Koveric to slip away like a ghost. Better to hit straight with the question.
“Is your family a branch of Belphe?”
The Duke inhaled sharply. A moment of silence. Then:
-What? How did you know?
Koveric responded with a yawning tone. Cherylotte exhaled. It wasn’t such a sensitive topic.
-Oh, yes, a branch, but hardly related. Just meet once or twice a year for charity. But why are you asking this?
“……Fox hunting.”
-What!?
Startled, he probably jumped from his seat, causing a loud clatter in the comm device.
-Really?
“Do you think I’d lie?”
-Why? Isn’t this unrelated to you?
“…….”
Cherylotte hesitated to tell him that the East was targeting the South as well.
But she decided not to burden her friend with worry and glanced at Eonian.
“Because… my husband’s struggling.”
“…….”
“And they’re clearly contemptible, so I want to settle this.”
At that moment, a hiccup sound came from the comm.
Was it coming from right beside her?
Koveric was silent for a long while, then, when asked if he was listening, he finally spoke:
-Oh……. I see why my friend’s the hot topic in social circles now.
“Why? Is it because the North came back from the grave?”
-No, that too.
What? Really? Am I really talked about that much?
Cherylotte, who had always been invisible in social circles due to Eastern interference, found it hard to believe, but just that Koveric hadn’t ended the comm was a good start. She gripped the comm tightly as if she would grab him if he were in front of her.
“Anyway, is that charity event happening again this year?”
-Hmm……
Koveric made a nasal sound, then snapped his fingers.
-Oh, right, the Harvest Festival is soon. They’ll gather again.
Perfect.
“Koveric. Then I have a favor as a friend.”
-Huh, Your Highness? I’m a bit nervous. Is it difficult?
“No, not difficult at all.”
Cherylotte quickly added:
“People will gather there soon, right?”
-Yes. It’s not just a family gathering. Since it’s a business event, other families and reporters will be there too……
She clenched her fist and looked at the Duke and Eonian. Eonian’s face was lit with amusement, while the Duke…
“Can I have a few of my knights go in there?”
