MILWTG 68

~Chapter 68~

“If not flowers?”

Riden lightly wetted her lower lip and leaned forward with visible excitement.

“This lady is none other than the world’s third greatest gem collector—Lady Donimax herself!”

“What if we used jewels in place of flowers?”

“Jewels… like flowers?”

“Yes!”

A glimmer of interest appeared in the Duchess’s crimson eyes.

She gazed intently at Riden, as though silently urging her to go on.

“Flowers are often used to decorate ballrooms not just because they’re beautiful, but because they’re easy to obtain. But that ease can sometimes cheapen the event’s grandeur. That’s why, to create the impression of an exquisitely planned ball, people often seek rare, expensive blooms.”

“True enough.”

“Then wouldn’t jewels be a superior substitute for flowers? Of course, this would be unthinkable at an ordinary ball. However…”

Samantha’s lips curved in anticipation as she picked up on where Riden’s sentence was headed.

“Yes, however?”

“For someone of incomparable wealth like you, Duchess—it’s entirely feasible.”

“But of course.”

Well, well—look at this one.

Samantha reclined comfortably in her chair, taking in the flush of enthusiasm on Riden’s face.

I’d assumed she had a sharp aesthetic sense, but I didn’t expect her tastes to align so well with mine.

“Hm~”

A sound of delighted surprise slipped from Samantha’s lips—like stumbling into a hidden restaurant only to discover the food is exceptional.

“To even think of draping gemstones as ballroom decor… that’s not an idea just anyone could have. My dear, your extravagant streak is exactly my style.”

To an outsider, this might sound like a scolding for wastefulness. But Riden had come to understand the Duchess’s unique manner of speech.

It was praise.

“I heard you lived a little luxuriously in the count’s territory, and I thought it was a modest claim. But your suggestion isn’t bad at all.”

Riden responded promptly.

“Thank you for the compliment, Duchess.”

Hm?

Samantha tilted her head slightly and studied Riden’s beaming face.

Before, praise would have left her flustered and meek, on the verge of tears.

But now she recognized it—and was delighted.

How heartwarming.

Samantha took the idea one step further.

“Time to send someone to dig up the mines.”

Riden blinked.

“You own gem mines, too?”

The real Lady Donimax merely had a large collection. But here? There were actual mines.

Well, it would be stranger if the male lead’s family didn’t own at least one.

She was about to berate herself for the unnecessary question when Samantha burst into laughter.

“My dear, you’re worried I might not be able to bring your vision to life? Don’t be. I don’t just have a mine—I have mines of mines.”

Riden replied smoothly,

“Of course. You’re the very embodiment of reliability.”

“Ha-ha! Every word out of your mouth is utterly delightful.”

Just then, Merrick—who had been quietly observing their exchange—interjected.

“I hate to douse the mood, but we likely don’t have time to procure two types of gems. One might be feasible, but not both.”

To this, Riden’s face lit up in triumph.

When she first heard the flowers were unavailable, she’d already come up with two alternatives.

“In that case, let’s mine one gem—and I’ll take care of retrieving the other flower myself.”

The next day, after Riden had departed to retrieve the flowers, Merrick entered the Duchess’s office.

His expression, unusually grim, prompted the guards to shut the doors behind him.

“Mother. There is something you need to know.”

“That face… It’s not good news, is it?”

“Nothing dire.”

“Speak.”

He handed her a sealed imperial decree bearing the royal sigil.

It authorized the immediate revocation of Baron Dolomi’s title and privileges for the crime of concealing assets from the Crown.

“However… the baron and his daughter have vanished.”

Before coming to the office, Merrick had visited their rooms to confirm their whereabouts.

The baron—who had practically groveled before the Duchess for mercy—and his daughter, who’d kept to her room like a ghost, were both gone.

Samantha sneered in disgust.

“No class to the very end. Let’s go.”

She and a group of attendants headed first to Baron Dolomi’s quarters, then to Henzy’s.

Henzy’s room was a mess—clearly abandoned in haste.

“Typical. They must be trying to marry her off to some noble heir before the title is officially stripped. Rumors will spread quickly in the capital, so they’ve probably fled to the provinces. Search the room. She may have left correspondence or portraits of potential suitors.”

With arms folded across her chest, Samantha silently observed as servants began to sift through Henzy’s belongings.

Dust rose into the air in hazy puffs.

Then Samantha’s nose twitched. Her brows furrowed deeply.

“…That smell.”

She turned to Merrick behind her, eyes sharp.

You smell it too, don’t you?

Her voice dropped to a glacial chill.

“It’s Berbeth’s blood powder.”

Samantha had extensively researched anything related to Berbeth in hopes of breaking the family’s curse.

She had memorized this scent after dozens of encounters.

Merrick’s expression darkened. His warm hazel eyes turned cold as they scanned the drifting particles in the air.

“I’ll contact the temple immediately.”

“Inform Ethan as well.”

If Henzy had become a vessel for an evil god and wanted to harm someone, her targets would likely be Samantha—who had declared the title revoked—or Riden.

With Ethan at her side, Riden should be safe… hopefully.

Samantha’s expression remained icy as she stared at the empty room.

The carriage creaked to a halt.

The sun had dipped below the mountains, leaving behind a streak of orange in the sky.

Voices of knights dismounting filled the clearing as they arrived at the campsite.

Ethan stepped out first and offered his hand to Riden.

“We’ll rest here for the night.”

Riden took his hand and stepped down, her gaze quickly sweeping the surroundings.

Knights were already busy setting up camp in the forest clearing.

Maybe we should’ve stayed at an inn instead.

It would take about two days to reach the location where the flowers could be found.

Since Riden couldn’t go alone, Ethan had volunteered to escort her, and a few knights had joined them.

Taking a detour for the inn would have cost time, so they opted to camp.

But now that they were here, the forest felt oppressively dark.

No, no—it’s just camping. Let’s think of it that way.

She was eager to return and help with the festival.

Some of the knights had asked her to revise the play they were preparing, and she intended to spice up the dull script.

“Stanley, can I help with anything?”

While everyone else was bustling about, she felt idle.

Riden scurried over to Stanley, who was tying reins to a tree. He shook his head vigorously.

“Not at all, my lady. You should rest. Besides, I imagine you’ve never camped in such a shadowy forest.”

“Of course I have.”

From behind the carriage, Ethan let out a dry chuckle as he hauled out blankets.

“She slept just fine on the ground.”

Stanley, unaware of their past, looked utterly confused—then promptly flushed red.

What was he imagining?!

Riden hurried over to Ethan and whispered,

“Stanley’s misunderstanding! Say it’s not what he thinks!”

Ethan replied aloud,

“He’s right—it is a misunderstanding. I thought we’d fallen asleep together, but when I woke up, she was gone. Slipped away while I was asleep.”

“Ahem.”

Unwilling to be dragged into their banter, Stanley turned away and tightened the reins unnecessarily.

Riden shot Ethan a fierce glare, her face bright red.

Why.

He simply raised an eyebrow and excused himself to gather firewood.

The snapping of burning twigs mixed with the chatter of the knights around the campfire.

Riden sat staring into the dancing flames, then turned her head slightly.

Stanley had fallen asleep neatly under a wool blanket.

He must’ve been tired after cooking dinner.

The pot still simmered with the beef goulash he’d made.

Right after eating, he’d taken a sip of wine and promptly snuggled into his blanket with a blissful face.

Not once did he glance at his superior, Ethan.

Even the other knights, though seated at a distance from him, chattered away without restraint.

Riden looked at Ethan’s face, bathed in warm firelight.

He doesn’t seem like an overbearing commander.

She pulled her knees a little closer to her chest.

The occasional night breeze stirred the hair near her ears, sending chills down her spine.

Ethan added more branches to the fire.

The flickering light cast shadows across his face, making him appear more mature than usual.

Perhaps that was why Riden leaned a little closer and spoke awkwardly.

“Stanley seems like the type who falls asleep the moment his head hits the ground. I’m jealous.”

Ethan glanced at Stanley, who was smiling in his sleep.

In truth, Stanley suffered from chronic insomnia.

So why had he fallen asleep so quickly tonight, just as Riden had said?

A dark suspicion flitted through Ethan’s mind as he turned his gaze toward the deepening shadows of the forest beyond the firelight.