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Chapter 71
If you were to name the most successful jewelry store in the Empire, all ten people out of ten would point to Fabian. Fabian’s wedding rings were also the number-one wedding gifts that young noble ladies most wanted to receive.
Young ladies from all across the Empire often flocked to Fabian to admire its wedding rings, which came in a variety of designs centered around three-carat diamonds. But today, there wasn’t a single young lady visiting Fabian.
Every reservation had been canceled so that they could receive one guest alone.
That guest was none other than Cazar Arcas Fortuna, the Empire’s Fourth Prince.
Some time ago, after receiving a message from one of the prince’s attendants, the store manager had brought in emeralds, peridots, green turquoise, and green sapphires not only from the capital but also from other branches.
All of them had been displayed in the showroom on the third floor.
The manager rubbed his hands together like a fly and said,
“I have selected only works by master craftsmen. I assure you, Your Highness will be satisfied.”
Cazar leisurely examined the jewelry cases placed before him. Each case contained beautifully crafted green gemstones in various designs.
After carefully inspecting them, Cazar pointed to a matching set consisting of earrings, a necklace, and a bracelet.
“Wrap this one.”
“As expected, Your Highness has an excellent eye. It is rare to find a three-carat emerald cut this perfectly.”
The manager’s face lit up. The speed at which he rubbed his hands together increased.
“This one as well.”
“Yes! An excellent choice. A green sapphire of this quality is extremely difficult to obtain.”
“Wrap this one too. And is there anything you would recommend?”
“How about this? Doesn’t it go well with the emerald set you selected? It’s also the work of the same artisan.”
As though he’d been waiting for the question, the manager presented a belt densely studded with hundreds of emeralds.
The gold thread used for its knot also caught Cazar’s attention.
It looked almost as though it had been made specifically for Eluana.
When Cazar took a moment to respond, the manager hurriedly presented a hair tie decorated with peridots.
“Or perhaps this?”
“I’ll purchase all of them. It won’t take too long to wrap everything, will it?”
“Of course not. We’ll take special care with the wrapping.”
While the beaming manager gave various instructions to the employees, Cazar pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time.
The preparations were complete.
A short while later, a luxurious imperial carriage traveled through the capital, followed by several wagons loaded with gifts.
The gifts had all been loaded in advance as they made their way around the capital before stopping at the jewelry store.
The first wagon was filled with lavender flowers.
The second was loaded with various types of fine fabrics, leather, and feathers.
The third wagon was impossible to see into, which only made it more intriguing.
Cazar deliberately left the carriage windows open as he crossed the central square of the capital.
People’s gazes gathered on the carriage.
From time to time, people could be heard asking,
“Is that the prince?”
The story of ‘the First Prince who turned into a pigeon and pooped in a magic shop’ had spread throughout the Empire.
Along the way, the rumor had also been distorted into ‘the First Prince who pooped in a magic shop.’
When people spotted the imperial carriage and heard that a prince was inside, they naturally assumed it was the First Prince.
As soon as the carriage passed, the people Line had planted in advance sprang into action.
“Is the prince inside that carriage the one who turned into that bird?”
“No. The prince who pooped is the First Prince. That’s the Fourth Prince. He’s someone who treats even people like us as human beings.”
“What about the First Prince?”
“I heard turning into a pigeon was the attendant’s mistake. They say the attendant and even his family were all beheaded.”
“Oh my! Even his family?”
“That’s what I heard. Apparently, he was already known for killing people so easily. Some say it was divine punishment.”
“Wouldn’t it have been better for the Empire if he never turned back into a human?”
“Good grief. Watch what you say. If someone reports you, you might lose your head too.”
Similar scenes repeated wherever the carriage went.
The actors Line had planted performed their roles with enthusiasm, and those who overheard them immediately passed the story on to their acquaintances.
And so the rumor spread, gradually creating a firm image.
The carriage continued onward at a leisurely pace, carrying the rumors with it, until it passed through the teleportation gate.
As soon as they entered the Duke of Spess’s territory, Line burst into laughter from inside the carriage.
“I feel like all the congestion in my chest has finally cleared. I lent a hand, but the rumor really turned out beautifully. I must have underestimated House Spess. At this rate, even the fabricated romance will spread throughout the entire Empire before sunset.”
“Because Eluana is involved.”
“Speaking of that, though, this ‘contract engagement’…”
Line’s expression became slightly serious.
“I don’t know if it’s really the right thing to do. It’s an opportunity that seems excessively beneficial to Your Highness. It makes me think there has to be some kind of trap.”
Line was genuinely worried about this engagement.
It was an offer that left no room for choice.
Even if it meant taking a risk, it was an opportunity that couldn’t simply be handed over to someone else.
“Even including the trap, it’s still advantageous.”
“Yeah. That’s true. Ah, I picked this up from the workshop.”
Line handed him a small wooden box about the size of a palm.
Cazar accepted the box, which had an engraved fish pattern on its lid, and opened it.
Inside was the item he had ordered after returning from Arden.
“Fortunately, it was finished in time.”
“It’s a good thing you ordered it in advance. Whatever else they could make, there was no way they’d have been able to make this within the deadline.”
Cazar checked that it had been made according to his specifications, then closed the wooden box and slipped it into his inner pocket.
“Did the tails attach themselves properly?”
“They started following us from the very first flower shop we visited. I’d say at least ten families are following us right now.”
Line giggled, clearly amused.
The Duke of Spess was famous for refusing gifts.
They wouldn’t be turned away at the door because Cazar was royalty, but everyone was probably laughing at the idea that the duke would simply return all the gifts.
When an ivory-colored fortress came into view beyond the window, Cazar felt a faint tension and unease.
There was no telling what awaited them at the end of the road.
The carriage steadily approached the ducal residence.
The moment it arrived, the massive gates swung wide open.
The movements of the spies following the carriage grew frantic.
While they hurried back to report that the gates of the Duke of Spess’s residence had opened wide, Cazar was escorted into the reception room.
“Welcome, Your Highness.”
The person who greeted Cazar was the Duke of Spess himself.
Cazar sat in the seat prepared for him and said,
“I came with enough eyes attached to me, so there’s no need to worry. The rumors about Prince Regis seem to have spread well.”
“The rumors we create today will spread just as well.”
The Duke of Spess sat across from him and smiled meaningfully.
Tea was prepared for the two of them.
Once the servant left the room, the Duke of Spess slowly wiped the smile from his face.
His heavy presence became palpable as he got straight to the point.
“I don’t particularly like you, Your Highness. The fact that you have so many things to hide doesn’t help.”
“Is that so?”
Cazar’s expression had also become completely blank.
“I knew about the Forest Trading Company. I assume it was part of the late Empress Eliza’s inheritance. But even I didn’t anticipate Edelweiss. I certainly didn’t expect you to bring the leader of Edelweiss into your home under the guise of being your escort.”
“She is my escort.”
“Have you completely taken control of Edelweiss?”
“Who knows? Does perfection even exist in this world?”
“I would have been disappointed if you’d confidently claimed to have complete control. It seems you have other secrets as well, but I won’t mention them.”
The Duke of Spess was referring to the Blessing of Mana.
After hearing the details of the situation in which Cazar had advised Louis, the duke had begun to suspect something.
If he set aside the preconceptions that came from Cayren being a swordsman, several things seemed to fit.
For example, Cayren subtly watching Cazar’s back.
Cazar merely raised the corners of his lips in a smile.
“That is a good idea. Wouldn’t a relationship without secrets become boring rather quickly?”
“Since you’re not actually going to marry my daughter, I suppose it doesn’t matter even if you become bored. However, before you leave, I’d like you to sign a contract with me.”
The Duke of Spess held out a magical contract.
Cazar slowly read through the densely written terms before summarizing them.
“Even if this is only an act, I am to avoid any physical contact with Lady Spess that she has not consented to beforehand. Lady Spess will decide when the engagement ends. And I am to become a fair emperor, strengthen imperial authority, and work for the prosperity of the Empire…”
“That’s correct, Your Highness.”
The Duke of Spess agreed reluctantly.
He looked so displeased that it was almost surprising he wasn’t opposing the contract engagement altogether.
“Don’t worry. I know my position well.”
Cazar willingly signed the magical contract presented by the Duke of Spess.
There was no hesitation.
From the beginning, Cazar was the one who benefited from this contract.
Eluana didn’t care who she married, so House Spess held the key to the contract.
The Duke of Spess took the contract and said,
“This is the first time House Spess has exerted influence over the succession to the imperial throne.”
“There would have been no reason to do so before. If not for the Dragon’s Blessing, it wouldn’t have been strange for an emperor to come from House Spess.”
He wasn’t flattering the duke.
It was simply the truth.
If not for the Dragon’s Blessing, House Spess—or even House Pegimul—could easily have seized the imperial throne.
“Since you have created an exception, I hope you will prove its worth.”
The Duke of Spess spoke stiffly before handing Cazar a small envelope.
“This is for the gifts you sent.”
Cazar didn’t understand what he meant.
He took the envelope and opened it.
Inside was a payment slip issued by a trading company under House Spess.
The slip, stamped with the seal of the Rich Trading Company, listed an amount that exceeded the total value of the gifts Cazar had purchased for Eluana.
“I’d like you to accept my gifts as gifts, in the literal sense.”
Cazar immediately understood.
The duke had converted the value of his gifts into money and returned it to him.
His displeasure was impossible to conceal.
The air around them grew taut as it reacted to the surging aura emanating from Cazar.
But to the Duke of Spess, it was merely amusing.
“If you truly wish to give her a gift, then you can hand it to her yourself. From now on, any ostentatious gifts sent to the family will be returned in the form of payment slips like this. I imagine you’re unable to use all the funds allocated to you because of the Empress’s scrutiny.”
Only then did Cazar understand the duke’s intention.
Cazar had been funding his activities with the profits he earned from operating the Forest Trading Company.
There was an imperial budget allocated to him, but because every purchase receipt was reported to the Empress, he had only used it for clothing and other necessities.
All the funds he’d received over the years had simply been accumulating.
That was why he hadn’t placed an upper limit on the gifts he purchased this time.
There was no point in saving money that he couldn’t use anyway.
“You’re offering to launder my funds?”
“Something like that. As the value of the gifts increases, wouldn’t it make the ‘madly in love’ act more convincing?”
“Except that this amount exceeds the purchase price.”
“I added the price of the artifact you used in Arden. And I heard that, unless something special comes up, you agreed to visit every day.”
“That’s right.”
“Other than the outings where you appear together for the sake of appearances, you can spend your time with me.”
Just imagining it made Cazar feel sick.
If he had to repeatedly endure such uncomfortable time together in the future, it would be far too cruel.
Besides, the duke’s goal was obviously to keep him away from Eluana.
“If you’ll allow me to use the library, I intend to spend my time there separately.”
The Duke of Spess’s gaze changed.
As a slowly spreading pressure filled the room, Cazar frowned.
“I heard you haven’t been taught imperial studies.”
The Empress had never allowed any prince other than Regis to study the ways of ruling an empire.
Cazar had only managed to obtain a few books on the subject through Line.
“House Spess teaches imperial studies to its heir. It wouldn’t be strange for me to teach them to my future son-in-law in advance.”
Cazar’s gaze changed as well.
“You’re offering to teach me imperial studies?”
The Duke of Spess raised the corners of his lips in a smile.
“It will be a very educational experience.”
