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Chapter 40
“Do I have to tell you what I’m going to do?”
Marquis Aster had no intention of letting Cullinan Mine continue running wild.
However, there was no reason to share this with Lowen.
“I’ve told you before. Unlike my mother, I have a great interest in Cullinan.”
“Is that why I should join forces with Lowen?”
“If Lysithea ends up refusing, then, as someone deeply interested in Cullinan, I would have to suggest to the Marquis that we produce another child to continue both family lines. I hope it doesn’t come to that, though.”
Indeed, it seemed he truly was very interested in Cullinan, just as he had said.
“Do you know how my father reacted to the marriage recommendation from the mother of the young duke?”
Whether Marquis Aster would respond to that interest was uncertain.
“That was before Lysithea left home. Once she sweeps away everything for her own gain, I’m sure the Marquis Aster would be fully alert. I plan to seize that moment.”
Christie said confidently, placing his clasped hands on his knees.
If that happened, Lowen would likely demand one of the twins, and even Lysithea was curious about how the Marquis would react.
“Then do as you please. Why did you come to see me?”
“Because it’s a method that failed once. I don’t like to repeat failed methods.”
Christie looked intently at Lysithea, brushing the corner of his mouth with his hand. His expression held a trace of bitterness.
“And for a very personal reason, even though it’s not like my mother, I don’t like the Marquis that much either.”
“May I ask why?”
“Aunt Julia was precious to me as well.”
A brief sadness flashed across Christie’s face before vanishing.
It wasn’t hard to understand.
When Julia was with Lowen, she and Christie had lived like true sisters.
“You really get along well with Lowen, as I heard.”
Lysithea smiled faintly.
The harmony of the Lowen family was well-known.
Her mother’s unusually strong pride in her family stemmed from that very harmony.
“You said you would help Lowen correct the unfair treatment I received from Marquis Aster. Let’s first see how you intend to help.”
“That means…”
A flush of excitement appeared on Christie’s face.
“I also need time to decide if I can accept Lowen as a partner.”
If he tried some petty trick about bloodlines, he was ready to storm off.
But Christie had treated her solely as a business partner. That was why he had accepted Lowen’s offer.
Christie Lowen didn’t try to forcibly insert her into that family harmony.
“Of course. You may consider it a gift from Lowen. It was a pleasure meeting you today.”
Once Lysithea gave her conditional approval, Christie let out a relieved smile and suddenly extended his hand.
It was a typical martial hand—thick fingers, scarred.
After finishing their discussion, it was awkward to refuse a handshake twice.
Just as Lysithea reached to grasp Christie’s hand for the handshake:
“Take that hand away, Christie.”
Diamoud burst into the reception room and scolded Christie fiercely.
Christie turned away from Lysithea and raised both hands in surrender.
“It’s off. Are handshakes forbidden once one becomes the heir’s fiancée?”
“Nowadays, it seems they call digging into someone else’s body with magic a handshake, huh?”
Diamoud strode forward and looked down at Christie, his face cold and expressionless.
Christie raised his voice in protest, feeling wronged.
“Your Highness, I only let a bit of exploratory magic flow on our first meeting…”
It wasn’t unusual for a mage with observation abilities to scan their opponent.
With eyes, one sees; with ears, one hears.
Seeing Diamoud’s icy expression, Christie swallowed his retort.
Though he thought Diamoud was overly sensitive, he also knew he wasn’t entirely innocent and didn’t want to escalate the matter.
Christie brushed his face and bowed politely to Lysithea.
“Lysithea, I apologize for attempting to use magic without your consent.”
“Why? Were you planning to plant Lowen’s eyes in my body?”
Lowen’s ability, tied to the Guardian Star of Justice, was a heavenly eye that could see anything.
While the method of manifestation varied, Christie was known for his exceptional ability to read magical flows.
“That’s impossible, and if I attempted such a thing, my magic would be drained in three days, and I’d be devoured by the stars. I only wanted to check that you were truly non-magical.”
Since Lysithea was a mage, she was the fourth in line of the Lowen family’s succession after Christie’s two daughters and sister. He clearly wanted to confirm this.
“Rest assured. That I’m not a mage is the result of countless injections of magic by the young duke’s mother and relatives.”
But Christie’s worry was clearly unnecessary.
Hundreds of mages had already been involved to prove that Lysithea was not a mage.
“Lysithea, that’s not the issue…”
“Yes, of course. The problem isn’t that. The gift you promised… you’ll have to prepare something bigger. I don’t think a modest one will earn much praise.”
She was thoroughly tired of being tested for magic.
And she couldn’t believe there were still people attempting it on her.
“Then please take your leave.”
Lysithea smiled faintly and rang the small bell to signal him to leave.
The servant guarding the door entered the reception room to see him off.
Christie ruffled his hair in frustration.
“It’s a letter from Louis. He asked about Your Highness’s well-being.”
Christie pulled the letter from his pocket and handed it to Diamoud.
Diamoud received it with a complex expression.
“…Tell Louis I’m doing well. And that I’ll write back.”
“Congratulations on your marriage. Next time we meet, I’ll bring a congratulatory gift as well.”
Christie, putting on his gloves, bid farewell and left the reception room with the accompanying servant.
Inside, only Diamoud and Lysithea remained, the former looking troubled with the letter in hand.
“You mean Louis? Louis Baldwin? The husband of the young duke of Lowen?”
Diamoud fiddled with the envelope and looked up at Lysithea.
“That’s right. That Louis. Louis grew up as a playmate with him…”
Louis, Christie Lowen’s husband, was the second son of Marquis Baldwin.
The current Marquis Baldwin was one of the five supreme judges and called the emperor’s confidant.
He was also the one who processed Lysithea’s annulment approval.
So Baldwin’s son had been Diamoud’s childhood playmate.
It was likely that Louis had been placed there by Baldwin to keep an eye on Diamoud.
Seeing his troubled expression, Lysithea wondered if she had unnecessarily involved Lowen.
“Shall we keep our distance from the young duke if it bothers you, Your Highness?”
“What…?”
He alternated his gaze between the letter and Lysithea, then laughed and shook his head.
“Because of Louis? No, that’s unnecessary. I don’t want anything to interfere with your matters, but you needn’t worry about Louis.”
Diamoud took Lysithea’s hand and sat on the sofa.
Half embracing her, he opened the letter with a paper knife.
He spread the letter without hesitation.
Looking up at him, Lysithea saw him gently shake the letter as if urging her to read it.
Following his prompt, Lysithea quickly read Louis’s letter.
As Diamoud said, it was a kind letter, requiring no concern.
“Louis doesn’t care much about the prosperity of the Baldwin family. He only wishes for the happiness and well-being of those he values. And the Baldwin Marquis isn’t included in that group.”
Lysithea realized that even the Baldwin family likely failed at child-rearing.
“He won’t interfere with Christie for the sake of his family, so there’s no need to worry.”
Diamoud gently brushed Lysithea’s black hair.
“By the way, wasn’t it unpleasant?”
Lysithea subtly lifted her eyes, showing curiosity.
“Christie trying to use magic without consent. Are you really okay with that?”
His warm eyes were full of concern and care, as always.
Lysithea nodded to his casual tone.
While trying to probe her with magic without consent was unpleasant, the outcome wasn’t bad.
This incident gave her an advantageous position in the dealings.
“A momentarily unpleasant act that ended with a significant gain… I’d say it’s fine.”
“Then that’s good…”
Lysithea’s calm reply made Diamoud narrow his eyes thoughtfully.
Rubbing his furrowed brow, he added gently, as always:
“Christie may be impatient, but he’s not foolish. He won’t make that mistake again.”
It was merely meant to reassure her.
Lysithea understood that.
“…I didn’t realize Your Highness was so close with the young duke of Lowen.”
Yet even hearing him defend or speak warmly of Christie annoyed her.
Her body’s ailments had deepened, clouding even her mind.
“We’re not particularly close. Louis introduced us, and we’ve only met a few times.”
“Really? You seemed to speak as if he were someone close.”
Lysithea’s calm reply belied her worry about the breadth of his social connections, which seemed too wide for someone described as reclusive.
“I’ve heard so much from Louis that even before meeting him, I felt as if I’d known him for a long time.”
Upon reflection, Lysithea decided she shouldn’t let Christie’s rudeness slide.
No matter what gift Christie brought next, she thought it best to send it back twice.
