USML 25

Chapter 25

“Phew, human. Don’t just laze around at home—go out and do some work.”
I had been sleeping just a moment ago; when exactly did Perry wake up? She clicked her tongue as she brushed cookie crumbs off her mouth.
“Tsk tsk, this is what humans are like.”
Her green eyes scanned me with evident disapproval.

Did I hear that right? Coming from someone sprawled on the table, leisurely munching cookies while reading a magazine, it didn’t seem like her place to say that.
Ever since I went out to the capital, Perry had been like this.
“My gift!”
Apparently, their meeting had been quite a shock, and I’d forgotten to get Perry a gift.

Petty, sulking over something like that. Our eyes met, and Perry pouted, turning her face away abruptly.
“Fine, fine.”

I waved my hands dismissively and lay down on the bed. Thanks to the energy I’d just shared with Perry, my body felt heavy, and I didn’t even have the strength to be angry.

“Wow, I want this tea set! I want to bathe here.”
“……”
“Wow! I want to drink this tea! It must taste amazing!”

The more I ignored her, the louder she spoke deliberately. I covered my ears with both hands and turned over.

“Wow, what is this?”
Perry spoke even louder, as if to make sure I heard.
“This flower tea looks so delicious! Huh? But why does it seem familiar?”

“Perry!”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I sat up suddenly and snatched the magazine she was looking at. Perry widened her eyes and pursed her lips.
“What’s the matter?”
“Confiscation.”
“That’s too much!”
“You’re worse.”

Perry glared at me with resentful eyes, snorted, and flew back to her bed.
“Hmph!”

Finally, some quiet. I sighed deeply and tried to close the magazine, but my gaze was caught by a product at the bottom of the page.

“Anima?”
‘It’s Anima tea. Please try it.’
‘Anima,’ a flower whose meaning is “the will of the gods.’ It was a flower tea from the Kingdom of Salis that I had been lucky enough to taste at Yuria’s reading club.

‘Anima’ is a perennial plant that blooms in the sand, cultivated only in the desert regions of the Kingdom of Salis. Unlike most plants, it is said that once it blooms, the petals regenerate repeatedly in the same spot even if cut or fallen.

I suddenly remembered what a young lady had said when we tried the tea together.
“Compared to other flower teas, the aroma and taste are dozens of times stronger and more exquisite.”
“Really?”
“It’s said to be used as a medicinal herb for psychological therapy.”
“Even for therapy?”
“But I couldn’t get Anima flower tea. It’s so sad.”

Currently, Anima flower tea is one of the hardest items to obtain in the actively traded flower tea market due to its limited production and the restricted export from each country.

Only the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Salis can cultivate Anima, because of the sand. The Chancellor claimed that gods resided in the sand, and that without sensing and communicating with its energy, Anima tea production was impossible.

Energy, I mused. Could that “energy” refer to magical power? I licked my lips and stared longingly at the Anima in the magazine.
“Ah, thinking about it makes me want to drink it again.”

If only I could produce Anima tea, I wouldn’t have to worry about making a living even in Cent. How wonderful that would be.

I greedily scanned the magazine’s Anima illustrations and glanced at Perry eating cookies on the bed.
Crunch, crunch.
I narrowed my eyes as she scattered crumbs on the bed.

“I shouldn’t have made the contract.”
Crunch, crunch.
As if she’d heard my muttering, Perry grabbed an even bigger cookie with both hands and ate even more vigorously.

As I planned to lie down, placing the magazine on the table, a sudden flash of insight struck me.
“Wait…”

I tapped my forehead with my index finger and glanced at Perry.
If the sand’s energy refers to magical power, then it should be possible with Perry’s magic as a plant fairy from the fairy realm. A plant fairy like Perry could cultivate Anima.

Managing Anima in a greenhouse would require high initial costs, but not much afterward. If I entrusted the greenhouse to Perry and handled tea production, marketing, and sales…
“Wow.”

I covered my mouth with both hands and stared at Perry like someone who had just discovered a treasure. Perry quickly hid her cookies behind her back and leaned back cautiously.
“Even if you stare like that, I’m not giving it to you.”
“Who said I wanted the cookies?”

Perry unfurled the scarf beside the bed and began packing the cookies as if instinctively sensing danger.
“Perry?”

I called softly as I approached. Perry shivered, wrapping the scarf around her like a bundle. Her face turned, and tension rippled through her green eyes.
“Why, why are you calling me like that?”
“Perry, isn’t there something you want?”

I smiled gently, and Perry’s face contorted as she wrapped her arms around herself. Her green eyes were filled with anxiety and fear.
“I just thought of something.”
“What is it?”

Anything. I’ll give you anything.

I approached with a gentle smile, and Perry reached out trembling, asking for something.
“Give me the earrings from the contract. I guess our relationship ends here.”

Stop with that nonsense. I want to know what she really wants.

I stopped walking. Seeing an opportunity, Perry sniffled and fled toward the window. Then she knelt, clasped her hands together, and tearfully looked up at the sky.
“Fairy King, please help me. I was wrong…”

Sadly for Perry, the Fairy King didn’t respond.

“What did you say?”
“Viscount Jegard refused the contract.”

Impossible. Even if he’s foolish, there are limits.

I visited the guild because Count Dave refused to say anything about Jegard. The Count was hosting an important guest, so I came to find Dave… and now Jegard had refused to renew the contract.

Ah, so that’s why the Count and Dave had kept silent—they didn’t want me to worry.

Dave patted my shoulder hesitantly, thinking I might be upset.
“Vanessa, it wasn’t such a significant contract, so don’t worry—”

Click.

Before Dave could finish, someone suddenly opened the office door.
“Dave!”

It was none other than Sherry. She stomped in, fuming, and it was obvious even at a glance that she was very angry.

Sherry’s eyes landed on me.
“So you’re here, Vanessa. Did you hear?”
“Stop it, Sherry.”

Dave tried to cover her mouth, but Sherry spoke faster.
“Viscount Jegard has abandoned us and signed a contract with Duke Dustin.”

I thought I’d heard something wrong.

I glared at Dave, demanding an explanation, but he gave me a reproachful look. That confirmed that Sherry’s words were true.

Evan doesn’t need trade routes. He’s not lacking money—well, actually, he is quite wealthy.
How many tourist sites and mines does the Dustin family own? If he could make half the empire his private property, he would.

“But why…?”
“Vanessa, my father and I will handle the losses, so don’t worry.”

As I froze in shock, Dave fussed over me, but my focus was elsewhere.
“Why take the contract?”

Evan doesn’t need the trade routes. Even with financial surplus, he doesn’t need the contract. So there’s only one reason: to seize control of guild contracts. He must know that the guilds Jegard can contract with are limited by imperial law.

“So he’d go this far.”

I let out a deep sigh and rubbed my forehead. If Evan acted with malice toward the Feard family, it’s likely because of me. This confirmed that the fleeting sentiment I mistook for lingering affection was actually revenge.

Even knowing that Sherry belonged to the Feard family, he carried out his vengeance.

Now that I’m back in the original story, I should be able to forget everything and be happy with Sherry. So why go this far?

What does he want? Public humiliation? A tarnished reputation? Or simply to make my life difficult?

“I’m here at the guild with Viscount Jegard. I’ll go—”
“I’ll go.”

“Vanessa?”
Sherry blinked in surprise. I placed my hands on the table and stood resolutely.
“Don’t follow me. I’ll go alone.”

I need to see with my own eyes what he wants.

“Everyone’s here?”

In the guild reception room, everyone’s eyes were suddenly on me.
“I didn’t let anyone in—”

The Count frowned, realizing I was the intruder, and sprang up from his chair.
“Vanessa!”

Jegard seemed about to sign the contract, holding a quill in a terrified face.
“L-Lady Vanessa.”

Jegard’s cheeks trembled as he glanced at me. He seemed more like he was pleading for help than being interrupted.

I bowed slightly.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s rude to come like this.”

“Vanessa.”
The Count called my name insistently. If it had been anyone else, they would have been thrown out already.

I lifted my gaze and walked across the worn wooden floor, like a snake crawling on wet ground, and glanced at the contract on the round table.

I ignored the hostile gaze from someone next to Jegard and looked at the Count.
“I want to speak with His Grace, Duke Dustin.”

I meant that I wanted the others to step aside.

“Oh, Lady Vanessa.”

Jegard’s eyes sparkled as if I were his savior. He awkwardly rose and tiptoed toward me.

“Stop him.”

At that moment, the one who stopped Jegard’s action was none other than the Count. He approached me and whispered.