WHCP 37

Chapter 37

Mio’s eyes widened.

“Set with the safe?”

“For now, please have a seat. Let’s have some tea.”

Marquis Duon gestured to a staff member, who then guided Mio further inside. Once Mio was seated on a sofa in the inner room, the Marquis leaned in and whispered confidentially.

“You remember the story I wrote in the last letter? About the previous owner of the safe. Do you recall I mentioned that her husband had a hobby of collecting antiques?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“Well, I became curious about the taste that acquired that mysterious safe. So I traced the items that had been sold, to see if there was anything else.”

“Oh? Did you find something?”

At that moment, a small voice came from behind the curtain.

“Excuse me…”

Marquis Duon, who was about to chatter excitedly, immediately closed his mouth. The staff member who had appeared earlier came in carrying a tea set. Maintaining the air of authority, the Marquis began giving elegant instructions.

“Place it here. Oh, and the items we repaired and pre-packaged a few days ago—since these belong to this guest, please gather them all and set them out.”

“Yes, sir…”

After the staff left, the Marquis resumed his story.

“Ah, where were we?”

“You were saying you traced the sold items.”

“Exactly! While tracing them, one item happened to appear at the Elton Jewelry Auction House. I ran there immediately to check it out. And, of course, it wasn’t just any ordinary item—it was remarkable. Although it had been converted into jewelry, it certainly couldn’t fool the eyes of Baphomet Duon. Do you know what it was? It was Taralia. Taralia!”

“Taralia?”

That was the flying shoes from ancient mythology, wasn’t it? Hearing the name only deepened Mio’s confusion. What connection could winged shoes possibly have with a safe that made it qualify as a “set”?

Seeing Mio’s expression, Marquis Duon smirked and wiggled his index finger.

“Oh, I know what you’re thinking. But think a little deeper—just a little. Then you’ll surely figure out the connection between the name Taralia and the safe.”

“Taralia… isn’t that a pair of shoes?”

“I said it was converted into jewelry. Of course it’s no longer shoes. But symbolically, it can serve the function of shoes.”

“Not something that flies around, then.”

The Marquis imitated the ticking of a clock with his mouth and, seeming a bit frustrated, gave Mio a hint.

“You know the saying—you can only understand someone else’s position by trying to walk in their shoes.”

“Switch shoes with someone?”

“Exactly!”

So that piece of jewelry could metaphorically swap my position with someone else’s? The more Mio heard, the less it seemed related to the safe. Marquis Duon continued.

“Mio, what you are facing is a safe that recognizes its owner. According to my perfect investigation, it’s a very, very remarkable entity that measures how much care is given to the estate. But there is a flaw. It changes owners in just a month or two—that’s proof.”

“It does seem fickle.”

“Exactly. That means it lacks intelligence, right? From what you’ve asked me, your goal is to become the owner of the safe.”

“Ah, I see.”

Finally understanding, Mio smiled broadly at the Marquis.

“Taralia is an item that lets you switch positions with someone else. So if I use Taralia to swap positions with the original owner of the safe, the safe will mistake me for its owner—and I can become its master in an instant. That’s what you’re saying?”

“Very clever. Yes, theoretically, that’s correct.”

Nodding proudly, the Marquis looked pleased as Mio leaned forward and asked.

“So? Where is Taralia now?”

“Ha… that’s a bit of a problem.”

The Marquis sighed deeply.

“I mentioned the Elton Jewelry Auction House earlier, right? They only handle high-purity gems.”

Mio had heard of it before. Widen had once swept all the jewelry there and gifted it to Caleb. Caleb loved jewelry so much that while he might pass on a worn dress, he would never let go of any gem.

‘It’s a good thing there weren’t rules about wearing specific jewelry to the ball…’

Otherwise, Mio would never have been able to attend even once. And knowing Widen, the items sold at the Elton Auction were all expensive.

Mio’s voice shrank involuntarily at the thought of her empty pockets.

“H-How much…?”

“Even if you emptied my entire fortune, it wouldn’t be enough. The truth is, no one seemed to have realized it was an ancient relic, and considering what you told me, I ended up bidding the highest price without even realizing it. I bought myself some time until payment. But no matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t find a way to get the money by the afternoon. I had completely given up, until…”

Marquis Duon looked at Mio and smiled widely. He continued.

“At that moment, you, the future Grand Duchess Mio! Ha ha ha, it’s destiny. Mio, you must buy it immediately!”

“…So, how much is it?”

Mio swallowed hard and asked again. The Marquis leaned closer and gestured. Then he whispered the price. Hearing it, Mio covered her mouth in shock.

“What?! That much…! Good heavens! Someone actually paid that insane price for jewelry? It’s just a shiny rock!”

“It couldn’t be helped. Of course it’s an expensive and rare gem, and they had remodeled it beautifully. The competition was fierce because people, unaware it was a relic, were captivated by its appearance.”

“Ugh…”

Mio buried her head in her hands. Seated beside her, Marquis Duon teased her like a devil, tempting her.

“Are you really going to just walk away from this chance that fell right into your lap? I saw you came in a carriage with the Grand Duke’s seal—surely you’re preparing for your wedding properly, right?”

“….”

“It’s perfect jewelry; buying one piece wouldn’t look out of place.”

When there was still no reaction, the Marquis raised his voice slightly.

“Whether it’s the Duke of Celt or the Grand Duke Moro, one of them would cover the cost! Mio, you don’t have the money, right?”

“H-Hit me where it hurts…?”

“If it were within my budget, I’d have announced to the world that it’s a relic and sold it for twice the price. Right now it seems expensive, but in fact, you’re practically getting it for free!”

It certainly seemed worth it… but that astronomical price was still a problem. Contrary to the Marquis’s assumptions, Mio wasn’t currently preparing for a wedding. So she had no excuse to buy the jewelry.

‘Damn it… but I really, really want it.’

The sooner she could be recognized as the owner of the safe, the better. Humans instinctively move to more comfortable places, wherever they are. Even if they fall asleep in a chair, they unconsciously crawl into a bed.

If there’s an easier way, Mio naturally wanted to take it. Her gaze, drifting in the air, settled on the Marquis, who twitched like a tail-wagging dog.

“Taralia is destined to fall into your hands, isn’t it? Right?”

“But why are you so eager for me to buy Taralia?”

“There are several reasons…”

The Marquis, visibly sulking, fiddled with his fingers as he spoke.

“First, I want to restore my damaged honor from going to jail by spreading rumors that I won an incredibly expensive item…”

“Hmm…”

Mio felt a pang of guilt. Thinking about it, Marquis Duon had almost completely ruined a business he was preparing, all because he got close to her.