Chapter 36

“Madam Clies, and this young lady is…?”

“She’s my daughter.”

“The famous…!”

The exclamation at the end felt ominous, but I lifted my skirt lightly with one hand and offered a polite greeting. Whispering rippled around us.

“That young lady—is she the one engaged to Duke Weiss? And the one who succeeded in opening trade with the Zeiran Empire…?”

‘I knew this was coming.’

“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Lepina Clies.”

“I didn’t expect such a lovely young lady.”

Mother hid the corners of her lips behind her fan, but I could clearly see how delighted she was. I should let her enjoy this much, at least.

Who knows how long I was trapped chatting among the noble ladies. Just when I was starting to suffer, trumpets sounded, announcing the entrance of the imperial family.

Golden hair—proof of imperial blood—shone brilliantly under the chandelier. Even from afar, Bastien caught my eye more than anyone.

Bastien, as the crown prince, was the most popular character in the game. Kind to everyone, outwardly perfect, yet burdened by hidden wounds—that contrast was irresistible to many players.

He suffered under the empress’s relentless pressure insisting he must become emperor. Meanwhile, the emperor—at odds with the empress—treated him as if he barely existed.

The emperor was a weak man. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he owed his throne solely to the empress’s handiwork. Yet he didn’t love her—he resented her.

The one troubled by their conflict was Bastien. To his mother, he was nothing more than a tool. To his father, an unwelcome child. And whenever Bastien disappointed the empress, she would sneer that he was “just like his father,” as if he weren’t her own son at all. With Fedeshar still alive, it was surely even worse.

A lion cub raised by a fox pretending to be king—that was the nickname whispered behind Bastien’s back. Fedeshar, by contrast, was the lion cub that had been pushed off a cliff.

After the short congratulatory address, nobles surged toward Bastien. The young ladies were the most aggressive—dressed extravagantly, trying to catch his eye, while fathers hovered nearby to present their daughters.

“Lepina, let us go as well.”

We waited our turn. Everything has an order, after all. The distant figures of the duke and duchess were already greeting Bastien. I glanced around out of habit, but Evan was nowhere to be seen.

‘He must really be resting at home.’

Our turn came. Father congratulated Bastien and presented his gift.

“Ah, Count Clies. And Piote—it’s been a while.”

My brother, claiming friendship as an excuse, only gave a lazy nod, earning a flick to the head from Father before offering a very proper bow. Since this was my first time meeting Bastien, I bowed politely.

“I am Lepina Clies.”

“I’ve heard much about you.”

My eyebrow twitched. That didn’t sound like a good thing. Considering who he spent most of his time with… ominous indeed. I glanced discreetly toward the empress.

She was busy managing her loyal nobles—no doubt preparing to consolidate power ahead of Fedeshar’s coming-of-age ceremony.

“I had been curious who Piote’s precious little sister was.”

Bastien spoke as I was watching the empress. I turned back, startled, staring at him blankly.

He smiled softly. They were both Academy alumni; it was only natural he knew me. He and Piote were on decent terms.

“I understand why now. And I’ve heard you’re quite capable. Thanks to your adventurous spirit, the people’s lives have grown more abundant. With trade open between the empires, both sides will now have what they need.”

“My daughter is remarkable, isn’t she?”

Father praised me embarrassingly high.

“It was just coincidence. We simply happened to have someone from the Zeiran Empire working within our merchant group, which made the process easier.”

“Humble as well, I see.”

“Your accomplishments have caused quite a stir. You should be proud.”

A stern, dignified voice sounded from above. The owner—elegant yet chilling—was unmistakably the empress. The hall buzzed in shock at her directly addressing me.

“The empress herself said that…?”

“She’s notorious for being stingy with praise.”

‘Here it comes…’

I bowed immediately.

“…Your Majesty.”

“I greet Your Majesty the Empress.”

“That will do.”

The empress snapped her fan shut with a sideways glance at me.

“Count Clies must be pleased. All your children are quite gifted.”

“They do not compare to His Highness,” Father offered, attempting to shield Bastien.

It didn’t work.

“Be it swordsmanship or trade, Bastien has yet to reach such heights.”

Her lips curled with satisfaction. Bastien’s expression hardened.

‘She’s… a force, all right.’

A person like her crushes the people beside her.

The empress was serious. Bastien’s achievements were nothing to scoff at. With his brilliant mind, he earned straight A+’s in politics, accounting, military studies—everything.

He was the sort of genius who learned one thing and understood ten. Also, he was one of the very few spirit contractors in the empire.

But the problem was the empress’s greed. She wanted perfection. Higher and higher. Always comparing him to others—why don’t you have what they have? No wonder Bastien could barely breathe.

“To accomplish so much at a younger age than Bastien… remarkable.”

Her smile was gentle, but her eyes burned—unpleasantly so. Bastien, familiar with her ways, looked miserable.

‘Time to use social skills.’

People are happiest when you give the credit back to them.

“All of this is thanks to the blessings of the Alterun Empire.”

“Blessings?”

“During the long voyage, we never once encountered pirates. Truly, it must have been divine protection.”

“Hm.”

The empress’s lips rose faintly—she didn’t dislike it. I continued quickly. I needed her to know I wasn’t a threat, and I also needed to ask a favor.

She had been keeping an eye on my actions lately. And this next suggestion benefitted her as well.

“It’s delicate to mention here, but… we do have a problem. I wish to request the royal family’s assistance.”

“…I heard the trade went well.”

“Yes. Zeiran received us favorably, and trade volume is gradually increasing. However, one merchant group cannot shoulder all inter-empire trade.”

The Grow Merchant Group needed to go hunt for herbs—urgently.

“No matter how large we are, it is too much. Once trade expands, we’ll see the movement of food, daily necessities, and many other goods. Would it not be ideal to utilize a royal merchant group?”

We could barely handle supplying herbs to villages. Handling empire-to-empire exchange on top of that was impossible.

The empress pondered, then closed her fan with a crisp snap.

“That is not a difficult request.”

I smiled sweetly and added a touch of flattery.

“And Zeiran has asked for pirate extermination. I heard His Highness is a formidable water-spirit contractor. Surely eliminating pirates poses no challenge. It would also be a fine opportunity to demonstrate Alterun’s strength.”

I spoke with confidence. Perhaps brazenly so, but I couldn’t afford to let her see me as a thorn. I needed her goodwill—for my survival and my family’s.

The empress would not hesitate to eliminate anyone who hindered Bastien’s path to the throne. Several princes before the current emperor had died at her hands.

“…Bastien.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“You shall handle it. I’ll report to His Majesty. I trust you’ll succeed.”

She patted his shoulder lightly, and he reacted as if it weighed a ton.

“Hm… it almost feels unfortunate you’re the Weiss heir’s fiancée,” the empress added.

A chill ran down my spine. It sounded like she’d prefer to keep me close rather than leave me as a potential threat. Thankfully, Bastien intervened.

“Mother, I have no intention of stealing my friend’s fiancée.”

“…Only a joke. Count Clies, I will be watching.”

Her sharp gaze made Father bow low. Bastien lowered his head slightly in apology. I felt guilty—Father always ended up bearing the consequences of my actions.

“Father, are you all right?”

Piote asked carefully.

“What would be wrong? No one can deny the fine work our Lepina has done. And if things truly go poorly, we can simply immigrate elsewhere.”

My eyes stung a little. My family had always supported me, no matter the path I chose.

Then I noticed Bastien watching us—his gaze bittersweet. The sight of our warm, united family seemed to stir something painful in him.

A pile of gifts surrounded him, yet he didn’t look happy. It was his birthday celebration, but his eyes were hollow.