Chapter 82

“You clearly don’t know what the Delta territory is like. They say there’s a forest nearby teeming with monsters. What if we get ambushed? That’s why I’ve come prepared!”

“You couldn’t even use a scroll before, though.”

That stung. Forget tearing a scroll; I hadn’t even been able to touch one properly….

“Th-this time is different! I’m perfectly prepared! I’m wearing magic tools from head to toe. Besides, do monsters even spit paralyzing venom? I have other knights and I have Fran. You’ll protect me, won’t you?”

“O-of course!”

“If you ask the Young Lord, you won’t have to worry about suffering through a monster attack,” Eldan added.

“Didn’t you hear me? It’ll be too much for Evan alone.”

At that, Eldan trailed off. “My Lady, do you really not know? The Young Lord is….”

“W-wait a second!”

“Hmm? What is it?”

Was there a fact I didn’t know? Fran looked like he was trying to hide something, while Eldan seemed inclined to tell me. After Fran stopped him, Eldan hesitated for a moment before brushing it off, saying it was nothing.

‘What on earth is it?’

Confused, I just nodded. Anyway, that wasn’t the important thing! I ordered the workers to move the sacks filled with the inspected seeds.

“Are there any issues?”

“No. The quality is great. I made the right choice trusting you, Eldan. Still, the world is a strange place. These seeds grow into poisonous plants, yet the fruit itself is perfectly safe.”

“As long as they’re careful with the flowers. The fruit that grows underneath has zero toxicity.”

“We just have to make sure the instructions are clear. It’s better than starving to death.”

I had secured only a small amount as a trial batch. I had no desire to do the Empress any favors, but since I had taken the job, I intended to do it right. As a bonus, I wanted to show the other watching nobles that I was capable, silencing any gossip and getting into the Imperial family’s good graces—or at least appearing to.

“I don’t know how things will turn out, but gather as many seeds as possible. I said this was a Delta family problem, but there’s no way the drought is only affecting the Delta territory.”

The surrounding region was likely suffering just as much; it was only a matter of severity.

“Understood.”

Checking the pouch Eldan gave me, I smiled with satisfaction. This was perfect. I couldn’t make it rain like Bastien, but I could introduce a substitute crop. In fact, I thought my proposal would be even more effective. Pouring water on the ground until it’s soaked every day doesn’t actually help in the long run—it’s just a temporary fix. Especially when the sun is blazing and prayers for rain go unanswered.

“The first one is free, but the next ones won’t be.”

“Quite right. You’re a fine merchant, My Lady.”

“Even if we’re doing charity work, it needs to be backed by funds. It’s not like I’m overcharging them.”

Eldan and I shared an identical, devious smile. I would definitely collect the cost of the seeds. I wasn’t running a business by digging up dirt; if they had the wealth to pay, I should receive my due.

“By the way, congratulations.”

“For what?” I arched an eyebrow.

“I heard the news. That you’ve been officially recognized as Lord Evan’s fiancée. Is marriage the only thing left now?”

“……”

I stared flatly at Eldan’s beaming face. Evan’s grand declaration in front of the assembled vassals and the support of the Ducal couple had sealed the deal. Once all the vassals acknowledged it, my position as his fiancée became unshakable. The voices claiming I would be cast aside or that the engagement would be broken once Evan recovered had vanished into thin air.

“You always acted like someone ready to leave at a moment’s notice, so this was the natural next step.”

“Ugh….”

Eldan’s pinpoint accuracy pricked my conscience.

‘Did that many people notice?’

It felt like I was creating a cringey history for myself.

“But… you seem even happier about it than I am?”

“Of course. Now my Mistress can exercise influence over the Ducal House as well. Won’t there be even more people to do business with? Now that the Young Lord is cured, we don’t have to limit ourselves to medicinal herbs, right?”

“…I suppose so….”

Eldan was already mentally counting the nobles he could squeeze money from, as if the gold and silver were already in my hands. The Grow Merchant Guild had been a herb-focused guild primarily to restore Evan’s health. Now that the goal was achieved, there was no need to be tied solely to herbs.

While we would continue to handle herbs, I agreed with Eldan’s suggestion to start selling luxury goods to the nobility to increase our profits.

“Guild Master. You’re going to continue taking responsibility for this guild with me, right?”

Eldan pressed me, insisting he wouldn’t dream of running away now that he’d achieved his goal. I nodded at the overly bright gleam in his eyes. If anything, I was the one who needed to make sure he didn’t leave. But wait—responsibility?

“From my experience, it’s not good to toss the word ‘responsibility’ around lightly. Besides, there’s no way I’d abandon the Grow Guild. It’s my only source of income. If anything, I’m the one who should be telling you not to go.”

“Excellent. I shall make this the greatest merchant guild in the Alterun Empire.”

He really was diligent. He could have easily skimmed off the top, but there wasn’t a trace of that in him. He asked for bonuses occasionally, but they were always well-deserved. Looking at my hardworking and reliable team, I smiled quietly.

***

The carriage was slowly making its way back to the manor, leaving the guild behind. Suddenly, the coachman pulled to a halt. I opened the curtain and asked Fran what was happening.

“My Lady, I apologize. It seems there’s been an accident ahead.”

“…An accident?”

I leaned my head out. We were in the middle of a busy district, and carriages were already lined up in a long queue. I couldn’t even see who the carriage in the front belonged to. If it was a collision between carriages, someone might be hurt. It would take a long time to clear, and there was no telling when this traffic jam would break.

I stepped out of the carriage. “I’ll walk.”

“What?! No! I’ll be scolded by the Master if you do that.”

“We’re in the heart of the capital. Fran is here, so there’s no fear of getting hurt. If it’s an accident, someone might be injured, and they might need my help.”

“A-Ah, My Lady! Wait for me!”

I left the anxious coachman behind and walked forward, with Fran following close behind. Fran tried to persuade me to wait patiently in the carriage, his imagination running wild with bad scenarios.

“What if you run into some strange person?!”

“Don’t worry. There are no strange people around here.”

As I walked along the carriage road, I found a spot where people were huddled together. The closer I got, the larger the crowd became, and a troubling sound began to reach my ears.

“To think the Prince’s carriage was attacked…. What on earth does that mean?”

“……Huh?”

I stopped in my tracks. Fran immediately went on high alert, asking what was wrong.

‘A Prince? Was it Bastien? Or Fedeshar? And an attack?’

This was the busiest street in the capital; there were many witnesses and mostly nobles passing through. What insane person would openly advertise they were targeting the life of royalty?

“Did you see it?”

“Of course! It’s not rare to see a carriage with the Imperial crest in the shopping district. I was just watching casually, thinking it was the Crown Prince or the Prince, and then…!”

The person told the story with such dramatic flair that I unknowingly swallowed hard.

‘Did an assassin appear?!’

The nearby young ladies were also pestering her to tell the story faster.

“While the carriage was moving, daggers began to pour down like rain. The horses were bleeding and collapsed, and the carriage overturned! It happened in an instant! I didn’t even see a black figure. The knights hurriedly protected Prince Fedeshar, who was inside.”

‘So of the two, it was Fedeshar.’

“Oh my! Is His Highness alright?”

“I’m not sure…. It all happened so fast….”

My gaze naturally shifted toward the carriage. Even in a place like this, his life was under threat….

“What on earth is going on…. My Lady! See? I was right. The district is dangerous. Let’s go back to the carriage.”

I looked up at Fran, who was tall as a beanpole, as he insisted we head to safety.

“Fran, what’s the situation?”

“Pardon?”

“They said daggers poured down. Is that true?”

Fran turned his gaze toward the carriage. “…It looks more like a type of magic than daggers. There are sharp stone shards embedded all around.”

Since it happened in a flash, the witnesses must have mistaken them for daggers.

“They couldn’t have gone far! Catch them all!!”

The Imperial knights were shouting as they searched the surroundings. They began to disperse the gathering nobles, as they had to move Fedeshar to a safe location. As the crowd parted, Fedeshar and his carriage came into view.

The carriage looked like a hedgehog, with stone shards stuck in various places. Judging by the wreckage, one would assume he’d been seriously injured, but fortunately, Fedeshar seemed unharmed.

‘Still, to target Fedeshar when knights are so vigilant? It only serves to heighten their guard. Or did someone have that much malice toward him?’

The Emperor’s recent remarks must have had a major impact. It was no exaggeration to say the battle had begun in earnest—a battle that would likely only end when one of them was dead.

“Do you think the Empress did it?”

Exactly. That was exactly what I wanted to say. But would she really attempt an assassination so openly in a place where so many people were watching?

Fedeshar looked quite shaken, staring at the carriage with a grim expression while surrounded by his knights.