Chapter – 19
“Father, we’re not being tricked, are we?”
“Judging by the clauses, it doesn’t seem like it.”
I wasn’t sure what the Duke of Hettis was scheming, but the terms weren’t bad.
The last sentence was a little worrying, but overall, the contract was clean.
“What if something goes wrong?”
“We’ll just not send Sispel; that’s all.”
The Nordil count and his son exchanged a glance, then signed in turn.
Only after having the contract notarized by a lawyer did Casian and Eveline rise from their seats.
“Make sure the quantity is delivered exactly on the date listed.”
“If it isn’t sent…”
“Don’t worry! We’ll make sure it meets the deadline!”
“Of course! It has to be on time!”
The two of them, still wary until the very end, only relaxed after Casian and Eveline had left. They sent their steward and Damon to verify the situation.
“There’s nothing wrong.”
“Ha ha ha! Father, it seems the heavens are on our side.”
“Indeed. The Duke of Hettis is quite unlucky.”
The Hettis duchy really was seeing a surge in patients with respiratory illnesses. That’s why they had no choice but to choose Sispel.
With the clear conclusion, the former Count Nordil’s lingering unease disappeared, and he patted his son on the shoulder with a hearty laugh.
“We’ll need to speed up so the supplies can be delivered on time.”
“Yes, Father! I’ll gather capable staff and make sure it’s delivered.”
Though the deadline was tight, pulling together all available personnel would be enough to meet the delivery date.
The father and son, convinced that they had completely secured palladium, pressed their subordinates to gather Sispel in two days and sent it to the Duke of Hettis.
But three days later…
“Ah! Father, it’s terrible! Pall—palladium!”
“What happened? Calmly, tell me!”
“Harmful substances were detected, and the price of palladium is plummeting exponentially! And of course, Sispel is replacing it!”
“What?”
The value of Sispel had skyrocketed.
“Did you predict this?”
Hearing that Sispel’s value had risen sharply, Casian stopped mid-toast and asked.
With a suspicious glance, I immediately played dumb.
“No, purely luck.”
Suddenly, I remembered the Checkupin Wall in Nordil Square and realized that Sispel was emerging as a substitute for palladium.
Who would believe that if I said it? Not even I would.
Of course, I had spread the rumor about a surge in respiratory patients in the Hettis duchy and subtly ensured that the harmful substances in palladium were publicized early. But I considered that minor enough.
What had to happen would happen. So, I had to act shamelessly and feign ignorance.
“The timing was impeccable, if I can call it luck.”
“Well, maybe the heavens helped us.”
“Excuse me for interrupting, Your Excellency. A letter has arrived from the Nordil count’s house.”
Just as the questioning was about to continue, Sophia appeared holding a parchment.
I didn’t even need to see it to know.
They were asking for the Sispel back.
Casian took the parchment on a silver tray and gave me a complicated look.
“What should we do?”
“How about we use it as firewood for the fireplace?”
“It’s warm outside.”
“Even so, the kitchen fireplace is always active.”
After all, the steaks and garnishes in front of us were all cooked with fire. So using the parchment as firewood seemed reasonable.
With a casual shrug, I answered nonchalantly. Casian returned the unopened parchment to the silver tray and gestured for Sophia to take it back.
“They’re just receiving the consequences of their own mischief.”
I said with satisfaction while cutting my steak.
Technically, they could raise a fuss, but they wouldn’t dare.
The contract explicitly stated that once the exchange of assets was complete, no further demands or returns could be made.
Who had been so malicious with palladium? They got hit by the same trick, so it was poetic justice!
Feeling triumphant, a smile crept onto my face.
“Here you go.”
Suddenly, Casian handed me a book.
Taken off guard, I asked, puzzled,
“What’s this?”
“The ledgers.”
“Finally, the ledgers are in my hands…”
All my previous struggles seemed to wash away in an instant.
I had fought so hard just to get these ledgers! If things hadn’t gone well, I would’ve been divorced.
Convincing Casian, who was half-skeptical, had been a headache, but thanks to bringing Sispel, the Duke of Hettis’s house would be making a fortune for the foreseeable future.
“The steward and the head maid were supposed to deliver them directly, but they felt it was more appropriate for me to hand them over, so I asked them to give it to you instead.”
Considering my position, Sebastian and Sophia had been thoughtful.
Though the contract was between me, the steward, and the head maid, the final decision was Casian’s.
Since the ledgers had to be handed over anyway, Casian delivering them in person lent authority. It was a gesture to elevate my status.
“Thank you, darling! Now you finally trust me!”
“Well…”
“I’ll work hard from now on!”
Overjoyed, I jumped up from the table mid-meal and hugged Casian’s neck.
Caught off guard, Casian froze, then, a few seconds later, let out a deflated laugh.
“Yes. Just don’t run off with them later.”
“Eh, why would I do that?”
“You should.”
Meanwhile, at that time…
“This is going to put me in a difficult position.”
In a lavish room, a man’s calm voice spread.
He crumpled the parchment with the calculated price that the servant brought him, twisting his lips.
“Thanks to someone, palladium is about to be ruined.”
The vast amount of palladium stored in the imperial warehouse had become nearly worthless.
Though the servant maintained a smile, discomfort was evident on the man’s face.
The air around him grew cold, and then…
“Your Majesty, the Duke of Selldian requests an audience.”
The Duke of Selldian had come seeking the emperor.
“What should I do?”
Caught off guard by the sudden visit request, the emperor was conflicted.
He tapped his golden-armrest fingers impatiently, humming a wordless melody.
“It’s too soon, isn’t it?”
Though he wanted to annihilate them, he had to restrain himself. Exercising patience until the right moment was one of the emperor’s virtues.
“Your Majesty, the Duke of Selldian requests an audience.”
While he pondered, the head servant’s voice rang louder.
The impatient duke had probably urged the servant to hurry.
Knowing the situation perfectly, the emperor twisted his lips and signaled the guards standing like a screen.
“Tell him that, due to severe illness, the audience is impossible.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As soon as the order was given, the guards went out and conveyed the emperor’s words.
From beyond the door, a commotion could be heard, but the emperor ignored it, continuing to hum.
“It’s too valuable to abandon the hunting dog I control so easily.”
After snubbing the Duke of Selldian at the door, the emperor thought of Casian.
His silver hair gleaming in the moonlight, noble violet eyes.
The offspring of a long-established noble family and the imperial line.
Born under everyone’s blessings, this person always made the emperor uneasy.
Why?
“Annoyance, perhaps.”
The sudden surge of irritation caused the emperor, Glenn, to furrow his brow.
Yet, he regained composure.
“No, I can’t let personal feelings ruin my work.”
After all, it was thanks to him that Eveline could not be found in the south.
Moreover, ever since Casian was young, he had been trained to follow every order.
Remembering the years of indoctrination, Glenn realized that though the palladium had been wasted overnight, it was a sacrifice he could accept.
Still, it was not a situation to let go of lightly.
Wanting to punish arrogance, Glenn called the head servant after some thought.
“Send a storyteller to the south.”
