Chapter 10
Varden shot a glare at me with eyes full of suspicion.
“What does that mean?”
“Listen. Do you know that the cycle of battles with monsters, which used to happen in 10-year units, is getting shorter and shorter? Brother also participated in the recent battle.”
“Hm.”
“This large-scale battle with monsters also happened just 5 years after the last battle. The next battle will clearly be larger in scale and will happen within 3 years.”
Varden, who was listening to my words, blinked his eyes and was astonished.
“What?!”
“I’m telling you it’s true. I have matured now. As you know, I am too lacking to step forward representing the Ducal family. Since I caused many accidents until now too.”
Sighing on purpose, I clasped my hands together, placed them on my chest as a sign of reflection, and glanced at Varden.
As if he hadn’t expected it at all, Varden had his mouth wide open.
His reaction is really honest.
Seemingly out of his mind, he rubbed his forehead, organized his thoughts, and spoke.
“W-Wait. So you mean the next monster attack will happen on a large scale, and within 3 years again? On what basis?”
“While studying history these days, I checked the cycle of when events occurred, and it was like that. Look at this.”
I quickly went to my study and brought out a sheet of paper.
On it, after organizing big events densely by year, I had underlined especially the parts about battles with monsters in red.
“Look at this.”
“…It seems you are indeed studying these days.”
“Of course.”
As Varden admired honestly, I grinned.
Even in my previous life, when I studied history, I used to write down the events that occurred by year and memorize them like a compulsion.
Then, although it’s a bit perverted, I used to feel a thrill.
While studying history here too, choosing my study method and feeling pleasure, I checked the cycle because it was a bit strange.
Although in the original work, a foreshadowing that a large-scale monster attack would break out soon like this didn’t appear.
‘Well, as for monsters, the female lead and male lead will team up and defeat them well. It has nothing to do with me.’
Varden read the yearly events written densely like sesame seeds on the paper he received from me carefully, and his expression gradually turned serious.
Varden is an excellent mage and also a person with combat experience.
He would have felt that something was strange much more significantly than me.
“…Honestly, I thought it was nonsense. But looking at the document you gave me, it is a considerably well-founded argument.”
“Right?”
When I grinned, Varden narrowed his eyes and spoke.
“You’ve had a good head since you were young. How did you discover even something like this again?”
“Huhu. My head is quite good. So from now on, I want to live faithfully and happily under Father and Brother!”
Please.
Approaching Varden closely, I made my eyes sparkle.
Actually, if I knew how to use magic, I wouldn’t need to attribute credit to Varden like this and build an intimate relationship.
But I still don’t know how to use magic.
The reason I fell into shock when I read the book 《Basic Magic Theory》 I secretly brought from the library earlier was because I couldn’t recognize the content at all.
I couldn’t understand the pictures where strange shapes were combined, and I couldn’t read the text explaining magic at all.
Just as if I had dyslexia.
Other books are fine, so why do I show this reaction only to magic books.
Now really, except for the status of a Princess, it felt like I became a hollow shell who lost all abilities.
As I approached Varden one step closer narrowing the distance with desperate eyes, Varden was creeped out and freaked out even more.
“W-Why are you being like this!”
“Umm. Brother. You are still unable to forgive the bad behavior I showed all this time and are ashamed of me, right.”
“……”
“I understand. Then, I will tell Father that I did that organization method too and confess the truth properly.”
As I pretended to turn my back and walk out.
“…Stop there.”
Varden grabbed the sleeve of my dress and stopped me.
Then he bit his lip as if humiliated.
‘Huhu.’
Varden also knows well that he cannot receive the Duke’s praise with magic.
It is natural for the Argenthose bloodline to be good at magic.
Only by standing out and establishing merit in other matters can he barely receive recognition from the Duke.
That was the result of analyzing the Duke’s tendencies while living in the Duke’s residence all this time.
Varden turned me around completely, and asked with a face that couldn’t trust me.
“What do you want. You aren’t aiming for the successor, so what is the reason for attributing the credit to me?”
“Just, I want to live comfortably now. It was too hard….”
I answered smiling brightly, but somehow sincerity got mixed in.
Really, I want to live comfortably now.
Because my previous life was too hard.
Now I wanted to live like a ‘gold spoon’ doing what I want while benefiting a bit from the family including Father and Brother.
But Varden’s expression started to change strangely.
Distorting mouth and roughly shaking pupils.
For some reason, it was similar to the expression the Duke made when we had breakfast in the garden last time.
Suddenly covering his mouth, he muttered impatiently.
“Bad bastard…”
Hm. Varden also suddenly got a guy he wants to curse at.
Although I couldn’t hear the latter part, I didn’t care much.
Social life is like that, pat pat.
First, since it wasn’t a situation cursing me, relieved, I smiled brightly and pointed to the document held in Varden’s hand.
“Take that too, Brother. It’s a present.”
“…What? You’re giving it to me? That means…”
I nodded.
“But since this is my handwriting, Brother write it again and report to Father.”
Varden conflicted for a moment, then hid the paper behind his back as if concealing it and cleared his throat.
“Even if you change your mind, I won’t give it back.”
“It doesn’t matter even if you don’t give it back. Honestly, because I memorized it all.”
“…Detestable (Unlucky).”
“Well, if you really feel uncomfortable. Give me a price with money. Let’s say I sold it to Brother.”
“Money?”
To Varden making an expression wondering if there was such a worldly human in the world, I went even more shamelessly.
“You can just think of me as an information guild, right? Money. Give me money.”
“Damn it.”
Biting his lip tightly, I grinned watching the back of Varden slamming the door and leaving.
Although he could have just run away with it, I have a conviction that Varden is not such a person.
Moreover, since I fed him the bribe that I ‘attributed the credit,’ it will get a little better.
Because there must be giving affection for receiving affection to exist.
A few minutes later.
As I thought, Varden had a servant hand me a money pouch.
Along with a note saying ‘Shut your mouth for sure.’
‘Wow, what is this? This much?’
Seeing the considerably large amount of money, I smiled until my mouth tore.
Somehow feeling like I received allowance from my older brother for the first time, I felt so good.
A whopping 1 million gold!
It fits perfectly as the start of allowance a gold spoon brother of a chaebol(?) family gives to his younger sister.
Varden must be cursing in his room annoyed at me who requested such a monetary transaction, right?
Although he dislikes me now, wouldn’t it get a little better if I continue to give help.
Thinking I should give various gifts so Varden can solidify his position as successor safely, I sat at the desk.
Because there were too many ideas to pour out in this world.
‘I will tame you somehow, Varden Argenthose. Huhu.’
That night.
Duke Kaiser Argenthose’s bedroom.
Varden, who visited his father who got off work late from the Magic Tower, brought up the main point immediately.
“Father. Yvonne is strange.”
“…What? You felt that too?”
“Yes. In my opinion, it seems Yvonne still hasn’t forgotten His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Varden ground his teeth recalling the lonely and sorrowful expression Yvonne made earlier.
The younger sister who used to go around committing evil deeds and only causing accidents.
But he was too surprised that a person changed and was sad to that extent just because she was rejected.
So he was annoyed at the Crown Prince and secretly felt bad too.
Still, Yvonne was the one and only Princess of the Argenthose Duke family.
It means she is a high noble of the Empire and of noble status.
Although she was lazy in learning including basic knowledge all this time and her personality is a bit unbending.
‘Even so. Yvonne clung sincerely enough to be that sad.’
Varden was angry.
Did he have to reject Yvonne’s heart by bringing that illegitimate Princess of the Mare Kingdom all the way back to the Empire?
The Duke grabbed the back of his neck in anger and urged him to explain why Yvonne is strange.
Varden swallowed his anger and answered calmly.
“She says she is tired of life. She said she wants to live comfortably under me and Father now.”
“…Oh my goodness.”
“She received such a big shock that Yvonne, who was clumped tight with pride in magic, seems to have completely lost the will for the future.”
The Duke spoke pitifully recalling Yvonne.
“I think it’s a bit strange too. Yvonne’s teachers said so. It’s good that she studies hard, but they said Yvonne’s eyes are full of madness throughout the class.”
The gazes of the two men collided, and the identical purple eyes flashed coolly.
“As expected… Yvonne is not in a sound mind right now.”
“Damn it. Crown Prince Adrian. Who does he think he is!”
Silence filled with anger settled down.
The Duke got up from his seat, went to his office, and brought a letter that had finished being sealed.
He smiled broadly.
“Do not worry. I plan to introduce a man so cool that he cannot be compared with Crown Prince Adrian to Yvonne.”
“Pardon? A man to Yvonne? Who is that?”
“Duke Ludnine Iels.”
Varden’s eyes became large.
“Pardon? What did you say just now?”
“He will come to the capital in person to meet Yvonne.”
Although rumors about the young Duke Iels were widespread, he was a person Varden had also never seen once.
How does Duke Iels, who rarely comes to the capital, come?
No, how, by what means, did Father move the Duke whom even the Emperor finds difficult to move as he pleases?
Reading the doubt rising on Varden’s face, the Duke snorted.
“There is a way. The Duke certainly has no choice but to listen to my request.”
He lifted the letter with a confident expression.
“She will have a matchmaking interview with Duke Iels. If Yvonne dates a fine fellow a few times, she will forget someone like the Crown Prince and feel better.”
“Understood.”
Varden agreed with the Duke’s opinion and nodded.
‘It would be troublesome if Duke Iels thinks it’s a real matchmaking too.’
‘Well anyway, it’s dating. It’s not like they are getting married. Yvonne is too young to get married.’
Similar thoughts flowed in the heads of Duke Kaiser Argenthose and Varden Argenthose.
Just a partner thrown to enjoy lightly.
It is not sincere, just a play.
A chilly smile flowed simultaneously on the faces of the two men who resembled each other very much.
End of June.
It was the time when the season changes from early summer to summer, but a cool chill flowed in through the window.
Soft black hair swayed in the cold wind brushing the northern land.
The owner of this huge Duke Iels Castle pulled up the corners of his mouth reading the pledge and letter contained in the missive.
The aide, dazzled by the handsome owner’s features shining brilliantly today as well, squeezed his eyes shut and opened them.
The aide sighed deeply and asked.
“Are you really going to go?”
“I must keep the promise.”
“However. The partner is Princess Yvonne Argenthose, you know? Just the accidents she committed all this time are dozens. Although it wasn’t officially revealed that the culprit was the Princess!”
“Still, what can I do.”
Duke Ludnine Iels stared blankly down at the letter sent by Duke Kaiser Argenthose.
“Since I owe a big debt, I must repay it.”
His black eyes deepened.
