LLTEEFM 109

#109. Because of Me?

I pressed my lips together to keep from showing too much delight.

Honestly, I wanted to snap my fingers, but that would have seemed far too coarse.

I steadied my voice and spoke.

“And the information guild connected to your family doesn’t just gather intelligence from the Empire. They also collect from surrounding nations.”

Hairmich’s fingers, which had been fiddling with the hem of her skirt, moved more busily.

“To be precise, they’ve been collecting more detailed information about the Kingdom of Lamore.”

I released the restraint holding down the corners of my lips and broke into a bright smile. Then I asked again:

“Because of me?”

There’s only one reason I can think of why Lamore would matter more than the other neighboring states.

The Grand Duke’s childhood companion, a princess adored by both the Empress and the Dowager Empress.
In other words—me.

“Because of me?”

Blanche’s smile bloomed.

Her face, usually so cold and expressionless, lit up with a smile that seemed to blossom like a flower.

For the first time, Medret was struck once again by how beautiful this girl truly was.

Ah, yes. That was exactly why she had underestimated her. She had assumed that it was only that face that had captivated the Grand Duke.

And so, when she believed the Grand Duke had lost interest, she had assumed Blanche would never regain favor.

But the girl before her was sharp and unflinching. She never missed an opportunity, pulling her opponent’s hand and using it as her own card.

She had proven through her actions that surviving ten years in the imperial palace could never be done on the Grand Duke’s favor alone.

Medret straightened her back, tense. She must never again make the mistake of underestimating this opponent.

“…That’s correct,” she admitted, almost as though confessing. Indeed, Blanche was more than worthy of a kingdom’s full attention.

She should never have forgotten that. The realization left a bitter taste of regret on her tongue.

“How fascinating.”

The girl before her shifted her smile. Her black eyes, already deep, seemed to darken even further.

“So in other words, your investigation concluded that when dealing with me, I’m more important than my own homeland—or even the Grand Duke, who didn’t even attend the Academy with me. Isn’t that what it means?”

Though Medret had indeed thought so, hearing it spoken so bluntly left her a little unsettled.

“I truly wonder what kind of information you saw to reach that conclusion.”

But the discomfort quickly faded. Medret realized this might be an opportunity.

She had thought reconciliation with Blanche impossible.

After all, she had once raised her hand against Blanche, and even after her public apology, Blanche had never once said she formally forgave her.

But maybe…

“Would you like to see it?”

Perhaps things could be repaired.

After all, Blanche had invited her alone into her room to talk. She clearly found her information intriguing.

If she handled this well, perhaps she could restore their relationship.

In the long run, earning Blanche’s goodwill was absolutely essential. Contrary to Medret’s earlier assumptions, the Grand Duke had not withdrawn his interest in Blanche.

So Medret decided to throw out some bait—unaware that she herself was already hooked on Blanche’s line.

“Really?”

Blanche’s eyes widened. She was clearly pleased by the offer.

“That would be very helpful.”

Her serene smile, however, said that such information could never truly be of ‘great’ help.

By the guild’s principles, such intelligence should never be given away for free.

After all, people always devalue information obtained at no cost.

Instead of thanks, giving it away for free only cheapens its worth. As the heir to her count’s house, Medret had been taught this lesson countless times.

But who would pay for something like Lamore’s current affairs anyway?

And besides, wasn’t this the first time this girl—who seemed to care about nothing, who roamed the Academy alone without concern—had shown genuine interest in something?

If Blanche’s softened attitude was all she gained from giving it up, then surely it was worth the trade.

But Medret miscalculated. She was still young, still nervous, and above all—her opponent was Blanche.

“Then I’ll prepare it. The last year’s—”

“One year?”

The girl tilted her head.

Because she dressed more neatly than necessary, when her expression went blank like this, Blanche looked truly like a doll.

A living, moving doll—chilling to behold. Medret involuntarily flinched and clamped her mouth shut.

“If they began gathering information because of me, then surely they’ve been watching longer than just a year.”

“Ah, yes. They’ve actually been watching Lamore closely for about eight years now…”

From the very first time Princess Blanche appeared in society.

At Her Majesty the Empress’s birthday banquet, when Blanche presented her with a fine steed—Hairmich’s guild had been keeping tabs since that moment.

But surely she didn’t need to hand over the full eight years, right? It was just bait to smooth Blanche’s hostility, after all—

Yet Blanche neatly closed the topic.

“Then I’ll expect the full eight years’ worth.”

Her tone made it sound as though she might dismiss Medret from the room if she refused. Medret hastily spoke up.

“B-but… that’s far too much, and…”

“Oh? And here I thought an information guild would, of course, organize and hand things over neatly.”

Medret’s mind grew tangled.

Yes, the guild did have eight years’ worth of data.

But she had never intended to go through it herself.

All she had received was the last year’s trends—specifically Lamore’s reaction after Blanche collapsed from the poisoning attempt.

Handing over that was easy. But eight years’ worth, summarized neatly?

She would need the guild’s help again.

But what excuse could she give? If she confessed that she planned to hand it over to Princess Blanche “for free,” they would scold her for everything she’d learned and forgotten.

She had already been disciplined once because of Blanche. If she simply asked for it, the guild would surely refuse.

Could she persuade the princess otherwise? As Medret hesitated, Blanche shrugged as if she’d already lost interest.

“You must have your reasons. That’s fine. After all, even without you, there are plenty of others who can tell me about my homeland.”

Her eyes had noticeably cooled compared to just a moment ago.

Panic welled up in Medret. Blanche turned her gaze aside and added as though to herself:

“Of course, if I ask someone else, they’ll have to start gathering from scratch, so it’ll take time. But really, what’s a little time?”

And Blanche was right.

Medret had assumed there was no demand for this information. But for those desperate to gain Blanche’s favor, plenty would pay dearly for it.

Hadn’t the Grand Duke himself traveled here barely a month ago for her sake?

Selling the intelligence for profit, or giving it to Blanche directly to build goodwill…

The better choice was obvious. At the very least, she had to prevent Blanche from turning openly hostile toward her.

“N-no, of course not. I was only wondering if Your Highness would be patient while I organize it. Naturally, I can give you the full eight years. It’s no trouble at all.”

If excuses wouldn’t work, then she would simply pay for it herself.

Hadn’t her grandmother always said: You must untie the knots you make yourself?

And right now was the chance to untie one. A little personal expense was worth it.

“I see.”

Blanche’s smile returned.

Yes. Far better to pay a price than to earn the enmity of the future Grand Duchess—or even Empress.

Medret smiled brightly, calculating in her head just how much eight years of intelligence on Lamore would cost, along with the extra expense of having it all organized.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

“Yes, take care on your way back.”

I smiled sweetly as Hairmich stepped out the door.

That smile lingered even after the door shut, because I was truly delighted.

“A debt really does come in handy once it’s planted.”

Even for a small, distant kingdom, eight years of intelligence would be no cheap price.

And for me—who always invested spare funds in academic pursuits or in decorating my townhouse—that would have been a burdensome sum.

But now, I’d cleared that debt with nothing more than a single slap from before. How could I not be pleased?

This is why people must rise in the world and leave their debts hanging. When the time comes, you can get exactly what you want without spending a thing.

“Well then. All that’s left is to wait and see—whose line bites first?”

Would the kingdom’s reply arrive first, or would Hairmich bring me the intelligence first?

Tapping my fingers lightly on the desk, I began to calculate.