By Zephyria 
“In what way?”
“You suddenly brought in a statue from before the 5th century and placed it in your shop. Works from before the Shiaren Great Reform are worth whatever you ask. And someone who frequents jewelry shops must have a discerning eye. You don’t know where or how he might leak rumors about Karzentia’s Lair, so you’ll probably need to be more careful about keeping people quiet.”
After pondering for a long time to somehow grasp the hidden implications in Ruben’s explanation, I quietly decided to ask Ruben for advice.
“Why… why did he act like that?”
“Iver Marcus, at his age, has lived without committing any sins, and he doesn’t have ten years left to live. As for the greed he’s showing now… well, I don’t know. At most, perhaps a desire for fame?”
“…As the first discoverer of the Dragon’s Lair?”
“Exactly. Iver Marcus spent his childhood with his wealthy cousins, and when he couldn’t inherit the title, he was practically kicked out and moved to the capital. He lived his whole life as a jeweler, despite having no talent for craftsmanship. I believe some desire within him, which had been suppressed, was reawakened by the stimulus of great wealth.”
“…Ah.”
Ruben looked directly at me and confirmed with a clear voice.
“Whatever the reason, any person would inevitably feel greedy when faced with such great riches. Since you put him in that situation, you must take responsibility.”
Meeting his gaze, which was strangely scrutinizing my face, I nodded. Ruben slowly scanned my eyebrows, the lines around my eyes, the tip of my nose, the shape of my lips, and even my Adam’s apple before finally smiling at me.
“For now, the best goal is to build a sufficient relationship of trust with Sam Marcus and entrust him with the role of guardian for that Lair. And while we’re at it, keep an eye on Iver Marcus’s surroundings too.”
There were no slaves on this continent.
All citizens of the Sierran Empire, as long as they acted within the law, were entitled to speak and act with free will. Forcing someone to refrain from revealing any fact was something found only in Black Magic, and even then, it was imperfect and often resulted in turning a person into an imbecile, so it was looked down upon.
Naturally, the only method was to employ people and place them among them.
“What’s the secondary option?”
“To forcibly break Sam Marcus’s contract with the gnomes, or… to devise some other, more moderate method. But that’s unlikely to happen. Sam Marcus is a craftsman skilled in delicate work, and such individuals generally don’t want to move their established workshops.”
Not everyone who lived for many years was wise. This wasn’t a comparison between Iver Marcus, whose late-life greed had ignited, and Sam Marcus, who had quickly come to his senses and become vigilant. In my past life too, those who manipulated the world were mostly greedy old monsters, and I myself had lived foolishly.
It was then that the inevitable consequences that followed those who acquired great wealth came to mind.
“…Are Iver Marcus’s cousins still alive?”
“No. They all died in the Grimsvein Rebellion.”
“…Ah.”
“Originally, one cannot inherit a surname if they are more than six generations removed from the title holder. That’s why Sam Marcus, who should have no surname, bears the Marcus surname. After the Grimsvein Rebellion, Sam Marcus temporarily inherited the bloodline title.”
“Temporarily?”
“It’s one of several methods to grant the right to handle the remaining wealth and debts of the deceased, and to collect their remains, to those who were their blood relatives. The holder of a temporary title can receive the same treatment as a holder of a Single Ascent Title of Baron for 36 months, to gain qualifications for real estate transactions and property auctions.”
“Hmm.”
“Originally, Iver Marcus, being the eldest, should have received that title. However, because one can continue to use a surname once received even after the temporary title period ends, Iver Marcus had his son inherit that temporary title to grant Sam Marcus a surname as well. Although its effect has long since expired, it was done nonetheless.”
So, there were no relatives clinging to Iver Marcus to suck his wealth dry.
I opened my mouth to speak again, then stopped. It felt like I was pointlessly wasting the child’s time.
It would be better for me to review compiled materials separately or visit professors to learn about the Grimsvein Rebellion and how it unfolded, rather than hearing it from Ruben now.
Changing the subject with a lighter voice, I asked, “Why on earth is Marianne there? She’s not part of the Nobility Yearbook department.”
“Well…”
Why was he smiling with such a fond expression? Feeling a bit embarrassed, I gently stroked Ruben’s fingertips. The child giggled, kissed my fingertips, and continued his explanation.
“She can monitor the movement of Mana caused by Spirits, and in emergencies, she can summon Young Master Claudian to enter the Lair directly. Plus, she has built a sufficient relationship of trust with me, and…”
“Mm.”
“She volunteered for the mission to monitor the Marcus father and son.”
“…Mm?”
“She said she’d do what she was assigned and then return to her main job. I thanked her, of course.”
Ah.
I didn’t try to suppress the laugh that escaped.
“Marianne seemed very busy with me, would it be alright if I visited her?”
“The Young Lady is busy right now, indeed. She’s essentially guarding so much wealth by herself. However, she’s also the most free person in this capital at the moment.”
Ruben chuckled mischievously and moved to pinch my cheek, just as I had done to him. After a moment’s hesitation, I willingly surrendered my face to the child’s hands, letting him do as he pleased.
Ruben stroked my cheek from top to bottom, just as I had done, then very carefully stretched my cheek. I leaned into his hand, even acting coy.
Ruben played with me a little longer before letting go.
“…Tomorrow, it’s… okay to visit?”
“Yes. Then, after my etiquette lesson, I’ll go out for a bit. Ah.”
I looked at Ruben curiously, wondering why his breathing had suddenly become shallow. But he just shook his head a couple of times and remained silent.
Now I understood why Marianne was freer and why she was at the jeweler’s. But I still had one more question.
“Why didn’t Ivan tell me this directly? Was it because the Sapphire Palace has too many ears?”
“That might be the case, but I think he intended to avoid mentioning the Lair altogether.”
“…What? Why is that?”
“Think about it. Baroness Vikoff is also bound by a secret oath, so it wasn’t supposed to be something Ivan Bikoff learned. However, he is also an economic partner with his wife, and he received a special gift separately. He likely guessed the situation and told you to pretend he hadn’t heard, saying he would manage his wife himself.”
“Hoo.”
So these guys were exchanging Sound Transmissions amongst themselves while leaving me out in the cold.
But who could I blame? It was my own ignorance. I decided it was good enough that I had two clever friends, so Ruben wouldn’t have to feel frustrated.
There was one more thing I needed Ruben’s permission for.
“And now soon… my parents will be coming to the capital, won’t they?”
“Yes, right? They should arrive around the end of the month, but I’m so busy, what should I do…”
“That’s why…”
Clearing my throat, I continued.
“Until Ruben is free, I was thinking of staying at the townhouse with my parents for about one to two weeks.”
“…Huh?”
Ruben’s narrow eyes widened in surprise as he looked at me.
Facing the child who didn’t answer immediately, I began to offer a string of excuses. The gist was that I wasn’t being of much help to Ruben right now, that I had been away from home for too long and wanted to fulfill my filial duties, and that I would be by Ruben’s side constantly after marriage, so he should just let this one time slide.
May had already passed its halfway point.
The wedding attire for the bride and groom must not be shown to each other before the wedding day. Therefore, the Empress Dowager had stopped summoning me and Ruben together once the basic structure of the clothing was somewhat complete, calling us separately.
Unlike a man and woman’s wedding, our wedding attire were both male garments, so how different could they be? Yet, since the other day, I had been following my mother-in-law’s orders and having fittings at different times and places, separately from Ruben.
We barely saw each other, or sometimes not at all, during our three meals a day, which lasted only ten to thirty minutes. When a tired Ruben entered the bedroom, I would hold him until he slept. According to Ivan, this would continue until the first week of June, or even get busier, so it seemed acceptable to spend that time with my family.
Most importantly, there was another reason why I hadn’t immediately refused Michael’s request.
Lately, Ruben no longer woke up abruptly and grabbed my wrist. He still sought my embrace in his sleep, but he was clearly more at ease and slept deeply on many nights. The face he wore in such sleep looked incredibly serene and peaceful.
On the other hand, my nights had gradually become more agonizing.
When Ruben trembled and cried out in fear, I was too busy comforting him to have much time for myself. But these days, whenever I saw Ruben sleeping with a peaceful and happy expression, dark thoughts would surface. With every faint breath of my lover that tickled my ear, or every rustle of my already thin pajamas as they rolled up, bruises would appear one by one on my thighs.
Ruben, who was so innocent that he was completely unaware of my feelings, looked deeply disappointed.
“….”
“Two weeks?”
“I heard that Ruben would only become a bit freer after the first week of June. I will return then.”
“We could prepare rooms for Ernhardt’s family in the Crystal Palace…”
“….”
Seeing that I didn’t reply, Ruben pouted his lower lip. He knew very well that acting like that would make me unable to resist, yet he did it anyway.
Before I knew it, I was about to say, ‘No, it’s my fault,’ but the child covered my mouth with his right hand.
Then he quietly asked, “…Does Hael want that?”
How did he know this? I quickly replied, pressing against his palm, “No, it wasn’t that child who said it, it was me. I thought…”
“Then, Mika.”
Ruben slid his thumb between my lips. As he stroked the sharp edge of my lower front teeth, I couldn’t carelessly close my mouth, fearing his fingertip might get cut.
Ruben, who had quieted me, took a deep breath and smiled.
“Until Mother and Father arrive, let’s work together in my office whenever you have time.”
“…Huh?”
“Now that Mika will also become an Imperial Consort, you need to know how the Empire operates. Right?”
Before I could answer, Ruben grabbed my chin and made me nod up and down. Then, he pulled me towards him. His face, which had instantly turned prim, was so lovely that I was mesmerized and was gently pulled along.
I had a premonition that tonight would be agonizing again, and it gnawed at me.