Chapter 39

Chapter 39

When the wooden floor was torn off, a space could be seen and inside that space, a small wooden box was found.

“Shall we open it?”

“What if there is some kind of magic on it?!”

“Maybe it’s something that might hurt Icard’s Duchy… It’s not a good idea to have a servant do it. I’ll just open it up myself.”

At that, I motioned people to stay back and opened the box carefully. The box contained some very old books stored with a preservation spell.

“This is…”

I glanced at the book and continued.

“It seemed as though it was from a long time ago. It was written by Rollade Cardi Icard, isn’t that the first Duke of Icard?”

“What…?”

Olivia jumped up, startled after hearing my words. She peered in and asked, “Mr. Rollade?”

Rollade was the first Duke of the Duchy of Icard more than a thousand years ago. This book detailed life during his period in great detail, and it contained great academic value because it was very rare.

‘In fact, this book will later be discovered by Seymour, but…’

A few years in the future, Seymour dug up information on ancient magic items and found a clue that the book was dormant in Icard Duchy. Then, he would negotiate with Duke Icard, asking for money in exchange for information…

“How much would you pay for a book written directly by Rollade Cardi Icard, Duke Icard?”

“What a cheeky fellow. Mr. Rollade was a troubled man, and he could not have left a book or anything behind.”

“What if I could find it?”

“I’ll pay you what your entire fortune costs. It would be just one less gold mine.”

And so, Duke Icard lost a mine to Seymour, and his wealth doubled.

‘Though he would still live a rich life without any mine, anyway. Since he is the male lead…’

Rather than discovering clues, I just chose to act as if I found them coincidently.

‘Do I really need to go on a difficult path? Isn’t it good to adapt a little and make it easy for myself?’

Well, of course, it was necessary sometimes. I thought so with a nod.

“H-h-how is it here…”

“I know right?”

“You… How can something so precious be in…”

It must have been something very significant for Olivia, who adored the Icard Duchy dearly. I smiled gently and blinked my eyes.

“I’m a little bit luckier than others because I’m weak. It was like that in horse racing, too.”

Saying so, she caressed the box with a blank look.

“Oh, my God… What am I supposed to do with this? Call Kallaudin for now. This is a stroke of luck for Duke Icard!”

She then suddenly hugged me.

“You…”

“Auntie?”

“…You are a blessing.”

The impudence of change to her attitude in front of things she valued was evil.

“You’ve changed your mind.”

As expected, she was a wicked woman with excellent self-understanding. She was old, but regardless, she was my style!

“It doesn’t matter if you laughed at his damn jokes or not. An Icard’s golden pot is mine as well.”

‘That’s what you thought…’

I blinked and thought to myself.

‘There’s one more last hit left.’

My decisive blow was none other than the disposition of Mister Rollade’s old books. So, naturally, the Duchy turned upside down after the discovery of the books.

“Anyway, it was Laria who discovered it.”

Duke Icard spoke calmly amid the mess.

“Laria.”

Olivia was pacing nervously, unable to calm herself down.

“What do you want to do?”

“Kallaudin!” Olivia stepped in sharply, disagreeing with Duke Icard’s words.

“No matter if it was Laria who discovered it, it is strictly Icard’s great fortune. How can you just leave it to a fourteen years old child?!”

“If it weren’t for this fourteen years old child, it would have been sleeping under Sister’s bed forever.”

The Duke of Icard replied calmly and glanced at me.

“We’ll give her enough compensation. So you can think about what you want–”

“I—”

I opened my mouth shyly after cutting off Olivia’s words.

“I want to donate.”

“I knew this would happen! How could you give such a terrible answer?!”

Olivia got up and shouted, upset at my answer. She continued her displeasure. “Insane! Why would you donate this? Donation is the opposite philosophy of my life!”

Before Duke Icard could restrain her, I uttered quietly.

“…To the academy.”

It was actually like the ending in the original novel.

“Academy?”

Repeating my words, Olivia frowned on her forehead curiously.

“Yes.”

Even Duke Icard tilted his head as well because of my answer.

“Tell me the details.”

“It’s… I don’t really know.”

It was Evan who originally decided to do this in the novel.

“Because it’s a very old book, I thought it would be of high academic value. So, I assumed it would be more useful to the professional researchers…”

I continued my answer carefully.

“Therefore, it would be used as a reference in all the books used in the academy in the future. That way, the Icard household will be honored even more.”

“Hmm.”

“And of course, they’ll keep it professionally and sincerely.”

Olivia’s breath, which expressed instinctive rejection after hearing the word donation also began to calm down rapidly.

“The high-ranking nobles don’t go to the academy, but all scholars are there, anyway. And, what is important, what remains in history is records of the scholars.”

“Hmm.”

“Besides, Evan happened to be a graduate of the academy, so he would look great as well.”

Finally, mentioning Evan ended all the controversy and doubts. Both Duke Icard and Olivia gazed at me with admiration.

“Laria.”

Duke Icard said with a grin.

“How did you come up with such an idea?”

“I just…”

I answered shyly.

“I’ve been thinking of Evan very often. Now that he is at the academy, I thought about it, and the thought came to my mind.”

Olivia studied at me still with her arms folded without saying anything. I could have predicted that she was hitting a steep ceiling in her mind because what she valued the most was the Duchy. So, it was more efficient to create an excellent achievement for Icard household once, than to be nice to her a hundred times.

“…I’m taking back my offer to take you to Rivien.”

She slumped into a chair and said, “If the lucky charm of the Duchy of Icard is in my care, perhaps it will escape.”

“No, auntie!”

I was planning to escape anyway, whether I went with Olivia or not.

“A good child like you might be suffocated to death by my side. Donation is a word I’ve never thought of in my life.”

To be honest, I was able to decide to donate because it wasn’t mine in the first place, but I thought it was better if I didn’t say that.

“Instead…”

Olivia added eerily, opening up the fan embroidered with a fearsome tiger.

“I’ll establish your position on the socialite, the one that Kallaudin has left unattended.”

“Oh… but soon… I’ll go to Borotna due to my health…”

“You’ll come back someday, won’t you?”

I couldn’t exactly answer that I wouldn’t be coming back one day, since I would be running away by then.

“First of all, you don’t have a godmother, right?”

“…Yes.”

The debt of my father, Count Rostry, had been enormous since I was a child. I had no godfather or godmother, unlike other noble children, because everyone did not want to be entangled with the County of Rostry. So, when my parents died, I had no choice but to become an Icard since I had nowhere to go.

“Every single social connection is essential… I’ll have to tell Kallaudin to ask a few people right away.”

“All right…”

I answered half-heartedly because I didn’t expect much from godmother, regardless.

“And, I’ll have you on a short-term education while I’m here.”

“Pardon?”

Suddenly, I felt uneasy about what education Olivia was talking about.

“We’ll start this evening. Wait for me in your room.”

This wasn’t in my calculations…

I rolled my eyes, pressing down my astonishment.