Chapter 91

Chapter 91

13. Masquerade

The whole city was filled with props for the masquerade. While fiddling with a mask in a store, I suddenly met a familiar face and blinked in surprise.

“Oh, Baron Litshua?”

Even though I wasn’t really surprised, I was just pretending to be surprised.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

I even met the guild members that I met through Serena. Not only me, though many other people came to buy props for the masquerade. In other words, there were so many eyes to see.

I didn’t show my face in the capital’s social circles, but it was not that nobody knew me. Therefore, I had to be careful about every move. No matter how much I had been laying low for a long time, there could have been a person attached to Duchy Icard.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Laria. It’s been a long time.”

In fact, we met last month for some business, but Seymour was also good at lying.

“Have you been healthy?”

“Yes, I was thinking about writing a letter.”

I put down the mask I was holding and spoke, “Kyle, that is, Baron Ravonis, asked me to deliver his message.”

Seymour’s brow furrowed slightly at those words.

It was something I had learned while working with him so far that he did not like Kyle. After all, he had a much better reputation in Hanua than Seymour. Originally, a single estate was divided into two, so parisons were inevitable, but Kyle’s ability to manage the estate was superior.

But, that was unavoidable. While Seymour was busy wandering here and there, I was able to look carefully at the estate in Ravonis next to Hanua. Therefore, Kyle must never be happy from his point of view.

“What does that crafty fellow want with me?”

“Crafty…? I don’t know Baron Ravonis well, so why…”

“You can tell just by looking at the way he manages the estate. The instructions were very sparse.”

What was wrong with my management style…

I couldn’t control my facial expression at the sudden criticism.

‘…I’m sorry for being stingy, you bastard.’

“Well, I think it can be said to be in detail.”

Seymour raised an eyebrow in response to my bittersweet reply and then started gossiping again, “Besides, have you seen the outside of the mansion? It seems that the aesthetic sense is also poor.”

At those words, my eyes couldn’t help but swell.

It was difficult to say that I had chosen each one of those myself and that it was bad.

I answered bluntly.

“It was fine… It’s quite old-fashioned.”

“And, rumors say, he’s pretty rude even to the people who work for him.”

Those rumors were obviously false. It was because the people working there were all guild members, and actually they were all sucking honey…! What he said was so absurd that I pletely fell expressionless.

“That is absolutely nonsense. Who the hell is saying that? Who’s talking nonsense like that? It won’t be a waste even if I pinch these lips…”

Seymour sighed, touched his lips and rolled his eyes.

“Why are you so on his side?”

“I’m not taking sides, I’m just saying that’s what I think.”

“I can’t believe you. My business partner’s so serious to me when I’m only saying bad things to Baron Ravonis… Is Baron Ravonis more precious than me?”

…Why is he asking such a nonsensical question to me, who is so narcissistic right now?

“Of course. Anyway, it doesn’t matter…”

I couldn’t hide my displeasure and spoke bluntly, “Kyle says it looks like there’s iron ore buried in Hanua.”

“What?”

“He studied something geologically…. I don’t know the details either. So, Kyle said that he would start developing the mine right away in Hanua, and asked what if Baron Litshua also started the development.”

The sound of Seymour’s head rolling could be heard all the way here.

“Weren’t you planning to dig a mountain soon to track down the three ancient magic items?”

“It is, but…”

“I don’t think it’s a loss-making business. Kyle offered to fix the price.”

Seymour licked his lips, unable to hide his inner conflict. Even though he didn’t want to listen to Kyle, the iron ore mine seemed to be a desirable option, so he was struggling.

Still, I knew Seymour’s choice. Obviously, if it was money, it would be Seymour’s nature that he could keep in the hate for it. Right now, iron ore prices were skyrocketing as supply couldn’t keep up with demand.

“Do it, Mister Seymour.”

I secretly started to press.

“I came here to tell you. I feel good about it, too. So far, there has been no business that has not gone because you listened to me.”

“…Ha.”

Seymour eventually nodded his head at my pressure.

“All right. Because Miss Laria sent it, I’ll take it.”

“Yes, I’ll have to write a letter to Kyle for details.”

“It’s an important matter, so I don’t mind meeting in person…”

“Because Kyle doesn’t really like meeting strangers.”

“He has many things issues.”

At that, I hurriedly changed the topic in case he asked more about Kyle, “I heard you often see Princess Elanie?”

“Ah, yes.”

Seymour replied calmly.

“I had a chance to chat a few times by chance, and our political orientation was the same.”

…Did Seymour have a political orientation?

“That’s why I’m giving her some political funds these days.”

But, it was important that he was paying anyway because that meant he really loved her.

‘Even if it’s changed, the probability of the original story is great. No matter how much I intervene and step in, in the end, they bee a couple.’

That was even more certain.

Suddenly, he immediately asked me.

“Are you going to attend the masquerade?”

“Yes.”

“Then, what about this?”

He smiled as he handed me a mask. His cute green eyes gleamed.

“I always thought it was pretty.”

After seeing the mask he gave me, I realized the power of the original story.

“Yes, my mask is going to be a white butterfly.”

The mask Seymour gave me was a white butterfly. In my memory, Seymour and Elanie appear at the masquerade in the same white butterfly mask and get entangled again. So, they would inevitably meet again at this masquerade.

“It’s not bad. I will take note.”

I spoke calmly, but Seymour even put the mask in my hand.

“I think it would suit Miss Laria.”

The hand passing it to me casually rubbed against my hand. Nevertheless, I frowned and answered back, “This is my first store, so I can’t stop shopping here.”

At that, he smiled and greeted politely.

“I’ll see you soon, Miss Laria.”

He whispered a little.

“You don’t want to end your life with your first childhood marriage.”

How did he know this marriage would end my life… His intuition is awesome.

“And… The ‘it’ we discussed together is going well.”

Actually, I was curious about that as well.

For the uping masquerade, I was planning to discuss business with Seymour. This time, I didn’t just add support because I mixed my ideas myself. It could be seen as slight repentance for what we shared. Of course, I plan to take care of my stake as well.

“Well, see you at the masquerade.”

As Seymour finished his whisper, he quietly turned back and disappeared.