CH 10

“Publicly, I said that I studied a lot for a long time because I admired the empire… Doesn’t the Duchess know?”

His upper body, which had been sitting upright, tilted stealthily toward me.

“As a regressor, I have lived by rewinding time countless times…”

A low, whispery voice.

“…Naturally, I must have much more common sense and knowledge than most people of the empire.”

Ah.

I pushed my upper body back in surprise at the sudden burst of heat.

Were you able to breathe? It’s not that close.

“Duchess?”

“…It’s nothing.”

I went on, fanning myself to cool off the hotness.

“Anyway, I understand that part. With letters of recommendation like these, other nobles will have no choice but to acknowledge Lord Yuzef.”

“Especially Viscount Baden.”

That’s right. That’s important.

With my relief, Lord Yuzef’s smile deepened. I too could feel the pleasant scent of tea after a long time. It was also surprising that what I had been worried about for a month was resolved so easily.

“By the way, you have not forgotten your promise, have you, Lord Yuzef?”

We decided to write a contract after drinking tea.

It was not an employment contract. It was intended to be written under the same conditions in the presence of the tutors sent by Viscount Baden.

The contract document that Lord Yuzef was about to write out now was more of a pledge than a contract.

A pledge to maintain a strict alliance with me while teaching in Dieren, and above all, to act with the safety of my children first.

If you don’t comply with this…

“What else do you not understand?”

I think I had gathered my eyebrows together very slightly, as Lord Yuzef quickly noticed my condition and asked.

“Lord Yuzef described me as an ‘investment’ the other day.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Now I think we should know exactly what that means.”

The pledge was now left with only the final sentence.

But there was something I didn’t understand at all. It was that this contract was too advantageous only for me.

There is no such deal in the world. Business that was concluded under satisfactory conditions for each other can be maintained as trust for a long time.

Why?

It goes without saying that there is no need to maintain a deal that satisfies only one person on the other side. After all, a contract was an act of binding each other with shackles called clauses.

“That way, I can see what Lord Yuzef wants to get from me through this cumbersome contract, and whether it is something I can afford.”

“Ah, wait…”

“…? Lord Yuzef?”

Suddenly, the middle of Lord Yuzef’s brows, which had been relaxed thus far, wrinkled.

Startled by his sudden behavior, I rose reflexively and approached him.

“Are you all right?”

Seeing him up close, he was sweating coldly, albeit in small quantities. When I handed a handkerchief to him, who pressed his temples hard, he finally sighed deeply as if relieved.

“I looked unseemly. Pardon me. I have a headache from time to time from changing waters.”

“You’re going through a lot.”

It was a common experience for people from faraway areas.

When I tried to call the attending physician, he straightened up again as if he had never done that. To the point where I was embarrassed to be worried about his appearance as if it were a lie.

Come to think of it, even when we first met at the banquet hall, he said he was resting because of a headache.

Well, it was none of my business.

“The handkerchief is stained with my sweat, so I will return it to you next time since I am ashamed.”

“It’s all right if you don’t return it.”

I purposely gave him a handkerchief without my initials or Dieren’s crest on it. Rather than taking the risk of being seen exchanging handkerchiefs with a stranger, I decided to pretend that I had lost one.

“Then let’s get back to the point… You were wondering what I was trying to get from the Duchess?”

“That’s right.”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t been able to talk about it until now because I wasn’t in any hurry.”

Lord Yuzef corrected his posture and sat back. I also made eye contact with him and listened to what was to be said.

“The Duchess’s concerns are sound. But I’d like to say you don’t have to worry. After all, the madam is the only person in the world who can give me what I want.”

A soft voice continued, as if singing.

“Does the Duchess happen to know where the fief of ‘Alperon’ is?”

“I do not know. I was actually curious.”

I didn’t think it was something to bring up at this point. Of course, that’s not to say that I wasn’t curious.

One month of isolation.

I’ve been trying not to let my precious time go to waste in the meantime. I had a lot to protect, and the exposed weaknesses were clear.

In the meantime, Lord Yuzef was the only one who declared that he would be on my side.

‘But if I really trust him, I’m not sure.’

I only received a few acts of kindness and help. Anyone can do that much. Making friends is also an effective conciliatory technique.

So I tried to identify Lord Yuzef with a cool head. I also had to calculate whether he was a trustworthy person, and what I could pay him in exchange.

But something strange happened.

‘No matter how much I looked at the map, I couldn’t find the County of Alperon.’

The continent was large. There was one sole empire, but there were many kingdoms independent of the empire. Therefore, I only thought that the land of Alperon, which I had never heard of, vaguely belonged to a kingdom somewhere.

But there wasn’t. Such a place name did not exist.

However, there was no possibility that Lord Yuzef was an aristocratic impersonator. This was because you cannot enter an imperial banquet unless you have a noble status recognized by the emperor.

“Of course. My land is not on the map.”

Lord Yuzef spoke in such a trivial manner that even I almost overlooked it and said, ‘Oh, I see.’

“It’s not on the map. Do you mean unknown land?”

“That’s right. The undiscovered land is not yet marked on public maps. My land is there.”

“…?”

Wait a minute.

Strangely, whenever I talk to this guy, I feel like a fool. Is there anything that is within the expected range?

I asked with a dumbfounded look.

“Then where is Alperon? Does His Majesty the Emperor know about this?”

“I reported it, but His Majesty seemed to be more interested in the things I could offer. Therefore, he decreed the title of count of the empire to me and recognized me as an aristocrat.”

“……”

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

This was a tremendous remark. Because it meant that Lord Yuzef was not just a count.

A new land not on the map. The owner of the place. He received the title of count of the empire with only the things he presented to the emperor…

“…Now that I see it, Lord Yuzef should be called ‘His Majesty King Alperon,’ not Count Alperon.”

“I am embarrassed of such a title. I’d like to be called just ‘Lord Yuzef’ by the Duchess.”

Lord Yuzef said in a voice full of laughter.

My god, it wasn’t a count, it was a king.

I was puzzled, but that didn’t immediately change his impression. Was it because he was not as authoritative as the emperor of the empire?

“Anyway, Duchess. It is because of the land of Alperon that I must ally with the Duchess, not with anyone else.”

His long fingers, clad in white gloves, interlaced gracefully on his lap.

“I want to create a trade route between the land of Alperon and the empire. And I know that the only person who is fit to take the job is the DuchesIt was a lie.

In fact, Yuzef had no interest in trade routes.

Of course, it would be nice to have. But that was not the only reason why he needed the Duchess of Dieren.

Rather, it had to do with solving a more fundamental problem.

Such as…

Survival.

Lizelotte Karin Dieren was beautiful.

The first time Yuzef recognized her was in the past, when he experienced an unknown number of regressions.

It was a ball he didn’t even remember. She was a lonely widowed woman, dressed in black mourning clothes and wearing a black veil.

Nevertheless, she was so beautiful that he dared not take his eyes off her. This was especially the case with the white and thin neck exposed under the up-do hair, a symbol of married women.

He didn’t feel a childish feeling like falling in love at first sight. Just as if admiring a wonderful piece of art, he could not help but to look at her beauty, as beautiful as the goddess of night.

He had never looked at anyone this fascinated.

‘My goodness, excuse me…!’

He stood there like a stupid idiot and bumped into her.

It was that moment.

The monster that had been rampaging from a long time ago as if it were going to devour his head suddenly became quiet.

At that time, Yuzef had no time to think about why. This was because he was busy only being surprised by his refreshed physical condition after a long time.

And when exactly a day had passed.

…The cursed pain devoured Yuzef once again like a monster.

Yes, monster.

There was a monster living in Yuzef’s head. A monster that slowly devours a human brain and eventually drives one mad to death.