CH 67

Looking down at Raisa, who had her head lowered behind the marchioness, Richard declared,

“It’s over.”

Richard stood up with the same bored expression as when the meeting had first started.

“You’re all dismissed.”

The meeting, which had been convened out of nowhere, came to an abrupt end.

The gathered all glanced at each other and then left in a hurry to find the Bolsheik who had swept away all the festival rights, leaving only the two people in the hall.

As Marchioness Neir, who had all the benefits of the festival blown away in an instant, stumbled as if her eyes were ripped out and her nose was cut, was quickly supported by Raisa from behind.

She handed something to the marchioness, who emptied it at once and whispered with a heavy breath.

“It was you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The liquor license.”

The corners of Raisa’s mouth twitched and she smiled. 

“You can be proud.”

At that, the Marchioness Neir looked at Raisa with a slightly restored complexion.

“What are you doing?”

“My goals are always the same as my mother’s.”

It was an answer without much fuss, but Marchioness Neir did not believe it straight away.

It was only because she realized, albeit vaguely, that Raisa was different from the stupid and greedy days before.

“Don’t be presumptuous.”

Raisa didn’t answer, and the marchioness didn’t demand an answer like before.

Even if she got the answer she wanted, a puppet whose thread was cut wouldn’t move the way she wanted it to.

—Swak!

Marchioness Neir brushed off Raisa’s hand as if removing something dirty and left first.

A shady smile spread across Raisa’s face as she looked down at the back of her throbbing hand.

‘It’s too late for you to do anything, mother.’

Raisa stepped out of her mother’s shadow, rolling the tiny, pinkish vial in her grasp.

.

Although the damage from the locusts was still severe, the festival was held as scheduled.

After the great disaster, it wasn’t just farmland that was messed up.

The people of the empire, who were worried about what to do every day, also put a smile on their tired faces for the first time in a long while.

“Hey. Are you doing it this year as well?”

“That’s right. Well, I don’t have time to prepare, so I can’t make it big.”

Every festival, when the person who made small things at home for sale massaged his shoulder, the jewelry seller would tap his arm.

“I’ll help you out.”

“What are you doing?”

“I should help you in times like this.”

“How about staying still? I’ll help you move it, so just tell me.”

Around the time when the preparations for the festival were in full swing, with citizens helping each other little by little throughout the capital, no, throughout the empire.

Lawrence, who had barely returned to the capital from the Sheffield estate, sat down with a groan as he saw the mountain of papers waiting for him.

Catherine approached him as the groan slipped out.

“What, why are you making strange noises? Horrible.”

“What are you saying to your older brother who has just returned from a difficult, hellish place and has to walk into hell again?”

“If you’re the next family head, it’s only natural that you should do that much.”

At Catherine’s relentless words, Lawrence gave her a dry laugh and waved his hand.

He didn’t have the energy left to confront his darling sister because he was trying to fix their estate that had been swept away by locusts.

Squatting beside the drooping Lawrence, Catherine tapped his arm.

“So how was it?”

“Don’t even mention it. It was so terrible, they ate it all without leaving any seeds. It’s said they leave ruins when they pass by, but that wasn’t an exaggeration.”

He let out a long sigh.

“I personally felt the reason why His Highness the Crown Prince came out to check on me. Truly, His Highness was scary.”

“You mean the crown prince? He went all the way to our territory?”

“No. He came to the brewery. He said he was on his way to look around the locust-stricken area.”

“When?”

“The day Lady Bolsheik came… you, you are too close.”

Lawrence frowned and pushed Catherine’s face away, which had come right up to him with shining eyes.

“How?”

There was no reference to anything or anyone, but looking at those sparkling eyes, he couldn’t think of anyone other than Ophelia.

“Oh okay.”

“Okay?”

“She is a good person.”

“What?”

Catherine’s eyes turned sharp.

“Is that it?”

“You’re making a fuss even though I said she is a good person?”

“Is that it for Ophelia, who is pretty, cute, beautiful, talented, and has the best personality?!”

Lawrence sighed as he pressed the palm of his hand to Catherine’s face, which was blowing wild snorts in front of his nose.

“You said not to fall in love at first sight, but isn’t it too much not to fall in love with such a person?”

“What? Don’t tell me you…!”

“It’s ‘older brother’ not ‘you’. And no. She’s a nice person, but it wasn’t love at first sight.”

At Lawrence’s resolute reply, Catherine was relieved, then repeatedly choked up again.

Flicking the tip of Catherine’s nose, Lawrence turned his knotted shoulders and asked,

“What about what I asked for?”

“I handled it. I got permission safely, and I set the price lower than expected. No matter if it’s a hobby, what’s different from just solving it for free?”

“What hobby? And by the way, you’re fast? What kind of deal did you make with the Marquisate of Neir?”

“No.”

“No? Then it’s not a deal.”

“What’s with those suspicious eyes… it wasn’t against the Marquisate of Neir.”

“You said the liquor license went to Neir.”

“No, the original owner… It’s hard to say, but it went back to the family that received the right from the imperial family. Everything that Neir robbed.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re supposed to be the next marquis, but why are you so slow at understanding?”

“Did you listen to everything and organize it like this?”

“Anyway, let me tell you…”

Before long, Lawrence was updated about the series of commotions at the great meeting. He admired briefly, saying,

“That’s great.”

“Isn’t it? Ophelia is amazing as expected.”

Catherine shrugged her shoulders and lifted her chin, as if she was the one who had received the compliment.

“Although it’s amazing what she did against Marchioness Neir…”

“She just gave it all back?”

“Yes. I would’ve made a deal using that as an excuse.”

“That’s what Ophelia said.”

Catherine felt the same way as Lawrence. And it wasn’t just the two of them. Iris and Cooper also had the same question.

“You said you just returned all those benefits? Why?”

Ophelia smiled faintly at those scrambling to ask questions and shook her head.

“There’s too much work. I can’t handle it on my own. But I can’t throw it away, so I just gave it back.”

Catherine shook her head while Lawrence’s eyes widened.

‘Oh my. Isn’t that amazing to hear?’

He recalled those steadfast eyes and straight back that was about to go to a dangerous place without hesitation.

“Come to think of it… Catherine.”

“Huh?”

“Lady Bolsheik was afraid of the crown prince. Do you know how she became an aide?”

“His Highness? It didn’t feel that way. Of course, as soon as Ophelia became an aide, I did a check.”

“Did you find out?”

“I don’t know. Nothing came of it. His Highness suddenly singled out Ophelia and made her an aide.”

“Hmm.”

“What is that look?”

Catherine raised an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that expression, every time you make that expression, you cause trouble.”

“How can you know your brother’s deep meaning? It’s all for your own good.”

Lawrence nodded and Catherine snorted at him.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but I won’t let you go if you touch Ophelia.”

Despite her words, Lawrence didn’t respond, he just smiled, showing his pearly whites.

‘It’s the other way round.’

He didn’t know how Ophelia became an aide to His Highness the Crown Prince, but he thought of saving her, who was forced to stay by his side even though she was afraid of him.

‘You like her so much, and she seems to be a good person herself, so if I can help, I’ll do my best.’

Such a deep misunderstanding of unknown cause was deepening day by day.

“More than that, Catherine…”

“No.”

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“You’re going to ask for help with the paperwork.”

“Speaking of which…”

“No. Today Ophelia and I are going to see the festival.”

“Just you two?”

“No, Iri… no, Lady Fillite too.”

“What? Lady Fillite? When did you become so close to her?

“What… we’re just going to the festival together…”

Catherine shook her head shyly, but she did not dispute that they had become close.

Although she got much closer to Iris than she had expected, there wasn’t a special occasion like the time she met Ophelia.

After sharing their worries about Ophelia at the masquerade and dealing with the young ladies who flocked and bared their teeth like hungry sharks.

She just didn’t want to leave a debt, and so sent an obligatory letter.

However, the letters increased by one or two, and now there was enough to fill a drawer.

“You don’t have to deny it and you don’t have to pout.”

Catherine’s cheeks swelled at Lawrence’s words, but she didn’t object.

To be honest, if she didn’t have correspondence with Iris, she would be bored.

Of course, their main subject was Ophelia, but as they talked about this and that, Catherine realized that, surprisingly, Iris was very communicative.

“Aren’t you two actually close?”

‘I didn’t expect Ophelia’s words to come true back when I hated Iris.’

Having gone very far back in her thoughts, Catherine nodded vigorously.