CH 66

Life in a parliament was much busier than Riett had anticipated. 

From trivial matters to significant issues that influenced the country, she had to handle a wide range of issues. In particular, the dispute over Cork Island was the most important matter at present. 

However, for an entire week, no one could come up with a clear solution. In another week, the envoy from the Haren Empire would be visiting.

Although it was a rare holiday today, Riett’s mind had no time to rest. Sitting in front of her desk, as usual, she pondered, and suddenly something came to her mind. She stood up from her seat.

“Oh, they said that he has returned!”

The man had been extremely busy lately. He was constantly shuttling between the Kreutz’s mansion in the capital and the regional territories, and even when he stayed in the capital after finishing his territorial duties, he seemed occupied with stacks of documents for other matters.

‘Could it be that he is also… like father…?’

She didn’t want to believe it, but she couldn’t erase the thought. It would be faster to go directly to the person and ask rather than just wondering alone. Riett headed towards the Kreutz Duchy with determined steps.

She’d given them a heads-up that she’d be there for lunch, as she approached the duchy, a delicious aroma filled the air.

The familiar and comforting smell that permeated the air…

“Tomato gratin!”

Riett’s eyes sparkled, and before she knew it, the approaching Duke Kreutz placed his hand on her shoulder.

“I heard Riett was coming, so I asked them to prepare tomato gratin.”

Just as expected! Riett hugged the Duke with delight.

“Mister, you’re the best!”

The Duke gently patted Riett’s back with an affectionate smile, like a loving father comforting his daughter.

After they released the embrace, Riett carefully observed the Duke’s face, which she hadn’t seen for a while.

“Why is it so difficult to see your face these days?”

“I was planning to tell you the reason today.”

At the Duke’s somewhat sunken response, Riett widened her eyes.

“Is someone bothering you, mister? I’ll give them a piece of my mind!”

Who dares to trouble the Duke? Riett clenched her fists tightly, but her hungry stomach growled, disrupting the moment. The Duke chuckled upon hearing the sound.

“We’ll deal with that later. Shall we have our meal first?”

“…That sounds like a good idea.”

Riett nodded with a slightly puzzled expression.

As Riett moved to the dining room and took her seat, she looked around with a pleased expression.

“Wow, it’s been a while since I had a meal here.”

When she was younger, Riett used to dislike her mother’s low-salt and healthy diet, so she would often visit the Kreutz’s mansion and have meals with the Duke. Most of the food at the Kreutz’s mansion was excellent, but among them, the tomato gratin was the best.

Once she found it so delicious that she asked the chef for the recipe. She then taught the exact recipe to the chef at the Marren duchy. However, the taste didn’t turn out the same.

‘Perhaps it’s not that our chef is lacking in skill…’

It must be because they couldn’t match the quality of ingredients used at the Kreutz’s mansion. Once the chef had personally explained the cooking process and ingredients used for a meal, there was not a single ordinary ingredient. Each ingredient was labeled as top-grade, rare, or sourced from distant foreign lands.

The tomato gratin was no exception.

Although gratin itself didn’t require particularly difficult ingredients and was a dish enjoyed by commoners, the tomato gratin at the Kreutz’s mansion was special. In the small village at the foothills of the Truto Mountain Range, which traversed the Truto Empire, there was a famous sheep ranch. The cheese made from the milk of those sheep was incredibly expensive. It was not only of top quality but also produced in limited quantities throughout the year.

Regardless of whether it was spoken or not, at the Kreutz’s mansion, they always procured that sheep cheese and generously poured it into the tomato gratin.

‘It’s no wonder it doesn’t taste the same.’

That wasn’t the only thing. The exotic paintings adorning the Kreutz’s mansion were all valuable and rare.

Riett had always been curious.

‘Where does this wealth come from, exactly?’

The situations between the Kreutz and Marren families were quite similar. The title of Duke, the size of their territories, and even the profession of his father and the Duke were the same. Of course, recently the situation in the Marren’s mansion hadn’t been great, but the difference was too significant to be explained by that alone.

‘Is there something I still don’t know about this house?’

If she added up all the times she had come and gone, she had probably seen the people in this house more often than the people in the Marren’s mansion.

“I thought it was Riett when I smelled the aroma of tomato gratin. Looks like I was right.”

At that moment, Evan entered the dining room. Riett raised one hand and greeted her with a simple hello, and Evan responded in kind.

“Hello, Riett.”

As soon as Evan took his seat, the food arrived.

“Mister, I have a question.”

“Go ahead, ask.”

“Do you have a separate business?”

The Duke’s hand, which was moving with a spoon, paused in mid-air.

“Why… do you think that way?”

“Just suddenly thought about it. Even though being a lawmaker keeps you busy every day, you always bring expensive decorations whenever you visit the duchy.”

The Duke exchanged a glance with Evan. When Evan nodded slightly, the Duke slowly began to speak.

“Well, it’s true.”

“Yes.”

“I run the Upper Tier.”

“The Upper Tier?”

Riett widened her eyes.

‘Why didn’t I know until now!’

No, not only her, but no one in this country would know that the Duke of Kreutz runs the Upper Tier.

Because no one had ever heard any related discussions around them!

“Since when did you start?”

“A long time ago, after I visited a thriving harbor in the western region as an envoy.”

I see.

Riett blinked her eyes and asked the next question with a sparkle.

“How did you get started?”

“Since Kreutz is located on the eastern coast, it was perfect for commercial development. That’s why I started.”

“So, did you personally create and develop the Upper Tier from the beginning?”

“Yes. Until recently, it was considered taboo for nobles to directly engage in commerce, so I guess I was the first to do so.”

Oh.

An exclamation burst out of Riett’s mouth. She felt a sense of awe towards the Duke.

To simultaneously engage in a lawmaker’s life and develop the Upper Tier…!

“What is the scale of the Upper Tier? Since you led it yourself, it must have flourished tremendously, right?”

“Haha, not exactly.”

The Upper Tier operated by Kreutz was one of the largest in the empire, but the Duke kept the truth hidden from Riett. He didn’t want Riett to feel any distance if she were to find out the truth.

The Duke of Kreutz didn’t want to create such a rift between him and Riett.

“Hmm…”

Riett pondered something, then raised her head and asked the Duke.

“If you manage the Upper Tier, you must also know about metals, right?”

“That’s right. Grain, metals, and textiles are the most actively traded commodities.”

“Then, do you happen to know about Parvanium, a metal?”

Although the Duke’s recent participation rate in the council was low, he would have some knowledge about this dispute.

“Is it because of Cork Island?”

As expected, the Duke quickly understood what she was talking about.

“Yes. To resolve the ownership dispute over Cork Island, we need to know about this metal, but there is too little information about this rare metal.”

The Duke murmured, “Parvanium…” and trailed off.

“Do you know anything about Parvanium?”

“They say Parvanium is lightweight and highly durable, making it an ideal material for weapons. However… it may not be suitable for swords.”

“Really?”

Riett looked puzzled by this opinion, which was completely different from the information she knew.

“Most swords are usually solid and substantial, so it may take quite some time for knights and soldiers accustomed to the weight to adapt to a lighter Parvanium sword.”

In other words, it meant that someone used to wielding a typical sword would find it difficult to handle a relatively light Parvanium sword.

“Indeed, it might be more suitable for women or young boys.” 

Riett agreed, nodding her head.

Evan, who had been quietly observing Riett and the Duke’s conversation, chimed in.

“But if it’s coming out so strongly, there might be other reasons we haven’t thought of.”

“Indeed, what could those reasons be…”

The Duke murmured with a worried expression.

At that moment, the main course, tomato gratin, arrived.

‘Oh, it’s impolite to discuss work matters during a meal.’

Riett lightened the heavy atmosphere by speaking in a cheerful tone.

“Thank you, I have enough information now. Shall we enjoy a delicious meal?”

Although it was a short conversation, she gained a lot.

‘The Haren Empire may not simply want to use parvanium for swords.’

Even in the assembly where talents from each country gather to exchange opinions, they couldn’t focus on this issue. For several days, they’ve been exchanging similar conversations without much progress. 

With the thought that some progress might bring a refreshing feeling, Riett happily devoured the tomato gratin. The elastic cheese melted beautifully. Riett realized another truth hidden behind this delicious cheese. 

‘Because the Duke was a major shareholder, he could frequently enjoy this kind of cheese.’

With a content expression, Riett brought the spoon to her mouth. The savory flavor filled her palate. 

After eating absentmindedly for a while, her stomach suddenly felt full. Riett put down the spoon, satisfied, and Evan spoke. 

“You eat well.” 

“Because it’s delicious.” 

Evan raised his chin and pointed at the cheese on the corner of Riett’s mouth with his finger. 

“Did you leave the cheese on the side of your mouth to eat later?” 

In response to his words, Riett hurriedly wiped her mouth with a napkin. 

“Can’t you just say it in a normal way?” 

“Nope.” 

Annoyed by his teasing response, Riett glared at Evan. Duke Kreutz, who was observing their interaction, had a peculiar expression. 

Whenever they met, they would act like bickering cats and dogs, but if something happened to one of them, they would rush to each other’s side without hesitation. 

Evan’s behavior was understandable, but Riett’s attitude was strangely intriguing. Despite seeming to dislike it, she didn’t hate it. 

However, Riett had no intention of saying anything. Even if Riett did something wrong, it was always the guy’s fault. 

“Evan, be a little more gentle with Riett. You should rely on each other more now that I’m going to the territory…” 

The Duke’s remark was directed at Evan, but it was Riett who was surprised. 

“Mister, you’re going to the territory…?” 

Her red eyes demanded an explanation. The Duke finally realized that he had messed up the order. He should have told Riett this fact first. 

“Well, I was supposed to tell you earlier… This is what I meant to say…” 

A lightning bolt struck Riett’s mind. She had a slight expectation, but now both her parents and the Duke were leaving them. 

“So, you’re leaving altogether…?” 

“That’s right… It’s settled.” 

Riett looked at Duke Kreutz with a downcast expression, resembling a puppy with its tail between its legs. 

“…Are you resigning from your parliamentary position too?” 

“Yes. I plan to resign and pass my seat to Evan.” 

Riett’s resentful gaze shifted towards Evan. 

‘He knew everything and didn’t say a word!’ 

The shocking news quickly dissipated the happiness that the tomato gratin had brought. 

“So, Riett, from now on, take care of yourself and rely on Evan.” 

Only the Duke’s earnest plea faintly resonated.