CH 16

“Good.”

The Duke smiled with a relaxed expression while Archen, as if unable to believe it, had his mouth half-opened and alternated his gaze between Carinne and the Duke. It was not a common expression to see.

‘Oh my, a rare expression.’

Carinne quickly stored his expression in her mind, not wanting to miss that moment. She titled it ‘His Absurd Expression Ver. 2.’

She felt like she could create an album soon.

“Are you all in your right minds?”

Archen asked as if picking a fight. Hearing that, the Duke calmly retorted without changing his expression.

“What’s the problem?”

“Mines and territories are not children’s toys. And surely, Your Excellency, you understand how important the land beneath the northern mountains is to our kingdom. From there, the revenue from specialty exports alone would account for one-fifth of the annual budget.”

“Oh, I see. That’s true.”

Carinne realized one thing.

‘If I do this well, not only will I make the Duke embarrassed, but I might also topple the First Duchy.’

According to the novels, the First Duchy collected less tax from its territories compared to the Second Duchy.

While the land of the First Duchy was extensive, most of it consisted of useless rocky mountains and barren lands, and it didn’t have multiple mines like the Second Duchy. Moreover, Duke Lucas, unlike other nobles, didn’t have upper-class connections or engage in various businesses.

She wondered how he managed to sustain such a large territory without substantial income. But now, she understood that he made a living by selling specialty goods from the land beneath the northern mountains.

With such a risky bet, staking the important land, it was only a matter of time before the First Duchy would become impoverished. She imagined seeing the Duke regretting his decision, penniless and begging for land.

At the thought, Carinne vowed to show off her filled pockets and wickedly smile in front of the regretful Duke.

“Don’t worry. Do you believe that she can convince Martha?”

The Duke remained nonchalant as if he didn’t know what would happen to him.

“I know Martha is like an iceberg.”

For once, he was saying something sensible.

In the first place, Martha was not to be underestimated. Carinne actively acknowledged that fact. While she may know Martha better than anyone else, it didn’t mean she could go unprepared and expect victory.

“….”

The Duke’s red eyes were filled with confidence. Anyone who saw him would think he had already won the bet.

“Even so, it’s unreasonable. As the person responsible for managing the Kingdom’s budget, I cannot agree.”

Archen firmly stated once again.

“Even if the Princess persuades Martha, there’s no guarantee her words would be accepted at the meeting.”

The next moment, the Duke placed his hand on Archen’s shoulder as if scolding him. He then glanced at Carinne and asked.

“Is this also part of the bet?”

He was asking whether Marta’s words would be included in the bet, whether the King would hear her.

“Of course.”

There was no reason to hesitate in her response. The chances of the King hearing Martha’s words were higher than her chances of persuading Martha.

Carinne chuckled meaningfully.

“How about taking the aide with you when you go to persuade Martha for the bet?”

Suddenly, as Iris intervened, Carinne’s face brightened.

“That’s a great idea!”

“Why should I do that?”

Archen, who had been listening from the side, immediately objected. It meant that he didn’t understand why he had to go along with the bet he was already unhappy about. She was taken aback and hesitated to speak.

“Well…”

With the suggestion of going together with Archen as a witness to the bet, she agreed at first, though when asked to explain the reason, she had nothing to say.

“Of course, for the bet to be valid, there should be at least one witness on the Duke’s side.”

Iris had a plan all along.

She nodded her head, speaking as if it were obvious. Likewise, Carinne accepted her words, thinking it was the right thing to do.

“I mean exactly that. Of course, there should be one witness.”

“I see, Young Lady’s words are right. It would be fair to have one witness on our side.”

Even though it was something that Archen couldn’t accept, as the Duke agreed with Iris’ words, it became a fact that he would accompany Carinne to meet Martha.

“Duke, I must once again express that I cannot agree to this bet. The territory below the northern mountains…”

“You’ll go to the lady’s mansion tomorrow.”

The Duke pretended not to hear Archen’s words.

“….”

There was no way to turn back the situation now.

Archen alternated his gaze between the Duke and Carinne, then stared blankly into space with an unfocused gaze. He eventually raised his gloved hand to his forehead, and they could see his strained face.

Carinne felt a little sorry, but… it was an inevitable choice to extend the time they spent together, even if it was just a little.

She needed to get closer to him as soon as possible.

“Well then, Duke, please take care. And you too, aide. Goodbye.”

When Iris waved her hand with a cheerful smile, the Duke smiled with satisfaction and turned around slowly as Archen reluctantly followed behind him. He was gritting his teeth as if he was dissatisfied, but to Carinne, his sulking expression looked adorable.

Iris waved her hand until the Duke was out of sight before she suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her.

Carinne, who was standing absentmindedly, almost stumbled backward.

“Iris, why are you suddenly like this?”

Iris’ eyes were sparkling like the female lead of romantic novels.

‘…What had gotten into her?’

Memories of a nightmare from a day when the rain poured suddenly resurfaced, and a strange feeling crawled up inside her. Nevertheless, what came out of her mouth was truly unexpected.

“Someone you like, I know who it is.”

Huh, what…?

It was nothing special. Carinne heaved a sigh of relief.

“Really? Who do you think it is?”

She retorted indifferently.

However, her next words caught Carinne off guard. She almost gasped for breath as she listened to Iris’ words.

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“The aide?”

How did she know? Carinne took a step back, startled. Not only was she surprised, but to be honest, her pride was hurt. It was one thing to be found out by someone else, but to be discovered by Iris, of all people.

Iris…!

Could it be that it was someone else impersonating Iris? However, seeing her teasing smile, it was undoubtedly the real Iris.

“I noticed last time that you were only looking at the aide. It was the same today.”

“….”

“It’s obvious that you don’t know what to do because you like the aide so much.”

It was a valid point, and Carinne had nothing to say, even if she had a hundred excuses. Was it that obvious…?

Iris patted Carinne’s back and casually spoke.

“I’ll help you from now on.”

In an instant, a shiver ran down her spine. Carinne was taken aback and waved her hands.

“Ah, no! It’s okay without that!”

“Why?”

Iris tilted her head with a puzzled look.

‘…Well, because you’re an unpredictable wildcard who could throw everything into chaos!’

If Iris got involved, even the best-laid plans could go haywire. Entrusting her feelings to someone like Iris was out of the question.

‘Absolutely not.’

Carinne shook her hands again, trying to persuade her. It was only after finally having a promise from Iris that she wouldn’t meddle that she was able to relax.

“Though it was so obvious…?”

“Yes.”

Iris answered without hesitation, leaving Carinne feeling awkward. If Iris could notice, then why…

‘Why can’t the person in question even sense it… D*mn it…’

How come the individual in question failed to perceive it, while Iris, of all people, managed to do so? She even went as far as openly expressing it directly! It seemed that the aptitude for interpreting social cues didn’t necessarily align with one’s intellect or social status.

‘Next up might be Duke Lucas… Oh?’

Then, Carinne suddenly realized something.

Judging from today’s events, Duke Lucas was unaware of her confession to Archen. If he had known, he would never have let it slide so easily.

He would have made some sarcastic remark like the King of Sarcasm he was. In other words, it meant that Archen had yet to disclose the details of their first meeting to the Duke! Why didn’t he say anything?

They weren’t close enough for him to share such information, were they? Or was he too embarrassed to mention being confessed to? Or perhaps he thought the confession was a joke?

It didn’t matter anymore.

She wanted to preserve the events at the mansion as their own memories, especially as it was her first meeting with Archen. Hopefully, he felt the same and refrained from divulging it to the Duke… Still, considering his discontented expression upon hearing Iris’ words, the likelihood of that seemed doubtful.

What was certain was that they had become much closer compared to the beginning.

A conversation in the dressing room served as evidence of that. If he hadn’t believed in her, he wouldn’t have revealed such a secret.

‘…So we’re getting closer like this?’

A hopeful future unfolded before her eyes.

Once she became friends with Archen, she would uncover his secrets and use her power and wealth as a noblewoman, as well as the knowledge from the original story, to prevent his death. And finally, by earnestly pursuing him, she would make him hers…

“Hey, look at that, Carinne! Let’s go eat our sandwiches!”

Once again, Iris grabbed her hand impulsively, and the hopeful future swiftly unraveled and disappeared.

“Wait a minute!”

Carinne protested as she was dragged along by her without mercy. It was inexplicable how such strength could come from such a small figure.

* * *

As promised, Archen came to find Carinne the next day, earlier than expected.

“Let’s go now!”

Carinne had already gotten up, had breakfast, and prepared herself before sitting quietly, waiting for him. As soon as she heard that Archen had arrived, she swiftly descended the stairs, and there was a sight of him standing like a painting.

She gazed at him, losing herself in the moment.

The golden rays of sunlight cascaded through the window, intertwining with his hair and casting a radiant glow. His earrings gently swayed, enhancing his presence, while his tall and slender frame was complemented by a pristine white shirt and a tailored blue frock coat, emphasizing his elegant form.

An aura of beauty emanated from his face.

The cold gaze and sharp jawline were a work of art, and his eyes resembled the clear blue of the autumn sky. The round glasses and fair skin hinted at his high level of education. Surely, during his time at the academy, there were several nights when he stayed up late studying.

Thinking of him, with dark circles under his eyes from studying diligently in the library, Carinne’s shoulders trembled with excitement.

Suppressing the urge to embrace him right away, she smiled and waved her hand toward him.

“You came earlier than expected!”

“I didn’t come early because I wanted to.”

He didn’t even spare a glance at her and casually adjusted his glasses. Well, she didn’t expect him to greet her warmly in the first place.

Carinne playfully raised her hand to touch his face but mischievously tapped his back instead.

“Hey, don’t tease people like that.”

In response, he was taken aback and took a step forward. With his bright eyes, he sensed that her touch on his body was not entirely comfortable.

“Why are you so surprised?”

“Don’t touch me.”

His tone was as cold as the ice on a winter lake. It was clear that he was still sulking from the bet with the Duke yesterday.

…As expected, he was a man with a strong barrier.

Carinne clicked her tongue and passed by Archen to get on the carriage. He then took a seat across from Carinne. Soon, the carriage wheels move. While the outside was filled with lively sounds of birds, inside the carriage, it remained eerily quiet.

‘Ugh, this awkward atmosphere is so unpleasant.’

So, Carinne deliberately spoke with an excited voice.