CH 101

I couldn’t believe this kind of betrayal. 

I trembled at the sense of betrayal rising up from the pit of my stomach, experiencing the adage of being stabbed in the foot by a trusted ax. 

‘You know much I raised that money!’

I scrambled to collect the money and jewels that had fallen out of Yuric’s disconcerted hands. 

“You’re trying to steal my money right now!”

“Anissa, it’s a misunderstanding.”

“What misunderstanding! You yourself know how I gathered this money!” 

I raised my voice recalling the countless days of suffering that passed before my eyes. 

Did he think it was easy for a child to open their eyes wide and look for scammers to empty their pockets? 

‘There had been many times where I was tired and fell ill due to using my ability for a long time.’

“No, I’m telling the truth. Hear me out. Actually, I didn’t mean to take this.”

Yuric grabbed me on the shoulders when I shook him agitatedly by his collar. 

“Then?”

“Well then, who do you think would think of taking them?” 

I took a glance at the voice coming in from behind me. For some reason, Dietrich who had come back to my room again was leaning crookedly against the door. 

“Say it.”

He raised the corners of his lips and pressed Yuric. I looked at Dietrich and Yuric alternately while holding my treasures tightly in my arms. 

“Huh? Say it, Yuric. If you really did not plan to take them, then who ordered you?”

“...No, sorry. I wanted the money you worked hard on, Anissa.” 

Yuric, who rubbed his forehead roughly vaguely confessed.

At first glance, Yuric looked like he was being falsely accused as a criminal, so I placed my hand on my side and clicked my tongue. 

“It’s the end of the world, I tell you, the end. Don’t you have more money than me, Yuric? You’re too much, really.”

“You’re right. I’m trash. I’m the worst jerk in the world, Anissa.” 

Yuric smiled, raising the corners of his lips, and admitted calmly. I shrugged my shoulders, seeing as the criminal lowered his tail so easily, it was no fun questioning him. 

“Well, did you need money urgently? Should I lend you money?” 

When I asked with round eyes, Yuric slowly shook his head. He began to walk slowly with a slightly depressed face. 

“No, it’s fine–”

“Did you encounter trouble? Tell me.” 

I won’t be needing the money for a while anywa, so I could lend him enough, but Yuric only shook his head. I stared at Yuric who hurriedly left the room as if something urgent had happened and turned my head to Dietrich. 

“What’s wrong with Yuric?”

“I don’t know.” 

His neat face shook slightly, looking all innocent. Still, I was a bit feeling a bit suspicious so I tilted my head and asked. 

“You really don’t know?”

“Yeah.” 

It can’t be helped if he says he didn’t know. I nodded after watching his unwavering aura with narrowed eyes. 

“If ever he’s being scammed somewhere, Dietrich should lend him a hand. You have an enormous amount of money now.” 

It was only natural that all of the private property of the Grand Duchy of Lagrange would fall into the palm of his hands. The only problem was that there wasn’t an infrastructure in the North to indulge in luxury like the capital, but when it comes to resources, it was comparable to the imperial family. 

‘I think there were a few establishments that went overseas.’ 

“What are you going to do when you have money?” 

Dietrich, who was silent for a moment, asked slowly. It felt like he was trying to figure out something, but I answered without much thought. 

“Uhm, travel.”

“Travel?”

“Yeah.” 

“Then you can do it now. There are plenty of towns to visit in the North.”

“No, I’m not talking about that. I want to go backpacking. Like go around and see the world.”

I couldn’t leave right now because I’m worried about the triplets, but once Lagrange settles down and becomes stable, I wanted to ride that famous Valliere Cruise. 

“I see.”

“Yeah! I really want to see the world!” 

I secretly hoped Dietrich would make my wish come true, so with inflated big dreams, I stared at him with sparkling eyes. Then, he looked at me with a pompous gaze and opened his mouth quietly.

“I don’t have money.”

“Huh? Why?”

It’s unbelievable to think that the Grand Duchy of Lagrange has no money. I opened my mouth in astonishment.

“You don’t have money, Dietrich?”

“I spent it all on your bail. I don’t have a single penny.” 

“Is that possible? Was my bail that enormous?”

It’s not even revealed that I really did it, so what bail? 

Moreover, even if it was bail for a serial killer, it shouldn’t have been enough to rob the Grand Duchy of Lagrange’s private properties. 

Dietrich nodded quickly when I asked, shocked.

“Yeah. It was that enormous.”

“Then, are we broke?”

“Yeah.” 

When we were young, he hated it when I say Dahlia was poor, but now, he quickly acknowledged that we’re beggars. 

“No! If they had asked you for such a gargantuan bail you should have told them you can’t give it!”

“You said you wanted to go home as soon as possible.” 

I shut my mouth at Dietrich’s blunt remark. As he stared at me who had become disappointed, he resolutely emphasized.

“For the time being, we don’t have it. Money.” 

────── 〔✿〕──────

“Princess, look at this. Maybe it’s because the color is dark, but this is all gold.” 

Lancel smiled broadly, pointing to the magnificent fountain that matched the large garden of Nature. The bronze statue of the demon built in the center flashed its golden eyes and gave off an expensive smell.  

“You say it’s gold? Those eyes?” 

“Yes. Take your time and look around the garden, too.” 

The garden, full of green hawthorn trees that reflected my tastes, as he said, was worth seeing. 

“Princess, didn’t you mention you like flowers? I remembered you saying there were no flowers in the forest of withered roses, so ta-da!” 

As if looking for praise, Lancel pointed to the side of the garden where summer flowers were fluttering. He began to boast that he even built a small greenhouse in the middle of a garden full of pale blue hydrangeas. 

“This glass isn’t an ordinary glass, Princess. It was made with an artifact so it’s a greenhouse where spring flowers can bloom even in the middle of winter.” 

“An artifact…isn’t an artifact really expensive?”

“That’s right! This is a greenhouse built for you after all. Of course, it was extremely expensive! 

You can even buy a single mansion with just the cost of building this greenhouse.” 

‘This punk did something he wasn’t even asked!’ 

Wasn’t it precisely because this butler wasted money on such extravagance that paying some bail ended up costing all our fortune?! 

Of course, we’re short on money right now, but there was no such thing as no money. 

I walked away from the impending reality with clouded eyes and walked along with Lancel, who had grabbed me. 

Although it was not large in scale, the glass greenhouse that could be seen up close was reflected in the sunlight and shone as if it were about to ascend to heaven. 

‘It’s extremely beautiful.’ 

My mouth dropped open looking at the expensive-smelling crystal decoration that produced a rainbow.

Lance was smiling broadly without knowing what I’m feeling inside and opened the door to the greenhouse. The sweet-scented greenhouse was covered in white pebbles and the tapestries that hung everywhere were embroidered with fairies in gold thread. 

“How much is all this?”

After knowing that Lagrange was in financial trouble, it was impossible to comfortably look at the lavish and extravagantly built Nature. 

I took in a deep breath and reclined against a wooden chair that couldn’t even be compared to Dahlia’s rotten chair. 

“Do you like it that much? To the point where you’d shed tears?” 

Lancel innocently wiped my face. I stared at the wrinkles in his eyes that seemed to develop in the long time that I hadn’t seen him. 

“You know there are sins that I have committed against you, Princess. So I tried to decorate it in a way that is pleasing to you as much as possible.” 

“You don’t hate me now? Because of me Camille, I mean, mother died and so you hated me so much.” 

“Have I ever said that to you, Princess?” 

Of course, it wasn’t something directly said to me. I had only heard of his swear words, muttering under his beath in front of a newborn baby. I observed his face which was suddenly ridden with guilt. 

“That’s…”

With a face that would seem to burst into tears any second, Lancel stammered and continued. 

“I must have gone mad with sadness. If you want to punish me even now, I will accept it contentedly. But Princess.”

“Yeah.”

“I never really imagined that Madam Camille would die so vainly like that. She was a really strong person.” 

I nodded and listened quietly to Lancel’s non-explanatory excuse

“It’s fine. I don’t have any thoughts of punishing you.”

The reason that Lancel ended up hating me so much was because of the curse’s influence. 

‘Now that I think about it, Lancel is a person under Camille.’ 

Camille was a member of an unknown group to which Marquis Deus belonged. 

‘It doesn’t seem like she was just a simple slave.’

“What kind of person was mother?” 

“She looked exactly just like His Grace.” 

If anyone had to resemble someone, it would have to be Dietrich who resembled her, but I didn’t correct his words. Lancel continued his speech in a hazy voice as if he was in a dream. 

“She was a beautiful, strong, and proud person. She was the one who gave me hope that this hellish family would change.” 

“Change? How?”

“I don’t know that as well. She never told me in detail. She told me something about a prophecy of salvation –”

“What?”

I grabbed Lance’s collar at his words. 

‘Is he saying Camille knew about the prophecy?’ 

It was said to have been the temple’s secret, but what kind of secret was it that everyone in the world seemed to know about it? 

The moment I was poised to ask him more about Camille, the greenhouse’s door opened and a maid entered. The maid bowed politely to me and cleared her voice.

“Princess, a guest has arrived.”

“Huh? Who?”

“It was a young woman named Charlotte Vallandia.”

I buried my face in my hands at hearing the name I was so sick of. 

“...Close the door.”

“Pardon?”

“No, raise the drawbridge so that she can’t even get near the door.”