-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Back to the Castle
-----------------------------------------------------------------
A short while later, Archid and I returned to Hadellus Castle.
It was thanks to Henry stepping in to greet the imperial delegation in our stead.
Henry was passionate about spirits, so his enthusiasm was remarkable. With his cooperation, we quickly grasped what had happened at the Evis Mine.
Having an expert on hand certainly made it easier to convince people, and the strange rumors that had spread through the Evis Mine gradually died down.
The butler Asil, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, welcomed us warmly.
"You've had a long journey. Well done."
Hadellus Castle hadn't changed at all. My in-laws wouldn't arrive until the weekend, so I was free until then.
I lounged on the bed in my bedroom for the first time in ages.
Hotel beds were comfortable enough, but they couldn't compare to the one in Hadellus Castle.
How long did I roll around? Suddenly, something occurred to me, and I rummaged through my bag.
It was to double-check my precious slave contract... no, my employment contract.
It was the contract I'd signed with Henry before returning to the castle.
[Henry Conner (hereinafter referred to as 'Party B') enters into the following contract with Roena Hadellus of the Hadellus family (hereinafter referred to as 'Party A').]
The contract, which began with somewhat stiff language, was straightforward.
In exchange for my full support of Henry's spirit research, he would devote himself entirely to studying spirits.
Since traces of spirits had been discovered at the Evis Mine in Delus Territory, it was a good opportunity for Henry as well.
I'd already gotten Elena's permission for his research access beforehand, so everything went smoothly.
This effectively marked the end of Henry's long wandering days.
'In the original story, he was supposed to meet Mabel while wandering... but finders keepers, right?'
I felt a twinge of guilt for deliberately shaking up the original plot, but I brushed it off quickly.
To survive without dying young, I had to leverage my knowledge of the future as much as possible.
In the original, Henry met Mabel while she was purifying contaminated land during his search for spirits.
It was an episode where he joined her to save companions amid the mysterious contamination spreading across the empire, which began in earnest at the story's start.
The continental contamination was inevitable anyway.
In the novel, without a spirit user, the lands died helplessly, leading to a plague outbreak.
Delus Territory suffered greatly as a result. Mabel later purified the dead lands they couldn't handle, which led her to meet Archid.
'Probably half the territory got contaminated.'
Because of that, Roena contracted the plague and met her untimely end.
Of course, that was just the story in Hold Me Close that I'd read.
'As long as I'm here, Delus Territory won't become dead land.'
I fiddled with the butterfly pattern etched on my upper left chest through my clothes.
The white mark that appeared with the contract was proof that I had become a spirit user.
That's right. Unlike the original, I had awakened as a spirit user—with tremendous potential, no less.
With spirit arts, I could prevent the great chaos even Mabel couldn't stop.
I intended to intervene in the original story by making full use of my power.
With my bonus limited lifespan now extendable, why would I just sit back and wait for death?
The contamination wouldn't start for a little while yet. In the original, it would spread too fast to handle, setting the stage for Mabel's exploits.
Excluding Delus Territory from that shouldn't hinder Mabel's heroics.
'Let the leads have their romance on their own.'
I sincerely hoped they would leave my Archid and Delus Territory out of their love games.
Steeling my resolve, I thought of what I needed to do next.
For now, set aside future events and focus on maintaining my luxurious fangirl life!
"Hanna, could you fetch Kovishstain for me?"
First, let's take care of my loyal retainer.
Kovishstain hummed a tune as he checked his luggage bag over and over. It was his first vacation since joining Hadellus Castle.
His assistant, who had been watching quietly, asked with a hint of jealousy.
"Are you that happy to leave me behind?"
"Yeah. I am. Who'd have thought I'd see a day like this?"
"Even so, you're enjoying it too much. It makes me feel slighted."
As the assistant grumbled, Kovishstain glanced at him smoothly.
The shadows under his eyes were still there, but his gaze was sharp. With vacation approaching, Kovishstain patted his assistant's shoulder kindly.
"I'll bring back souvenirs, so behave while I'm gone."
"You're going to Allang, right?"
"Yeah. An old friend is there, so I figured I'd visit."
Kovishstain picked up his bag, and the assistant grabbed another.
"Rooms in Allang are ridiculously expensive. And it's peak season, so inns will be hard to find."
"Ah, no worries about that."
Kovishstain smiled brightly and waved it off. As the assistant stared, he recalled the events from a few days ago and grinned.
When the Young Grand Duchess promised his vacation and then suddenly left for the Evis Mine, Kovishstain thought it was a lost cause.
With the unprecedented blizzard delaying the Grand Duke and Duchess, and the Young Duke and his wife stuck at the mine longer, conditions were dire.
He figured she wouldn't have time to think about his vacation amid the chaos.
But then—
'I got permission from Father for your vacation.'
Roena had delivered the good news to Kovishstain right after arriving at Hadellus Castle.
'It's a precious vacation I secured by writing letters to Father, so take your time and enjoy it fully.'
Kovishstain nearly craned his neck looking for wings on her back.
He was convinced she was an archangel descended from heaven.
"No worries? But you had to leave suddenly—train tickets must've been impossible."
As the assistant trailed after him with questions, Kovishstain stepped out into the lobby.
A sleek carriage waited outside. It was clearly a luxury rental, making the assistant blink.
Just as he thought Kovishstain must've rented it since train tickets were scarce, a maid waiting by the carriage bowed politely.
"Are you Kovishstain? The Young Grand Duchess sent this carriage for a comfortable journey."
"No, I told her it wasn't necessary..."
Kovishstain mumbled, adding,
"I can ride a horse. Booking me at the Aile Hotel in Allang is more than enough already."
"How could you ride a horse all that way? Please, don't refuse—just get in."
The maid opened the carriage door herself and urged him on. With no choice, Kovishstain loaded his luggage inside.
His assistant, standing nearby with a dazed expression, asked,
"Ko-Kovishstain, did I hear that wrong?"
"What?"
"The Aile Hotel—that's a five-star, isn't it? And the one in Allang has such great views, you need to book a year in advance..."
The assistant trailed off, stammering. The maid smiled and chimed in.
"That's right. The Aile Hotel is one of the top establishments under House April."
"Ah."
"But direct family members have monthly reservation vouchers set aside. She gave you one, so it didn't inconvenience other guests."
"Gasp!"
The assistant clamped his hand over his mouth in shock, letting out an exclamation.
Come to think of it, the Young Grand Duchess was the precious youngest daughter of House April.
A room reserved for her would surely be a VVVIP suite money alone couldn't buy.
The assistant grabbed Kovishstain's sleeve pleadingly.
"Kovishstain, can't you stuff me in your luggage bag?"
"As if."
Kovishstain brushed him off curtly and climbed into the carriage.
The assistant watched with eyes full of envy and jealousy. Kovishstain bowed to the maid once more.
"I don't know how to repay the Young Grand Duchess's boundless kindness."
"She said it's just a token of appreciation for your hard work, so go enjoy without worry."
"Even so..."
"Of course, she did say there's a mountain of work waiting when you return. Steel yourself."
The maid joked, and Kovishstain replied with a keen gaze.
On any other day, he'd have trembled at the ominous threat, but not now.
"Tell her I'll gladly take on whatever she assigns. Even if it breaks me, I'll accomplish what she wishes."
"Yes, I will."
The maid giggled and tapped the carriage door, signaling departure.
As the carriage carrying Kovishstain pulled away, she hurried to another waiting outside the annex and knocked on its door.
The curtain parted, and a cute red-haired girl poked her head out.
"Did you send him off well?"
