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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Because I Want to Be Happy
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‘He knows Reshuan needs magic stones, yet instead of proposing, he’s trying to use it to his advantage?’
He had thought that if they could just hold out until Ryan and Reshuan were married, the imperial family’s magic stones would resolve the issue.
Marquis Epekel let out a dry laugh and studied Ryan, who stood before him.
He saw a man consumed by a thirst for revenge against the one who had shamed him.
Was it youthful pride?
‘He’s been blinded by a futile quest for revenge.’
“Before this business is successfully concluded, if the magic stones for Reshuan run out, tell me at any time.”
Although he added those words for Reshuan’s sake, it did not paint a pretty picture.
“…”
Bringing down the Etoile family was little more than a desperate struggle by Prince Ryan and Kies.
The prince he had seen for the first time today had more spirit than Ryan, and was brimming with just as much confidence.
‘Darcy, he had said.’
It was no wonder Ryan was so impatient. This was also likely why he had suddenly started associating with Marso, whom he had previously treated with hostility.
‘He would only speak with Marso Etoile, they said.’
He did so, knowing full well how dangerous it was to reveal his weakness.
It also meant he was a man who knew how to protect what was his.
According to the rumors, most of the merits Kies had earned in battle were actually Darcy’s accomplishments.
Many thoughts raced through his mind. But the answer he would give was already decided.
“…Send me the contract.”
Even if it meant receiving the imperial family’s aid, his desire to marry Reshuan into the royal family was slowly fading.
He could not send his granddaughter to a man who would prioritize anything else over her, even for a single moment.
It was a path that could lead to ruin.
Therefore, he had to find a way for his granddaughter to remain healthy without marrying into the imperial family.
A way like this very mine.
‘It was also true that he loathed the sight of Marquis Etoile.’
He rationalized his own jealousy and lifted the poisoned chalice.
To protect the only treasure his daughter had left behind.
Of course, this was merely what Marquis Epekel thought.
From a distance, he and Ryan were not so different.
***
When I returned to the ballroom, people were already trickling out of the palace.
In any case, I had made an appearance and announced that I would be handing out magic stones, so my work at the ball was done. Thinking this was my chance, I climbed into the carriage.
…And as soon as I returned to the estate, I was summoned by Marquis Etoile.
“What on earth are you thinking? I heard you disappeared with the prince today.”
For him, who usually stood by and watched no matter what I did, to summon me meant the situation was serious.
“Do you have any idea what that means?”
But my conflict with the marquis had already grown as deep as it could.
His recent actions, supposedly for my own good, only stirred a rebellious streak in me that hadn't been there before.
Seriously? A man who understands this just let Marso be while she was chasing Ryan and pulling all sorts of bizarre stunts?
I wanted to tell him to mind his own business, but I held my tongue for the moment.
“I apologize.”
Even for a marquis so full of contradictions, one who never truly cared for me, a minimum of respect was…
“Are you aware of the rumors spreading because you've been so openly associating with that prince?”
I was about to, but I couldn't let this slide.
I quickly interjected before the marquis could continue.
“Yes, and they’re not wrong. I truly support him.”
I cautiously voiced my support for Darcy.
Marquis Etoile’s jaw dropped. My actions were apparently more shocking than I’d anticipated.
“…Have you truly given up on Sir Ryan?”
“Yes.”
He looked at me as if in disbelief.
“…It’s as if you’re a different person.”
Took you long enough, I thought. I muttered sarcastically.
“Perhaps I have been becoming one.”
“…What is that supposed to mean?”
“You’ve never once paid any attention to me.”
I had once pondered the reason for Marso’s constant obsession with Ryan. Were her eccentricities solely for his sake?
I knew she wanted Ryan to love her. But there were other misdeeds that could not be explained by that alone.
She was known as the villainess of high society because she had treated not only Reshuan but others viciously as well.
…Perhaps, by acting out, she had hoped the marquis would finally pay attention to her?
No matter how materially prosperous she was, her heart must have been empty.
Her father, after all, was a coward who had used his work as an excuse to neglect his daughter.
At my words, the marquis sighed and then muttered.
“…Try not to displease His Majesty the Emperor too much. You never know what he might do.”
I couldn’t just let that slide. I had a hunch that this was the main reason the marquis had summoned me today.
I recalled seeing the marquis at the palace earlier. Since it involved palace affairs, he must have been acting on Kies’s orders.
“…His Majesty said something to you, didn’t he.”
“It is not for you to worry about. Just be careful with how you use the magic stones.”
He was likely referring to the gift I gave Darcy today.
As one of the few families in the empire to possess a magic stone mine, his words were not strange.
So why did it feel so suspicious? I narrowed my eyes.
But there was little I could infer from our conversation. The wisest course of action was to hear it directly from Marquis Etoile.
“If you don’t tell me the truth, I can’t obey you.”
“…”
“Please tell me.”
Perhaps he noticed I wasn’t my usual self. Marquis Etoile hesitated, then let out a deep sigh.
“His Majesty’s pressure to hand over the mine has been growing more intense lately.”
He explained the situation simply.
To summarize what I understood:
For quite some time, Kies had been persuading—no, threatening—the marquis to hand over our family’s magic stone mine to the imperial family.
Marquis Etoile had been navigating the imperial family’s demands by providing additional magic stones and reducing their circulation.
However, my unexpected action of giving magic stones to Darcy today had soured Kies’s mood once more.
Well, that likely wasn't the only reason. The fact that I left with Darcy and didn’t return for a long time must have also played a part.
“We made it through this time, but there’s no telling what will happen next.”
Marquis Etoile warned me.
How contradictory, for him to worry about her safety while never giving her the attention Marso truly needed.
“Do you have any idea how many battles he has commanded and won?”
No, I don’t.
He brought up the battles to remind me how fearsome Kies was, but I scoffed.
I knew Kies hadn’t been the one to do it.
To me, who knew the truth, all the threats Marquis Etoile had endured were meaningless.
To use battles he didn’t even fight in like this… the Emperor was truly despicable.
“But from now on, threats like that will be meaningless.”
“What do you mean?”
The rumors about Darcy’s exploits had yet to circulate. I chose my words carefully.
“You’ll find out later.”
I felt like I was the only one who knew the ending of the movie. A sense of smugness washed over me.
Facing the marquis’s bewildered expression, I spoke again.
“So please, don’t try to look out for me anymore.”
It was unexpected that the marquis had been looking out for Marso, but I didn’t want him doing so behind the scenes.
It felt like incurring a debt I never asked for.
Once the marquis realized Kies’s threats were meaningless, he would no longer have to live in fear.
And no reason to worry about me.
Besides, I intended to continue associating with Darcy and launch a business to attract mages. Neither Kies nor Ryan would look upon it favorably.
“This is all our relationship amounts to.”
I didn’t want the fallout from my actions to affect the marquis.
In high society, I was still known as the willful daughter, and he as the indifferent father.
This meant that no matter what I did, the marquis had an escape route, a way to claim he had nothing to do with it.
Therefore, knowing this much about the marquis’s hidden affairs was enough. There was no reason to form a deeper bond.
I already had Darcy.
Above all, I didn’t want to give up on the things I was now planning and imagining.
If before I had felt shackled to the Marso in the book, now, I truly felt alive.
The marquis stared at me blankly before giving a bitter smile.
He asked impassively.
“What is your reason for going this far?”
“Because I want to be happy.”
I want to find a reason to live and move forward for its sake.
The days when I found everything tiresome felt like a distant dream.
It was as if Darcy had cast a spell on me.
The moment he had declared he returned for my happiness.
The moment he said he wouldn’t leave until I found happiness, a spring breeze began to blow through my life.
Marquis Etoile smiled bitterly.
But he did not stop me.
The line drawn between us remained firmly in place.
It would remain so in the future.
***
Now that things with the marquis were settled, I decided to plan my future activities.
‘Alright, how should I begin?’
I couldn’t act openly from the very beginning.
It was obvious that I would face restrictions from Ryan’s or Kies’s people before I could even begin in earnest.
I had to keep a low profile, at least until I had secured a deal with the mages.
Once the business launched, all eyes would be on it, making it difficult for them to pull any outrageous stunts openly.
After much deliberation, I estimated the time it would take to persuade the mages.
I would need at least a month…
That was too long a period to disappear secretly.
But I had a perfect opportunity I could use.
‘When it’s time to leave, I can just spread a rumor that I’ve become a recluse again.’
I’ve done it once, why not twice? People were accustomed to Marso’s eccentricities, so they wouldn’t find it strange if I became a shut-in again.
They would gossip amongst themselves and come up with some reason for my behavior. It was convenient that an excuse would be fabricated for me without my having to lift a finger.
Still, opportunities like this were rare. If I kept disappearing for months at a time, it would surely arouse suspicion.
This was the perfect time, with all eyes on me because of Pitol’s play. It would run for three or four months, so I had time until its run concluded.
One shot, one kill. I had to get this done perfectly in one go.
I needed to devise a perfect plan to win over the mages, who despised nobles.
Without a single margin for error.
I diligently formulated my plan.
And then, I began the first phase of my operation.
