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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: The Only Wall
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Darcy, who usually doesn't care about others' opinions, always asks for mine.
It makes me happy to know I'm that close to him, but sometimes I wonder where the line is drawn.
What is the final line I can cross right now?
“You don't like it?”
His question snapped me back to reality. Not wanting to cause any misunderstandings, I quickly shook my head.
“Of course, I'm fine with it too.”
After answering, I realized his gaze was still on me.
As if he had read my thoughts, Darcy spoke slowly.
“You're special to me.”
It was a line one might believe was a confession.
“That's why I hope this feeling isn't love.”
Until I heard what came next.
The instantaneous shift in his voice clearly held an undercurrent of fear. What was he afraid of?
“Because I want to always remain this person to you.”
Is he afraid of changing if he falls in love?
I still couldn't tell exactly what Darcy was afraid of.
That was a problem for Darcy and me to solve together.
“It's okay.”
I whispered, as if soothing a child who was afraid of a monster hiding in the closet.
“I hope you won't be afraid of changing.”
But I spoke clearly so my meaning would be conveyed.
People can't stay the same forever.
“Because I've changed, thanks to you.”
We haven't known each other for long.
But the experiences and catalysts, more important than time, have helped me grow.
I was happy with this change. So I expressed it more actively.
“And because I like this change.”
Darcy shook his head.
“Not all change is like that.”
I didn't expect to convince him in one go. If it were that easy, this debate wouldn't have existed in the first place.
I didn't press the issue in the face of his denial.
*I'll have to look for another chance.*
It's not like this is the only day we'll ever talk.
I know this is Darcy's biggest wall.
The only wall he shows, a man who is usually so open with me.
That's why I want to approach it cautiously.
Because tampering with a memory that has already solidified into trauma is a difficult thing.
I hope that one day, that memory can be healed.
Just as new sprouts emerge in spring from land that lay dormant and still all winter, I hoped Darcy's heart could do the same.
***
Ryan had diligently sent people out, but in the end, he couldn't find the imperial treasure.
According to Kies, it was definitely somewhere in the imperial treasury, but even after searching the treasury dozens of times, the necklace was nowhere to be found.
He was annoyed that things weren't going his way, and then a reply came to the letter he had sent Marso Etoile.
It was a clean refusal that left no room for lingering attachment.
*...She really has changed.*
Ryan let out a hollow laugh. Closing his eyes, he vividly recalled Marso's actions over the past year, how she had claimed to have changed.
He had to admit it now. She had changed.
But he didn't like that fact.
The girl who had eyes only for him since childhood. Marso Etoile was supposed to always look only at him.
An ugly selfishness, so profound even he couldn't comprehend it, revealed itself.
His attempt to win Marso back wasn't solely for the Emperor's sake.
*I wanted to do it.*
He wanted to turn her eyes back to him.
It was a feeling separate from wanting Reshuan by his side.
*How well could that bastard have possibly treated her?*
Recalling how Darcy treated others, it didn't seem likely he would have been affectionate.
He probably showed her the same coldness that he himself had shown Marso.
Perhaps Marso Etoile had projected his own image onto Darcy's behavior...
*I just have to be a little nice to her.*
She must have complicated feelings from all the hurt she's endured. But if I just put in a little effort, she'll go back to how she was before.
One thing was settled. Ryan narrowed his eyes and placed Marso's letter down on his desk.
The next thing to think about was...
“So, how do you intend to bring down Marquis Etoile?”
The plan was to ruin Marquis Etoile. Ryan smiled at Marquis Epekel, who sat before him, continuing to speak.
“First, I intend to extract every last magic stone I can from the current Marquis.”
Marquis Etoile had always been cooperative with imperial procurements. He knew when to bend, which made him easy for the palace to handle.
He planned to use that to his advantage and first confiscate the magic stones the current Marquis had stockpiled.
*If necessary, I'm prepared to wage a territorial war, but...*
There's no reason to waste manpower, is there?
“To seize the mines, we need a proper justification. We must slowly create that justification.”
“You mean to fabricate one.”
Marquis Epekel, catching Ryan's meaning, smiled.
“Magic tools that use magic stones don't have a very good public perception. And yet... it seems the House of Etoile has been using magic tools.”
Ryan recalled what Leticia had told him before. He never thought the rumor that the reclusive Marso Etoile had hired a mage to create magic tools would be so useful.
“That should be enough to draw public condemnation.”
“It would be even better if there were casualties or accidents caused by these magic tools beforehand.”
Simply searching Marquis Etoile's estate isn't enough. There's no solid justification for it.
But what if unsavory incidents involving these poorly-regarded magic tools happen so frequently they can't be dismissed as coincidence?
His way of leaving all the dirty work to him was base.
Staring at Ryan with a sour expression, Marquis Epekel glanced at the envelope from Marso Etoile on the table.
*I don't want him to end up with Reshuan, so I have to make sure he ends up with someone else.*
Given Ryan's personality, if he didn't care about the person at all, he wouldn't have even left the letter on the table like this.
*It seems like there's something going on between that prince, Darcy, and Marso Etoile, but...*
They only met recently. If Ryan tries, he has a chance.
And hasn't Marso held a torch for Ryan for a long time?
If Ryan steals her away, it also creates an opportunity for revenge against Darcy.
He decided to prod that point.
He subtly brought it up.
“It seems Marso Etoile is on your mind.”
“Nonsense.”
Reshuan's partner must be someone who can make her his number one priority.
I cannot accept Ryan, who once prioritized something else over Reshuan.
“Your Highness, I speak frankly at the risk of being rude. You should know that being on your mind is the very beginning of a feeling.”
“I love Reshuan.”
“...Whether that is love, one cannot know. It would be wise to think on it more deeply. For the sake of the future. This is a word of advice from an old man who has lived a long time.”
Marquis Epekel spouted nonsense tailored to Ryan's level, shaking his resolve.
He desperately hoped his persuasion would help steer Ryan toward Marso instead of Reshuan.
“...”
He couldn't read how effective his words had been, but he knew that at the very least, a wind had begun to stir in his heart.
Because the mouth that would normally have dismissed it as nonsense remained firmly shut.
***
After his conversation with Ryan, Marquis Epekel returned to his estate and, rubbing his tired eyes, headed for his bedroom.
The time, well past midnight, was a deliberate act to avoid Reshuan's notice.
But Reshuan, sensing the Marquis's uncharacteristic outing, had been waiting for him.
Seeing from her room's window that Marquis Epekel had returned to the estate, Reshuan let out a sigh of relief.
But her anxiety remained.
*Grandfather has been acting strange since the last ball.*
There was something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
She remembered the subtle exchange of glances between Ryan and Marquis Epekel when she had woken up.
But there was no reason for Ryan and Marquis Epekel to meet so secretly, was there?
What on earth would her loving grandfather need to hide so carefully?
*Could he be gambling?*
He wasn't one to enjoy gambling, which made her even more worried.
Reshuan didn't want to lose the only family she had found so late in life.
And as always, she abhorred sudden changes.
*I'll ask him.*
In the end, Reshuan decided to ask Marquis Epekel about the situation directly.
*If he says no...*
If the Marquis refused, she was prepared to go as far as secretly tailing him.
Because he was her only family.
*I should contact Kaysen.*
Anticipating the Marquis's refusal, Reshuan decided to ask about methods for tailing him.
Kaysen was a friend who knew her well.
*...A friend.*
Marso Etoile's face flashed through her mind.
Reshuan smiled bitterly.
It was a bond she had let go of with her own hands. She owed her a life debt, but... her position, where she couldn't even repay it herself, felt somewhat pathetic.
*...Could I ever become friends with Marso again?*
She didn't dare think it was possible.
She simply wished for Marso's future to be filled with good fortune.
***
I thought it would be best to go before Darcy's confinement ended, so we scheduled our trip as soon as possible.
I wondered how we would get there, and then Darcy brought out the ring he had intended to use for his escape.
“Don't you normally need a ton of magic stones for that?”
The number of magic stones he brought was quite small. Ten at most. It might be a lot elsewhere, but to me, it was far too few.
Even the salary I gave Darcy was more than this. And wasn't that salary meant for his teleportation?
“It's fine, since we're not in the Imperial Palace where all magic stone usage is strictly restricted.”
Darcy's words quelled my worries.
So it required a lot because it was for escaping the Imperial Palace.
*...Then what about the time he broke the door in the palace?*
*...Could it be that the person I saved was more of a powerhouse than I ever imagined?*
