Chapter 5: Who Came?

There was a soft expression on my father’s face, but his words were firm.

“I’m glad you’re sincere about the trading business. However, the Crown Prince has sent a directive from the imperial court to temporarily halt supply support to the Auguste family. We must comply with imperial commands, even if we don’t know the reason. So, why don’t you come with me next time, hmm?”

Perhaps feeling sorry for rejecting my proposal outright, my father tried to coax me with a softened voice.

In truth, I anticipated this reaction.

Baron Douglas Graham has always been fiercely loyal to the Brillante Empire. Even putting that aside, he couldn’t ignore a directive from Crown Prince Arthur de Fabian, who handles diplomatic policy with the Beast Kingdom, Moirai.

However, the heroine, the saintess, will soon  appear. If the Crown Prince and the saintess meet now, the original story will begin without me having any chance to intervene.

Even if the Crown Prince, or rather the Emperor, says no, I must meet Duke Auguste. My life depends on it, so I’ll easily overcome any novel setting.

“You know the supply situation for the Duke isn’t good right now, don’t you, Father?”

“How do you know that? Don’t tell me you’ve investigated that far.”

How, you ask? It’s written in the novel.

“Yes.”

Baron Douglas looked at me and the baroness alternately with a puzzled expression, then awkwardly turned his gaze back to me. His face darkened.

I continued, directly facing my father.

“Are you really that afraid of imperial retaliation?”

After the founding of the empire, the Emperor granted the dukedom to the powerful Auguste family and gave them the border region adjacent to the Beast Kingdom Moirai as their duchy.

It was initially intended to keep Auguste in check, but it resulted in the Auguste family receiving the people’s praise instead of the imperial family.

Thus, the imperial family and the Auguste family were in a cooperative relationship, yet subtly opposed to each other.

In such a situation, Baron Douglas Graham was thoroughly an imperial loyalist.

“Following the Crown Prince’s orders is important, of course. But what if we don’t help the Duke now? No matter how skilled a Swordmaster the Duke is, if the war supplies don’t arrive on time, he’ll lose the war. What will happen to our Pins then, Father?”

“……Yuria.”

“Even though it’s a rural area, Pins pays an unimaginable amount of taxes to the empire. If Pins becomes endangered, won’t it severely impact the empire’s finances?”

“That would be true……”

“If everyone dies, what’s the point, right?”

Of course, that won’t happen. The novel guarantees that Xavier Auguste will win this war. But my father, who doesn’t know that, was visibly shaken.

“I’ll make a contract for just one month. I can really do well in the trading business. Of course, I’ll pay. Just this once.”

“Hum, hum. But we haven’t made a contract with the Duke this time…”

“The Duke won’t be able to refuse.”

I looked up at my father and smiled cutely. The baron’s thick eyebrows, which had shot up, gradually relaxed into a downward curve.

‘Ah, just a little more and I think I can do it.’

Trying to act cute when I never do is making my skin crawl! This is killing me!

But then, a voice of salvation came from beside me.

“Doug, our Yuria’s words are spot on. Just use taxes as an excuse to the imperial family. What do you think about supporting for just one month? Just let her go. The child is asking so earnestly.”

The baron’s gaze shifted from me to Naomi, the baroness. She nodded slowly, as if she had made up her mind. Then she pulled out a small dagger-tipped hair tie from somewhere and tied her long hair tightly.

Somehow, the usual gentle atmosphere changed drastically, and charisma flowed from her. The baron’s face showed obvious tension as he swallowed hard.

“If you say so, then I suppose it’s alright to send her.”

Huh? The atmosphere suddenly changed…

Surprised, I looked at the baroness, and she gave me a big smile with her green eyes. She whispered in a voice only I could hear.

“This mother is rooting for you to succeed with the Duke!”

Huh? Please don’t!

─I couldn’t say that, so I just gave an awkward smile.

Eventually, the baron weakly added.

“Make sure to take mercenaries with you on the way. Don’t worry about the imperial family, just do as you said.”

Yes! Anyway, I got permission, so isn’t this great?

“Yes! Thank you, Father!”

“Have a safe trip.”

“Yes, Mother.”

This time, I also looked at her and smiled brightly.

‘I did it!’

Excited, I ran up to my room and flung open the safe in the dressing room. It was full of bundles of jewelry. Not only that, but my bank account was overflowing with pocket money. It’s a bit much to call it pocket money since it’s in the hundreds of billions.

I untied one of the jewelry bundles and spread it out on the vanity. With a jingling sound, the jewels poured out onto the vanity.

Ah, the most thrilling sound in the world. I can’t waste this joy in the room.

I shook the servant bell vigorously. Despite not being on standby, Maya entered the room within seconds.

“Miss, did you call?”

“Let’s go to the boutique to find clothes.”

＊

“Lady Graham, this is my masterpiece with all my heart and soul. It’s the best I can do.”

The head designer of ‘Boutique Royale’ said, dabbing his eyes with a pink handkerchief as I stood in front of the full-length mirror.

“Wonderful! It’s exactly the fit I wanted.”

Looking at myself in the mirror from various angles, I couldn’t help but admire.

A masterpiece created by pushing the designer for the grand occasion!

All black from top to bottom, with a beautiful logo symbolizing a swooshing sound emblazoned in the center of the chest.

“I want this in every color.”

“Every… color?”

The head designer’s narrow eyes widened in surprise.

“Hmm, hmm. Make them in every color. I really like it.”

“I’m glad you finally like it on the tenth piece, sniff.”

The head designer finally burst into tears.

Maybe I pushed too hard because it didn’t give off the Nike vibe I wanted. But here, the only women’s sportswear is riding clothes. And those have long skirts attached over them. So I had specially ordered this from the atelier.

“It seems it was tough. You did well. Instead, I’ll have all the dresses for the spring and summer seasons made here at ‘Royale.'”

“Ah, indeed! You have a fashion sense ahead of the times! It was an honor to work on this, my lady!”

The head designer, who regained his smile at the mention of spending thousands of gold, flattered me with obvious sycophancy.

“Give me the order form.”

He handed me the order form with a clear face, the tears all dried up.

I chuckled, leisurely preparing to sign when—

“Duke, how did you find the wedding attire I sent?”

“Duke Auguste, please marry me.”

“Duke, this is a gift. Ugh!”

Three young ladies giggled as they approached me. Maya’s face scrunched up upon seeing them.

“Oh my, Lady Graham is wearing a strange riding outfit. How can she steal the Duke’s heart like that?”

“Hohoho, indeed. How dare she aim for our Duke Xavier. She’s just a baron’s daughter.”

“Chasing after the Duke and asking him to marry her, has she lost her mind?”

Who are these extras that popped up out of nowhere?

Upon closer inspection, the three had indistinct facial features. The one in the middle had eyes as small as buttonholes.

“What nonsense are you spouting to my lady?”

Maya was the first to respond.

As expected, straightforward Maya couldn’t hold back. But the arrogant young ladies weren’t going to listen obediently.

“A mere maid, can’t you keep quiet?”

“Do you know who this is!”

With the two young ladies chiming in, the buttonhole-eyed young lady in the middle arrogantly raised her chin and exclaimed.

“It’s all your fault that Duke Auguste shudders at the thought of women. Even when I, the daughter of Count Willem, invite him to a tea party, he doesn’t come!”

“Do you know how much of a nuisance that is?”

“Yes!”

Maya’s face turned red, and she bowed her head deeply.

I finished signing the order form and looked at them with a pretty smile.

“Sorry, young ladies?”

“Hmph, at least you have a conscience if you’re apologizing?”

“That’s not it. Are you here to buy clothes?”

“Of course, we came to the boutique to buy clothes! Why?”

How rude.

“Actually, I’m planning to buy all the clothes here, so I feel sorry. I should have rented the place for the day, I’m regretting it now.”

“W-What did you say?”

Ignoring their confusion, I turned to the head designer and handed over the signed order form.

“Head designer.”

“Yes? Lady Graham.”

The head designer scurried over like a puppy and took the order form I signed.

“Close the store. I’ll cover today’s sales.”

“What?”

“If you sell clothes to those young ladies, I won’t set foot in ‘Boutique Royale’ for the next three years.”

“Ah, understood!”

The head designer, suddenly alert, ushered the young ladies out of the boutique.

“Today’s business is over. Please leave.”

“Hey, you!”

“What on earth is this?”

Despite their protests, the boutique door closed firmly.

＊

The battlefield reeked of death. The smell of blood, rotting corpses, and burning filled the air.

A man with silver-gray hair, reflecting the setting sun, stood at the edge of a steep cliff.

With extensive battlefield experience, Xavier Auguste was accustomed to observing from high vantage points.

He frowned as he gazed at the Bern Mountains, which stretched across the Brillante Empire and the Beast Kingdom, Moirai. He could see the enemy encampment across the river.

Four months had passed since the war began.

Though they had weakened the forces of Moirai resisting the human empire Brillante, the enemy showed no signs of giving up. While they firmly held the border, his army was slowly wearing down due to repeated skirmishes.

“Tch, are they going to push it to the end?”

Xavier, with his teal eyes, looked disapprovingly at the enemy camp where the crown prince of Moirai resided.

“Your Grace, are you here?”

His teal eyes left the enemy camp and turned to the owner of the voice. It was his aide, Rexton Shaw.

“You should come and see this.”

Rexton spoke with a slightly troubled expression.

“Scouts report that twenty carriages are headed this way. They bear the Graham family crest.”

Xavier’s handsome eyebrows raised high.

“Baron Graham of Pins?”

“No, Your Grace. After a day’s reconnaissance, it seems it’s lead by Lady Graham, the baron’s daughter.”

A look of disbelief crossed the handsome duke’s face.

“Why is that little villainess coming here?”