DYBAR - Chapter 27 < Dowry >
Do Your Best And Regret It
"Dowry?"
The princess, who was pondering the words, raised her eyes. The fact that Grand Duke Vikander's marriage proposal was addressed to me and not to her flashed through her mind. So, right now, that half-baby was making fun of herself, the Princess.
The Princess's breathing became heavy. Soon the Princess, with her face turning bright red, tore the ledger she was holding into pieces. She felt like if she didn't tear something up now, her anger would burn.
Torn paper fluttered down on the expensive table. But I spoke calmly.
"It's okay, Your Highness. I have the original."
"Bring it now!"
"If only Your Highness can provide my dowry."
"What if not?"
The Princess snorted and glared at me with venom. But I, who had been speaking well just a moment ago, pursed my lips. My green eyes glared as the Princess, turned to face me.
The Princess gritted her teeth.
How dare she!
She looks at herself like that from the same height. Olivia Madeleine, who always followed her orders. But at the same time as her resentment, ominous thoughts raced through her mind.
What if Olivia even leaks that ledger? So if this fact becomes known...!
'Are you sure you didn't do it, Raina?'
She could vividly imagine the Emperor's wrath.
A chill ran down her spine. Although the Emperor was a father who always cherished her, she knew very well that one of the reasons she was able to be loved was her ability. And Olivia was in charge of most of the things that earned her father's trust.
"What do you want?"
The Princess gritted her teeth and muttered. Only then did I gently open my eyes.
"I don't ask for much. How about the Miner territory?"
"No way!"
The Princess suddenly got angry. I didn't change my expression one bit. It was what I expected. She will never give up the territory of Miner, the fifth richest part of her wealth that enriches the Princess's treasury.
But what if she is far inferior to Miner, who called her first? I had no intention of being too greedy. If she was like this and even the Empress got involved, I wouldn't get anything.
"Then how about the Habiel area?"
I asked. I thought that if I was given the Habiel area with a small number of residents and asked everything, the Princess would say OK. But there was something I was missing. The Princess was beside herself with this situation itself. It seemed like her mind was tangled up, and it didn't matter to the Princess what kind of place the Habiel area was. She was just filled with the thought that I, who knew her wealth intimately, would definitely not try to lose it.
The Princess smiled, pretending to be relaxed, and brought up a list of her assets in her head. As I handled each of her tasks, she said that all the territories the Emperor had given her were either valuable crops such as tobacco or grapes, or fertile lands that were profitable.
Why did things happen like this?
But finding out why things went wrong was a matter of later.
The Princess had to minimize her damage. It's the most useless place, but it's a place where she can silence me.
Suddenly, a good idea popped into the Princess's head like lightning. The corners of her mouth gently rose, unable to hide her nervousness.
"There is a place suitable for taking it as a dowry."
As if she had some free time, the Princess spoke again in an aristocratic manner. The Princess made dramatic hand gestures as if in a play, and she smiled gracefully.
"It's a place the Princess knows well. White Crystal Mine. You'll remember, right?"
White Crystal Mine. It was an abandoned mine near the northern part of the country that I visited at the Princess's order.
"I think there was a lot of interest in that abandoned mine at the time."
"That..."
I, who was about to refute the Princess's subtle words, kept my mouth shut. The Princess clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling.
"The abandoned mine was the first time someone asked me another question while handling work."
I wasn't interested in the abandoned mine, but I was asking to know the related records that had been processed at a high-security level. Unlike other properties of the imperial family that were thoroughly managed, there was no record of when or where the abandoned mine was taken over.
All I knew was that it was registered as the property of the imperial family more than ten years ago and that only the royal family could check the records. However, I did not even confirm that information because the Princess was busy.
Eventually, I went to an abandoned mine near the north with geologists from a renowned academy.
Although it is the property of the imperial family, it has been untouched for a long time. Even near the entrance to the mine, the dreary cold northern air collided with each other, creating a whirlwind.
"This place has been deprived of minerals for a long time."
I remembered what geologists who explored abandoned mines had said. So there was no need to worry about the Princess's proposal. Dry land with no value as a mine, with only bare tree branches. There was no foundation for people to build a home there. But why is it that words of rejection don't come out easily?
I opened my lips and then bit them again. The Princess chimed.
"Think about it carefully, Princess. All of my territories are quite far from the north, right? Wouldn't that mine adjacent to the north be the best to manage?"
A picture of the mine appeared in my mind like a picture. I remembered the strange appearance of the mine I last visited after the scholars left, saying there was nothing more to investigate.
"Princess, Make a decision quickly. I think it's a pretty good deal."
Looking at me who was still, the Princess spoke slyly. There was no information she could read in my expressionless face, even though it seemed like her thirst would be revealed. If I refuse this. The Princess tried to recall her possessions, but she did not have any particularly useless possessions.
"I'm sure there will be a day when it will be useful."
The Princess remembered what her father, the Emperor, had said. She was apprehensive when she received this abandoned mine, but she never thought she could use it in this way. As long as Olivia nodded her head, this abandoned mine was truly at its best.
The Princess glanced at the torn pieces of paper on the table. If she hadn't tried so hard to find Le Carle's necklace, she wouldn't have been caught on her tail like this.
"I will do that."
The Princess raised her head. The small voice that passed by was clearly approval. She thought Olivia was stupid, but she never thought Olivia would be this stupid!
"I'll change it in your name right away."
Before I could say anything, the Princess twisted her lips and smiled.
"Well thought out, Princess. Although I am not in a position to congratulate the Princess on your marriage, our bond does not end here."
Although she is now absurdly talking about being a Grand Duchess, Olivia essentially loved her brother. Olivia might come back to blame her if her brother whispers sweet words. Only then will she not forget today's shame and step on it thoroughly.
The Princess smiled with her elegant face again, hiding the sparkle in her eyes. Meanwhile, her regrets and concerns swirled together like a whirlpool in Olivia's mind.
What did she just say?
The desire to overturn again soared. However, the Princess did not give Olivia a chance to say a word. After calling her servant, the maids waiting outside came in.
"Call Count Yubler. Along with the financial manager who will notarize it."
Count Yubler was the Princess's financial manager. It seemed like the Princess would do her job thoroughly today. I looked at the torn pieces of the ledger and slowly nodded. Actually, it was a nerve-racking place for me
"Well. This is my second time coming here, but there's nothing here?"
From when one of the geologists complained and covered his mouth with a look of apocalypse. No, maybe since there were no proper records in the mine. Either that or else. Olivia immediately remembered the entrance to the mine where the cold wind was blowing. For the last time before she left the mine, the first time she felt a cool breeze blowing from somewhere.
"Her Royal Highness. Count Yubler has arrived."
My thoughts were broken by the voice of Baroness Rujas reporting. I greeted the Count with a bright smile as if the Princess could not stand it anymore...
Count Yubler, who had been suddenly called in, tilted his head.
"Her Royal Highness. Are you really saying you are giving this White Crystal Mine to Princess Olivia?"
"That's right, Count."
"But do you see the seal here?"
Count Yubler pointed to the documents from the White Crystal Mine. Unlike other properties, it was somewhat disturbing that it only had the royal family's seal stamped on it without any records. It would be good to find out more and proceed with the matter.
The Princess opened her eyes wide.
"Count. Are you ignoring my instructions now?"
"That's not it."
The Count's sweat poured down his back. Obviously, his intuition told him to check once more, but the Princess in front of him didn't seem to want to wait while he studied.
"Please proceed quickly. It is a gift from me to my dear Princess."
"...Yes, Your Highness."
In the end, the Count's only choice was to follow the Princess's orders. The Count filled out the document. Then he held out a pen to Olivia. Olivia slowly wrote her first name. As soon as the Princess accepted the document as if it had been snatched away, she quickly signed it. The financial manager standing behind her completed the notarization by stamping a magic seal with the emblem of the Princess.
The Princess shrugged her shoulders with a refreshed expression on her face as if she would live only then. She said that she would just go out, and even the Count and the financial manager praised her generously. But when the two went out, the Princess looked at me again with her venomous face.
"Everything went according to the Princess's wishes. Are you satisfied now?"
I couldn't answer quickly. I fiddled with the end of the paper certifying that the mine was mine. I couldn't tell whether this strange feeling was due to regret or the excitement of having my own mine.
"Since I have shown this much mercy, I hope the Princess will also bring the original to me."
As soon as she gets the original ledger, she'll turn it into kindling. The Princess gritted her teeth. She felt that she would feel at ease if she burned away the culprit that had caused her such anxiety within a short period of time without a trace. But instead of answering, I stood up from her seat.
The Princess quirked her eyebrows.
"Do not worry, Your Highness. I am a person who knows the truth."
"Well. If the Princess had been faithful, you wouldn't have done this to me."
The Princess sarcastically said. But now that I had achieved my goal, I just smiled softly.
"We are planning to dispose of all the ledgers so that Your Highness does not have to worry."
The Princess looked at me with suspicious eyes. But it was true that she was planning to dispose of the ledger. The Princess kept referring to me as the Princess, but I had already left the duchy.
It will take a few days until my name is officially removed, but before that, I have to organize my books and assets. Once I'm done cleaning it up, I'll burn it all. Of course, I wasn't planning on telling the Princess.
I bowed to the Princess, holding my papers in one hand and the hem of my dress in the other.
"Thank you. Your Royal Highness."
Naturally, the Princess did not receive my greeting. My head down continued. Finally, the Princess stood up from her seat. It was only when I heard the Princess leaving her parlor, who had been disgusted by me as if she did not want to see me, that I lifted my body up.
For the first time since meeting the Princess, I felt something other than humiliation or misery. The corners of my mouth rose automatically. I felt so strange and wonderful that it was difficult to name it.
***
I got back into my carriage and headed to the Tiase Palace. I suddenly got a document. If I had property to take as a dowry, I wanted to show it off to the Grand Duke right away. The actual value of the property that was actually created was completely negligible. But the deal is already over.
How should we utilize this White Crystal mine and its surroundings?
I thought hard, but I couldn't come up with an answer. My carriage gradually slowed down. It was Tiase Palace. It was only when the carriage stopped and the door opened that I realized that it was getting quite dark. Only then did Olivia start to worry about the Grand Duke. What did he do while alone in the palace?
Is it because of my impatient mind, or is it because I relaxed when facing the Princess? As soon as I took a step outside, my legs shook. My hand flailed towards the door of the carriage and caught something solid instead of the door. At the same time, I was intoxicated by the cool and refreshing scent. I widened my eyes.
"I'm back?"
"Your Highness."
I straightened my posture. The Grand Duke smiled slowly, as if regretful, as he looked at my released arm.
"Your face looks good."
I smiled and raised the hand that the Grand Duke had kissed. I answered half shyly and half proudly.
"Thank you."
Doing what I wanted to do was such an overwhelming task. Having what I want, and...
"I can't believe it was helpful. I like it better."
The Grand Duke smiled brightly. At that moment, I felt my heart beat faster.
Thump, thump.
I felt like my healthy pulse was ringing louder in my ears.
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