Elze checked the mirror several times out of needless anxiety.
The lady in the mirror was flawlessly beautiful. She wore a simple dress with a slightly plain feel, and her long ivory hair was neatly tied up. She wore no special jewelry, but her bright blue eyes made up for the gorgeous jewelry.
“You are beautiful, Ma’am.”
Rosalie's praise was heard from the side. The maids who were helping with the grooming also looked at Elze with proud faces.
The reason Elze was dressing up so diligently was because today was the day that those who followed Shan were to join Targayel's private army.
With the number of those who followed Shan now considerable, Targayel would be in turmoil. And Targayel would once again have knights, just as it had in its prime.
Originally, the knights led by Targayel were nicknamed the Ravens. The Ravens once swept across the battlefield at the Emperor's command, waving black banners with swords and crows. The enemies who saw Targayel's black banner called it a mourning banner and were terrified.
But all was past glory. The ravens of Targayel had long since perished. With no successor born to lead the ravens, Targayel had to bury deep in his memory the adage that 'ravens do not cry'.
But not from this day on. Now Targayel will be filled with ravens again.
“Are you ready?”
She turned around at the sound of the voice. Shan was there. Elze greeted him awkwardly. Since that incident, she had never seen his face except for official matters. Shan’s face was expressionless as usual. He spoke to Elze as if nothing had happened.
“I would like to ask you for a moment. Before I see the private soldiers, I would like you to say hello to those who will become my vassals.”
She wondered why he came, and it was for official business.
An inexplicable sense of disappointment soaked a corner of her heart. However, without showing it on the outside, Elze headed to his private study with Shan. In the quiet study where all the maids had been dismissed, two men with completely opposite images were waiting for Elze.
One of them was a man with healthy brown skin and curly red and brown hair. He looked like a mischievous bully.
The other was a man with a thin build, glasses, and neatly slicked-back blue hair, who looked very calm and intelligent.
The four of them sat down at a spacious table on one side of the study. Shan gave a brief introduction.
“Knight Commander, Liv Cullens.”
Then the curly-haired man suddenly stood up and bowed to Elze.
“I am Liv of the Cullens. It is an honor for the Cullens to become a vassal of House Targayel.”
The freckles on his nose twitched as Liv smiled brightly. He seemed anxious to say something more to Elze, but Shan quickly moved on to the man next to him.
“Marle Sephiroth, who will be taking care of the butler’s duties from now on.”
Unlike the sturdy Liv, Marle, who had a slightly thin build, had a quiet and calm impression. He stood up from his seat and greeted me politely.
“I am Marle Sephiroth. I will do my best in the duties assigned to me.”
After a brief introduction, Shan folded his arms and said.
“There are many others, but these two are the most important. I will introduce the rest as the opportunity arises.”
And when Shan nodded to Marle, he took out a thick stack of documents from the briefcase next to him and placed them in front of Elze.
“I have summarized Targayel’s current financial situation.”
Elze was ashamed after receiving the documents. The Targayel family's property was largely divided into two: one in Elze's name and one in Shan's name.
However, while the documents regarding the property in Elze's name did not exceed a few sheets of paper, Shan's were so thick that it was difficult to count the number of pages.
Targayel's fortune consisted of a mansion and a small outlying fiefdom. The money she earned from her life as a mercenary was divided evenly among her fellow members, and there was still money that had not been paid by the imperial court. In addition, Elze returned to Targayel a year before the war ended.
The Elijahs who remained on the battlefield offered to give Elze the money, but it was the price of their lives. How could she accept it? Naturally, she refused.
Although Targayel owned some lands, the best of them had already been returned to the imperial family by the previous generations. All that was left were the outskirts of the borderlands that were given to them as a token favor.
Of course, it was not a profitable estate. Rather, when there was a drought or something like that, Elze sent money to help the people of the estate, so it often ended up in deficit. Because of this, she could not afford to pay salaries to retain retainers, so she hired commoners as administrators and barely managed to keep the estate running at minimal costs.
Meanwhile, Elze continued to spend the money she had earned, including the maintenance fees for the mansion, the salaries of her employees, various taxes, Astin's tuition, and the overall costs of studying abroad.
But Shan was different. He had rich lands granted by the imperial family, luxurious mansions in the capital, mines, and even overseas assets.
When did Shan become so wealthy when they spent so much time together on the battlefield? Elze muttered blankly as she looked at the endless pile of documents.
“Your property....”
Shan raised his eyebrows at Elze's muttering and blurted out.
“Have you heard of the Machans’ Top? It’s my own top.”
"Yes?"
But unlike his tone of voice, which seemed to say nothing, the words he took out were enormous.
Machans was Shan's!
But Elze wasn't the only one surprised. Marle, who was next to her, also opened his eyes wide. Marle cautiously called out to Shan.
“Lord Cirxus...”
His call contained many words. Marle's face was tense. But Shan spoke to Marle bluntly.
“She is the master who will lead Targayel together. I will not hide anything from Erzenes in the future, so know that.”
Then Marle nodded without asking twice. Marle immediately began explaining the Machans' top on Shan’s behalf.
“I am the external owner of the upper rank of Machans, but the actual owner is Cirxus.”
The Machans' upper class was a group that had grown enormously in size in the past few years. They were also famous for their activities during the Hundred Years' War, such as cutting off the supplies that Heglatan was trying to purchase from foreign countries.
“I was originally a merchant. I came into contact with Cirxus and created the Machans Merchant Group.”
“If it’s a connection with Shan, maybe in the Hundred Years’ War...?”
Marle smiled slightly and answered Elze's cautious question.
“Yes. Lord Cirxus is the savior of my life.”
“...”
Shan saved Marle? Elze couldn't believe it and glanced at Shan. Shan was expressionless as always. Elze was sure that Shan wouldn't have taken the initiative and that he must have saved him accidentally while carrying out a mission. Marle continued talking.
“The size of the upper part of the Machans has increased as Cirxus has acquired the monopoly on Baluar military supplies.”
The Machans Merchant Company was created by Shan in agreement with Crown Prince Raymond. The Machans Merchant Company was founded to replace the merchants who were selling their goods at high prices during wartime.
The Machans' upper group monopolized the supply of military supplies and grew rapidly. At the same time, they used the money they earned to aggressively invest in other areas. Thanks to this, after the war, Machans became a merchant group that no one in the empire could match.
Raymond knew that Shan was making a lot of money through the top, but he turned a blind eye to it. The Machans top was also giving Raymond a lot of money as slush funds, and Shan's power growth was also helpful to Raymond in many ways.
Elze was taken aback by the secret about Machans. She wanted to hear more, but the story ended there.
“Your Excellency.”
Shan stood up from his seat at the sound of someone calling from outside.
“It’s time to go down.”
All those who would become Targayel's privates were waiting for Shan, who was to give them a short speech. The four of them went back down.
Because Shan had poured out so much, Elze wanted to clear her head of her complicated thoughts. But now, as a Countess, she had to move. As she went down, she saw people lined up in front of the mansion beyond the wide-open front door.
“...!”
Elze held her breath quietly. She knew that many followed Shan, but this was the first time she had seen it with her own eyes.
Shan took his place at the head of them all. The eyes of the hundreds turned to Shan, cheering his arrival. The roar echoed through the grey mansions of Targayel.
It was a moment that would have made even the most courageous man tremble. But Shan was calm. In fact, he seemed to be suppressing them. When Shan lightly raised his hand, the cheers died down. He shouted loudly.
“Targayel!”
Everyone's attention turned to Shan as if they were all being sucked in. Shan continued speaking slowly.
“From now on, you will stand under the name of Targayel.”
His voice was serious and distinct, penetrating the crowd. His indifferent eyes had a sharpness that pierced the heart. Shan, speaking under the bright sunlight, seemed to glow.
“Follow me here...”
But Elze didn't have time to appreciate him properly, because among the people lined up, she found some very familiar faces in the front row.
“...!”
Elze opened her eyes wide. She was so surprised that the hair on her body stood on end. She blinked several times, but the image in front of her did not disappear. This was not an illusion, but reality.
There were Elijah and Elze, smiling awkwardly at each other. And behind them, there were Kalia and others, who also had awkward faces.
Oh my God... Elze felt like she wanted to faint.
What on earth is going on? Elze couldn't believe it. Why were Elijah and the others here? And why Kalia? Even if Elijah had made a hundred concessions and come to find Elze, Kalia, who had come to assassinate her, was let go alive, and no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't understand it.
She wanted to grab Elijah and Kalia right away and ask them, but there was no time to talk to them.
Elze somehow managed to stand in front of the soldiers in a state of panic. She had no idea what was going on, but she did everything she had to do as a Countess, such as showing her face and giving a brief greeting.
When she finally came to her senses, she had finished her day's work and returned to bed. Elze sat alone on the bed, blankly thinking about the big events of the day.
Shan is the hidden owner of the upper ranks of the Machans, and the Elijah Mercenaries and the Kalia Guild have joined Targayel's private army.
In fact, in this situation, the top of the Machans were not even included in the incident. Elijah and Kalia entering Targayel was a truly crazy thing.
There was no way Shan didn't know that Elijah was coming in as a private. Shan must have made contact with Elijah. Why did he bring Elijah in as a private, and why did Elijah and his men come to Targayel? Elze's head was so confused that it was almost painful.
“Eu..."
She was rolling around on the bed, pulling at her hair, when she heard a knocking sound from somewhere.
“?”
The sound was coming from the glass window. Elze was still sleeping in the guest room, as Shan and her were still in separate rooms. The guest room was on a lower floor than the bedroom, but not so low that someone would knock on the glass window from outside.
Elze walked to the window and opened the curtains. Her eyes widened as she saw familiar faces waving outside the glass.
"You...!"
The one who knocked on the window was Elijah. As soon as she opened the window, they poured into the corn room. Ivanna, who was riding on Tarkun's back, jumped down and grumbled.
“Oh my, I thought I was going to die from hanging on.”
Tarkun frowned at Ivanna's words.
“What’s so hard about having been carried around all this time?”
“What? I can’t thank you enough for sitting on your stinking back!”
While Ivanna and Tarkun were bickering, Rapine smiled faintly and greeted them.
“It’s been a while, Captain.”
But Rapine wasn't the end. Elze noticed another person standing behind Rapine. When Elze looked at him, the man bowed so hard that his back almost broke.
“Hello. I don’t know if you remember me, but I am Epen, the guild master of Kalia, who visited you once before.”
“...”
If the incident that came before was about assassination, then he definitely remembered it. Epen continued to speak firmly in front of Elze, who had a dumbfounded expression.
“I have come to Targayel in awe of Countess’ swordsmanship. From now on, I will serve with loyalty as a private soldier of Targayel.”
Elze was speechless at the shamelessness. Rapine was there to explain the whole story.
“Cirxus has come to us.”
“Shan?”
Rapine continued speaking to the terrified Elze.
“The Imperials are after Elijah. Cirxus has asked us to join Targayel’s private army to protect us.”
“...”
Her mouth was bitter. So that's what happened in the royal family. She had expected it to some extent, but it was bitter when it actually happened.
On the one hand, she was grateful that Shan had stepped forward. He had done everything he could. If it weren't for Shan, Elijah, and het would have been hit in the back of the head without knowing anything. Elze was thinking about this and that, and Rapine said.
“And it seems that Cirxus has some idea of the captain’s identity.”
At his words, Elze froze. Rapine sighed and said.
“I’m not sure yet, but I think it would be better to be more careful.”
Elze nodded slowly. From the beginning, he had suspected Erzenes. Perhaps he was already somewhat convinced. It seemed that she would have to be a little more careful in the future.
“Thanks for letting me know, Rapine.”
"You're welcome."
Rapine smiled faintly, then added as he felt Epen's gaze looking at him from the side.
“Ah, Epen came to see us just before Cirxus came, and he heard everything he was saying to Cirxus...”
Rapine continued speaking calmly.
“For now, he will be a member of Elijah, and he will join as a private soldier together with Kalia. If the captain is uncomfortable, I will immediately appoint him.”
“If you want, I’ll kill him all right now, Captain!”
At Rapine and Ivanna's words, Elze crossed her arms and looked at Epen. Epen slightly avoided Elze's gaze.
She was already feeling uneasy after letting Kalia live. She let them live because she was confident that they wouldn't say anything rash, but she was a little worried that the fact that Erzenes was Elze would be known. However, even if she went back to that time, Elze wouldn't kill Kalia.
The war was over. Elze had no desire to have blood on her hands anymore. Especially not in the Targayel mansion, of all places... While she was lost in thought, Tarkun interrupted.
“The captain said you would let him go alive? Since you saved his life, let’s use it as a scarecrow.”
And Ivanna did not miss Tarkun's words and rebuked him.
“What the hell are you talking about, you ignorant bastard? I should tell you to take him under your wing.”
“You’re so cute, Ibanna! You’re exactly the same.”
“Huh? It’s like the difference between heaven and earth.”
Elze, who was watching the two bickering, smiled faintly. All the things she had been worrying about suddenly felt pointless. It didn't suit Elze's personality to rack her brain and worry. Elze came to a refreshing conclusion.
“Yeah, what can I do about it? I’ll take care of it, you know.”
Epen exclaimed with a moved face at Elze's words.
“Elze, no, Erzenes...!”
He was about to cry, clinging to Elze. Epen swore in a tearful voice in front of Elze.
“We, Kalia, will be loyal to Erzenes from now on!”
Elze rolled her eyes here and there in a sense of awkwardness. Ivanna, who was watching from the side, spoke to Epen with a proud face.
“Our leader is so kind-hearted, generous, has a pretty face, and a great body...”
While Ivanna was singing praises to Elze, Tarkun suddenly pulled Ivanna into his arms. Ivanna grabbed Tarkun's head with her fist and shouted angrily.
“Are you crazy? Can’t you see what I’m talking about?”
“Shh, keep your mouth shut.”
As Ivanna frowned, faint footsteps could be heard in the silence. They were coming toward Elze's room.
"OMG!"
The Elijahs quickly climbed out the window again. Epen was the first to go down, followed by Rapine, Tarkun, and Ivanna. Ivanna poked her head out and waved to Elze.
“I’ll come back next time! Captain, dream of me!”
“There’s no time for fooling around. Come quickly.”
Not long after Ivanna was dragged away by Rapine and disappeared, a knock was heard at the door. Elze, who had planned to give the maid a firm word, blinked for a moment at the low voice coming from outside the door.
“Erzenes.”
And then she called him as if she couldn't believe it.
“Shan...?”
Elze opened the door. Shan was standing outside. Instead of saying hello, he looked behind Elze. His eyes were focused on the window. It stung inside, but fortunately Shan looked back at Elze without saying anything.
“Sorry for being late. Do you have a moment?”
"...It's okay."
Shan sat down at a small table with Elze. And there was silence. Shan and Elze had never met in person like this since that incident. Elze had avoided him because of an inexplicable discomfort, and Shan had never bothered to hold onto Elze because of that.
Of course, it was Elze who avoided him first, but when Shan didn't hold on to her, she felt strange. She even thought that if things continued like this, their relationship would really become solidified.
But in this awkward situation, Shan was the first to come to her. And he said something she never expected.
“Are you going to Britain by any chance?”
“Britain?”
Shan said to the surprised Elze in a blunt tone.
“I heard there will be an academic festival at Aquis University soon.”
"Ah..."
An academic festival... Elze felt possessed. She never imagined that Shan would take care of an academic festival that she never even thought of.
“It will take at least a week to get to the Kingdom of Britain, so I think it would be best to start preparing now.”
Now that she thinks about it, she never went to see how Astin was doing at school. She was so busy trying to make a living that she never paid any attention to that. Elze stammered.
“I never thought you would say something like that...”
Seriously, Elze didn't expect Shan to say something like this. The unexpected offer felt like a surprise gift. After a long moment of silence, Elze finally whispered to him.
“Thank you, Shan.”
“...”
Shan was silent for a moment. Elze looked into his purple eyes. The eyes that were faintly swaying had no sharpness of their usual. The gaze directed at Elze was soft and gentle. At some point, he slowly opened his mouth.
"Just."
He looked at Elze blankly and spoke softly.
“Because I want to do something that you might like.”
Else opened her mouth blankly.
The Crown Prince's reception room was a place where he could have quiet time with important guests.
As the Emperor, who was bedridden, had not been receiving audiences for a long time, the Crown Prince's reception room was always filled with guests who wanted to be in touch with the Imperial Family.
There were only three people who could freely come and go from this drawing room, which was not open to everyone, whenever they wanted: Count Targayel, Duke Wade, and Duke Seraph.
“The agenda that Duke Seraph brought up at today’s meeting was really good. If only everyone would do as much as he did, I would have nothing left to wish for.”
Enochs responded to Raymond's words with a slight smile. He picked up the teacup with his fingertips and pretended to moisten his lips. Raymond knew that he was not actually drinking the tea, but was only pretending to, but he pretended not to know.
Raymond was well aware of Enoch Seraph's obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it was not for nothing that he pointed out such things. His personality, which was as obsessed with cleanliness as a psychopath, had made many of the Seraphs cry. Considering that Enoch worked for the imperial family, he could easily turn a blind eye to such things.
"Your Highness."
Enoch put down his teacup and spoke softly.
“Did you know that the Elijah Mercenaries have entered Targayel?”
“Ah, I know.”
Unlike Enoch, who still had tea left in his cup, Raymond drank his tea with relish. There was no sign of Raymond caring about Elijah. Enoch was silent for a moment, then spoke calmly.
“I wonder if... there might be a time when you start to think differently.”
“I have a different opinion.”
Only then did Raymond show interest. Enochs continued talking as if it were nothing.
“I think appropriate sanctions are necessary.”
To the young Crown Prince who was quietly looking at him, Enoch whispered words of solicitation disguised as advice.
“Shouldn’t Targayel not go beyond the royal family?”
“...”
Raymond put down his teacup and crossed his arms. He spoke without hiding his discomfort.
“The sanctions against Targayel are sufficient. The Count reported sufficiently to the Imperial Court before sending his private army.”
“I apologize. It seems that my concern for the well-being of the royal family was too much in my favor.”
“I am grateful that Lord Seraph is so caring, but...I have also planted enough eyes to watch over Targayel, so you do not need to worry.”
Raymond made it clear that he did not wish to discuss the matter further. Enochs immediately backed down.
“As always, Seraph simply follows the will of the royal family.”
After that, Raymond and Enochs talked a little more, and soon the meeting ended. Enochs bowed politely and left the reception room.
But Enochs frowned as soon as he got some distance from the reception room. He took out a white towel and nervously shook himself off.
“Phew.”
Enochs took out a new pair of gloves in a hurry and put them on, letting out a short breath. The short time he spent drinking tea with the Crown Prince felt like a thousand years to Enochs. Enochs cursed inwardly.
You stupid guy.
Crown Prince Raymond was under the delusion that he had tamed the beast known as Shan Crixus. Perhaps he would only come to his senses if he had his throat ripped off.
But whichever way it goes, it will all go according to one's will. Enoch's face hardened expressionlessly.
The lady in the mirror was flawlessly beautiful. She wore a simple dress with a slightly plain feel, and her long ivory hair was neatly tied up. She wore no special jewelry, but her bright blue eyes made up for the gorgeous jewelry.
“You are beautiful, Ma’am.”
Rosalie's praise was heard from the side. The maids who were helping with the grooming also looked at Elze with proud faces.
The reason Elze was dressing up so diligently was because today was the day that those who followed Shan were to join Targayel's private army.
With the number of those who followed Shan now considerable, Targayel would be in turmoil. And Targayel would once again have knights, just as it had in its prime.
Originally, the knights led by Targayel were nicknamed the Ravens. The Ravens once swept across the battlefield at the Emperor's command, waving black banners with swords and crows. The enemies who saw Targayel's black banner called it a mourning banner and were terrified.
But all was past glory. The ravens of Targayel had long since perished. With no successor born to lead the ravens, Targayel had to bury deep in his memory the adage that 'ravens do not cry'.
But not from this day on. Now Targayel will be filled with ravens again.
“Are you ready?”
She turned around at the sound of the voice. Shan was there. Elze greeted him awkwardly. Since that incident, she had never seen his face except for official matters. Shan’s face was expressionless as usual. He spoke to Elze as if nothing had happened.
“I would like to ask you for a moment. Before I see the private soldiers, I would like you to say hello to those who will become my vassals.”
She wondered why he came, and it was for official business.
An inexplicable sense of disappointment soaked a corner of her heart. However, without showing it on the outside, Elze headed to his private study with Shan. In the quiet study where all the maids had been dismissed, two men with completely opposite images were waiting for Elze.
One of them was a man with healthy brown skin and curly red and brown hair. He looked like a mischievous bully.
The other was a man with a thin build, glasses, and neatly slicked-back blue hair, who looked very calm and intelligent.
The four of them sat down at a spacious table on one side of the study. Shan gave a brief introduction.
“Knight Commander, Liv Cullens.”
Then the curly-haired man suddenly stood up and bowed to Elze.
“I am Liv of the Cullens. It is an honor for the Cullens to become a vassal of House Targayel.”
The freckles on his nose twitched as Liv smiled brightly. He seemed anxious to say something more to Elze, but Shan quickly moved on to the man next to him.
“Marle Sephiroth, who will be taking care of the butler’s duties from now on.”
Unlike the sturdy Liv, Marle, who had a slightly thin build, had a quiet and calm impression. He stood up from his seat and greeted me politely.
“I am Marle Sephiroth. I will do my best in the duties assigned to me.”
After a brief introduction, Shan folded his arms and said.
“There are many others, but these two are the most important. I will introduce the rest as the opportunity arises.”
And when Shan nodded to Marle, he took out a thick stack of documents from the briefcase next to him and placed them in front of Elze.
“I have summarized Targayel’s current financial situation.”
Elze was ashamed after receiving the documents. The Targayel family's property was largely divided into two: one in Elze's name and one in Shan's name.
However, while the documents regarding the property in Elze's name did not exceed a few sheets of paper, Shan's were so thick that it was difficult to count the number of pages.
Targayel's fortune consisted of a mansion and a small outlying fiefdom. The money she earned from her life as a mercenary was divided evenly among her fellow members, and there was still money that had not been paid by the imperial court. In addition, Elze returned to Targayel a year before the war ended.
The Elijahs who remained on the battlefield offered to give Elze the money, but it was the price of their lives. How could she accept it? Naturally, she refused.
Although Targayel owned some lands, the best of them had already been returned to the imperial family by the previous generations. All that was left were the outskirts of the borderlands that were given to them as a token favor.
Of course, it was not a profitable estate. Rather, when there was a drought or something like that, Elze sent money to help the people of the estate, so it often ended up in deficit. Because of this, she could not afford to pay salaries to retain retainers, so she hired commoners as administrators and barely managed to keep the estate running at minimal costs.
Meanwhile, Elze continued to spend the money she had earned, including the maintenance fees for the mansion, the salaries of her employees, various taxes, Astin's tuition, and the overall costs of studying abroad.
But Shan was different. He had rich lands granted by the imperial family, luxurious mansions in the capital, mines, and even overseas assets.
When did Shan become so wealthy when they spent so much time together on the battlefield? Elze muttered blankly as she looked at the endless pile of documents.
“Your property....”
Shan raised his eyebrows at Elze's muttering and blurted out.
“Have you heard of the Machans’ Top? It’s my own top.”
"Yes?"
But unlike his tone of voice, which seemed to say nothing, the words he took out were enormous.
Machans was Shan's!
But Elze wasn't the only one surprised. Marle, who was next to her, also opened his eyes wide. Marle cautiously called out to Shan.
“Lord Cirxus...”
His call contained many words. Marle's face was tense. But Shan spoke to Marle bluntly.
“She is the master who will lead Targayel together. I will not hide anything from Erzenes in the future, so know that.”
Then Marle nodded without asking twice. Marle immediately began explaining the Machans' top on Shan’s behalf.
“I am the external owner of the upper rank of Machans, but the actual owner is Cirxus.”
The Machans' upper class was a group that had grown enormously in size in the past few years. They were also famous for their activities during the Hundred Years' War, such as cutting off the supplies that Heglatan was trying to purchase from foreign countries.
“I was originally a merchant. I came into contact with Cirxus and created the Machans Merchant Group.”
“If it’s a connection with Shan, maybe in the Hundred Years’ War...?”
Marle smiled slightly and answered Elze's cautious question.
“Yes. Lord Cirxus is the savior of my life.”
“...”
Shan saved Marle? Elze couldn't believe it and glanced at Shan. Shan was expressionless as always. Elze was sure that Shan wouldn't have taken the initiative and that he must have saved him accidentally while carrying out a mission. Marle continued talking.
“The size of the upper part of the Machans has increased as Cirxus has acquired the monopoly on Baluar military supplies.”
The Machans Merchant Company was created by Shan in agreement with Crown Prince Raymond. The Machans Merchant Company was founded to replace the merchants who were selling their goods at high prices during wartime.
The Machans' upper group monopolized the supply of military supplies and grew rapidly. At the same time, they used the money they earned to aggressively invest in other areas. Thanks to this, after the war, Machans became a merchant group that no one in the empire could match.
Raymond knew that Shan was making a lot of money through the top, but he turned a blind eye to it. The Machans top was also giving Raymond a lot of money as slush funds, and Shan's power growth was also helpful to Raymond in many ways.
Elze was taken aback by the secret about Machans. She wanted to hear more, but the story ended there.
“Your Excellency.”
Shan stood up from his seat at the sound of someone calling from outside.
“It’s time to go down.”
All those who would become Targayel's privates were waiting for Shan, who was to give them a short speech. The four of them went back down.
Because Shan had poured out so much, Elze wanted to clear her head of her complicated thoughts. But now, as a Countess, she had to move. As she went down, she saw people lined up in front of the mansion beyond the wide-open front door.
“...!”
Elze held her breath quietly. She knew that many followed Shan, but this was the first time she had seen it with her own eyes.
Shan took his place at the head of them all. The eyes of the hundreds turned to Shan, cheering his arrival. The roar echoed through the grey mansions of Targayel.
It was a moment that would have made even the most courageous man tremble. But Shan was calm. In fact, he seemed to be suppressing them. When Shan lightly raised his hand, the cheers died down. He shouted loudly.
“Targayel!”
Everyone's attention turned to Shan as if they were all being sucked in. Shan continued speaking slowly.
“From now on, you will stand under the name of Targayel.”
His voice was serious and distinct, penetrating the crowd. His indifferent eyes had a sharpness that pierced the heart. Shan, speaking under the bright sunlight, seemed to glow.
“Follow me here...”
But Elze didn't have time to appreciate him properly, because among the people lined up, she found some very familiar faces in the front row.
“...!”
Elze opened her eyes wide. She was so surprised that the hair on her body stood on end. She blinked several times, but the image in front of her did not disappear. This was not an illusion, but reality.
There were Elijah and Elze, smiling awkwardly at each other. And behind them, there were Kalia and others, who also had awkward faces.
Oh my God... Elze felt like she wanted to faint.
What on earth is going on? Elze couldn't believe it. Why were Elijah and the others here? And why Kalia? Even if Elijah had made a hundred concessions and come to find Elze, Kalia, who had come to assassinate her, was let go alive, and no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't understand it.
She wanted to grab Elijah and Kalia right away and ask them, but there was no time to talk to them.
Elze somehow managed to stand in front of the soldiers in a state of panic. She had no idea what was going on, but she did everything she had to do as a Countess, such as showing her face and giving a brief greeting.
When she finally came to her senses, she had finished her day's work and returned to bed. Elze sat alone on the bed, blankly thinking about the big events of the day.
Shan is the hidden owner of the upper ranks of the Machans, and the Elijah Mercenaries and the Kalia Guild have joined Targayel's private army.
In fact, in this situation, the top of the Machans were not even included in the incident. Elijah and Kalia entering Targayel was a truly crazy thing.
There was no way Shan didn't know that Elijah was coming in as a private. Shan must have made contact with Elijah. Why did he bring Elijah in as a private, and why did Elijah and his men come to Targayel? Elze's head was so confused that it was almost painful.
“Eu..."
She was rolling around on the bed, pulling at her hair, when she heard a knocking sound from somewhere.
“?”
The sound was coming from the glass window. Elze was still sleeping in the guest room, as Shan and her were still in separate rooms. The guest room was on a lower floor than the bedroom, but not so low that someone would knock on the glass window from outside.
Elze walked to the window and opened the curtains. Her eyes widened as she saw familiar faces waving outside the glass.
"You...!"
The one who knocked on the window was Elijah. As soon as she opened the window, they poured into the corn room. Ivanna, who was riding on Tarkun's back, jumped down and grumbled.
“Oh my, I thought I was going to die from hanging on.”
Tarkun frowned at Ivanna's words.
“What’s so hard about having been carried around all this time?”
“What? I can’t thank you enough for sitting on your stinking back!”
While Ivanna and Tarkun were bickering, Rapine smiled faintly and greeted them.
“It’s been a while, Captain.”
But Rapine wasn't the end. Elze noticed another person standing behind Rapine. When Elze looked at him, the man bowed so hard that his back almost broke.
“Hello. I don’t know if you remember me, but I am Epen, the guild master of Kalia, who visited you once before.”
“...”
If the incident that came before was about assassination, then he definitely remembered it. Epen continued to speak firmly in front of Elze, who had a dumbfounded expression.
“I have come to Targayel in awe of Countess’ swordsmanship. From now on, I will serve with loyalty as a private soldier of Targayel.”
Elze was speechless at the shamelessness. Rapine was there to explain the whole story.
“Cirxus has come to us.”
“Shan?”
Rapine continued speaking to the terrified Elze.
“The Imperials are after Elijah. Cirxus has asked us to join Targayel’s private army to protect us.”
“...”
Her mouth was bitter. So that's what happened in the royal family. She had expected it to some extent, but it was bitter when it actually happened.
On the one hand, she was grateful that Shan had stepped forward. He had done everything he could. If it weren't for Shan, Elijah, and het would have been hit in the back of the head without knowing anything. Elze was thinking about this and that, and Rapine said.
“And it seems that Cirxus has some idea of the captain’s identity.”
At his words, Elze froze. Rapine sighed and said.
“I’m not sure yet, but I think it would be better to be more careful.”
Elze nodded slowly. From the beginning, he had suspected Erzenes. Perhaps he was already somewhat convinced. It seemed that she would have to be a little more careful in the future.
“Thanks for letting me know, Rapine.”
"You're welcome."
Rapine smiled faintly, then added as he felt Epen's gaze looking at him from the side.
“Ah, Epen came to see us just before Cirxus came, and he heard everything he was saying to Cirxus...”
Rapine continued speaking calmly.
“For now, he will be a member of Elijah, and he will join as a private soldier together with Kalia. If the captain is uncomfortable, I will immediately appoint him.”
“If you want, I’ll kill him all right now, Captain!”
At Rapine and Ivanna's words, Elze crossed her arms and looked at Epen. Epen slightly avoided Elze's gaze.
She was already feeling uneasy after letting Kalia live. She let them live because she was confident that they wouldn't say anything rash, but she was a little worried that the fact that Erzenes was Elze would be known. However, even if she went back to that time, Elze wouldn't kill Kalia.
The war was over. Elze had no desire to have blood on her hands anymore. Especially not in the Targayel mansion, of all places... While she was lost in thought, Tarkun interrupted.
“The captain said you would let him go alive? Since you saved his life, let’s use it as a scarecrow.”
And Ivanna did not miss Tarkun's words and rebuked him.
“What the hell are you talking about, you ignorant bastard? I should tell you to take him under your wing.”
“You’re so cute, Ibanna! You’re exactly the same.”
“Huh? It’s like the difference between heaven and earth.”
Elze, who was watching the two bickering, smiled faintly. All the things she had been worrying about suddenly felt pointless. It didn't suit Elze's personality to rack her brain and worry. Elze came to a refreshing conclusion.
“Yeah, what can I do about it? I’ll take care of it, you know.”
Epen exclaimed with a moved face at Elze's words.
“Elze, no, Erzenes...!”
He was about to cry, clinging to Elze. Epen swore in a tearful voice in front of Elze.
“We, Kalia, will be loyal to Erzenes from now on!”
Elze rolled her eyes here and there in a sense of awkwardness. Ivanna, who was watching from the side, spoke to Epen with a proud face.
“Our leader is so kind-hearted, generous, has a pretty face, and a great body...”
While Ivanna was singing praises to Elze, Tarkun suddenly pulled Ivanna into his arms. Ivanna grabbed Tarkun's head with her fist and shouted angrily.
“Are you crazy? Can’t you see what I’m talking about?”
“Shh, keep your mouth shut.”
As Ivanna frowned, faint footsteps could be heard in the silence. They were coming toward Elze's room.
"OMG!"
The Elijahs quickly climbed out the window again. Epen was the first to go down, followed by Rapine, Tarkun, and Ivanna. Ivanna poked her head out and waved to Elze.
“I’ll come back next time! Captain, dream of me!”
“There’s no time for fooling around. Come quickly.”
Not long after Ivanna was dragged away by Rapine and disappeared, a knock was heard at the door. Elze, who had planned to give the maid a firm word, blinked for a moment at the low voice coming from outside the door.
“Erzenes.”
And then she called him as if she couldn't believe it.
“Shan...?”
Elze opened the door. Shan was standing outside. Instead of saying hello, he looked behind Elze. His eyes were focused on the window. It stung inside, but fortunately Shan looked back at Elze without saying anything.
“Sorry for being late. Do you have a moment?”
"...It's okay."
Shan sat down at a small table with Elze. And there was silence. Shan and Elze had never met in person like this since that incident. Elze had avoided him because of an inexplicable discomfort, and Shan had never bothered to hold onto Elze because of that.
Of course, it was Elze who avoided him first, but when Shan didn't hold on to her, she felt strange. She even thought that if things continued like this, their relationship would really become solidified.
But in this awkward situation, Shan was the first to come to her. And he said something she never expected.
“Are you going to Britain by any chance?”
“Britain?”
Shan said to the surprised Elze in a blunt tone.
“I heard there will be an academic festival at Aquis University soon.”
"Ah..."
An academic festival... Elze felt possessed. She never imagined that Shan would take care of an academic festival that she never even thought of.
“It will take at least a week to get to the Kingdom of Britain, so I think it would be best to start preparing now.”
Now that she thinks about it, she never went to see how Astin was doing at school. She was so busy trying to make a living that she never paid any attention to that. Elze stammered.
“I never thought you would say something like that...”
Seriously, Elze didn't expect Shan to say something like this. The unexpected offer felt like a surprise gift. After a long moment of silence, Elze finally whispered to him.
“Thank you, Shan.”
“...”
Shan was silent for a moment. Elze looked into his purple eyes. The eyes that were faintly swaying had no sharpness of their usual. The gaze directed at Elze was soft and gentle. At some point, he slowly opened his mouth.
"Just."
He looked at Elze blankly and spoke softly.
“Because I want to do something that you might like.”
Else opened her mouth blankly.
***
The Crown Prince's reception room was a place where he could have quiet time with important guests.
As the Emperor, who was bedridden, had not been receiving audiences for a long time, the Crown Prince's reception room was always filled with guests who wanted to be in touch with the Imperial Family.
There were only three people who could freely come and go from this drawing room, which was not open to everyone, whenever they wanted: Count Targayel, Duke Wade, and Duke Seraph.
“The agenda that Duke Seraph brought up at today’s meeting was really good. If only everyone would do as much as he did, I would have nothing left to wish for.”
Enochs responded to Raymond's words with a slight smile. He picked up the teacup with his fingertips and pretended to moisten his lips. Raymond knew that he was not actually drinking the tea, but was only pretending to, but he pretended not to know.
Raymond was well aware of Enoch Seraph's obsessive-compulsive disorder, and it was not for nothing that he pointed out such things. His personality, which was as obsessed with cleanliness as a psychopath, had made many of the Seraphs cry. Considering that Enoch worked for the imperial family, he could easily turn a blind eye to such things.
"Your Highness."
Enoch put down his teacup and spoke softly.
“Did you know that the Elijah Mercenaries have entered Targayel?”
“Ah, I know.”
Unlike Enoch, who still had tea left in his cup, Raymond drank his tea with relish. There was no sign of Raymond caring about Elijah. Enoch was silent for a moment, then spoke calmly.
“I wonder if... there might be a time when you start to think differently.”
“I have a different opinion.”
Only then did Raymond show interest. Enochs continued talking as if it were nothing.
“I think appropriate sanctions are necessary.”
To the young Crown Prince who was quietly looking at him, Enoch whispered words of solicitation disguised as advice.
“Shouldn’t Targayel not go beyond the royal family?”
“...”
Raymond put down his teacup and crossed his arms. He spoke without hiding his discomfort.
“The sanctions against Targayel are sufficient. The Count reported sufficiently to the Imperial Court before sending his private army.”
“I apologize. It seems that my concern for the well-being of the royal family was too much in my favor.”
“I am grateful that Lord Seraph is so caring, but...I have also planted enough eyes to watch over Targayel, so you do not need to worry.”
Raymond made it clear that he did not wish to discuss the matter further. Enochs immediately backed down.
“As always, Seraph simply follows the will of the royal family.”
After that, Raymond and Enochs talked a little more, and soon the meeting ended. Enochs bowed politely and left the reception room.
But Enochs frowned as soon as he got some distance from the reception room. He took out a white towel and nervously shook himself off.
“Phew.”
Enochs took out a new pair of gloves in a hurry and put them on, letting out a short breath. The short time he spent drinking tea with the Crown Prince felt like a thousand years to Enochs. Enochs cursed inwardly.
You stupid guy.
Crown Prince Raymond was under the delusion that he had tamed the beast known as Shan Crixus. Perhaps he would only come to his senses if he had his throat ripped off.
But whichever way it goes, it will all go according to one's will. Enoch's face hardened expressionlessly.
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