Episode 102. Kalin's Ingenuity
She thought about what she had to do now, her eyes burning with resentment.
When Kalin went downstairs with her disheveled hair and swollen eyes, the servants frowned. However, no one spoke to her.
She went to her father's office and said,
"Father, please take out the 'Red Tears'."
"Kalin, what are you talking about?"
"We have to get back the investment rights for the steel mill. Revenge begins after that."
Orl went to the Empress and handed her a box.
"What is this, Orl?"
"It's my gift. I brought it myself because I wanted to see Your Majesty, the Empress, happy."
"...!"
The Empress opened the box and couldn't continue speaking.
"Orl! Oh my, Orl!"
The Empress held the 'Red Tears' tightly and shed tears. Even her breathing became ragged.
Then Orl got up and put the necklace on her.
“Kalin Ankart offered this. I have just realized that it is not for me.”
The Empress asked, carefully touching the red diamond with her fingertips.
“Did you return the investment rights for the steel mill?”
“Yes.”
“You foolish child. You have held on to something that is not yours for so long.”
Orl said meaningfully.
“She will probably try to get revenge on Grayon and gain my recognition again. The competition is quiet, so I will spend the time watching it, Your Majesty.”
“Yes. You need to have more fun.”
The empress smiled happily with Orl.
12. Unexpected Solution
She thought about what she had to do now, her eyes burning with resentment.
When Kalin went downstairs with her disheveled hair and swollen eyes, the servants frowned. However, no one spoke to her.
She went to her father's office and said,
"Father, please take out the 'Red Tears'."
"Kalin, what are you talking about?"
"We have to get back the investment rights for the steel mill. Revenge begins after that."
***
Orl went to the Empress and handed her a box.
"What is this, Orl?"
"It's my gift. I brought it myself because I wanted to see Your Majesty, the Empress, happy."
"...!"
The Empress opened the box and couldn't continue speaking.
"Orl! Oh my, Orl!"
The Empress held the 'Red Tears' tightly and shed tears. Even her breathing became ragged.
Then Orl got up and put the necklace on her.
“Kalin Ankart offered this. I have just realized that it is not for me.”
The Empress asked, carefully touching the red diamond with her fingertips.
“Did you return the investment rights for the steel mill?”
“Yes.”
“You foolish child. You have held on to something that is not yours for so long.”
Orl said meaningfully.
“She will probably try to get revenge on Grayon and gain my recognition again. The competition is quiet, so I will spend the time watching it, Your Majesty.”
“Yes. You need to have more fun.”
The empress smiled happily with Orl.
***
12. Unexpected Solution
After my suspension, I went back and forth between my room and the backyard to laze around. However, after a few days, I got tired of that.
I went to Director Whined Royman’s lab for the first time in a long while.
“Miss Loire. It’s been a while.”
“Director, I was wondering if there was anything I could help you with. I have a lot of time today.”
Then, the director stopped busy preparing the medicine and looked at me with concern.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m on probation. Hehe.”
The director frowned slightly at my fake smile.
However, when I started to gather the scattered herb peels on the floor and sweep them away, he shrugged his shoulders and continued working.
“How did you get probation?”
“Um... For bad conduct?”
“No, where is there a lady as careful as Miss Loire!”
“...That’s right.”
I recalled my kiss with Prince Kydel and felt annoyed at myself for not being able to answer right away. And I was also slightly disappointed in Director Royman.
I went to Director Whined Royman’s lab for the first time in a long while.
“Miss Loire. It’s been a while.”
“Director, I was wondering if there was anything I could help you with. I have a lot of time today.”
Then, the director stopped busy preparing the medicine and looked at me with concern.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m on probation. Hehe.”
The director frowned slightly at my fake smile.
However, when I started to gather the scattered herb peels on the floor and sweep them away, he shrugged his shoulders and continued working.
“How did you get probation?”
“Um... For bad conduct?”
“No, where is there a lady as careful as Miss Loire!”
“...That’s right.”
I recalled my kiss with Prince Kydel and felt annoyed at myself for not being able to answer right away. And I was also slightly disappointed in Director Royman.
He told me to be careful. I thought the director was someone who couldn’t say anything, but it seemed like he wasn’t really like that.
I silently threw away the herb peels and took the pile of herbs from the corner of the workbench and started peeling them.
And small talk was essential in this kind of manual work.
“But how did you become close with Prince Kydel?”
My prediction that Director Royman would rather talk than look was right.
He opened his mouth with a hollow cough.
“This is a story that not many people know about...”
“Please, please.”
The director hesitated, but when I pressed him, he shrugged his shoulders as if he could not resist.
“Miss Loire, this is a secret. Can you promise not to tell anyone?”
“Of course, of course.”
When I nodded vigorously, the director cleared his throat and began to talk.
Once the conversation started, the director’s story became unnecessarily detailed, and he lost track of the story and jumped around. Anyway, the story was as follows.
A few years ago, the director was conducting an alchemy experiment in this lab when an explosion occurred. Prince Kydel, who happened to be nearby, carried the unconscious man out of the burning lab.
He was working in the palace pharmacy as a means of making a living as an alchemist, so he cried that this accident ended both his research and his livelihood.
The director explained the research he was doing, and although hr couldn’t understand everything, it was clear that he was knowledgeable in many fields. He said that he studied everything because he thought it could be applied to alchemy research.
Anyway, when he came to his senses and was in despair as he looked at the smoke coming out of the laboratory, the palace soldiers came running.
Prince Kydel apologized to them, saying that he had spilled the medicine and caused the accident, and he paid for all the damage.
“Why did Prince Kydel do that?”
“I was curious, so I asked him, and he said, ‘I like dreamers, Director.’”
And the director declared with a stern face,
“But alchemy is not a realm of dreams. It’s just a struggle between hidden secrets and humans.”
“Ah...”
Now, the liquid was nicely gathering in his flask.
“Anyway, even though he said so, it seems to me that he just enjoys helping people.”
“That seems to be the case...”
It certainly seemed that way. What’s so pretty about it? He couldn’t just pass up the moment I needed help.
“Because my job is my job, I was wary at first. I was worried that he might try to find out information about who made what medicine... But that never happened. So we just developed a pure friendship.”
‘Except for making explosive arrows?’
The moment I thought about that, Director Royman must have thought of it too, because he suddenly looked into the air for a moment and shook his head. Before I knew it, there was a pile of herb peels on my lap.
“That’s an amazing story.”
“What about Miss Loire? How did your relationship with the Prince come about? I was honestly surprised when we met again that night.”
In the royal library, the director had been suspicious of me. He wondered what the herbalist was doing here with the Prince.
I also frowned involuntarily as I recalled my first meeting with Prince Kydel.
“That was a coincidence.”
“A coincidence?”
“I saw the Prince grabbing a woman’s wrist while walking down the street, so I thought he was a thug. She was actually a pickpocket!”
“Oh my, that’s so bad!”
“I told you I swore at him.”
“Miss Loire?”
The director was so shocked that I felt embarrassed. I thought he had misunderstood me.
The director said solemnly.
“Miss Loire mustered up the courage to do something you normally wouldn’t do because of your sense of justice.”
“Ah... yes, well...”
The director seemed to have misunderstood me. I quickly continued.
“Then later, I ran into Count Loire again, and he was the lion cub of the Kydel family, wasn’t he? My heart almost stopped then.”
“Of course! Hmm... I think I now understand why the Prince treats Miss Loire so specially.”
“Huh? Special, you say!”
I shook the herb tightly in my grip, feeling wronged. But the director was indifferent.
“What do you think the imperial ladies’ reactions would be when they saw Prince Kydel?”
“‘Whoa’? ‘Mom’? ‘I love you’...?”
I answered whatever came to mind during the heated conversation, but I felt embarrassed as I spoke.
The director nodded and said,
“Look at that.”
“Huh... Are you saying that the Prince treats me specially because I swore at him when we first met instead of falling in love with him?”
“That’s exactly it, Miss Loire.”
I furrowed my brows.
“How serious of a pervert does the director think he is?”
“Hmm. Miss Loire, do you know what alchemy and the male mind have in common?”
I don’t know what they have in common, but I knew that I would despise his answer right now.
I answered briefly.
“No.”
“It’s that it produces unexpected, explosive results.”
“...”
I got up in a hurry and dusted off my clothes. Then I put the trimmed herbs in a basket and swept away the bark that had fallen on the floor.
“I’ll go now, Director.”
He was surprised to see the herbs I had trimmed.
“I’m sorry for giving you so many.”
“Oh, don’t mention it.”
But my answer was soulless.
Alchemy and the male mind?
Anyway, I was a little disappointed in the director. It’s not that I disliked him one bit.
“Then I’ll come visit again.”
“You’re always welcome, Miss Loire.”
When I opened the door, my eyes met with the servant’s, who was about to knock on the door with his fist raised.
“Are you Maid Loire?”
“Yes?”
“Please come to the Second Prince’s Palace now.”
I headed to the Second Prince’s Palace, feeling extremely nervous. Even though we were both from the same Tagar, the tension that Her Highness the Princess and His Highness Grayon gave me was different.
I didn’t know why His Highness Grayon had called me, but it was definitely not going to end pleasantly.
Furthermore, meeting Prince Kydel was now even more awkward and burdensome.
His Highness Grayon was sitting on the balcony, drinking tea and wiping his sword with a pure white cotton cloth. I glanced around, but Prince Kydel was not there.
He put the sword down on the table when I greeted him. The steaming tea and the polished, shiny longsword formed a peculiar contrast.
'You're not wiping the sword to use on me, are you?'
When my gaze did not leave the sword, His Highness Grayon said coldly.
"It's mine."
"Yes, Your Highness... It's a beautiful sword."
When I suddenly came to my senses and answered, he snickered.
"Don't worry, I don't plan on beheading anyone today."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
My answer revealed my true feelings, and I wanted to collapse to the ground in embarrassment. His Highness Grayon also made a trembling expression.
"You were put on probation by Milliora, right?"
"It was my fault, I apologize, Your Highness."
"That wasn't your fault, was it?"
His Highness Grayon said that as if he were being a little sarcastic. It was obvious that he knew everything that Prince Kydel had been up to.
So you know it wasn't my fault!
I often feel this way, but these two are needlessly close.
Regardless, I wanted to get out of here quickly.
"Why did you call me today?"
I silently threw away the herb peels and took the pile of herbs from the corner of the workbench and started peeling them.
And small talk was essential in this kind of manual work.
“But how did you become close with Prince Kydel?”
My prediction that Director Royman would rather talk than look was right.
He opened his mouth with a hollow cough.
“This is a story that not many people know about...”
“Please, please.”
The director hesitated, but when I pressed him, he shrugged his shoulders as if he could not resist.
“Miss Loire, this is a secret. Can you promise not to tell anyone?”
“Of course, of course.”
When I nodded vigorously, the director cleared his throat and began to talk.
Once the conversation started, the director’s story became unnecessarily detailed, and he lost track of the story and jumped around. Anyway, the story was as follows.
A few years ago, the director was conducting an alchemy experiment in this lab when an explosion occurred. Prince Kydel, who happened to be nearby, carried the unconscious man out of the burning lab.
He was working in the palace pharmacy as a means of making a living as an alchemist, so he cried that this accident ended both his research and his livelihood.
The director explained the research he was doing, and although hr couldn’t understand everything, it was clear that he was knowledgeable in many fields. He said that he studied everything because he thought it could be applied to alchemy research.
Anyway, when he came to his senses and was in despair as he looked at the smoke coming out of the laboratory, the palace soldiers came running.
Prince Kydel apologized to them, saying that he had spilled the medicine and caused the accident, and he paid for all the damage.
“Why did Prince Kydel do that?”
“I was curious, so I asked him, and he said, ‘I like dreamers, Director.’”
And the director declared with a stern face,
“But alchemy is not a realm of dreams. It’s just a struggle between hidden secrets and humans.”
“Ah...”
Now, the liquid was nicely gathering in his flask.
“Anyway, even though he said so, it seems to me that he just enjoys helping people.”
“That seems to be the case...”
It certainly seemed that way. What’s so pretty about it? He couldn’t just pass up the moment I needed help.
“Because my job is my job, I was wary at first. I was worried that he might try to find out information about who made what medicine... But that never happened. So we just developed a pure friendship.”
‘Except for making explosive arrows?’
The moment I thought about that, Director Royman must have thought of it too, because he suddenly looked into the air for a moment and shook his head. Before I knew it, there was a pile of herb peels on my lap.
“That’s an amazing story.”
“What about Miss Loire? How did your relationship with the Prince come about? I was honestly surprised when we met again that night.”
In the royal library, the director had been suspicious of me. He wondered what the herbalist was doing here with the Prince.
I also frowned involuntarily as I recalled my first meeting with Prince Kydel.
“That was a coincidence.”
“A coincidence?”
“I saw the Prince grabbing a woman’s wrist while walking down the street, so I thought he was a thug. She was actually a pickpocket!”
“Oh my, that’s so bad!”
“I told you I swore at him.”
“Miss Loire?”
The director was so shocked that I felt embarrassed. I thought he had misunderstood me.
The director said solemnly.
“Miss Loire mustered up the courage to do something you normally wouldn’t do because of your sense of justice.”
“Ah... yes, well...”
The director seemed to have misunderstood me. I quickly continued.
“Then later, I ran into Count Loire again, and he was the lion cub of the Kydel family, wasn’t he? My heart almost stopped then.”
“Of course! Hmm... I think I now understand why the Prince treats Miss Loire so specially.”
“Huh? Special, you say!”
I shook the herb tightly in my grip, feeling wronged. But the director was indifferent.
“What do you think the imperial ladies’ reactions would be when they saw Prince Kydel?”
“‘Whoa’? ‘Mom’? ‘I love you’...?”
I answered whatever came to mind during the heated conversation, but I felt embarrassed as I spoke.
The director nodded and said,
“Look at that.”
“Huh... Are you saying that the Prince treats me specially because I swore at him when we first met instead of falling in love with him?”
“That’s exactly it, Miss Loire.”
I furrowed my brows.
“How serious of a pervert does the director think he is?”
“Hmm. Miss Loire, do you know what alchemy and the male mind have in common?”
I don’t know what they have in common, but I knew that I would despise his answer right now.
I answered briefly.
“No.”
“It’s that it produces unexpected, explosive results.”
“...”
I got up in a hurry and dusted off my clothes. Then I put the trimmed herbs in a basket and swept away the bark that had fallen on the floor.
“I’ll go now, Director.”
He was surprised to see the herbs I had trimmed.
“I’m sorry for giving you so many.”
“Oh, don’t mention it.”
But my answer was soulless.
Alchemy and the male mind?
Anyway, I was a little disappointed in the director. It’s not that I disliked him one bit.
“Then I’ll come visit again.”
“You’re always welcome, Miss Loire.”
When I opened the door, my eyes met with the servant’s, who was about to knock on the door with his fist raised.
“Are you Maid Loire?”
“Yes?”
“Please come to the Second Prince’s Palace now.”
***
I headed to the Second Prince’s Palace, feeling extremely nervous. Even though we were both from the same Tagar, the tension that Her Highness the Princess and His Highness Grayon gave me was different.
I didn’t know why His Highness Grayon had called me, but it was definitely not going to end pleasantly.
Furthermore, meeting Prince Kydel was now even more awkward and burdensome.
His Highness Grayon was sitting on the balcony, drinking tea and wiping his sword with a pure white cotton cloth. I glanced around, but Prince Kydel was not there.
He put the sword down on the table when I greeted him. The steaming tea and the polished, shiny longsword formed a peculiar contrast.
'You're not wiping the sword to use on me, are you?'
When my gaze did not leave the sword, His Highness Grayon said coldly.
"It's mine."
"Yes, Your Highness... It's a beautiful sword."
When I suddenly came to my senses and answered, he snickered.
"Don't worry, I don't plan on beheading anyone today."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
My answer revealed my true feelings, and I wanted to collapse to the ground in embarrassment. His Highness Grayon also made a trembling expression.
"You were put on probation by Milliora, right?"
"It was my fault, I apologize, Your Highness."
"That wasn't your fault, was it?"
His Highness Grayon said that as if he were being a little sarcastic. It was obvious that he knew everything that Prince Kydel had been up to.
So you know it wasn't my fault!
I often feel this way, but these two are needlessly close.
Regardless, I wanted to get out of here quickly.
"Why did you call me today?"
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