Chapter 238

Even so, three hundred years had passed. It was strange that no one had opened this book in all that time. Shouldn’t it have been thrown away by now?

“Are you really sure I can have this?”

After they had moved elsewhere, Princess Nailia still looked dazed, as though she hadn’t recovered from what had happened.

“His Majesty said it was fine.”

“But...”

Princess Nailia looked at Ceres. The document didn’t have the buyer’s name on it. Ceres could’ve written her own name there and made herself the owner of the mine.

“Why me?”

She couldn’t understand it. Ceres had to know how valuable the mine was. How could she give it away so easily?

“Because it belongs to the Imperial Family.”

“What?”

“It was originally Imperial property.”

If I hadn’t known, that would’ve been one thing. But I was there when the Emperor bought it. I couldn’t just keep it for myself.

“You mean it belonged to the Imperial Family?”

“That’s just how it is.”

“Even so...”

Princess Nailia still looked uneasy. Her father was delighted that the mine had ended up in the hands of the Imperial Family, but was it really all right for her to be happy about it?

What would actually change if I owned this mine?

Would it really make me a more desirable marriage prospect? Maybe it would’ve been better to put it in my brother’s name instead.

“I’d like to make you a proposal.”

“A proposal?”

Princess Nailia let out a silent sigh, then looked at Ceres in confusion.

“How about selling the minerals yourself?”

“Huh?”

“You see, I’ve recently taken on something rather troublesome.”

The person who had saddled her with it was none other than Harua, the former Duke of Schweiss.

“The capital branch?”

“Yes. I’d like you to take charge of it. I’m planning to step away from business in the capital entirely.”

“...Why me?”

“Because you’re the only one who received the Golden Token.”

“That still doesn’t explain why me.”

“It doesn’t matter if you run it into the ground. Just give it a try.”

“I’m sorry, but I have to refuse!”

“Or would you rather take over the entire Ren Trading Company? That might not be a bad idea, either.”

“......”

In the end, she couldn’t even refuse firmly and somehow became the owner of the Ren Trading Company’s capital branch.

I mean, sure, it’s just one of the many branches, but is it really okay to hand it over to just anyone like this?

What on earth made him trust me with this?

He had assigned her a highly capable manager, but that didn’t change the fact that he suddenly told her to take charge of a trading company.

“Oh my, looks like he’s finally starting your training as his successor.”

“Our Ceres will do just fine.”

“He said it wouldn’t matter even if you ran it into the ground, so you can do whatever you want.”

...Why were they always so carefree?

For some reason, the three dukes seemed delighted by Harua’s decision.

“I’d like you to take charge of that branch, Your Highness.”

“...Me?”

“I’ve already spoken to Lord Harua and received his permission.”

Before coming here, Ceres had gone to Harua to discuss it.

“You’re the owner, so you should be the one deciding whom to hire. Knowing how to manage people is a skill in itself.”

Harua had agreed more easily than Ceres expected. He had only insisted that Ceres never hand over ownership of the capital branch to anyone else.

“It’s not just minerals. I also have medicines I’ve developed. There’s been a lot of interest from other countries lately, so I was already looking for a trading company to handle the sales.”

A little while ago, Herion had contacted her to say that the Ellesia family was struggling to keep up with medicine sales on its own. They were looking for a trading company to handle the distribution.

“If you take charge, I’ll give you exclusive rights to sell those medicines.”

“......”

Princess Nailia listened with her mouth slightly open, unable to say anything for a while. Only after a long silence did she finally speak.

“...Why me?”

She wanted to know. Why her, of all people? Why offer her an opportunity like this?

“Because it seemed like you were looking for something.”

“For what?”

“For a place of your own.”

“—!”

Well, Ceres could’ve been mistaken, but whenever she looked at Princess Nailia, the princess always seemed... adrift.

Especially when she’s at the palace.

Compared to when she was elsewhere, her expression would become even more blank. She seemed detached from everything around her. It was as though all her vitality simply disappeared.

“I noticed you’re always reading the same kind of books.”

They were autobiographies, specifically those about women who had succeeded on their own. Seeing Princess Nailia constantly reading such books, Ceres made a guess.

Perhaps she wanted a life beyond being an imperial princess.

There’s another reason I feel a little responsible.

The rumors about Princess Nailia circulating in high society were partly Ceres’s fault, so she wanted to at least give her an opportunity like this.

“Of course, I’m not forcing you. As I said before, it’s only a suggestion. The choice is yours, Your Highness.”

“......”

Princess Nailia remained silent for a long while before sighing heavily.

She was right about everything. After what happened with Tonio and Aria, her life had felt so empty.

To think I’d spent all that time on... a man.

She felt so pathetic.

Then, as talk of the marriage spread, she wondered what being an imperial princess even meant. She couldn’t do anything on her own. All she could do was follow the political currents. It was suffocating.

She wanted to be someone who could stand on her own and do something with confidence, without being swayed by others even if she were no longer a princess.

“What will you do?”

“......”

At Ceres’s question, Princess Nailia picked up the mining document from the table. Holding it tightly to her chest, she smiled faintly.

“I’ll sell the medicine you made for a very high price.”

A faint smile appeared on Ceres’s lips as well.

“Yes, please sell it for a very high price.”

Of all the times Ceres had seen Princess Nailia, she never looked more alive.

***

“......”

Darkness had settled over the space. In the empty void, a single bed stood alone. Lying there as still as the dead was Prince Alex.

“Haa.”

Jutel, who had been standing silently beside him for a long time, let out a long sigh.

Should I have stopped it from the beginning?

When Veilks had said he could completely cure Prince Alex’s illness and asked Jutel to bring him over, Jutel hadn’t told the prince right away.

Something felt wrong.

Prince Alex’s medicine... and Marquis Merial, who had always taken something similar.

Ever since the Marquis had turned into a monster and died, Jutel couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. What if Alex’s medicine was the same as the Marquis’s?

But...

In the end, Jutel had no choice but to bring him to Veilks. Prince Alex’s condition suddenly became much worse.

His body, which had been struggling with a burning fever, suddenly turned ice-cold, and he lost consciousness. Jutel felt uneasy, but there was nothing else he could do. He had to take Prince Alex to Veilks.

As soon as Veilks saw him, he gave him the black liquid he always took. After taking the medicine, Prince Alex fell into a deep sleep.

Since then, Prince Alex’s body had neither turned cold nor suffered from the burning fever. He looked more comfortable than ever. But it had already been over fifteen days. He still hadn’t woken up.

“Are you planning to stay here?”

Veilks approached Jutel’s side. Jutel hadn’t even noticed when he arrived.

“When will His Highness wake up?”

“Soon.”

Veilks answered simply, his face breaking into a smile. Jutel’s expression grew more rigid. Was he really going to wake up?

“Don’t worry. He really will wake up.”

Veilks’s smile deepened as he gazed at the sleeping Prince Alex.

“In perfect condition too.”

“.....”

As Jutel looked at Veilks’s radiant face, his gaze grew even heavier.