12

If I wanted to maintain and develop that relationship, I had to give generously.

You shouldn’t look down on the Duke of Adelaira in front of you.

‘There will be a place to go in whether it’s alcohol or gambling…’

It was a well-known rumor that the crazy lady likes to drink and gamble.

However, even in the midst of this, he did not meet the son of a nobleman, and only the escort knight stood by him.

Maybe it’s not easy to use, and Zion is paying for part of the cost instead.

‘Hanet has never hit or killed anyone. It’s not like he’s swayed by alcohol or gambling.’

Even Fried was surprised at this part.

Usually, when alcohol or gambling is involved, people who get injured or die come out somehow.

However, the crazy lady hadn’t caused a single accident in the meantime, and only enjoyed drinking and gambling on a regular basis.

That’s why the Duke of Adelaira must have been constantly giving pocket money to the crazy lady.

‘Can I be relieved now?’

Before the engagement ceremony, Fried did a careful investigation of the crazy lady.

Even if he had an arranged marriage, he wouldn’t have any problems with his youngest son.

However, most of the information was based on rumors, so I had not been able to shake off my anxiety.

‘If the marriage goes through like this, I’ll be able to protect the commercial rights.’

Originally, the Marquis Regard family had been royal palace officials for generations and had maintained their power and honor.

However, the children who succeeded him could not always become royal officials, and eventually set their hands on commerce to increase their wealth.

Fried tried to protect commercial rights, as previous family heads did, and, according to his interests, entered into a marriage of convenience with the Duke of Adelaira.

‘There is a way to get attached to the Duke of Ternane… but I can’t see any more benefit.’

If he had intended to be with the duke of Ternane in the first place, he would not have proceeded with the arranged marriage.

The movements of the Duke of Ternane were unusual, and some nobles were slowly noticing them.

In other words, for Fried, the Duke of Ternane was not a good choice, and he could have been abandoned later.

‘Are you being greedy with the title of duke? If I fail, I won’t be able to handle it.’

Only once in the history of the Kingdom of Allain had an arranged marriage between the duke and the direct royal family.

The duchy, under the protection of the king, exercised endless power and force, persecuted low-ranking nobles and commoners, and extorted their labor and property.

In the end, after the king’s death, he tried to manipulate the succession to the throne, but other dukes and nobles joined forces to drive them out.

With this as an opportunity, only two families remained from the three ducal families, and later kings implicitly forbade political marriages with ducal families.

‘Even if you break up and leave, it won’t look good on you. There is no turning back now.’

It was something I had already committed to.

If you stick to one side, you have to face the other side as an enemy.

However, if he did not choose anything, he would slowly wither away and die in isolation.

‘Since the two of us came here, we should go.’

Fried came out of the office, lost in his thoughts.

I had already explained the arranged marriage to Shion, but I wasn’t sure if he understood it properly.

Even if he didn’t know, just getting along well with the crazy lady was enough to satisfy him.

‘… She’s definitely an eccentric young lady. I don’t try to look neat.’

Fried goes down the stairs and straightens his clothes.

The crazy lady only wore a dress on the day of her engagement, and otherwise wore a suit like aristocratic children.

She didn’t bother to decorate her appearance excessively, and she didn’t act gracefully and discreetly like other noble ladies.

She only appreciated the fact that she was the daughter of a duke and a woman with outstanding beauty.

‘Hmm… if Shion likes that part…’

When Fried arrives at the hall on the first floor, the butler and maids get out of the way.

Calz was out at the moment, and Shion and Hanette had just entered the mansion.

Fried was greeted by Shion and Hanette and nodded slowly.

“Have you come? I knew you were coming alone.”

“That… I suggested it first. How about going together?”

Shion calmly lies and makes eye contact with Hanette.

Harnette quickly understands the meaning and continues the conversation.

“Hmm… Since my fiancé is going back to his parents’ house, I thought it would be a good idea to come too.”

“…Did we get along well after that?”

“Umm… I couldn’t turn away because Shion treated me so well.”

Harnette struggled to come up with an excuse and answered as politely as possible.

In the first place, Marquis Reggierd should have considered herself a spoiled young lady.

It wouldn’t be of much use if I tried to do well now, but in order to show a plausible appearance, I had to decorate my words well.

‘It might have been a little different.’

Fried looks at the two of them alternately, then carefully examines Hannette.

I saw it a few times before the engagement ceremony, and checked it even more carefully on the day of the engagement.

The contrived expression had changed naturally before I knew it, and I wondered if his voice had softened a little.

It was only now that her beauty began to catch my eye, and a strange atmosphere seemed to flow out.

‘…Did Zion do something? That’s why it changed like that.’

Fried looks at Shion with a faint sense of satisfaction.

In the first place, I didn’t even expect that the character of the crazy lady would change.

Rather, I was a little worried that I might be bothering or harming Zion.

But they seemed pretty good now, and that relationship could get better in the future.

“Holy Head, what is your schedule for today?”

“I don’t leave the mansion. Why?”

“Could you please give me a moment after I finish my business? I have something to tell you.”

“i get it. I’ll be waiting for you in the office.”

Fried understood the meaning at once.

The money he had taken before leaving was probably not enough.

Originally, I wouldn’t give it up easily, but shouldn’t I follow Zion’s will this time?

“… Zion.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Looking after your business is fine, but you shouldn’t neglect your fiancé. Before being your fiancé, I am the daughter of the Duke of Adelaira.”

“All right.”

Fried looks away with cold eyes.

Harnette was startled for a moment, but her expression did not waver.

“Hanet Adelaira.”

“Yes.”

“… rest in peace and go. When you get back, ask the Duke of Adelaira how he is doing.”

“I’ll be sure to tell you.”

“I will go up first.”

Fried said that last and turned his back.

A hazy smile was drawn on his lips, and at this moment, I wondered if his steps were light.

‘Did Shion have such a talent? If it worked out, that would be it.’

* * *

The residence of the Marquis of Reggiard, the family kitchen.

If the size of the family is set to a certain extent, the kitchen is classified according to its purpose.

Families only, Employees only.

Usually, each kitchen uses different ingredients and utensils, and some families even strictly separated the chef from the chef.

In the case of the royal palace, it was more precisely divided into royal family only, bureaucrats only, and servants only.

“I got everything just as you asked.”

“You have worked hard.”

Shion goes through the herbs on the table.

The leaves were dyed blue, and the roots seemed to be soaked with yellow light.

The leaves were two-pronged, and the root was three-pronged, so I was sure it was the Lymphi Machina.

“This is a bit expensive… will it be okay?”

“it’s okay. You can earn money again.”

Shion answered Calz’s question calmly and then slowly stepped back.

There was no need to go out and pick out the herbs yourself.

As the son of a marquis, all he had to do was watch the employees work.

“Are you ready? start.”

The cooks who were waiting for Shion’s order quickly took the herbs.

Then put it in a pot and fill it up with water.

When the fire is raised, the cooks wait quietly for the water to boil.

‘I wish I could find it at once…’

Shion walks around and looks at the pots from time to time.

It may not be what you are looking for among these.

At that time, he would have to save Lymphi Machina again and do the same thing over and over again.

‘I can only hope that luck will follow me.’

The man is said to have spent years searching for medicinal herbs.

A lot of time was wasted checking the types of herbs and selection methods one by one.

Shion was able to use that method right away because he faced that person’s diary as a novel.

“I need to find the one that turned red. If the leaves and roots do not change together, they are useless.”

Shion moves busily, repeating the same words.

As the water in the pot boiled, the herbs began to change accordingly.

The cooks stirred the pot carefully, trying to find the herb Shion said.

“Not here.”

“Neither here.”

“It doesn’t seem to be here.”

Reports came from everywhere.

Shion went to each one to check the inside of the pot, and his anxiety was gradually growing.

There were only a few pots left now, and without them, it was a waste of time.

“There is not.”

“Not here either.”

It wasn’t that there was no reddened lymphi machina at all.

However, most of the leaves and roots had different colors.

The herb Shion was looking for had to turn red with its leaves and roots.

“This is… Huh?”

A chef pauses and tilts his spatula.

Then, several herbs appear one after another while attached to the spatula.

Shion shakes off his anxiety, albeit belatedly, only after confirming it himself.

“it’s okay. Just take it out.”

Other herbs had already turned mushy, but that herb had lost its moisture and maintained its intact form.

The green leaves and yellow roots turned red, and a unique fragrance spread out, albeit vaguely.

Shion checks the reddened herb over and over again and puts it down on the bowl.

“Now grind it. Bring what you have prepared.”

The cooks disperse and move busily.

One person begins to grind the reddened herb, and the other brews the prepared medicine.

That drug had been prepared in advance under Shion’s initiative, and was to be consumed along with the finely ground Lymphy Machina.

“Zion. Now I’m asking you, why are you eating that?”

Caltz looked at the drug being completed and carefully opened his mouth.

Shion thinks for a moment and then shows a smirk.

“They say it’s good for stamina?”

“what?”

“…?”

Harnette flinched at the sudden answer.

Calz glanced at Hannett and was speechless.

“It’s a joke. Could it be that I would do this because of my energy?”

“Isn’t it? I knew.”

“Sigh…”

Hannette glared at Shion with a displeased expression on her face.

Shion felt that gaze and looked down at the powdered Lymphy Machina.

‘As long as I get mind control immunity with this and drink the holy water… I can freely use the demonic sword of darkness.’