“Sharon!” Julien stopped me with a flustered expression. “Why are you leaving?”
He knew it, didn’t he? That he wasn’t old enough to smoke.
I shrugged. “I don’t like the smoke.”
Julien, who always acted maturely, suddenly looked mischievous. I shook my head and put on a disappointed expression. I took back my hand that Julien had grabbed and started to leave like I had originally intended.
But I failed again.
Julien’s large hand grabbed my wrist.
He had responded quickly. My tactic was much more effective than I expected.
“Sorry. I won’t do it. I won’t even touch one again.”
“What?”
I tilted my head and smiled provokingly, pretending not to understand.
“The cigar,” Julien said, determined. He took out the cigar case from his pocket and placed it on top of the terrace railing. “So, don’t leave. Don’t turn your back on me.”
I was a little dazed. I realized once again that raising kids was a learning experience for both parties.
Sometimes, apathy could act as well as any scolding.
I found myself smiling sincerely.
Julien was a good kid.
Everyone in the world needed to know about how good the prince was. It was stupid, but I wanted to brag about him.
“Good thinking, Liya.”
Julien’s earlobe turned red, like he was caught off-guard by the praise.
He wasn’t just good; he was also cute.
"Oh, right! I haven’t given you your present yet!”
I brought out the red bracelet that I worked hard to make last night.
It was a little weird, thinking about the time Carol flipped out at the maids because of a bracelet. But since she continued wearing a bracelet like she would never part with it, Julien, who had similar tastes, would probably like one too.
“…Did you make this yourself?”
“Yeah. I’m surprisingly skillful at crafts.”
I hated moving around, so I was good at sitting down and not exercising.
“It’s a bracelet that grants wishes. You have to wear it until it breaks. That way, your wish will come true.”
The bracelet on his left wrist suited him well.
I knew that I matched it right. The color was just like the prince’s red hair.
"Do you like it?”
“…Very much.“
Julien said after staring at the bracelet for a long time. He was so adorable that I laughed.
I figured that the kids would like something like this better than material objects.
In the novel, both Carol and Julien wanted to be loved. To live the life that they wanted, to be loved, and to live while loving.
While making the bracelet last night, I had repeated one thought over and over.
I wished for these kids’ happiness with all my heart.
***
"You should have brought Sharon with you.” Aruna smacked her lips at the missed opportunity.
Sharon was a mysterious beauty and a famous name in the empire. Many of the people who had spoken with Carol today had wanted to get the chance to talk to Sharon.
Aruna was one of them, though she had been blocked by Carol’s iron wall.
“Forget it. Don’t even dream about Sharon,” Carol replied fiercely.
“Huh. Is this conversation boring you? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to talk with someone so beautiful!”
“It’s wrong.”
“Oh, you. You’re too much!”
Carol ignored her friend’s complaining and took a sip of her drink. Carol’s gaze followed Sharon as she headed for a terrace.
‘Didn’t Julien go there just now?’
The tip of Carol’s lips slanted up.
“What- why! Why are you smiling like that? You’re making me nervous.”
Carol’s friends took a step back from her.
"Just because. I thought about something nice.”
Carol didn’t like Julien much, but Julien liked Sharon. And Julien had an obstinate side to him that could be enough to change Sharon’s heart.
Carol saw that Sharon seemed to have different thoughts on her mind. A little while ago, she had hesitated when Carol asked her to stay after Carol got married. Carol paid a lot of attention to Sharon, and she noticed everything suspicious about her.
It was because she was addicted to the person named Sharon, who had entered her life like a gift. Of course, it wasn’t just Carol who was addicted.
Sharon had also tamed that affection-deficient beast, Julien.
'It’s all his fault.’
The feelings that Carol had never revealed to Sharon surfaced on her face.
“Why are you doing that…? I don’t even want to know what you’re thinking. It’s scary.”
“It’s nothing much,” Carol said, stretching out her words. She set down the cup.
“By the way, Carol. Are you really going to marry Julien?”
“When you become empress… Wow. It’ll be the end of the world.”
“You’ll go down in history as the worst empress ever. Isn’t that a problem? You and Julien pull each other’s hair and fight every day.”
“It’ll be a disgrace to the nation. Seriously.“
Carol looked around at her friends that openly spoke poorly of her. “Who knows?”
"What?”
Carol’s voice turned to a whisper. “I don’t know what’ll happen.”
As they looked at Carol’s smile, her friends crossed their arms and hugged themselves.
“Ooh. I’m getting goosebumps.”
Carol didn’t care about those words.
Marrying Julien? She’d never do it, even if the sky split in two.
Carol had her own ambitions to inherit the duchy.
She claimed dibs, and she had no intention of letting it slip away from her. Also, her father (who had become kind after her injury) brought up starting her on classes for succession next year.
Things were going smoothly. Carol curled her lips.
'It’s perfect. Except for Sharon’s situation.’
Everything would be worthless if Sharon wasn’t there at the end.
'Julien better treat her well.’
He better not let Sharon think about leaving.
Unbeknownst to Sharon, Carol’s misunderstandings were gradually stacking up.
***
Three days after Julien’s birthday, it was time for me to start my next plan.
Carol had gone out with her friends, and I had invited Huran over. We were sitting in the parlor. Madame DeJoue, who looked after all of my affairs, sat beside him.
“It’s been a while, Huran.”
“Yes, Lady Sharon. Your beauty is blinding me.”
“Isn’t it because the sun’s behind me?”
“Ah! Drat. I’ve been caught.”
After playfully exchanging greetings, we fixed our postures and sat properly. I wanted to take care of this before Carol came back.
"Huran, Madame DeJoue. I need to start a new business.”
"Oh? What type…?”
“I’m going to buy magic stones.”
When monsters were killed, the magic stones they left behind were useless. The magic stones that the knights collected belonged to the imperial family and were handed to the imperial wizards, but monster hunters just buried them in the ground.
However, the academy announced last month that magic stones did have value.
Magic stones were normally used in tools to amplify one’s magic, but it was discovered that they could be made into tools that even those without magic could use.
Using the abundant magic of the stones, people could safely fire up a fireplace or have light at night without candles.
That world was not far away.
According to the original story, on the day before Julien’s birthday, the self-governing organization, 'National People’s Council,’ would have checked the first consort’s business group’s interest in buying magic stones.
This was because the academy collaborated with the National People’s Council on the research.
However, since the first consort’s group did not have many magic stones, the contract would be delayed for about a month.
I was thinking of filling that gap during this time.
“Madame DeJoue. The first consort is going to buy magic stones from the monster hunters soon.”
"You plan to snatch…?”
Madame DeJoue’s eyes gleamed darkly.
“No! Not that, but… In exchange for sponsoring monster hunters, we receive the magic stones.”
"Magic stones are useless objects, though.”
“If the first consort offers them money, the monster hunters will hand over their magical stones to her!”
“…They dare?”
“Excuse me?”
Madame DeJoue shook her head at my confusion.
“It’s nothing. Your words are reasonable. But why do you suddenly need magic stones?”
"Ah. In a little while, the magic stones will be worth more than gold.”
Actually, what was even more important than making magic tools was the fact that the National People’s Council would make a teleportation device.
The imperial court would formally announce it soon.
“Are you saying that we should become the broker for magic stones before the first consort does?”
Huran neatly summarized my plan.
"That’s right, Huran. The magic stones will bring us a lot of money.”
“…How do you know all these state secrets?”
I shrugged and smiled brightly.
“It’s a trade secret.”
“…I guess it must be.”
“Currently, there are eighteen monster hunting groups in the empire, but only five major groups. Do you want to make a contract with just those five?”
“Yes, that’s enough.”
The first consort would not be able to get anything from the smaller groups.
Madame DeJoue held out the thickest of the documents Huran brought over.
“You have to specify how many magic stones you want and how much you are willing to spend. Carefully!”
I picked up a pen and immediately began to write.
'I will buy all the magic stones in the empire.’
Then I pulled out a blank checkbook, tore out a page, and signed it. I held the torn piece between my fingers and presented it to Huran.
“I will pay as much as they want and as much as their conscience allows them to accept.”
Heh. I looked cool just now, didn’t I?
Huran burst into laughter and took the check from my hand.
“Lady Sharon. Was that being careful just now? You can’t bluff like that with mercenaries! Do you think mercenaries have consciences?”
A monster hunter was a type of mercenary.
“…Madame DeJoue, you were a mercenary, too.”
"Yes! That’s why I know this well! Do you think I have a conscience?”
…What?
“Ah, excuse me. I became overexcited. Ignore that, milady. Anyway. You must take it back. Mercenaries are already supposed to prioritize their first contract… I’ll take care of this issue.”
Madame DeJoue took the check from Huran and tore it up.
"Ah. I think we also need to create a small business group. It’s necessary to have a name for the group to become the broker for magic stones.”
“Hmm. That won’t be difficult. What’s a good name for the business?”
I thought over it for a moment.
Carol?
No. That would be too flashy.
Julien?
That was even more noticable…
Ah, my naming sense!
Ah!
“Caju’s Group. How about that?”
“You’re using the first syllable of Lady Carol and His Highness Julien’s names.“
Madam DeJoue said, understanding me right away.
“I tried my best.”
As I looked away as Madame DeJoue shrugged.
“Did I say something wrong?”
Oh, how mean.
“Who do you want to register as the leader of the group?”
I turned toward Huran.
“Um… How about Madame DeJoue?”
She was the person I could make the best use of.