I Became a Childhood Friend With the Villainous Saintess - Chapter 172



172 – The Meeting (7)

A quiet tea house in a corner of Edelmarion.

The milk tea in the teacup had a unique, soft aroma.

But the only thing that was soft was the taste and aroma of milk tea.

The crown prince put down his teacup, looking even more haggard than before.

My hands were shaking so much that I didn’t even have the energy to properly hold the glass.

Although it is not widely known in the Empire, the Crown Prince would have already risen to the rank of Sword Master at this point.

If not, then at least you’re facing a wall.

The greatest bloodline. Since there was the bonus of being the main male protagonist, the realm of the crown prince was never something to be taken lightly.

That kind of person is now just shaking his hand to the point of raising a teacup.

To be honest, it looked like a time bomb that hadn’t exploded.

“… … I see. I guess that means it exists.”

“Would you like to make a deal?”

“That’s what will happen. Unless there’s some kind of secret collusion, this is the only chance. The imperial family wouldn’t do something like that, right?”

“She is not a trustworthy woman.”

“I know. But since when did you start doing business by trusting the other party? You do it because you need to.”

The crown prince squeezed his eyes shut.

He looks exhausted, as if he hasn’t slept at all since meeting us.

It was obvious to my eyes that the man named Karzan Edelmar was slowly falling apart.

Sirien stared blankly at the crown prince.

A small sigh escaped my lips, but then a cold tone firmly drew the line.

“To put it bluntly, whatever deal Your Majesty has with Gamigin is none of my concern. The help I have given you so far was due to personal connections, and was not my actions as the Grand Duke of Illencia.”

“I know. I appreciate it.”

“So I won’t bother to dissuade Your Majesty. It’s not my job to persuade you, and I don’t think you’ll listen to anything I say.”

“I will listen carefully.”

It didn’t seem like a very confident attitude.

Emotionally, I understood. If I were in the same situation, I would have been no different from the crown prince.

I will do whatever it takes to save Sirien.

I wouldn’t have listened to what other people were saying.

But the man in front of her is none other than the crown prince.

In the original, they were enemies, but that hasn’t happened yet.

One way or another, he is the core of the empire.

If the imperial family was digging in the center, no matter how hard Sirien tried to hold out at the border, it would be in vain.

“Please send a representative to Gamigin. If His Majesty shows up in person, it is a handshake.”

“There aren’t many people who can offer a deal to Gamigin right now anyway. You probably have a vague idea. What difference would it make if I don’t step forward myself?”

“If the deal is to be fair, you must not show any weakness. If Your Majesty comes forward in that form, I cannot even imagine what Gamigin will demand.”

“… …Do I look that bad?”

I said it nicely, but no. In fact, isn’t the speech not that nice?

Anyway, the meaning behind Sirien’s venomous remarks was even sharper.

The current crown prince is nothing but the weakness of the empire.

It means that if you show that kind of appearance to someone, you will be completely robbed, so you should put someone else in front and hide in a corner quietly.

In other words, it was said that the Crown Prince’s appearance was so bad that it was unbearable to look at.

“Yes. Could it be that you didn’t hear anything until it got to that point? I shouldn’t have been the first one to complain to Your Majesty.”

“I just heard from my close associates that he looked a little tired. I didn’t know it was that serious.”

“If I were to tell you, I would have cleaned up my entourage. It would be better not to have a minister who cannot speak his mind. Has the empire been so short of talented people?”

“I understand what you mean. I will heed the Archduke’s advice.”

It was a little bit fortunate.

Because it seemed like the Crown Prince’s gaze was beginning to come to life.

Were you originally the type of person who needed to hear harsh words to come to your senses?

It didn’t look like that.

After a few more words were exchanged, the brief tea time was coming to an end.

Sirien put down her teacup and stared into space for a moment.

It seemed like she was thinking about something. Sirien was the first to get up after finishing her thoughts.

“Anyway, I’ve finished all the work I was asked to do, so I’ll be going now.”

“Oh, that’s right. There will be good news about the distribution of the Red Magic Stones soon. Will that be enough to compensate for this matter?”

“Yes. I wish you a speedy recovery, Miss Ellis.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as she came out of the tea house, Sirien stopped for a moment.

The space between her eyebrows narrowed slightly. It seemed as if something was bothering her.

I was confident that I could read Sirien’s expression accurately, even if I didn’t know about other people.

“Is there anything that concerns you?”

“It’s still unsettling. Humans have been ruined to such an extent, yet their attitude is strangely calm. They even have the leeway to accept other advice.”

So, did you give advice like using a substitute or cleaning up the surroundings?

To see how the Crown Prince reacts.

“Isn’t it just about holding on with mental strength?”

“If that were possible, you wouldn’t have shown yourself like that in front of me. What should I say… … I feel like there’s a last resort left. The worst has already been avoided, so you’re looking for a better way? There must be something I don’t know about.”

“That’s a possible story.”

“I don’t have a good feeling about this. Even if it’s a little dangerous, I need to know what the Crown Prince is doing. Once I’ve intervened, it’s no longer someone else’s story.”

Declaration of intent to investigate the Crown Prince.

The subject being investigated is the Sword Master, and the escorts around him are at least capable of dealing with one Sword Master.

A person capable of secretly pursuing such a target was rare across the continent.

“Isha is going to have a hard time again.”

* * *

The mansion of the Baron of Isquente was as lively as ever.

The cause was, of course, the Baron. Since the lord himself maintained high tension without any self-control, it was inevitable that the servants would be affected as well.

The Baron went out into the garden early in the morning.

“The weather is nice today! I hope you all have a nice day like this sunny day!”

“Good morning, Baron.”

“Oh, Officer Carriet. Are you coming back from the morning service today?”

“That’s right. It’s a little longer than usual today. I guess I get older and have more thoughts.”

“Haha, you are sincere.”

Cariot stroked the silver rosary with her hand.

Could this really be called the behavior of a believer of order? He prayed in a small chapel within the estate at a set time every day.

I once asked him why he never missed a single day, but now that it’s become a routine, he says he feels empty if he doesn’t do it.

The Baron nodded.

“I guess because of my personality, I find it difficult to pray earnestly. That’s why I feel respect when I see faithful people like saints or clerks.”

“Instead, your Majesty, you take care of your lands with all your heart and soul every day. I think that is something to be respected. If you could just be a little more serious and less impulsive on a daily basis, that is.”

“In times like this, couldn’t you have just praised me?”

“If you don’t do this, he won’t listen.”

If I drag this topic any further, I’ll just get nagged.

Baron Iskente rolled his extraordinary head.

As it turned out, he had a suitable agenda. He already had a reason to seek out Officer Carriet.

The Baron took a letter out of his bosom.

The seal imprinted is that of the Grand Duke of Illencia.

And most of the news that came from Illencia in the Barondom of Isquente was good news.

I would say it was the best investment the Baron has ever made.

“The news has finally arrived regarding the distribution of the Red Magic Stone! I don’t know what kind of magic our saint has used, but the road ahead is now open.”

“That’s great news. Can I take a closer look?”

“Of course. I’ll have to do some calculations to know the details, but even if I just give a rough estimate, the financial flow of the territory will be completely blown. At this level, we can change everything from what our soldiers eat to what they wear right away!”

The Baron jumped up and down like a child.

Before he knew it, his imagination was running wild in his head.

He was seen handing out alcohol and meat to soldiers on the front lines and receiving cheers.

How difficult a fight has it been to face the harsh wall of reality?

The Baron was starting to think of a mountain of things he wanted to do as he thought about having more money to spend right away.

Creativity is flowing!

Only innovation! You may be able to achieve amazing feats that have never been heard of in other nobles’ estates.

I have to do something that would surprise even the saint.

Cariot poured cold water on his imagination.

“No.”

“Right? I think beer would be better than rum to serve to the soldiers. This time, should we hold a festival with a beer theme?”

“I said no. Your Majesty, there are more than one or two places in the territory that need repairs. It was you who said you would collect the pomegranates. Before trying something new, you should first solidify your position. I will organize the use of the funds separately and submit a document.”

“Ah… … I see. Now that I think about it, even if the funds come in, we’ll need to buy about 20% of the red magic stones… … The battle lines have been in disarray recently, so we’ll also need to repair the walls… … ”

The Baron became depressed in an instant.