TVBDP 10

Chapter 10

Varden glared at me suspiciously.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Listen. You know how the cycle of monster attacks, which originally occurred once every ten years, has been getting shorter and shorter? You participated in the recent battle too.”

“Hmm.”

“This latest large-scale monster attack happened only five years after the previous battle. The next battle will definitely be even larger, and it will happen within three years.”

Varden blinked as he listened to me, then stared at me in astonishment.

“What?!”

“That’s what I’m saying. I’ve finally grown up. As you know, I’m far too inadequate to represent the ducal family. I’ve caused plenty of trouble until now, too.”

I deliberately sighed, clasped my hands together in remorse, and held them against my chest while sneaking a glance at Varden to gauge his reaction.

He looked completely caught off guard, his mouth hanging open.

He really was an honest reactor.

As if he couldn’t quite gather his thoughts, he rubbed his forehead before speaking.

“W-Wait. So you’re saying the next monster attack will be on a large scale, and it’ll happen again within three years? What’s your basis for saying that?”

“I’ve been studying history lately and checking the intervals between major events, and that’s what I found. Look.”

I quickly went to my study and brought back a sheet of paper.

I had meticulously organized major events by year, and I had underlined the sections concerning battles with monsters in red.

“Look at this.”

“…So you really have been studying lately.”

“Of course.”

When Varden openly expressed his admiration, I grinned.

Even in my previous life, whenever I studied history, I used to write down every event chronologically and memorize them that way, almost obsessively.

It may have been a little weird, but I found it strangely exhilarating.

I used the same study method here, too, and while enjoying that familiar sense of satisfaction, I noticed the intervals between events and decided to check them more carefully.

The original story had never mentioned any signs that a large-scale monster attack would occur so soon.

‘Well, the heroine and hero will probably team up and defeat the monsters somehow. It has nothing to do with me.’

Varden carefully read through the years and events densely written on the paper I had handed him. His expression gradually became more serious.

Varden was an excellent mage and also had extensive combat experience.

He must have sensed that something was wrong far more strongly than I had.

“…To be honest, I thought you were talking nonsense. But looking at the document you gave me, that’s a surprisingly well-founded claim.”

“Right?”

When I grinned, Varden narrowed his eyes.

“You were always smart from a young age. How did you manage to discover something like this, too?”

“Hehe. I’m rather intelligent. So from now on, I want to live peacefully and happily under Father and my brother!”

Please.

I moved closer to Varden and gazed at him with sparkling eyes.

In truth, if I knew how to use magic, I wouldn’t have needed to give Varden this much credit or build such a close relationship with him.

But I still didn’t know how to use magic.

The reason I’d been so shocked when I read the copy of 《Basic Theory of Magic》 that I’d secretly taken from the library earlier was because I couldn’t understand its contents at all.

The illustrations composed of strange, interconnected shapes made no sense to me, and I couldn’t read the explanations about magic either.

It was as if I had suddenly developed dyslexia.

Other books were perfectly fine, so why did I react this way only to books about magic?

At this point, I really felt like an empty shell that had lost every ability except for my status as the duke’s daughter.

I took another step toward Varden, narrowing the distance between us with an earnest look in my eyes.

Varden recoiled in disgust.

“W-Why are you doing this?!”

“Hmm. Brother. You still can’t forgive my past behavior, can you? You’re still ashamed of me.”

“……”

“I understand. Then I’ll tell Father that I was the one who came up with that organizational method and confess the whole truth.”

I turned around and pretended to walk away.

“…Stop right there.”

Varden grabbed the sleeve of my dress and stopped me.

Then he bit his lip as if humiliated.

‘Hehe.’

Varden knew very well that he couldn’t earn the duke’s praise through magic.

It was only natural for someone of the Agenthoz bloodline to be talented at magic.

To earn recognition from the duke, he needed to stand out and accomplish something in areas other than magic.

That was what I had concluded after observing the duke’s personality while living in the mansion.

Varden turned me completely toward him and asked with an unconvinced expression,

“What do you want? You’re not after the position of heir, so why are you giving me the credit?”

“I just want to live comfortably now. Things were so difficult before….”

I answered with a cheerful smile, but somehow, my words ended up containing a little truth.

I really did want to live comfortably now.

My previous life had been so exhausting.

This time, I wanted to take advantage of being born into a wealthy family, enjoy the benefits provided by my father and brother, and live like a rich heiress while doing whatever I wanted.

But Varden’s expression began to change strangely.

The corners of his mouth twisted, and his eyes shook violently.

For some reason, it resembled the expression the duke had worn when we’d had breakfast in the garden the other day.

Suddenly, Varden covered his mouth and muttered irritably,

“Bastard…”

Hmm.

Apparently, Varden had suddenly found someone he wanted to curse, too.

I couldn’t hear the rest, but I didn’t particularly care.

That’s just how social life was.

There, there.

Since he wasn’t cursing me, I felt relieved and smiled brightly as I pointed at the document in Varden’s hand.

“You can have that, too. It’s a gift.”

“…What? You’re giving it to me? That means…”

I nodded.

“But it’s in my handwriting, so you should rewrite it and report it to Father yourself.”

Varden hesitated for a moment, then hid the paper behind his back as though trying to conceal it and cleared his throat.

“Even if I change my mind, I’m not giving it back.”

“You don’t have to. I’ve already memorized all of it anyway.”

“…You’re annoying.”

“Well, if it bothers you that much, pay me for it. Let’s just say I sold it to you.”

“Money?”

Varden looked at me as though wondering how such a materialistic person could possibly exist.

I became even more shameless.

“You can think of me as an information guild, can’t you? Money. Give me money.”

“Damn it.”

He bit his lip tightly, slammed the door shut, and left.

I watched his retreating back with a mischievous grin.

He could have simply run off with everything, but I was convinced Varden wasn’t that kind of person.

Besides, I’d already bribed him by giving him the credit, so things would probably get a little better between us.

People had to give affection to receive affection in return, after all.

A few minutes later.

Just as I’d expected, Varden sent a servant to deliver a money pouch to me.

Along with a note that simply said:

‘Keep your mouth shut.’

‘Whoa, what is this? This much?’

When I saw the considerable amount of money inside, my mouth stretched into a huge grin.

For some reason, it felt wonderful.

It was like receiving pocket money from my older brother for the first time.

A full one million gold!

It was the perfect amount for a wealthy (?) family’s rich older brother to give his little sister as spending money.

Varden was probably cursing me in his room right now because I had actually demanded money from him.

He might dislike me now, but if I continued helping him, wouldn’t he eventually warm up to me?

I sat down at my desk, thinking that I should give Varden various gifts so he could safely solidify his position as the heir.

There were simply too many ideas I could introduce into this world.

‘I’ll tame you somehow, Varden Agenthoz. Hehe.’

That night.

In the bedroom of Duke Kaiser Agenthoz.

Varden went to see his father, who had returned late from the Magic Tower, and immediately got to the point.

“Father. Yvonne is acting strangely.”

“…What? You feel that way too?”

“Yes. I think Yvonne still hasn’t gotten over His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Varden ground his teeth as he recalled the lonely and sorrowful expression Yvonne had worn earlier.

His younger sister, who had done nothing but cause trouble and commit all kinds of misdeeds.

But it was astonishing to see her change so drastically simply because she’d been rejected.

That was why he was irritated with the Crown Prince, and, on some level, he was even angry.

Still, Yvonne was the one and only daughter of the Agenthoz ducal family.

She was a high-ranking noble of the Empire, someone of extremely noble birth.

She had been negligent about learning even basic knowledge, and she could be rather stubborn by nature.

‘But still. Yvonne was genuinely so devoted to him that she could become this depressed?’

Varden was angry.

Did the Crown Prince really have to bring that illegitimate princess from the Kingdom of Mare back to the Empire, only to reject Yvonne’s feelings?

The duke grabbed the back of his neck in frustration and urged Varden to explain why Yvonne was acting strangely.

Suppressing his anger, Varden answered calmly.

“She said she was tired of life. She told me that she wanted to live comfortably under Father and me from now on.”

“…Good heavens.”

“She must have been hit by such a tremendous shock that Yvonne, who was once overflowing with pride in her magical abilities, seems to have completely lost her will for the future.”

The duke spoke sympathetically as he thought of Yvonne.

“I thought something was strange, too. Yvonne’s tutors told me that although it’s good that she’s studying so hard, her eyes are filled with madness throughout every lesson.”

The gazes of the two men met, and their identical violet eyes flashed coldly.

“As expected… Yvonne isn’t in her right mind right now.”

“Damn it. That Adrian Crown Prince. What does he think he is!”

An angry silence settled over the room.

The duke rose from his seat and went to his study, returning with a sealed letter.

He smiled faintly.

“Don’t worry. I intend to introduce Yvonne to a man so magnificent that Adrian Crown Prince won’t even compare.”

“What? A man for Yvonne? Who is he?”

“Duke Rudnain Eels.”

Varden’s eyes widened.

“What? What did you just say?”

“He will come to the capital himself to meet Yvonne.”

There were plenty of rumors about the young Duke Eels, but Varden had never even seen him.

How could the Duke Eels, who rarely came to the capital, possibly come here?

No, how had Father managed to get a duke whom even the Emperor could not move at will to come?

Reading the bewilderment on Varden’s face, the duke scoffed.

“There is a way. The duke has no choice but to grant my request.”

He raised the letter with a confident expression.

“They’ll have a blind date. If Yvonne goes on a few dates with a handsome man, she’ll forget about the Crown Prince and feel better.”

“I understand.”

Varden nodded in agreement with his father’s plan.

‘Duke Eels mustn’t misunderstand and think this is a genuine matchmaking arrangement.’

‘Besides, it’s only a date. It’s not as though they’re getting married. Yvonne is far too young for marriage.’

Similar thoughts passed through the minds of Duke Kaiser Agenthoz and Varden Agenthoz.

He was merely someone being offered to her so she could have a little fun.

It wasn’t serious.

It was only an act.

A cold smile simultaneously spread across the faces of the two men who looked remarkably alike.

Late June.

The season was transitioning from early summer into full summer, yet a chilly breeze drifted in through the window.

The cold northern wind stirred the soft black hair of the master of the enormous Eels Ducal Castle.

He read the pledge and letter enclosed in the correspondence, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

The aide, dazzled by the handsome features of his master, which seemed to shine brilliantly even today, squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before opening them again.

The aide let out a deep sigh and asked,

“Are you really going?”

“A promise is a promise.”

“But… the other party is Lady Yvonne Agenthoz. She’s caused dozens of incidents already. It hasn’t been officially proven that the young lady was responsible, of course!”

“Still, what can I do?”

Duke Rudnain Eels stared down at the letter Duke Kaiser Agenthoz had sent him.

“I owe him a great debt. So I have to repay it.”

His black eyes deepened.