Chapter 95
Isaac sat in his annex bedroom, nursing a drink late into the night. He’d never won a single battle of wits against Arietta. His political prowess was a skill honed through a desperate struggle for survival, while she possessed an innate cunning. Left alone in the Downstream, she would quickly perish, utterly incapable and vulnerable to the contamination.
However, with someone powerful backing her, the situation changed drastically. Until now, that had been Seia and himself. His feelings toward Seia were far from amicable, but he could at least pride himself on never having politically opposed her. This time was different. The Sky City and the Downstream maintained a facade of cooperation, but fundamentally, they were adversaries. Someone like Arietta couldn’t be allowed up there. If I let her go, this place is finished. Yes, that was the source of his unease.
The Downstream being endangered by one woman seemed a bit of a stretch, but Isaac deliberately ignored that thought. He took another swig of his drink, his gaze fixed on the painting of Leonhilt’s canals in the dim light. He’d never outmaneuvered Arietta, but this time would be different. He held a card she couldn’t possibly beat.
***
The marsh excavation was approved, largely thanks to Arietta. Benjamin vehemently emphasized her contribution, while General Soluten remained cautiously reserved, not because he doubted the marsh’s potential, but because he recognized Isaac’s game. The trap had been set the moment Soluten went to the plant to inspect the drilling equipment.
“How did this idea suddenly come about?” Soluten asked.
“Ha,” Isaac chuckled.
“It’s quite novel, even for us. I’m curious how it came to mind.”
He was sardonic, but not hostile. Soluten, a veteran of numerous recovery missions, was accustomed to Isaac’s demeanor. While not entirely at ease, he could manage it.
“It was Viscountess Leonota’s idea,” Soluten replied. Isaac, pretending to inspect machinery, turned his back to the general and smiled wryly. I knew that name would come up. It wasn’t Leonota’s idea; it was Arietta’s.
“Is Viscount Leonota still taking good care of my things?”
The words “my things” hung in the air, silencing Soluten. He was unsure how to respond; the statement required too much interpretation. Isaac clearly had no intention of taking her back to the glass dome mansion. If he wanted to claim ownership, he would have done so already. Arietta had no desire to return either. Meanwhile, Benjamin was utterly smitten, practically ready to reserve a seat for her on the Sky City airship. It would all be so simple if not for Isaac’s loaded words. My things. Not discarded, but entrusted.
“The canary is doing well,” Soluten finally responded, choosing the most neutral phrasing possible, a touch of diplomacy. Isaac, still feigning interest in the drilling equipment’s pulley, casually remarked, “Viscount Leonota seems quite taken with Arietta.” It was a fact obvious to anyone with eyes. Soluten remained silent. “Taken enough to bring her to the Sky City, it seems.”
“….”
“Not just to the Sky City, but to marry her, even.”
“Marry?” Soluten’s eyes widened at the word, so foreign in the Downstream. Isaac turned, a thin smile playing on his lips.
“He promised her a future. How amusing.”
“….”
“The boy’s a fool. So proud of his lineage, yet he’d taint his family tree with a Downstream woman?”
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