Chapter 25
The Amasto Marquisate was one of the four families forming the pillars of the great empire of Kailum.
Although few remembered it now due to the ongoing peace, it was a renowned military family that had been promoted from a Margrave to a Marquis in recognition of its achievements in subduing the northern barbarians. In the past, it was more famous for tearing into rough bread alongside soldiers while being covered in dust.
However, after subjugating the barbarians and with time passing, Amasto grew wealthier through trade routes in the northeast, eventually becoming a prestigious family with tradition. A significant turning point came when the emperor of that era supported Amasto as a rising power to rival the existing ducal houses.
The emperor at the time, seeking credit for himself, included the vast, seemingly useless northeastern plateau under the Margrave’s jurisdiction. The emperor could not have imagined that the plateau beyond the barren land with scattered nomadic tribes would bring such enormous profit.
In any case, the proud and powerful Amasto family currently had, aside from its heir, a cherished daughter—Maili.
Tap, tap, tap, tap… tap, tap, tap…
At that moment, Maili was seated in the office, mercilessly ruining an innocent quill pen. Each time the pen tip hit the paper on the desk, it made a light tapping sound.
A boy sitting on a sofa in the corner of the room, engrossed in a book, raised his eyebrows with a face full of irritation. The boy had blond hair and handsome features, appearing to have just entered his late teens.
“Ahem.”
The boy cleared his throat, as if trying to get her attention. Maili glanced at him briefly, paused, then resumed glaring at the letter paper as though she might bore a hole through it. She picked up the pen again and set it on the paper.
Tap… tap, tap… tap, tap, tap, tap…
“Argh, stop that already!”
The boy raised his voice in frustration, and Maili lifted her head to meet his gaze. Her furrowed brows made it clear she was in a foul mood.
“Where’s your dignity?”
“That’s what I should be asking you! You barged in asking to borrow the office, and now you’re sitting there tormenting a pen for no reason!!”
Apparently displeased at having his peaceful reading interrupted, the boy shouted, his tone dripping with annoyance. Maili, however, didn’t even bat an eye.
“Hmph, you’re too young to understand even if I explained.”
“What are you talking about?! Get out of my room right now, you witch!!”
Furious, Josef lunged to snatch the quill from her hand. Maili, however, deftly dodged and even tripped the sole heir of the Amasto Marquisate. Though the blond boy stumbled, he quickly rolled and landed on his feet. His voice rose again, this time tinged with indignation.
“What’s really going on?”
“Haa…”
“Do you think anything will come out of that thick skull of yours if you just sit there fiddling with that pen? Stop wasting your pen and either go to bed or do something useful.”
“Hey!”
The boy, Yozeph, teased her confidently, but when Maili’s eyes flared up at his words, he instinctively ducked behind the sofa.
Although she currently pretended to be a calm noble lady, Maili was a woman who had been formally trained in the knight’s order. Compared to Yozeph, a noble boy who preferred books over swords, Maili was undeniably stronger.
As a natural result, Yozeph had grown up accustomed to being hit by her.
“…Ah, whatever! If it’s such a big deal, I’ll help you this time. After all, I’m objectively smarter than you are.”
It was true. While Maili had spent her days riding horses and, in recent years, trying to act like a proper lady to become the Imperial Crown Princess, Yozeph was about to graduate as the youngest top student in the academy’s history, following his record as the youngest top entrant.
Still, Maili shot an untrusting glare at her younger brother before speaking curtly.
“It’s not something I can even talk about.”
“…Is it about the Imperial Family?”
Maili stayed silent. Her silence was as good as confirmation, and his face turned serious in response.
“Did the Crown Prince finally come to his senses and decide to dismiss a troublemaker like you from the position of lady-in-waiting?”
“You little—!”
Maili grabbed a handful of Yozeph’s bangs and scuffled with him for a moment. It wasn’t much, but after letting out a bit of her frustration, she felt slightly better. Judging by the way Yozeph was clutching his forehead, now reddened from the flick she delivered, he didn’t seem to share her sentiment.
“In short, I’m trying to figure out how to save a grain of sand that the little sun kidnapped.”
“What? That’s nothing special. Just give up on the grain of sand.”
“Haa…”
Maili massaged her temples and spoke again.
“But it turns out that the grain of sand was actually an uncut diamond. The only one in the world. And without it, the world might collapse.”
Hearing this, the boy’s expression darkened. He shook his head firmly.
“Even so, no. You can’t get involved yourself. Whether it’s a diamond or the world, you shouldn’t burn yourself up first.”
“Haaa… Brother, isn’t there really anyway? Aren’t you supposed to be a genius? What good is a genius if you can’t even handle this kind of thing?”
“Ugh, seriously—how am I supposed to know when you don’t even explain the situation properly? Whatever it is, if it’s such a sensitive matter that you can’t even talk about it, then you shouldn’t act on your own. Leave it to someone with power.”
Knock knock.
Just then, someone knocked on the door. Yozeph, leaning lazily on the sofa, ruffled his hair and called out,
“Who is it?”
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