Chapter 61
“Pardon?”
“You’re asking why I help him even though, outwardly, we don’t seem to get along, right?”
“…Yes, that’s right.”
Derek thought that there might be some kind of relationship between the two that he didn’t know about. He wasn’t suspicious of an improper relationship between two people whose class and even race were so different, but he couldn’t help feeling jealous.
It wasn’t just the Crown Prince—Derek also disliked Zion and Eric, and on top of that, he resented every Esper who received guiding from her. He wanted to have her all to himself.
“I tried to know my place. I dared to inflict wounds on His Highness the Crown Prince that can never be washed away. Right now, it may not be obvious because of my mother’s other ambitions, but a day of regret will certainly come.”
At her honest answer, Derek quietly gazed at her. There was no longer any trace of that immature girl in her face, which now wore a calm, sometimes subtly anguished expression.
The beauty of a Guide was always bound to be alluring to an Esper.
Unaware that Derek’s gaze had grown somber, Lea continued.
“When you finally feel regret, it’s already too late. I thought there would never be a way to turn things back, but the gods helped me. So shouldn’t I repent with gratitude toward the gods, and also to those I wronged?”
“Truly, you are wise and benevolent.”
“Heh, if you really knew what I was thinking, you wouldn’t say that.”
Lea finished with a bitter smile and looked back down at the documents. As Derek placed another item he’d brought onto the table, he spoke.
“Oh, I brought what you ordered.”
Lea’s eyes sparkled as she spotted the luxurious box. It was a birthday present for Calix, who had just come of age at twenty.
“Can I open it?”
“Of course. You’re the one who purchased it, my lady.”
Since it had been so difficult to obtain, Lea was tense. It was a device, made by an Esper and sold only through illegal channels, that connected spaces. Essentially, it was a magical artifact.
“They’re a set of two?”
“Yes. It seems they only activate when both people hold their respective artifacts.”
“Did you check how much can be transported through the subspace?”
“Yes. When we tested it with sacks of flour, up to 100 sacks could be moved. For water, we moved up to eighty 10-liter containers. For meat products, more than 200 units of typical packaging size could be sent.”
“Is there a daily usage limit?”
“Since it’s made with magic stones, you have to recharge the energy. An elemental-type Esper can provide the energy.”
“Good. I really like it.”
Lea held the two round, golden magical artifacts—shaped like pocket watches—one in each hand, inspecting them closely. The ruby set in the device was meticulously crafted to match his eye color.
“…But what if he doesn’t use it after I give it to him?”
There was nothing more useful on the battlefield than this. In her previous life, she’d often suffered because Bianca had interfered with supplies, keeping them from arriving on time.
If soldiers weren’t properly fed, not only would morale fall, but they’d also be more vulnerable to disease.
Since war was unavoidable, she had no choice but to help him win faster and more decisively.
Derek looked at Lea with concern as she pondered. Not wanting to give her false hope, he took out another item he’d brought.
“I was also able to purchase this. It works the same as the previous artifact, but it’s a bracelet, just as you wanted, something unobtrusive.”
“Perfect.”
Lea immediately put on the sturdy obsidian bracelet, then handed the other to Derek.
“Why are you giving this to me…?”
“Of course you have to wear it, my lord. You’re the merchant guild master.”
In fact, Derek had designed the bracelet with a gemstone the color of his own hair, hoping his color would adorn her pale wrist. He hadn’t expected they would end up sharing the bracelets.
Surprised, his cheeks flushed pink.
He was so beautiful, more than even most women. When he looked shy, he was as delicate as an iris blossom, and when he smiled brightly, his impression became as brilliant as a peony.
His pale blue eyes, clear as zircon under black hair, looked as if they held the autumn sky.
Lea thought she was used to his appearance, but she still found herself staring blankly at his delighted expression for a moment, then smiled and added,
“Oh, if you ever go to war, you must entrust that bracelet to your most trusted staff. It’s a magical artifact for emergencies.”
“…Yes, I will.”
His joy only lasted a moment. Once he realized why she’d given him the bracelet, Derek’s excitement faded.
“Well, then, I’ll take my leave.”
“Oh, and lately, my mother’s been showing a lot of interest in you, my lord. Please be careful when you leave.”
“Yes, that’s the reason I already asked Sir Eric to meet me in advance. To the public, Sir Eric and I are known to be close.”
They’d spread the rumor that they were friends because they were both second sons, so it would be easier for him to come to the palace.
The more suspicious Bianca became, the more Zion made sure that not even the slightest hint of a mistake showed on the surface. Derek hurriedly left Lea’s palace, where Eric was waiting for him outside, and they left by another route.
On purpose, the two of them even stopped by the training grounds before parting ways, as a kind of misdirection.
But perhaps their tracks had gotten too long.
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