---
Young Marquis Spencer's statement was truly ridiculous.
So I added some of my own emotion to his response.
“You're talking about his life, the person who was born an illegitimate child, was on the battlefield the whole time, and then was accused of murder and had his entire fortune confiscated, right?”
"He was born an illegitimate child, was on the battlefield all the time, was accused of murder, and had his entire fortune confiscated.
But even so, he had someone he loved deeply.
If that's what you're talking about, then yes."
A bitter smile appeared on the young Marquis's lips
Spencer answers.
I scratched my cheek in confusion.
What nonsense?
The young Marquis Spencer, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, the only son of a Marquis family that held the highest position in the empire, lived a life of luxury and comfort, in which he never knew hardship.
I envied his life so much more.
“Well… if you envy the Archduke’s marriage, you can always find a woman and marry her.
You will definitely be very popular.”
"Really?
How?"
His gloomy face suddenly brightened.
I was a little surprised, but I was able to give a definitive answer.
"Hmm… well.
You're handsome, wealthy, and have excellent manners.
You're respected in high society.
You have all the necessities, right?
Unless you suffer from some sort of antisocial personality disorder that you're keeping secret from others, then you're fine—"
“I didn't know you two would engage in such trivial talk.”
Before I could finish speaking, a rude voice suddenly interrupted me.
Behind Marquis Spencer, who was listening to me with an expression more cheerful than ever, appeared a man with a very frowning face.
“Oh, didn't you say you would arrive tomorrow?”
I stared at Archduke Richard as he entered the reception room, amazed.
He had left two days ago to resolve a dispute with another fiefdom while fetching workshop supplies.
I thought it would take a long time, as there was a physical fight between the opposing members.
“Things were resolved faster than I expected.”
The young Marquis Spencer frowned playfully at the Archduke's curt reply.
“You seem impatient these days.
You always come home early.”
“Aiden, I think you should hire a new assistant.”
The Archduke laughed bitterly and added sarcastically.
“Isn’t it a dereliction of duty for him to limit your visits to the Archduke’s house only while I am absent?
Even now, he does not stand with his master, but loafs around outside.”
“I will take your opinion into consideration.”
They didn't seem to be discussing anything of importance.
My skin shivered from the sharp air between them.
I quickly conveyed the good news to the Archduke, hoping to ease the tension.
“However, the Young Marquis gave our workshop a discount on the distribution fee this time.
Good, right?”
"… You?"
The Archduke paused, and frowned deeply.
He looked like he had just heard something ridiculous.
Then Young Marquis Spencer smiled.
“It's strange that whenever your wife asks me for something, I have no choice but to fulfill it.”
“….”
Instead of answering, the Archduke's chin rose stiffly.
He sat next to me, expressionless.
Young Marquis Spencer eyed us carefully and began to speak.
“Anyway, since you will be attending today’s meeting, I think we can set a date to visit the Duchy of Odilo.”
“Should we visit the Duchy of Odilo?”
My eyes widened upon hearing the unexpected news, and I stared at Marquis Spencer.
He was the third largest buyer on the seller list he had just handed me.
Considering that the Duchy of Odilo was a small fiefdom, less than a tenth of the area of the empire, the scale of the request was truly enormous.
"The duchy may be small, but it is very rich thanks to its abundant resources.
All its assets and merchants belong to the lord of the duchy.
The lord is very interested in Richard's watches, and the terms are very generous."
“But why should I go to the duchy?”
The Marquis continued speaking slowly in response to the Archduke's question.
“To be precise, the agreement stipulated that you would visit Odilo in person.”
“Why, Mr.
Odilo...?”
The Archduke frowned.
I nodded my head in agreement.
No one had ever wanted to meet him before.
Most of the time, the places where he usually met people were the battlefield.
Marquis Spencer shrugged.
“I don’t know why either.
You’ll know when you meet him.
Of course, it’s better not to refuse.
At least for the sake of the workshop that is witnessing a rapid increase in production.”
∗ ∗ ∗
As the young Marquis Spencer said, there was no reason to refuse Odilo's journey.
We quickly prepared and arrived at the Duchy of Odilo.
The young Marquis Spencer, who had agreed to accompany us as intermediary, was due to arrive a few days after us, having recently resolved a problem with a winery he had acquired.
“I wonder why he asked to meet us in person.”
“He may be trying to negotiate terms.”
“If he is going to ask for a price reduction, we cannot reduce it by more than 3.5%.”
I nodded sternly, wagging my finger from side to side.
Of course, since he is a big customer, I can offer a discount, but if he wants a bigger discount, I will flatly refuse.
Victor, who was accompanying us, had a very frowning face.
“I checked whether the Duchy’s soldiers had fought any battles with the Imperial Army in recent years, and I found no evidence of that.”
He was worried that Master Odilo had summoned us with the intention of assassinating Archduke Richard.
A shiver ran through my body as I asked.
“Absolutely not...
Would he summon him so openly to kill him?”
“Not only are we not allowed to bring an escort into the palace, we are also forbidden from carrying weapons in front of the master.
If he is going to kill me, this is a perfect opportunity.
So, he may have deliberately lured me with favorable conditions.”
I swallowed hard when I heard those words.
Thinking about it, it was a reasonable assumption.
The duchy's population was less than 10% of the empire's population, yet its guard was as intense as the empire's.
"A-Or maybe they're trying to hire you as a mercenary.
The Grand Duke's reputation is really great."
I forced myself to cling to false hope.
“Anyway, remember that we will be easy prey the moment we enter the palace, so don’t lower your guard.
Even if the situation is difficult, I will try to save you somehow.”
My hands trembled involuntarily at the seriousness of his voice.
Then Victor added.
“Sir, you will certainly be able to defeat some unarmed men, then take their weapons and defend yourself.
I have prepared this for your pleasure.”
A satisfied smile appeared on Victor's lips as he held out a long scroll.
“Is this… a map of Odilo Palace?”
“Yes.
I went to great lengths to obtain it.
It is perfect, everything is marked on it, from the secret passages to the garden paths.”
He opened the planner and smiled proudly.
“Study it carefully, in case of any emergency.”
“Thank you, Victor.”
I nodded, hoping I wouldn't have to use the map.
After a moment, we said our anxious goodbyes to Victor.
He wasn't officially invited, so he couldn't enter the castle.
When we reached the gate, soldiers wearing gold helmets brought us in.
Naturally, they had put aside any weapons we might have.
Each soldier was powerfully built, and in one hand he held a long, sharp spear that seemed capable of piercing anything.
I shrank from the terrifying sight of the soldiers.
The Archduke pulled me closer to him, nervous about the ominous atmosphere.
We finally arrived at the reception hall of Odilo Palace.
Despite its small size, the reception hall exuded majesty, befitting a wealthy nation.
The luxurious, high-ceilinged space was entirely carved from dark marble, and a crystal chandelier sparkled brilliantly.
As I walked across the luxuriously carpeted floor, I saw Lord Odilo and Lady Odilo, sitting at the highest point in the reception hall.
“Archduke Richard, Archduke of Imperial Arya, greets His Eminence Lord Odilo.”
[Maha: A simple clarification, in Korean they write that it is “King” Odilo, but his province is a duchy.
I don’t know why they call him king when he is part of the empire, so they changed it to “lord”.]
The Archduke bowed, tense and respectful, politely.
I glanced at the lord, who at first glance seemed to be the same age as the Emperor of the Empire.
He had a surprisingly strong physique for his age.
His sharp eyes, large nose, and long, bushy eyebrows gave him a ferocious appearance that, at first glance, reminded me of a tiger.
“...!”
I shivered when I met the lord's sparkling golden eyes.
I wasn't the only one who felt the tension in his gaze.
Even Archduke Richard unconsciously put his hand on his waist, which was bare without a sword.
“Archduke Richard and the Archduchess.”
Mr.
Odilo, speaking slowly, stared at both of us intently.
Finally, his thick lips parted, revealing a row of teeth.
With a greedy smile, he finally slowly raised his hand towards the lined up soldiers.