Chapter 33: The Things Money Cannot Buy

[THE IMPERIAL PALACE — CAPITAL CITY — THE NEXT DAY]

"WHAT?!"

The emperor’s roar thundered through the throne room; the assembled officials lowered their heads instantly. Even the guards standing beside the enormous golden doors remained perfectly still.

Emperor Austen sat upon the imperial throne, his fingers gripping the armrests so tightly that his knuckles had turned pale as his eyes burned with disbelief.

"The Archmage has officially resigned?"

The messenger kneeling before the throne swallowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Austen leaned forward. "And you are telling me that Aurelius Vaelmont—the Imperial Archmage—has abandoned the Imperial Court...and now serves House Ashcroft?"

The messenger lowered his head further.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Archmage Aurelius has formally submitted his resignation to the Imperial Council. He has also ceased responding to the palace’s summons and correspondence."

Silence.

Austen’s expression darkened. "Reject it."

The messenger hesitated.

"Your Majesty?"

"I said reject it," Austen’s voice echoed across the throne room. "Order the Imperial Council to invalidate the resignation immediately. Send soldiers to Ashcroft Territory if necessary."

The messenger’s shoulders stiffened. "Your Majesty..."

"Bring Aurelius back." Austen slowly rose from his throne as his gaze swept across the kneeling messenger. "Does that man believe he can simply abandon the Imperial Palace whenever he pleases? Has he forgotten who rules this empire?"

The messenger remained silent for several seconds before finally speaking. "Your Majesty...there is a matter you must understand."

Austen’s eyes narrowed.

"Speak."

"Even the Imperial Crown cannot force an Archmage to remain in service." The Emperor’s expression became colder. "The mages of the Empire are bound by ancient law. The High Priests and Archmages possess the right to withdraw from Imperial service."

The messenger swallowed. "If Archmage Aurelius has chosen to leave, the Imperial Council cannot legally force him to return."

Austen’s fist slowly clenched: ancient laws, mage privileges. Independent orders. He despised all of them; the crown ruled the empire.

Everything within its borders should answer to the throne. Yet the most powerful mages had always been allowed their own laws.

He leaned back into his throne as his voice was quieter now. "Then there must be a reason. Aurelius is not a fool."

The messenger lowered his head. "No, Your Majesty."

"Then tell me." Austen’s eyes sharpened. "What could possibly be so valuable within the Ashcroft Territory that would make an imperial archmage abandon the capital?"

The messenger hesitated, then—"We discovered something."

Austen’s gaze fixed upon him.

"Continue."

"Following Your Majesty’s previous order, we sent spies toward Ashcroft Territory." The messenger carefully chose his words. "They have confirmed that Grand Duke Cassian Ashcroft has discovered a natural mana source."

Austen frowned. "A mana source?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"What kind?"

The messenger took a breath. "A lake."

Austen stared at him.

"A lake?"

"A lake filled with mana stones."

Silence.

For several heartbeats, nobody moved, and then the Emperor slowly leaned forward.

"...What?"

The messenger bowed lower. "An entire lake, Your Majesty."

Austen’s fingers tightened around the armrest.

"Mana stones?"

"Yes."

"Within Ashcroft Territory?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"How?"

The Emperor’s voice had become dangerously quiet. "That territory is nothing but snow, mountains, beasts, and barren wilderness. How could such a resource exist beneath that land?"

The messenger lowered his eyes. "There is more."

Austen’s gaze sharpened.

"More?"

"Some of the stones appear to possess unusual properties."

A slow silence followed.

The emperor’s expression changed and the anger disappeared. Something colder replaced it, calculation.

Mana stones meant wealth, rare mana stones meant power, and an entire natural source meant something far more dangerous.

Independence.

A territory capable of producing its own mana resources would no longer need to depend upon the Imperial Crown.

Austen’s eyes narrowed. "Who discovered it?"

The messenger hesitated, then answered, "Grand Duke Cassian."

Austen’s expression remained still.

"Of course."

He leaned back; the Ashcroft family had always been troublesome, but then the messenger spoke again.

"Although..." Austen looked at him. "...it was not Grand Duke Cassian who led them to the discovery."

The throne room became silent.

"Then who?"

The messenger lowered his head.

"The Grand Duchess."

Austen’s eyes narrowed.

"...Luceille?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

For the first time, genuine disbelief crossed the Emperor’s face. "Luceille?"

He almost laughed, the girl he had discarded, the bride he had once considered insignificant. The woman who had spent years hidden within her chamber after being sent to Ashcroft.

Her?

Austen’s fingers slowly curled around the armrest. "How?"

"We do not know, Your Majesty."

"You don’t know?"

"No."

Austen slowly leaned back; the girl he had discarded, the girl he had assumed would disappear quietly into the North, and the girl he had believed had no value beyond fulfilling an inconvenient marriage arrangement...was suddenly standing beside the most powerful Grand Duke in the northern territories.

She had apparently tamed a white fox beast. An Imperial Archmage had abandoned the palace to remain in her territory.

And now a natural lake of mana stones had been discovered beneath Ashcroft land.

All of it...around her.

Austen’s eyes darkened as his voice was barely a whisper.

"That useless child...how..." His fingers dug into the throne. "...how did she become this?"

No one answered.

Austen’s mind began moving rapidly. If Luceille possessed knowledge the Empire didn’t understand... If Ashcroft possessed resources the Crown couldn’t control...and if Cassian’s influence continued growing...then leaving them alone would be foolish.

Very foolish.

The Emperor slowly smiled. It wasn’t a warm smile. It was the smile of a man who had just found a new piece on his chessboard.

"Summon Count Duskbane."

The messenger looked up.

"Your Majesty?"

Austen leaned against his throne as his eyes gleamed with malice. "I believe...it is time for a father to visit the daughter he abandoned."

The messenger immediately bowed.

"At once, Your Majesty."

He turned to leave.

"Wait."

The messenger stopped. Austen’s smile remained. "Do not send an official delegation."

The messenger hesitated. "Then how shall Count Dukbane approach Ashcroft?"

Austen’s smile widened as he leaned comfortably. "Not as an Imperial envoy. As a concerned father."

A quiet laugh escaped him.

"After all..." His gaze drifted toward the enormous windows overlooking the capital. "...my beloved nephew has been living far too peacefully."

The Emperor’s fingers tapped slowly against the golden armrest. "And I believe it is time his uncle reminded him...that nothing within this Empire grows beyond the reach of the Crown without permission."

The throne room fell silent.

Outside, the bells of the capital rang through the morning, and deep within the northern snow...the emperor’s discarded bride was unknowingly becoming the most valuable piece on his board.

Austen smiled.

"Let us see what kind of woman is standing beside my lovely nephew."

***

[LUCEILLE’S POV — ASHCROFT MANOR — THE NEXT DAY]

"What’s wrong with them...?"

My voice came out quieter than I intended. I stood frozen at the entrance of the courtyard.

Usually, this place was chaos.

The white fox beasts would be running through the snow, chasing one another between the trees, climbing over the knights’ boots, stealing food from the servants, or following me around like I had somehow been promoted to their personal mother.

Sometimes they slept in the strangest places, sometimes they fought over pastries, and sometimes they simply climbed onto my lap and fell asleep as if the entire world belonged to them.

Today...there was no running, no playful growling, no tails wagging, and no tiny paws scrambling through the snow.

Nothing.

The courtyard was frighteningly quiet. One of the fox beasts lay curled beneath the wooden shelter as its body trembled. A low, painful groan escaped its throat.

"Urrrgh..."

I stopped breathing; another fox was lying beside it. Its normally bright eyes were half-closed, its white fur damp with sweat despite the freezing air.

Its breathing was shallow, too shallow.

"What’s wrong with them?"

Mia stood nearby, her face pale as she lowered her head. "We don’t know, Your Grace."

I stared at her.

"What do you mean you don’t know?"

"The healers have examined them since dawn, but they cannot determine the cause."

My stomach tightened. I hurried toward the nearest fox; the little creature lifted its head when it heard my footsteps.

Its ears twitched; for a second, I saw recognition in its eyes, but then it whimpered. That tiny sound hit me harder than I expected.

I crouched immediately.

"Hey..." I reached out slowly and touched its head; the fox flinched.

I froze.

It had never done that before...never. Usually the moment I touched them, they’d shove their heads beneath my hand, demand scratches, or lick my fingers.

Now...it barely had the strength to move. "Babies...it’s me...your mom...what’s wrong?"

My voice trembled; the fox looked at me. Its eyes were cloudy as another painful groan came from behind me.

"How many are sick?"

Mia looked toward the others. "Almost all of them, Your Grace."

My heart dropped.

"Almost?"

"Some of the younger cubs are still healthy."

I looked around; the healthy ones were pressed together near the far wall, they weren’t playing, they were watching...quietly.

As if they knew something was wrong. I felt something cold crawl through my chest.

This wasn’t a normal illness. It couldn’t be; these weren’t ordinary animals, they were magical beasts. They had survived the northern wilderness, and they had even accepted humans despite being wild creatures.

And now...something was killing them.

"Bring the healers."

"They are already here."

"Then bring more."

"Your Grace..."

"I said bring more."

My voice cracked; the servants immediately bowed and hurried away. I crouched beside another fox. Its body was burning beneath its fur. I placed my hand against its head.

"You’re going to be okay."

I didn’t know whether I was saying it to the fox...or myself.

"You’ll be fine."

The fox’s breathing became uneven. "You’re going to get better."

My fingers trembled against its fur as the little creature closed its eyes. "Please don’t scare me..."

My voice became barely audible; I looked toward Mia as king. "What did the healers say?"

"They believe it may be a magical disease."

"A magical disease?"

She nodded.

"They’ve tried cleansing spells, healing potions, mana restoration, and everything they know, but nothing worked."

I stared at the fox in my arms; the fox was trembling again. I gently rubbed its head, and a tear spilled from my eyes. I didn’t know why I was crying.

Maybe because I had already lost one life. Maybe because I had spent so much time being terrified of losing this one. Maybe because these creatures had become part of the strange little family I had accidentally built here.

Or maybe...because this was the first time since coming to this world that I had truly understood something.

Money couldn’t fix everything.

I could buy medicine. I could buy food. I could buy an entire mountain if I wanted, but I couldn’t buy a cure for something I didn’t understand.

And that terrified me.

For the first time since coming to this world, money felt completely useless.

I was still crouched beside the fox, my fingers trembling against its soft fur, when hurried footsteps echoed across the courtyard.

"Luceille!"

I looked up. Cassian was approaching quickly, with Cedric and Aurelius following close behind him. His expression changed the moment he saw me, and he immediately crossed the distance between us.

"What happened?"

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out, and my throat felt tight. I looked down at the fox in my arms, and my eyes were already burning with tears.

"Cassian..."

My voice broke; he crouched in front of me. "What is it, beloved?"

I swallowed hard.

"Look at them..." I carefully lifted the fox slightly, as though showing him something precious. "They’re hurting. They’re all hurting, and I..."

I couldn’t finish the sentence. I looked away, trying desperately to hold myself together. "I don’t know what to do."

Cassian’s expression became still as he looked at the fox. Then at the others scattered around the courtyard. Some were curled against the snow. Some were barely moving.

The playful creatures that had once followed me everywhere were now lying helplessly beneath the winter sky.

Aurelius stepped closer, his expression unusually serious. "The healers couldn’t determine the cause?"

Mia shook her head. "They said it appears to be a magical disease, my lord."

Cassian’s eyes narrowed. "A magical disease?"

"Yes."

His gaze returned to the fox; for several seconds, he said nothing, then he reached toward me. His thumb gently brushed beneath my eye, wiping away a tear I hadn’t even realized had fallen.

"Do not worry, nothing will happen to them."

I stared at him.

"But—"

"I said nothing will happen to them."

There was something different in his voice this time. The determination, the kind that didn’t leave room for failure, he gently cupped my cheek.

"I will find a cure."

I stared into his eyes. "You promise?"

His thumb brushed away another tear. "I promise."

I nodded but even after hearing his promise, my hands wouldn’t stop shaking because somewhere deep inside me... I was scared.

So scared.

I looked down at the fox resting weakly in my arms and held it a little closer.

Please... Just stay with me.

I couldn’t lose them, not my little family. Not after I had finally found somewhere that felt like home. I lowered my head, tears slipping silently down my cheeks.

And for once...I was simply afraid.

Terrified.