Chapter 214 : Chapter 214

Chapter 214 - The Princess’s Commission

Raymond ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍had a headache.

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍front gate had opened far too many times today. The commotion at home never ceased, and the inside of his house was noisier than the imperial skies that were his workplace.

“Haa...”

Raymond ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍sighed and once again stood before the carriage that had entered. However, that sigh had to be his last.

The ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍golden carriage bearing the White Rose was, by itself, a symbol of authority and a reason to kneel.

“Your ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Highness. What brings you all the way to such a humble place?”

Bowing deeply from both his waist and his head, Raymond escorted the Princess as she stepped down from the carriage.

She descended as serenely as a swan gliding over a lake, and she had brought someone in tow.

“Thanks to you, I came comfortably.”

“Enough. Guide me.”

“All right.”

The Princess followed behind the Forest Witch without giving Raymond so much as a meaningful glance. To the master of the house, she left only one sentence.

“I came to see the Fifth Son of Millesdusk. This will not take more than an hour, so do not concern yourself too much, and do not send anyone.”

“...Yes.”

The only answer he could give was agreement, and the only action he could take was to nod. Raymond stepped aside from the path the Princess would take.

“Excuse me, too.”

The Forest Witch also took advantage of that path with the Princess in front of her. Raymond could not bring himself to ask what in the world was going on.

The immediate opportunity was inevitably gone, and now he could only watch a superior of overwhelming status come and go inside his own home.

“I would like you to explain the situation. I do not particularly want to tire my mouth speaking in front of the Fifth Son.”

“Of course.”

The embezzling witch, who would do anything for a VIP customer, climbed the stairs with light steps.

Her body, which was always so leisurely that it sometimes even appeared slow, became lighter instead once gold was involved.

“And Her Highness’s feet must not hurt, just as her mouth must not ache.”

Like Raymond earlier, the Forest Witch gently took the Princess’s hand and raised her other hand upward.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE—

Thick branches grew from sprouts and climbed up the stair railings and pillars.

The Forest Witch and the Princess, who held her hand, naturally rose together until they reached the floor where the Youngest Son was.

“How is it?”

“Perfect.”

It was a foothold raised firmly with tree roots and made soft with vines. The Princess revealed a satisfied smile at the high-level service.

The two smiled at each other, but the master of the house could not do the same.

He looked at the sudden green zone that had appeared and rubbed his troubled face. Only the attendant following behind him carefully asked while watching his expression.

“Shall I go near the room and listen to the voices, at least?”

“...Are you saying you will eavesdrop on Her Highness’s conversation?”

“N-No, I... I apologize. I said something I cannot take back...”

“No. You must find this situation frustrating as well.”

If even the attendant below was like this, then the master of the house’s own heart had been charred black, and he could only let out a deep sigh.

It seemed he would have to drink in broad daylight today.

***

Akiell’s eyes had been unfocused for some time.

“What is wrong with him?”

“Mage Luther, who came with the delegation, tried to kill him.”

“Ah. So that is why he looks as though death has claimed him.”

Three members of Wisdom had gathered in this room, which was officially empty.

One had the most blood mixed in her veins, yet hated the family the most. Another had been born with thin blood and envied those born with a great deal of it.

The last had not a single drop of that blood mixed in him, yet had served as loyally as though it were entirely his own bloodline.

That final person stared blankly into empty air with the expression of someone who had lost the world.

“Why me...”

“Why? What about you?”

“Why, me...”

No matter who spoke to him, he did not answer. No matter who grabbed him and dragged him, he did not resist. He was breathing, but he acted like a corpse, and it seemed he would soon become one.

“Hoo.”

With a faint sigh, Josephine pulled a chair over and sat close to Akiell.

“Just accept it. Wisdom cut off its tail, and you are that severed tail. But you are a tail in a pitiful situation. It was not enough that you were cut off; you were even cooked.”

“Yes. I can picture the situation at a glance.”

Tolan, who was tied up nearby, awkwardly crawled over like a grub. After barely managing to lean against the sofa, he continued.

“They tried to frame the Fifth Son as the culprit behind the library incident, and to add justification for capturing him personally, they needed a Wisdom corpse that had died after being tortured, did they not?”

Akiell had nearly become that corpse. If the Youngest Son’s hidden personnel had not been there, that was what would have happened.

No, if he had not dodged even amid his shock because he wanted to live, that was what would have happened.

However, what was stabbing into his brain now was the final words of the mage who had come to kill him.

―Akiell! Are you betraying the family!

His body, which had unintentionally disobeyed the command that he had to die, had become that of a traitor.

His fate to become a lizard’s tail and be cooked had gone awry, so his honor had burned away. Then should he have died there?

Even now, he could not answer that question.

“This fellow’s situation is worse than mine. Heh heh... Urgh!”

Tolan, who had mocked him and been struck on the crown of his head, glared at his former disciple.

“Your attitude toward your teacher is utterly disrespectful.”

“I can be even more disrespectful than I was just now. Shall I show you?”

“...No. That will not be necessary.”

Tolan quietly turned his head away and rolled back to his original place.

Not long afterward, Akiell’s head slowly lifted. At the end of his gaze was the true traitor, the one who had abandoned the family first.

“...You there.”

“Me?”

“Yes. You there.”

“Has your blocked mouth finally opened? Or were you sending telepathy and I failed to notice?”

“...Stop saying useless things. Just answer me.”

Akiell spoke as though chewing out the words, and his eyes blazed. However, the target of his anger was terribly misplaced.

Akiell knew that as well, but he could not control himself.

“How could Wisdom... How could Wisdom do this to me...? Just how could Wisdom do this to me...?”

He did not even have the strength to shout. He had already struggled and denied it countless times inside himself, so there was no strength left for it to come out of his throat.

The traitor who had been quietly watching him slowly approached once more.

“Because it is the family.”

“...?”

“Because it is the family, it can do that.”

“What does that...”

Instead of continuing her words, Josephine merely stroked the Wisdom robe he was wearing.

When one first received it, it was somewhat coarse, but the more time passed, the softer it became.

Thus, within the family, one could tell how long a mage had belonged to the family by touching the fabric of the robe.

“You have been there for more than twenty years. You look young, though.”

“...Because I have been in the family ever since I was old enough to run.”

“What did the family do for you during those twenty years?”

Countless things flashed through Akiell’s mind. It began with the day when a mage of the family first came to the village.

That mage stopped by the orphanage and held every child’s wrist. With that, he checked the amount of mana they possessed and judged their talent.

He held the other children’s hands once and simply let go, but this hand, he held a little longer. And he did not let go.

Still held by the mage’s hand, Akiell left the orphanage, and the family he arrived at like that, Wisdom, was truly heaven.

“I received a coarse robe... I ate the food the family gave me, and for the first time, I did not starve.”

“You also received their teachings.”

“Yes. I learned Wisdom’s magic, the wisdom of a thousand years, bit by bit, and I learned telepathy... And I was recognized.”

“What kind of recognition was it?”

The day he faced the Family Head for the first and last time. To the young mage whose heart felt as if it would leap out of his mouth, the Family Head said,

“That he had great expectations of me...”

Josephine smiled.

“You nearly lived up to that recognition. Was it not you who kicked it away along with the family’s grace?”

“......”

“Why did you do that? It does not seem they failed to tell you why you had to die.”

The question, which appeared cruel at a glance, truly burrowed into Akiell cruelly as well. He could not answer, but she seemed to know the answer even without him doing so.

“You wanted to live, did you not?”

“...That is...”

“If not, then say no.”

Akiell could say no more. His thoughts seemed to have been transmitted as though he had used telepathy.

“I know without your saying it. I was the same.”

Wisdom’s illegitimate daughter sat before him once again.

“I was too valuable to die here like that, and there were far too many things I wanted to do.”

“So... that is why you left Wisdom?”

“Yes. Wisdom did not particularly try to hold on to me either. It will probably be the same for you.”

“......”

Thoughts slowly filled Akiell’s empty eyes. She did not know what he was thinking, but at least he no longer looked like a corpse.

“Do not think your path exists only inside the family. And do not think that the family is the only thing capable of giving one to you.”

That was all she had to say.

The chair returned to its place, and the three members of Wisdom killed time where each of them sat.

Until the three-way meeting between the Forest Witch, the Princess, and the Youngest Son ended in the nearby room.

***

“You came here because of the ice flowers?”

He spoke while wiping the blood from his hands with a handkerchief. The bloodstained handkerchief was set aside as if it were nothing.

However, his hands were still darkened by blood that had already dried before he wiped it away. The coppery scent, too, made them hands the Princess was unaccustomed to.

After looking at those hands for a while, the Princess asked,

“What happened?”

“One of my subordinates caused trouble. I was in the middle of educating him.”

At those words, the Forest Witch swallowed dryly for no particular reason and thought that she must never cause a money-related problem in the future.

“Does education in the East take place through blood?”

“More often than not. Then may I hear the details from the Forest Witch?”

“...No. I will speak myself.”

The Princess changed her plan. The plan to set the Forest Witch up as her representative and proceed through her was withdrawn completely after she saw the bloodstained hand.

At this rate, would she not look exactly like a delicate flower shrinking back after seeing blood for the first time? It was true that this was her first time seeing it, and it was also true that she had shrunk back, however.

The Princess sat as upright as she could before the bloodstained hand and continued.

“The ice flower you first made for me. I liked it very much, and I want more. I need about four blossoms. How much will you sell them for?”

“Four blossoms...”

The Youngest Son placed his bloodstained hand on the armrest of the chair.

As though another person’s blood clinging thickly to him were neither dirty nor repulsive, he did not pay it the slightest attention.

Rather, only the Princess’s golden eyes kept moving toward the bloodstains on that pale hand.

“That will be difficult.”

“Yes. I can pay that much... What?”

The Princess, who had planned to give her prepared answer and leave quickly, stopped mid-sentence. So the Youngest Son kindly told her once more.

“It seems it will be difficult.”

At once, a gorge formed between the Princess’s brows. Seeing storm clouds gather in real time over the VIP customer’s head, the Forest Witch hurriedly approached her President.

“Um, President. It did not look as though it took much effort. Could you not just do it for her?”

“Why? Did you get a kickback?”

“N-No.”

“Then stay out of this for a moment.”

“All right...”

With her vital point struck at once, the Forest Witch whimpered and withdrew. It took only an instant for the three-way meeting to become a simple face-to-face meeting.

“Why is it difficult? I do hope it is a reason I can accept.”

“I do not know whether you will accept it, but the deadline for my wager with His Majesty is tomorrow. Yet I still have not found an answer worth using.”

“Are you saying you will delay a task that would not even take a minute because of that concern?”

“I have staked my life. Your Highness should postpone this by a day or two as well.”

The Princess could find nothing to say. Instead, the Youngest Son made a proposal.

“There is only one way to receive the ice flowers as quickly as possible.”

“...What is it?”

“Your Highness must attend the wager with His Majesty, and if my head is still attached afterward, I will make them for you on the spot.”