Chapter 127: Their War 1

In the lord’s castle of Bohemia, I was conversing with Estelle, who had returned after concluding matters with the Dragonian Empire.

“It has proceeded as Lord Santana desired. Everything went well.”

“Well done, you have truly labored hard. To think we could bring the Dragonian Empire to our side… without your assistance, Lady Estelle, we would certainly not have even attempted it.”

“You flatter me. I have merely done my due diligence.”

Estelle spoke with a slightly embarrassed expression.

Seeing this, a warm smile naturally formed on my lips.

Of course, I had optimistic prospects that the situation would unfold according to my wishes, but I could not presumptuously assume it would actually transpire.

‘It was fortunate we had the connection of Estelle. Otherwise, we would not have dared attempt it.’

People tend to resist accepting new things, so a certain level of trust was necessary to proceed smoothly.

Since my past failures also stemmed from such reasons, Estelle’s presence played a significant role in this endeavor.

“They say the first batch of goods will arrive in about a month. The person in charge from their side will bring them directly to Bohemia.”

“Directly? Surely there is no need to go to such troublesome lengths?”

“It seems they want to firmly set the foundation, being the first transaction. They expressed similar sentiments.”

“Hmm…”

Estelle spoke in a tone suggesting she did not dwell much on it.

However, her words left me feeling somewhat uneasy.

‘Even so… to travel hundreds of kilometers there and back cannot be without reason…’

Of course, it could simply be attributed to a conscientious personality.

However…

Separate from that, given that I was attempting rather unscrupulous acts involving the Dragonian Empire, I could not feel entirely comfortable with them paying such close attention to this matter.

‘Could it mean there are perceptive individuals on the Dragonian side as well? Perhaps so. They are, after all, a great empire teeming with formidable figures…’

Although I possessed the advantage of future economic knowledge, I did not consider myself exceptionally intelligent.

While I may have surpassed others in knowledge, there could easily be those wiser than me.

With these thoughts, I grew wary of the person who would soon visit with the goods.

Recalling the woman named Cazeros, who had expressed great expectations towards her, Estelle felt a slight sense of discomfort, though not enough to dwell on it deeply, considering it unrelated to her.

‘That woman likely has her own circumstances… Although far from the line of succession, as a member of the imperial family, she may be pinning her hopes on this endeavor to strengthen her position amid the power struggles within the empire.’

Despite her lingering unease towards Cazeros’s existence, Estelle understood that separate from unfounded intuition, the duchess was an important collaborator who had shown goodwill towards the Heretical Alliance.

Since the other side clearly considered this matter significant, there was no need for hostility.

Mastering her feelings, Estelle decided to focus on the present situation.

‘In any case, this worked out well. I have accomplished what Lord Santana desired, and he is grateful to me. In such a situation…’

Throughout the journey back, she had contemplated putting a certain thought into action.

With this in mind, Estelle wore a serious expression as she addressed Santana, who was sipping his tea.

“Lord Santana?”

“Yes, what is it?”

Lowering his cup, Santana turned his gaze towards her.

At this moment, his expression was notably different from before.

In the past, when discussing their contract engagement, his face had seemed to convey only cold, calculated emotions.

However, now, there was no longer any trace of coldness in his demeanor.

Instead of calculated indifference, Santana’s face exuded a warm gratitude and the affection arising from it.

Seeing this, Estelle, having finally completed her preparations after much contemplation, spoke to him in a composed voice:

“Do you recall the conversation we had when we became engaged?”

“Of course, I remember. We agreed to avoid an undesirable marriage while reaping the benefits of matrimony. Why do you suddenly ask?”

Santana responded with a hint of curiosity to Estelle’s question. Seeing this, she spoke in a calm tone:

“At that time… truthfully, like you, Lord Santana, I was solely focused on power and gain. Marriage was merely a means to strengthen my foothold. I had no interest in the affection between a man and a woman.”

“Which is why you readily agreed to such an arrangement. As did I…”

“Yes, that was me back then… However, Lord Santana…”

A tinge of apprehension crept into Santana’s voice as he responded to her.

Seeing this, Estelle spoke with a resolute tone:

“I am no longer like that now.”

“…Huh?”

Santana voiced his bewilderment at Estelle’s words.

Facing him, she spoke in a clear tone:

“Unlike before, I am no longer like that now. I truly admire you… Lord Santana.”

“!…”

Gazing at Santana’s face, Estelle conveyed her intentions unambiguously.

His expression momentarily rendered him speechless, and she continued:

“Now, I truly wish to become your woman, to receive your love. Not a mere facade like a contract engagement, but genuinely as your wife, to walk into the future by your side. Lord Santana, please… accept these feelings of mine.”

“…”

Expressing her sincere feelings, Estelle clearly conveyed her desires.

Seeing this, Santana maintained a stony silence for a while.

Estelle’s sudden confession left me momentarily speechless.

The first word that came to mind upon hearing her words was:

‘Trouble…’

I had sensed Estelle’s feelings to some extent.

Her frequent blushing in my presence made it evident.

However, I truly did not anticipate it would manifest in such a manner.

‘I knew the Dragonian matter had built up to some extent, but I didn’t expect her to broach the topic so soon…’

While I had been on guard to a certain degree, as the recipient of her affections and excessive kindness, her confession at this timing dealt a rather critical blow.

‘At present, there is no definitive connection yet between the Dragonian Empire and our Heretical Alliance… or rather, Bohemia. In this situation, Estelle’s role has become more crucial than ever…’

In other words, this was a period where Estelle and Repsodis held greater sway as intermediaries with the Dragonian Empire.

If I carelessly rejected her proposal now, it risked complicating matters and making the situation extremely difficult.

Of course, since this affair also involved the interests of the Repsodian territory, not just ours, she could not take it too far. But there was ample room for political maneuvering.

Keeping this in mind…

I began to ponder how best to respond as Estelle awaited my answer.

And the conclusion I ultimately reached was…