Chapter 125: The Stellar Gala 6

Feeling a peculiar discomfort upon seeing the woman named Cazeros, Estelle nevertheless put on a smile and politely greeted her.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Cazeros. I am delighted to assist someone of the imperial bloodline.”

“The honor is mine… to meet the renowned Lady of Repsodis in such a manner. I look forward to your guidance.”

Despite the lingering unease, it would be unwise to reveal her feelings here.

This woman was the duchess of the Dragonian Empire and of imperial blood.

An individual far above Estelle’s own status as a marginal noble of the Holy Empire.

Moreover, Cazeros had been directly appointed by the Empress to oversee this endeavor.

In essence, the success or failure of this matter now rested squarely on this woman’s cooperation.

Regardless of her personal feelings, Estelle needed to cooperate with her as much as possible and maintain a deferential stance befitting their positions.

‘While I find her disagreeable, for now, it is best to cooperate as much as possible. I cannot jeopardize Lord Santana’s affairs due to personal preferences.’

Watching Estelle respectfully bow before her, Cazeros felt an uncharacteristic displeasure.

‘Why?… Why do I feel so uncomfortable when looking at this woman?’

Certainly, she was meeting Estelle for the first time, and their relationship was that of collaborators from the outset, giving no apparent reason for discomfort.

And yet, at this moment, Cazeros found herself disliking this woman named Estelle.

‘This has never happened before… to feel such a sense of aversion towards someone for no apparent reason…’

As one aspiring to the heart of a cleric, her aim was to bestow compassion and love upon all, regardless of status or appearance.

Even when facing sinners, Cazeros had endeavored to hate the sin, not the sinner.

However, now she found herself harboring unpleasant feelings towards this Estelle, someone far removed from the concept of a sinner and about whom she knew little beyond her being a local ruler of Repsodis.

It was as if she were facing an ‘enemy’ connected to something Cazeros could not relinquish.

Puzzled by this, Cazeros attributed it to her own lack of cultivation and strove to purge these inexplicable emotions through introspection.

‘Lord, I beseech you to cleanse this wicked feeling from your servant’s heart…’

Silently offering a prayer to calm herself, Cazeros soon felt her emotions slightly mollified as she began to discuss the forthcoming matters with Estelle.

While unaware of the precise details regarding the Dragonian Empire’s support, Cazeros intended to accommodate Estelle’s requests to the fullest extent within her authority.

The reason was simple.

Although this woman evoked a sense of unease, Cazeros was certain of one fact:

The enigmatic transaction Estelle had described, which Cazeros could not fully comprehend, had likely originated from him…

From Santana.

‘As far as I know, within Bohemia and the Heretical Alliance, only Lord Santana would undertake such an ambiguous transaction. If so, my role is to ensure this deal is successfully concluded. And through this pretext, to reach his side as soon as possible…’

Unlike her time as a lowly Holy Knight concealing her identity to evade her mother’s watchful eye, Cazeros no longer saw any significance in hiding her status at this juncture.

Moreover, she strongly felt she no longer wished to cause harm to her beloved due to their difference in social standing.

‘Since I cannot conceal it forever… I might as well reveal the truth to Lord Santana now.’

With this in mind, Cazeros first discussed the items to be traded and then expressed her intention to accompany the shipments to Bohemia in order to oversee the process.

“Would that be alright? There is no need for you to go to such lengths…”

“No, since this is the first transaction, and above all, as the person in charge, I wish to see it through perfectly. Would that be acceptable, Your Majesty?”

As she spoke, Cazeros glanced at the Empress for her reaction.

In response, Rozveta nodded lightly, granting her approval.

“After all, you are the one responsible for this matter. Proceed as you wish.”

“Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.”

Thus, Cazeros expressed her gratitude for the Empress’s permission…

Watching her, Estelle could only conceal her displeasure as much as possible.

‘While unavoidable… she is still an unsettling woman. For now, I must remain vigilant…’

After the unofficial negotiations between the Dragonian Empire and the Heretical Alliance concluded with Estelle’s visit, she quietly departed Sofia Castle as the celebratory banquet was ending.

“Then, I shall visit again with the goods. Until next time.”

“Yes, I look forward to it.”

The two exchanged polite farewells with smiles, yet two common issues remained unresolved despite reaching this final stage of the journey.

First, even as they showed courtesy, both still harbored an inexplicable discomfort towards each other – an undesirable sentiment given their need to collaborate.

Second, no matter how much they pondered, Santana’s transaction method remained a perplexing question.

Although it undoubtedly increased the total resources to be provided, the possibility that Santana had another motive was extremely high.

Yet, their knowledge failed to unravel this mystery, leading them to the same internal conclusion:

‘I’ll have to ask Lord Santana directly for the details…’

Knowing the future is certainly a great advantage.

However, no matter how much one knows of the future, if unable to utilize that knowledge appropriately, it becomes akin to a pearl necklace on a pig’s neck.

And in that regard…

As someone aware of the concept of capital management, I knew very well how to convert the weapon of future knowledge into money.

Having already made a fortune based on this during my time as a Holy Knight, its effectiveness in this world had been clearly proven.

However, if one did not know the future, there would be no gamble as perilous as this method.

I always found it quite ironic that the origins of this extremely risky ‘weapon’ were intended for someone’s stability.

The investment method that informs countless people of the temperature of the Han River in modern society is…