Episode 48 – A Bet

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Ttokttok

“Excuse me… Um, I… a visitor who came to see Baron-nim… so… so…”

On a morning three days after meeting Ellie and Teacher,

A hotel employee knocked on the door of the room with a trembling voice.

Not even grasping the situation, I grabbed my mask, rushed to the bed, and lay down, while Lara placed a clean towel and such on the bedside table to create a hospital room-like atmosphere.

Lily opened the window for ventilation, and Mena waited patiently until I was ready before opening the door.

“Excuse me, but the Baron-nim is currently…”

“No, that…”

As Mena opened the door, a woman stood smiling behind the employee, who looked like they were about to cry.

“Hehe, Baron! I’m here!”

Hearing her voice, I lay on the bed and rubbed my head.

It was only natural that the employee was so frightened.

The person was the Imperial Princess of this empire.

“Haa… let her in.”

“Yes,”

Mena bowed her head to the guest.

As soon as she stepped into the room, the employee vanished like a shot, saying, ‘Then, I’ll be going.’

As the hotel door closed, I took off my mask again and got out of bed.

“What’s up, Ellie? So early in the morning.”

“Ehe, last time, it was getting light out, so we didn’t have time to talk properly.”

Last time, she was so cautious after finding out that I, Edward, was from the Hero’s party, but now she was talking to me so casually, which made me chuckle slightly.

I wondered if she wasn’t being too informal for someone of such high status.
Perhaps she judged that my reputation and status, which had even led to statues being erected in my honor over the past 20 years, were on par with her own status as an Imperial Princess.

Ellie noticed Lara and Lily looking at her.

I had already told the people in this room about Ellie and Deborah, but Mena and both of them looked very nervous, as they hadn’t expected her to visit in person.

Lara had expressed great concern about my actions of revealing my identity to Ellie and holding her hand, while Lily, on the other hand, defended my choice.

Lara’s point that the more people who shared the secret, the harder it would be to manage, made sense,

And Lily’s point that since I, Ed, was the only one making all the plans right now, it was right to have someone come in to correct my mistakes and make plans together, was also persuasive.

Certainly, I do make plans, but they are full of loopholes from the start, and they tend to go awry due to my impulsive actions.

That was the case with the deaths of Rose and Daniel, and that was the case with Dena getting hurt.

In the first place, I was more skilled at improvisation than planning.

Ellie carefully opened her mouth.

“Wow, these two must be the…”

“…”

“It’s been a while, Lara-nim. The last time I saw you was when I was five years old. Do you remember?”

“You’ve grown up well, Your Highness.”

“It’s an honor to meet you again.”

Ellie bowed slightly to Lara.

Lara awkwardly accepted the greeting, but she didn’t take her eyes off Ellie to figure out if she was really someone she could trust.

Ellie turned her head towards Lily this time.

“Ah, and you must be Lily-ssi. Is this the first time we’ve met in person?”

“Ah, yes…”

Perhaps because she had spent most of her life in the Whirlwind Forest, Lily seemed a little uncomfortable with Ellie, a stranger.

Ellie gave such Lily a soft smile and then turned her head towards me.

“Ed! Have you been doing well these past few days?”

“I had no reason not to be.”

“You could just say you’ve been doing well. You always have to say it like that.”

Ellie giggled even as she complained like that.

Lara’s gaze, watching Ellie treat me more affectionately than expected, became sharper.

I didn’t see Deborah, so I asked Ellie.

“Where’s Teacher? Don’t tell me you came alone without an escort?”

“Who would be bold enough to attack a carriage with the Emperor’s seal in the middle of the capital?”

“… What?”

“Why?”

“… Oh my god, you came in the Imperial family’s carriage?”

“Hehe,”

I felt my jaw drop in disbelief.

Baron Salvie was a prominent figure in this capital, the center of all sorts of rumors and stories.

I had intended to reduce public activities for the time being under the pretext of being injured at Robin’s mansion, in order to shake off the attention focused on Baron Salvie.

My next step was to start by buying a mansion.

The problem is that with real estate of such great value as a large mansion, there are cases where strange interference occurs just from someone showing signs of wanting to buy it.

Nouveau riche nobles who quickly buy it up and raise the price, violent groups who forcibly drive out existing people to take over the surrounding commercial district, and even lower nobles who form factions depending on the location of the mansion.

I was trying to avoid such troublesome things by waiting for the rumors about Baron Salvie to subside and then buying it in a surprise attack.

But if a carriage with the Imperial seal came to visit Baron Salvie, that alone would become a great topic of gossip among the people.

I rubbed my head and asked Ellie.

“Ellie, the rumor that the Imperial Princess came to see Baron Salvie will spread in an instant. There’s no way you didn’t know that.”

“That’s right, I did it on purpose, of course.”

“… No, what do you mean”

“Abbabap- Shh, I have my reasons.”

“… What reasons?”

I looked at Ellie suspiciously.

Ellie came up to my side like a puppy wanting to be praised, tilted her head, and smiled, crinkling her eyes.

If she had a tail on her butt, she would probably be wagging it like crazy right now.

“I haven’t just been playing around these past few days, you know?”

“…?”

“First of all, Ed, you’ve been participating in the Hero’s family events too much, so the noble faction idiots think Baron Salvie is going to side with the noble faction.”

“So? Isn’t that a good thing? It’ll be easier to infiltrate your enemies.”

“That’s not wrong, but there’s a high possibility that the pro-Emperor faction nobles will be shaken, and the noble faction already has more influence. Baron Salvie’s wealth has that much power.”

“Being too rich is also a problem.”

“Anything with great power will inevitably have a great influence.”

“So, does that mean that just by you coming to visit me, you’ve prevented the possibility of Baron Salvie joining the noble faction?”

“At least it will let people know that I’m keeping a close eye on the Baron.”

“Hmm, okay, I understand that part. And what’s the other reason?”

“Hehe, the second reason is the main point. I had some urgent information to give you.”

“What is it?”

“Before I say that-“

Ellie raised her head and looked around the room, then found Mena, who was warming the teapot.

“I want your maid to hear it too.”

“Hmm…? Okay, I got it, Mena. Come here.”

“Yes, the tea is ready. Would you like some?”

“What do you want to do?”

“Hehe, I’d love to.”

“What about you guys?”

“… I’ll have some too,”

“Ah, me too then…”

“Mena, everyone except me wants to drink, so bring enough for everyone.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Let’s go to that table and continue talking.”

We sat around the spacious table by the window.

As soon as we sat down without thinking, Ellie quickly approached and sat down in the seat to my left.

In response, Lara reflexively grabbed the chair to my right and sat down.

“Ah,”

Lily hesitated, then sighed once and sat down next to Lara.

Mena, who was carrying a tray with teacups and a teapot, said in an absurd voice.

“Why are you all sitting so close together when there’s so much space?”

“… I don’t know either,”

“Ahem-“

Ellie cleared her throat awkwardly and then opened her mouth, looking at Mena, who was pouring tea into the teacups.

“Mena, was it? I want you to sit down too.”

“… Me?”

“Yeah, I heard you’re narrowing down Ed’s mansion candidates, and I’d like you to show them to me.”

“Ah, yes. The candidates have been narrowed down to three. It would be great to hear the Imperial Princess’s opinion.”

“And,”

“…?”

“I’ve been thinking about how to save Banata.”

Ttang!

Mena dropped the teacup.

*

Ellie’s plan sounded too convenient and far-fetched.

It was only natural to think that things wouldn’t go as smoothly as she hoped, as her plan relied heavily on chance and people’s psychology from the very first step.

Not only I but even Lara shook her head, dismissing it as nonsense.

I questioned Ellie, asking if this made any sense, but Ellie just laughed and told me to wait only three days.

She said that if I waited just three days, it would start on its own.

When she saw me still frowning and doubting despite her confident expression, she held out her index finger in front of my nose and suggested a bet.

‘Let’s have the loser grant one wish.’

I nodded.

There was no way such a ridiculous plan would work.

No matter how smart the Imperial Princess is, she can’t compare to me, who has experience in party life, when it comes to making plans, I thought.

And today, the third day.

Knock knock knock!

“You can’t do this! You can’t come in here!”

“Baron-nim! Baron-nim! Please just listen to me once! I’m begging you!”

Mela’s son, who had reached the outside of my room, pushing away the employee who said he couldn’t come in, was desperately calling for Baron Salvie.

His voice was very desperate.

“… Wow, shit.”

I put on my mask and muttered lowly.

“I lost.”

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