.jpg)
IBP 71
For reasons unknown, the position of the Imperial Concubine was vacant.
I bowed my head before His Imperial Majesty.
“Yes, I greet Your Majesty.”
“You are quite polite.”
“The Ardos family helped me a great deal. Oh, and...”
I rolled my eyes, glancing side to side.
Since all the nobles attending the ball were watching my family's audience with the Emperor, now was the perfect time to change my sister's image.
“It is all because my sister here taught me so well.”
I spoke politely and courteously, squaring my shoulders firmly.
“Hmm. Your sister, you say?”
“Yes. She helped me a lot when I was adopted. She is a truly kind person!”
I waved my hands back and forth like fluttering wings, signaling that my sister is a good person.
Chloe looked speechless, as if she hadn't expected herself to be mentioned here.
“...I see. Lady Chloe Ardos, is the youngest daughter's claim correct?”
Receiving my sparkling gaze, she let out a small, incredulous laugh.
“If she says so herself, how can I deny it, Your Majesty?”
“It is a relief to see such sibling affection, indeed.”
The Emperor laughed lightly and brushed it off.
However, my words seemed to cause a great stir among the others.
I could hear the chatter of the crowd.
“How strange, the Duke's household seems more harmonious than I thought.”
“I heard she was a blessed child.”
“No, I heard she had a scar-mark?”
“But what about Lady Chloe? I heard she was on the verge of a berserk state; how did she enter the Imperial Palace?”
“Did she overcome the berserk state? No, but does that even make sense?”
Everyone became curious about my family.
‘Especially about my sister.’
In a positive way, of course.
I narrowed my eyes and scanned the surroundings.
As this heartwarming atmosphere continued, the conversation between the Emperor and Duke Ardos finally concluded.
On the way back to our seats after the brief audience.
The Emperor's voice was heard once more.
“I heard the Melomande family has achieved a great feat this time.”
The head of the Melomande family—likely Dahlia's father—who had been sitting there without any presence, stood up for the first time.
He then presented a lavish box to the Emperor and spoke.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I present the item I mentioned.”
“I heard your daughter discovered this noble mana crystal.”
Just as the praise for Dahlia was about to begin.
I lifted a round stone from my pocket with a face that pretended to know nothing.
“But this looks exactly like that stone! Right!”
At first, no one seemed interested in me. My voice wasn't particularly loud, and it was just the gesture of a tiny child.
Only Belief, who was beside me, muttered, “Ho, looks like she's up to something again.”
But right then.
The Captain of the Guard, who was guarding our table from a short distance, wore an awkward expression.
“My Lady, I apologize for interrupting. However, the smuggling of unauthorized mana crystals into the Imperial Palace is forbidden.”
“Hup. Really?”
“Yes. It is a common mistake. I shall dispose of it immediately.”
I put on a distressed face and reluctantly handed the mana crystal to him.
“Are you disposing of it right here, right now?”
“Yes.”
And he gripped the mana crystal casually.
The knight, intending to dispose of the mana crystal using his own supernatural ability, suddenly looked bewildered.
“Uh, why isn't it working?”
He looked troubled and applied force to the mana crystal once more.
And then...
“Ack! My, my bangs!”
A massive flame, over 20cm high, erupted from the mana crystal.
In the middle of the Imperial Palace, the mana crystal combusted brilliantly, burning off the Guard Captain's bangs.
Someone with a water-based supernatural ability quickly approached the panicked man and extinguished the fire.
However, it was inevitable that everyone's attention was instantly drawn to the scene.
“Y-Your Majesty. My sincerest apologies...! It was m-my mistake.”
The Guard Captain bowed his head with a look of utter embarrassment.
He seemed to be solemnly thinking that he should pay for the crime of starting a fire in front of the Emperor with his life.
But...
I quickly raised my hand and spoke.
“Um, the knight here did nothing wrong!”
To dispose of a mana crystal, an ability user with strong supernatural abilities must pour in mana.
And the stronger the effect of the mana crystal, the more mana had to be injected.
The Guard Captain probably didn't know that this mana crystal was different from ordinary ones.
That was why this disaster happened after he poured in even more mana. The Guard Captain likely had a fire-related ability.
“I was told this mana crystal is five times stronger than a normal one. That's why he couldn't help but make a mistake.”
While everyone was watching us.
I continued speaking as if it were nothing.
“Uncle Belief has so many of them at his place that I forgot to mention it. I'm sorry, Mr. Knight!”
Then Belief took it a step further.
“I intended to inform Your Majesty separately later, but... yes, a mine has been discovered.”
In that instant, the atmosphere completely flipped.
“...Duke Ardos, is this true?”
At the Emperor's surprised question, the corners of Duke Ardos's mouth soared toward the sky.
“I am somewhat flustered to announce it this way... but yes, it is true, Your Majesty.”
Afterward, I could hear the Emperor and Duke Ardos, excited by the discovery of high-grade mana crystals, chatting about grand business plans.
With my feet, which didn't yet reach the ground, swinging energetically, I glared at Dahlia.
‘Dahlia, your house doesn't have five-times-stronger mana crystals, right?’
* * *
The Emperor left a comment saying he was very much looking forward to the mana crystals that would come from Belief's mine.
He gave a brief word of praise to the Melomande family in passing, but no one paid attention.
Following that, the Imperial Palace orchestra appeared, signaling the official start of the ball.
However, people's interest was entirely focused on the Ardos family's mana crystals; the ball was an afterthought.
Everyone glanced around the Ardos Duke's party with curiosity.
Among them, one of the bravest approached Duke Ardos and asked.
“To suddenly discover a mana crystal mine, how did that happen?”
“It's surprising to see Lady Chloe at the Imperial ball. Is her health fully recovering?”
“The baby—no, Lady Coco—I believe this is my first time meeting her.”
“My child contributed to the development of the mana crystals, so although she hasn't had her debutante ball, I brought her here. Ahem.”
The atmosphere and heat around the table were bustling.
On the other hand...
Dahlia let out a hollow laugh as she looked at the empty space around her.
‘It took a whole year.’
Since Chloe went into seclusion, those were the days she had spent trying to seize control of social opinion.
And yet, everything was about to go down the drain.
‘How dare the Ardos family have a mana crystal mine...’
Due to excessive rage, even her thoughts were fragmented.
Then, a lady beside her whispered softly as if to soothe Dahlia.
“Um, cheer up, Miss Dahlia.”
“We are always on your side.”
Hearing the mechanical voice, Dahlia gripped the hem of her skirt.
“Yes, Dahlia. In the end, can't you just sell the mana crystal mine externally?”
Dahlia's father tried his best to comfort her, but.
“...No, that's not it.”
Dahlia shook her head.
A situation had arisen where even greater mana crystals had appeared.
The plan to sell hers at a high price because they were rare would now be ruined.
There was a high probability that investors expecting high returns would withdraw their funds.
It meant that her source of funding would dry up for a while, and things would become a headache.
Even though it wasn't Chloe's fault, all the anger was directed toward Chloe.
‘Come to think of it, she always took the best things.’
Dahlia glared at Chloe with bloodshot eyes. Chloe looked back at her and smirked.
It was a blatant sneer.
Then, after scanning her surroundings with a cold gaze, Chloe stepped out of the ballroom.
‘I can't just leave her alone.’
Dahlia stood up and chased after Chloe.
.jpg)