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Normally, she would have spent her time attending banquets or shopping with friends. But today, she simply didn't feel like doing any of that.
Contrary to what she had confidently said in front of Rosia, she was also feeling uneasy inside.
'I thoroughly erased the evidence, so there shouldn't be any major problems, but...'
The fact that the imperial family, especially Prince Darian, had begun actively investigating this matter bothered her.
If he hadn't blown things out of proportion, she could have pressured the Dean to brush it off as a simple accident.
She grew anxious, wondering if she might get caught and expelled from the academy, which could even jeopardize her engagement with the imperial family.
Freya's low spirits didn't improve even by dinner.
When she appeared in the dining room, Count and Duchess Arman looked at their daughter with puzzled eyes.
"Why are you home on the weekend without attending any banquets?"
At the Count's question, Freya pouted and replied.
"I've been a bit tired since returning from the Subjugation Contest. I need some time to rest too."
Count Arman nodded, understanding.
"Indeed, I heard that something ominous happened at this Subjugation Contest. Someone artificially manipulated the Monsters, didn't they?"
At his words, the Duchess frowned.
"It's truly frightening. Our daughter could have been caught up in an accident..."
"His Imperial Majesty also felt a sense of urgency and directly entrusted the investigation to the Magic Tower. They will probably catch the culprit soon."
Freya flinched slightly at the Count's words.
'The Magic Tower is in charge of the investigation... Does that mean Prince Darian has stepped away from this case? Should I consider this fortunate or not?'
The more she thought about it, the more complicated it became.
Just as Freya was sighing repeatedly at the increasingly tangled situation, the Count wiped his mouth with a napkin and continued heavily.
"By the way, I have something to tell you both."
"It seems I'll have to sell the land in the Falun region."
At the unexpected words, the Duchess turned to her husband with a surprised expression.
"What? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Well... business hasn't been doing well lately. The financial situation is a mess."
"I wondered why you've looked so gloomy lately. Is the situation that bad?"
Freya also stared at the Count with worried eyes at the sudden news.
"As you know, Flor Cosmetics is incredibly popular these days. Thanks to that, Sharon Atelier's sales have plummeted."
The Count tapped the table as if troubled and continued.
"It hasn't been long since we expanded the business, but with customers disappearing, the damage is significant."
"Are you saying you'll sell the land because of that? You said you wanted to build a villa in that area later."
"What can I do? I need to raise money to put out the immediate fire."
The Count sighed deeply and leaned back in his chair.
"Actually, I've been looking into various things... It seems the creator of Flor's cosmetics is quite skilled. The problem is that the head of the merchant guild is hiding them so well that it's not easy to find out their identity."
"Are you thinking of recruiting that person?"
"That's the quickest solution for now. If we can get our hands on Flor's technology, the competitor will disappear, and Sharon Atelier can monopolize the market again."
At those words, the Duchess nodded in agreement.
"It would be wonderful if things went as you said."
"Indeed. If we can just find out who they are, we can offer them better contract terms than the Flor merchant guild and somehow bring them over. No one in the world dislikes money."
The Count said that and smiled as if to tell them not to worry too much.
However, Freya felt even deeper anxiety at that sight. It was because her father had never once mentioned the family's financial problems before.
'How severe is the situation... At this rate, will I be able to proceed with the engagement with the imperial family?'
The more she thought about it, the more she sighed.
The engagement with the imperial family was possible in the first place because of the immense wealth of the Arman Noble house.
But if that advantage disappeared, there would be no reason for the imperial family to push for a marriage with the Count's Noble house.
As signs of her future plans going awry one by one, Freya frowned without realizing it.
'If Ayla does well, she'll marry the Heir of the Argenta Noble house... Am I going to meet someone less than that?'
Just imagining bowing her head in front of Ayla, who would become the future Duchess, filled her with rage.
To avoid such a thing, she had to marry Darian no matter what.
The hand holding the knife trembled, but Freya tried to suppress her emotions.
Even if she felt resentful and wronged now, it was time to be cautious for the sake of the future.
As soon as class ended, Ayla hurriedly packed her things.
She was always busy, but recently, with preparations for early graduation piling up, each day passed without a moment to breathe.
'I need to go to the library to prepare for the graduation exam and find research materials. It would be great if I could also get a sample of the Paternity test magic tool.'
But that wasn't as easy as it sounded.
The Magic Tower strictly controlled the leakage of the knowledge they possessed.
In other words, to study the operating principles of the Paternity test magic tool, the only option was to become a Mage affiliated with the Magic Tower.
'Hmm, I should discuss this issue with Peony later. There must be a way somehow.'
Just as Ayla was about to leave the classroom, mingling with the students, someone grabbed her arm, lost in thought.
"Ayla!"
As she raised her head, she saw Peony's face, flushed red. It seemed she had rushed to find her as soon as class ended.
"What were you thinking about so deeply? I called you several times from behind."
"Really? Sorry, I didn't hear you."
"Anyway, I have good news! I ran here breathlessly to tell you."
Peony quickly scanned her surroundings with an excited face, then approached Ayla and whispered in a small voice.
"Count Arman has finally put the land in the Falun region up for sale!"
At the unexpected news, Ayla's eyes widened. Joy was clearly visible in her sparkling eyes.
"Really?"
"Yeah, it seems business has been quite difficult lately, just as you said."
"It seems the financial pressure was severe. So he ended up selling the land."
"Isn't it good for us? If things go as you said, it's only a matter of time before Count Arman goes bankrupt."
Peony raised the corners of her lips and gave a chilling smile.
"I can't wait to see what kind of expression Freya will make after her Noble house collapses."
At those words, Ayla burst into laughter.
She hadn't said anything, but Peony was already convinced that Freya and Rosia had orchestrated the events that occurred at the Subjugation Contest.
'Well, it's obvious, actually.'
There weren't many people with that much Magic ability who held a grudge against her.
And Peony had no intention of letting those who dared to harm her precious friend get away with it.
Looking at the enthusiastic Peony, Ayla carefully reminded her.
"You know, right? We mustn't get caught targeting the land. We need to find a proxy buyer to avoid suspicion as much as possible."
"Don't worry. I've already chosen the candidates. Baron Loin, Viscount Mayan, Baron Lucy... They're all local nobles, so even if Count Arman investigates, he won't get much information."
"It has to be someone reliable who doesn't seem to be related to us."
"All three seem fine. They're simple and, frankly, a bit dim-witted. If we promise them a suitable position, they'll easily come over to our side."
"Thank you. I feel relieved to hear that."
Ayla looked at Peony with eyes full of gratitude.
In fact, if she had to take care of these minor tasks herself, she wouldn't have enough bodies even if she had ten.
But thanks to Peony's help, everything was running smoothly.
"I've already scouted out a suitable store for sale in the capital. It's in a place with a lot of foot traffic and good accessibility..."
Just as Peony was chattering and continuing her words.
Ayla, who was walking, didn't see ahead and bumped into someone.
Thud.
The moment she raised her head to identify the other person, Ayla's eyes widened.
"Ayla, do you have some time to spare?"
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