Subliminal Wayfarer

“Grace seems to be quite frail.”

“…Is that so? Well, when she was young, sure. Everyone has minor ailments. But she’s been fine since she came of age.”

Kafrenn was anxious that this might be a flaw reducing Grace’s value.

Lucas shrugged as if he understood and smiled.

“Well, that doesn’t matter. I just wanted to ensure that Grace, who is frail, receives professional and comprehensive care from my household until the wedding.”

“Oh… haha, I see.”

Kafrenn secretly sighed in relief.

“It seems that the marquisate might not have enough capacity to properly care for Grace. I heard that Norman O’Ellin is injured.”

“You heard correctly. Yes, he’s currently at the temple for treatment.”

“Oh dear, was he badly hurt? How did it happen…?”

Kafrenn couldn’t bring himself to say that Norman had been trampled by a horse and just shook his head bitterly.

Lucas, who had been secretly smirking, clicked his tongue sympathetically.

“Since the Young Marquis is injured, I’m worried about whether Grace can recuperate comfortably.”

“That’s something for the marquisate to handle, so please don’t concern yourself too much.”

Kafrenn issued an idle threat to Lucas, clearing his throat.

Seeing an opportunity, he thought he might be able to gain something useful. He lifted his chin with a slightly relieved expression.

“I see. In that case, there’s something I’d like to show you, Marquis. Jaime.”

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

At Lucas’s call, Jaime approached with a briefcase.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Jaime politely placed the heavy briefcase on the table.

‘What is that?’

Kafrenn frowned, watching the stack of documents emerge from the briefcase.

Lucas skimmed through the papers and handed them to Kafrenn.

“I brought something that might help you make some decisions. Please take a look.”

“……?”

Kafrenn frowned harshly at the thick stack of papers.

In less than a minute, Kafrenn’s eyes began to tremble violently.

“T-This is…”

“Twelve cases of tax evasion last year. Twenty allegations of confinement and abduction. And about the rather unpleasant incident the Young Marquis caused two years ago… it’s all detailed here. Have you read about these before?”

Lucas added with a lazy voice, smiling slightly.

He uncrossed his legs and handed his empty teacup to Jaime.

A fragrant tea poured out from the teapot, still warm.

“W-What are you…?”

“The youngest daughter of Viscount Inglekson, isn’t it?”

Kafrenn’s mouth was suddenly agape.

Damn it!

This bastard knows everything!

Kafrenn glared at Lucas with a pale face.

Lucas calmly sipped the slightly cooled tea.

His elegant and composed demeanor further aggravated the marquis.

Two years ago, Norman went on a trip with his friends.

It was in the seaside city of Aperium, where he harassed a minor noble’s daughter, causing an incident.

‘…Damn it.’

To cover it up, Kafrenn had to take several gold bars.

But that damned rural viscount refused money and land, insisting on taking the matter to the noble court.

Ha! Who was he trying to kill?

It happened just as Kafrenn entered the council.

He couldn’t afford to let his reputation be tarnished.

So, Kafrenn changed his plan and gave the money to some thugs.

They politely warned that they might be a bit rough.

Crazy fools.

Did they think the methods of street thugs would be elegant and clean? Hah!

Of course, Kafrenn didn’t care.

He just made sure there were no traces left.

‘But… how does he know about that after almost three years?’

Kafrenn bit the inside of his trembling lip and forced a smile.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Haha. Anyway, Duke, you shouldn’t be putting me in such a difficult position, should you?”

“Why… is that not possible?”

Lucas leisurely replied, placing his teacup down.

Reclining loosely against the chair, he looked at Kafrenn as if he were the king of this mansion.

At that moment, Kafrenn felt strangely unfamiliar with this space he frequented daily.

“Well, that’s because I am the father of Grace, who is to be your wife. My flaw will soon become your flaw, Duke.”

“Haha!”

Lucas burst into laughter.

With a smile and an apologetic gesture, he made Kafrenn look at him with an embarrassed face.

“Didn’t you just say a moment ago that there’s another fellow passionately courting her, and the marriage could be called off?”

Kafrenn’s face turned red at Lucas’s blatant sarcasm.

He had to clench his fists to hide his trembling hands.

His eyes, filled with anger and humiliation, glared at Lucas before dropping down.

“That was just to say that there are people with such zeal.”

“Ah, I see. That makes sense. Family, yes… family. In that case, it would be best for Grace to become my wife as soon as possible to avoid exposing these misdeeds… isn’t that right, Marquis O’Ellin?”

“Urgh.”

Kafrenn gritted his teeth and glared at Lucas.

Lucas shrugged and beckoned to Jaime again.

“Pardon me.”

Jaime pulled out another document from the briefcase.

‘Damn it, what is it now?!’

The marquis glared at the new set of documents in front of him with trembling eyes.

“Open it. It’s as shocking as the last one.”

With Lucas Blacke’s words, it became even harder to touch it.

But he couldn’t not look.

Swallowing hard, the marquis pulled out the paper with trembling hands.

Kafrenn O’Ellin’s eyes hardened as he scanned the certificate with somewhat frightened eyes.

He looked at Lucas with a puzzled expression and asked.

“A… certificate?”

“Correct. It’s a deed to the Brügge mine in the Orman region.”

The Orman region was renowned for its minerals even within Zeronium.

The gems from that region were especially popular throughout the continent.

However, the annual mining output was not high.

That made them even more expensive.

‘And the Brügge mine?’

It was a diamond mine.

Kafrenn O’Ellin felt his breath catch in his throat.

A deed to a diamond mine!

Gulp—!

His throat bobbed more noticeably than before.

Just this one mine deed was worth more than all the lands of the O’Ellin territory combined.

‘To think the Blacke household owned this!’

Most of the Orman region was managed by the royal family.

Though some nobles had taken parts of it, owning a diamond mine was unheard of!

Kafrenn realized that Lucas Blacke was a far greater figure than he had imagined.

What else was he hiding?

“One month.”

“One month…?”

With a smiling face, Lucas offered a carrot.

“If the wedding proceeds within a month, I’ll give this deed to the O’Ellin family as a wedding gift.”

Kafrenn involuntarily gasped. The thought of having that in his hands made his head spin.

With a serene face, Lucas Blacke, who had just made an astounding statement, now took out the stick.

“But if even a day passes beyond the month…”

“…What?”

“Those documents you just saw will be exposed to the world. And, well. You would know the consequences better than anyone, Marquis.”

“……!”

Lucas smiled brightly as he stood up.

“I would appreciate a written response by the day’s end. We have much to prepare on our side as well.”

He checked the time on his wristwatch with a flourish and took his hat from Jaime.

“Well then, I’m busy, so I shall be taking my leave.”