The dark eyes with inscrutable emotions lingered on her face for a long time.

“Th-this isn’t it? That I dared to touch Your Majesty’s cheek… I’m sorr-.”

As the silence stretched on, Mercedes, worried that Carlos might be offended or that her touch was a breach of etiquette, tried to apologize.

At the same time, Carlos, coming to his senses, shook his head with a smile.

“Enough with the apologies. Did you learn this way of complimenting from me? It feels quite nice, so I’d like you to do it often. It’s much better than talking like we’re bargaining with an unwanted price.”

With that, he regained his leisurely smile. It was like usual.

‘Something was strange.’

Carlos was always a person who had a relaxed gaze. But just now, something… was different.

Carlos extended his arm to Mercedes. It was a gesture of escort. She placed her arm on his thick, firm arm with a strange feeling. She decided to stop thinking about it, knowing she couldn’t figure it out.

“Now. Mercedes. You might be exhausted after touring the entire garden, but are you prepared?”

“Yes. I will walk diligently.”

“And if you tell me the time you want, an adjutant will come to manage your stipend for maintaining your dignity. At that time, discuss the shipping cost for the gift you will send to your father.”

“The letter isn’t finished yet… I think tomorrow afternoon would be good.”

“I’ll let them know.”

Carlos thought that the cheek she had brushed against continued to tickle.

It must be because of the early spring breeze, he thought and quickly forgot.

* * *

Shame was not far from the empire’s capital.

The Antlers Company had frequent deliveries and was particularly fast. They diligently urged their horses except when boarding ships, and soon arrived at the Cromwell estate in less than five days.

The Count, who had locked himself in the mansion rejecting all visitors, rushed to the lobby without even changing into indoor attire upon hearing that the Antlers Company had arrived.

“Greetings, His Excellency Count Cromwell. I come as a representative of Lady Nadia Ford, the head of the Antlers Company.”

“Yes! Welcome. What in the world is all this? Suddenly, these things!”

Count Cromwell’s eyes sparkled.

His greedy gaze was fixed on the two huge boxes.

Without delay, the representative opened the boxes for the customer.

One was a stuffed deer head, with an enormous, delicate, and beautifully preserved antler properly preserved.

And in the other box were a tapestry woven in the style popular among the eastern nobles of the empire, studded with jewels, and a bust sculpture by an artist recently famous as a rising star. He was someone whose work commanded its price.

“My word…!”

As someone who could recite luxury goods in his sleep, the Count recognized everything at a glance.

He had managed to quickly align himself with the Duke and escape the status of a criminal, but because of that wench Mercedes, he had to pay a huge compensation to the King.

Moreover, the King even assigned ‘work’ to the Count. It was a very bothersome task, but he said he would take care of the aftermath well, so he had no choice but to comply. On top of that, he was told to remain in seclusion until then.

Well, the order for seclusion was rather fortunate. He didn’t even have money to go out and buy a drink, let alone gamble as he used to enjoy.

He tried raising the taxes on his territory, but with the coffers already empty, it was impossible to return to his previous standard of living.

But suddenly, such luxury goods…!

As soon as the seclusion was over, he would somehow squeeze out money, hold a gathering, and show off these magnificent things to his heart’s content.

Then everyone would think:

Despite the damned incident, the prestige of the Cromwell family hadn’t fallen, but rather risen!

The Count, blinded by immediate gratification, spread his wings of imagination without even considering future living expenses. He was optimistic that squeezing the people of his territory would yield something anyway.

“What in the world is this! Did you say it came from the Loom Empire? Who sent it?”

Cromwell exclaimed in the brightest voice he had in recent times.

“I’m not sure. Please read the letter first. And I think I need to receive a reply and return… Please read it and give us a space to wait for a while.”

“Yes, yes! Wait just a moment.”

Count Cromwell was so hasty that he forgot to have a letter knife brought and roughly tore open the letter he was handed.

The representative, who had been watching everything, tried not to show it but was inevitably a little taken aback. Despite being called a count, his appearance and behavior showed no nobility at all.

“…This is. This is….”

Soon, the hand of Count Cromwell holding the letter began to tremble slowly.

The moment he saw the familiar handwriting, he almost tore the letter in anger.

But as he read on, his heart slowly settled down.

Mercedes was calling him father and begging for forgiveness. It was clearly different from her usually stiff way of speaking. It seemed like she was truly repenting.

It was written that the Emperor was very fond of her, and if she tried harder to please him, she might be able to invite her father to Loom.

So she asked him to wait just a little longer, that she was truly sorry. How was he doing, was he alright? She wrote that if he told her, she would do anything to help, so he must let her know.

It was written very earnestly.

“…Hmm.”

The Count looked closely at the letter.

Was this all true? That wench had already ruined the Count’s family once before.

‘But there’s no way that stupid wench could scheme.’

In fact, Cromwell believed Mercedes was innocent. It wasn’t that he believed in her morality, but he thought that stupid thing could never have the guts to kill the crown prince.

If only she had conducted herself better, how did she get falsely accused and bring shame to the Count’s family?

Thanks to that, Cromwell had clung to the King, saying it was impossible for Mercedes to murder the crown prince with her slender arms, and that it was rather the opposing forces dissatisfied with His Majesty’s succession to the throne who had run wild, assassinated him, and framed the Cromwell family, and that he should believe in his truly loyal subject and take control.

Thinking about how he had thrown away his pride and even offered money at that time made his teeth grind.

‘Whether it’s true or not, the Emperor has already taken Mercedes.’

Even as he looked at the letter with doubtful eyes, he did not ignore the desire that was slowly filling his heart. And his empty pockets seemed to whisper that this was a lifeline.

The Loom Empire currently stood in the position of an absolute power that did not need to negotiate with other countries due to the Emperor’s marriage.

So the Emperor would surely marry a woman he liked without considering diplomacy.

Since he took her even though she was a murderer, he must like Mercedes very much.

Moreover, although that wench Mercedes was stupid, she was quite pretty, resembling her dead mother.

‘If I manipulate Mercedes well and have her bear the child of the Loom Emperor… I will become the Emperor’s father-in-law! Then I could have not just one or two, but dozens of these luxuries!’

Count Cromwell grinned.

Cromwell was impressed again and again by his own foresight in bringing her to the estate in the past.

Of course, he didn’t find Mercedes admirable. Honestly, it was only natural. They had almost all died because of her.

“I will go to the study and write a reply. Butler. Give the company a room to rest comfortably.”

The Count sternly ordered and went up to the study.

He could not hide his smile as he walked.

* * *

From the moment she received the telegram that Cromwell had received the gift, Mercedes had to engrave patience in her heart over a hundred times.

The content of the letter was conceived by Mercedes, but the tone was so stiff that Leopold revised it to sound as pitiful and innocent as possible.

Mercedes knew Cromwell well, even if she didn’t know the world. Cromwell would not believe her right away. But he would be imagining that he could become the father-in-law of the Loom Emperor.

Mired in lust for power and vanity.

She bit her nails anxiously.

The Antlers Company had already arrived at the port of Loom the day before yesterday.

Carlos said he had the messenger on standby and would ride the horse, so he said they would arrive this morning.

She couldn’t calm down and kept pacing around the room.

“Enough. Your hands will be ruined.”

Then. Carlos entered her room, which she had left the door open.

As soon as he entered, he came closer and gently wrapped her hand.

“Ah, Your Majesty.”

“There. I brought the letter, so don’t worry.”

Carlos unfolded her fingers, clenched from biting, one by one and placed the letter on top.

“Congratulations. Your revenge has taken its first step.”

Mercedes’ heart raced like crazy.

The envelope was quite thick. As she opened the letter, the terribly familiar handwriting and the strong scent of cigar wafted out.

It was a total of five pages of letters.

Three pages were about rebuking her, one page was about how fortunate it was that she was still useful, and the remaining page was about making sure to capture the Emperor’s heart.

Reading the first three pages, Mercedes’ heart stung a little.

She struggled to hold her scattering nerves and read the letter. It was because she thought there would be information carelessly leaked between the rebukes.

“Tsk. He wrote unnecessarily long about useless things.”

“Yeah. But this part is important.”

“I spent a lot of money compensating the King. The King directly ordered the seclusion… It seems I will have to levy land taxes that are not in my fate. This is all because of you and it’s so frustrating I could die… Ah, this part makes me not want to read. Is Cromwell always this talkative?”

Suddenly, at his sharp criticism, Mercedes laughed softly. The stinging in her heart seemed to subside.

After reading the entire letter, Mercedes’ eyes shone.

“There was a reason for his seclusion. And his financial situation is also a mess.”

Mercedes did not wish for Cromwell to die easily.

She wanted him to slowly have his breath strangled until he withered away. But that process had already begun.

Perhaps this fortune was on Mercedes’ side.