Nadia answered as if entranced, meeting the sparkling emerald eyes.

“Prepare… in advance?”

“Thanks to the favor I receive, it seems people are constantly trying to imitate me, don’t you think?”

Mercedes, now clearly understanding the nature of the nobility, led Nadia to the answer with a question.

“That’s right. They try to ignore it somehow, but Mel’s dresses are always beautiful, and they envy the woman who has risen to the position of favor. Some follow her style, thinking Mel’s fashion is His Majesty’s taste.”

Nadia answered without hesitation.

Yes. Her position was causing quite a stir in high society.

“Nadia. If I give you information in advance about the jewelry and dress fabrics I will use… would you be interested in making a deal with me?”

Her voice was innocent, but her tone was firm, and the content was intense.

Nadia momentarily held her breath before Mercedes.

This was a tremendous opportunity. A chance to monopolize upcoming trends in advance! And it was what she had hoped for when deciding to stand by Mercedes’ side.

“…What do you gain from this?”

But she hadn’t expected the opportunity to come so quickly. They had become friends, but until now, it wasn’t to the point of requesting a private deal like this.

Wouldn’t it be better to scatter information here and there and receive separate bribes? Nadia knew that would be more profitable. So she had doubts.

“Profit! I want 20 percent.”

Mercedes answered frankly with a smile.

“Oh my. Unexpectedly greedy for money, aren’t you?”

Nadia also instantly changed her face, putting on a merchant’s smile.

Does Nadia know? That Mercedes mentioning profit was just bait.

“But 20 percent is too much. The labor costs on our side are not insignificant either.”

Nadia suppressed her desire to seize the opportunity and bargained as calmly as possible as a merchant.

In fact, Mercedes wasn’t very interested in money. Of course, having personal funds would give her more autonomy. But something else was more important.

“Then how much does Nadia demand?”

“0.7 percent… at the most.”

Nadia gulped and asked.

Mercedes had originally planned to take 0.5 percent of the profit. So even 0.7 percent was on the high end.

But she deliberately pretended to ponder, dragging it out. Nadia waited for her answer with as much patience as possible.

“Hmm… all right. We’re friends! 0.5 percent. How about it?”

Mercedes answered brightly, pretending to be a girl oblivious to reality.

“Gasp, really?”

Nadia was delighted, and Mercedes took advantage of her letting her guard down, slipping in a request as if it were nothing.

“In return, introduce me to the poor actors of the Loom Empire.”

“Poor… actors?”

“Yes. I’m quite bored being alone. I heard actors can perform plays through recitation. I want to at least hear that. But I’m someone who only stays in the imperial palace, and I’m too far away to connect with talented young people. I don’t want to have famous actors coming in and out of the palace. There’s no one but Nadia who can introduce me to such poor and talented young actors.”

Mercedes didn’t want an actor noble enough to enter and exit the imperial palace. Rather, she wanted someone unknown.

It didn’t seem like Carlos could do that for her…

“If it’s poor artists, I also sponsor them. So you want me to introduce talented actors among them?”

“Exactly! If you give me that pleasure, I’ll settle for 0.5 percent of the profit I receive. How about it?”

“…Great!”

Mercedes never removed her innocent mask in front of Nadia, so Nadia easily thought, ‘Mel must be really lonely in a foreign country. Poor thing.’

It was a bit of a sorry aspect.

“Then shall we slowly discuss while drafting a contract?”

“Sure!”

Mercedes answered cheerfully.

In fact, she didn’t care how the contract was written. But she wanted to see this great merchant leader drafting it at least once. Her thirst for knowledge was always burning.

She had the maid bring paper and pen. Nadia’s eyes shone very sharply as she grasped the pen.

* * *

“−And I asked Nadia to introduce me to poor actors. Saying I was bored.”

“Actors?”

Carlos, who was enjoying dinner, spoke with a slightly surprised voice at Mercedes’ story.

“If you needed actors, you should have told me. I could have arranged for you to enjoy a play alone at the capital’s finest theater.”

“Mm. That’s too much. Your Majesty tries to give me too many things.”

Mercedes avoided his eyes at Carlos’ kind answer that followed as if it were natural.

“What’s there to spare in giving you anything? Hmm. But were you that bored? It seems you have peace of mind now… I’ll have to reduce your workload even more. So that I can spend time with you.”

Carlos pondered seriously. Mercedes quickly shook her head.

“No! You’re busy. I know you’re pushing yourself even now. And there’s a reason I specifically asked for poor and unknown actors.”

“What is it?”

“I received a letter from Count Cromwell. He wants to uphold the prestige of his county in the territory war, but his troops are a mess, so he asks Your Majesty to send a skilled person to train them.”

“Ha! That count truly exceeds imagination. Asking for my knight for a mere ‘territory war’ in a small country like Shame. No matter if it’s for training support, an emperor’s knight!”

Carlos couldn’t stop laughing at how absurd it was.

“I was also quite dumbfounded, but at the same time, I thought about taking advantage of this. Since the count doesn’t fully trust me yet, it’s time to give him something other than gifts and letters.”

“What sparkling idea does my Mercedes have this time?”

His lips curved into a smile. The black eyes set in his very pleased face shone unusually bright today.

Mercedes, feeling her ears constantly getting hot for some reason, answered as calmly as possible.

“Since they requested a person first, it’s a good opportunity for me to insert a spy. I will send the count a fake knight. I’ll gather poor actors and find someone eloquent enough to deceive the count into thinking he has the emperor’s backing.”

“Haha! This time it’s a play… A grand and entertaining scam. Mercedes.”

“You flatter me… So could Your Majesty bestow a fake insignia of the knightly order, similar to the real one but not genuine, to make the count believe it’s a knight cherished by the emperor?”

She managed to finish her request without her words getting too tangled from embarrassment.

“Of course, it’s possible. With a slight twist, everything in the world is bound to become a counterfeit. Mercedes. How do so many schemes arise in that small head of yours? It’s really a fun idea.”

Praise was always nice to hear. Praise from Mrs. Fisher, Leopold’s stiff praise. But she still wasn’t used to it. Especially coming from this person.

Feeling self-conscious, she fidgeted her toes for no reason.

Still, she could refrain from waving her hands in denial like before. Because Carlos disliked such behavior.

As an alternative to escape this embarrassment, Mercedes redirected her praise elsewhere.

“This… is thanks to Your Majesty bringing Mrs. Fisher as my teacher.”

“Is it thanks to me again this time?”

“Of course. I get to monopolize a professor from the National Academy all to myself, so even if I’m not as bright, I can’t help but learn a lot. She’s a really good teacher.”

Mercedes smiled, thinking of her teacher who always came to her neatly dressed, giving her learning that was kind yet strict.

“Hmm. It seems you’re more enamored with Mrs. Fisher than with me?”

Carlos retorted mischievously, twisting his lips. Mercedes’ eyes widened at his face that seemed a bit sulky.

He wasn’t someone who showed such an attitude while directly mentioning jealousy…

But seeing his face show an unfamiliar expression, she strangely thought it was cute and felt something akin to satisfaction.

‘Cute… have I gone crazy?’

It was a nonsensical impression to have of a man who seemed to be at the apex of predators.

“Are… you perhaps…”

But Mercedes opened her mouth without realizing it.

Maybe it was because the wall in her heart had completely crumbled after the embrace and the kiss on her forehead in the past.

“…sulking?”

“What?”

This time, it was Carlos who widened his eyes at her question. Their eyes met in the air, and after a brief silence…

Carlos burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! Asking if I’m sulking.”

“Was, was it such a ridiculous question? Was it possibly disrespectful?”

“No, no. I’m just happy. Ah. It’s like teasing I used to hear from rough-talking folks on the battlefield in my boyhood. You’re the only one who would ask the emperor, now a full-fledged adult, if he’s sulking.”

He spoke cheerfully, but her attention was drawn to the middle of his story.

“You were… on the battlefield even in your boyhood.”

“In my boyhood? Yes. That’s how it was. A sinful life lived with death.”

He answered her question frankly without deep contemplation. His nonchalant voice seemed to hint at the weight of the life he carried.

‘…Was it hard for him?’

For the first time, curiosity about him that she had never held before bloomed in her heart.