“Y-yes, did you call me?”

Now that I look, there were small cuts on his face. Bandages covered the wounds on his neck, arms, and legs that hadn’t healed yet.

Especially on his arm, there was a mark that seemed to be bitten by a giant fang. I squinted my eyes and asked, “Have you been to the collapsed outbuilding over there?”

“I, I don’t know, I don’t know anything…”

“Why is your arm injured? Did you get bitten by a big snake or something?”

“!”

He seemed to try to say something more. At that moment, we heard voices conversing loudly at the end of the corridor. It was the voices of Sophia and Delma.

Simultaneously, the servant collapsed flat on the floor.

“S-sorry! I’m sorry! I, I didn’t know you were a noble, I didn’t know the subject…!”

‘Oops, this is not good!’

“Get up quickly!”

It seemed like I had pressured the frightened servant too much. The servant lying flat on the floor trembled as if not hearing anything.

“I, I couldn’t even recognize the contracted one of the spirit, please, please forgive me…”

Before I could think about it further, I had no time to hesitate.

“Come in for now!”

“Yes? H-how dare I…!”

At this rate, it shouldn’t be good to run into Sophia! In my haste, I heard the voice of the Silver Snake from behind.

[Hear me, this insignificant worm.]

Now, the Silver Snake’s words seemed to reach the servant as well. When the Silver Snake roared, the servant crawled in on all fours.

I closed the door and listened to the sounds in the corridor.

“Who’s in charge of cleaning here? Where did you disappear while cleaning?”

“Maybe they went to the bathroom for a moment?”

The voices having a mundane conversation quickly subsided.

After the footsteps outside the corridor became completely quiet, I turned around.

The Silver Snake stood tall and straightened its tail, hissing at the servant.

“S-spirit…!”

[Noisy. Shut your mouth when you speak.]

“S-sorry! Please forgive me if you could be generous…”

[Hmph, I’ll think more about whether to forgive or not!]

Ignoring the servant talking to the spirit, I quickly searched the drawer.

The voice of the Silver Snake from behind was heard.

[Insect, that’s the insignificant insect that dared to rush at me yesterday, right?]

“Yeah, I know!”

The Silver Snake blinked its eyes as if surprised. Holding a small pearl necklace that I found deep in the drawer, I asked the servant.

“Do you recognize what this is?”

At the same time, in the Western Palace where Amelia Hwangbi resided, a visitor had arrived.

“Please bring the Rosemary tea; I heard Lady Hwangbi enjoys it as well?”

“Yes, if you wait in the reception room, I will bring it to you.”

Sitting comfortably, Asilwood Jajak leisurely flicked his fingers.

Not long after, the door to the reception room opened. A young woman with blonde hair tied up in one, who entered with a gentle smile, spoke politely.

Seeing Amelia Hwangbi, Asilwood Jajak immediately stiffened his face.

“What’s going on, Asilwood Jajak?”
“Hwangbi-nim, I just discovered a very serious issue.”

“What is it?”

Asilwood Jajak approached Hwangbi with a deeply furrowed brow, then smoothly took her hand and kissed it, whispering.

“There’s only one sun in the empire, so why is there a bright light like the sun behind you, Hwangbi-nim?”

“Oh my!”

Amelia Hwangbi’s lips curled upwards, as if getting caught on her ears.

“Jajak’s words are always pleasant to hear. I know it’s just talk, but…”

“It’s definitely not just talk. Don’t you know that I’m not someone who speaks empty words so easily?”

“Of course, I know that Jajak is not that kind of person. Anyway, thank you for coming. I know it might not have been easy to make time for a sudden call.”

“Why are you saying such regretful words? Even if you’re busy, there’s always time to chat with Hwangbi. Please feel free to call me anytime.”

Their conversation was warm. Until the tea and snacks were served, they exchanged light daily conversations.

Amelia Hwangbi began to bring up the main topic only after the servants left the reception room completely.

“Anyway, Jajak seems to have a lot on your mind these days. Especially, how do ignorant people talk so easily about Jajak?”

“Yes, there are various rumors circulating about me recently. I am aware of them.”

Asilwood Jajak, with an embarrassed expression, sipped the lukewarm tea in one gulp.

“Wasn’t the land Jajak purchased originally a barren land that no one cared about? Suddenly, a magic stone was found in such land, so people probably spread gossip because they find it hard to believe.”

The reason Amelia Hwangbi called Asilwood Jajak early in the morning was because of the rumor that a small amount of magic stone was discovered on the land he had purchased.

Currently, half of the magic stone mining quantity was supplied from Hesera.

The reason why the royal family couldn’t easily interfere with the Crustel Duchy was precisely because of that. It was also one of the main sources of the duchy’s funds.