“Three times?”

“… Yes.”

Although she was asking brazenly on the surface, her heart was pounding. The money Rikel had already offered was enough to live comfortably for half a lifetime if used sparingly.

And now she was asking for three times that amount.

‘With that money, forget being frugal, I’ll show them what luxury really is!’

Leah glanced slyly at the duke while thinking about a future that had not yet unfolded. He seemed to be pondering her request.

‘Did I ask for too much?’

As she waited for a long time with no response from the man, Leah began to feel increasingly uneasy.

Even for a duke of royal descent, it could be a burdensome amount.

Just as she was about to retract her words, thinking she might have been too greedy, the duke raised one corner of his mouth and replied.

“I’ll give you five times what that person offered.”

With an arrogant attitude as if that amount was barely sufficient.

“Ah, yes, thank you for even that much… What?”

For a moment, Leah blinked, wondering if she had misheard.

“F-five times?”

“That’s right.”

‘Crazy. Five times? How much is that exactly?’

Forgetting she was in front of the duke, Leah began counting on her fingers to estimate the amount.

‘500 silver coins, that’s 5 gold coins!’

She nearly screamed. What was 5 gold coins worth? It was enough to live a life of luxury rivaling nobility for half a lifetime in the Eastern Continent where the cost of living was low.

Leah, filled with excitement, exhaled hot breath. She hadn’t hoped for this much. As expected of an imperial prince, his scale was extraordinary.

“Well? Will you accept the offer?”

‘Of course!’

But at times like this, one must remain calm.

Leah deliberately steadied her voice, trying to appear nonchalant. She couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from rising, though.

“Well, if you’re offering that much, it’s not a bad deal for me. Then I’ll accept your proposal. Now, about the payment method…”

“First of all.”

He reclined on the sofa and continued speaking.

“Shouldn’t you bring me some plausible information first?”

‘Damn it.’

Leah inwardly cursed at his demand. No wonder he had so easily offered five times the amount.

‘He still doesn’t trust me.’

In a way, the duke’s attitude was understandable. Why would he readily hand over such a large sum of money?

She needed plausible information that would make him trust her. For that, she had to gain Rikel’s trust first.

Leah exhaled briefly and met the duke’s gaze.

“Alright. Then I’ll bring you news that you’ll be pleased with through the person who proposed the deal to me.”

“It should be worth 5 gold coins…”

The duke’s blatantly dismissive gaze seemed to ask if she could really do it.

“It will be worth more than that. You just prepare the money you’ll give me. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

Leah bowed to the duke with a confident attitude.

– Thud.

‘How impudent.’

Akkia crossed one leg over the other and haughtily muttered as he recalled Leah who had disappeared from his sight.

“Interesting.”

Those who pursued money were easy to handle. Since their decisions were always swayed by money, all one had to do was offer more than the other party.

“I can keep an eye on her for now.”

He smiled pleasantly as he recalled the woman whose eyes had sparkled just moments ago.

Leah was sitting in the infirmary until late in the evening, poring over a book. She was looking for herbs that could neutralize the toxicity of Polarium.

– Knock knock.

A short knocking sound was heard.

‘Who could it be at this hour?’

The dim darkness settling outside came into view through the window. She had been planning to return to her bedroom after finishing this book.

“Come in.”

Thinking it might be an ill servant, Leah closed the book she had been reading. As the door opened, she saw Rikel walking into the infirmary.

“Is it too late?”

Leah wasn’t wearing her apothecary gown as she had only planned to read the book and return. Rikel, who had approached her desk, smiled with his eyes curved.

Despite the rather handsome man smiling, Leah found that smile awkward.

‘I can’t figure him out.’

Leah smiled awkwardly at him and covered the book she had been reading with other documents. It couldn’t hurt to be careful.

“I was about to leave, what brings you here?”

There was no way this man had come to the infirmary because he was sick.

As expected… He must have come to hear her answer about the deal he had proposed then.

“I thought we had some unfinished business to discuss.”

He seemed to be taking something out from his bosom, then abruptly placed a pouch on the desk.

– Thud.

A small piece of metal made a rather dull sound as it was placed on the desk.

‘Wow.’

Leah almost exclaimed when she saw the small pouch. Even without seeing inside, it was crystal clear what was contained in it.

‘That size must be gold coins.’

Leah swallowed hard. At Rikel’s silent gesture to open it, she quickly grabbed the pouch.

Seeing the shimmering gold coins, Leah’s heart swelled.

“It’s one gold coin. Twice your penalty of 50 silver coins.”

Leah winced at Rikel’s pointed words. That’s because she remembered what she had said when she first received the deal offer from Rikel.

[It seems the high-ranking person has a rather small size.] […?] [I was wondering if the compensation for a life-risking job wasn’t a bit small.]

That’s what she had said to Rikel when she saw the silver coin pouch he had brought as a down payment. After all, the initial down payment he offered was 20 silver coins.

’20 silver coins is my four months’ salary.’

Wasn’t it a job to monitor and supervise the empire’s only prince? Even for a down payment, it was a small compensation for such a heavy task.

Leah had intentionally shown an obsession with money to soften any hostility. If they thought she could be swayed by money, it would be easier for them to use her.

Perhaps because of her words then, Rikel had brought an amount that exceeded imagination. Enough to make one’s jaw drop.

“The compensation will increase each time you succeed in a task. It’s not a small amount for a start.”

‘Oh my.’

One gold coin equals 100 silver coins! 1,000 copper coins!

It wasn’t just not a small amount, it was an overflowing amount.

“Of course! Now I see you have quite a generous disposition. I can tell you’re not just any high-ranking person.”

“You’ll proceed with the contract, right?”

“No need to ask twice. Hahaha. I’ll serve with all my heart.”

Rikel’s eyebrows raised at Leah’s unexpected words about serving the duke.

‘Serve, what serve.’

Leah waved her hand in the air.

“No, I mean I’ll observe to the best of my ability!”

“…”

“I’m actually quite good at my job, you know.”

Rikel withdrew his outstretched hand at the sight of Leah smiling so brazenly. Only then could she put the gold coin in her bosom.

Yes. She could just run away after receiving a hefty sum from both sides.

Whether she dies in a month for failing to create a new medicine, or dies as punishment for betraying the high-ranking person, her life was in danger either way.

For a moment, Leah recalled Akkia’s proposal.

[Shouldn’t you bring me some plausible information first?]

To Leah right now, Rikel in front of her looked like a large gold bar.

If she brought information about the person who made this outrageous proposal, the duke said he would give her five times the amount this person offered.

She had to find out somehow. Leah approached Rikel, lowered her body, and asked slyly.

“By the way, Rikel. Seeing how generous you are, is your superior an incredible tycoon?”

“Tycoon?”

Rikel’s brows furrowed at Leah’s whispered words. His narrowed eyes briefly met hers before looking away.

“That’s right. There aren’t many in the empire who can offer such a large amount as compensation.”

“I see… So that’s how it is.”

Not many in the empire? Does that mean a relative of the imperial family? Or the head of a large merchant guild like the Parthia Guild?

As Leah was rapidly sorting through the few possible figures in her head, Rikel spoke.

“Leah, it’s a good opportunity for you to serve this person too.”

“Ah, yes! Of course! It’s an honor.”

But she couldn’t press further without arousing Rikel’s suspicion.

“All of this is confidential. If by any chance…”

“Don’t worry. I’m very tight-lipped. I never speak out of both sides of my mouth.”

She felt a pang of conscience since she had already done just that, but what could she do? It was for survival.

Rikel stared at Leah for a moment before turning away from her. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief watching him leave the infirmary, he spoke.

“Oh right. I heard you examined the duke. How is the duke’s current condition?”

Rikel asked Leah with a more serious look than before. The duke’s condition… The image of the duke, whose strength had waned to the point where it wouldn’t be strange if he died soon, came to mind.

It was due to long-term Polarium poisoning, but she couldn’t tell the truth.

As she was searching for a suitable excuse, a maid’s voice flashed through her mind.

[The duke must have a problem with his male function.]

Right. Although she hadn’t confirmed it yet, it was a plausible rumor. Leah approached Rikel with a meaningful smile.

“The duke is…”

And then, as if conveying a very secret story, she whispered in his ear.

“Impotent.”

Leah stepped back from him.

The news that the duke was impotent seemed to be quite a shock, as for the first time, a look of confusion flashed across Rikel’s face.

“The duke is impotent…?”

Rikel, who had frozen in place with his hand on his forehead, was visible. After a while of silence, he asked Leah again.

“How do you know that?”

How do I know? She recalled the content of a face-reading method she had seen on YouTube in her previous life.

‘Well, for the duke… It might roughly apply?’

No, that wasn’t important right now. Leah continued speaking, her eyes sparkling more than before as she gazed at Rikel.

“I’m quite knowledgeable about such things.”

“…”

“I can tell just by looking at the face.”

It was a plausible guess just from hearing that women who repeatedly entered the duke’s bedroom came out unchanged.

“I should return to my room now. Well then.”

Even as Leah said goodbye, Rikel seemed unable to recover from the shock. Leah left the infirmary with him, locked the door, and returned to her bedroom.

“The duke is impotent…?”

Rikel, watching Leah’s retreating figure, muttered incessantly. He seemed quite shocked.