Upon hearing the news that Chuchen was not selected as the western base, Esika tasted a brilliant sense of victory.

Currently, all of Klaus’s assets were tied up in Chuchen.

The debt they incurred investing in Chuchen was enormous, and she had received reports of what Riona had done as a last-ditch effort.

Now that Chuchen had failed to become the western base, Klaus was completely… ruined.

Even ten times Esika’s dowry wouldn’t be enough to recover from this loss.

And they would have to take responsibility for Riona’s misguided choices.

The scope of that responsibility is huge, and they will absolutely be unable to keep their mansion or their honor.

The success of her revenge against Klaus heightened Esika’s excitement.

But there was one more thing she needed to hear from him.

Resban’s voice continued.

“The next news is unfortunately not good.”

His next words were a bit hoarse.

“…Elmyur also wasn’t selected as the western base.”

This time it was unexpected news.

Esika’s eyes shook violently.

And she looked at Resban as if she couldn’t believe it.

Esika went over what she had just heard.

Chuchen not being selected as the base was one thing, but Elmyur wasn’t chosen as the western base either?

Of course, Esika hadn’t invested like Riona, borrowing loans to invest.

Elmyur’s land wasn’t as expensive as Chuchen’s, and even if Elmyur wasn’t selected as the base, the loss rate would only be about 20 percent.

However, this was clearly different from the original story.

It was also different from Esika’s plans based on predicting the future.

She had bought the land thinking Elmyur would obviously be selected as the western base.

“What happened?”

Esika asked Resban for the full story.

Resban continued with a hardened expression.

“The Empress visited His Majesty before I did.”

At Resban’s words, Esika’s hand twitched.

Mariela Lucein, as the Empress of the Turessian Empire, is Callian’s aunt.

She recalled the contents of the book she had read in her previous life.

There was hardly any mention of the Empress.

She was just described as an ineffectual nuisance, a religious fanatic, and a background character in Resban’s biography.

However, with Klaus as her family, she clearly had deep connections to the Klaus ducal family.

She recalled the content of the original story she had read.

[The Klaus ducal family was the Empress’s family, and it was all thanks to the Emperor’s arrangements that the second prince, who was not particularly talented, gained his own foundation with Resban.]

Esika pondered for a moment.

Twenty years ago, the Emperor lost his wife and children before his eyes.

Revenge was like fate to him, but unfortunately, he lacked the power and ability.

His only surviving son carried out the revenge as if acting on his father’s will, gaining the unlimited support of the empire’s people.

How proud and encouraging this must have been.

The Emperor rejoiced every time Resban set out for the battlefield.

He also showed him unlimited trust.

[The Emperor’s timber was always only Resban Deon Lucein. However, the Emperor wanted Resban to respect his younger brother, Brayton.]

The reason why the Empress and the second prince had quite a large presence despite the existence of a Crown Prince with enormous military achievements.

The Emperor intentionally nurtured the Klaus ducal family.

Perhaps it was a precaution to protect Brayton, his late-born son.

For whatever reason, he probably didn’t want to see any more of his children die.

In that sense, the existence of the Klaus ducal family must have always made the Empress feel secure.

Resban asks the Emperor to make Elmyur the western base.

Then the Emperor grants his precious son’s request… She had thought quite simply.

She hadn’t considered the existence of the Empress from the Klaus ducal family.

The Empress’s anxiety and anger as she learned that Klaus was nearing collapse due to Esika’s activities, unlike in the original story.

“…I thought I had missed something.”

Esika’s lips moved.

The ending of the original story was not the same. Just as Esika Klaus in the original story was no longer destined to be abandoned by her husband and commit suicide, when the cause changes, the result changes.

“This was it.”

And this western base selection incident was the same.

If she couldn’t prevent Chuchen from being eliminated… the Empress would have found a way not to benefit the enemies trying to bring down Klaus.

She probably estimated that if Chuchen was eliminated, the owner of the most likely area would be considered an enemy,

“I submitted to His Majesty a military researcher’s report stating that Elmyur’s terrain was inappropriate because the Ganeshov rebel forces knew it thoroughly. Although it was fabricated, the imperial decree had already been issued.”

“If she specifically interfered with Elmyur… she knows more than we thought.”

She would have learned that a significant portion of Elmyur was owned by Esika.

I’m not sure how much she knows, but she might have even noticed this kind of relationship with the Crown Prince.

“Maybe even that Your Highness has been helping me.”

By the time he went to the Emperor to request after ending the last war, the Empress’s interference had already finished.

The sleeping lion had raised its head and started to growl.

Instead of Elmyur and Chuchen, the land selected was a coastal area called Machen.

It has the characteristic of being adjacent to the port area, and although the location of the site was a bit ambiguous, it was quite useful land with a large area.

And no one’s interests were involved.

After hearing the whole story, Esika stood silently for a long time.

She had won against Klaus, but it wasn’t a complete victory.

And she learned that there was someone who would now be watching her with sharp eyes because of this incident.

Resban, who had been thinking for a moment, opened his mouth.

“When I learned that Elmyur wouldn’t be selected as the western base, I requested something else for Elmyur, so if we wait, the time will come again.”

Resban recalled his private audience with the Emperor.

And he could feel that he was very interested in the fact that Resban was requesting something for someone.

He didn’t guess who that someone was, but he will eventually find out.

That he had regained what he once tried to take from Resban.

Esika, whether she wants it or not… might end up standing at the center of an even more intense whirlpool.

“So my work is not over yet.”

Esika spoke to Resban in a calm and clear voice.

While there was some regret, she wasn’t despairing.

In fact, she wasn’t the type to blindly like things that were resolved too easily.

It would be better to go slowly but perfectly. Also, isn’t life originally unpredictable?

Soon, he tilted his head slightly towards Esika.

His low voice flowed into her ear.

“Although what we gained today is only half a victory.”

“…”

“The remaining half of the victory…”

Esika’s eyes wavered as she met Resban’s gaze, which was looking at her with a hot yet relaxed gaze.

He spoke to her with a voice full of certainty.

“I’ll give it to you when you have me.”

For a moment, her chest area throbbed.

Resban, the war-crazed Crown Prince of Turessian. His sincerity was being conveyed through his intense gaze.

“…”

Resban’s appearance was always that of a strong person itself.

Like the masters Esika had seen in her previous life, his emotions were not easily revealed.

But this moment was different.

Strong, yet boyishly passionate emotions were conveyed to Esika.

Esika looked at him, feeling her own heartbeat.

She knew well about this emotion that was tickling her heart.

But she was also recalling what kind of future this type of emotion had brought.

However, Esika thought. She wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

She changed the subject in a slightly calmer voice.

“Thank you for helping me with my work. And…”

She knew her work wasn’t over yet.

But it would be good to finish Klaus’s business perfectly.

So that they can never rise again.

“I have something to report about the enormous crimes committed by Riona Klaus and Callian Klaus.”

If possible, it would be good if it was today.

**

“Im… impossible.”

At the news from the imperial palace, Riona collapsed, her legs giving way.

And she raised her hand and slapped her own cheeks repeatedly.

It was an action she would never do normally.

“This is a dream. It can’t be.”

The corners of Riona’s lips were twitching strangely.

“Yes. Machen? That’s nonsense. Everyone said Chuchen would be the western base. This was… certain information. Chuchen…”

Riona started muttering like a person out of her mind.

“My lady…”

“…My lady…”

Annie and Lusa crouched down beside the lady and called out to Riona with worried looks.

But Riona seemed not to hear those voices at all.

She was just muttering “Chuchen, Chuchen” with a crazed expression.

At that moment, Riona’s door opened.

Riona wasn’t even interested in who was coming in.

Now in her room, in her drawers, there were no precious items left.

She had sold even her pearl bracelet for investing in Chuchen.

“…Mother…”

Callian’s voice was heard.