“Edward, please purchase the Malaba estate in the southern part of the empire. In the name of Elia Camellon.”

Edward was the court magician of Letiana, but he was also a nobleman of the Klardeus Empire. Edward’s surname was Camellon, and Ariel had created a fake identity as his younger sister.

Elia Camellon.

“Ariel, this land is abandoned. It’s too hot and humid, not suitable for people to live in.”

Ariel’s eyes sparkled.

“I know that well, Edward. I have a plan. This is a certificate from the Tris vault. Please use it to pay.”

It was the only money Ariel currently had. As it was a poor country, even the royal family could only receive minimal activity funds.

Whether it was to save Kaius or to avoid Ludvian, a considerable amount of money was needed, and Ariel knew very well how to make money. Before her regression, while looking for plants to grow in greenhouses, she learned about pepper. Since no one knew the use of this plant now, she could buy the Malaba estate in southern Klardeus, where pepper grows, at a bargain price.

Meanwhile, Ariel had started subscribing to the Klardeus Empire’s newsletter and searched for newsletters from up to 5 years ago in the kingdom’s archives.

Kaius von Elbartan, she needed to know more about him in detail. Although he was her husband in her past life, Ariel knew almost nothing about him. Just 6 months, they were merely sharing the same house.

[Young Marquis of the Elbartan family, top graduate of the Klardeus Knight School.]

He was quite smart from a young age.

Five years ago, the demon realm’s attack on the Mazeras continent began.

[Duke Elbartan dies in battle against the demon realm.] [Kaius von Elbartan inherits the title of Duke at the age of twenty.] [Klardeus Imperial Family invaded by demon beasts – Emperor and Empress pass away.] [Hart von Klardeus ascends to the throne.] [Breaking news – Kaius von Elbartan leads to victory in 5 years of demon realm battles.] [Breaking news – Mazeras Continent – Sudden ceasefire agreement with demon realm.] [Hero of the century – Reincarnation of the celestial god. Kaius von Elbartan.]

At the age of 25, Kaius became a hero who defeated the demon realm. This is also why Ludvian is after Kaius.

Half a year after Ariel started growing demon realm flowers, as planned, there were talks of marriage between Kaius and Lady Catherine von Lantiano. However, in a month, Emperor Hart would forcibly order Kaius to marry Ariel, and Lady Lantiano was expected to marry Emperor Hart and become the empress.

By now, Kaius would be exhausted both mentally and physically from battles with demon beasts that could appear at any time. Should she write a letter warning him to be careful with his food? Or tell him to replace all his servants? After intense consideration, there seemed to be no good solution. Replaced servants would soon become Ludvian’s spies, and letters were too dangerous.

Moreover, whenever Ariel tried to go a bit far from the palace, Ludvian would block her way, insisting they move together.

Just as she was closing the newsletter mentioning the marriage talks between Kaius and Lady Lantiano, Anna entered.

“I’m back. Here’s the new artifact.”

Anna handed over the artifact she had received from Edward.

The hair a bit darker gray. The eyes brown. Changing little by little. So that no one would notice.

“Why are you changing your beautiful eyes and hair?”

To Anna’s grumbling, Ariel smiled softly and spoke.

“I’ll tell you when the time comes.”

[This is the timeline separator]

It was about a month after Japaros had bloomed when Ariel heard the shocking news.

“Father, what does this mean? Lord Beloas is a marquis?”

Hearing the maids’ chatter, Ariel was so surprised that she ran to her father’s office.

“Ariel, you see, Marquis Beloas found mana stone mines and gold mines in the Kelli Mountains.”

The Kelli Mountains were so deep and treacherous that despite several surveys by ancestors, nothing had been discovered.

“But isn’t it too dangerous for workers to enter? If it can’t be developed, it’s useless, isn’t it?”

“Well, Marquis Beloas also found a path suitable for workers to use. There was an unexpected route in a treacherous area we had never approached before.”

It was a moment of complete understanding of how he had obtained the title of marquis. Seeing the smile on her father’s face, Ariel was at a loss for words. Given how difficult the country’s finances were, she could understand her father’s feelings.

“While it’s a grateful thing, wouldn’t a baron’s title be enough for that? Usually, the limit for purchased titles is baron, right?”

“The thing is, the deposits in the two mines were substantial. And, while we’ve granted him the title of marquis, he has no territory, and it’s an honorary nobility that can’t be inherited. So don’t worry too much.”

Although she couldn’t know exactly why Ludvian had provided such information and received the title of marquis, she could guess. He seemed to have already won her father’s heart, and his access to the palace would be freer than before.

“Father, still, since he’s a foreigner, I wish you wouldn’t get too close to him.”

[This is the timeline separator]

At the same time Ariel was meeting her father. Klardeus Empire.

In the Tris estate of the Elbartan duchy in the north of the empire, spring had fully arrived. Warm sunshine. Clear sky and lake. The fresh scent of the forest and busy servants coming and going.

It was a peaceful daily life.

Among them, only one person. The face of Kaius, the master of the ducal residence, was cold. In his hand was a letter from the emperor urging his marriage to the Letiana princess. Emperor Hart was quite desperate to match him with a princess from a poor country.

A month ago, the engagement with the Letiana princess was decided, but Kaius did not move. It wasn’t a matter of liking or disliking the marriage to the princess.

Due to the demon beast attacks that had started six months ago, he couldn’t even think about marriage. The demon beasts appeared forming barriers, and he couldn’t leave until all of them were killed. Those barriers only opened for Kaius.

There must be something.

Otherwise, this couldn’t be happening only to him. He had been trying in various ways to find out the cause, but he couldn’t discover anything. Just as Kaius let out a shallow sigh and put down the emperor’s letter, the voice of his aide Lemon was heard.

“Your Grace, Lord Rashid has arrived.”

Soon the office door opened, and his friend Marquis Rashid von Baltesran entered. Along with Lemon.

“Kaius, there’s no special news this time either. The High Priest said it’s the first time he’s heard of such a thing.”

Kaius, letting out another quiet sigh, stood up from his desk. He had quietly asked Rashid’s younger sibling, who was in the temple, to look into it, but the news delivered every month was the same.

No one knows.

Kaius took out wine from the cabinet and sat on the sofa opposite Rashid.

“Your Grace, your wounds haven’t healed yet.”

As Kaius was about to drink the wine, Lemon spoke with concern, and Rashid took out a box from his chest.

“I could only get a few potions.”

The box Rashid brought out contained only 3 potions. Kaius took one out and drank it in one gulp. The wounds from last night healed, and the pain faded away. The demon beasts were gradually replaced by stronger ones, and their numbers were increasing. Not knowing how long these attacks would continue made it even harder to endure.

[This is the timeline separator]

Spring passed in the Tris estate, and summer went by again, but Kaius couldn’t find out anything.

“Your Grace, there’s only one potion left.”

In the meantime, Kaius’s injuries had become more frequent. Unable to sleep properly, his mind and body were exhausting, and his originally cold temperament was becoming even more cold-blooded. Amidst all this, the emperor’s letters urging marriage arrived monthly.

When autumn began again. That is, about half a year after the emperor ordered the forced engagement, Emperor Hart’s ultimatum arrived.

Asking if it could be considered a violation of the imperial order.

Kaius investigated information about Princess Ariel for a few days and found out that she had a man. As he was already reluctant about the marriage, he decided to end the engagement and departed for Letiana.

[This is the timeline separator] [Kaius von Elbartan finally departs for the Kingdom of Letiana. Is it for the engagement?]

So he’s finally coming. If so, I must do my best to change his mind about breaking off the engagement and get married faster than before the regression. Just as Ariel put down today’s newsletter, Anna came in.

“Lady Ariel, there’s another request to meet the representative of Elia Company.”

Anna came running in excitedly. Elia Company was a company created after purchasing the Malaba estate and focusing on growing pepper by fully deploying people. It started as a way to make money, but she found herself in a position of responsibility for more people than expected.

It was to make them proper employees of the company, not just tenant farmers, and to provide more benefits. She learned this from watching Kaius manage the company before the regression. The solid foundation of the Elbartan duchy lay in its centuries-old legitimacy along with the economic power supporting it.

So if she had learned, she should act on it.

It had started lightly.

Ariel’s mind was filled only with thoughts of saving Kaius and driving out the demon race from this land.

“Where did the contact come from?”

“It’s a company called Kaldenbach from the Klardeus Empire. Edward says it’s an extremely successful company in the empire.”

Kaldenbach? It was definitely a company she had heard of somewhere.

“Ah…”

Suddenly, she remembered that the reason Kaius occasionally left home was to attend Kaldenbach board meetings.