The Duke described the portraits of ancestors hanging in the corridor, explanations of sculptures, or moments in history that took place in the mansion. At first, Gunter and his wife nodded vigorously or made sounds like “I see!” But soon, they felt bored and had to force smiles on their faces.

Watching this, Kalon looked at Ael, who had her eyes lit up with her hand resting on his arm.

‘Our side really has nothing to worry about.’

Ael’s expression now was similar to when she had listened to him explaining economics a long time ago.

It was the expression of someone thrilled by acquiring new knowledge.

“So, the 7th Hebridis Duke received this mansion from the former king and created the forest behind it. That’s why, compared to other forests, I thought the trees here were growing so diversely and regularly.”
“Have you seen the forest lately? Our ancestors were the only ones interested in various species at the time. That’s why, in order to make furniture, they collected trees from various regions, some of which have now disappeared. Even this piece of furniture here is made from those trees…”

The conversation between Ael and the Duke resembled the conversation between a granddaughter and her grandfather who had just started taking an interest in the family history.

Ael naturally continued to lead the conversation with the Duke.

Their conversation, filled with just the right amount of admiration and agreement, was incredibly affectionate.

Perhaps feeling a sense of crisis in their conversation, Viscount Gunter Junnam tried to interrupt several times, but whenever he did, the conversation quickly fizzled out.

Kalon watched this and felt that his decision to choose her as his fake fiancée had been the right one.

However, he hadn’t asked Ael to be his fake fiancée outright.
No matter how well she met all the conditions, Ael was, after all, a noble lady of Denerthum.

To ask her to pretend to be his fiancée was quite a request. He worried that Ael might get angry and wonder how he could make such a proposal.

He would rather have her get angry. After all, he had received assistance from Ash Sangho, so even if he thought it was humiliating, he had to accept it.

But Ael made every effort to make this deal a success, more than anyone else.

“If it weren’t for Ael…”

Could I be standing here now in such a friendly atmosphere?

Of course, Viscount Gunter Junnam was a bit of a mess, but he was still a Denerthum person, and he now had a title.

From the Duke’s perspective, he was still much better than a foreigner.

“Dinner is ready.”

As the Duke was about to get even more excited and go upstairs, the butler approached and announced that dinner was ready.
As everyone descended to the dining room, the long and spacious dining table was neatly set with plates and cutlery, awaiting the guests.

The Duke and Duchess were seated at the head of the table, with Ael and Kalon on either side, and the Gunter couple facing each other.

The butler brought wine and filled their glasses once again, and the meal began with the Duke’s welcoming remarks. As dishes were served one by one, the conversation continued.

“Now, it’s about time we get to the main topic of our gathering today,” the Duke said, setting his wine glass down.

“The estate I’m selling isn’t particularly fertile; it’s often used by neighboring landowners to graze their flocks. However, like my ancestors, I’ve always found great satisfaction in preserving and cultivating my land. Even if it’s such a piece of land, it carries the history of the Hevridis Viscountcy,” he continued.

In response to the Duke’s words, Viscount Gunter Junnam raised an eyebrow.
“Damn it, that scheming inspiration. Selling this lousy land with the intention of raising the price,” he muttered to himself.

The initial estimate for the land value was around 500,000 guilders, but now the expected price had surpassed 2 million guilders.

“They must be planning to expand the Oldtvea Mansion. In that case, they’ll definitely need the land next to it.”

So, he thought about how to win the Duke’s favor and obtain the land, and afterward, he could negotiate with Ash Company. That was the plan.

In the process, he intended to offer the Duke a fair price once the Empire’s commoners like Ash Company had already withdrawn.

He had planned to build a special rapport with the Duke after that.

“Who would’ve thought they’d be so persistent?” He couldn’t help but think that.

He hadn’t been worried because they weren’t well-known employees like Nishana Ino. But now, a more formidable adversary had emerged.
“That woman as well. Her accent is too natural for someone from the Empire, and she appears proficient in Denerthum noble etiquette. Is she really from Ash Company?”

Gunter’s suspicious gaze, which had been fixed on Ael, traveled down her face and descended to her neck. He licked his lips.

“Now that I see her like this, she seems quite… impressive.”