Chapter 47: The Queen of Gossip

“A freight wagon…?”

After leaving Rohan’s office, William immediately noticed a conspicuous freight wagon as soon as he arrived at the courtyard.

A large carriage, carefully parked at the entrance lobby of the Boronia Palace.

It was much larger than the transport wagons they usually used.

“What in the world is this?”

Thinking Rohan had simply assigned him another task, William opened the wagon door without a second thought.

And then….

“…What is this?”

William froze, standing there with the door still open.

The interior was packed with neatly arranged chests.

Not ordinary wooden boxes, but chests of a fine finish, rarely seen even in imperial logistics.

Click.

He carefully opened one, and a dazzling golden light poured out.

“…Golden Kron?”

It wasn’t fake.

They were real ‘Golden Kron’ coins, minted directly by the Empire.

Each chest was filled with gold coins, all neatly organized with various seals and certificates.

With trembling hands, William opened the first, second, and even the third chest.

“Are all of these… Golden Kron?”

He gulped dryly.

It was an enormous sum.

Even by rough calculation, it would cover half a year’s budget for the Crown Prince’s Palace.

He couldn’t believe it.

Was this really delivered to Boronia Palace?

Dazed, he approached the coachman, who was waiting nearby.

“Where did this come from?”

“If you’re asking about the source, I must apologize, but I only received it through an intermediary, so I do not know. Ah, and I was told to give you this along with the wagon’s cargo.”

The coachman handed William an envelope stamped with a red wax seal.


.


“Huh.”

William let out a bewildered sigh.

It was real.

These chests were delivered to Crown Prince Rohan.

Only then did the memories of his past days with Rohan flash through William’s mind.

More specifically, the words he had spoken about Rohan’s conduct.


—You must economize, Your Highness!

—At this rate, the palace will go bankrupt!

—If this keeps up, our ledgers may just start spitting blood for real!


But each time, Rohan had said, “It’s fine,” and William had nearly pulled his hair out over Rohan’s nonchalance.

Now that all those conversations fit together like puzzle pieces, a hollow laugh slipped through William’s lips.

“…It was real. When he said there was plenty, when he said it was fine, he wasn’t just saying it.”

Where in the world did he get all these Golden Kron?

Soon after, William collected himself and began madly inspecting every piece of the cargo inside the wagon.

There was no way it was a scam.

It wasn’t counterfeit currency, either.

All genuine, real, and valid assets.

“J-just wait a little longer. I’ll be back soon with those who will help move the cargo. Make sure no one approaches without me, understood?”

“Yes, sir. Understood.”

After repeating the warning to the coachman several times, William hurriedly ran back up to the office.

“Your Highness, Your Highness!”

He searched desperately for Rohan.

Thump.

But Rohan, who had been in the office, was already gone.

Where had he disappeared to in such a short time?

On the master’s desk, only the documents he had just been reviewing remained.

“……”

William slowly approached the documents, which seemed to be left there deliberately.

“This is…”

He picked up the papers, his expression perplexed.

There, neatly organized financial charts were attached, along with a short memo from the Crown Prince.


Steward. Has this eased your mind a little now?


“……”

With that one short sentence,

William felt the worries and pains he had been carrying melt away like snow.

“This man… What kind of person is he, really?”

Even from the start, when he was handed over the duties, he’d suspected Rohan wasn’t an ordinary man.

But as unforeseen budget holes appeared due to Rohan’s unpredictable actions, William had grown increasingly anxious.

Still, Rohan never reproached William for his behavior.

The reason was simple.

One, he recognized that William was sincerely doing his duty.

And two, he must have had something he was confident in.

“Khmm.”

Why, of all things…

Why were a man’s dry eyes suddenly growing moist?

William quietly set the documents down and muttered to himself.

“I worried for nothing.”

He was awed by his master’s insight, his appreciation for sincerity, and his thorough planning.

Then—

“Ah, right. The chests!”

Remembering the enormous Golden Kron left behind, William rushed out of the office once more.


---


When the drawing room door closed, the only sound in the calm was the clear clink of teacups.

Sunlight quietly seeped through the golden curtains, but the light in Isabelle’s eyes, as she sat by the window, was even more dazzling.

“Those insignificant things.”

Isabelle took a sip of black tea before continuing.

“They dared to insult my brother. And you think I should just sit and watch? That doesn’t make sense.”

Rohan was seated across from her, but he didn’t meet her eyes.

Instead, he gazed into the tea leaves in his glass and spoke quietly.

“It wasn’t something you needed to step in for. That kind of gossip is nothing.”

“Honestly.”

Isabelle folded her arms and scoffed.

“You’re especially cold to me, you know? Sure, we haven’t interacted much until recently… but we’re siblings, same father. Do you really have to treat me like this? I hear you’re kind and warm to your subordinates.”

She pouted.

Seeing that, Rohan let out a shallow breath.

‘She’s sulking.’

Even in his previous life, she would always express her disappointment like this.

And if her feelings weren’t soothed, she would keep pestering until they were.

Only much later did Rohan realize this was her own way of showing affection, but at the time, he hadn’t understood.

‘It all changed after Brother Joshua died.’

Now, he understood.

The reason Isabelle was so obsessed and concerned about her siblings—

It was a kind of emptiness born from losing her only brother.

“My point is…”

Rohan sighed softly and said,

“There was really no need to go that far. Especially not for you to personally go to the noble ladies’ weekly tea time and seat Lady Reditch on a maid’s chair.”

At his gentle explanation, Isabelle’s expression finally softened.

She shrugged.

“It was Glinda Reditch.”

“Hm?”

“Do you know why she’s been spreading rumors about you?”

Rohan tilted his head and looked at her.

“Well, it must be because of what happened at the tailor’s shop. She held a grudge and started gossiping to ruin my reputation.”

“Hah, see? Men are hopeless.”

Isabelle crossed her legs and looked smug.

“I saved you, Rohan. No, our dear Crown Prince.”

“Saved me? From what?”

Rohan narrowed his eyes.

“Now, listen carefully.”

Isabelle straightened up, ready to launch into her story.

“That girl is after something big. Something very, very daring!”

“Something big?”

“The seat next to you is vacant right now, isn’t it? Then what do you think she’s aiming for?”

At Isabelle’s words, Rohan’s eyebrows twitched.

“Don’t tell me, you’re saying she did all that just to go after the Crown Princess’ position.”

“You’re not completely oblivious for a man, I see.”

“…What?”

He was dumbfounded.

He’d thought it was just the usual gossip.

“Don’t you find it strange that such a popular Glinda hasn’t made a marriage alliance yet?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never really thought about it.”

“Where do you think is the hottest marriage prospect right now? It’s the Crown Princess’ position.”

No other match could offer a greater rise in status than the seat of the Crown Princess.

To ascend to royalty itself!

While Rohan was busy, the nobility constantly speculated about which family’s young lady would become the Crown Princess.

“I have no intention of marrying.”

“Really? That’s surprising. But anyway, the pressure from those around you will start soon. Once you turn fifteen, you can marry for politics, and even hold an engagement ceremony.”

“……”

In his previous life, Marquis Fabian had forcefully blocked Rohan’s marriage.

A marriage prospect meant a new family power for Rohan, and the position of the Emperor’s consort held more authority than expected, so there was no one trustworthy.

“Anyway, that’s why I said I protected you. Now that I’ve given her a direct warning, she won’t dare act recklessly for a while.”

That her ‘warning’ involved making Glinda sit on a maid’s chair, though…

The world of women was truly mysterious.

‘Still, I’m not well-versed in these matters. If I can get help, it’s not so bad.’

The relationships he’d tried to avoid had somehow entangled him anyway.

Rather than just avoiding them, it was wiser to accept any help offered.

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

At Rohan’s reply, Isabelle looked quite proud.

A truly honest woman, her feelings always plain to see.

“So is that why you suddenly dropped by, to tell me this?”

“Well, that’s part of it. But actually, there’s something else I wanted to talk about.”

“Something else?”

So busy already, and yet another topic?

“What is it? Hurry up, I’m busy.”

Even at Rohan’s curt tone, Isabelle didn’t mind and started to speak.

She’d probably come by suddenly just for this.

“It’s about Elliot.”

“Elliot?”

Rohan’s eyes widened at the unexpected subject.

“Yeah. My little brother, Elliot. Do you know how he’s been lately?”

“Well.”

He honestly didn’t.

Or, rather, he hadn’t bothered to find out.

He already knew what Elliot would do later and thought there was no need to worry about it now.

“These days, his schedule is brutal. Was it Noah? After he was born, he left for convalescence, and the Marquis’ side increased Elliot’s studies.”

“……”

“Elliot is so pitiful. The child I know… he’s just a good kid who wants to be praised, that’s all.”

Isabelle lowered her gaze.

“When he smiles, his cheeks turn red and he looks just like a peach. But now, his face is all sunken, and he’s living like a corpse out of the grave.”

What was she getting at by saying this?

Rohan thought deeply.

“All right. I’ll keep that in mind as well.”

No matter how wild the princess seemed, she had grown up in the Imperial City from birth.

For her to say something like this to him, there must be a hidden reason.

Shff.

Rohan stood up from his seat.

“I really must go now. My steward is probably desperately waiting for me by now.”

“I’m sure he is, being the Crown Prince and all.”

Isabelle shrugged and stood without any regret.

“If anything happens, you can call for me. I’m pretty free these days.”

“……”

“I’m going. Take care, Your Highness.”

Isabelle smiled sweetly, waved her hand, and briskly left the drawing room.