Chapter 54

“A joint venture with the Medeia royal family? How… could that be possible?”

Helene, who had planned to use this opportunity to claim her land was the real one, murmured with a bewildered look on her face.

Even prominent companies from their own country had to wait months only to get deferred, so how could something like this happen so quickly?

“Cynthia. No matter how desperate things are, you can’t lie using the queen of a powerful nation. You won’t be able to handle the consequences.”

“Th-That’s right! What if the queen gets angry at the princess’s lie and cuts off aid to Luthemia?"

Rather than not believing Cynthia’s words, the demons—including Helene—seemed to hope she was lying.

At that, Cynthia raised her chin arrogantly and said—

“The scale of the project has grown, so we needed a partner. Dahlia, could you bring the letter from the royal family?”

Dahlia came over with her usual solemn expression, holding the letter.

[Joint venture established with the Medeia royal family. Initial investment of 100 billion.]

“A hundred billion…?”

Everyone’s jaws dropped at the staggering amount.

Upon seeing the royal seal in the letter, the Dowager Duchess broke into a smile.

“My goodness, Snow White’s gone and pulled off something incredible! Truly amazing! Getting an investment from that haughty queen is like reaching for the stars!”

Among the silent crowd, mixed reactions began to surface.

In the face of massive capital, the explorer’s exposé meant nothing.

Soon, several people who had quickly assessed the situation approached Cynthia.

“Our family has been in construction for generations. Would you happen to need our services?"

“Your Highness, your workers will need materials, right? Our trading company can supply them at the lowest prices.”

Those who had criticized Cynthia earlier now kept their mouths tightly shut.

One woman, sensing a huge chance to make money, beamed brightly as she spoke.

“Let us handle the steel! Those people over there seem skeptical about this amazing venture anyway.”

The daughter from the steel family, the very woman who had just scolded Cynthia for lying, bit her nails after being called out.

‘Damn it. If Father finds out, he’ll kill me!’

It was as if she had just lost the opportunity of a lifetime.

Meanwhile, those who had remained neutral and unresponsive until the end now smiled in victory.

‘Sometimes staying quiet is already halfway to winning.’

As Cynthia observed the various reactions, she could feel the weight of the Medeia royal family’s power.

‘Well, they are the most powerful nation of this era.’

“I’ll invite you to the official residence next time. If you’d like to come, just give my aide Dahlia your business card, and we’ll send an invitation.”

Dahlia, now suddenly promoted to aide, cleared her throat while trying to maintain her expression.

Those who had mocked Cynthia most openly now snuck over to Dahlia and slipped her their business cards.

Cynthia didn’t miss the demons’ despicable change in attitude.

“Oh, you don’t need to give me your card! It’s not useful for anything except feeding goats.”

“What? I…”

Maintaining her cheerful and bright tone, Cynthia turned to Helene.

“Sister, don’t invite those people anymore. If they look down on me, they’re looking down on you too. That means they’re clearly making a joke out of the duke’s family.”

The faces of the ones called out turned bright red, and the Dowager Duchess and princesses furrowed their brows like wild beasts and waved their hands threateningly.

“Helene. Associating with such wretched people—do you have no sense of judgment? Get rid of them at once.”

“…I’m sorry.”

The corners of Helene’s mouth twisted in a bitter grimace as she bowed her head.

***

After an article came out unfavorable to Massera, Brigadier General Steve was practically giddy with excitement.

He gathered the documents he usually left to Major Rodriguez and personally delivered them to the official residence.

‘Serves him right! If he wants to avoid bankruptcy, his only option is to grovel before me or Duke Lucanossa.’

This time, I’ll make sure to treat him like the slave he is.

He headed straight for Massera’s office, struggling to hide his excited expression at the thought of mocking him.

“I heard the news. The Nox region turned out to be worthless, didn’t it? Were you perhaps swindled by the princess? Word is, it’s the duchess who inherited the real legacy.”

Massera wore his usual expressionless face.

Brigadier General Steve pressed on with a prodding tone.

“I’m sure you’ve already invested a lot of money into it, so you must be quite worried. Speaking of which, where’s the princess? Don’t tell me she ran away after being caught lying?”

“She’s attending the duchess’ tea party.”

Massera answered in a flat tone.

“A tea party in this situation? The princess sure is something else.”

Brigadier General Steve feigned concern, putting a hand to his forehead. Then he pulled out a cigar and placed it on the desk.

Offering a cigar was often a gesture of negotiation, but Massera shook his head.

“I don’t smoke anymore.”

“Did you quit because you got married? You must be hurt—getting betrayed by the wife you trusted.”

Seeing Massera furrow his brow, Brigadier General Steve’s lips curled into a smug smirk.

“You’re hardly in a position to refuse. Don’t you need money?”

“Not really.”

Brigadier General Steve, now dropping the pretense, grabbed the cigar and put it in Massera’s mouth.

“Massera Giez. Just because we’re standing on the same level for a moment, do you think we’re equals?”

Unlike himself, who had become an officer through the elite track, Massera had clawed his way up from the bottom as a child soldier.

Massera, cigar still in his mouth, gave a faint smirk.

“Equals? So that’s what you thought. Unlike you, I didn’t spend the war sitting at headquarters meeting women.”

“Exactly, that proves how different our levels are. I was commissioned through official procedures, while you became one out of hunger—our situations aren’t the same, are they?”

Steve flicked the cigar with a finger as he continued speaking–-

“Should I have brought chocolate instead? You’ve always been crazy for sweets—probably from starving your whole life.”

It was a jab at the time Massera, as a child soldier, had run errands for soldiers in exchange for chocolate.

“...”

For a moment, Brigadier General Steve flinched and drew his shoulders in as he saw the purple around Massera’s pupils darken like ink.

But he quickly puffed out his chest and smiled arrogantly.

‘So what? Without my help, he’s going bankrupt anyway.’

Brigadier General Steve walked to the door, hand on the knob, and looked back at him.

“Think it over, Massera. I’m not such a heartless man. If you show me some respect and kneel, I could immediately…”

Just as he was finally about to get to the main point after mocking him to his heart’s content—

BANG!!!

“Aaaagh!”

Brigadier General Steve screamed as the suddenly opened door slammed into his face.

“General! I’m back! So guess what happened today—”

Cynthia had flung the door open to call for Massera and spotted Brigadier General Steve kneeling on the floor.

“Huh? General Steve, why are you kneeling before my husband?”

Somehow, he’d ended up kneeling first.

Blood trickled from Brigadier General Steve’s nose as he groaned in pain.

Cynthia’s wide eyes moved to Massera, who still had the cigar in his mouth.

‘A guy kneeling with a nosebleed while the other smokes a cigar? What kind of noir scene is this?’

But that wasn’t the important part.

“Uh… do you smoke cigars?”

Hearing her ask that in a slightly disappointed tone, Massera spit out the cigar and shook his head.

“No, I’m just trying to look tough.”

Flustered, Massera came up with a strange excuse.

He knew Cynthia hated the smell of cigarettes.

Back when he went to pick her up at Count Queensguard’s estate, she had walked past a group of soldiers smoking, and fanned the air while saying, “Ugh! Smoking on the street? I can’t stand it!”

He’d rather die than be despised like that, so he quit then and there.

“Ahh, and here I thought…”

Cynthia walked past the groaning Steve and held out the royal letter to Massera.

“General, Her Majesty’s investing. The first round is 100 billion.”

“Wh-What?”

Before Massera could react, Brigadier General Steve—his face covered in blood—jumped to his feet, clutching his nose.

Massera simply stared up at her, eyes wide, frozen like a statue.

“In return, I proposed co-ownership of the land with the Medeia royal family. Basically, a joint venture. Please read it over, and if you agree, sign it. Also, General Steve looks like he’s in a lot of pain… Maybe you should ease up on the beating.”

Brigadier General Steve blinked as he listened to Cynthia.

“A 100 billion investment… and a joint venture? Th-That’s ridi…”

Thud.

The impact from the door was so great that he staggered and collapsed backward.

‘Massera should be the one fainting from joy, so why is he…’

Cynthia had no idea that she was the true culprit behind his nosebleed.