Chapter 55

Brigadier General Steve opened his eyes in bed. He blinked groggily and let out a relieved smile.

“Haha, it was just a dream. Of course something like that couldn’t really happen, right?”

There was no nightmare worse than that. Just as he thought that and began to close his heavy eyelids again, the clear voice of a woman rang out.

“Wake up, brave warrior.”

Hearing the voice that was as warm as sunlight, he thought with his eyes still cl0sed—

‘Is this a dream where I meet a beautiful goddess?’

Through his hazy field of vision, a beautiful woman bathed in rainbow light appeared.

Mistaking her for a goddess, he grabbed her hand at once.

“Where is this? Is this the fateful place where our relationship begins?”

“This is the infirmary of the residence where the weak end up.”

Seeing Cynthia look down at him and speak like a gatekeeper of hell, he let out a scream.

“Agh!”

At that moment, the tissue stuffed in Steve’s nose popped out.

Cynthia smiled faintly with the afternoon sunlight behind her.

She wasn’t a goddess. And everything he wanted to believe was a dream—was actually real.

“…This isn’t a dream?”

He muttered with a devastated look on his face.

At the same time, his mental calculator began to run rapidly, and the thought that he had just lost an enormous amount of money and opportunity took over his mind.

“Ah.”

He had been defeated by that war orphan again.

Now that he had blatantly revealed his true intentions, it was certain he’d be seen as an obstacle in every Medeia-related business from here on out.

Worst of all, some of the investors who had withdrawn their money based on his advice included his superiors and connections in the political and business worlds.

He felt despair and defeat as he buried his face in his hands.

“Oh no, are you hurt?”

Realizing that Brigadier General Steve had fainted because of her, Cynthia grabbed his face and looked closely.

‘If you die, I’ll go to prison for manslaughter!’

The sudden decrease in distance made Brigadier General Steve’s eyes widen in surprise.

“No, I…”

“Are you okay? I just happen to be strong… I’ll pay for your treatment.”

Cynthia gave an awkward smile and let go of his face.

His gaze fell on his own hand, still holding hers.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Unlike his usual debaucherous demeanor, Brigadier General Steve hastily let go, as if trying to act modest.

‘Wait, shouldn’t I be the one receiving the apology? Why did I just apologize?’

Just as he made up his mind to scold her thoroughly, Cynthia tucked her long hair behind her ear and smiled innocently.

“I’m sorry for opening the door too hard, General Steve.”

Her snowflake-like hair shimmered in the sunlight, her pale cheeks tinged pink, her ruby-like eyes wide and gently downturned, her entire expression radiating innocence.

At the sight of her sunlit smile, all his anger vanished.

‘The Goddess of Fortune…?’

As he stared blankly at Cynthia, the heavy sound of military boots approached and stopped right beside them.

“Now that you’re awake, how about heading back?”

Massera was looking down at Brigadier General Steve with a cold gaze.

“I was planning to anyway.”

Brigadier General Steve rubbed his reddened ears as he got up and put on his uniform jacket.

Cynthia stood up as well and spoke to him.

“Um, if you’re going to the hospital, the medical bill…”

“I’m perfectly fine. I mean, how hard could a princess with an injured arm possibly have slammed the door?”

Brigadier General Steve glanced at her bandaged arm and then left the infirmary with an air of pride.

Massera watched Brigadier General Steve’s back as he left, feeling displeased.

Having known him for a long time, Massera recognized that expression—it was closer to jealousy from losing something he had wanted.

And why were his ears turning red like that?

Cynthia sat back down and looked up at Massera with a smile.

“What do you think about my proposal to work with the Medeian royal family?”

Did his heart flutter because of that smile? It’s the same smile she gives to everyone.

Thinking that to himself, Massera nodded.

“Very well. I’ll have it delivered to Medeia after signing.”

Cynthia kept her smile as she gazed toward the window across from her. He didn’t know what she was thinking, but there was something wistful and lonely in her expression.

He then recalled the Queen’s words.

“If you get along with the princess, I’ll give you a gift.”

Was that what she meant?

How did she manage to persuade the Queen and achieve such great things in just one night?

“You’ve found a jewel you must never let go of. People who are both clever and kind are rare.”

As he recalled the Queen’s meaningful words, Massera felt a bit confused.

‘If she splits ownership of the Nox region with the Medeian royal family, there’ll be inheritance issues in the future. Isn’t she essentially cutting out her own family?’

No matter how kind and good Cynthia acted, she was still the daughter of Count Queensguard. That made her someone he couldn’t fully trust.

It was unthinkable that she would betray her family for a man she had only married for political reasons.

And yet, it was hard to say that Cynthia truly loved him either…

“And it wasn’t fake. I did everything I did because I wanted you to like me, General.”

On the surface, it might’ve looked like she was putting in effort because she liked him, but she wasn’t someone who’d throw herself into a one-sided love.

Especially not when she was someone who believed in clear give and take.

Somehow, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all out of necessity.

‘...I really have no idea what she’s thinking.’

Having survived many hardships, he prided himself on being able to read most people.

But she seemed so endlessly bright and cheerful, all while hiding something dark underneath—he couldn’t read her at all.

Still, wasn’t it thanks to her that he gained so much and escaped a crisis?

Standing straight with his legs together, Massera saluted her.

“To the princess who gave me her help, I sincerely thank you.”

At that, Cynthia made a slightly pouty face.

“…We’re not strangers. Do you really have to be so formal?”

“This is the best way I know to express my gratitude. Is there something else you’d like in return?”

“Let’s build the cat house together. I tried doing it myself, but I just couldn't.”

“Understood.”

Massera, who had secretly been waiting for her to ask for help, nodded.

‘She’s finally asking me for help.’

He clenched his fist, looking more excited than when he signed the contract with the Medeian royal family.

***

Returning to my room, I couldn’t help but shrug my shoulders.

‘I was planning to tell him about the Queen’s investment later…’

I was going to wait until I was sure Massera wouldn’t kill me and would protect me.

But when he threw himself under the falling sign to shield Eugene and me, I was convinced—

—convinced that he didn’t want me to die and that if I was ever in danger, he’d come to save me.

Plus, he brought flowers and gifts first, trying to reconcile with me.

I smiled as I looked at the baby’s breath arranged in the vase.

The Count’s plan to kill me within a year probably hasn’t changed.

So rather than stalling for time, it’d be better to prove my worth early and secure protection.

My secret to persuading the Queen was knowing ahead of time that her main advisor was her daughter, the crown princess.

The crown princess had such incredible foresight that everything she touched turned to gold. She was undoubtedly an extraordinary person, probably on par with a transmigrator or reincarnator.

It only made sense considering she had already taken over every spot I had aimed to claim using my knowledge from my past life.

“Your Majesty, if the resources buried in the Nox region are discovered, it will become a target of the great powers and could even threaten world peace.”

If things go the way they did in history, a massive oil reserve will be discovered there.

And this would later become the spark that ignites the worst modern war in history.

The very war that killed me and my family.

If the crown princess truly could see the future, then knowing this, she would most likely agree to my proposal.

“I’ll make it so that the Medeian royal family is next in line to inherit after my husband.”

I had already been planning for the day I died.

I couldn’t possibly hand this over to Count Queensguard, who wouldn’t hesitate to sell out the entire country.

The Luthemia Republic was a nation defended at the cost of countless lives.

Massera probably felt the same way, so I had to protect it too.

That’s why I came up with the idea of securing protection from Medeia, the most powerful nation of the current era.

Even though the marriage law dictated that if I died within a year, the Nox region would return to the Queensguard family, I had a solution.

‘I just need to write a will.’

After all, a will carried more legal weight than the marriage law.

Not even Count Queensguard would have imagined that a twenty-year-old like me would prepare a will in advance.

I unfolded a sheet of paper and began to write. In the silence, only the soft scratch of pen on paper could be heard.

[By the time you read this, I will probably no longer be in this world…]

“Sniff… Hic…”

Was writing a will always this sad?

I had barely written a few lines when tears welled up in my eyes. I’ve died once before, but this was still unbearably sad.

“I’m too sad to go on. I’ll finish it later.”

I tucked the unfinished will deep into a drawer and locked it with a key.

“When you’re sad, you should peel onions.”

I’ll peel some onions and use it as an excuse to score a midnight snack. With that thought in mind, I trotted off toward the kitchen.

I had no idea what kind of chaos this will would unleash in the future.