Chapter 41 : The Deal (6)

It has already been two weeks since the baron arrived at the count’s territory.

He had been delaying his return with various excuses. Most of these excuses were pitiful, almost embarrassing to hear.

Aila thought that the baron was preparing something to move towards this count’s territory.

If it were in the past, she would have been very anxious. The baron may be foolish, but he was certainly a man of action. No matter how foolish the result, if he desired something, he would execute it.

At that time, everything would have ended.

But now, Aila didn’t feel fear, unlike in the past.

It wasn’t fear, but rather something that was hard to describe.

Yes. Recently, Aila had been feeling strange emotions.

She felt both terribly uneasy and at the same time, strangely comfortable.

And all of this was because of Luna.

The reason for this thought was very simple. Aila’s life had changed suddenly because of Luna.

The baron was fearful.

No matter what, he wouldn’t kill his daughter, who shared his blood, but in terms of power, Aila knew she could never win against him.

If Aila had been alone here – that is, if Luna hadn’t been by her side and she had met the baron – Aila surely wouldn’t have been able to even look him in the eye. There would be no one to support her.

Was there really no one?

Aila didn’t know what had happened to the boy who remained after she left the estate. He was stronger than Aila, so perhaps he had become quite a famous soldier. If it were a time of chaos, he might have gained recognition somewhere.

But this was an era when almost all the wastelands around the kingdom and the empire had been developed. Almost every piece of land in this world was now claimed by a nation, and there was hardly any unclaimed land left.

War was a thing of the past, and people called the current time the era of peace. Some optimistic people even called it humanity’s golden age.

So it wasn’t easy to become famous simply by wielding a sword well. There was almost no opportunity to perform great deeds.

Still, could he have become a knight? Could he have become a soldier in the baron’s territory? If so, maybe he could have risen to Aila’s side?

Could he have become the only person left who could be by Aila’s side in this world?

No, that was too much to ask.

Aila had discarded that young man – no, by the time she saw him last, he was a young man capable of loving a woman – and became a noble. She had left him because she feared the baron. She knew the baron would kill the young man if she refused to leave.

Aila’s blood was half noble, but that young man was a commoner.

Even though Aila had never been involved with a man, she understood the atmosphere. The last thing the young man had said to her was that he would protect her if she ran away. He probably didn’t believe it would actually be possible. He just wanted to say that. He would have known what it meant for a noblewoman to become one.

What if he had followed her?

He had only looked at her pitifully.

“Aila-nim.”

Luna, who had briefly gone to the door, turned and spoke to her.

“The baron says he wants to speak with you.”

“Let’s go ahead.”

Aila stood up from her seat.

“Luna, what would you say if you were in that position?”

And she asked.

After parting ways with the person who had genuinely cared for her, the first person to appear by Aila’s side, claiming to be her “subordinate.”

No, should it be said that she claimed to be her subordinate?

Aila had never met Luna before. If she had met a woman with this eye color, she surely would have remembered her.

“I would tell him to leave. There’s nothing to be gained by staying here.”

“If she refuses to leave?”

“We should make her leave, of course. Of course, it’s possible that the baron may have an urgent matter that requires him to return to the barony.”

Luna answered.

Several possibilities came to mind. The easiest possibility was that some great disaster occurred in the barony. A disaster so big that the baron himself would need to be there.

In the past, Aila would have just prayed, but somehow she felt that such an event might happen by chance now.

And Luna wouldn’t be surprised.

Aila narrowed her eyes as she looked at her.

It was a strange thought, but…

Could it be that Luna was someone connected to that person? A long-lost sibling, whom she met much later.

She had thought about it briefly before, but if they were siblings separated in a distant place and couldn’t meet, and then after finally meeting, something had happened to that person and Luna had come instead…

No, it didn’t make sense. It was impossible. Aila was probably only thinking this way because she hoped for it.

Her selfish desire for the memories of her childhood to still be alive. At least Aila shouldn’t be the one to wish for such things.

“Let’s go.”

“Understood, Aila-nim.”

At Aila’s words, Luna led the way and opened the door.

As they stepped outside, Aila straightened her shoulders and stood tall.

Yes. She didn’t know what would happen next or how things would unfold.

But wouldn’t it be a waste to just give up everything now? Isn’t it a waste to have abandoned that connection?

So Aila decided to go as far as she could.

If Aila gained power – maybe. Perhaps she might be able to find him.

He might have become someone’s husband, but at least she would like to hear that he was still alive.

For the first time in a long while, Aila had a wish.

“Do you think I won’t gain anything here?”

“That’s right. There’s nothing the baron can give me.”

Aila smiled slightly.

“Isn’t it because there’s nothing to give that he handed me over? In that sense, I became the count’s person the moment I crossed over to the count’s territory. But since the count is dead, now this place is mine.”

“Are you implying that you killed the count?”

“Wasn’t it the baron’s doing?”

“Blasphemous words. There’s no reason for me to kill my son-in-law, is there?”

The barony wasn’t that large or fertile. It barely sustained itself, and with some mines, it managed to avoid a deficit, but that was all. For a noble like the baron, it was natural to want to expand the land.

But unless war broke out and they invaded another territory, the key to expanding the territory was money.

Or inherited wealth.

“In that case, it would be troublesome if you say I killed him. If I’m put on trial as a witch, the ownership of this count’s territory will be disputed. It will probably become the land of the young countess. Marriage will be with the most influential noble among the nobility.”

“Then, it’s a bit strange that I would die so soon after the count. So… perhaps the baron intends to send soldiers here?”

The baron’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

The count’s territory had no proper walls, just a fertile grain field. The area around the mansion was somewhat well-maintained, but that was it. If soldiers started coming, it could easily be overrun.

By chance, Aila had sent all the servants out of the mansion, so only “women” were left inside.

There weren’t many reasonable women around, though.

Had someone tipped her off? That if she swallowed it, she could become the real master? Maybe a few years from now, if Aila naturally dies, the barony would belong to the baron.

If things went exactly as the baron wished.

Of course, after that, the baron would probably fall from power. No matter how good his swordsmanship, if he became politically cornered, it would be the end. If he conspired with someone to kill another, the accomplice would have evidence.

Exposing the immorality of the baron, who killed Aila, and presenting the evidence would be the end. Then both the count’s and baron’s territories would be his. Along with the elimination of a land with only unnecessary military strength.

Since the war with other countries had ended, the only way for nobles to gain “another territory” was like this. Exactly as the baron had planned.

“The servants here might be involved with the count’s death.”

Aila chuckled softly.

One of the reasons Aila had sent the servants away was that. She hadn’t thought the count was murdered, but if it were the baron, he would definitely use that as an excuse to fill the place with his own people.

“I thought so, so I’ve already replaced them. All the servants are new. Only Luna came from afar to repay the debt to the count, but she wasn’t in a position to have any significant influence.”

The baron looked at Luna. Luna’s expression was calm, quite different from the one Aila had seen.

“Then—”

“Aila-nim.”

Aila spoke up.

“Let’s stop here.”

She cut him off firmly.

“I have the ability to manage this territory on my own. And even if I didn’t have the ability, this territory is mine until it naturally falls apart and disappears, unless I die. And as long as I’m alive, I have no intention of letting go of it.”

“…Aila. You—”

The baron glared at Aila and opened his mouth.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Aila opened her mouth, perhaps seeing this as a good opportunity to interrupt the baron’s words.

The door opened, and in came Helena and a man drenched in sweat. His clothes were quite nice, but his entire body was soaked, and his outfit was all disheveled.

“I, sir, the baron.”

He didn’t speak to Aila, who was the highest-ranking person in the room, but directly to the baron. But Aila decided to listen for now. He must have come in a hurry. This must be important information.

“I, the baron’s territory—”

At the baron’s gesture, the messenger staggered into the room and handed a crumpled piece of paper to the baron.

It was a luxurious envelope, coated with something to prevent it from getting wet.

The seal on the envelope was red wax, and there was a prominent emblem stamped on it, without any attempt to hide who had sent it.

Aila slightly opened her mouth.

The emblem was a three-headed dragon. One head was facing forward, roaring with its neck stretched upwards, while the other two heads looked to the left and right.

Only one place uses such an emblem.

The Empire.

And the Imperial family.

Now it made sense why the messenger had run so urgently.

That letter must have arrived much earlier than usual.

“What!?”

The baron shouted, suddenly jumping up from his seat.

“The empress—”

He quickly closed his mouth, but Aila knew what that meant.

The Empire had moved. It didn’t seem like they were about to start a war again, but they had definitely made it so the baron had no choice but to return to his territory.

Aila smiled slightly and covered her mouth with her hand.

Then, she looked up at Luna, who was likely the one orchestrating this situation from behind, not knowing just how far her reach might extend.

Luna’s face was pale.