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Chapter 202

“...”

Opposite Charlotte, also clad in formal attire, sat Vertus.

They were both waiting for the emperor. They were the only two present in the vast office.

The matter that had brought them together wasn’t particularly important. Periodically, the emperor would summon them to the same place and listen to their stories about life at the Temple. Just like any other parent, he wanted to know if his children were doing well.

Of course, their family was different from any other ordinary family in one aspect: if it weren\'t for the emperor’s orders, one of the siblings might have already wound up dead due to their poor relationship.

Since they couldn’t even pretend to have a good relationship, there was no conversation between them. If their eyes accidentally met, only distasteful words would be exchanged.

However, there was one common topic they shared that wasn’t particularly unpleasant.

“Reinhart wants to set up shops at every magic train station?”

It was Reinhart.

Vertus thought Reinhart had a terrible temper but was still someone who got things done when necessary. He had shown himself to be competent during the group mission, and though he seemed to lack ambition, he performed exceptionally when the moment required it. Thus, Vertus rather liked him. In fact, he had often helped or turned a blind eye to various matters.

One such matter he had overlooked was that Reinhart, a member of Class A, was getting along with Charlotte de Gradias, a member of Class B and his competitor. Vertus never said anything to Reinhart about it.

When Reinhart had gone missing, both he and Charlotte had tried to find him using their own means.

Anyway, Reinhart was a common topic for Charlotte and Vertus. That day, Vertus had a business proposal to present to the emperor, and before Charlotte could interfere and mess things up, he had to make it clear that it was Reinhart’s idea, not his. The proposal involved setting up shops at the numerous magic train stations scattered throughout the capital.

Currently, the magic train stations only had platforms for boarding and alighting and other bare minimum functions necessary for the stations to operate, such as ticketing stations.

Magic trains had not been around long enough for people to experiment with how to use the empty space around the stations.

Reinhart wanted to use that empty space.

“To be precise, Reinhart only proposed it. The actual business operators would be that Rotary Club or whatever they are.”

“Why are you helping him, then?”

Charlotte’s suspicious question about why Vertus was helping Reinhart made him grin.

“We decided to share the profits. 90-10.”

“Ninety percent? That’s utterly exploitative, isn’t it?”

Charlotte was convinced that Vertus was a scoundrel, and automatically assumed he was being a scoundrel and taking the bigger portion.

Of course, he was indeed a scoundrel, from Charlotte de Gradias’s perspective.

Vertus’s mouth fell open slightly in disbelief. “I know you don’t like me much, but assuming that I’m that bad is a bit much. It’s not ninety percent for me, obviously.”

“... Really? That’s a bit surprising.”

“I know I lack trust and credibility, but I do have business ethics.”

“Oh, I’m surprised you even know about that, and even more so that you haven’t gone about addressing it despite your knowledge.”

“You’re no saint yourself; why act so high and mighty?”

They glared at each other, and the air between them sparked with tension.

“Anyway, this isn’t my business; it’s Reinhart’s proposal. If it gets scrapped, it’ll be Reinhart who’s in trouble, not me. So, it would be nice if you didn’t run your mouth about this matter,” Vertus said.

“Fine, it’s not my concern anyway. But I didn’t realize you cared so much about Reinhart,” Charlotte replied with a slightly mocking smile.

Vertus took a sip of his tea. “The people precious to my dear sibling are precious to me as well,” he replied.

It was a loaded statement filled with countless undertones, and the exact meanings hidden underneath it were unclear.

‘The people precious to my enemy are also precious to me.’

The word “precious” could mean significantly different things in the first and second halves of the sentence.

Despite that, Charlotte’s expression remained composed. Her perfectly controlled face betrayed no trace of emotion.

“So, your thinking is the same as mine, then?”

Vertus smiled, as though acknowledging a common understanding. “So, you’re saying that we both value what’s precious to our sibling?”

“I don’t know,” Charlotte replied. “What do you think?”

Neither of them revealed what exactly about Reinhart made them want to assist him and take care of him.

In this world, only the outcome mattered.

Reinhart found himself caught between Charlotte and Vertus. While such proximity could bring some benefits, it couldn’t last forever.

It was the world’s most dangerous tightrope walk, and it required Reinhart to continuously keep a fine balance if he was to survive.

Reinhart’s story ended there, and a long silence lingered between Charlotte and Vertus once again. They were not the type to engage in frequent conversation, and when they did, their exchanges were often fraught with sharp, hostile remarks.

Charlotte was the first to break this silence. Her expression suggested she was about to say something she really did not want to.

“Hey.”

“... What now?”

“It’s kind of annoying that there’s no one else to ask about this but you. I’ve got something to ask.”

“... If it’s about the ongoing mining rights issue, I have nothing to tell you. You don’t seriously think I’d spill competitive secrets to you, do you?”

Vertus assumed that if Charlotte had anything to ask him, it would be along those lines, and he made it clear he had no intention of sharing.

Charlotte clicked her tongue and crossed her arms in frustration, judging Vertus for the presumption. “That’s not it.”

“If it’s about the Merchants’ Guild, I’ve told you already, I’m not directly involved. Of course, if Reinhart’s business takes off, he might get entangled with them, but that’s strictly Reinhart’s concern, not mine...”

“Do you think I’m pretty?”

“...?”

Charlotte’s completely unexpected question left Vertus momentarily stunned.

‘Did I hear that wrong? I must have.’

Although Vertus had heard her clearly, he couldn’t believe Charlotte would ask something like that, and thus concluded that he’d somehow misunderstood. It was so out of the blue, and there was no reason for Charlotte to ask him such a question like that all of a sudden.

Charlotte heard no response from Vertus and frowned at him.

“... Why are you silent? I’m asking you a question.”

“... What? What did you say?”

Vertus decided that he needed to confirm what the question was. Charlotte, feeling irritated for having to say it again, sighed with her arms crossed.

“I said, don’t you think I’m attractive enough?”

“... Wh-What? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

Vertus paled once he realized he hadn’t misheard.

‘What is this? What kind of game is she playing?’

Vertus felt a genuine sense of fear that he rarely experienced. The unpredictable context and purpose behind Charlotte’s question made his head spin.

Seeing Vertus suddenly flustered, Charlotte’s frown deepened. “Are you deaf? Be honest. Don’t you think I’m pretty?”

“Why... would you ask me something like that?”

Vertus couldn’t fathom the reason why Charlotte, his half-sibling and competitor in their struggle for imperial power, would ask him whether she was attractive. He could not decipher the intention behind such a question, which left him completely baffled.

“Aren’t you the only one I can ask?” Charlotte replied. “The maids just parrot phrases like ‘You shine brilliantly today’, and my own people aren’t any different. You’re the only one I think will give me an honest answer. I’d prefer you say something, even if it’s a biting critique.”

Indeed, if Charlotte were to ask those around her, she would only get the answers they thought she wanted to hear, regardless of the truth.

If so, then asking someone who disliked her might yield an honest answer.

Vertus realized that, whatever her reasons, there was no hidden agenda behind Charlotte’s question.

“Hmm... Sibling. You are quite attractive...” Vertus said.

“Hmm, right. I thought so too....”

“For a fish.”

“... What?”

Vertus crossed his arms and gave a sly grin.

“Sister, you do realize your mug resembles a fish more than a human, right?”

Of course, it was a malevolent remark, but Vertus couldn’t help but grin as he watched Charlotte’s face contort in anger.

“Did you just say ‘mug’? Did you just compare my face to a fish?”

“Don’t worry, sister. Among fish, you might find a match. Look around; I think your face could be quite popular in that crowd.”

“Are you blatantly mocking me? Do you have a death wish right or something?”

The angrier and more hostile Charlotte’s words became, the broader Vertus’s smile grew.

“Well, I answered honestly and straightforwardly. Is that wrong? And ease up on the frown; your fish face is beginning to resemble a deep-sea creature.”

“Enough. Shut up. It was a mistake asking you this in the first place.”

Charlotte cast her gaze towards the window, indicating that she was done with the conversation.

Vertus continued to smirk as he observed Charlotte’s angry expression. Though he tried to decipher why his half-sibling had suddenly asked such a question, he ultimately couldn’t figure out the reason.

***

It was Sunday, and Charlotte had returned from the imperial city. The day before, she had unnecessarily asked Vertus something trivial despite knowing he was bound to give a terrible answer no matter what she asked, and his answer had ended up ruining her mood.

‘Fish? Did he really say a fish?’

It was such an unexpected insult that it made her face burn with indignation.

Objectifying herself was difficult, but Charlotte believed that she was undeniably attractive. In fact, she considered it a modest assessment. She wasn’t someone who had let the maids’ constant praise get to her head, saying she shone like the goddess of beauty.

Some things could be determined at a glance. Just by looking in the mirror Charlotte knew, even if she wasn’t so mesmerized that she’d fall in love with her own reflection.

She might not have been extraordinary—that was up for debate—but she was certainly good-looking.

She had a level of understated and humble self-assurance.

But that Reinhart? He had reacted with utter dismay at the thought of possibly marrying her.

Even though she thought he was a good guy due to the various ways he helped her, it had scratched her pride.

‘What’s wrong with me? I have wealth, power, capability, and beauty. Does he think there’s someone better than me on this continent?’

Charlotte was starting to lean towards the belief that there might not be anyone in the world with better attributes and capabilities than her.

‘Who does he think he is? ... Not that I’m interested in him, but is there really someone better than me?’

It shouldn’t have mattered that a guy whom she would never accept even if he threw himself at her didn’t show any interest, but it was still irritating.

Charlotte never doubted her own attractiveness, but for the first time in her life, she was questioning it.

And it wasn’t just that. The new Rotary Club venture...

The magic trains were an essential infrastructure in the imperial city, comparable to the warp gates. Setting up shops at the stations was a solid idea, and she agreed with that.

But that wasn’t the issue.

Why had Reinhart approached Vertus and not her? She was also the emperor’s daughter; she could discuss such matters with him and gain approval with no problem.

It wasn’t as if it was something only Vertus could handle.

She and Reinhart didn’t meet daily or spend all their time together, but they were close enough to share secrets that no one else could know, or so she thought.

Yet Reinhart had discussed such an important matter with Vertus instead of her.

Why?

Did he think Vertus was more reliable and capable than she was?

Reinhart had clearly stated that he would be like a mediator, flitting from side to side, and Charlotte had resigned herself to that fact. She knew he needed to stay in Vertus’s good graces as well as hers.

She understood that he might have shared such plans and asked for favors from Vertus because he was in the same class as him.

She understood that, but it still infuriated her.

‘Why did he tell Vertus and not me? Does he actually dislike me?’

Her thoughts meandered to this conclusion, and she came to a halt.

In the corridor leading to the Royal Class dormitory, Charlotte found herself stopping in her tracks, lost in thought.

‘Reinhart might dislike me.’

Reinhart had been inadvertently dragged into her search to find the child, only to learn a truth that shouldn’t have come to light.

He hadn’t cooperated out of his own volition and had simply followed orders when asked to help.

From the beginning, his collaboration had been secured reluctantly, since the lives of the Rotary Club members had been at stake.

He’d only complied because he had no other choice, and he might actually resent her. He could be fearing that these secrets, if leaked or uncovered, might lead to his silent disappearance as well.

Such secrets... No one would want to discover them.

Her circumstances were merely her circumstances.

For the first time, it dawned on Charlotte.

She had always been using Reinhart, nothing more. She had never been curious about his feelings or thoughts, nor had she considered his emotions, burdens, or the pressures he might be under.

Despite the danger, she always thought she was grateful and appreciative of his help. But that was all.

She had always believed that Reinhart empathized with her situation, her position, and her sorrow. That’s why he was helping her—or so she thought.

She never once considered that he might have been cooperating reluctantly, crushed under the weight of the power she held, and dealing with her unwillingly.

‘I was selfish. Reinhart might feel more comfortable with Vertus. Vertus wouldn’t ask Reinhart to do anything dangerous.’

When she realized this, Charlotte stood there blankly for a long time.

***

Not knowing what to say to Reinhart, Charlotte headed toward the Class A dormitory. She felt she needed to apologize. But how? She had no idea what to say.

‘I’m sorry for being a burden...

‘I’ve taken for granted that you were risking yourself...

‘You no longer have to deliver letters...

‘But then, how should I keep in touch with that child?’

Charlotte couldn’t ask even her own people to handle that task. Her people had failed to find the child, and it was only through the direct inquiries she’d made with Reinhart that they had discovered anything at all.

Charlotte believed that the fewer people who knew the truth, the better, so only Reinhart was aware of it.

However, her associates, including Dyrus, had already begun to see that child in a different light.

They had decided that the child might be the only one capable of resolving her condition, which was why she had to halt the search.

If she wanted to stop Reinhart from doing anything that could lead him to danger, she had to stop making him deliver letters.

But that would sever her only link to the child. She would lose all connection, even through letters.

To maintain her link to the child, Charlotte would have to continue exploiting Reinhart’s services, selfishly burdening him and exposing him to danger.

Even though she appreciated Reinhart’s help, mere gratitude didn’t justify keeping him at risk indefinitely.

What was she to do?

This was something she did not want to lose.

At this rate, though, she would have to keep sacrificing someone—sacrificing the person who had treated her kindly despite her initial hostility. One day, that might lead to a real sacrifice.

Still unsure of what she should say, Charlotte headed towards the Class A dormitory.

A voice that had become familiar rang through the hallway even though the person couldn’t be seen.

—No, seriously, hey. Why do I have to do that, you thick-skull?

—It’s already been decided! Hmph! And calling me Thick-Skull doesn’t bother me at all. You seem more upset right now, so it doesn’t hurt my feelings at all!

—Yeah, whatever, Thick-Skull.

—Yeah, sure thing, president.

—I told you I’m not the president! I’m not! I’m not doing it! I said I’m not doing it!

—Oh? Is this how you feel? I think I understand why you teased me. This is called, um, what was it... damage... damage something... damage-dealing? Is that right? Well, president, I wish you good luck moving forward!

—Aaargh! I said I’m not doing it! Spare me, please!

—How could a mere member like me make such a decision, Mr. President?

—I told you I’m not the President!

“...”

Charlotte listened to Reinhart arguing with someone and began to question whether her worries were somewhat foolish.

‘Is this all just make-believe? Is he just completely carefree?

‘It seems like he’s living a joyous life at the Temple, with no burden, tension, or fear.’

— Please! I’ll do anything else. Anything else, okay? Being president is annoying! It’s really annoying! I have lots to do too!

—You agreed to handle the menial tasks, which includes being the president. You promised, remember?

—That’s not the promise I made!

Charlotte, feeling oddly deflated, trudged back to the Class B dormitory.

However, the heaviness in her heart would not go away.

She had postponed things for too long.

She had deferred judgment for far too long, and now it was time to make a decision.

She had to sort out her feelings now.

That was what Charlotte believed.