Chapter 24
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A villainess locked away in a desolate tower—I had possessed her body.
Chapter 24
Kaian momentarily suppressed the laughter threatening to burst through his firmly pressed lips.
She was perfectly fine when she remained still, and her beauty was undeniable by any standard... yet whenever she made those kinds of expressions, I found myself unable to adapt.
Swish, swish.
April Salt's eyes met mine, and she flushed with embarrassment before waving her hand at me as if to say not to mind it.
"Ahem, ahem! Your Grace, Blaire Grand Duke?"
Tomaldes Tonals, who had been ignored as April Salt monopolized Kaian's attention, let out a forced cough.
Only then did Kaian's gaze lift.
Upon noticing the count and the Salt Kingdom Envoy who had gathered before him, Kaian surveyed them with an arrogant demeanor.
"Keep it brief. I've only just arrived myself."
"Ah, yes, of course. I apologize if we've disturbed you at an inconvenient time. The matter is quite urgent, you see."
Despite the count's pointed remark about their unannounced visit without prior correspondence, he maintained his affable smile before suddenly shifting his tone and lowering his voice.
"The reason we've come is none other than the food shortage afflicting Salt."
Judging that Kaian disliked roundabout explanations, he proceeded directly to the main point.
Yet Kaian's expression remained unmoved.
"And what does that have to do with me?"
The envoys flinched at the somewhat sharp response, beginning to exchange nervous glances with one another.
However, even in this awkward situation, Tomaldes Tonals deliberately maintained his composure and took a step closer to Kaian.
"Precisely as you say, Your Grace. In fact, the reason we hastened to the Magic Tower was to seek countermeasures and assistance regarding this matter... but we were refused."
The count's tone laid bare the predicament Salt currently faced.
At that, Kaian's lips curved upward.
'So they've finally reached the point where they need salvation.'
It was proceeding as intended.
Salt—a small nation with seas on both sides, making it an unfavorable environment for agriculture.
Most provisions had been supplemented through imports, but with Cletan's food export ban and the recent wheat trade fraud, there was nowhere left to retreat.
Soon, as if answering his speculation, Tomaldes Tonals' resolute voice rang out.
"Our subjects in Salt have received orders from His Majesty to find a way to save our starving people, and we hereby formally request Your Grace's assistance."
The moment those words fell, the envoys bowed their heads in unison.
It was a humiliating gesture, yet it also testified to how dire their circumstances had become.
Kaian, wearing a subtle smile, looked down at them and spoke gently.
As if he had been genuinely moved.
"You said your name was Tomaldes Tonals?"
"Y-yes, that's correct. Currently, I serve as deputy chief in Salt, assisting Princess Lemeia Salt in formulating food countermeasures..."
"I refuse."
"...Pardon?"
Given the seemingly positive atmosphere, such a vacant response was only natural.
Yet Kaian's expression did not change in the slightest.
"I said I refuse."
"Pardon? B-but why...."
"Rather, I should be the one asking. What does this have to do with me?"
It was a fair question.
The fact that he was even granting me an audience instead of angrily casting me out was itself a considerable favor.
The excuse of urgent business sounded plausible enough, but for the Grand Duke of The Empire—and one wielding influence comparable to an entire nation—to appear unannounced in Kaian's chamber and immediately demand provisions was nothing short of presumptuous.
"B-but... Princess Lemeia Salt...."
The fact that he mentioned Lemeia Salt's name again suggested he had believed in the rumors of Lyden's goodwill, but unfortunately, he had come to the wrong place.
Though Kaian and Lyden shared half-blood kinship, at best they were merely business partners. The mention of Lemeia Salt's name held no sway over him whatsoever.
"Hah."
At his brief sigh, Tomaldes Tonals realized his mistake and quickly changed his approach, bowing his head.
"P-poor citizens are starving."
"If this continues, deaths from starvation may occur within days."
"If Your Highness the Grand Duke refuses... perhaps the Crown Prince...."
Among the flustered envoys, words that crossed the line began to spill out.
With an attitude suggesting he might depart for Cletan at any moment, Kaian let out a short laugh.
"By all means."
Beneath his composed voice lay a contemptuous sneer.
As Kaian openly displayed his mockery, Tomaldes Tonals flushed crimson and bowed deeply.
"I spoke out of turn. It is only because the matter is so urgent... Grand Duke Blaire, I truly beseech you."
Thump.
The count finally dropped to his knees.
"How unfortunate. The wheat we imported from Salt was stolen 'due to your negligence,' and we are currently stretched thin searching for it."
Kaian, having thoroughly trampled the envoys underfoot, was about to issue the order to dismiss them.
There was no point in listening further—only his temper would worsen.
In any case, Salt would march toward ruin according to Crown Prince Lyden's will.
With the Emperor in a coma for so long now, Lyden was desperately scrambling to accumulate merit to inherit the throne.
Moreover, it seemed he had chosen destroying Salt and taking Lemeia Salt as his second option after the kidnapping failed.
So what would happen would happen. Whether it occurred sooner or later mattered little.
But.
'....'
Kaian, about to walk away, could not take a single step forward and stopped in his tracks.
Looking down, a small hand clung to his pant leg as if it were a hook.
April Salt.
The princess with a face as pitiful as a rain-soaked dog was gripping his trousers as if they were a lifeline.
'C-could you please... help us...?'
Her trembling lips seemed to form those words.
For some reason, Kaian found himself hearing April's quivering voice in his mind, and he unconsciously shook his head.
'No.'
His resolve was firm. If he indulged this casual attitude—as if he had been entrusted with their problem—they would only grow more ungrateful and unruly.
But the indomitable April Salt did not give up.
Squeeze.
Where such strength came from those slender arms was a mystery, but the tendons in the back of her hand gripping my trousers stood out in sharp relief.
This was quite the predicament.
'Oh no.'
...More precisely, it was a physical predicament.
Why? Because my trousers threatened to slip down at any moment.
Though I'd secured them firmly with my belt, if April Salt continued to apply her weight and pull like this, I'd be caught in an embarrassing situation I couldn't escape.
If I kicked my legs or made any sudden movement, the Salt Kingdom Envoy would discover someone was hiding beneath the desk—a ridiculous scenario I had no intention of allowing.
'Please, please, please.'
April Salt's expression grew desperate. Then she tugged at my trousers again, harder this time.
'Stop!'
I furrowed my brow and sent her a signal, but April Salt didn't cease her bold(?) actions—now she'd seized both pant legs.
Then, as if smoothing out wrinkles in the fabric, she began pulling them alternately in sequence.
At this rate, not only would my trousers slip down, but if they somehow held, they'd tear apart.
'This insane....'
The princess didn't seem to be considering such consequences, but I, the one directly involved, had no choice but to contemplate the worst-case scenario.
After a fierce internal struggle, I finally exhaled a sigh that wouldn't be noticed.
"Very well, envoys of Salt."
At last, I spoke.
"If the people in the border territories grow weary from hunger and resort to banditry, it becomes troublesome for us as well. I shall dispatch knights from my domain to procure provisions."
The moment the Grand Duke's face, now etched with exhaustion, granted conditional approval, the envoys displayed their bewilderment plainly.
All except Tomaldes Tonals.
"D-directly from you, Your Grace? But..."
"You'd best accept before I change my mind."
"Yes, yes! Understood. Thank you, Your Grace the Grand Duke!"
Skimming a portion of the supplied provisions for themselves was now a moot point—at least they'd extinguished the immediate crisis.
The Salt Kingdom Envoy seemed worried my resolve might waver, so they hastily withdrew.
"Then we shall take our leave. We are deeply grateful, Your Grace the Grand Duke!"
Bang!
The moment the door shut, the Grand Duke's furious gaze turned toward the space beneath the desk.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org