Chapter 33
The chocolate Yuria had given her contained peanuts, so it made a crunchy sound when bitten into.
As the savory aroma spread from the tip of her tongue, Nadia fell into thought.
She had always found it strange how her heart seemed to lean in a certain direction for no reason.
But after hearing Yuria’s words just now, it seemed there was some reasoning behind her kindness after all.
What about Heini?
Was there also a reason why young Heinrich had blindly followed her?
They had spent so much time together, yet it felt like they had never talked about the truly important things.
When Nadia’s expression darkened, Yuria seemed to think she was tired and led her to a small room to rest.
Wanting to cheer Nadia up, Yuria brought up what she thought was a fun topic.
“Oh, right. There’s something I’ve always wondered about. The first dance—how did you end up dancing with the Duke of Baldwin?”
“Huh?”
“At a debutante ball, the first dance partner is extremely important!”
Yuria’s cheeks flushed red like a young girl reading a romance novel.
It was an adorable sight, but honestly, in this situation, it was the wrong thing to bring up.
Because of her question, Nadia’s mind became completely filled with Heinrich Baldwin.
When Nadia’s face grew even paler, Yuria waved her hands in a panic, as if afraid she’d been misunderstood.
“I-I’m not jealous! You know how I feel, right?”
Seeing Yuria’s flustered face finally brought Nadia back to herself.
She gently held Yuria’s hand and smiled.
“You’re the one misunderstanding, Yuria. The Baldwin and Hess territories border each other, so we’ve met a few times, that’s all. He’s just a kind person—he probably felt sorry to see me sitting alone.”
“Hmm, I don’t think His Grace is a bad person, but is that really the case?”
Yuria giggled as if she found the whole situation amusing. It was clear she didn’t believe a word of what Nadia had said.
“Who knows? Baldwin and Hess territories are so close, after all.”
“Yuria…”
Nadia raised her eyebrows in helpless exasperation. In response, Yuria looped her arm through Nadia’s and apologized playfully.
“Sorry. I guess I got mischievous because I’m sad you’ll be leaving for the north. If I could go with you, it wouldn’t feel so bad.”
Nadia chuckled softly and brushed Yuria’s hair back with a gentle hand.
“I’ll be staying in the capital for a while.”
“Huh? Really?”
“Yes. My mother wants me to spend more time in high society here.”
It wasn’t a lie. But if she truly had no reason to stay, she would have already returned to Hess territory.
She didn’t want to go against the wishes of the Baroness of Hess, but there would always be other chances to mingle in society.
For now, it was more urgent to track the Count of Crimson and uncover the powers behind him.
Unaware of all this, Yuria simply smiled brightly with delight.
“Then I’ll take you to a famous coffeehouse in the capital! How about it?”
Nadia nodded without hesitation. She did feel guilty about secretly tailing Yuria’s father, but more than that, she truly enjoyed spending time with her.
“Ahem. So, will you be attending the salon tomorrow?”
Nadia froze, halfway through turning the page of her grimoire.
She had no idea when Conrad had appeared beside her, what salon he was talking about, or how it could already be tomorrow.
She wrinkled her nose and gave him an awkward smile.
“Sorry, Conrad.”
“I figured you weren’t listening.”
“I really am sorry.”
Nadia quickly closed the grimoire and pushed it to the far edge of the table.
Conrad glanced at the book.
Only a little while ago, she had been reading about the basic elements of mana—but now she was already onto intermediate theory.
Still, Nadia had always been passionate about learning and naturally gifted, so it wasn’t unusual.
“If you’re that interested, why not hire a tutor? You’d benefit from some practical training as well.”
“No thanks. If I learn too quickly, I’ll just get bored.”
It was a truly unique philosophy. Only someone who had entered the Academy early, maintained the top rank, and graduated ahead of time could think that way.
Nadia motioned for him to get to the point, and he obeyed.
“Since the Count of Crimson seems favorably disposed toward you, approaching him more closely might be worthwhile. I’ve reviewed the salons he frequents, and the one hosted by the Marchioness of Alon would provide the most natural opportunity to meet.”
“What kind of salon is it?”
The character of a salon depended heavily on its host, its guests, and even its location.
Some gathered for literature or music, others for secret talks, and still others to build political alliances.
“It’s a salon where entrepreneurs network and look for investors.”
Nadia rested her chin on her hand, searching her memory.
“I remember the Marchioness of Alon as being very much the aristocratic type. Did her circumstances change?”
Even nobles needed money in this age, but many conservative ones still shied away from directly involving themselves in business. And ten years ago, the Marchioness of Alon had been such a person.
“The former Marchioness passed away. The Marquis took a young second wife, but not long after, he died as well, and rumors spread that the Alon house would soon collapse.”
“But the new Marchioness turned out to be quite capable, then.”
“Indeed. She even bore a son, securing the succession. In practice, the Alon household is now entirely under her control.”
When Nadia nodded thoughtfully, Conrad pressed on.
“The Marchioness’s salon doesn’t seem to care much about social rank. As long as one dresses appropriately, presents a solid business plan, and has capital to invest, anyone is welcome.”
“Then no one would find my presence suspicious.”
In fact, it would be perfectly natural.
After all, who wouldn’t want to multiply their wealth with magic stones?
“Good. Make arrangements so I can attend tomorrow.”
“Yes, my lady.”
As their serious conversation ended, Vivian seized the chance to jump in.
“Milady, then tomorrow you’ll dress like a sophisticated businesswoman, right?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know—simple but elegant dress, a sparkling brooch, maybe a velvet hat with a short veil. You’d look so clever and stylish!”
Just imagining it made Vivian’s lips twitch upward in excitement.
Nadia covered her mouth and laughed softly.
“I don’t really know about those things, so I’ll leave it to you.”
“Then let’s go pick out your outfit right away!”
“Vivian, milady still needs to review the business proposals for the salon.”
“But… won’t it be enough to just focus on what interests the Count of Crimson?”
“If we do that, it will be obvious that he’s our target. Milady, please look over the documents I’ve prepared.”
Lately, Vivian and Conrad bickered whenever they locked eyes.
Vivian no longer seemed the least bit intimidated by him, while Conrad often complained that Nadia spoiled her too much.
Caught between the two, Nadia could only smile helplessly and compromise.
“Then let’s quickly choose an outfit first, and then go over the documents. Accessories are Vivian’s specialty anyway, so I’ll entrust that to her. Does that sound fair?”
“Yes, milady!”
“Understood, Lady Nadia. I’ll have the papers ready.”
For all their squabbles, both Conrad and Vivian did their best to support her.
They might be a bit noisy at times, but really, Nadia thought, it wasn’t as though she needed to be as perfectly thorough as the Duchess of Baldwin.
She rose from her seat with a smile.
—or tried to.
Suddenly, the world spun, and she lost her balance. She couldn’t even recall how she’d been standing just moments before.
Her body swayed helplessly, and both Conrad and Vivian rushed to support her, alarmed.
“M-Miss! Let’s get her to bed right away!”
“Forgive me, milady.”
Conrad moved to lift her up, but Nadia gripped his arm tightly and shook her head.
Leaning on him with her eyes closed, her mind gradually cleared.
“I’m fine. I must have just been sitting too long.”
“You’ve been reading grimoires all day! I knew this would happen!”
Vivian fussed as she quickly put the book away.
Unlike her, Conrad’s eyes were filled with suspicion.
Nadia lightly tapped his shoulder and walked away as if nothing had happened.
He still seemed worried, but she wasn’t really lying.
She had only felt dizzy for a moment, and now she truly was perfectly fine.