Chapter 25: Paper Wars and Personal Truths.

Whether it’s the King, the Prime Minister, or Count Umbra, their intention is obvious: to hoard money under the pretext of rapid, short-term deflation, only to make a killing when full-blown inflation arrives.  The national loss from this will eventually be resolved once the mines in the New Continent are perfectly secured. The mindset is to pay back with winnings. The only ones who truly lose in such events are the small fries who get swept away.

My older brother relieving stress from his lab by lecturing me in rap helped me analyze this situation. Actually, most of what my brother said was incomprehensible alien language, so I used to spend that time drawing his flashy hand gestures. Sometimes I designed masks studded with studs. It was a time when we each said and did our own things, but it seems a little bit remained in my head.

Though even if it weren’t for me, the Duke would have given appropriate instructions.

“Shall I read you a serialized novel instead?”

It seemed more realistic than articles spreading golden wings of imagination.

“Uh, but, the protagonist is leaving for the New Continent? Looking for a gold mine.”

Oh, come on.

As I closed the newspaper with a rustling sound, a labored but clear laughter was heard from beyond the door.

“Your story… Tell me, your story.”

Doesn’t the Duke need something to forget the pain even for a moment? Just like I used to leave the television on even when I wasn’t watching. Just like I cried using it as an excuse when a crying scene came on, and stared blankly without understanding when laughter was heard.

Just as I needed someone else’s voice.

I tried to recall a story that could be listened to without deep thought, but it didn’t work well. I was a merchant, not a storyteller.

Dramas, novels, and animations I sometimes watched next to my brother came to mind, but I soon erased them. The Duke, who has to lock himself up, would be more curious about reality than fabricated stories. Since the time flowing every day would be stopped for him.

I recalled my daily life.

As soon as I wake up at dawn, I look in the mirror. Wondering if any abnormal phenomenon appeared in my eyes again. Only after confirming there is nothing wrong and no signs of becoming strange do I leave the room.

“I wake up at 7 when the sky isn’t fully bright yet, activate my body with mana breathing, and finish preparations to move. I tie my hair tightly so it doesn’t stick out, wash my hands and face cleanly, and then iron the newspaper. Then I wash my hands again and brew coffee to serve to the Duke. Diligent and hygienic servant, right?”

“…Yes.”

The Duke’s voice somehow sounded regretful. Even though he must know well that there isn’t anything particularly interesting in a servant’s daily life. Episodes with servants couldn’t happen these days either. Everyone is just stuck in their rooms. I brought up whatever words came to mind.

“I am a truly hygienic servant. My favorite scent is the smell of laundry dried thoroughly in the sunlight.”

Because all nobles possessed pheromones, there was no perfume culture here. Covering pheromones with scent was tantamount to shouting that one had no confidence in their pheromones. For a Beta to use scent carelessly was a sin that could lead to immediate death if caught by an ill-tempered Alpha or Omega.

Therefore, I couldn’t find the laundry scent I loved on Earth here. That scent resembling the smell of sheets my mother dried thoroughly in the sun and laid on my bed. Recalling my mother drying laundry, I tried to mimic it, but I couldn’t make the same scent no matter what. That’s why I used that perfume.

“Forest…”

“Pardon?”

“Soil, moss…”

It’s a combination I’ve heard a lot somewhere. Adding leather scent to this makes it the perfume I used to wear when big spenders made reservations.

Wait, don’t tell me.

” is the King’s Brother’s pheromone a woody scent?”

Instead of the official title ‘Duke’ designated by the Duke, I used the title ‘King’s Brother’ which I used to think to myself. Still, I didn’t hear any words correcting my wrong title.

“Uh, so, you just boasted that the Duke’s scent is very good, right?”

Even when I changed the title and asked again, no answer returned.

Ah, what should I do? I think I might not be able to hold back right now.

Eventually, unable to hold back, I burst into laughter.

My laughter was loud enough to resonate in the silent hallway and echo back. The only light was a small candle placed in front of me. Laughter echoing loudly in that setting was a scene that might appear in a thriller movie even by my thought, but I ended up laughing until tears came out.

Actually, the reason I sprayed heavy woody scent was only when I didn’t want to be looked down upon because I was still too young to meet big spenders. Too much depth in scent evoked a dark forest where even sunlight didn’t reach properly. A forest where one worries about getting lost rather than getting intoxicated by mystery, a forest from which one seems unable to return to reality.

But somehow, I felt the forest scent emanating from the Duke wouldn’t be scary.

Imagining his scent, I smiled.

“You are cute.”

What returned as an answer was a clear sigh. I was glad for the clear expression of emotion.

“You did it.”

“…What? Being, cute?”

I couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter again. The breath mixed between ‘cu’ and ‘te’ was definitely not due to pain, just like the sigh earlier.

“I mean the magic circle. It seems you saw the fruits of your effort.”

The Duke’s tone was becoming clearer as the days of the Rut passed. The amount of food I brought left behind also decreased. It was a big change unimaginable during last year’s Rut.

“It is commendable.”

“……”

“It’s a genuine compliment.”

“…Impertinent servant, really.”

“It’s also true that the Duke is amazing.”

“…Right.”

The Duke’s tone was slow. But this time too, it wasn’t because he was dragging out the end of his words to endure pain. He felt awkward responding to compliments.

My brow furrowed automatically. It was extremely contradictory that such a genius Duke felt awkward about compliments. Conversely, taking it for granted would be much more natural.

I had never been praised by my father either, but at school or academy, I often heard “Well done.” I took that for granted. Sometimes when my drawings didn’t receive good reviews, I even felt resentful. Even though I was a frog in a well compared to the Duke.

“It is a bit regrettable though.”

“What is?”

“I didn’t know shattered diamonds scattering light was so beautiful. I thought perfect cutting would reflect light most beautifully, but it wasn’t. The light scattered by pieces shattered in their own ways was beautiful as if stars were dancing.”

“That…”

“It was even more enchanting because I could watch without getting hurt at all.”

“……”

“You protected me so I wouldn’t get hurt, right? Thank you.”

The Duke’s breathing quickened. It was a clear sign of happiness, enough to make my ears heat up listening.

“Still, you have to postpone trying it again.”

I deliberately spoke strictly with a stiff tone.

“Why? Because it’s too, expensive right now?”

The returned answer contained laughter.

“Yes.”

“If we make, artificial diamonds, should we try then?”

“I look forward to that very much.”

“Good…”

“Also the Duke sweeping up money by making synthetic diamonds.”

We will dominate not only watches but the entire magic item market. Just as companies holding semiconductors dominated the electronics market.

If that happens, the Duke might be able to escape the King’s interference even a little. Even if the King leads the war and wins, causing shares of diamond mines to flow to him. Since he doesn’t seem bold enough to eliminate a living diamond mine that produces diamonds, a major pillar of the national economy, from scratch.

“Rather than that…”

But the Duke seemed to wish for something else.

“Is there something better than money?”

“Quite, a few.”

He isn’t someone who doesn’t know the power of money. Since the Duke is someone who knows better than anyone where to grease and where to invest, I was curious what answer would come out.

“Future…”

“Future, you say?”

“That the future is, anticipated… was, good.”

The Duke must be smiling. But I became a little sad.

Nineteen, at that age, how was I, Han Jay? I had half-won the fight with my father then. It was natural for me to enter the metal crafts department, and my father said he would hand over the jewelry shop seeing how I do. And I was confident I would take a position in a place even greater than that.

It was a time when I was arrogant and confident that the future would unfold as I wished.

I learned later that reality is not like expectation. Because before, I hadn’t met reality worthy of frustration. I couldn’t even guess what the Duke’s childhood was like. Did he pass through hard reality, breaking so much that he couldn’t expect anything at all?

“Meticulous Duke.”

“…I don’t remember, giving you a statement.”

“Meticulous and sentimental Duke.”

“…How much, do you want to receive?”

“If you give, I will gratefully receive, but even if you don’t, I won’t withdraw the words that the Duke is meticulous and sentimental.”

“That was a tremendous, compliment.”

“How exactly do I appear to you Duke?”

“Impertinent, suspicious… fearless, and reckless.”

“Objection.”

“Smart, and …kind.”

Kind, huh. The Duke accepted my pity as kindness.

“And…”

The Duke’s breathing gradually became slow and low. It seemed he fell asleep. It was fortunate I didn’t hear what he intended to say.

I wasn’t a kind person at all. If I appeared kind,  it was simply a desperate attempt to alleviate an inescapable sense of guilt.

I stood up with a bitter smile.