It was the middle of a dark passage. A quiet space where the only sound was the vibration rumbling underfoot.
A tall man approached with large strides. Bright blonde hair cast shadows over his cheeks. Transparent pupils curved thinly.
The handso man bent down. His lips drew a aningless arc. Esperanza tilted her head with a stiff face.
Gradually approaching, toes drawing together, strength entering hands.
Bang.
With a gunshot from far away, the man's pretty head exploded. The ground that should have been soaked with blood and brain matter was clean. Only then did a smile appear on Esperanza's lips.
"Please maintain your dignity, Countess."
The man who lowered his heated gun barrel laughed irritably.
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A dock near Nine Holder. A large ship ca to a stop, spewing steam.
A lady wearing a salmon-colored hat held a child's hand and looked up at the tall ship. The people gathered around the ship were looking only at the ship's entrance with excited faces, holding luggage and waiting for passengers to disembark.
Two large-scale evacuations. Despite it not being a good situation at all, the faces of people who had co to et family they hadn't seen in a long ti were bright. Joyful embraces continued.
"Is it there?"
Except for this side.
The gentleman wearing a black silk hat tapped the ground twice with his cane as if urging. Loosely tied bright blonde hair and colorless pupils that shone even under the hat's shadow. A young, wealthy, handso nobleman and genius magical engineer.
'How comfortable would life be living like that?'
However, no matter how twisted his insides were, he was in no position to open his mouth even once. If he upset the big shot, his boss would kill him.
"Just a mont. Please wait, Count. It shows on the list, but I need to check once more..."
"So I have to wait for the ti it takes to recheck because you can't even make a proper list."
He checked his watch and sighed audibly.
"I'd appreciate it if you could hurry."
While playing around is his job, he acts busy. The man grumbled internally and went back into the ship.
After coaxing the workers and cross-checking the list with the loaded magic stones again, he ca running out breathlessly. He thought he'd get scolded for taking longer than expected, but the Count said nothing. More precisely, he didn't seem particularly inclined to make conversation.
After checking the list, he personally signed several sheets of paper and took the box the man had brought.
"It must be heavy for you."
"No need to worry about it."
Annoyance seeped through his broadly smiling face. The man who had worried needlessly and didn't even break even turned around and grumbled secretly.
Count Avondale handed the box to the coachman and got into the carriage. The horseless carriage glided down the road. When he felt the coachn in the adjacent lanes glancing over, coachman Taylor straightened his shoulders for no reason.
Upon arriving at the mansion, the Count took the box and entered the mansion, while Taylor led the carriage into the garage. eting eyes with the junior coachman who was polishing the dark green carriage, he made a gesture of raising a beer mug and grinned.
Cider headed straight to the study. And the mont he opened the door, his body tilted as hands grabbed his elbow. There was no need to ask whose hands they were. Esperanza buried her face in Cider's shoulder, then raised her head and grinned.
"You sll like the sea. Did you go to the harbor?"
"You can tell such things by sll?"
"Actually, I asked Mrs. Lux."
Ah.
Cider, who roughly placed the box on the cabinet within reach, cupped Esperanza's cheek and kissed her. After a not-short kiss, he tidied her disheveled hair and placed the box in Esperanza's arms.
"That's the last one available from Paolun. They say the smuggling side is also blocked due to export restriction orders."
"The black market side is also a bust. They say rare magic stones aren't coming out at all. Havenly said that even regular magic stone supply will beco difficult from now on."
"Regular magic stones are fine since there are ones from mines, but... prices will rise. It'll beco botherso."
Cider, who had wiped his hands with a wet cloth and put on gloves, opened the box he had given to Esperanza and took out a magic stone. Unlike the black spherical magic stones sold comrcially, this one emitted an athyst-like light and unique crystal formations could be seen inside.
"Check that first, and I'll tell you what I heard at the black market."
"Alright. Though this will probably be a failure."
The two headed to the laboratory inside the study.
On one wall of the laboratory was a magic stone tester. The magic stone was sucked into the tester that countless rare magic stones had passed through over the past two years.
1st test, passed.
2nd test, passed.
Out of the five-stage verification process, it had already passed two. Esperanza pressed her pounding chest with her fist and watched the magic stone travel through pipes to the next device.
Reagents dropped, and complex numbers for magic power and wavelengths appeared on the screen. Then several formulas passed by.
3rd test, passed.
"Ah, I can't watch."
Esperanza, who had fled from the laboratory, buried her face in a cushion.
The 4th and 5th tests took ti. To divert her gaze that kept turning toward the laboratory, she took out a ga console from under the desk.
The ga console Cider had made to provide entertainnt for Esperanza, who couldn't return to her hotown, was simple. It could only run simple gas like minesweeper.
However, Esperanza, who had played only such gas her entire life before starting Golden Claw, was satisfied with that simple configuration. Besides, there were scores. When there are visible achievents, competitiveness inevitably arises.
Esperanza, who was flipping through ga screens to check previous records, frowned.
"You broke my record again?"
The sound of Cider laughing could be heard from inside the laboratory.
"Ah, really. Do you know how hard I worked to set this record!"
"You're not good at gas."
"Shut up."
"You do try hard though."
"Just work."
Even if it's just out of spite, I have to break this. Esperanza gritted her teeth and picked up the ga console.
A cream-colored screen without color. Graphics close to dots. There was no sound either. But that was enough to implent the gas Esperanza wanted without problems. Esperanza gripped the ga console with a determined face and pressed the button.
"It's all done. ...Oh no."
Cider clicked his tongue upon finding Esperanza collapsed on the sofa, drained of energy. The ga console had been carelessly thrown on the table. Pretending not to notice the amused gaze, Esperanza hugged a cushion and pouted.
"I'm tired. The black market aside, dealing with two kids is no ordinary task."
Esperanza had been invited as a shooting instructor for Prince Louis and Princess lissa starting this year. It was an extraordinary asure taken by the Queen, who was extrely sensitive about her two children's safety.
"So, are you going to keep lying there? Aren't you curious about the results?"
"It'll be a bust anyway."
If they had found sothing proper, they would have said so already.
"Regrettably."
Saying this, Cider brushed up the hair covering Esperanza's forehead. He lightly kissed her white, straight forehead.
"You must be very tired."
"The black market talk went long, so I couldn't rest and went straight to Augustus."
Unlike him, whose concept of dates was sowhat blurred, Esperanza was maintaining a regular lifestyle. No matter how late previous work ended, she couldn't cancel classes. She had no choice but to rush over.
"You worked hard. So, does His Majesty still avoid the room when he sees you?"
"Not to that extent."
Actually, he did avoid her. While he had invited Esperanza close enough to serve as his children's shooting instructor, he himself would hastily leave as if afraid to be in the sa place. Even though he must know Esperanza wouldn't harm him.
This was also why she had to leave after only three months from the maid position she had entered on Duke Galliston's recomndation at the beginning of her marriage, so there would be no contempt due to her background. Since the Queen was afraid of the maid and couldn't even assign simple tasks, there was nothing to be done.
'Well, it can't be helped.'
Whether the Queen was afraid or not, it didn't matter. At least it was proof she had a conscience. She wasn't trying to retaliate, but there was no reason not to accept what was voluntarily given.
Cider smiled broadly as if reading those thoughts.
"Indeed."
"What?"
"It's work you enjoy doing, isn't it? Being a shooting instructor. You're also teaching Lady Cordelia and the little one from Mabelwood."
"It's good if they can protect themselves. And Jack said he has to take a test on that at school."
"I don't like my ti being stolen playing with others."
"Why is that your ti? It's my ti. Never mind. If the inspection is done, bring the magic stone."
Cider held out the magic stone he had removed from the machine and cleaned. The pretty magic stone like a jewel would end up rolling around inside Esperanza's inventory.
She was a bit deflated when the anticipated test also ended in failure. But she knew from the beginning it wouldn't be easy.
'There's plenty of ti.'
Esperanza smiled while repeating this to herself.
"If you're done with today's work, teach
that card ga again from last ti."
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