CH 44

“Come in.”

At Estin’s permission the door of the office opened carefully. It was Hestia Taylor who opened the door and came in. Lucas, who was forced to listen to Hestia’s construction and complaints, such as “Busy with morning training,” “Busy casting new magic on the sword,” and “When is Cheroke coming back?” looked quite confused when Hestia appeared in the office.

“Aren’t you busy?”

“You’re in a meeting with Lucas. What’s going on?”

“Excuse me, but……?”

“The First Prince will visit the territory soon.”

“What?”

It was something Hestia should also be aware of, so Lucas gently brought it up to Hestia. Hestia’s face tinged with astonishment when she heard the story. Hestia Taylor, one of the loyalists of Grand Duke Conler, hated the imperial family terribly.

In fact, it was understandable. How Hestia Taylor suffered because of the ridiculous Imperial edict directed at Conler. Hestia is always a confident person, but when the work was heavy, she secretly comes to Lucas without Estin knowing and whispers curses for the imperial family.

Even now, Cheroke Froy, the commander of the 1st Knights Templar, has gone on an expedition to another area due to the subjugation of the Demonic Beast, so Hestia is currently in charge of the Knights Templar. She could not blame her superiors for not refusing and receiving all the work, so she had to curse the imperial family.

Hestia chewed her teeth and asked.

“Why on earth would he come?”

“His friend is here, so he’s coming to play.”

“Are those two close?”

“I don’t know… but he’s coming.”

“I guess he wants to die.”

“Oh, Hestia. You shouldn’t say that.”

Lucas stopped Hestia with a load of adult air. Hestia stops Lucas, who has a rather active personality, but if she loses her reason, it was Lucas’s job to stop Hestia.

Hestia’s eyes, which had been lost in thought for a while, burned again.

“Wait a minute… Did he use that as an excuse to see Miss Mary?”

“Probably.”

Hestia’s expression, which was smiling in vain, gradually filled with anger. Estin and Lucas looked at Hestia’s facial expressions and thought at the same time, “There she goes.” Of course, it was unpleasant, but it was something that will eventually happen. I’ve already made up my mind.

Lucas put his hand on Hestia’s shoulder to soothe Hestia.

“Hestia, she has to go through it at least once…….”

“They must have heard about Miss Mary.”

“Isn’t she the biggest issue in the capital?”

Lucas shrugged and replied, as if he already knew that. The child who disappeared without a trace as soon as she was born in the grand duchy, returned after nine years, so it was now the biggest gossip. There were also rumors about Mary’s birthday party, invitations are already being bought and sold.

Hestia’s expression looking at Lucas turned into a sense of betrayal this time. He knew Hestia cared a lot about Mary, but this much? Lucas felt like he was losing for no reason. He loves Mary so much, too!

“You know that!”

“Hestia, calm down…….”

“The First Prince is going to propose to Miss Mary, and you’re just letting him come?”

“What?”

“What?”

At Hestia’s words, not only Lucas but also Estin, who was still listening to their conversation, responded with a shocked voice. Hestia said in an angry voice, listening to the two surroundings.

“Since Miss Mary is so cute and adorable, of course there will be a rumor going around in the capital. So the First Prince is coming to ask Miss Mary for an engagement!”

Lucas’ expression, listening to Hestia, also became serious. What if the First Prince is really coming to ask Mary for an engagement? It would be difficult for Conler to refuse an order from the imperial family.

It was then.

Crunch~.

The window glass behind Estin cracked and began to break. Lucas was stunned when he saw it.

“Your excellency….”

“Propose….”

Estin’s voice seemed frosty. Lucas thought his vocal cords were from Nicor. He was also appalled by Hestia’s comments, but he had to soothe the two who were excited in a different way.

“Oh, I don’t think so!”

“Really?”

“Timing is tied to the Padula reclamation project. The fact that the guild of Conler is currently trading with the Kingdom of Lacom is also spreading. So this visit of the First prince… I can’t say that it doesn’t have to do with Miss Mary at all, but I think the reclamation project is probably the target. Don’t you think so?”

Lucas, the first to come to his senses among the three, persuaded Estin and Hestia. Hearing the plausible logic made the cracking of the window stop as if nothing happened. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it.

“Really?”

“Miss Mary is still nine years old. It’s still too early.”

Still, Lucas replied in a confident voice to Hestia, who looked at him in anxiety.

“And there’s no way they’ll give the First Prince to Conler.”

Estin still murmured in a cold voice.

Come to think of it. The emperor was always anxious to keep Grand Duke Conler in check. What if Mary Conler becomes the fiance of the first prince who is most likely to become the crown prince? If Mary Conler becomes empress like that, Conler will not be easily available for the imperial family.

No, does anyone who knows that would get so angry?

Lucas was on the verge of laughing. The thought of telling Alberto to prepare a new glass for the window in the office gave him a headache.

“I can’t give Mary to the imperial family.”

“It’s still too early.”

“It’s not just the Imperial family.”

“Your excellency.”

“……I can’t give her to anyone easily.”

Estin’s voice was colder than anything else, and his eyes were blazing. Are you going to refuse the Imperial Family order for the first time? Hestia, by the way, didn’t expect Estin to be so engulfed in anger. Oh, Lucas, of course, does not intend to let Miss Kitty of Conler fall into any family.

‘It’s too early, you people.’

“By the way, I know Hestia is busy…… But why did you come here?”

“Oh, right.”

Lucas spoke to Hestia to change the subject. Only then did Hestia tap her right palm with her left fist as if she remembered the purpose of entering the room.

Miss Mary made a lot of people go crazy.

“If the First Crown Prince visits, Bonita will be quite busy, right?”

“Right.”

“Then Bonita won’t have enough time to take care of Mary.”

“……Yes.”

“It’s time to find Miss Mary’s exclusive maid.”

“Hestia, did you overhear us?”

Estin frowned and asked Hestia, who told the story he had shared with Lucas. Hestia stood upright and said to such Estin.

“I’d like to recommend a maid, sir.”

“Do you have anyone in mind?”

“Which family is the lady?”

Lucas asked with a sharp look. She’s going to be Mary’s confidant, he can’t put just anyone. It’s not that he didn’t trust Hestia, but he still had to carefully examine her.

“It’s Carol Delat.”

“Delat?”

It was the first time he ever heard of such a family name. Lucas was aware of all the nobles in the empire. He knows not only the vassals’ family but also the other nobles but he has never heard of Delat family.

Is it a noble from Larvian Empire?

“Excuse me, I’ve never heard of this family. Is it a member of the Larvian Empire?”

“No, she’s not.”

“Then where…….”

“I believe she’s from Giefroy.”

“Then it’s not a lady from a noble family.”

“Probably so.”

“In Giefroy…which.”

“I heard she’s from Tana district.”

Lucas touched his throbbing head at Hestia’s brazen reply. To bring a maid from Tana district to the Grand duchy. 

The employees of the Grand Duchy of Conler are all professionally trained and select elites. In particular, Grand Duke Estin sharply selected the talents he wanted when he ascended to the throne as a family head. In addition, because of Mary’s kidnapping incident only ⅓ of the original employees remained to avoid spies from going in. 

No matter how much Lucas grew up with Estin, he knows that even if he was a little behind, Grand Duke Estin would not have kept Lucas around. Hestia was clearly aware of the fact.

But, what? Tana district?

The Tana district was a pretty troubling place for Lucas, too. Even when he tried to rescue it, the number of people was growing like a pile of snow. The number of crimes also increased as people flock. Lucas looked at Estin with a dry face, but Estin was just watching Hestia with his chin on the back of his hand.

“……how did you find her?”

“It was also recommended.”

“By whom?”

Hestia replied with a smile at Lucas’s mysterious voice.

“By Miss Mary Conler.”