Chapter 43

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 43

Chapter Title: A Million Castel Debt

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The document I'd handed to Yulken was simple enough.

It was nothing more than a list of names.

But as Arpad's close confidant and a highly capable intelligence officer, I figured Yulken would grasp the significance of those names.

'And my prediction hit the mark spectacularly.'

The moment Yulken saw the document, he realized every name on it belonged to spies planted in the Crown Prince's palace by the Empress.

Some of them were probably ones he'd already identified and was using to his advantage.

Others might be ones he suspected.

'But there have to be some he hasn't figured out at all yet.'

And the ones I'd flagged as possible spies were likely the Empress's most carefully placed agents.

The real heavy hitters, in other words.

Of course, the source of my intel was my memories from before my regression, so its reliability was 100%.

From Yulken's perspective, it was as if I'd suddenly brought him a whole field of pumpkins on a vine.

This was a man who preached merit above all else and wouldn't stop with the biting sarcasm until his own head was on the chopping block.

The way to win over his type was straightforward.

'Just show them your ability.'

And with this one document, I'd proven mine.

Just as I'd expected, Yulken's face lit up the instant he saw it.

"Of course, Crown Princess!"

He stared at the document like a fox eyeing a bunch of ripe grapes, practically drooling.

I could hear him muttering to himself under his breath.

"If this list is right, the connection between that guy and this one finally makes sense. Through this maid here, those bastards... That makes feeding them false intel several times easier..."

Yulken was so thrilled he'd lost his soul to the document entirely.

He'd eagerly started calling me "Crown Princess," but he wasn't paying the slightest attention to me now.

To draw his focus back, I snapped my fingers.

Snap!

Finally, Yulken snapped out of it and looked my way.

"...What is it, Crown Princess?"

I was holding out my right hand toward him, palm up.

For some reason, he was looking at me with the exact same dazed expression he'd had while poring over the document.

His cheeks were even flushed.

He almost looked like he was expecting something. Nah, had to be my imagination.

'Yulken's not that kind of character.'

I flashed a bright smile and smacked my lips.

Yulken's glassy gaze drifted to my lips.

But the second he processed what I was saying, he jolted like I'd dumped a bucket of ice water on him.

"Re... ward."

"Re... ward? Wait a second!"

I drove the nail in.

"Hand it over. One million castel."

"...!"

Yulken's entranced expression twisted into one of horror.

He clutched the document to his chest like a treasure and began trembling violently.

"You don't mean... you really intend to take a million castel from me?"

I tilted my head. His tone had shifted to something far more casual, but neither of us acknowledged it.

"If I'd lost, you would've taken a million castel from me, right?"

"Well, of course I would have!"

"So now I'm taking mine."

Yulken collapsed pitifully to the side. Or at least, pretended to.

"Th-that's my entire monthly salary!"

To the man on the verge of tears, I extended a hand of salvation.

"Don't worry, Felix Yulken. I'm not that cruel."

Hope bloomed on Yulken's face.

"As expected of the Crown Princess!"

I spoke with utmost mercy.

"Three-month installments."

"...Pardon?"

"Very mercifully, no interest. What do you take me for, a loan shark?"

Yulken hung his head.

"You're squeezing the liver out of a flea."

This world had proverbs similar to those back home in Korea.

Probably because the original story was a K-romance novel.

At any rate, I corrected him.

"Not a flea's liver. A goby's."

Yulken sank completely.

That day, Arpad had a thoroughly unpleasant experience.

Ever since Hilia entered the palace, Yulken had stubbornly refused to use the honorific "Crown Princess."

Even when Arpad pointed it out, the best he'd managed was "Mistress of the Ivory Bedroom."

But after just one summons to Hilia, it was like he'd become a different person.

"I think I've completely fallen for the Crown Princess, Your Highness."

Arpad was uncharacteristically flustered.

And what came next was beyond infuriating.

"I'm not sure I heard that right. It sounded like something you'd never say."

Yulken let out a long sigh.

"Shall I summon the palace physician? It'd be a disaster if there was something wrong with Your Highness's hearing."

"Your mouth's still as lively as ever, so you must be the Felix Yulken I know."

"Your Highness's most capable retainer and utmost loyal servant, Felix Yulken, at your service."

"Both wrong, but you're definitely the Yulken who'd float around blabbing nonstop if I tossed you in the water."

Arpad picked up his silver paper knife and neatly trimmed the edge of a document.

"Anyway, what wind blew this change in? 'Crown Princess'? I nagged you endlessly, and you still refused."

Surprisingly, Yulken's eyes began to sparkle.

It was a rare and bizarre sight, enough to throw even Arpad off his composure.

"She more than deserves the title 'Crown Princess'! My eyes must've been pea-sized not to see it before!"

Arpad's expression twisted grotesquely.

'One meeting, and he's already a follower? Yulken, of all people?'

It was absurd.

'Did she use some kind of brainwashing magic?'

Honestly, he'd been half-suspecting something like that.

But with Yulken added to the mix, the suspicion was turning serious.

At that moment, Yulken began explaining exactly what had happened.

"...And that's how it went!"

"So Hilia had even identified spies you hadn't caught?"

"Yes! Isn't it incredible? What an extraordinary talent. Truly befitting the Crown Princess—no, someone worthy of the Empress's seat!"

Arpad immediately understood why Yulken had fallen head over heels.

No one was more obsessed with raw ability than Yulken.

Showing him a skill that left him in awe was more than enough to win him over.

Frankly, even Arpad was impressed.

"She didn't say how she knew this time either, I assume."

"Well... yeah, but come on?"

Her talent was so extraordinary it sparked thoughts like this.

"The only way to know this kind of intel is if you're one of the Empress's inner circle, right?"

Truth be told, he'd harbored that suspicion from the very start.

It was also why Yulken had kept such a close watch on her.

But now the wary one was shaking his head vigorously.

"Nah, that doesn't add up. You know this—if the Crown Princess were really the Empress's plant, marrying Ludwig would be way more beneficial."

He had a point. Planting a spy right next to Arpad was valuable, sure.

But it paled in comparison to bolstering Ludwig's legitimacy and elevating him as a contender for the throne, which was the Empress's push.

'Plus, she boldly claimed she could suppress my mania.'

And she'd proven it true through divine oracle.

If such a method existed, the Empress would never send Hilia to Arpad's side.

She'd have killed her first.

No matter how he turned it over, the conclusion was the same.

'She really is... an incomprehensible woman.'

But she'd brought him exactly what he wanted and what benefited him.

And she always smiled with utter confidence.

'Even now, are you going to say you don't need me?'

As if saying as much.

Arpad furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin.

A habit when deep in thought.

Beside him, oblivious Yulken kept chattering away.

Well, not oblivious exactly. Willfully ignoring the mood was Yulken's specialty.

"Ahh. The best thing Your Highness did this year was abducting the Crown Princess."

"Your opinions flip faster than a pancake. Didn't you ask if I'd lost my mind?"

"That was then. This is now. It made sense back then, and this makes sense now."

Vintage Yulken.

"Just imagine it: the Crown Princess at Ludwig's side! Doesn't it give you chills?"

"......"

He couldn't deny it.

Not even Arpad.

Deep down, he was relieved he'd done the right thing.

But he didn't want to agree with this flip-flopping fool.

As Arpad maintained his silence, Yulken dropped a bombshell.

"And I think the Crown Princess really likes me!"

"...What?"

Arpad doubted his hearing even more than before.

"Even though it was our first meeting, she looked at me with such warm eyes! She prepared an incredibly lavish spread and poured my tea herself. Even when I was rude, she didn't get mad...!"

Creak—Arpad's neck twisted like a rusty wheel.

"Say that again."

"Her gaze was so intense, I worried she'd fallen for me at first sight!"

"......"

Yulken had no idea what landmine he'd just stepped on.