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“Thank you for the suggestion, but let me think about it. The schedule that I have with the princess right now is just too demanding.”
“All right. I’ll go back for today. Please think about it a little more and contact me at Bellstein.”
Upon hearing Zerda’s answer, Luciel smiled while satisfied with the situation.
‘Usually, they would have readily accepted it while being greedy for the jewel.’
If he done so, she would have been disappointed with him and would have changed her mind about the contract.
The reason Luciel decided to believe in Zerda was because she remembered an article she had read in the imperial newspaper in the past.
[Mr. xx. The Street puppeteer
He went bankrupt after hundreds of millions of tillings in debt while producing the finest magic dolls for children.
Proceeds from the store were also donated to an orphanage.
“Because of the high quality of the toys, the more I made, the more I used expensive magic stones and the more I lost money, but seeing the happy children, I couldn’t give up.]
Anyone greedy for money or jewelry, would not have made magic toys for children until they went bankrupt.
Above all else, a new plan came to her mind.
She doesn’t know how the Marquise did it, but that fake face really surprised Luciel.
Then she couldn’t stand still either.
‘I’ll have to make a clone of myself too.’
To make that dream-like plan come true, it required the skills of the dwarf Rupdell and the talent for creating magic dolls from Zerda.
Wouldn’t it be possible if the two worked together?
It is said that magic can create an alter ego, but I heard that it doesn’t last long.
I needed a doll that was alive enough that everyone would be fooled into thinking that it was me, not just a momentary cheating tool.
‘The fake Luciel will do a lot for me.’
It could be used as a perfect bait for those who were after her.
Luciel gave up such thoughts and got back into the carriage with Claudia. The Black Wing Knights also joined the escort procession, so Kizef got on the Duke’s black horse they had brought and said.
“I’ll escort you from outside, Luciel. You can talk with the Princess inside.”
“Well, thank you.”
It seemed to be his consideration to let her talk comfortably with Claudia.
Kizef, riding on his horse, looked so mature that he did not look his age.
‘Just like a knight!’
As Luciel looked through the window of the carriage, Kizef asked.
“……Luciel, what’s the matter?”
“Just. I looked because it was cool.”
Luciel said, softly curving her eyes. As Luciel smiled and even praised him, it seemed that Kizef was going to lose his mind.
“……Well, if you say that in a place like this.”
The escort knights smiled lightly, saying they were cute.
Kizef’s face seemed to burn to the brink of fire if she kept looking at him, so Luciel waved at him and looked at Claudia, who was sitting next to her.
She was peering through her schedule and seeing the paper filled to the brim, she looked very busy. Even though it would be taken care of by a dedicated maid, she was eager to check it out.
“Princess, you look very busy.”
“Yes, I am taking more classes and my interests are expanding as a result. But compared to the Princess, I’m not too busy, am I? Oh, by the way, Luciel’s article will be briefly published in the Imperial News.”
It was only natural that public interest in Luciel had increased. However, since the Duke of Bellstein had declared war on those who made useless articles or rumors, no one wrote articles carelessly.
“I want the glass crafts to get more attention than me.”
“Do not worry. It seems that Mother was very fond of the glass art. I think she will be making additional requests to the workshop soon. Maybe she’ll call the workshop later for that.”
At those words, Luciel’s face brightened.
“Really? Mr. Max will be delighted. He worked really hard.”
“Where did you find such a talented person?”
“Somehow it happened like that.”
Luciel’s heart beat fast. It seemed that she was very happy with the results, so Luciel asked about Claudia’s as well.
“I’m glad that the Princess’s work seems to be going well.”
“It’s all thanks to Luciel. A lot of things have changed. The thing that has changed the most is me.”
As Claudia spoke with a bright smile, Luciel wanted to examine carefully her words.
“How have you changed?”
“I thought my impact on this country would be very small. Because I’m going to get married soon and leave this country. But that wasn’t it. I gained hope that I could achieve something if I worked hard. Even if I am a woman, even if I am not given the opportunity, I will try to make it.”
Having said that, Claudia seemed to have realized a lot. At the Princess’s words, Luciel nodded her head deeply, she promised her she would be a strong support.
“Behind you will be Bellstein. I will also help the Princess. Because I believe you will take that opportunity into your hands.”
Luciel knew for sure that Claudia had a strong will to create a new world.
“To do that……You will have to fight.”
Claudia also noticed that Luciel was talking about Prince Reynold.
“I know. Reynold is slacking off, thinking that the position is definitely his.”
“……What makes you say that?”
“He has been hunting all day in place of taking proper lessons.”
“Does His Majesty knows that?”
“Perhaps. My father is too generous with Reynold. Even when he went to study abroad in Maynard, there were rumors that he was just playing around…….To be honest, I’m more worried for the throne than I’m greedy for it.”
“It’s a good thing. Because the more you do, the more he will be compared to the Princess’s hard work.”
Pondering about those facts, Luciel said.
“The Empress said that she was aware of that fact.”
“Yes. She ordered new teachers to be hired for Reynold.”
“Ask your teachers for an examination. The evaluation will be reported to His Majesty. With that the Emperor would naturally be curious about the Prince’s skills, wouldn’t he?”
“Well, that’s good, because I’m confident in the test. But what to do after revealing that Reynolds lacks qualities?”
“Well……In the end, it would be better to send him to the academy of the temple, which is blocked from outside contact, or the Polyche academy.”
In this way, the status of a student takes priority over the status of a Prince. In particular, I heard that the Academy of the Temple was a completely closed educational institution, so it was a place with even less freedom than the Academy.
However, even though I don’t know about Polyche Academy standards, there’s a need for a big problem to be found in order to send him to the Academy of the temple.
“……What a great idea! But as long as he doesn’t cause any major problems, it’ll probably be impossible to send him to the temple’s academy.”
“I suppose so. Let’s think about it together.”
As Claudia held Luciel’s outstretched hand, it seemed as if she was fully aware of the intricacies of the small child.
To be honest, the Temple’s academy was nothing more but a place where problem children with lacking personalities or condemned members of the imperial family who made an accident were imprisoned to repent of their sins.
‘If he goes in there, he will be branded as a troublemaker, so gossip will say that he’s moving away from the Emperor’s grace.’
“Lu-Luciel. We’re on the same side to the end of our graves, right? Let’s stay close.”
“What? Of course.”
Luciel smiled brightly.
‘Bellstein is Bellstein, but I must never be enemies with Luciel…….’
It was Claudia, who was determined to do so.
***
Zerda swept away the unfinished toy materials with his hands. He soon settled himself in a seat at the corner of the table, and as he munched a sandwich in his mouth, he recalled the suggestion of Princess Bellstein, who had visited in the afternoon.
‘Do you want to work with me? I need Zerda’s talent to make magic dolls. If you have the magic jewel I gave you, the Princess’s request will be completed in no time.’
The eyes of the 10-year-old girl who returned home after speaking confidently contained a charisma that overwhelms that of adults.
Zerda instinctively felt it.
‘She must be no ordinary child.’
He runs a toy store and sees many children, so even if it’s the first time he’s meeting them, he can clearly see their hearts by looking at their eyes.
Usually, the curiosity of the children who visit his shop was focused on the magic toys, not on him, the toymaker. But this child seemed to be interested in him. To be precise, she seemed interested in his talent for making dolls.
But he had no idea what she was thinking. The little girl seemed to have more complicated thoughts than an adult.
He looked closely at his hands, and he went to see some of the dolls being made.
It’s like…….
‘It feels like she was looking at employees or partners to work with.’
Come to think of it, I heard that it was the young Princess who proposed to Princess Claudia a project to train therapists for treating depression using the ‘Worried Teddy Bear’.
He was not close with rumors from society, but he knew that the children of the Bellstein family were geniuses. But rather than being a genius, it felt like she was on top of his head.
Zerda, who had just finished a sandwich, looked into the workshop’s warehouse. There were a few extra magic stones left, but he only took out two.
One is kept in the magic fireplace of the toy shop, and the other in the workshop for crafting. Mana must be delivered to the toys through the fireplace so that they can have a longer life.
“I don’t have a lot of Magic Stones, but I can’t spare them.”
Although he was selling expensive toys, he didn’t have much money in his hands.
The materials needed to make the dolls were always of the highest quality, and the price of one magic stone was so huge that it was equivalent to the store’s income for ten days.
As he was leaving the store to purchase magic crystals, a boy hurriedly threw a newspaper and went away.
“Hey. I don’t read newspapers…….”
As he dropped his gaze to the papers, the biggest article by far caught his eye.
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[The beauty of Ivnak glass craft presented by the young Princess of the Duchy of Bellstein. Stained Glass!”]
“I think I met a very special child…….”
Zerda’s eyebrows twitched.