I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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48 Chapter

Dressed in my outerwear, I found Taylor standing at the door. He was holding a document envelope. As soon as I saw it, I guessed what it contained and turned back to Aida with a smile. It was the document I intended to give her.

“……You’re making me the head of the business?”

After reading through the document, Aida laid it down with a bewildered expression. I took a sip of tea and nodded.

“Yes. I’ve already informed Lady Catherine. I told Father that you’ll be the head of the harness and body chain business. From tomorrow, Taylor will handle your business training.”

“Uh, sister.”

“Don’t feel burdened just because you’re the head. Everyone will help you, and until you get accustomed to the business, Taylor will manage the overall operations. According to Father, even if you tank the business, it won’t affect the vault, so just relax.”

“Wait, wait!”

Seemingly confused, Aida suddenly stood up. Her round, sky-blue eyes read the document again in confusion.

The content of the document was that Aida Crisis was becoming the head of the harness and body chain business.

“Why me? Isn’t this something you were going to do?”

“As you know, I’m not really cut out for sitting at a desk and handling paperwork. What I’m good at is wielding a sword.”

I continued calmly, soothing the bewildered Aida.

What I excel at, then and now, is physical activity—like swinging a sword and catching monsters.

I could handle theoretical stuff too, but when there’s a genius next to me in that field, I didn’t feel the necessity to do it myself.

‘……What is this?’

‘Yep, “The Economic Growth of Historical Empires and its Impact on the Continent”! I borrowed it from the library!’

‘You’ve been reading this……?’

‘No! I already finished that! Now I’m reading “The Causes and Discussions of Business Rise and Fall”!’

‘Do you understand it?’

‘Uh-huh. There were some unfamiliar words so it was a bit difficult, but I understand it roughly. I’ve memorized everything about the book.’

Aida was undoubtedly a genius of the century. It was my eternal regret that I couldn’t provide education matching that brilliant mind because we were poor.

“I had you in mind when planning this business from the start.”

I met Aida’s hesitant gaze directly.

“I’m sorry for proceeding without asking for your opinion. I wanted to assign it to you so I rushed the process a bit.”

“No, that’s fine, but……”

Aida bit her lips slowly as she wrote on the document. Despite looking confused, what shimmered in her blue eyes was unmistakable ambition.

“Can I really do this……?”

It was amusing that her lips were expressing uncertainty while her eyes burned with ambition. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘Aida will never just end up as a noble young lady.’

I knew Aida well. She was a girl filled with a desire to learn and a thirst for new discoveries. I wished for her to unfold her dreams.

“I won’t force you if you don’t want to. I don’t want you to do something you dislike.”

I looked at Aida with trusting eyes.

“But I believe you will do well. Not even a shred of doubt.”

Aida had been interested in economics and business since childhood, and she possessed calculation speed and rational judgment that refused to be compared to the average person. Coupled with her social skills, I was sure she was a born entrepreneur.

‘Why did the original story bury Aida’s talents?’

In the original story, Aida’s highlighted strengths were her fairy-like beauty, her inherently good nature, and her natural healing abilities due to her fairy lineage.

‘She was a typical female protagonist.’

In the original, Aida’s fairy-like qualities were emphasized to make her an angelic heroine. Thus, all her potential as a human Aida was buried.

‘If you want to live like an angelic heroine by your own choice, I can’t stop you, but that’s not what I’ve seen so far.’

“If you can’t trust yourself, then trust Aida Crisis, whom your sister believes in. I have a good eye for people.”

I added with a teasing tone and looked at Aida with gentle eyes.

“Of course, the choice is entirely yours.”

I wouldn’t force her. What I wanted was Aida’s happiness. The choice had to belong solely to Aida.

With an indeterminate gaze shimmering with emotion, Aida steadied her resolve and lifted the document.

“I’ll do it.”

Her sky-blue eyes, now completely washed of anxiety, glistened with confidence.

“I can do this.”

That was definitely my sister.

“This morning, you two have been summoned to the palace.”

On a winter day with spring just around the corner, Caesar handed us an invitation to the imperial palace. I placed my cup down, staring blankly at the invitation.

“What’s going on?”

“The Emperor wants to see you both. I tried to delay the palace visit as long as I could since you weren’t ready… but I’m sorry, it seems the Emperor couldn’t contain his damn curiosity any longer.”

Caesar clicked his tongue, a weary look on his face. Aida and I were now used to looking at Caesar, who casually spoke of royal affronts. He buried his face in his hands.

“You two must not appear interesting in front of the Emperor.”

“……Huh?”

“No, both of you being too interesting and attracting attention can’t be helped. Damn it…… Just avoid any conspicuous behavior.”

Aida, who didn’t know the Emperor, looked puzzled by Caesar’s warning, but I could only force a smile, knowing the original story.

The current Emperor was Helios I, the father of the male lead Diego. He was a wise ruler with excellent political sense, overwhelming charisma that captivated the public in an instant, and a hearty personality, but he had one flaw.

‘A severe case of curiosity, indeed.’ He was a maniac of curiosity on par with the original character Cal.

I let out a deep sigh inwardly. In the original, when the Emperor met Aida, he once offered her the position of crown princess simply because he found her interesting, so he was quite the troublesome person.

‘Getting entangled with him will be a headache, but it’s someone I have to get involved with for my future plans.’

I suppressed the rising headache. No matter how crazy the Emperor acted, I had to make a good impression.

“Aida, Shushu, get ready. We’ll enter the palace quickly this afternoon and come right back.”

With a serious expression, Caesar proclaimed our entrance to the palace as if preparing for battle.

“While I don’t particularly like your family, I’m so happy that my sister can wear such clothes.”

Aida muttered in a daze.

I scratched my head awkwardly. The black suit with intricate baroque patterns embroidered with silver thread and the two-strapped harness fitted me perfectly.

‘If she likes it this much, I guess I should have worn it more often.’

Recalling the days when I merely wore a black shirt with a black cloak thrown over it, I smiled sheepishly. I had stubbornly insisted on wearing dark and gloomy clothes, even being called the child of darkness by someone in the past.

‘For me, as long as it’s comfortable, it’s enough… but it’s good that Aida can wear such clothes.’

I looked proudly at Aida, dressed in a bright light green dress.

“My second daughter is quite something to express her distaste for a noble family right in front of the lord.”

“Oh my. Duke, were you there? I completely forgot you were there because I was watching my sister.”

Caesar, sitting next to me, burst into laughter, and Aida smiled innocently from across the table. I grinned, watching the two bicker.

‘Thinking about our first meeting…… they’ve come a long way.’

Remembering Aida who had nearly choked Caesar, I felt a shiver run down my back. Caesar seemed to see Aida as an innocent puppy unaware of danger, while Aida regarded Caesar as an annoying tall guy. However, after months of living together, it seemed they had formed a bond of mutual affection.

“Ah, the imperial palace.”

I pointed out the window. True to its name, the Sun Empire’s palace was splendidly adorned in shining gold. Thanks to riding in a carriage engraved with the Crisis family insignia, we entered the palace without any inspections.

Following our guide, we made our way to the audience chamber while admiring the magnificently decorated palace. The ambiance of the palace was notably different from the clean and tidy atmosphere of the Crisis Mansion, leaning heavily towards grandeur.

“The Emperor and Crown Prince are waiting for you.”

An old servant who led us to the big door said with a bow. I turned back to Caesar in surprise.

“The Crown Prince is also present?”

“Yes.”

‘Damn……’

I bit my lip. It was a bit uncomfortable since it hadn’t been long since I rejected the Crown Prince’s invitation for a dance, and Diego was someone who had seen me as Mir.

Aida glared at me with wide eyes, noticing my amenity.

“Could it be that the Crown Prince made you uncomfortable? Last time, he asked you for a dance…”

“Oh, that’s not……”

“The Crown Prince invited Shushu for a dance?”

Caesar’s eyes bulged in disbelief.

He must have been so busy during the debutante ball under the Emperor’s decree that he missed Diego asking me for a dance. When asked how the debutante ball was, I’d just mumbled that it was fine.

Caesar, who had no interest in social circles, was clearly unaware of what had happened during the debutante ball.

Sweating profusely, I avoided Caesar’s fiery gaze.

“He did ask for one, but……”

“Clearly, the Crown Prince was looking at you in an unusual way. He must have fallen for you!”

“……I knew that sneaky little fox would cause trouble someday. Should I not let Shushu out carelessly then…… Is that why you danced with the Crown Prince?”

“No. I danced with a priest in the priestly clothing. That man might need some background checks……”

“Both of you stop.”

I hastily intervened as they whispered things that might be heard by someone else in front of the astonished old servant. Despite worrying about their banter, the two seemed to fit together remarkably well.

“Please open the door.”

If things continued like this, Aida might end up confessing all that had transpired at the debutante ball to Caesar. I ordered the old servant, who looked lost and unsure, to open the door, and he sent me a grateful look as he did.

“The Duke of Crisis and the young ladies have arrived.”

The golden reception room dazzled us. As I momentarily admired the interior, my gaze fixed on a dignified man who somehow never faded among the lavish decorations.

Sitting nonchalantly on a grand chair was an imposing figure. Though he was said to be in his fifties, he could easily pass for someone in their late twenties. His golden hair flowed down past his waist, and his eyes sparkled with a lazy fierceness of a beast.

It was Helios I, the Emperor of the Solar Empire, where the sun never sets.

‘I can’t believe he’s the one who winked at me during the debutante ball.’

Feeling as if the sun itself was shining in front of me, I couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. Even Diego, who closely resembled him, could hardly compete with the regal aura that befits a ruler.

Avoiding Diego’s intensely scrutinizing gaze, I glanced at the Emperor, who had turned his head from gazing out the window to face me.

Our eyes met. For quite a while, a silent exchange occurred between me and Helios. His sharp gaze examined me closely. I felt uneasy under the oppressive sensation weighing down my shoulders but didn’t look away. In my experience, it was crucial not to bow down before such unpredictable people.

How much did he dig into me? Slowly, Helios removed his piercing gaze and raised the corners of his mouth into the kind of smile that lights up vast nations. It was an artwork-like expression. Just when I was lost in observing that smile.

“Oh.”

As the Emperor’s lips opened for a forthcoming reply, I suddenly realized.

“You are the Young Lady of Kashmir Crisis, whom my son so boldly pursued?”

The Emperor’s dignity only lasted until he opened his mouth.

Helios was firmly a madman.