## Chapter 346 – 346. The Plum Blossom Swordsman Reincarnated Into The Baek Family
The carriage rumbles along.
Elaine and I faced each other.
Elaine’s eyes were different from before. If she kept looking into my eyes, her cheeks would flush slightly, and she would turn her gaze away. Elaine looked like a girl who had fallen in love late.
We had to act when others were around.
My relationship with her is that of a mother and son. Even though not a single drop of blood connects us.
The moment our relationship becomes known to the outside world, the family’s reputation will plummet. We will also likely be punished. Entheon would either kill us or send us into exile.
‘If I didn’t have Yuria…’
Yuria’s power was stronger than Entheon’s.
If necessary, killing Entheon and forcibly seizing the Count’s title is also an option. All the vassals who resist can be killed.
‘If I use Yuria and modern weapons well, I might be able to succeed in a rebellion…’
That’s just one of the worst options. I want to acquire the Count’s family as completely as possible.
The carriage that was running stopped.
It was lunchtime.
At this time, it was the servants who were busy moving around.
I ordered Yuria and Melissa, who were sitting on either side of me.
“Go and help the servants.”
“Understood.”
They went out of the carriage.
Elaine also ordered the maids sitting on either side of her.
“Check if any of the knights or soldiers are injured, and if the items we brought are in good condition. We will arrive in the royal capital soon, so you must check thoroughly.”
“Yes, Madam.”
The maids left.
Only Elaine and I were left in the carriage. Elaine’s eyes, looking at me, changed to a deep gaze.
I extended my right hand as if asking her to dance. She took my hand and leaned into me.
“Yujin… uhn…”
Elaine and I kissed. My hand slowly went into her dress.
***
We arrived in the royal capital.
The Prucus family, as a great noble family, had a mansion in the royal capital. It was far from the royal palace, but the fact that they had a mansion in the royal capital, even though they were not nobles active in the royal capital, was a great thing.
The mansion in the royal capital was clean without a speck of dust, as if the servants had been constantly managing it. It wasn’t as good as the main family’s mansion, but it was better than most noble mansions.
“Haha. You’ve arrived, Mother. It’s been a while, but you’re still beautiful.”
Gent had arrived at the mansion first.
Certainly, Gent’s acting skills had improved a lot. The old Gent always had an annoyed expression in front of Elaine and tried to avoid talking to her.
“Gent. You’re still the same. Where is he?”
Elaine looked for Entheon with a stern face.
Entheon and Gent wouldn’t know. How that stern and cold face changes on the bed.
“Father hasn’t arrived yet. He will probably arrive in three days.”
“I see… I understand. Gent, you’ve worked hard to come all this way. Go and rest.”
“I arrived yesterday and have already recovered from the journey. I have a banquet appointment with the nobles of the West from now on, so I don’t think I’ll be able to return today. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”
“I understand.”
Elaine passed by Gent. It was obvious where she was headed. It would be the office. Just because she was away from the main family didn’t mean that her work disappeared. No, it actually increased. Currently, most of the nobles were gathering in this royal capital.
There would also be nobles and merchants making strange requests.
“So, you’ve finally come…”
Gent muttered, looking at me. I ignored his hostile gaze and greeted him.
“It’s been a while, brother.”
Since the servants were watching, I used honorifics.
“Yes. It’s been a while, younger brother.”
“You’re going to a banquet with the nobles of the West? Is that alright? The nobles in the South might misunderstand your actions.”
The Prucus family was located at the end of the South. It was too far out to be considered the center of the South, but the Prucus family’s influence was by no means small.
“We are all nobles of the same kingdom, so what misunderstanding could there be? And even if there is a misunderstanding, it has nothing to do with you. You must be tired from coming all this way, so go inside and rest.”
I knew why he was mingling with the nobles of the West. It was because Gent’s fiancée was the daughter of Marquis Heolis, who could be said to be the center of the nobles of the West.
Gent was about to pass me and go outside.
“Gent, brother. Could I also go to the banquet of the nobles of the West with you?”
“……You?”
“Yes. I’m also curious about them.”
“…I’m sorry, but I’m the only one who received an invitation to the banquet. You are my younger brother, but you are also the Baron of Tevra. If I suddenly take you, it would be rude to them.”
“You’re so concerned about etiquette, but why did you come to my mansion last time without any prior notice?”
When I sneered, Gent’s face contorted and he glared at me.
“……That was a mistake. I was too rushed and didn’t have time to contact you.”
With those words, Gent turned sharply and got into the carriage waiting outside the mansion.
“Yuria. I’m going out. Prepare the carriage.”
“Yes, I understand.”
Yuria went to the old butler who was in charge of managing this mansion.
Melissa, who was next to me, smiled strangely and said to me.
“It seems like you’re planning something fun, Master.”
“Melissa, you can come along too.”
“I’d like to, but I’ll stay at the mansion and clean the room where you’ll be staying. I don’t mind meeting commoners, but meeting nobles is something I’m reluctant to do.”
Melissa was originally the eldest daughter of the prestigious Argen Duke family of the Cobalt Kingdom. She was currently on the run from the kingdom. Because of that, she didn’t like meeting people, especially nobles.
“Okay. Keep my bed warm.”
“……You’re an impossible master. If you care about your reputation, shouldn’t you refrain from doing that in the royal capital?”
“It’s okay. It’s okay. I just have to not get caught.”
“You should always be grateful to the head maid. If it weren’t for the head maid, you would have been caught hundreds of times already. You and the Countess were so close to being caught on the way here, but you two are the only ones who don’t know. …Really, if the head maid wasn’t so overly competent…”
“I know. I know, so stop nagging. I’m always grateful to Yuria.”
“It’s not nagging, it’s advice to be careful.”
“I know. I said I know.”
***
I took a carriage and headed to the residence of the nobles of the West.
I couldn’t attend the banquet that Gent was talking about. It was because I hadn’t received an invitation to the banquet. If I forced my way into an uninvited banquet, I would only attract the attention of the nobles and lower my reputation.
The place I went to was Marquis Heolis’s mansion in the royal capital. To be precise, it was a villa. I hadn’t contacted him, but it wasn’t rude. I could just mention the ‘Cozline Trading Company’ that had contacted me before I came.
Marquis Heolis was a key figure in the Cozline Trading Company, so he couldn’t treat me coldly. He would want to profit from the Korea Trading Company that I owned.
After revealing my identity to a servant in front of his mansion and waiting for a while, a middle-aged butler came out and greeted Yuria and me.
“Baron Prucus. Marquis Heolis is waiting for you in the reception room. I will guide you to the reception room. But who is the person next to you…”
“She is my personal maid who attends to me. I would like to go in together, is that alright? She is quite deeply involved with the Korea Trading Company.”
“……If that is the case, it will be fine.”
The butler seemed to have noticed that Yuria was not an ordinary maid. Well, with her extraordinary appearance, who could think she was ordinary?
-Master.
While walking down the hallway, I heard Yuria’s voice in my ear. It was telepathy. It was said that mana was used to carry sound, but I had no talent for it, so I couldn’t do it. Yuria seemed to treat telepathy as a useful trick.
-The security of the mansion is strict. Not only knights but also assassins are stationed throughout the mansion. And that butler. He has the skills of an Upper-Class Aura Expert.
Considering Marquis Heolis’s position, it was natural for him to have guards. However, it was unexpected that he also had assassins.
‘The butler who is guiding us is a skilled knight commander…’
I slightly turned my head and mouthed the words. I couldn’t use telepathy. But Yuria could read lips.
I asked if Yuria could kill everyone in this mansion if she stepped forward.
-Yes. Of course, Master. If you give the order, I will take the lives of everyone in this mansion within 10 minutes and offer them to you.
I shook my head slightly. I just wanted to know the difference in power. There was no reason to annihilate them.
At least not now.
***
“It’s a pleasure to meet you like this, Baron Prucus.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Marquis Heolis. It’s an honor to meet you. I came as soon as I arrived in the royal capital, but I hope it wasn’t rude.”
“Rude? What are you talking about? We welcome you here. I wanted to have a conversation with you. And aren’t your family and our family going to be in-laws in the future?”
“I feel relieved that you welcome me.”
“Please, take a seat. The story might be long. But who is the maid next to you?”
“She is my personal maid. She is also my hands and feet. Thanks to her, the Korea Trading Company has been able to develop more smoothly. She knows the details of the Korea Trading Company better than I do.”
“…I see. She is a very beautiful young lady, and she is also intelligent. The Baron has good people. But…”
Marquis Heolis narrowed his eyes and looked at Yuria.
“Is there a problem?”
“…No. It’s nothing. I just remembered a certain family for a moment. But even so, she wouldn’t be related to that family.”
The family he was thinking of was most likely the Helbrit Duke family. Yuria’s silver-blue hair and blue eyes were characteristic of the Helbrit Duke family. However, the Helbrit Duke family was pathologically clean, so he thought that Yuria was not related to them.
“You came to me because of the Korea Trading Company’s membership in the guild, right? Is the Korea Trading Company planning to join the guild?”
“Yes. Among the trading companies in the Rapelli Kingdom, which trading company wouldn’t want to join the Cozline Trading Company? Joining the Cozline Trading Company is an honor.”
“I certainly welcome the Korea Trading Company. However, I don’t know what other people think. As you know, our guild is not only connected to trading companies but also to the Magic Tower. There are quite a few people who view the Korea Trading Company with suspicion.”
“…Are you suspecting the Korea Trading Company?”
“Well, yes. The items that the Korea Trading Company produces are too unconventional. Most of the items sold by the Korea Trading Company are said to have been invented by you, but is that possible in a common sense way? The Cozline Trading Company thinks that there are other countries and magic towers behind the Korea Trading Company.”
“It’s unfair, but I understand.”
“Hmm?”
He seemed surprised that I accepted it so calmly. Young people my age tend to panic or get angry when they are suspected.
But I was calm. The points he was making were also things that Yuria had taught me before, so I was prepared.
‘Yuria said that the Cozline Trading Company would find fault with the Korea Trading Company, point it out, and try to lower its value in order to accept it. The reason is to exert influence over the Korea Trading Company. Their ultimate goal is to find out the secrets of the Korea Trading Company.’
There was no need to be dragged around by their intentions.
“Even I find it hard to believe that a genius like me exists in this world, so how would other people see it? I understand.”
“……Ah, is that so.”
Marquis Heolis answered awkwardly.
“Marquis. I have a business I would like to do with the Hollis Trading Company that you operate.”
“Oh ho. A business proposed by a genius… That’s interesting. What kind of business is it?”
“It’s a war material business. You can make a lot of money. I guarantee it. Originally, it was a business I was going to do alone, but… the Heolis Marquis family and the Prucus Count family are about to become one family.”
“Haha… You’re mistaken about something. Most of the trading company owners are already preparing for war. That’s the same for me. Who doesn’t know that it’s about time for a war to break out?”
“I see. Then the story will be quick. Marquis. I have some interesting information. Would you like to hear it?”
