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Chapter 29

“What?”

I didn’t understand his low murmur.

What are you trying to say all of sudden?

I waited for Joseph to clarify what he wanted to say earlier, but since he remained silent, I decided to talk first.

“Do you have anything to discuss about the artificial soil?”

Umberto and his daughter were planning to grow high-quality wheat that could only be cultivated in the south, but did it get into his ears first?

“What?”

“You just said wheat.”

(T/N : Milhwe = secret affair and Mil: wheat. They sounded similar so she misunderstood.)

“Oh.”

I raised my head and saw his wide-open eyes. Soon, he nodded briefly.

“..Yes. That’s right.”

‘I was going to tell you if it succeeded, but I guess I can’t help it.’

We almost succeeded anyway, so wouldn’t it be okay for him to know?

Ahem. I cleared my throat and began to explain my plan.

“..First of all, cultivating seed is the most important thing. But since the cultivation was successful, I don’t think there will be any major problems in the future.”

After a long explanation, I had to pause and raise my gaze to check Joseph’s reaction.

Why do you look so out of it?

“Your Highness?”

“....”

“Joseph.”

I waved my hands in front of his face, pulling back Joseph’s soul that had escaped. But he suddenly grabbed my shoulders.

“Wife.”

His eyes suddenly lit up and burned into mine.

What do you want to say?

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I’ll go to Notte with you.”

I knitted my eyebrows listening to Joseph’s serious tone.

“I’ve thought a lot about it, but I don’t think I can just send you and him alone.”

I was surprised that Joseph was just as wary as Dante about my involvement with Oscar. He glanced down at me and added a gloomy remark.

“..I can’t help it even if you think I’m petty.”

He seemed to be bothered by the fact that Cardinale’s witch was accompanied by the head of the assassination guild.

‘Even after the success of artificial soil, I haven’t been able to gain his trust, after all?’

He must have been trying to hide his doubts about me, considering his personality.

“Alright.”

I felt a little unfair seeing how hard I worked to cultivate this barren land, but it’s not like I had any choice.

“Let’s go together, Your Highness. But the objects that I want to get from the auction are for Your Highness and Prince Carlo.” I calmly recited.

Joseph’s mouth quivered as if he were trying to make an excuse. But I was already disappointed in him, so I didn’t bother to hear his excuse and left the room.

“I got it.”

“What?”

“I’ve already got it, the Holy Grail you said.”

Oscar lifted his chin proudly, he pulled from his black bag a white crown.

“Check it out.”

At one glance, the white diamond and cold silver that decorated the crown made it look very valuable.

I drew a magic circle on the hotel floor to check whether Oscar told the truth or not. I stepped into the magic circle wearing the crown on my head, and blue light flashed around my ankle.

“It’s real. The Holy Grail I’ve been looking for.”

I sighed in relief and stepped back from the magic circle.

“..Though I wonder why you were obsessed with it when Holy Grails are practically everywhere.”

Oscar slowly approached me and smiled. I stood tall in place, watching as his eyes gleamed like those of a beast.

‘Did Oscar know the true value of this crown?’

This Holy Grail, which contained the voice of Goddess Lorenzia, was different from other Holy Grails that only have traces of Holy Power.

‘But Oscar doesn’t have loyalty!!’

What if he tries to take it away after finding the true value of the Goddess’ Crown?

I held my breath and began to touch a dagger hidden in my waist.

“It suits you.”

However, when he was close enough, he lowered his head and kissed my hair.

“You look like a queen, Rita.”

He glanced at the white silver crown decorating my black hair and bent his eyes.

“You must have needed it because you’re now a Duchess.”

Fortunately, Oscar seemed to have thought the reason I wanted this Holy Grail was for my own satisfaction.

After clenching my fist in tension, I sighed in relief and held out a promissory note.

“Write down how much it cost to buy a holy grail on the promissory note.”

The Cardinale doesn’t make debt.

I didn’t have any affection left for the Count, but I respected my family motto.

‘Nothing good will come from being in debt to Oscar.’

It was a debt that could be repaid quickly if only the enormous mana stones that were being produced in Sirtha were sold.

However, Oscar glanced down at the promissory note I gave him and shook his shoulders.

“It didn’t cost me anything.”

“..What?”

Come to think of it, today was the day the night auction was held. I rushed from Katan just in case I would be late, but how did he already have the Holy Grail?

“I roamed around the backstreet.”

I caught Oscar trying to evade my gaze and stepped back.

“Did you steal it?”

“They were fools who didn’t know that this crown was a Holy Grail, Rita.”

I furrowed my eyebrows at Oscar’s ridiculous excuse. He lifted his wrist, which was tattooed with Spina’s symbol; a rose surrounded with black thorns.

“Besides, you wanted me to leave evidence that I was the one who stole this object, right?”

I narrowed my eyes at Oscar’s whisper.

Knock, knock.

I could know who was knocking just by listening to the sound.

“Do you mind if I come in?”

At the time of the night auction, the commercial city of Notte became a nightless city. People from all over the world flocked here, as if to prove its reputation as a sleepless city.

Joseph and I had belatedly begun to find accommodation and had no choice but to share a room.

‘Since we’re a couple, they probably thought it wouldn’t be a big deal to share.’

I looked back at the door, recalling the innkeeper’s easygoing attitude.

“Seems like that guy asks your permission first before entering.”

Oscar twisted the corner of his mouth as if finding Joseph’s politeness funny.

When she ushered him to come inside, Joseph was a little surprised by Oscar’s presence.

“Now that you’ve finished doing my wife’s errand, it’d be better for you to leave.”

Joseph glanced at the white crown decorating Rita’s black hair. The white crown decorated with diamonds went amazingly well with Rita’s pitch-black hair.

However, Katan also had a crown designed for the duchess. Even if Joseph was deposed, he was still a member of the royal family.

‘Did you not like Katan’s crown?’

Joseph felt bitter because the beautiful crown Rita wore felt like a rejection of himself.

“I was just about to leave, but since you came in, I don’t feel like going now.”

The sharp gazes of both men clashed in the shabby inn room. Rita, who looked at the two alternately, placed the Holy Grail on the velvet cushion and gestured with her chin to Oscar.

“I’ll listen to the rest of the story later. You should go, Oscar.”

“What about the auction?”

“I’m still thinking about participating.”

Joseph silently watched the conversation and felt a little frustrated. His heart was throbbing ever since he entered the room. The cold blood of anger rushed up.

Completely clueless as to why he was angry, he suddenly spoke to Rita as soon as Oscar left the room.

“Me too.”

“Pardon?”

“Please call me by my name, too.”

“Do you want me to call you by name?”

“Yes.”

“Do you intend to reveal your identity at the night auction?”

“Yes.”

Rita had been agonizing over the appropriateness of that and opened her mouth at Joseph’s persuasion.

“..Joseph.”

It was a name that she had never really liked before. Nevertheless, her heart sank at the echo of his name that rang like a calm wave.

Joseph nodded hastily and replied to her call.

“Yes.”

“Joseph.”

“..Yes.”

“I think it is such a pretty name.”

She repeated his name and quietly raised the corners of her mouth.

Someone already warned him to watch out for the Witch of Cardinale.

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