For a long time after Rubette left, Leonard Diollus was silent with a blank expression on his face.
âAs you have done so far, donât pay attention to whether I live or die.â
His daughterâs words, firmly embedded in his mind, made him feel a bit guilty.
This man has been living in such a way that it was difficult to take care of himself for 11 years after his wife died. Of course, he didnât pay any attention to care about his children.
Strangely enough, the 18-year-old eldest son, Viego, is already leading the dukeâs family as the head of the state.
Since Victor, the second son, joined the Imperial Knights Division three years ago due to his talent in swords, he was only home a couple of times a year.
And then his youngest daughter, Rubetria, was less talkative and had a timid appearance that closely resembled his dead wife.
All three of them never said anything about them being weak to their father, and he thought that there was no problem because all the faces he saw were calmâŠ
ââŠI am tired.â
Leonard, who was holding his drenched hair from the alcohol, stopped as he tried to tilt the heavy liquor bottle.
âCan I have a little drink?â
It was because he remembered his daughterâs voice.
Eventually, Leonard put down the bottle and staggered towards the bed.
He was lying on his back with no strength, and he closed his eyes.
It has been years since he saw her face for so long.
The face of his daughter who had told her father that she was sad⊠As always, she looked just like his wife.
ââŠIllusion.â
Leonard quietly summoned his spirit.
Soon, a spirit with a pure white and transparent female body appeared and hovered around the air once gracefully.
âDid you call, contractor?â
A fantasy spirit, Illusion.
It was a spirit belonging to Leonardâs family, with the ability to unleash hallucinations in front of him or to make dreams come true.
âA dream I always dreamed of.â
At the familiar command, Illusion kissed the contractorâs forehead. Eventually, Leonard fell asleep.
Except for the brief waking hours, he lived almost all of his days in fantasy.
The dream he wanted was always the same. His wife was still alive. A smiling face, a fluttering gesture, a happy voiceâŠ
When he was in the arms of his wife, who was the same as before, Leonard did not suffer.
It has been 11 years already. It was an unstoppable fantasy like a drug.
~*~
On the way back to her room to meet her dad.
âWhy didnât you tell me about Molga Diollus?â
Wishet, who had been watching the situation up to now, next to me asked.
âHey, Rubetria.â
ââŠâ
âAre you ignoring me now?â
An unbearable spirit stood in front of me. I stopped walking and was startled.
âLooking at his face and talking about it, the Duke seemed to have felt something too. All you had to do was tell the truth, that youâve been beaten by Molga Diollus up until now, and kick her out just like the old butler.â
ââŠâ
I looked around without answering. I saw some maids passing by.
The spirit was visible only to the eyes of each contractor. The spirit with the face of a prince appeared in the hallway of the mansion out of nowhere, but there was no need to hide it.
When the spirit masters talk to their own spirits, there are times when it seems like they are talking to themselves in the air.
âBut for me, things are a little differentâŠâ
After ignoring him a little more, I walked diligently to get to the room, locked the door, and said:
âPlease.â
âWhat?â
âDonât talk to me in the presence of people. What if I answer by mistake? In fact, what if it turns out that I made a contract with the spirit? What if it even becomes known that it is a wish spirit?â
ââŠâŠâ
âItâs the life that Rubette saved at the best, do you want it to be blown away in vain?â
Wisht realized its mistake and kept its mouth shut.
There are complicated circumstances here, but letâs talk about the coreâŠ
I was known as the only person in the Duke of Diollus who did not make a contract with the spirits, and it was best to keep it that way.
That was because Wisht is a spirit classified in the ârisk groupâ.
âIf they find out that I am a dangerous elemental contractor, I will die sooner. So Rubette has been hiding it all her life.â
After thinking for a while, I said,
âIf you want to talk to me when there is someone next to me, you can send a telegram into my head.â
Even if the contractor and the spirit are separated, communication is possible through telephony.
When summoned next to someone, there was no need to use the full tone, but Rubette had to hide the existence of the wish, so she always communicated with the full tone unless the two of them were alone.
I patted Wishtâs shoulder, whose momentum had been weakened.
âI wonder why you didnât talk about Molga?â
âUh.â
I slowly approached the table, sat down, and started talking.
âMolga is the leader of this family, and she is like an angel. After my mother passed away, she took care of the three children like her own instead of a crazy father. Rubette was abused, and only Victor took great care of her. Okay?â
âOkay.â
âMy brother, Viego, who is no different now, is on the side of Molga. And all of the Dukeâs employees are being brought from Molga.â
ââŠâŠâ
âWhat if I suddenly go to my father and cry and tell him to kick her out because Molga is harassing me? Will he kick Molga out because his daughter was having a hard time? Or will he just scold me for being immature?â
ââŠâŠâ
âAnyways, Iâm someone who is inferior to anyone else and has no bond. Thatâs never going to happen. The situation is a little different with the old raccoon butler, who is just an employee.â
âStill, if you say something, wonât he be suspicious of that demonic woman?â
âRight. I didnât express it openly, but I appealed enough to my dad about this unusual environment I was going through. Dad will slowly get to know this crazy family situation.â
ââŠâŠâ
Wisht didnât seem to understand my rather passive behavior, but it kept its mouth shut as if it didnât want to argue further.
Knowing why I was so sensitive, I felt grateful and sad.
âWhen Molga comes back, are you worried that you will be beaten like Rubette?â
âIt will be a different experience once I meet that woman in person. I donât know if I can handle it.â
Wisht, who was watching me with a grin, asked with a sigh.
âWhy did you suddenly ask for money from the Duke?â
âOh, that? I need some business funds.â
âWhat? Out of the blue?â
âIâm going to make money and move out of this beggarâs corner of the house. I promised to live Rubetteâs life happily. And the life of unemployment is not happy either.â
âWho calls a noble lady unemployed?â
âWell, at least thatâs what I think. Itâs not a job to be like the daughter of the Duke of Diollus.â
I gazed at the clothing magazines that were piled up on the table. To find out the fashion trend here, I asked Rebecca to bring it.
âDo you know what my job was in that world?â
âAn actor?â
âNot that one.â
Wisht who was still blinking and thinking said.
âThe owner of a clothing store?â
ââŠâŠ.â
We faced each other and remained silent for a while.
Thatâs true, butâŠ
âDonât you think that was too trivial? How about the CEO of a luxury brand? I made 1.2 trillion won in annual sales last year being âthe owner of a clothing storeâ you just said.â
âWell, okay. I donât understand everythingâŠâ
Wisht, who was picking at his ears, then asked.
âSo the conclusion is, youâre going to open a clothing store here too?â
âRight. Iâve already decided on the brand name. Itâs âBlanc De Rubyâ.â
I sat at the table, held my chin in both hands, and began to worry seriously.
âBut thereâs a problem.â
âWhatâs the problem?â
âJust because Iâm determined doesnât mean I can launch a brand. I need some supplies.â
âWhat do you need?â
âMoney. Initial investment.â
âYou borrowed money from the duke.â
âThatâs right. And a sensible designer.â
I immediately added my finger in front of Wisht.
âIâll do that, so donât worry.â
âAnd what else?â
âA tailor to make the clothes.â
âAre you going to ask the tailor whoâs coming to see you in the evening?â
âRight! Youâre quick-witted. I asked him to make me sportswear too.â
âThen itâs done. What else is left?â
âYes. Thereâs nothing more important thanâŠâ
I covered my face and swallowed a sigh.
âA modelâ.
âModel?â
âIsnât this system already full of well-known tailorsâ shops? I, who belatedly jumped into a plate overflowing with stagnant water, will need a very famous subdue to close the gap at once.â
Do you know why celebrities sponsor clothes? Of course, it is to promote clothes.
âI was the living witness.â
As a celebrity, âfashionâ soon began with all the clothes I wore, all the cosmetics I used, and all the accessories I wore, and after I reflected on my face in public the next day, all the products used from my head to toe were sold out.
In other words, I intend to launch a public relations strategy using the modelâs fame.
âRescuing people wouldnât be your job, would it?â
âOf course, you can hire someone who is pretty, cool and has a good body. But thatâs not a consideration. All I need is the fame of the model.â
âArenât you famous?â
âYou need a celebrity whom people envy. Those people are commonly referred to as celebrities in the world out there. At least one female model and one male model would be the best way to start a businessâŠâ
As I said, it got complicated again.
âFortunately, I have an idea for a female model. But the problem is.â
âA male model?â
âRight.â
I nodded and looked at Wisht.
âThe Crown PrinceâŠâ
When I saw his face turned into a handsome prince, saliva came to my lips.
âThe Crown Prince is the most popular man in the Empire at the moment. Itâs perfect for a model.â
As if reading my eyes, Wisht burst out laughing.
ââŠThe Prince?â
âIsnât it hard?â
âIâm sure heâll be a model for publicity.â
âNope. Iâm confident in convincing, but itâs hard to meet him. No contactâŠâ
It was an unrealistic wish for me, who was not popular, had no connections, was shy, and was close to an ordinary person who was part of the family, to be alone with a well-known popular person 24 hours a day.
If I had to compare it, would it be similar to the probability of a successful one-on-one fan meeting with a top celebrity?
âItâs the other way around, so itâs a very different feeling.â
With a sigh of bitterness, Wisht shrugged and said.
âThere is no contact. The Crown Prince wonât grant a request to use him as a model, but it wouldnât be difficult to meet him, right?â
âIn what way?â
âYour second brother. I know that he stays with the Crown Prince 24 hours a day.â
âAh!â
Right. Come to think of itâŠ
Victor Diollus. Didnât I have a second brother?
~*~
Emperor of the Cartesian Empire.
An outdoor training ground for the Imperial Knights.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Two well-edged swords were fired several times in the air.
In the training ground, as usual, there were two men who were engaged in a splendid match while receiving the admiring glances of other knights.
âNo matter how you look at it, even the way the Crown Prince is fighting is an art. Doesnât the completion of the swordsmanship match his face?â
Crown Prince, Lark van Raschmach Descartes.
âI heard from Valet, and in the popularity poll for <Knight of the Month>, the vice-commander came in 2nd place by only two votes. His Majestyâs votes have always been overwhelming.â
It was the imperial deputy commander-in-chief, Victor Diollus.
Shing! Shing! Shing!
Indeed, the two men boasted incredible beauty, the swordsmanship battle was more like a beautiful sword dance at first glance.
Immediately after dividing the sum a few more times, Larkâs sword, which had dug a hole, sharply pointed at Victorâs neck. A few strands of Victorâs red hair were cut and fluttered in the air.
ââŠ..â
A cleanly decided match.
Tang!
Victor threw the sword he was holding in his hand to the floor without any regrets.
âWin.â
In the unofficial regular voting <Knight of the Month> by the nobility of the system, it has been proud of its undisputed first place for 42 monthsâŠ
Crown Prince Lark van Raschmach Descartes, the most popular man in the Empire at the moment, said with a smile.