I Will Save The Princess - Chapter 33

Submission (3)

However, the more money, the better. It’s a world where money begets money, and Hannah knew what would become a source of wealth in the future. This money was profitable to invest back into other places.

For now… in the southern corner, there were Hiswa and Terden.

At the moment, it was a small countryside with nothing to see, but two years later, it was expected to become valuable land with discovered gold and diamond deposits, becoming land with immense value.

If the land in that region were acquired, all the gold and diamonds would be Hannah’s.

Turning 300,000 gold into 3 million gold wouldn’t be a big deal if she became the mine owner.

3 million gold… Just the thought of it was exhilarating.

Moreover, besides this, there were plenty of other places where money would flow in. Next year, there would be a perfume boom in the capital, and after that, a spice boom… Hannah thought she should buy the top one and try to lead the trend.

Yes. Money begets money. It’s an unchanging truth.

“Uh, umm.”

As her spare funds became plentiful, her lips kept curling up. Hannah calmed down, trying to stay composed.

First of all, she needed to have Ophelia’s new dress tailored. Even with the money coming from the palace, her lifestyle was already sufficient, but she wanted to provide Ophelia with the best, the most expensive.

Ah… Now that she remembered, a ruby tiara was illustrated in the jeweller’s catalogue. Ophelia had expressed a great desire for a Princess’s crown.

Should she just buy it? After all, it cost only 5,000 gold.

Hahaha!

“…Uh, Hannah!”

Hannah raised her head while still chuckling. Tessa was standing in front of the desk with a strange expression.

“Uh… Tessa. What?”

“No matter how many times I called, you didn’t respond… Do you have something good in mind?”

“Oh, no! Well, I was just lost in thought. Why?”

“Didn’t you say you were going to the concubine’s palace this afternoon? It’s already two o’clock.”

“What?! Two o’clock?!”

Hannah quickly got up from her seat and hurriedly started organising the documents.

Adeline had asked Hannah to come as she had something to say! How could time have flown by so quickly?!

“I’ll be back! I’ll be back soon, so please take care of the Princess!”

* * *

‘Phew… Why is it so far away?’

Hannah couldn’t even walk halfway to the bottom of the concubine’s palace, but she was already tired.

Only then did she realise why the Emperor always sent a coachman along with the maids.

“Was the Imperial Palace always this vast?”

She didn’t realise the distance to the concubine’s residence when she was at the separate palace because it was relatively close. But now that she thought about it, she had been going to either the main palace or the concubine’s residence daily, so she had forgotten how large the entire palace was.

Pausing for a moment to catch her breath, she continued walking.

As Hannah passed the pathway leading to the central headquarters from outside the garden, she often encountered Vincent since it was the Imperial Army’s jurisdiction.

Black hair, black eyes, and fair skin.

Such a rare appearance was noticeable even from a distance. And since he would notice her just the same, their frequent encounters might not be mere coincidence.

Come to think of it… Did Vincent know that they had moved to the White Palace? He was the Emperor’s confidant, so he might be aware, but just in case, Hannah should send him a letter.

…As she was thinking about that, she saw Vincent’s black hair at the end of the path. A black uniform, an old, crude sword worn around the waist. He was having a conversation with the man standing in front of him, with his usual expressionless face.

Without thinking, Hannah moved toward them and was taken aback when she saw the person Vincent was talking to.

Vincent was quite tall, almost comparable to the Emperor.

But the man standing in front of him looked to be an inch taller. And he possessed a remarkably eye-catching appearance.

Silver hair with a faint tinge of lilac, and deep ruby eyes representing the Imperial bloodline. But the most striking feature was his dark olive skin. She had heard that it was a characteristic of those from the southern part of the Empire, but this was her first time seeing it in person.

Those eyes.

If that was the case, then this man was…

The dark olive-coloured skin with black accents instantly revealed a high-class status.

The luxurious brooch adorned with a butterfly shape inside the scarf confirmed the only family that came to mind. Hannah was confident that her guess was correct.

The man’s eyes widened briefly when he briefly glanced at Hannah.

The expression of surprise on his face lasted only for a moment. Then, a glimmer of amusement crept into his thin eyes, and he smiled elegantly.

The man greeted Vincent with a slight nod after giving Hannah a brief nod as well.

“It seems Lady has some business with the Marquis. I shall take my leave.”

Upon the man’s words, Vincent closed his mouth and turned his gaze towards Hannah.

He greeted her with a gesture of his eyes before bowing slightly to the man across from him.

“It might be better to discuss this matter at a later time. I shall visit your mansion soon.”

“Yes, please give my regards to His Majesty.”

With a vague remark, the man briefly turned his head towards Hannah, and his eyes still held a hint of interest.

Just like how Hannah was surprised by his appearance, was he also taken aback when he saw her? The man smiled gently, raising the corners of his lips, and then turned around, disappearing towards the main palace.

Vincent approached Hannah shortly after, wearing a sheepish smile as he spoke.

“It’s been a while, Hannah. Are you doing well?”

“Yes, Vincent. Um… I hope I didn’t interrupt your conversation.”

“Oh, no, not at all. It was a coincidence that I ran into him.”

“Isn’t he Duke Yendil? I didn’t expect someone so young.”

Vincent lightly chuckled, nodding his head in agreement.

“Everyone says that when they meet him for the first time. I suppose it’s because the Yendil family is so renowned that such misunderstandings occur.”

Hannah had assumed he would be an old man, so she was surprised to see that he was still relatively young.

Tournius Yendil, the Duke with crimson eyes. His splendid silver hair and graceful demeanour were unforgettable. Lost in her thoughts about Duke Yendil, she suddenly realised that she had ignored the person before her and looked up.

Vincent was quietly gazing down at her, and when their eyes met, a faint smile crept upon his lips.

“By the way, I don’t think you came to meet me. Where are you headed?”

Her mind returned to the present. That’s right. She had to meet Adeline.

“Yes, I was on my way to the concubine’s residence.”

“You walked from the White Rose Palace all the way here?”

As expected, Vincent was well-informed. He already knew about her moving to the White Rose Palace.

Feeling slightly embarrassed by his surprised expression, Hannah shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

“I didn’t mind walking.”

His smile deepened at her response. It was an expression she rarely saw in his usually stoic demeanour, making her feel even more self-conscious.

‘He probably thinks it’s foolish of me to walk all the way to the concubine’s residence.’ 

But without prying further, Vincent gently turned his body and gestured forward with his hand.

“Very well. I was heading to the main palace as well. Allow me to accompany you.”

Hannah nodded, and they started walking together in silence.

The sound of cicadas, heralding the end of summer, resonated loudly from the forest at the palace’s border. The garden was filled with blooming white lilies and gladiolus, exuding the refreshing aura of summer.

The sight of the lively summer scenery twinkled with beautiful vitality whenever she laid her eyes on it. With a blank expression, Hannah gazed at the garden, and Vincent tilted his head slightly, looking at her.

“You seem to like flowers. I often see you looking at the garden.”

“Oh… do I?”

Vincent nodded with an expressionless face, but a faint smile lingered around his slightly downturned eyes.

“The White Rose Palace is famous for its beautiful gardens. I believe His Majesty also took that into consideration when granting it to you. Do you like it?”

‘Hmm… Did Locard give the White Rose Palace to me with that in mind? Maybe he just threw it at me because it’s close to my old residence.’ 

Hannah gave an ambiguous smile as she replied.

‘It’s just a house, after all.’

She suddenly became curious when thinking about the White Rose Palace and his mansion. Why does Vincent always stay at the headquarters instead of his luxurious mansion?

“Vincent, you have a mansion and servants granted by His Majesty. You must have a residence in the capital. Why do you stay in the headquarters building?”

Without hesitation, Vincent replied, seeming to contemplate for a moment.

“To respond promptly to orders, being close to His Majesty is more convenient. Also… I don’t particularly like extravagant places. The headquarters has been familiar since my days as an officer, so I don’t find it uncomfortable.”

…Hmm.

The fact that he doesn’t like extravagant places somehow pleased Hannah.

“The northern mansion in Liam is just a mansion in name, but in reality, it’s no different from a fortress. It’s not the most comfortable place.”

“Really? I heard it’s a beautiful place, especially with all the snow.”

“In winter, we spend more time shovelling snow than training. The advantage is that we don’t have to worry about food shortages because bears come out frequently.”

“B-bears?”

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