Shadow Queen - chapter 54

“Senior, when are you going to see my father again?”

“Tomorrow. Why?”

“I want to ask you to find out if there is some land in the capital to put a building on.”

“Are you going to speculate?”

Khalif’s eyes were full of greed. Since Khalif trusted Elena’s judgment and choice almost at the religious level, he wanted to be put on this opportunity if she bought land.

“What do you mean, speculation? I’m not good over there.”

“Then why are you suddenly looking for land? The land is expensive there.”

“I’m going to build a salon there.”

“Salon? What is that?”

Since this period was before the salon culture was established, Khalif did not know much about salons.

“A forum that can break the wall between men and women. The birthplace of culture and intelligence and a place of socialization. A mark and exhibition hall for literati, writers, artists, thinkers.”

“…!”

Elena planned to open the first, largest, and best salon in the Empire’s capital. Salon is the collection of art culture that Elena dreams of. It is also a space where prominent figures such as writers, artists, aristocrats, and scientists come in and talk and discuss, and also a place to display and sell artists’ works and sell them. Sometimes, it can serve as a ballroom where you can enjoy performances and dance while eating and drinking alcohol.

The salon is a center with cultural ripple effects that can dominate the continent.

‘L will be at the center of culture as the hostess of the salon.’

Elena’s unconventional ambitions made Khalif speechless.

“Salon? It’s shocking. I can’t say anything. How did you think that?”

“This isn’t the end. It’s too early to be surprised.”

“What else?”

“Salons themselves are meaningful, but I want to give meaning to the first architecture that represents salons. It’s the size of the cathedral, and it’s a new style of architecture that we’ve never seen before.”

Khalif was surprised and worried.

“Isn’t that too much greed? It’s the size of a cathedral. Let’s say it is. Where can you get an architect with a new architecture?”

“Where? He’s next to you.”

“Whew is the person next to me… Don’t tell me you’re thinking about Randol?”

“Yes, I’ll leave everything from the salon’s design to architecture to Randol.”

Khalif’s mouth opened. As much as that, Elena’s remarks were shocking. This is because it was an adventure to entrust Randol, who is born with a genius talent, but has not yet achieved external achievements, to do the work.

‘As Lucia said. I don’t think Randol can’t build it again.’

It was vague because he was close to Randol and communicated with him more than anyone else, but he had faith that he could do it. Elena smiled as she seemed to have convinced him.

“Please give it to Randol. It’s an opportunity to promote himself to the world. Break the mannerisms and surprise the world with his own techniques.”

“I’ll tell him. He’ll be happy.”

In addition, Khalif also stood up. Randol was always determined to build a building with his own construction method, but the opportunity came earlier than expected. He was itching to tell him the news as soon as possible.

“If he can afford it, ask my father to look for a site near the land to buy.”

“I heard you’re not speculating?”

“It’s not speculation. We’re going to create a complex cultural space that can be linked to salons.”

“What? Mixed culture? What on earth are you thinking about? I can’t keep up.”

In recent times, Khalif has been admiring Elena. The groundbreaking and catch-up ideas were so witty that he could not follow it even if he died and woke up.

“Why are you coming after me? Don’t follow me.”

“What?”

“I’m just doing what I’m good at. You should do what you’re good at.”

“What I’m good at… That’s right.”

Khalif smiled and nodded in agreement. Elena spoke face to face.

“Salons are not designed and built by themselves. From beginning to end…”

“You’re also working with an art broker, right?”

“Yes, your role will be more important than anything else.”

“Nice! It’s nagging to say more. I know too. How important my role is. I’m actually living with responsibility.”

Elena smiled. He was always grumbling and playful, but she knew better than anyone else that he was always serious and committed to his field.

“And this. Give it to my father.”

Khalif was handed an envelope with a letter.

“What’s this? Can I see it?”

“It doesn’t matter if you look at it, but it’s not much. I’m going to buy some land in the capital slums, and I’ve checked the area on the map.”

“Why buy there? No, how can you think of buying a slum land? That’s the end of life. It can’t be sold again or bought. You’ll be bitten by a water ghost.”

Khalif had completely dissuaded Elena from buying the slum land. The slums were the cheapest land prices in the capital, as beggars, wanderers, tramps, and vagrants lived in the capital.

Therefore, in the past, several aristocratic investors have attempted to buy land in slums at a low price and develop it.

But the result was all a failure. Even if the poor were kicked out, other poor people soon came and filled the seats. Even if the building was built at a cost, common people were reluctant to come because there were vagrants and itinerants.

“I know.”

“You’re going to buy the slum land, even if you know it? You, just talk to me. Is there any gold in there?”

Khalif’s eyes were filled with expectations.

He was wondering if there was anything.

“Ha, where’s the veins of gold in the capital? I’m just buying it for charity.”

“Charity? Are you serious?”

“Yes, do you think I’m lying? What’s the point of making money? We have to help people in need.”

Disappointed, Khalif once again put the letter in his arms. If he was interested, he would have opened it, but it seemed that he was not interested in buying the land in the slums. He’d lose his money as soon as he invested. Elena felt sorry for not being able to tell the truth.

‘I’m sorry, senior. I couldn’t tell you honestly. But I can’t help it. If I tell you, I think you’ll live in that land.’

It’s not that she didn’t trust Khalif. Elena, however, was well aware that human greed sometimes obscures the opposite sex. In any case, if Khalif follows Elena to trade the land of the poor, he could also be targeted.

‘I have to be prepared in private, if I don’t buy it as quickly as possible with an agent, Leabrick will notice.’

Sooner or later, there will be a huge development craze in the capital. The Great House will use astronomical funds to push the slums away and create the Noblesse street where only nobles and royalty can enter the land, making it the largest development project in the capital since the founding of the empire.

‘Whatever you imagine, it’s more than that.’

The amount of money the Grand Duke spent on building this Noblesse street was equivalent to the Empire’s annual budget. The power of the great house to make such astronomical investments is great, but Leabrick’s contribution to the thorough preparation and success of the success of Noblesse Street was great. She predicted that the imperial family would collapse and the empire would return to the aristocracy, and wanted to make a distance for the nobles, and the result was a great success.

‘The Grand Duke’s success is my misfortune. I have to keep an eye on it.’

Elena plans to throw ash on their investment. She will eat it up little by little and eventually destroy it thoroughly. If the Noblesse street development project succeeds, it is almost impossible for Elena to destroy the Grand Duke no matter how long she tries.

The first step is the egg-laying. She was a step ahead of Leabrick to buy up the land of slums in advance that could be a major base for the development of Noblesse Street in the future. It wasn’t that difficult for Elena, who knew the future. There may be some margin of error, but the approximate development point was in her head as she frequently entered Noblesse Street during her time as empress.

‘There is one thing to watch out for. Buying with L’s possession, but having an agent so that the tail is not stepped on.’

Elena was well aware of Leabrick’s tenacity. If she knew the fact that Elena started buying and selling land first, she would do whatever she could to find L. L is a person who exists only in documents and signatures. Although it is impossible to be found that it is Elena now, it is necessary to send an agent to sign the sale in order to cut off the tracking of Leabrick in advance.

‘It’s easy after I buy land from poor people. I can sell it back to Leabrick.’

Elena already had a perfect plan in her head. To use the plan of the great house to extort money from the great house. It was exactly the direction of the destruction of the great house that Elena envisioned. The only thing left was Emilio’s sale of the slum land by proxy, as Elena wrote in the letter. He, who has abundant experience, wouldn’t make mistakes, so she didn’t worry too much.

“Then let’s stop the conversation today. Oh, I have an appointment with your dad so focus on your studies for a while. Don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah, I think I’m going to be as busy as you are with the way I am. Good luck.”

It was when the conversation ended and Khalif tried to catch the door to leave the study room.

Knock, knock.

“…!”

The sudden knocking of the door drew Elena and Khalif’s attention to it. It was not common to be visited by others because a self-study room and a discussion room could be used for personal purposes without interference from anyone who applied.

‘Oh, my God, Ren?’

She had such a question reflexively, but she soon erased it from her head. She stopped by the four-story recording room, disguised herself, and came down to the two-story study room. The movement was so short that it was unlikely that Ren would have been discovered.

“I’ll go out.”

Khalif, who was standing in front of the door, turned and pulled.

“Who are you… Hyuk!”

As soon as the door was opened, Khalif, who saw the man standing in front of him, swallowed his breath in vain.

“Y-Your Grace?”

“…!”

Is there any student attending an academic institute who doesn’t know the face of Sian? In response to Khalif’s surprised reaction, Lucia also rose from her chair.

“It was you again.”

Unlike the two who were surprised, Sian’s reaction was calm. You couldn’t see any emotions except alternating with an expressionless look.

“How did you get here?”

“I happened to see you on this floor. I searched the reading room to see if I could ask you how you were doing. So I’ve come, and you’re here.”

Khalif’s eyes were wide open. Even when he chewed it over, he could only hear that Sian came first with an interest in Lucia. After seeing Elena with his back against Sian, Khalif questioned her in the shape of his mouth without a sound.

‘Did you know Your Majesty the Prince? Why didn’t you tell me earlier!’