Survival 28

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There are many ways to bring someone down and drive them out.

Slander? No, what can she criticize without any information? Slander also requires material to be successful.

Intimidation through authority? That might be possible.

Anyway, the Frontal family was indeed more successful than their rivals.

But it was also a plan with clear limitations.

If they were fellow northerners, they could exert real pressure, like cutting off the family’s funding, but the west was too far away.

At best, they could only send letters to a few western families.

In the end, there was only one method left.

Elizabeth smiled slyly at her brilliant plan.

“With our family’s status, they will welcome us with open arms.”

‘Political marriage’.

A powerful alliance formed through blood, among nobility.

It was also the most effective way to separate Luciana from her personal servant.

“The problem is my father.”

Elizabeth’s face briefly twisted with worry.

A well-raised lady of a noble house.

Her existence was a useful tool for strengthening relations with other influential noble families.

The value of the bear emblem was too heavy to be just sold off to a baron’s family from another territory.

“…The Baron Byron’s family? Liza, I wish you had told me it was a joke.”

As expected.

Her proposal was immediately blocked by the very person who controlled the northern gold veins, Count Frontal.

“There’s no value in investing in such a pitiful family. Step back.”

Elizabeth boldly spoke up to her father, who dismissed her with a gesture.

“Father, aren’t you interested in anything beyond the north?”

Count Frontal’s eyebrows twitched at Elizabeth’s challenging tone.

“Beyond the north?”

“Expanding trade routes to the West, my engagement will certainly be helpful.”

Even though the other party is just a baron, it’s a decent means to exert influence in the West.

It’s much better to establish a foothold with the support of a noble, rather than venturing into a foreign territory blindly.

“And didn’t you see, Father? The way Hans Byron even made Lucy kneel.”

“Even his age is quite young. Where else would you find such a talent?”

It’s extremely difficult to hire a fully developed talent.

Especially in the North, where security is threatened by monsters and demons, finding someone skilled in combat is even harder.

Many desired such a person, and Hans, who had won the martial arts tournament, was also bound by his status as a servant to the Speda Ducal family.

A way to extract such talent while minimizing the backlash from the ducal house?

Literally, only a political marriage.

“…Well, your point has some merit. But, it’s indeed quite challenging.”

Count Frontal stroked his white mustache as he vocalized his thoughts.

“The North is unique in its insularity, making it hard for other regional merchants to exert influence, but we wouldn’t be able to generate the same revenue elsewhere. There are limits to what a baron’s family can support.”

He couldn’t risk transferring such a resource as her.

His cold gaze was speaking for him.

‘Do you think I’ll back down just like that?’

Elizabeth lifted the corners of her mouth, preparing to drive her point home to the family’s ultimate decision-maker.

“Father, think about it. This isn’t a formal marriage. It’s just an engagement.”

“Engagement is a serious matter for nobles. Most lead to marriage.”

“But what if I discover a flaw in my partner that could be a weakness?”

Caught off guard by her unexpected words, Count Frontal blinked.

He hadn’t expected her to bring up such a topic before even starting the engagement life.

“Explain further.”

“If necessary, we can create a flaw. Will people believe the assertions of our count’s family, or the excuses of a mere baron’s son? We just need to take the honey and discard.”

Sometimes, the power of a title itself can be a reason for breaking off an engagement.

Of course, if it’s too far-fetched, criticism is unavoidable, but with suitably fabricated evidence, it’s a different story.

“Certainly, there is sense in what you say.”

Count Frontal fiddled with an old coin next to his desk.

Naive and clumsy, but a fairly good opinion.

The eyes of the experienced noble thoroughly scrutinized the young white bear.

His interest was always in this money.

Then, what about his daughter?

“I’m curious.”

“About my plan? First, by staying close…”

“No, I mean your motive for going to such lengths.”

He was irked that the counterpart was a baron’s family, and moreover, a second son. He thought his young daughter was blindly in love, as befits a young maiden.

Count Frontal was curious about the reason behind his daughter’s eccentricities.

Depending on that reason, he might willingly participate in this trivial drama.

Then she smirked.

“Shouldn’t we get rid of the beast trying to pester Lucy?”

***

“I’ll carry it, Hans.”

“No, you don’t need to. It’s heavier than it looks.”

“Heavy? I heard from you that Lucy’s armor has lightweight magic on it.”

A kindly, painted smile settled on Elizabeth’s lips.

Concealing emotions and wearing a mask were basic skills for a noble.

Elizabeth had been exceptionally good in this regard since her youth.

Today marked the third day since she entered the Ducal house to close the distance with Hans.

‘Lucy’s armor! To think there would come a day when I’d carry it myself!’

“There’s so much to do, just hand it over to me.”

Of course, there was a slight personal interest mixed in her intent.

The thing that had nullified all her magic.

Elizabeth’s desire to touch this honorable object surged within her.

Then,

“Moderate yourself. That is a confidential item of our family. It’s not something for you to handle casually, and only Hans, as a servant, has the right to access that safe.”

Unexpected reprimand from Luciana.

Elizabeth covered her mouth in embarrassment and apologized.

“Um, right. I was wrong, Lucy.”

“…That’s enough, just be careful with your words and actions.”

‘Oh, I got carried away…’

Regretting the moment she lost her composure, Elizabeth quickly glanced at Luciana’s face.

A slightly narrowed forehead.

The chin lifted about 5 degrees higher than usual.

A colder tone in her voice.

‘As expected, she already harbors considerable affection for this servant.’

Elizabeth had anticipated this, knowing Luciana’s fondness for combat.

After all, she was like a perfect being sculpted from the spirits of the North.

But now, Elizabeth feared that the situation she dreaded might become a reality.

There was an urgent need to separate these two.

‘Come to think of it, isn’t this his daily routine?’

Elizabeth’s grip tightened as she glanced at Hans.

Unaware that her finely dressed skirt was getting wrinkled, she chewed the inside of her lip.

‘Seeing Lucy’s cute, half-awake face in the morning, taking care of the towel she sweated in during training… Surely he doesn’t go as far as drying her hair, does he?’

Truly audacious.

Using his duties as an excuse to be by Luciana’s side all day, managing her belongings, and winning her trust!

A wave of intense jealousy seemed to burn within her.

“By the way, how did it go with asking the Duke?”

“Ah, you mean the proposal to move to the Count’s estate for work. It’s become a bit complicated.”

Hans scratched his head with a light laugh.

“Recently, I won a martial arts tournament and received a precious relic. The Duke expressed reluctance about me leaving.”

“Considering loyalty and reputation, it might be better to wait a bit longer before leaving this place.”

“Ahaha. If Hans finds it difficult, then there’s nothing to be done.”

‘…Just an excuse.’

It was news Elizabeth did not welcome at all.

Furthermore,

She realized the extent of Hans’ greed.

The stake involved the daughter of a Count’s house.

Engagement, the most powerful alliance tool among nobles, was something hard to counteract, even by a Ducal house.

Because they are at the pinnacle of nobility, they are the most bound by these rules.

Would the Speda Duke really prefer to lose face over a mere servant, no matter how special he considers him?

In the end, this objectionable view was merely Hans’ personal folly.

‘Uneducated.’

Typical of someone from a minor baron’s family, he was quite fussy.

It seemed he received a rather precious relic.

However, hiding her true feelings, Elizabeth smiled brightly.

“I understand. We only have a formal agreement between families, with no personal connection between us.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

“Hehe. Then I must try harder.”

“What do you mean?”

“To become more precious to you than the relic you received from the Ducal house, I’ll stick right by your side!”

Though it was more about surveillance.

Elizabeth displayed a brilliant smile honed over more than ten years.

Even the slightest gap would do.

The moment he lets down his guard and reveals a fatal flaw.

Not only the engagement, but also his position as a servant, she would turn to dust.

“Now, return the armor to the safe and come back. I’ll accompany you on the next task.”

“…Understood.”

But then,

Something seemed to have gone strangely off course.

Following Hans, Elizabeth’s eyes slightly distorted.

‘He doesn’t show any weaknesses…!’

As the future crown princess, Luciana’s tight schedule was well-known even in the North. Her exceptional ability to perfectly manage this schedule was a given.

And Hans, as her only personal servant, naturally faced considerable challenges in supporting her.

“Hey, in two days, the lady will use the reception room for etiquette training. Make sure everything is prepared perfectly so the instructor won’t face any inconveniences.”

“Yes, I understand!”

He wasn’t aggressively pushy.

Nor was he disregarded for being an outsider.

Though a noble, he had an ambiguous background as a foreigner.

She had thought that naturally, he would face problems in managing the servants, but it turned out differently than expected.

‘No, where would a servant only manage other servants? Surely, being human, he must have some fatal flaw somewhere!’

Elizabeth, with wide eyes, followed Hans around from morning till evening.

However,

From managing the safe, reporting, to even taking care of Luciana’s pets,

He didn’t show any significant weaknesses in any of his duties.

The only flaw she could find was……

“Same as always with your skills.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Still slick at brushing off sarcasm, I see. Any connoisseur of black tea would have surely criticized.”

The worst thing about him was apparently his terrible tea brewing skills.

Once again, her nails headed towards her teeth.

A deplorable habit for a noble, but she couldn’t help it given her intense anxiety.

‘This won’t do.’

Even after playing the strong card of an engagement, she couldn’t separate him from Luciana, nor could she find any weaknesses.

“Liza, wouldn’t it be better for you to go home early today and rest a bit?”

“Ahaha, I’m fine.”

With a warm smile, Elizabeth snuggled up beside Luciana, whose gaze was fixed intently on her.

Somehow, it seemed that Luciana, who had been cold these past few days, was finally warming up to her.

Feeling her long-missed warmth,

The rising impatience within Elizabeth began to subside.

She reignited her determination once again.

To preserve her exclusive place where she could feel this emotion, Hans…

He had to disappear.

***

“I received a letter from Count Frontal’s house proposing an engagement.

I’m proud of you, Hans. How did they…?”

“Really, father. You should realize that this is a trap, being a baron and all.”

I clicked my tongue while reading the familiar handwriting.

Well, forming a connection with a prosperous count’s family is certainly appealing. But nobles are always those who coat their lips and tongues with honey while holding a knife in their hand.

For now, the letter tied to the leg of the carrier pigeon was carefully placed in the drawer.

Elizabeth Frontal.

With her bright pink short hair and eyes of the same color, she always buzzed around Luciana as a chattering follower, adorning the game’s background as Lady No. 1.

And as a special gimmick in the mid-boss Luciana Raid, she was an obstacle to the male protagonists trying to assist the hero in a duel.

-Want to get to Lucy? You have to defeat me first.

“Her magic that fires in all directions was quite tricky.”

I still remember it.

A wide-area attack that turned the entire screen red, turning the corridors into a sea of flames.

With power unmatched by most bosses, many players gave up, blocked not by Luciana but by Elizabeth.

Even after all the events concluded, as Luciana was branded a villain and criticized, she remained her childhood friend, a blind devotee dazzled by the light emitted by Luciana, never ceasing to defend her till the end.

What benefit would a typical noble see in defending a lady already discarded by the crown prince?

So.

‘Her approach… or rather her attempt at seduction, was doomed from the start.’

A Luciana-devotee like her, falling for me because I defeated her?

If it were hatred instead of affection, I would have believed it.

But,

“In a way, she’s essentially like me.”

Whether it’s me, who fell deeply for the character Luciana in the game and made her my favorite, or Elizabeth, who spares no effort in supporting her as a follower.

Ultimately, we are both captivated by Luciana’s unique charm.

The icy blue appearance of the snow, coupled with her noble beliefs.

Recognizing and valuing her worth accurately, she was an ally with eyes as discerning and precise as mine.

A figure I had regarded quite closely.

However, that was a story when this world remained just a game.

“Shh. Who would have thought that Elizabeth’s hostility would be directed not at the protagonist, but at me?”

What to do with this troublesome, fervent fan?

It was a bit difficult to just ignore her.

If our interests aligned even slightly, she could be a solid ally in preventing Luciana’s downfall.

“I’d prefer to have her as an ally if possible.”

It was too regrettable to simply discard her.

In the game, Luciana, utterly isolated, was followed by many, but Elizabeth was the only one who remained until the end. She was unique.

“…Maybe it’s time to take a gamble.”

I finished my contemplation while offering a carefully selected meal to Friede.

Indeed, I didn’t want to lose her, who could become a strong ally just like this creature in the future.

But if she’s marked me as a hindrance to Luciana, she won’t be persuaded by ordinary means.

If I fail, either Elizabeth or I will have to face the end.

It’s a pity, and considering the backlash that the Frontal family might cause after losing their daughter, it’s something I’m reluctant to do.

Yet, if necessary, I must be ready to make a bold cut.

But then,

“I wonder how our fiancé will react.”

I am, admittedly, a bit curious.

Instead of the letter I had placed in the drawer, I picked up a golden mask with a strange pattern and murmured quietly to myself.

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